In other words, yes, she was fighting against someone in PAC command and intended to take him down. She watched him to see if he understood. As coded messages went, it was pretty shrouded.
“I’m glad to hear it. As it happens, I’m owed a few favors that I could always call in, if there’s something that might be helpful to you. I’ve come to think of this station as my home, and I’d be happy to invest in it.”
She smiled. She wasn’t sure what he was capable of, but it was an interesting suggestion. “If something comes up, I’ll be sure to let you know. I appreciate the offer.”
“Least I can do, Chief. I hope I can be of service.”
She refilled his teacup and changed the subject. “After we’re done here, would you like to take a walk in the arboretum? I’d love to hear more about Rescan traditions.”
“I’d be delighted. Although, the last time we enjoyed the arboretum, it didn’t end so pleasantly.”
Understanding passed between them. He knew that the man who had attacked her was connected to what was going on with PAC command. She’d killed the man, then later found out that he was a BlackOp from a different unit. Once she’d regained her memories, she’d realized that Granite had once been her friend. She still had a lot of scores to settle, and Cabot knew it.
“All the more reason to go and have a pleasant time. We have to take the good times where we can get them.”
“Yes.” He looked sad for a moment, then shook it off with an easy smile. “A walk sounds delightful. I’ll tell you about Rescan wedding traditions. There are a few things that might surprise you.”
“I look forward to hearing about them.”
The leisurely walk through the arboretum proved to be remarkably enjoyable. Fallon smelled flowers, admired trees, and learned about Rescan society. Plus, Cabot seemed awfully pleased to talk about his people. There’d been no more coded conversation—they’d simply enjoyed their time together as friends.
She felt relaxed as she walked down the corridor to her quarters, then changed her mind and went two doors farther. She touched the chime.
“Hi.” Lim seemed surprised to see her. “Something wrong?”
“No. I thought I’d see how you were doing.”
They settled in the common living space of the quarters, which was nearly a mirror to her own.
“Okay, considering I may never get my past back.” He made himself comfortable and seemed thoughtful, but not depressed.
“Yeah. I know how much that sucks. I faced that same possibility.” She related her experience to him, while leaving out a lot of personal details and her revelations about Blackout.
He seemed deeply thoughtful. “What would you have done if you’d never gotten your memory back?”
“I’d have kept on with what I’d been doing. Your lack of memory doesn’t mean you’re less of a person. You still have your whole life ahead of you.”
“But what does that look like?” he asked. “What can I do? I don’t know where I belong.”
“What can you do?” she countered. “You tell me.”
“Math. Kellis seemed impressed when I showed her. She said with skills like that, I could get any number of jobs, wherever I wanted to go. The trouble is, where would I want to go?”
Fallon nodded, but said nothing. She wanted him to keep talking. Hearing his own words might help him figure himself out. She’d suggested he visit Grayith Barlow for some professional counseling, but so far Lim had been uninterested in that. Truthfully, she didn’t blame him. She wasn’t much for counseling, herself. She either worked things through on her own or talked them out with those closest to her.
After a long pause, he spoke again. “Is it foolish to hope I can recover some part of my old self? There was something that allowed me to remember enough to escape, and maybe the tissue regeneration will…I don’t know. Give me a chance, somehow.”
“What do you mean? About remembering enough to escape?”
“Well, I don’t know how long I was in that place, but I got the impression that it had been a while. I got angry at how I was being treated and that should have made it harder for me to think things through, but I felt more alert when I was mad. More capable. And when I felt like they were about to kill me or something, I fought back. I had these bits of information in my head that I couldn’t remember learning. A security code, how to use an emergency kit to force open bay doors, the way through the station. Stuff like that. It was like I’d saved the specific memories I’d need to escape.”
“Wait, those memories were from before that day? I thought they were all from your last day there, before you escaped. Did you tell Brak about this?”
He looked embarrassed. “No. She’d already told me that my brain didn’t have the necessary parts to store those memories. I didn’t want her to think I was lying about how I escaped.”
She tamped down her impatience by reminding herself of how paranoid she’d been—and rightfully so—when she’d had no memories. “You can trust her, and I promise she won’t think you’re lying. We need to take this to her right away.”
“Wren said you’d say that.” His voice held amusement and embarrassment.
That made her pause. “You talked to Wren about this?”
“She’s been visiting me the last couple days. She’s really easy to talk to. I told her about those flashes of memory and she told me that I needed to tell you.”
“Well, she was right. I don’t know what it means, but it must mean something.”
“It’s kind of late,” he said. “Shouldn’t we wait until morning?”
“Nope.” She pointed at the door. “I promise you, Brak would kick my ass if
