The woman pursed her lips, silently praying to Buddha or Got that these unscheduled stops wouldn't become a habit. "Well, no mei mei. I was actually hoping to do some shopping. Maybe buy a hat. Just thought you might like to come with." She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the young girl's wrist. "But now you have to go race into the black. Just try not to fly like you stole this ship [i]every[/i] launch, hey? I'll see you at dinner." With those words the Companion let go and smiled at Hannah getting along with the newcomer. She watched them scurry off and was only briefly concerned that their bond was building almost exclusively over their fondness for stuff that blows up. 

The hacker stopped for the briefest of courtesies that Chang'e was momentarily shocked. He's usually a deaf mute around her. "And Richard is fond of you, Benson. Although Garry frightens him I think." He left without answering. It was progress for the quiet man. She watched the hangar bay doors close with a wistful gaze and wondered at what she was walking away from here. She then turned on her heel and walked through the hangar, up onto the ladder, and into the kitchen. She caught the preacher in passing and offered a polite nod.

She fished a tin kettle out of a neatly stacked arrangement of plates and began to go through the motions of boiling tea leaves and water to make the nectar that makes life worth living.