The taxi pulled up to the Marriott, and Luca spotted the problem immediately.

  Reporters. At least a dozen of them clustered near the entrance with cameras and microphones, their attention snapping toward the taxis like predators catching scent. Behind them stood a man in a charcoal suit holding a tablet, his posture screaming IFC.

  "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Ryan muttered from the seat beside Luca.

  Emily leaned forward from the back seat. "How did they even know we'd be here?"

  "Word travels fast," Zoe said. "Seven of us plus IFC security checking into a Marriott? Someone was always going to notice."

  Luca rubbed his face. The weight of the conversation from the flight still sat heavy in his chest, that crushing choice between Earth and the Varnathi. Now he had to smile for the cameras and pretend everything was fine.

  The IFC man stepped forward as their doors opened, extending his hand toward Luca. "Captain Rossi. Marcus Webb, IFC Operations. Ms. Stevens asked me to coordinate your visit to Lancaster." His accent was pure American Midwest, the kind that came with cornfields and high school football. "I've already checked you in. Seven rooms on the fourteenth floor."

  "Great," Luca said, shaking his hand. "And the welcoming committee?"

  Marcus glanced at the reporters. "Local news picked up on your arrival. I can get you through the lobby if you'd like to avoid questions."

  "Captain Rossi!" One of the reporters, a woman in a blue blazer, pushed forward. "Just a few questions about your return from Alpha Centauri!"

  The others surged closer, and Luca found himself surrounded by cameras and shouted questions before he could decide whether to run for it. Marcus stayed by him, and somehow that made the chaos feel slightly more manageable.

  "Captain, what did you discover at Alpha Centauri?"

  "Is it true you found alien life?"

  The second question came from a woman near the back. No microphone with a news logo. Just a high-end recording device. Luca filed that away. Press, or intel gathering?

  Luca held up his hands. His team had already gotten out of the taxis, and he could feel them watching.

  "Look," Luca said, keeping his voice level. "We completed our survey charter under the terms negotiated with the United Earth Republic. All of our discoveries have been submitted to the UER for analysis and publication."

  "But what did you find?" the woman in the blazer pressed.

  "That's a question for the UER," Luca said. Marcus gave him a small nod of approval. "They have all our data. They'll be releasing information through official channels."

  "Can you at least tell us what Alpha Centauri looks like?"

  "Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Sixteen exoplanets, multiple asteroid belts, incredible ecosystems." He shrugged. "But for details, you'll have to wait for the UER. Any additional questions, please coordinate with the IFC." He glanced at Marcus. "Mr. Webb can get you contact information."

  The elevator doors closed on the reporters, and Ryan immediately started laughing.

  "'That's a question for the UER,'" he said in a mocking tone. "Listen to Captain Diplomatic over here."

  "Oh shut up," Luca said, but he was grinning despite himself.

  "I thought you did great," Emily said, slipping her hand into his and giving it a squeeze. Then she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, which made Ryan whistle.

  "Get a room," Joey said.

  "We have seven of them," Emily shot back.

  The elevator chimed for the fourteenth floor, and Marcus led them down the hall to a cluster of rooms, handing out key cards.

  "Rooms 1412 through 1418," he said. "I'll be in the lobby whenever you're ready to head to your appointments."

  After he left, the crew scattered to their rooms. Luca unlocked 1412 and pushed the door open, Emily right behind him with her own bag.

  She looked around at the king bed, the desk, the bathroom with its fluffy towels. "Nice."

  "You going to at least pretend to use your own room?" Luca asked.

  "Why would I do that? Have you seen how cold it is outside?" Emily dropped her bag next to his and flopped onto the bed, testing the mattress. "I need someone to warm my feet."

  "Your icicle feet," Luca corrected.

  "Hey," Joey called from the hallway. "At least get the door closed before you start making out."

  Emily sat up and grinned at him through the open door. "At least I don't have you checking our vitals like some kind of weirdo."

  "That was one time," Joey protested.

  "Weirdo!" Zoe added from her doorway down the hall.

  Joey muttered something unflattering and disappeared into his room. Luca closed the door and walked to the window, looking out at Lancaster sprawling below. Cars moved through streets, people walked on sidewalks, and somewhere out there the world kept turning while he tried to remember what normal life felt like.

  Emily came up beside him. "You okay?"

  "Yeah." He wasn't sure if that was true, but he wasn't sure it was a lie either. "Just different."

  "Good different or bad different?"

  "Just different." The quiet pressed in around him, and he realized he could hear his own breathing in a way he never could on the ship. No hum of engines, no Pixel's claws clicking on deck plates.

  Just the sound of Emily moving around the room, which somehow made the silence feel less empty.

  ---

  Marcus claimed the front passenger seat next to the taxi driver while the crew piled into the back of the van. Luca settled in beside Emily, who immediately rested her hand on his thigh as the van pulled away from the Marriott.

