by Sarah Noffke
“Not to mention that they will want to get their hands on the boy,” Fletcher said, a crease marking his brow.
“No matter what, you can’t allow that to happen,” Jack insisted. “I’m not saying that because Knox is the only one who knows where the Tangle Thief is. He’s a part of our team. Don’t allow anything to happen to him.”
Fletcher saluted. “I’ll protect him with my life.”
Chapter Five
Alpha-line Q-Ships, Ricky Bobby, Behemoth System
Eddie hadn’t stopped laughing since the Q-Ship had flown out of the launch tube to follow the Otters’ ship.
“Are you done?” Julianna asked while locking onto the target, a one-person ship that the Black Eagles could do loops around. Although the Q-Ship was cloaked, they kept a safe distance as the rusty ship neared Ronin airspace.
“That’s some funny shit,” Eddie said through a laugh.
“See,” Pip urged overhead, “the captain gets my humor.”
“‘Otter space’,” Eddie repeated yet again, slapping his leg.
“If I was interfaced with the captain, like I am with the Q-Ship and you, Jules, then we’d all be one, big, happy family,” Pip declared.
“No,” Julianna barked.
Eddie observed how high her shoulders were pinned; she tensed every time they talked about this possibility. He didn’t know what the hang-up was, and she hadn’t been any closer to sharing it with him.
“Okay, okay,” Pip started. “I’ve got a joke.”
“No!” Julianna yelled, her face flushing red.
“Maybe it’s a bad time,” Eddie said, stifling his own laughter.
“Why did the big otter make a small fire?” Pip asked, ignoring Julianna’s sour mood.
Silence.
Pip gave a fake cough.
Eddie darted his eyes sideways at Julianna, and resigned himself slightly. “Go ahead, Pip. Why did the big otter make a small fire?”
“Because he wanted to be a little h-h-h-otter!” Pip’s laughter filled the cockpit.
Eddie couldn’t help himself, and joined in. The joke was so dumb, he liked it.
Julianna rolled her eyes, initiating the thrusters as the ship ahead of them sped up, passing into Ronin’s atmosphere. “That’s the worst joke ever.”
“Fine, I’ve got another one,” Pip said through seemingly unending laughter. “Where do otters keep their money?”
Julianna looked straight at Eddie, her face stone. “Don’t you answer that. Actually, ignore him completely.”
Eddie’s face broke, and the wide grin he’d been suppressing sprang free. “Oh, come on. Even you have to admit that one’s funny. Of course otters keep their money in river banks.”
“Yahoo!” Pip sang. “We have a winner!”
Eddie wanted to reach out and shake Julianna by the shoulders. One moment she was his best friend, his partner, and then the next, she’d walled herself off from him. It was happening more rapidly lately, like she was afraid of something. But apparently talking about it was definitely out of the question.
“Can we focus?” Julianna asked over Pip’s continued chuckles.
Through what sounded like a wheezing breath, Pip said, “Yes, of course. I otter be ashamed of myself.” He burst into renewed laughter.
Eddie cleared his throat, trying to sound unaffected. “I wonder what’s up with the name ‘Otter’ for these cyborgs.”
“That’s a good question,” Julianna said, relaxing a little. Talking business always put her at ease.
“I can answer that,” Pip imparted, his tone suddenly neutral. “Jack didn’t have a chance to brief you entirely on the Otterbots, since the discovery of this ship was unexpected.”
“Go on, then,” Julianna urged.
“I’ll tell you. I promise,” Pip paused, “after one more joke.”
“Pip, we’re almost there,” Julianna complained, leveling the Q-Ship out and following the Otterbot vehicle.
Its body was much slimmer than a Black Eagle’s, and had impressive fluidity, although it wasn’t as fast. The hatch for the cockpit was oversized, which made its contents even more curious.
“What’s the difference between a pizza and an otter?” Pip asked.
Eddie eyed Julianna, who pretended to not have heard Pip, then asked, “What’s the difference?”
