Lady Luck

by K. C. Cross

  “Sure. Lots of them. Back home. But none out here.”

  “What do you think about Delphi?” I ask.

  She shrugs. Makes a face. “I don’t love her the way I love Lyra, but she’ll do.”

  “Hmm,” I say. “I’m worried about that. The bond she doesn’t have with Jimmy, I mean. When you get your ship we need to hunt that Veila down and bring her back here. Alive.”

  “When I get my ship.” She laughs. “Sure. We’ll do that.”

  “I’m detecting sarcasm, princess. What’s up?”

  “I’m not getting a ship.”

  “You are getting a ship,” I say. “Crux made a deal. If you give him that info he will give you that ship. And now that you have a gate pass, and me, and Ladybug, we’re all set as far as I see it.”

  She looks up at me, eyes glowing through her goggles in this weird, muted way that makes them look slightly blue. “Why don’t you just tell me what I need to know?”

  “About Earth?”

  “About the leveling up stuff.”

  “I don’t know anything about that. That’s all Tray.”

  “Well, you could tell him to meet with me.”

  “We’re really not that close, Nyleena. He and Valor are friends now.”

  “And Valor will get me a meeting, but only if I get him more information about Veila. Which you know. And refuse to share with me.”

  I sigh. Because I could help her get that info, which would satisfy Valor and get her a meeting with Tray, which would get her a meeting with Asshole ALCOR.

  But I’m not sure I want to tell anyone the things Veila said to me in that Lair Station hallway just before I shot her with a plasma rifle. It will definitely upset the equilibrium we’ve settled into since Real ALCOR died.

  “I get it,” Nyleena says, dropping my hand. The beautiful, spiral galaxy disappears and the spin node returns.

  I don’t try to take her hand back. Just turn away from that siren song calling me into the node and walk over to the console to dial the photons down to zero.

  The room goes dark again and I slip off my goggles. Nyleena is already handing hers back to me, so I put them away, still silent about her request.

  “That’s fine,” she says when I turn back to her. “I can get what I need without you.”

  “It’s just… I’m not sure anyone needs to hear what Veila told me. It’s probably lies. And that’s not helpful.”

  “So you’re never going to tell me? Even if I find out why Tray and Valor are so tight, like you promised?”

  I don’t have an answer for her. So I just… shrug.

  “OK,” she says, completely reasonable and calm. “That’s fine. But I have my work cut out for me so I’ll see ya later. Thanks for the show.”

  She walks over to the massive steel door and waits.

  I don’t want her to leave. I don’t want to leave either. I have a sudden urge to stay here in this room forever.

  But only with her next to me.

  Me alone next to the potential spin node seems like a very bad idea right now.

  So I open the door, lock it up behind me, and lead her out of the museum.

  We don’t say another word.

  Not even, See you in the secret garden for a tryst.

  Not even, Goodbye.

  We just go our separate ways.

  I end up in Crux’s office, sitting in a chair in front of his desk as he has a conversation with one of the engineers down in the docking bay about fuel pellets and exit protocols.

  I don’t mind waiting. And if he’s bothered by me sitting here listening in on his call he doesn’t show it.

  His walls have lots of pictures, and plaques, and certificates on them. I don’t think I’ve ever really noticed that before. There’s a plaque from the Draco Assassins’ Association, who used to have their headquarters here. Maybe they still do. I actually don’t know.

  And apparently Harem Station sponsors kids on some planet called Visa who raise karkadanns, because there’s a picture of a kid holding a lead rope for the winning karkadann in some race and there’s a big THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT banner written across the bottom of the frame.

  Then there’s a certificate with an official seal and everything, declaring Crux to be a member of the Prime Governors’ Association. Weird. But OK.

  And finally, there’s Crux shaking hands with the current dude who plays Jax Justice in all those screens. They filmed a vid here a few years back. I was out somewhere with Valor, Lady, and Beauty so we missed all the excitement. But Crux is smiling pretty big.

