A flush crept up her neck.
“Yes. This is my first job. Well, not ever—I worked plenty on Earth. But out here, yes.”
The silence stretched, so she added in a small voice:
“I promise I’ll try not to be a burden.”
Khar didn’t respond to that. He returned to the emergency at hand.
“KRIO-223 is an extremely resilient nanovirus. It attacks the nervous system and is fatal to most intelligent species,” Khar said. “The station has confirmed an active case. All docking bays and communal areas are sealed until sterilization is complete. This is the strictest level of lockdown.”
Lily shrugged. It was not her first sterilization cycle. Space loved its protocols, especially the dramatic ones.
“All right,” she said. “How long are we stuck here?”
“Vitro is still calculating air contamination levels. Until clearance is given, the suits stay on.”
Almost on cue, Vitro’s voice filled the suite.
“Guest suite B atmosphere analyzed. Probability of viral presence: zero point two percent. KRIO-223 protocol initiated for all remaining ship sections. Please remain within guest suite B until sterilization is complete. Estimated remaining time: three chrono-cycles.”
Lily’s stomach dropped.
Three chrono-cycles. Three galactic days, sealed inside a luxurious but very small suite with Khar. She liked him. Sheeven trusted him. But being confined with a coworker for that long was a different matter entirely.
Before she could dwell on it, Khar was already halfway out of his suit. Sweat slicked his gray skin, his powerful muscles shifting beneath a thin black undershirt.
Yes. This is going to be a very long three chrono-cycles.
She hurried out of her own suit. Even with a top-tier model, she was soaked through. Heat rose to her cheeks as she hoped Khar would not notice. He spared her only a brief glance before striding into the tiny bathroom and shutting the door behind him.
While she waited, Lily pulled up the IMPERIUM database and began skimming entries on KRIO-223. She had barely made it through the first paragraph when a heavy crash echoed from behind the bathroom door.
“Khar?” she called, alarmed. “Are you all right?”
“I am fine,” came his muffled reply. “I will be out shortly.”
Relief loosened her chest, but only slightly. When he emerged, he was freshly cleaned, water still clinging to his skin. A massive bruise bloomed across the bridge of his nose, sealed with a layer of medic-gel.
“Oh my god, Khar,” she said. “What happened?”
He shrugged, as if the injury were trivial.
“I tripped. There is a first aid kit inside. I treated it. Do not concern yourself.”
She could not help it.
“That looks awful. That must have hurt. Are you sure you do not need help?”
He met her gaze with that unreadable, glowing stare she was slowly learning to interpret.
“It will heal. The gel seals the injury. I also cannot smell anything right now, which is preferable. Under these conditions, that could be dangerous.”
She tilted her head, unconvinced.
“Well, if you say so. I read that KRIO-223 spreads through the air, but I doubt a broken nose improves your immune system. Still, maybe the gel helps.”
Without another word, Khar lowered himself onto the couch beside her. The furniture groaned under his weight. Lily had never sat this close to him before. Up close, his sheer size and the solid strength of his arms were impossible to ignore.
