The Starrgate Donut crew had done well. Now the crew operated on a regular schedule. Aunty Floresta supervised the main donut operations, while Shirley handled maintenance and the night shift. Edwin helped Windee; Windee helped Edwin.
The donuts were fine. The crew was fine.
Now all that remained was the stargate.
There was still more work for Lan to do.
But first, Lan walked to the Stargate video games. Already, a crowd of her video game admirers had gathered, eager to see the captain （as they had been calling her） break yet another high score.
She was just about to drop in another quarter when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Lanny—walk with me.”
Aunty Floresta led her niece to the old folding chair behind the store and sat her down.
“Lanny, do you know how much time you’ve been spending on that machine?”
“Aunty? Ah … you’re right. I’m sorry. I should spend more time on completing the star—”
“That’s not what I mean. Please, Lanny. Rest.”
“I promise, once the stargate is complete.”
“Why do you care so much about the stargate?”
“Aunty, it’s our mission.”
“Lanny, our mission was to find safety for this family. Our mission was to escape the collapse of the Empire and dodge the brunt of the Endplague. And we did so. We’re here, and we’re safe, and it’s all because of you.”
Lan stood up and turned back toward the store.
“Aunty, I don’t have time for this.”
“Lan Tran!”
Lan paused. It had been a long time since Aunty had called her by her full name.
Floresta had watched her niece toss and turn from nightmares, fall asleep at her workstation, spend hours running stargate simulation after simulation. Then she had watched her niece pump quarter after quarter into those machines, as if obsessed with fighting endless battle after endless futile battle.
And that sounded far too familiar.
Endplague? It manifested differently in individuals—with her honor, she would not explode like Markus had. But there were other ways to destroy oneself.
“Lanny, the gamma burst isn’t due for two hundred forty-seven years. Markus can remain in stasis for at least fifty. There is plenty of time for you to get some rest.”
“Aunty—”
“If there’s a danger, or a hidden objective, let me know. Even if it’s for the Empire, I’ll try to understand. But … why?”
Why?
“I don’t know. But I have to finish it. I have to. I know it makes no sense, but it’s not the Endplague. It’s…”
Lan sat back down.
“Please, Aunty, trust me.”
Floresta stared at her niece, then up at the sky. “Okay, Lanny.” She took Lan’s hand and squeezed it with both of hers. “But promise me this. Try to get just a little more sleep? And cut back on the video games. It’s not good for your eyes.”
Eventually, Lan walked back into the store. Aunty Floresta was right about one thing. She was exhausted. But it wasn’t just that. It was … What was it?
Lan walked past the Stargate machines, then sat at a table by the window. She looked at cars driving past her, commuting to and from work, going shopping, picking their children up from school, buying donuts.
Up the street, down the street. Around the corner, around the neighborhood. All of them had lives here. And now her family had their lives here, as well, didn’t they?
Her thoughts were interrupted by someone standing next to her.
“It’s okay that you’re sad.”
“What?”
“I know the captain is not supposed to be sad. Mom is not supposed to be sad. But everyone gets sad.”
Time seemed to slow down. Lan blinked, then blinked again.
Edwin gave her a napkin.
“It’s okay. Everybody does that, too.”
“Edwin…” Lan finally said. “Do you ever miss home? Not here. Home home.”
“Yes,” Edwin said quietly. “But then the war started. And there was so much…”
Edwin paused.
“I miss our school. But it’s gone now.”
“Edwin?”
“It’s okay. I’ve already cried a lot. And I need to help Aunty now. But first—” Edwin gave Lan the tray he had been holding.
“I noticed you were sitting at this table, so I brought you this.”
This table? Lan looked around and realized that she had automatically sat at Shizuka’s favorite table.