Wallace laughed musically along with Nirann as she sashayed across the spherical office. “Oh yes. I have fun wherever I am. I realised a long time ago that waiting patiently for your life to become more enjoyable will often prove disappointing. One must act.”

A left-hand chaise longue constructed for Wallace as she approached the far end of the seating area. The Plenipotentiary arranged herself elegantly across it, with her back to the main transparent bulge. She spared barely a glance at the floodlit lake depths around them. Freyr couldn’t help but track a mobula-type creature as it flapped past the back of the ship. The seat she’d chosen, closest to the door, seemed more like one big amorphous cushion than an actual chair. She gripped the material on either side of her to avoid sinking any further.

“Is that what you’re expecting tonight? A good time?” Wallace showcased her perfect teeth in a smile, as the double doors glided open again. Alderney entered, followed by a floating tray of tea and sweet treats. They stopped to one side of the group, and began decanting the steaming hot liquid into dainty cups.