Hopkin's Station was drifting slowly behind them. Torn, she still hesitated. She would have liked to stay at Petra for longer. However, too many had reised her from that livestream, despite her fur make-up and the editing. So the mother had asked her to y low for a while. And then there was Marik, of course. He was certainly not the typical human from the drama or like those libido-driven tourists; but a male humaheless. Even if he behaved most of the time like a kitten. And not helped by looking like a teenager. She wao cuddle the sleeping human on the sed seat.

  And finally, through the internal Samul acher rumour mills, a distorted version of her involvement had reached even her ex-cssmates from Crice. She started to receive messages, gratutions even, from those cwlickers. Assuming that she was still holding the string of the cil. One even wrote 'what a clever idea to have a cil for the masses'. Those idiots simply cked the imagination that she was not tempted by power. Or the money which came with power. Money not earned but funnelled from the hard-w cats oation. Because that was the life her ex-cssmates were groomed for by their high-tier families.

  The obvious way out was being literally away, out of the system. Even if she had to say goodbye again to the kittens and then Trina and Fanny. These two had bee closer during their flight and then while being stu the phey met them daily, and tely evehree of them together. Very hush-hush though, as the p certainly was not ready for Ketcher and Samul sympathising.

  "Flight trol for White Ocelot, any troubles?" It was Roberta herself but then, flight trol might be the most solitary p the station. Only one ship had departed before her, the others were still not ready. "Hello, Rerra, all ok? You are drifting off the path."

  "White Ocelot for Flight trer. Sorry."

  She carefully turhe ship onto the submitted flight path a up to 0.3 g. Marik oher seat did not stir. She would like to cuddle with this cute any time. Not just because he was human, not just because he was male. But it did not look like a rexing sleep, his head hung quite apatheti the headrest, and his skin colour looked off. And his breathing was quite noisy. So hopefully just a cold. She turned up the temperature a bit, then tilted hard to the side.

  He finally squinted his eyes.

  "Oh, already away?" he mumbled.

  "Are you feeling well?"

  "Yes," even though his faint croaking voice betrayed that answer. "Just tired. But it is o be again in space." His smile was hohough. Then he yawned again. "Maybe it was something in the air oation."

  She doubted that, worried more if he had caught a bug. Maybe ohat was a harmless cold for cats, but a nasty disease for humans. Although, she had never heard of such.

  "Yes, it is good to fly again." After a moment, she added. "You want the patch already?"

  He stared a moment at the ceiling as if he had trouble processing the words. When she was about to repeat, he answered. "Yes, hopefully, I e out well-rested."

  She took two single-day patches with a heavy heart. She opened her harness, suppressed a grin, and floated over, hugging him. "Sweet dreams" and applied them after a pe his forehead.

  She lingered floating for a momeo him. He was out but breathing normally. She hugged him gently again, then sighed, and feeling dirty for having hugged a knocked-out person.

  So bato her seat and tinuing the run-up. There was the ship which had left half a day earlier which she inteo overjump. With Marik sedated, it was time for the main engines, using the potential of her ship, still the fastest ever built ercially by humans. They would go to Fallerian, buying some speciality foods. With the many high-tiers ing up to the station, and no ining fresh supplies for several days now, there was a good price to get from even simple things. Ely had made her a wishlist for Petra catering and gave some hints on what else she could sell food price. And while the cargo space was limited, a fast return would be no problem. Being the first back, she could charge them through the would feel good to siphon money from the rito her, their pocket.

  A st look at the knocked-out Marik, blurred by the vibrations at 4.2 g and she initiated the jump tdown. Then the coils igearing the ship onto 4D. She closed her special eyes and ears and shut the .

  * * *

  She had e out quite close to the edge of the jump window and borderline fast as well. At least n-induced disorientation for her, just opened her eyes and immediately decelerated with 2.2 g. With the dey due to light speed, a quite upset Fallerian flight trol called her, ned her reckless flying; even if they were still within the reception window. She was surprised that she could vince flight trol to cede that fact. The previous stay at Fallerian while repairing the engines and iing with the natives must have improved her spoken Fallerian more thahought. After ing here for the third time, only a short exge was o have flight trol givihe nadir dog port.

  Marik was still sleeping even after she had removed the patches. Only now, he stirred.

  "Hello, sleepy human, we are less than 1000 from dog."

  He blihen yawned. "Good, why did you not wake me earlier?"

  "I tried."

  The long time out and being in Fallerian space seemed to have helped. He looked much better, smelled also different. Not the sweat, of course, but she was er for that in the warm cockpit.

  He shook his head. "Ugh, now I'm hungry. Should I call them about the dog port?"

  "All done." She smiled, "See here, a Nadir flight path. My Fallerian must have improved a lot. Thanks to my teacher." She was still learning to read his emotions and his current expressio her w.

  He took a deep breath. "No additions to the shopping list?"

  She shook her head.

  "Sorry for sleeping. Let's call the vendors. My time to help." He turo the unication sole and started calling out and messaging.