“A pizza doesn’t scream when you put it in the oven,” Pip answered.
“Oh, fuck,” Julianna said in a hush, giving Eddie a pointed stare.
“Yeah, even I must admit, Pip, that’s a bad otter joke,” Eddie stated.
“Well, what can I say, I guess we’re drifting apart,” Pip said and howled again with laughter.
“Okay, now tell us, what’s the deal behind the name ‘otter’?” Julianna asked.
“The name was originally given to these cyborgs as a derogatory joke by the Trid,” Pip explained. “As cyborgs, they were seen as lesser and usually referred to as mutants. No one took them seriously, since they are only half-human or half-Trid.”
“Some of the cyborgs are Trid?” Eddie asked.
“They came out of the research facility on Kai,” Pip said.
“You mean, Pistris Station, where Jules risked her life to save bunnies?” Eddie asked, scowling at her.
“Move on with your life, Teach,” she said at once.
“Yes, Pistris was where these cyborgs came from,” Pip continued.
“It makes sense that those shark-fuckers would name their pet projects ‘otters’,” Eddie stated.
“Otters who became assassins. Shit just got weird,” Julianna said, shaking her head.
“None of them have any otter DNA, in case you’re wondering,” Pip said. “Three are human, and three are Trid. According to the files, they escaped from the facility a few years ago. Later, the Federation got wind that the six had formed an assassin team. Besides taking out their original creators, they’ve also targeted many higher-ups in the Trid government.”
“Which is why the Federation allowed them to exist for this long,” Eddie deduced.
“Well, if they were taking out the Trid, then they were probably doing us a favor,” Julianna qualified.
“Exactly,” Pip said. “But they’ve gone unchecked for too long, and their targets are getting closer to the Federation.”
“It’s only a matter of time before they come after one of our own,” Eddie said, growing anxious for the fight to come.
“So they took on the name their creator gave them as a joke?” Julianna asked, sounding perplexed.
“Oppression and bullying is a great motivator,” Pip answered. “Their name is a constant reminder of the wrongdoing that started their journey.”
Julianna set the Q-Ship down behind the Otterbots’ vehicle. This area of Ronin looked like the rest of the planet: rundown and filled with industrial pollution. It was hard to make out much through the smog that glowed orange around them. The ship had halted in the middle of a barren wasteland littered with wreckage.
Eddie thought that the ship must be lost and rechecking its maps, but then a large, metal door rolled back from the ground to reveal a huge chasm.
“Think we found our assassins’ evil lair,” Eddie said, leaning forward. The ship in front of them moved forward working its way through the opening and underground.
Julianna didn’t hesitate, speeding into the space where the ship had been and lowering into the large shaft, following undetected in the cloaked Q-Ship.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Pip said, that familiar teasing tone in his voice.
Eddie tensed, preparing himself for what bomb the AI would drop.
“The Otterbots, much like the sea creatures they are named for, prefer the frigid cold,” Pip explained.
“So it’s going to be as cold as fuck in the facility, is that right?” Eddie asked, his eyes rolling back in his head as he clenched his fists.
“Bingo,” Pip said. “They are machines; they wouldn’t want to overheat.”
&nb
sp; Alpha-line Q-Ships, Saddal City, Ronin, Behemoth System
“Feels good to be in the co-pilot seat, doesn’t it?” Lars had asked Knox as he’d flown them to Ronin.
Knox had offered his friend a shaky smile, but hadn’t answered otherwise.
If he had, he would have said that nothing felt good anymore. Not working on the cars or tinkering with the new projects or even flying.
Lars didn’t need Knox’s help flying the Q-Ship, but he’d asked for it to make Knox feel better.
That was the thing, though. Everyone wanted something from him lately, and it was overwhelming. They wanted him to feel better. To recover his memory. To remember what he’d done with the Tangle Thief.
What if I let them down?
“I think they’re waiting for you,” Lars said, still in the pilot’s seat, conducting post-flight checks. He indicated the back, where Knox’s father and Hatch were pretending like they were confused—for five minutes, they’d been debating whether the old house was the one on the right or the left.
