" You're late," Noctis complained at him. " You said your meeting was over at H.10, so it you came straight back, you should've been here within the hour."

Was he under obligation to follow her rigid scheduling?? He was too tired to ask. Nova and the agency director had been talking circles around each other about cultural sensitivity and ethnic issues. He had found himself missing Noctis's constant technical muttering.

" It's only H.11:02, don't be so upright," he told her, setting his things down. " Here, I figured you skipped breakfast. I brought you a smoothie."

She pressed her lips into a thin line.

" I didn't," she said. " But thank you anyway."

For a minute he wondered if he'd had a stroke.

She took the drink from him and sat down at the conference table.

" The genetic data doesn't match any known species in the galaxy," she said. " I even checked Storam's data through a security oversight."

He wasn't sure he followed.

" And?" he asked.

" The base chemical composition- the organic molecules- those have their highest concentration in the atmospheric composition of several undeveloped planets in Sector 05," she said.

" Oh shit," he said, starting to catch the implication. " Have you told William?"

" He's on his way."

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