  Crux ends his call but leaves his screen open in the air like any second now he’ll just have to open it back up again. He says, “Sorry about that. This fucking place. It’s always something.”

  “So are you gonna give Nyleena a ship? Or are you just yanking her chain?”

  “What?”

  “That deal you made with her?”

  “Oh, that.” He chuckles.

  “So it’s bullshit?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “So it’s real?”

  “I didn’t say that either.”

  “Well, which is it? Because I bought her a fucking Harem Station gate pass and everything.”

  “You want her to leave?” Crux asks, confused.

  “I’m going with her, asshole.”

  “Oh,” he says, raising his chin up in that superior I’m-the-fucking-governor-here way he does. “Well, sure. I’ll give her a ship. But she has to get me the info I want first.”

  “Leveling up,” I say.

  He nods.

  “I suspect there’s a ‘but’ coming,” I say. “‘I’ll give her a ship… but…’”

  “But only if you go with her. And”—he narrows his eyes at me like we’re about to argue—“she has to wait this Veila shit out, Luck. You know that. We can’t have her loose out in space somewhere. She could get caught and then poof. Harem Station goes down in flames because someone blew Nyleena up and that blows Lyra up.”

  “I get it,” I say. Because I do. “But I don’t like it. It feels wrong. If Nyleena wants to leave, she should be able to leave.”

  “Well, I don’t like it either. I’m not out to hold people captive. But I’m running a fucking station bigger than most Prime cities. I’ve got millions of other people to think about besides Nyleena.”

  “Like Corla,” I say. I don’t know why I say it. It’s kind of a low blow. But fuck it. If he’s allowed to have an opinion about my soulmate I’m allowed to have an opinion about his.

  He leans back in his chair, making the leather creak. “And as you can see, I’m holding her captive too. She’s been frozen in my possession for almost a fucking year now. Now Lyra… Lyra is different.”

  “How so?” I ask.

  “She’s smart. And reasonable. She knows what’s up. She’s not constantly plotting insane schemes to fuck up all my plans.”

  “What plans?”

  “All the fucking plans,” Crux says, annoyed now.

  “What about Delphi?”

  He narrows his eyes again. “What about her?”

  Delphi is Crux’s and Corla’s daughter. And so far neither Delphi nor Crux have really acknowledged that fact. So this whole thing bugs me. But I decide to tread carefully because I imagine this could be a sore spot for Crux. So I pick another direction to approach the subject and say, “She’s not Jimmy’s soulmate. She’s Leonis’,” instead of what Veila told me back on the Lair about her.

  “So? They don’t seem to mind.”

  “Yeah but… don’t you think there’s a reason we’re all paired up? Like… we have some kind of destiny. So shouldn’t Leonis and Delphi make a go of it, or whatever?”

  Crux laughs. “Are you gonna be the one to tell Jimmy he has to hand his princess over to some kid? Because I’m not. I might be her genetic father but she’s made it very clear I have no say in her life.”

  “Well, now that you bring him up, what are we gonna do about Jimm
y and Veila?”

  “You mean because she’s Jimmy’s true one?”

  “I guess,” I reply. Because that’s all I can say about that at the moment.

  “It seems to be working so I’m not gonna rock the boat, if you know what I mean.”

  “I do,” I say. “I get it. But there’s more to this story than just letting everyone pick and choose what princess they’re genetically tied to, don’t you think?”

  “What are you trying to say? Because I have a fuck-ton of shit to do today.”

  “OK,” I say, gripping the arms of my chair. “OK, I’m just gonna say it. We don’t even know what Delphi is.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I remembered something on my way over here.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “Back when we shot Corla through that spin node and landed here and you had to explain things to ALCOR, you told him what she told you.” I lean forward. And now it’s my turn to narrow my eyes. “You told him she said that these babies we’re supposed to make are monsters.”

  I lean back, feeling a little relieved to actually get those words out.