  "My time to help?" That human had a serious self-esteem problem. Without him, the station would have still been without an AI, slowly dying. His time for help? Also, the White Ocelot would not be half restored without him and his tacts at Fallerian. But so close to the station, she would better turtention back to the flight path. Which was more like a wide slom. To clear her mind as much as possible, she took a suppressant.

  * * *

  First thing, they went for food. A very big meal. The small human ate as if he had been famished. Well, at Hopkin's he had eaten morcels. Maybe it had been the really station air, like some crud from filters well past their time for maintenance or from bug that had bread in stale ducts when the life support had been on emergency protocols without the station AI.

  When he finally was sated, they went to some food wholesale suppliers. As it was early afternoon station time, the stocks were emptying. But the small high-priced items were not going that quickly, and soon they had everythiher in her backpack of getting delivered to the nadir port after 7500.

  Then they parted ways, she went back to the ship to escape the heat of the station. How had she survived here st time?

  She went through the checks and everything was fine, nothing had broken, the repairs were still holding up nicely. She rested a little in the cool cockpit and the out through the narrow dog tunnel. As expected, exactly at 7500, the first deliveries came. She paid the agreed prid tried hard not to smile too openly, to not scare the Fallerian ing here. But it was hard, they would make a very good profit.

  One by one she moved the packages and boxes through the access tunnel arissed them in some er. At 9000, her pad chimed, announg the old data dump from the ship that had left Hopkin's before them while she was st the st packages, wedging them behind the seats. Any possible ste room was filled, and some more. If something broke, they would o py parcel Tetris again to access that panel.

  She did n any clothes with her. So she just stripped to her underwear to go bato the hot and humid station. Her pad guided her. Marik had anised an evening meal, stressing that it would not be at his hatchparent's pce. Which had closed by now that close to midnight. Even if this held less distin on a space station. But it meant dimmed lights and, most importantly, lower temperature.

  And fewer people, thankful, as she was very unfortable in her underwear despite the very different anatomy of the native Fallerians giales and catapilrs. Her worry increased when she approached the restaurant, dark tones, a lot of space betweeables which could be enclosed by curtains. The poshest pce he had seen on Fallerian III for sure. She gulped but it was too te to turn back.

  Marik wore a bright white shirt and dark green trousers, also looking very formal, and talked to the waiter at the entran hushed tones. Even her ears did not catch much. They followed the beetle to a er table where the beetle close the curtain a a flow of cool air gentle blowing down oable. Marik held her chair.

  She smiled and blushed so hard that he must see it even through her fur "Marik, warn me for something such high-tier."

  He smiled back at her. "My treat, I want to celebrate my departure from Fallerian in style." She was a little fused. Before she could say something, he put a gss in her hand, which the waiter must have filled when she had been distracted. "To the future profits."

  "To the future profits," she repeated on automatic. Theaste hit her. It was a distilled cider and a very good one. She g the bottle but did nhe writing. Must be from some human world.

  "Rerra."

  She set dowtle and looked at him. Too quick, she must have startled him, he had retreated a bit. She wondered again how the human could be so afraid of her and tried another careful and thus toothless smile.

  He gulped and smiled back. "Em, you know, our tract has just a few days left and." He emptied the gss, despite being a lightweight. "We haven't been that far away. I mean, er, we extend it? I know it is"

  "Shsh," she almost hissed, "yes," she swallowed. This human was clueless as a kitten. Instead, she said, "Flying alone is no fun. 64 days as yinally wanted." She winked.

  Now he surprised her, jumping off the chair and throwing himself at her. "Thank you," he whispered, breathing in her shoulder fur, sobbing even. She felt her back fur rising everywhere.

  Stupid human, she embraced him, wanting rather never let this human kitten go. "Afterwards," she whispered, "I smell our food ing."

  He hugged harder and the go.

  Indeed, now the waiter beetle came, pushing a cart with his middle legs.

  * * *

  They left at 1000. Not even a whole day had passed sihe dog cmps of Fallerian III had gripped the White Ocelot. She looked hungrily at Marik, longed for a quick cuddle as the adorable human called it. But it had been enough tortions to just climb into their seats with all the cargo around.

  Now they sat in the warm cockpit and both yawhey should have taken a rest after the jump, they would e close to one day rule of subsequent jumps. But time was money, literally; their trade depended on a fast return. At least they had twood meals to supply what they had lost during the transition in 4D.

  The cmps released and they drifted out.

  Marik fell asleep before they had even cleared the dog zone. She opened a zero-G of bck tiger, sucked it empty in one go. She o be alert for another 2000, the traffic around Fallerian III was not for the faint, and borderline for manual flying.

  Finally, they ehe jump window. Marik was still sleeping. She gently put his patches on and then did a quick run-up, as fast as she was allowed. Back to Hopkin's. The bck tiger had worn off, she yawned as the room folded and looked forward to resting to the transit in 4D.