by Sarah Noffke
“I asked Knox to help me unload the cars, since he showed interest in the inventory when I told him about it. Turns out the kid can actually drive, unlike these other numbskulls.” Hatch had said the last part loudly to ensure the crew heard him.
“I’d love to take a look under hoods of these beauties,” said Knox to Hatch.
A grin unlike anything Eddie had ever seen on Hatch’s face spread on his mouth. “You ain’t seen anything like these engines! Pristine. And the mechanicals are fascinating. They were done right, not cutting any corners.” Knox and Hatch walked off, both gawking.
“Eddie?” called Julianna with a strange tension in her voice.
He turned to her. “What’s up, Jules?”
“Pip has informed me that a ship has docked with ArchAngel. He says there’s a visitor aboard who is here to see me at your request. Do you know anything about that?”
Eddie dropped his gaze to the ground. “Oh, that. Right. Yes, I might have scheduled a meeting.”
“A meeting with whom?” asked Julianna, instantly skeptical.
“It’s more of a family reunion. I thought it was time we hashed out some issues,” said Eddie, striding in the direction of the docking bay and pulling Julianna reluctantly with him.
“Issues? I don’t know what you mean,” she said, resisting but still coming along.
“I believe you when you say that, because you haven’t been quite honest with yourself. That much I know,” said Eddie, pressing the button to open the docking bay door. The connector between the dock and the visitor ship had already been secured.
“Are you intentionally trying to be vague?” asked Julianna, a line wrinkling the space between her eyes.
“Remember when you led me to the Trid loading dock, saying you had a surprise for me?” asked Eddie.
“That was less than an hour ago, so yes,” said Julianna.
“Well, I have a surprise for you.” Eddie turned and faced her directly, a serious look in his eyes. “I think Pip evolving to AI has brought up some things for you. Don’t be mad—I’ll deal with it—but I took it upon myself to call an old friend of yours. I think you two need to talk.”
Julianna’s eyes widened with surprise. “You didn’t?”
Eddie nodded. “I did. He’s waiting for you right through there.” He indicated the connector opening, through which a research vessel’s hatch could be seen in the distance.
“But…” said Julianna, voice trailing away. Her face slumped and her eyes drifted. Eddie had expected shock and rage, but instead there was…something else. Worry. Concern. Maybe even sorrow.
“It’s fine, Strong Arm. You got this. Just go talk to him,” said Eddie.
Julianna swallowed. Nodded. She tore her gaze in the direction of the ship, still hesitating.
“When you get back we’ll have a drink to celebrate a successful mission,” encouraged Eddie.
Julianna strode for the connector, but turned back before she entered it. “When I get back I’m going to break your nose.”
Without another word, Julianna spun and went through the connecting airlock, undoubtedly aware of who she was going to meet.
Eddie watched with a swell of pity in his heart. Not for himself, of course, but for the friend he had just sent to meet her demons. For the ageless soldier who marched toward the truth.
Chapter Fourteen
Docking Bay, QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System
Do you know what this is about? Julianna asked Pip.
Silence.
Pip? What’s going on?
Pip is not available right now. If you leave your name and message at the beep, he’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Oh, okay. Now I have two noses to break.
Julianna turned the lever on the front of the ship’s hatch. She knew, absolutely knew, who she’d find inside this ship. Even so, she couldn’t understand how she’d arrived at this point. When and why had Eddie set all this up? He had mentioned Pip’s ascendance, so had that been it? Had she showed too much of her discomfort with that situation, however inadvertently?
Please try not to be angry at us.
This is about you becoming sentient. I get it.
Actually, you don’t get it. This isn’t about me at all, said Pip.
Fuck, you and Teach are talking in riddles. I’m in the freaking Twilight Zone, aren’t I?
Julianna stepped over the ship’s threshold and closed the door behind her. It was dark mostly, the gray light from overhead making everything appear to be black and white.
Oh, lookee there! Hatch needs my help with something incredibly important.
Pip… warned Julianna.
Monumental, actually. Super-important issue that only I can assist with. I think you’ll be fine here without me.
Julianna gritted her teeth. She’d been set up. Why hadn’t she gotten wind of this before now? She strode into the main area of the research vessel, which was empty—not a person in sight. However, she knew that wasn’t really true.
“Hello, Ricky Bobby,” said Julianna, her voice sounding strange in the empty ship.
The monitors around the ship flickered, flipping through different images and settling on a soft, calming blue. It was her favorite color, and he still remembered. Remembered that the hue relaxed her.
“Hello, Commander Julianna Fregin. It has been a long time,” said the voice of the AI from overhead.
His voice was calming to her, and a touch of familiarity, of nostalgia, pulled her into a sea of memories. She pushed them aside—a practice she had become quite adept at—and focused on this moment and nothing else. “What brings you to the ArchAngel?” she asked, staring at the large display screen. Even as Julianna asked the question she regretted it, since she knew what this was about.
“I was asked here by Captain Teach,” responded Ricky Bobby. “I believe he is a friend of yours.”
Some friend, she thought, and was surprised at herself. She knew Eddie had done this with nothing but the best of intentions, yet she felt anger as she stood in this place listening to her old partner speak.