  They headed east out of the city toward Amish Country.

  The landscape changed quickly once they left Lancaster proper. Strip malls gave way to rolling farmland divided by wooden fences. Snow clung to the shadowed sides of barns, and they passed a horse and buggy on the road, the horse's breath steaming in the cold air.

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  "Levi Stoltzfus is expecting us," Marcus said. "He's been working with the IFC for about a year now. Good craftsman, fair prices, and he doesn't ask too many questions."

  "Does he know it's for a starship?" Ryan asked.

  "He knows it's for use in a high-stress environment," Marcus said diplomatically. "What he assumes beyond that is his business."

  They turned down a gravel driveway that led to a large workshop set back from the road. The building was newer than Luca expected, with clean siding and large windows that let in natural light. A sign near the door read "Stoltzfus Living" in simple painted letters.

  Levi himself came out to meet them before they'd even finished parking. He was a solid man in his forties with a thick beard going grey at the edges, dressed in dark pants and a plain blue shirt with suspenders.

  "Captain Rossi," he said, his accent carrying that particular Pennsylvania Dutch lilt. "Good to meet you. Come in, come in. It's too cold to stand around talking."

  The workshop interior was warm and smelled like sawdust and linseed oil. Workbenches lined the walls, covered in tools that ranged from hand planes to power sanders. Finished pieces sat on display throughout the space, including a dining table in dark mahogany.

  "You've got a good eye," Levi said, catching Luca staring at the table. "That's black walnut. Seats twelve, built to last a hundred years."

  Zoe ran her hand along the surface, her fingers tracing the grain. "This is gorgeous."

  "It's real wood," Emily said, almost reverently. She looked at Luca. "We need this. Not the prefab composite stuff."

  "The composite stuff won't shatter if we lose gravity," Ryan pointed out.

  "When," Chris added.

  "Neither will properly secured real wood," Levi said. He pulled out a tablet, which looked slightly incongruous in his hands but which he navigated with clear competence. "Ms. Stevens' list specifies furniture for forty crew cabins, officer quarters, two lounges, and what I'm guessing is a few conference rooms. All pieces need to be bolt-down compatible and capable of withstanding high-stress conditions, including variable gravity."

  "That's right," Luca said.

  Levi nodded. "I work primarily in hardwoods with composite reinforcement. The wood you see, the wood you touch, that's real. But the internal structure uses modern composites for strength and flexibility. Best of both worlds."

  He walked them through the workshop, showing examples of his work. Everything was bolt-down compatible and stress-tested. Emily and Zoe fell in love with it all, and Luca had to admit the quality was undeniable. This was furniture that would last decades, that would make the Triumph feel like home.

  Luca looked at the list on Levi's tablet, mentally tallying costs and timelines. "This is a lot of work. What's your timeline?"

  "Four months," Levi said without hesitation. "I've got six craftsmen who can handle this. All of us are level 50 or higher in our professional paths. The System helps with precision and speed, even if we don't rely on it for the actual craft."

  "You use the System?" Danny asked, surprised.

  Levi shrugged. "Can't turn it off, can we? So we use what it gives us. We don't chase levels or fight monsters, but we're not fools either."

  They went through pricing and timelines. Four months for everything, packed and ready for transport. The cost made Luca wince internally, but buying quality furniture from craftsmen who took pride in their work felt better than ordering mass-produced items from some corporate supplier.

  Marcus's phone rang while they were finalizing the order details. He stepped outside to take the call, then came back in and held the phone out to Luca. "Ms. Stevens for you, Captain."

  Luca took the phone and walked to the far corner of the workshop for privacy. "Hey, Karen."

  "Luca. How's the furniture shopping?" Her voice had that particular tone that meant she was handling six things at once and this was just one item on a very long list.

  "Good. Levi's work is solid. We're going to place the order."

  "Excellent. Listen, I'm having a programmable transponder delivered to your hotel in the morning. Your current one's been compromised. Someone leaked your registration codes, which means people are tracking your shuttle."

  Luca leaned against a workbench. "Got it."

  "Second thing. The gala in Washington is in two days, which means I need you in DC tomorrow to coordinate. Anderson is expecting the full crew, formal wear, and your best behavior." She paused.

  "Understood."

  "Good." Karen's approval came through clearly. "That's what I wanted to hear. Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I'll see you in Washington."

  She hung up before he could respond. Typical Karen. Luca handed the phone back to Marcus, who pocketed it without comment.

  They spent another twenty minutes finalizing details, selecting finishes and confirming measurements. Levi walked them through every specification with the patience of someone who genuinely cared about his work.

  The workshop door opened, letting in a blast of February cold. One of Levi's teenage sons stepped inside, stamping snow off his boots. He was maybe sixteen, broad-shouldered like his father but still growing into his frame.