Thanks to the cloaking technology of the Q-Ship, Lars had set it down in the shabby overgrown yard that stretched in front of the abandoned houses. Knox knew which house was his. Maybe his father really didn’t remember, since his mind hadn’t been the same after the Tangle Thief, but it was more likely that Hatch and his father were waiting for Knox to wake up and join them for the mission that he’d been brought here for.
“Yeah, I know,” Knox told Lars, and peeled himself out of the seat, giving his friend one last uncomfortable look.
“Hey,” Lars called when Knox had started for the back of the ship.
“Yeah?”
“It’s not easy to return home,” the pilot said softly.
Lars knew some of what Knox was going through. Lars had to return to Kezza when he thought that he’d never see his family again. Although their past was different, Lars could still relate.
“Yeah, it feels weird,” Knox admitted.
“That’s because whatever you think you’ll find in there,” Lars pointed through the window to the dilapidated house across the yard, “is a part of who you used to be.”
Knox swallowed, rubbing his calloused fingers together. “I guess I don’t understand why that would make me feel strange.”
Lars offered Knox a rare smile. It looked odd on the Kezzin’s usually serious face. “It seems to me that you’ve spent a lot of time looking forward. Maybe it’s tough for you to look back.”
Knox’s chest tightened. He shrugged to try and cover the sensation. “Yeah, maybe.”
“I bet you wouldn’t ever look back, if you didn’t have a good reason,” Lars said honestly.
“Yeah, if only the galaxy’s future didn’t depend on me.” Knox laughed morbidly.
Lars didn’t join him. Instead he continued checking the gauges, his interest suddenly back on his work. “Sometimes, Knox, the universe gives us gentle nudges. I’m guessing that you’ve ignored those.”
“So I’m getting pushed, is that it?”
“If we’re all connected, then fighting our personal demons is as important as fighting the biggest bad guy out there.”
Knox turned his back on his friend, irritated by what Lars probably thought was sage advice. He knew he was trying to help, but Knox wasn’t in a place where he knew how to accept advice.
Fletcher ducked his head around the open door. “I’ve swept the whole block. All is clear. You ready?”
No, Knox thought stubbornly. But he forced the corners of his mouth up and faked a smile. “Yeah, sure thing,” he lied.
Chapter Six
Alpha-line Q-Ship, Landash City, Ronin, Behemoth System
The Q-Ship hovered in place before turning one hundred and eighty degrees so Julianna could spot the Otterbots’ ship. The rusty vehicle had dropped straight down before parking against the far wall of a large underground warehouse. Dim lights showed that the room was cluttered with equipment around the perimeter. Five single-person flyers sat in a line where the landing ship had parked.
“Assassins are fucking filthy pigs,” Eddie observed.
“Well they are worse than pirates, so I can’t say I’m surprised,” Julianna stated.
“You think so? Pirates are the lowest of the low, I thought.”
“Pirates kill others for their riches,” Julianna reasoned. “But assassins kill others for someone else’s money.”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah, I never understood how someone could take a blind order to kill. I’m no saint, but at least every fucker I’ve blotted out deserved it. I know that with certainty.”
Julianna gave him a skeptical look. “What about that one guy at that bar that got in the way?”
Eddie shrank back with a confused look, but quickly recovered, shaking his head. “Don’t fuck with me. That never happened. I don’t miss a target and hit the innocent.”
Julianna smiled to herself. “You haven’t missed yet, Teach. Yet.”
Taking out six cyborgs assassins wasn’t going to be easy, but Jack had been right to send only Eddie and Julianna. This could get ugly fast. Storming these guys wouldn’t have been the right strategy; assassins reacted too fast for such an approach. Instead stealth would be Eddie and Julianna’s best advantage. Oh, and being fucking badass.
Julianna secured her armor before checking her weapons. She had a pistol strapped to each leg, a set of sheathed blades on her hip, a round of Hatch-perfected grenades in her pocket, and a rifle in hand.
