In addition to her skills as a restorationist, and apparently a changeling technology whiz, Em-Lin had a special talent that was becoming increasingly evident: she was great at rubbing Sonya Gomez the wrong way.

This talent began to show up shortly after the booby traps in the shrine of Ho’nig were shut down. Em-Lin had deactivated most of them with her handy changeling multitool, and Soloman had cleaned up the rest with a morphic computer virus that he’d whipped up on the fly.

As the dust settled, Dr. Elizabeth Lense treated Em-Lin’s side, patching the wound left behind by the flying pitchfork. Lense had been outside the shrine during the booby trap barrage, which Gomez knew was a good thing; Lense was pregnant, the result of a relationship she’d had while shipwrecked on a dangerous planet in an alternate universe. We really need to get her an assistant, Gomez thought, not for the first time. However, when she brought it up with Elizabeth, the doctor brushed the notion off.

Pressed for time because of the approaching pilgrimage, Gomez debriefed Em-Lin while Lense ran the dermal regenerator over the wound site. It was the first time Gomez had had a chance to talk to Em-Lin. It only took nine words for Em-Lin to get on Gomez’s bad side.

“I thought you were supposed to preserve the shrine.” Those were the nine magic words with which Em-Lin managed to get off on the wrong foot with Gomez.

Though Gomez had been predisposed to think well of Em-Lin after the way she’d helped end the booby trap crisis, Em-Lin had pretty much thrown all her goodwill out the window in one heave. “That was never our primary objective,” said Gomez, “but we certainly did our best to achieve it.”

“Right.” Em-Lin took a long, meaningful look around the shrine. “This is your best.”

If a big cartoon thermometer were measuring Gomez’s rising temper at that moment, the tip of the thermometer would have been throbbing red, radiating rippling heat lines, just about ready to explode.

“No one died,” Gomez said tightly. “Given the level of difficulty involved, I’d say that’s best enough for me.”

Em-Lin shook her head and kept looking around at the damage, of which there was plenty. Gomez followed her gaze, further annoyed because she could understand why Em-Lin was so unhappy with what she saw.

The massive chamber was scarred and charred from one end to the other. The altar had been obliterated, and eight of the sixteen columns around it had been toppled. The floor was littered with debris from shattered statues and smashed reliquaries. The wildly colorful and intricate mural spanning the vaulted ceiling had been smudged by clouds of smoke and dust.

“Two years,” said Em-Lin. “My sister and I worked two years to restore this place. She died restoring this place. Now all that work is gone.”

Because of the Dominion, thought Gomez. Because your people joined the Dominion and gave the Dominion the run of the place. Don’t forget that part.

At the same time she thought it, though, Gomez felt sorry for Em-Lin. It wasn’t like she personally had forged the alliance with the Dominion. However Em-Lin looked at it, she was the victim of circumstances beyond her control.

Gomez shifted gears to focus Em-Lin away from what had been lost. “Thanks to you, the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” she said. “That changeling device of yours was extremely effective in interacting with the morphic systems.”

Em-Lin patted the hip pocket of her burgundy coveralls, as if to reassure herself that the device was still there. Suddenly, then, she cocked her head to one side, as if she were listening to something that Gomez could not hear.

“What is it?” said Gomez.

Em-Lin shook her head. “Nothing.”

Gomez cleared her throat. “You saved some lives here today. If that quantum bomb had gone off, we’d all be dead right now.”

Em-Lin had a distracted look on her face. She looked away, then back, then away from Gomez again. “I was trying to save the shrine,” she said. “That’s all.”

In other words, our lives don’t matter to you. Gomez sighed. I get it.

Lense, who was medicating Em-Lin’s side via hypospray, looked up from her work and rolled her eyes for Gomez’s benefit.

All right then, thought Gomez. No more niceties. You want strictly business, you’ve got it.

“The changeling device,” she said. “It’s a leftover from the Dominion?”

“No,” said Em-Lin. “Our scientists based it on Dominion morphic tech, but it’s strictly Miradorn design.”

That piece of information gave Gomez new respect for the Miradorn scientists. “Our team’s setting up to break through into the lower chamber. We’ve detected signs of functioning Dominion equipment there. Any ideas what we might find?”

Em-Lin shrugged. “I didn’t even know the chamber existed until today.” Her eyes drifted away from Gomez, and she resumed staring into space.

“Given the knowledge you seem to have of Dominion technology, we can use your help,” said Gomez. “Whatever’s down there could be a hazard to the pilgrims.”

“I’m sure the pilgrims will have the best Chala Ho’nig yet,” said Em-Lin, “what with the shrine in ruins and all.”

“Not exactly ruins,” said Gomez.

“Not yet, maybe,” said Em-Lin.

The cartoon thermometer was now straining to burst. “Let’s just see if we can prevent anyone else from dying. How does that grab you?”

Em-Lin did not answer. She was too busy staring into space. Her eyes slid from side to side as if she were following the movements of something invisible to Gomez and Lense.

Pika Ven-Sa had mentioned earlier that Em-Lin was haunted after the death of her twin. Was that what Em-Lin kept staring at—the ghost of her sister?

Gomez could not quite suppress a shiver as Em-Lin’s eyes slid closer and closer, as if whatever they were following was moving over to stand right next to Gomez herself.

Whatever or whoever.

Clapping her hands together, Gomez said, “Okay then. What’s the good word, Elizabeth?” When Lense didn’t respond, Gomez repeated her name.

“Hm? Oh, sorry, Commander.” Lense closed her medkit and nodded. “She’s good to go.”

I am definitely having that conversation about an assistant with Elizabeth again—maybe this time with the captain in the room. “Follow me, Em-Lin,” said Gomez, taking a quick step away from the spot where she had been standing. “Let’s find out what’s down below.”

On her way past the space that Em-Lin had been watching, Gomez felt another shiver, though she knew that she had much more to fear from a functioning Dominion facility than any supposed ghost.