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“So your concussion is minor?” Kiseleva asked.

“Yeah, it was just a little bonk,” Apollonia replied distractedly.

“I’m surprised they let you in,” the other woman replied.  “Y was in the brig at the time, from what I understand.”

“Well, I told the guards it was really important and they pinged him before I went in, so I guess it was fine.  But don’t worry, I’ve hit my head a lot harder than that before!”

Kiseleva frowned.  “You had a concussion.  Prior blows to your head would have been a health emergency.  Were they untreated?”

Apollonia shifted uncomfortably.  “I was just joking,” she said.

The other woman regarded her carefully for a moment, then nodded and looked away.

It was not the first time that one of Apollonia’s dumb jokes had fallen flat.  It wasn’t like they were going over her head, she seemed to get them, but did not see any amusement in them.

Apollonia looked away as well, sipping her drink.  It was some kind of semi-medicinal smoothie that tasted mildly fruity.  Y had recommended it, saying it would help her gain more muscle mass and get the calories she needed.

They were seated outside of a rest area on the Equator Ring.  Around them, crowds of people were walking by, flooding into the shops and restaurants.

She’d stopped into shops before and found that most were artisan craftsmen making things by hand using ancient techniques.

She wondered how one even got to be an artisan.  Did you sign up for some classes then decide you wanted to open a storefront?  Or were many ten-billionth generation whittlers or whatever?

“You seemed to get distracted before you hit your head,” Kiseleva commented.  “What happened?”

Apollonia was kind of unhappy to be dragged back to that topic.  Kiseleva had an uncomfortable way of sticking to a subject no matter how much Apollonia wanted to deflect it with a joke.

“I was just a little worn out, I guess,” Apollonia said.  “And sore from the last training session.”

“Did you take your post-exercise medication?” Kiseleva said.

“Yeah . . . but that stuff isn’t as effective for me-“

“Dr. Y believes its effectiveness would not be altered for you,” Kiseleva said brusquely.

“I don’t know, then,” Apollonia replied, feeling a little testy.  “I just got light-headed.”

Which was true, and she could not account for it.  For one moment she’d been fine, if panting for breath and trying not to freak out in the full space helmet counted as fine.

But then she’d suddenly whited out.  It hadn’t been panic, she had felt no moment of a loss of control, that spiral into fear run amok.

Maybe she had and she just didn’t want to admit it, though?

Kiseleva was being quiet, and Apollonia saw her eyes following a group of people coming onto the ship from the boarding ramp.

“They’re letting people from Gohhi back onto the ship?” Apollonia asked, recognizing the natives by their outfits.

“Yes,” Kiseleva answered sourly.

“I hope they’re at least checking them more for crazy implants or being murder-happy lunatics,” Apollonia muttered.

Kiseleva only looked more annoyed.

Several of the Gohhians noticed them.  There were many other people sitting nearby, but the visitors clearly were focused on them specifically.

Apollonia felt her hackles raise.

“Why are they staring?  And pointing now . . .” she asked Kiseleva.

“We’ve both been in the news cycles,” the woman replied.

It made sense to Apollonia that Kiseleva had been, but why her?  She felt very uncomfortable about that.

“Can you show me?” she asked.

Kiseleva sent her a link, and Apollonia brought it up.

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