When she looked up, Eddie was giving her a curious expression. “What?” she asked.
“I think you have room for another weapon,” he said.
She shook her head at him. “I wish I had the tri-rifle.”
“I seem to remember you got that amazing weapon blown up,” he teased.
“It was you, Teach, and you damn well know it,” Julianna said, trying to make her voice sound threatening.
Eddie slid up to the door for the Q-Ship. He glanced over his shoulder at Julianna. “Ever notice that you slip between calling me ‘Teach’ and ‘Eddie’?”
Julianna shrugged. “No, why?”
“Just think it’s curious,” he said coyly before opening the hatch door.
Saddal City, Ronin, Behemoth System
Knox was the last one to step into the boarded-up house. He kept expecting something to rattle around inside of him, but he mostly felt numb. Surprisingly, the house didn’t look much different than he remembered. It had been plain to begin with. Now the peeling paint and dust-covered surfaces only made it look like a washed-up memory that belonged to someone else.
A hand clapped him on the shoulder. Unhurried, he turned to find his father staring at him with watery eyes. “How are you doing, son?”
Knox’s mouth fell open, but he simply shrugged.
His father offered him a tender smile. “It’s a lot to process. It’s been over ten years since you’ve been here. Be gentle with yourself.”
“Or…” Hatch said, drawing out the word, “push yourself to remember what your subconscious is trying to hide.”
“Hatch,” Cheng said in a protective tone.
“The boy is tortured,” Hatch said, waving a tentacle in their direction. “The sooner he remembers what happened to the Tangle Thief, the sooner he can be done with this.”
Knox couldn’t help smiling at Hatch’s practical nature. The Londil definitely didn’t sugarcoat a damn thing. Maybe that’s why Knox had preferred his attention more than his own father’s lately. After ten years of separation, one might think that father and son would long to catchup. But when Cheng looked at Knox, his eyes were haunted by regret.
“I need a minute,” Knox finally said, setting off in the direction of his old bedroom.
It was the first door on the left, right next to his father’s room. The workshop was in the back; Eddie and Julianna had told him that he’d disappeared from that room. It was where the receiver for the Tangle Thief had been located.
Why don’t I remember
any of this?
The door to his old room squeaked mercilessly as it opened. The room, which he actually remembered, was fairly clean. Action figures stood on a shelf on the far wall. A chest full of building blocks and loose parts sat next to a lumpy bed. The memories didn’t rush back. What was I expecting?
“I remember that you used to rummage through my trash bins in my workshop,” Cheng’s voice said behind him.
Knox turned to find his father framed in the doorway.
Cheng pointed to the chest. “That’s where you’d keep all the parts I’d thrown out.”
“Oh,” Knox replied, not sure what else to say.
Cheng strode farther into the room, stopping in front of the chest and peering down at it. “I used to tell you that it was trash, and that’s why it was in the rubbish bin.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” Knox said, pushing his hands into his jean pockets. This didn’t just feel weird anymore. It felt wrong. Like he’d broken into a stranger’s house with a stranger in place of his father.
Cheng turned, giving Knox a pained smile. “Do you know, I started throwing out perfectly good parts just so you’d have something useful to tinker with?”
Knox’s heart palpitated suddenly. “You did? That’s weird.”
Unabashed, Cheng shrugged. He squatted down, opening the chest. “Maybe it seems a little strange. I just always thought that you’d go on to do something great if I gave you the right tools.”
“Little did you know that I’d go on to lose the tool,” Knox said morosely. He knew this self-defeating attitude was doing him no good; he was starting to get on his own nerves. But it was hard to stop abusing himself, now that he’d started.
Cheng held up a mess of wires and bolts. “What was this, anyway?”
Knox nearly choked on the spit in his mouth. The memories blasted him like an assault rifle. The walls within his mind that had prevented him seeing his past came crashing down. The dust cleared showing him what had eluded him.