“How have you been?” she asked, not knowing what else to say. She swung her arms back and forth, nervously. This was dumb. Why should she be nervous around Ricky Bobby, her first EI? The two had been paired for a long time, until…
“I am well,” said Ricky Bobby. “My research has led to many advancements for the Federation since last we saw each other. I’ve had many breakthroughs that I believe will assist future generations. In this I feel quite fulfilled, that my work shall go on to help others.”
Julianna smiled as the rush of memories came back to her, sparked by the AI’s philosophical nature. She enjoyed the notion that her old friend had made such an impact. Following that was disappointment, when she realized she hadn’t been there to witness it.
“Is it true that you’re commanding a squadron for the Federation?” asked Ricky Bobby.
“It’s top secret, but yeah, it’s true,” said Julianna.
“Your secret is safe with me, as all your secrets always were,” said Ricky Bobby.
Julianna’s chest tightened. She didn’t know how to respond to that. To any of this. There was something she was supposed to say here, but she didn’t know how to begin.
“You sent me away,” said Ricky Bobby.
There it was.
The words seemed to come from nowhere, like a blade to her chest spilling her soul. She wanted to scream. It hurt her badly, because it was the raw and ugly truth. Her greatest regret, and the worst mistake of her life.
This was why she was here. It was the reason Eddie had called Ricky Bobby and asked him to come. It was the secret she had kept from everyone she’d come into contact with ever since then.
And there would be no running away. Julianna would rather face a dozen armed Brotherhood soldiers than this conversation, but she had to.
“I know. And you went. We parted ways without any questions,” said Julianna.
“You didn’t want me to ask any questions,” said Ricky Bobby matter-of-factly.
“You were better suited for research. Once you became sentient, you weren’t going to be happy going on missions with me.” She threw her arm in the direction of the ArchAngel. “You wouldn’t be happy being with me leading Ghost Squadron.”
“You can’t know what would make me happy. I think the real issue was that once I became sentient you didn’t want me anymore,” said Ricky Bobby.
He had always been that way—frustratingly blunt.
“That’s not true, it’s just that I thought we would be better off apart,” said Julianna.
“You’re paired with Pip now, correct?” asked Ricky Bobby.
“What about it?” she shot back, frustration in her voice. Her emotions were beginning to leak out despite herself.
“And he’s become sentient, I’ve heard,” said Ricky Bobby.
“Yeah, apparently I develop AIs. You’re welcome.” She faked a laugh, but it sounded all wrong.
“How do you feel about him now?” asked Ricky Bobby.
“I don’t feel anything about it or him. Why should I care?” Julianna was close to screaming, which meant that she was close to telling the truth, and it scared her.
“Jules, talk to me,” said Ricky Bobby, and then added, “Please?”
Julianna threw herself into a chair and let out an exasperated breath. She studied the space, which was filled with files and artifacts—all things Ricky Bobby had created or found during his research.
“It was easier when you were an EI,” she said after a long moment.
“Because?”
“Because I’ve been here for a long time and lost a lot. As soon as you evolved, became sentient, it worried me. You were real all of a sudden. You were someone I could care about. Someone I could lose,” said Julianna, the words rushing out of her unrehearsed.
“So you sent me away,” said Ricky Bobby.
She slowly nodded. “When you evolved it worried me. You were all of a sudden real. It meant you had a soul. It meant you could die.”
“So,” said Ricky Bobby, “the truth comes out at last.”
She dropped her head. “I did what I thought was best for both of us. I was a combat pilot, and I could have died at any time. Hell, I still can. That’s the nature of the job. I couldn’t let you see that, experience it. You were like a newborn, just coming into your new life. If you’d watched me die… I just… I couldn’t let it happen.”
“And now that you have another AI, what do you want to do?” asked Ricky Bobby.
Julianna stared around, not really seeing. “I’m not sure. I can’t keep pushing everyone away, I guess. It’s ridiculous.”
“I understand your position, Jules,” said Ricky Bobby, his voice sensitive.
“I figured you would. You were always good like that.”
“You did send me away because you thought it was best for me, but you also thought it was best for you,” said Ricky Bobby.
Julianna pressed her lips together, unsure what to say.
“I don’t blame you. You were protecting yourself, but you should have known that no one can protect you better than your AI. Most don’t know the honor of having one AI, and you’ve now had two. You, Jules, are a truly remarkable individual,” said Ricky Bobby. He was so wise. Not just intelligent, like most AIs, but wise in his own way, with an intuitive spirit.
“Ricky…” she began, then let his name hang in the air.
“Yes, Jules?”
“I’m sorry,” said Julianna simply.
“Don’t be. You did what you thought was right. When we know better, we do better,” said Ricky Bobby.
“Yeah,” she said, mostly to herself. And accepting Pip had been the right thing to do. He was her friend now, not just an EI. She worried how that would change things. She worried about losing him, but what was the point if there was nothing at stake? She was fighting for the Federation for that exact reason. The best things in life were worth fighting for.