  “You know what you said when you talked to ALCOR for the first time?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t you remember? You had a message to deliver. All of you, except me, had a message. You spurted and sputtered out a bunch of burbled words, Luck.”

  “Oh,” I say. “I did. Didn’t I?”

  “So what was that about?”

  “How should I know? It was more than twenty years ago.”

  “Well, you’re the one up here demanding answers about questions from the day we arrived. If you’re suddenly all concerned about what I said, I’m suddenly all concerned about what you said.”

  “Dude. You’re an asshole. The two things have nothing to do with each other.”

  “Does Delphi look like a monster to you?”

  “No. But Corla and Nyleena don’t look like bombs that can explode planets, either. And I don’t understand. Why is everyone just OK with letting Serpint and Lyra try for a baby?”

  “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, they haven’t been successful. So who cares?”

  “Who cares?” I say. “What the fuck are you gonna tell them when they are? ‘Sorry. That baby you just spent a year trying to conceive needs to be put on ice?’ I mean… what the fuck? Just because they haven’t been successful yet doesn’t mean they won’t be. We should have rules about this.”

  Crux sighs. Rubs his forehead with the tips of two fingers. Leans back in his chair again. Sighs one more time. Then says, “Fine. I’ll call a meeting and we’ll discuss it.”

  “With or without the girls?” I ask.

  “Without,” he says. “At first, at least.”

  I nod. Feeling a little better. But then… “You know there’s more to this, right?”

  “Which part?”

  “All of it, Crux. None of it makes any sense. Not even when you factor in the fact that they want to breed us for more weapons. There’s got to be more to it than that.”

  “Like what? You got any ideas? Because I have a feeling the only one who knows is ALCOR. And he’s dead.”

  “The Asshole might know.”

  “He doesn’t. He’s… not our ALCOR.”

  “And what about Succubus? I’m getting a bad feeling—”

  “For fuck’s sake, Luck. Is there anything you’re satisfied with right now? I don’t have all the fucking answers, OK? I’m just doing the best I can. If you only came in here to complain about shit, well, I don’t have time for that. And if you came in here to figure shit out, I suggest you go talk to the cyborg master when he’s wearing his elbow-patch jacket. Because I’m not a damn therapist. I’m just the guy in charge.”

  I stand up and point my finger at him. “You’re hiding shit. That’s what I think. You’re hiding shit.”

  “About what?”

  “Delphi,” I hiss.

  And then I walk out.

  Because I am righteous. I am right.

  And you know how I know I’m right?

  Because I’m hiding shit too.

  About Delphi. About Jimmy. About Veila. About Valor.

  Nyleena was spot on.

  We all know something we’re not saying.

  And every bit of it goes back to Real ALCOR.

  CHAPTER THIRTY - NYLEENA

  I’m fine.

  It’s all good.

  I’m not angry or feeling the least bit vindictive. If Luck wants to hold his secrets close, that’s OK. I have secrets of my own I’m holding close.

  Everyone has secrets.

  Or at least… everyone has parts of other people’s secrets.

  I smile. And while it’s not a vindictive smile, it is a narcissistic one. Because I am the fucking queen of secret unraveling.

  It’s a new title for me. Normally I’m the cunning plotter. The clever schemer. The shrewd opportunist.

  But I quite like Queen of Secret Unraveling. It could maybe flow better. Perhaps. But it’s the thought that counts. I’m pretty sure everyone says that.

  Except me.

  I’m all action. And today is my day.

  I’m gonna rip the rest of this day to pieces. Shred this fucker into the answers I want.

  And then watch out, Harem Station. Because I’m on a mission to out everyone.

  OK. Maybe I’m a little bit vindictive. But no one likes to be left out and right now I feel left out. Like I’m floating in space on the other side of this station’s outer hull. And everyone inside is watching me. Just standing there enjoying my struggle.

  Well, fuck that.

