The knife sank into the succulent, red slab as if it were a bulbfruit. The layer of epidermis, seared to coppery perfection, parted to reveal lumpy, golden fat. As the muscle stretched, an aroma permeated the air—of rich iron and lightly grilled flesh. She salivated.

Then she caught sight of the hair.

It was shriveled and blackened, but a hair nevertheless.

Madame Blair swept the plate off the table with one swift motion. It crashed to the floor, and black shards exploded out in a shower of entropy. Blowing out a breath, she surveyed the mess.

The slab of flesh lay on broken ceramic that glinted in the light. Red oozed out over stone tile and pooled in the lines of grout.

A hesitant tap drew her attention to the door.

"Enter," she barked.

A vom glided in like a wraith, and his sunken eyes bulged as he took in the scene. "Madame, your daughter—"

The daughter in question strode in, purposeful footfalls clacking in a staccato beat.

"Manda?" Madame Blair raised her eyebrows. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Actually, Mother—" She faltered, eyes swiveling to the broken plate for an instant before reverting to their original position.

"Yes?"

"When exactly is the ship arriving? I heard there was a delay."

Madame Blair leaned back in her chair—an elaborate affair that matched her coal-black eyes. "You came all the way here to ask me that?"

Manda shrugged. "I dropped by on the way to uni. My friends want to see the ship."

"Grain collision." Her deep voice rolled out with a reverb effect while her idle claw traced her chin. "Perforated sail and minor damage to the hull when it ripped through the armor."

"I see," Manda intoned and glanced at the floor. "Any reason that is lying there and not on the table?"

"Hair."

"Is that a problem?"

Madame Blair's eyes narrowed to slits and then latched onto the vom standing motionless by the doorway. "Nox."

"Yes, Madame."

"Clear this crap and fire whoever prepared it."

The remaining color drained from his cadaverous face. "I'll see to it. Would you like a new meal sent to you? Another ketsa? Or—"

"No," Madame Blair's voice lashed out like a whip. "I've lost my appetite."

Nox scurried away, while Manda stood without a word.

Madame Blair dwelled on how much her daughter had grown. Manda was smart, clear-headed and disciplined—the markings of a good leader who could inherit the family business and make it flourish. Yet, there was something she couldn't put her finger on. The blank face before her was a still pond—absorbing anything thrown at it with barely a ripple.

Perhaps she was reading too much into it—Manda had always been a withdrawn loner. She seemed to blend into the background with her unassuming appearance. She was neither light nor dark, and the striations and denticulations on her olive drab skin were barely visible. The tight knot atop her head pulled back hair that was black as night. Her slight form was swathed in layers of darkness—inconspicuous, except for the sheen on her leggings and the satiny faux feathers on her voluminous scarf.

"Maybe it was human," Manda said suddenly.

Madame Blair snapped out of her thoughts. "Pardon?"

"The hair."

"That is...disgusting." She flared her nostrils. "Besides, I'd know if that was one."

"Humans are more similar to us than we think. It could be due to panspermia, and Earth may have—"

"I'm not interested, Manda."

"Well, you always say that, Mother, but you should try the flesh they grow in labs now—"

There was a quiet knock, and a vem scuttled in to clean up the floor.

"Well then," Manda relaxed the arms crossed behind her back. "I'll be leaving."

When her daughter's steps faded into the distance, Madame Blair rose to her feet and drifted to the window wall of her office.

Situated high up on the tallest tower, the arching windows afforded an expansive view of Nodrog, where clusters of dark buildings vied for space. Elaborate spires shot into the leaden clouds, reflecting the glow of the red dwarf star that illuminated the place. Drones zipped through the air like metallic fireflies, racing against the hover cars that streaked below. Further away, tottering urban slums stretched as far as the eye could see, curving gradually into the haze. They ended at the gigantic window stripe along the length of the cylindrical habitat that contained the metropolis.

"Good day, isn't it, Madame?"

She turned.

Nox flashed her a hesitant smile, his pointy teeth protruding out in an overbite. "No sign of flares either. I've received word that Black Bull is about to dock."

She fixed her gaze on the city again. "The trip to that asteroid base is cancelled, yes?"

"Yes, that's right."

"And what's the next destination on the itinerary?"

"Why, it's Earth, Madame."

The header displays the concept of an O'Neill cylinder space habitat.

Bulbfruit: The dark red fruit of a cactus-like plant in Nodrog. Inspired by the dragon fruit.

Vom: Male vomon.

Grain: Interstellar dust particles that collide with ships. When ships travel at high speed, small grain can pack a punch as big as a nuclear bomb.

Sail: Refers to the solar sail of the spaceship.

Ketsa: Human meat dish eaten by vomons.

Vem: Female vomon.

Flare: Refers to a solar flare. Nodrog is near a red dwarf star, and this type of star emits huge solar flares.