Maybe, a conversation

"Thank you, Father," said the voice.

The voice sounded familiar but didn't bring anyone specific to mind. I had my doubts whether it would be a stranger. Father Alcor would chase any such person away with a legion of foul language. I did find it odd that he would refer them to me.

"Greetings, Vega." The figure smiled when she stepped into the room.

"Nurse Mira? What a surprise."

"I wanted to visit earlier but I thought you might be unwell."

"You have good instincts. Today is only the second I can move around. Sit," I gestured to the chair. "I'm sure Father Alcor would give you some coffee if you asked nicely."

"He already offered." She adjusted her blond ponytail over her shoulder as she sat down. "I'd visit more if I knew I'd be spoiled so much."

"I'll be sure to talk to him." I smiled in return. "He only makes coffee for special occasions or to impress a lady friend."

She chuckled. "I doubt I am his type."

"Don't worry. He knows you're spoken for."

"I... hope that continues to be the case." Her gray eyes blinked their thanks when Father Alcor put a steaming mug in front of her before making himself scarce. "Have... have you heard anything else? About Nova?"

I shook my head. "I suspect I know as much as you do. Cymmand and her team are tracking an anomaly that could be Nova, but it's too far out to be sure. They're trying to rig a fast-flying probe with some provisions to fly out. If it's him, then the provisions will help keep him alive until he returns. If not, then there is no harm done."

"That is a smart idea. Do you know when Cymmand will launch it?"

"Knowing her, she'll work through the night to make it happen. I won't be surprised if you wake-up to some news tomorrow morning."

"I hope that's true. Please let me know if you hear anything as well." Mira clasped the mug with both hands as she cast her gaze downward. No tears streaked down her cheeks, but I doubt her eyes were usually as moist.

"Hmm... hang on a second." I reached into my pocket and took out my display. A fingertip opened the messaging app, and I started to type. Nurse Mira gave me a confused glance as I did so. People often looked at me weirdly for preferring the old-fashioned method. I've heard some newer models work solely via neural implants, but I have enough wiring in my head.

When are you planning on sending the probe?

"Here." I turned the display so she could see. "Cymmand's usually quick to answer, so let's give her a few minutes. Hopefully, she didn't mute it or anything."

"Does she use a non-neural display as well?"

I chuckled. "Cymmand would wire her bed into her head if given the opportunity. Her tablet is neural, but she often mutes it because the notifications interfere with her work. She gave every person a unique notification sound to help her determine its importance. It's often a strange noise, like a blaring siren or somebody blowing a raspberry. She says it's to keep her day interesting. I think it's to annoy everybody around her."

"She sounds like a colorful character." Mira smiled. "I've never met her before."

"Make sure it's with a strong coffee or a strong beer nearby." I picked up the display when it beeped before turning it to Mira.

Probe launched one hour ago. Estimated flight time to anomaly: seven to nine hours

"There you have it." I turned the display off before putting it back on the table. "Hopefully, we'll know by the time we wake up."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"You're a nurse. Prescribe yourself some sleeping pills."

"You make it sound like I haven't done so already." Mira chuckled. "No, sleeping pills make me drowsy. I want to be able-minded if a call comes through. Sadly, that means I won't sleep as deep or at all."

"You're not the only one." I nodded with a sip of my coffee. "The exhaustion from the fight is the only reason I can sleep. My nights have become longer as I've recovered. Father Alcor is no different. I've often heard him wandering the halls at night. I wouldn't be surprised if Cymmand received a few messages from him."

"It is good to have such a loving family," Mira answered with a sip of her own. Coffee is a luxury on Asbestos, so most would comment on the taste by this point. Mira's attention was somewhere else.

"And you?"

"Hm?"

"Ah, sorry. I'll admit I'm not sure where your relationship with Nova stands. While he mentions you at every given opportunity, he never elaborates further other than saying you've caught his eye."

"I see." Mira's cheeks colored slightly. "Strange to think there are some situations where even he feels embarrassed." I waited for her to continue. "Nova and I met about a year ago. I was one of the nurses who tended to him after his first battle. It was an injury from a defective implant, if I remember. He came to me the day after he was discharged and asked whether I wanted to have a drink with him. I replied no at the time."

"Knowing Nova, I doubt he'd let himself be discouraged by that."

"You know your brother well. I used the excuse of working the evening shift. Imagine my surprise when Nova showed up the next day as a volunteer. I'll admit to being annoyed at first. I thought I had encountered a troublesome suiter or a potential stalker. Nova proved otherwise. His demeanor toward the patients was one of gentle care. He only asked me out again after his fifth day at the clinic. Our relationship has only grown deeper since that day."

"Sounds like a happy story. Though surely you must draw some attention by dating an Angel?"