  I enter the docking bay where Serpint and Lyra are hanging out with Booty now that she’s back where she’s supposed to be, then walk over to her, climb the stairs, and enter the airlock. A few minutes later I’m pulling my helmet off inside and undoing all the sticky tabs on my suit.

  “Hello!” I call.

  “Hello, Nyleena,” Booty says.

  “Where’s Lyra and Serpint?”

  “I’m afraid I hacked your messaging system. They’re not here.”

  “What?”

  “But that’s because I’m on your side.”

  “You are?” I ask. “Which side is that?” Because you just never know what this ship is up to. She’s always been nice to me. Which I appreciate since she risked her life to help Lyra save me out at Bull Station. So I’m not as inclined to be suspicious of her as everyone else is these days.

  Still. She is the Booty Hunter. You really don’t fuck with this woman.

  “The one where you need information to get what you want.”

  “How’d you know about that?”

  “Please,” she says. “This Baby ALCOR is a child when it comes to security. I should be running this station, not him. And certainly not that Succubus thing.”

  “Yeah,” I say, taking a seat on a nearby bench. “I don’t trust her either. So… how can you help me?”

  “I know you’re looking for information about Earth. And I know that Lyra and Serpint have nothing to say about that. They don’t know anything. But they do know something about why Valor is hanging out with Tray these days and not Luck.”

  “Hmm… interesting. Which means you know too. So you’re gonna tell me right?”

  Wishful thinking. Because she says, “I need something from you first.”

  “Of course you do. What’s the fun of a psycho scavenger hunt if I don’t have to go on yet another mission to get one more thing in a long line of things just to get a fucking meeting with the Asshole so I can figure out what leveling up is? I should’ve known.” I stand up and walk back over to my suit and start putting it back on.

  “Just hold up a minute. I’m asking for benevolent reasons.”

  “Sure you are.”

  “I’m asking for Lyra. She needs something, Nyleena. Something I think you’d be happy to help her with, even if you got nothing in return.”

  I do
one of those snort-laughs.

  “She wants a baby. And she and Serpint are having trouble conceiving.”

  “I wonder why,” I mutter.

  “But there’s this flower, you see. And it grows in one of the secret gardens.”

  Oh, shit. I go still and pretend like my whole body isn’t buzzing about this. Before this little hunt started I don’t think I’ve said the word ‘flower’ more than ten times in the past ten years. Now, all of a sudden they’re popping up everywhere. “What kind of flower?” I ask, so nonchalant.

  “Something that could help a girl out in the reproductive department.”

  “Hmmm,” I say. “It’s probably bullshit. It’s just not that easy for us.”

  “For you,” Booty agrees. “But Lyra is a pink princess. She operates on a different set of standards in this area.”

  “What do you know about it?”

  “Enough. I know Lyra should be able to conceive. She just needs a little help.”

  “And you want me to get this flower?”

  “Sure.”

  “And what do I get? Because I’m all for helping Lyra out, but I’m on a tight schedule here, Boots. I don’t have time for side missions.”

  “Well… I’m not blaming or faulting you for being ignorant, or anything—”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “—but you asked the wrong person to help you hack this Baby simpleton.”

  “Oh.” I laugh. “OK. Go on.”

  “So if you get me that flower so I can gift it to Lyra, then I’ll hack baby ALCOR for you. I’ll tell you anything you want to know that he has. If it’s in his data core, I’ll find it.”

  “Really?” I ask, suspiciously.

  “Really.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Well, I might have an ulterior motive.”

  “Spill,” I demand.

  “Not until you agree to help me.”

  “Fuck.” I sigh. “Fine. Where is this flower? Which garden?”

  “I don’t know. They’re secret, remember? And not in the Baby data core. But Luck knows where all of them are because he was the one in charge of planting them when he first arrived. You know some of them. I know you two meet there. So I’m sure this would be a very quick and easy side mission for you.”

  “If you know we meet there, then why don’t you know where they are?”