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123. Through The Looking Glass Again


The last crate of tab-rations slotted into the cargo cubby with a satisfying ker-chunk, and Stroth gently replaced the compartment’s sealed access panel. Standing, she took a long look around the inside of the Looking Glass, appraising the few square feet that would once again be the boundaries of her world for the next several weeks at least.

The vessel had been refitted with Ele technology, providing a range of efficiency and quality-of-life upgrades, but most of the changes were either deep within the ship’s systems or external - particularly the web-like korelum exoskeleton that now encased the original Estir-class hull. The actual living space was depressingly familiar, and Stroth already found herself longing for the simple comforts of her apartment in Korus.

The sound of small, tentative footsteps on the ship’s entry stair distracted her from the momentary rumination. El-Sona, the daughter of El-Sondur who had lent her the wonderball, climbed into view, eyes wide and a little red. “You’re leaving?” she asked, simply and sullenly.

“I am,” Stroth replied gently. Somehow, she found children harder to talk to than academics or investors. “But I’ll come back eventually.”

“I’ll miss you,” El-Sona mumbled. Stroth knelt down to look the child in the eye, gently squeezing her shoulders and smiling warmly at her.

“I’ll miss you too,” Stroth said. From her pocket, she removed the wonderball and handed it back to El-Sona. “You were right, this was very useful to me. Thank you, El-Sona. And thank your mother for me, too.”

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