"My colleagues are the only ones who know the true extent of our relationship. They're too enamored with the idea that one of their own is dating somebody of Nova's prestige. They feel like they're part of a huge secret and will do their best to keep it that way." She laughed at the thought. "Bless their hearts. They want to make it special for us. I cannot count the number of times they've cleaned up a closet so Nova and I could share a meal in private, or when I found my last patient for the day had already received his checkup."

The scene made me smile. "I'm imagining exchanged glances and secret meetings where your colleagues plan their next move."

"You joke, but it really is like that. While my colleagues keep the secret, they can't hide their excitement. I always know when something will happen. I play dumb, of course."

"No need to rob yourself of some alone time with my brother."

"Indeed."

"And outside the hospital?" I asked. "I hope all your romantic getaways are not limited to its four walls."

"There have been some incidents, especially near the start. I've heard rumors that our initial date might have made the feeds had somebody not threatened to rain hell down on the broadcaster. We've kept our dates private since then. I'm not one for crowds, so that's fine by me. We'll make our relationship public if we were to get married one day."

"Sounds like you've thought it out quite far ahead."

"And yet I still fear we're moving too fast." Mira sighed.

"What's fast about dating for a year?"

"Hmm..." She gently pulled on her collar before pulling out her necklace.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw it. "Oh..." A ring, studded with small green stones and capped with a large diamond, hung in front of her chest. "I... didn't know."

"He asked me two days before the battle."

"I... I... congratulations!"

"It still doesn't feel real. We spent the day together after that. I wanted to wear the ring to work the next day, but then..." She bowed her head. "I didn't think it fit to wear the ring when we didn't know whether he might be alive. Nova did discuss the engagement with Father Alcor. Telling you must have slipped through the cracks. I'm sorry about that."

"That explains why he walked away after the coffee. I hope you two are happy together. How did he ask you?"

"He... snuck me aboard Valoel during his re-calibration tests."

What? My eyes must have doubled in size. "How did he... he probably made a deal with Cymmand..."

"I suspect that's the case as well."

"I'd hate to think what she'd ask in return." I motioned for her to continue. "Sorry, please continue."

"He said Cymmand requested a re-calibration. I walked with him to the hangar, as I've done several times before. He stopped outside the door, but he didn't kiss me like he usually did. Instead, he kept on making idle conversation until his tablet beeped. In hindsight, what the message said is obvious. I did wonder why he grinned as sly as he did at the time. He had barely slid the display into his pocket before he grabbed my hand and rushed into the hangar. I was inside Valoel's cockpit before I knew it."

"Please tell me he strapped you to the maintenance railings."

"That he did. I'll admit to screaming a fair amount as we launched out of the hangar. He seemed to enjoy that. He activated the maintenance screen so I could follow Valoel's movements as they went through his calibration procedures." Her gaze turned distant as the smile crept over her face. "I was awestruck. I've always known the mechs were big, but feeling it move around me...'

I smiled. "It's something else, isn't it?"

"How does it feel to pilot the mech?"

"Less intense than you imagine. Your head itches during the initial sync, and your movements become slower. Other than that, just an odd weight on your arms and legs. It feels like you're wearing heavy clothing. The haptic suit is the worst. You feel everything the mech does, including injuries."

"Is that why you and Nova are almost comatose the next day?"

"That, and the mental load. Your brain adapts the more you pilot the mech, but there's no beating the fact that the human mind isn't made to pilot something that big. Anyway, what happened next?"

"Right. Nova completed his re-calibrations but didn't fly back. Instead, he disconnected the big cable from his chest and invited me into the command ring. I refused. I was too afraid, but he assured me Valoel wouldn't move. It took some more coaxing to lure me from the maintenance railing. In the end, I squeezed past him to stand inside the command ring. He told me to stand still before he put his goggles over my head and squeezed himself against me. I was still taking in the sights when he pressed his hands into my palms and started moving my arms around."

"Ah, I see." I nodded. "Nova was still partially hooked up. Valoel wouldn't walk around, but his arms would copy your movements."

"He did. Neither Nova nor I spoke a word. We merely stood in place as Nova slowly moved my arms. Valoel copied every movement. I know I wasn't connected to the mech, but for those precious few minutes, I truly felt as if I was the one standing on Asbestos. I didn't even notice as Nova withdrew his arm from mine. I was too mesmerized. I only broke out of the trance when he whispered into my ear. `Look' he said, and I saw something shining through the visor."

"The ring?"

Mira smiled. "He held it past the goggles. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. My focus on the ring only broke when he kissed me behind the ear. I turned around, perhaps a bit too fast. The cable from the goggles snapped taut and pulled him forward. Only the command ring prevented us from tumbling over." She lowered her gaze. Her hands were still wrapped around the mug, though the warmth must have escaped by then. "I gave him his answer, and we returned to the hanger."

I grinned. "I never knew my brother was such a romantic."

"Neither did I. I really hope they find him."

"As do I."