  "Dad," the boy said, his eyes flicking nervously toward the crew and Marcus. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

  Levi looked up from his tablet. "What is it, Samuel?"

  Samuel hesitated, then seemed to decide that whatever he had to say couldn't wait for privacy. "There's been a lot of cars on the road. Sedans. SUVs. Not local folks. They aren't just driving by, Dad. One parked up at the intersection for twenty minutes. Another one did a U-turn at the barn entrance twice." He shifted his weight. "Thought you should know."

  The workshop went quiet for a moment. Marcus glanced toward the windows, then back at Samuel. Luca exchanged a look with Emily.

  "Probably just curious locals," Levi said, though his tone suggested he didn't quite believe it. "Word travels fast in small towns. Famous space crew visiting my workshop? People are going to drive by for a look."

  Curious locals didn't drive armored SUVs. Luca kept his face neutral.

  "Yeah," Luca said. "Probably that."

  They were heading back toward the van when Levi called out. "You folks eating yet?"

  Luca turned back. "Not since breakfast."

  Levi wiped his hands on his apron and studied Luca for a long moment, then seemed to come to some decision. "Come on. Sarah's got dinner ready and we always make too much. You can eat before you head back."

  Marcus looked uncertain. "We don't want to impose."

  "You're not imposing. I'm offering." Levi gestured toward a house set back from the workshop, smoke rising from its chimney. "Sarah's been cooking all day and my boys eat like they're hollow. One more table's worth won't make a difference."

  Luca looked at his crew, who all seemed somewhere between surprised and delighted. "You sure?"

  "I don't offer what I'm not willing to give," Levi said simply.

  ---

  The house was warm and smelled like heaven. Roasted chicken and fresh bread and something sweet that made Luca's stomach growl despite himself. Sarah turned out to be a cheerful woman in her thirties with flour on her apron and a baby on her hip, and she greeted them like they were expected guests.

  Two teenage boys appeared from somewhere upstairs, lanky and growing into their frames, and they helped set extra places at a table that could have seated an army.

  Roasted chicken that fell off the bone, mashed potatoes with gravy, and bread so fresh it steamed when Sarah cut into it. Three different kinds of pie cooled on the counter for dessert.

  "This is incredible," Emily said after her first bite, and Sarah beamed.

  "It's just dinner," she said, but the pride in her voice was clear.

  Levi's boys asked questions about space travel with the kind of excitement that only teenagers could manage, and Zoe entertained them with stories about New Dawn's purple forests. The conversation flowed easily, and for the first time since landing back on Earth, Luca felt the tension in his shoulders start to ease.

  "More potatoes?" Sarah asked, and Luca accepted a second helping because turning down food this good felt like a crime.

  Outside the window, the February darkness had settled over the farmland. Luca glanced at it while the others laughed at something Ryan said. The warmth of the kitchen, the smell of pie, the easy conversation, it was perfect. But the darkness outside wasn't empty anymore. He could feel it.

  After dinner, after the pie had been demolished and the boys had gotten their fill of space stories, Levi walked them back to the van. The last light had faded from the sky, leaving the Pennsylvania farmland dark and quiet.

  "Thanks for the meal," Luca said. "We really appreciate it."

  "You're welcome." Levi glanced back at his house, where warm light glowed in the windows. "You folks are doing something important out there. Exploring, finding new places. That matters. But so does coming home and sitting down to a good dinner. Don't forget that."

  "We won't," Luca promised.

  The drive back to Lancaster was quiet, his crew full and content in a way they hadn't been in weeks.

  Marcus dropped them off at the Marriott with a promise to pick them up in the morning for the flight to DC. Everyone scattered to their rooms with tired goodnights, and Luca unlocked 1412 to find Emily already pushing past him into the room.

  "That pie," she said, kicking off her shoes and falling onto the bed. "I'm never eating anything else. Just Amish pie for the rest of my life."

  He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his shoes, then lay back next to her. The mattress was soft, the room was perfectly climate-controlled, and outside the window Lancaster's lights twinkled in the February darkness.

  "This is nice," Emily said quietly. "Just us. No missions, no decisions, no portals."

  Luca reached over and took her hand. "Yeah. It is."

  She shifted closer, and when she looked up at him, there was something in her eyes that had nothing to do with pie or furniture or the weight of the day. Her fingers traced up his arm, and she smiled in a way that made his pulse quicken.

  "You know what else is nice about Earth clothes?" she asked.

  "What's that?"

  "Buttons." She tugged at his shirt collar. "Zippers. Normal fasteners that don't require an engineering degree."

  Luca laughed and rolled toward her, propping himself up on one elbow. "Are you complaining about the bodysuits?"

  "I'm just saying." Her hand slid to his chest. "At least here I don't have to fight your zipper."

  He leaned down and kissed her, and she pulled him closer. The lights of Lancaster twinkled outside the window, but neither of them was paying attention anymore.

  Some things were better than pie.