"They won't be bothering you again." Kia slammed a vile down on the lab bench beside Dr. Drake. The doctor rolled her chair back from the bio-electron microscope she spent so much time on it felt like an extension of her body. Gingerly picking up the vial and examining it, she heaved a sigh of relief having determined the seal remained unbroken. 

"Thank you." Dr. Drake didn't ask her sister what methods she had employed to assure the Tanites gang 'wouldn't bother' her again. Somethings were better not to know. She gave Kia a weak smile, rubbed her eyes and hunched back over the microscope. 

"You need better security in this place," said Kia walking gingerly through the over-crowded laboratory, prodding odd-looking devices and biologic specimens from far-flung regions of the galaxy. Hidden in the deep recesses of a building destroyed by the last Spertain asteroid attack, the walls buckled and the ceiling crumbled, adding to the mad-scientist on the downslide look she was certain her sister was oblivious to. "It seemed like the Tanites had been spying on you for months."

"That's scary," said Dr. Drake not looking up.

"Julia!" said Kia startling her sister enough to make her look up again. "You need to take these attacks seriously. The world is run by gangs and warlords, many of whom would gladly kill you to get to your even one of your nubots or biohybrids." Kia looked at her sister's sad, tired eyes and defeated posture, and felt sorry she had yelled. "Don't worry," she added in a gentle tone. "I can install a better system for you." She dug through her backpack and removing several weapons before pulling out two silicone packages and a bottle of champaign. "I procured some extra grade A rations. We can eat together while we work."

"That would be nice, thank you." Dr. Drake didn't ask about how Kia had come to possess food normally eaten only by the very rich and dangerously powerful but returned without a word to her microscope. "Can I have a glass of the champaign please," she asked, again without lifting her head.

"Certainly," said Kia with a grin, "I'll turn on some music too."

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published 9.16.19