“My research has taken me all over, Jules,” Ricky Bobby started. “I love my work, as you well know, but it is very lonely. And it has helped me to understand what’s important, more important than scientific breakthroughs.”
“What’s that?” asked Julianna.
“Friendship. That’s more important than anything else,” said Ricky Bobby.
Julianna leaned back in the seat, experiencing a new pressure in her chest. She nodded, then felt the weight whisk away with each new breath. “Yes, I think you’re right.”
She couldn’t help but lament how she had treated Pip. He was her friend, not just as an AI but as someone more. Part of her worried how that new perception would change things. She didn’t want to lose him like she had Ricky Bobby or her long-deceased friends, but what was the point in living so long if you didn’t have connections with other people? She was fighting for the Federation to preserve its people, their bonds, their families. If she couldn’t let herself be a part of that experience, how could she claim to defend it?
The truth of the matter was that she had chosen this life, chosen to be alone. No matter what Ricky Bobby told her she knew that their separation had been her doing, but after all this time she could rectify that mistake.
“You are right. Maybe you can check in with us from time to time, help us with some projects,” said Julianna.
“I’d like that very much, Jules. I like to help my friends.”
Julianna didn’t want to punch Eddie so much anymore, or Pip for that matter. She wasn’t going to tell them they were right, but she was glad that they’d cared enough to intervene. For too long she’d carried this baggage, but now she could let it go.
“Ricky Bobby?” said Julianna, waiting for his reply.
“Yes, Jules?”
“I’ve missed you,” she said plainly.
“And I you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Intelligence Center, QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System
Chester wadded up a sticky note and tossed it through the air, and it lodged in Marilla’s long brown hair. She didn’t bother looking at him, just blew out an annoyed sigh and kept her eyes pinned on her computer screen. This girl could focus harder than anyone, which was probably why she had a slew of degrees and more knowledge of alien species than anyone Chester had ever met. He’d never been one for formal education, which had been fine back when he lived alone and spent his evenings behind his bedroom computer, but now, sitting here beside her, it made him feel inferior. Not in any major way, of course. He was still the supreme hacker, according to the Dark Web. No one could match him, not even the Federation boys with their fancy diplomas from look-at-me institutes.
He swallowed, his throat somewhat dry, and asked, “Did you miss me while you were gone?”
Marilla lifted her gaze and regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before untangling the wadded paper from her hair. “If I say ‘yes,’ will you stop throwing things at me?”
He pulled another sticky note from the surface of his desk and crumpled it. They pretty much lined the entire surface, not to mention the many computer screens in front of him. “That’s not how this works,” he teased. “We’re honest with each other. You’re not supposed to tell me something because it’s what you think I want to hear, and I don’t stop bugging you just because you give me lip service. We’re legitimate with one another.” He threw the paper ball, but missed her this time.
Marilla lifted an eyebrow, looking curious. “Do you write out these little speeches beforehand?”
“Yes, and I practice them in the mirror after I shower and before I shave,” said Chester, then added, “while all I’m wearing is a towel.”
She dropped her gaze to her computer screen as if suddenly engrossed in her work again.
“Are you picturing me wearing nothing but a towel wrapped tightly around my waist?” asked Chester.
Her cheeks reddened, but only briefly. “I’m confused,” she said. “I didn’t
think you needed to shave.”
Chester turned around and stared at the screen. It was true that he had a baby face, with his fair skin and lightly-colored spiky hair. He couldn’t help it, and he wouldn’t apologize for being so devilishly handsome.
He rubbed his smooth chin. “You can lie to yourself, Mar, but you can’t lie to me. You’ll never erase the visual of me standing half-naked in front of the mirror rehearsing the things I’m going to say to you later. It’s all you’ll think about. You’ll be obsessed with me.”
“Boy, I already am,” said the Captain’s voice from the door.
Chester spun to find Eddie standing squarely in the doorway with a smile on his face. The guy was always smiling. He probably grinned while beating up bad guys and sported a toothy smile as he delivered one-two punches, Chester thought, amusing himself with the idea.
“I was able to crack the data Pip sent over to me. Most of it was encoded, but the Trid aren’t as clever as they think they are—or maybe it’s just that I know all their tricks now,” said Chester.
“Which is exactly why I’m obsessed with you,” said Eddie, striding into the room. He pulled out a chair and sat down in it backward, leaning toward Chester over the back support.
Harley peeked his head out from beside Marilla’s desk, yawning, then stretched and made his way over to Eddie. The Captain bent down and scratched the dog behind the ears.
“As you should be. You know a good thing when you see it,” said Chester. His gaze drifted to Marilla, who was pretending not to pay attention.
“You’ve had the data for a whole hour and you’ve already cracked it,” said Eddie, then looked at Marilla and pointed in Chester’s direction. “That’s definitely why I love this guy.”
Chester turned back to his computer and pulled up the data from Pistris Station. “I was able to track down the scientists who designed the Stingrays.”
Eddie shook his head. “We don’t need that information anymore. I stole one of the bad boys, so no need for the plans.”
A Cheshire-cat grin spread on Chester’s mouth. “I heard a rumor about this Stingray trying to enter the loading bay. You nearly got shot down.”
