by A. B. Keuser
“No, she looks at Stugg like that all the time. It was the other look Gilroy was referring to,” Mopeña said. “Broseph, I don’t know what you did during those few hours when the rest of us didn’t know you were up, but our girl looks at you like she’s confused about whether she wants to tear your clothes off or run away and hide in a corner. Believe me, I know that look. I get it a lot.”
Si didn’t believe him, but smiled all the same.
“I think you’re seeing things.” He hoped… at least the running away part.
“Mopeña doesn’t miss these things, do you Willy? He’s been right about the others so far. Though they weren’t anything to worry about, she was more likely to hurt them than the other way around.”
Si stiffened and then forced himself to relax as Willy broke into a fit of laughter.
“Do you remember what’s her name…. girly with the spice name…. Gah! That is going to bug me.”
“Cayenne,” Gill filled in, staring at Osiris as he continued to shuffle backward, hands in his pockets now.
“Right, Cayenne! She actually ended up with a black eye and a pair of broken ribs when that ended. Maybe we should be warning you to watch out for her…. Don’t get me wrong, Dani’s not abusive, she was defending herself.”
Gill rolled his eyes. “No, Willy, this is different. It’s plain to see she couldn’t get a clean shot off on him if he was paying attention, but I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. I have a feeling he knows it too. You see the way his jaw clenched when we said Cayenne’s name. Bet he’d want to hit something if he knew what Cayenne tried to do before she got those broken ribs. Look there, did it again. Don’t get too upset there, Si. It’s only fair, since your past is prancing about the ship.”
“Adilyn is hardly something to be worried about.” Si saw the shift in Gill’s eyes as he said it and knew it had been the wrong thing.
“You know, if you were a lesser man, I’d have Mopeña throw you into the bulkhead for that, but I’m not, because who you are demands a little respect. If I told you Dani and I had a history, would you think I was nothing to worry about? No, you’d watch me like a hawk, you’d second guess everything I said, and you’d be right to do so.”
“No one likes losing. Adilyn’s a worry for us.” Mopeña pulled his arm away and turned to stand with Gill.
“She should be for you too, because if she hurts Dani, you’re the reason behind it.”
“Catch the drift?” Willy’s fist was balled again, as Si thought of the best way to answer.
“I gather that hurting Yella in any way, even by way of someone else, would drop me out of the realm of respect that keeps me and that bulkhead from getting acquainted.”
Leaning against the aforementioned bulkhead, Gill said, “I’m not going to stand here and lie to you. If you hurt her, we will find you and we will make the last hours of your life extremely unpleasant.”
Willy made a motion of swinging something in his hand. “Home run, fucker.”
The words were quiet, but Si got the gist. “If we all survive long enough, and I do end up doing something to hurt Yella. I can assure you, I won’t fight back when you come to beat the crap out of me. I’ve known her a lot longer than you have.” He hesitated for a moment as the weight of his words sank in. “I’ve made certain promises, and I don’t plan on going back on them unless Yella tells me to shove off, herself.”
“Broseph, you have no idea how happy I am I’m not going to have to bash your skull in.” Mopeña pushed his shoulder, hard enough Si had to take a step back.
“Don’t make promises yet.” Gill said with a crooked smile. “We’ll see how things turn out. You may still have to hit your home run… it just might not be for a few years.”
“Listen, guys, you both seem pretty level headed, so I’m going to let you in on a secret. Threatening me isn’t a good idea.”
“You don’t think we can go through with it?” Gill was obviously not getting his subtle point.
“I think you could try. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pulling out the machismo card here. The ship is very attached to me… she’s killed others for threatening me before and if you two are really this protective of Yella, I want you around for a long time. So don’t say anything that might make Obie pull a Paddock on you.”
Mopeña pulled back, glaring at him questioningly. “Weren’t you in Cryo when Paddock happened?” Mopeña asked, obviously surprised Si had used the term.
“I have no idea.” Si still didn’t know what, or who Paddock was.
“Eight years ago, some googly mofo went crazy on a Pääom boat, flew the goddamn thing right into a quasar.”
“No one stopped him?”
“Obviously. They got off one transmit saying Paddock had gone crazy, asking for assistance… by the time the Pääom got their asses in gear, it was too late. The ship was too close and they couldn’t risk going in after it.” Gill looked irritated by the retelling as he finished it.
Si looked between the two men, waiting for something more. “I find myself mildly underwhelmed.”
“Shit, that’s cuz you didn’t see the news feeds. It was all kinds of awful.” Mopeña shuddered, his face souring as though he’d just eaten something rotten.
“They spent weeks showing pictures of the passengers… telling stories about who they were, where they were from.”
“Downright tragic.” Mopeña shook his head, a look of distaste blossoming on his face.
“You’ll be happy to know though, the Pääom made him into more of a villain than you ever ended up being.”
“That’s because you never killed kids.”
Gill must have seen the look on his face. “Yeah, it was a passenger liner headed for the Beta quadrant… over two hundred of the passengers were kids.”
Si didn’t know what to say, so he nodded, the scowl on his face his true answer. He saw his exit point up ahead and decided he really did just want to be left alone.
“I’m going to step into my old office, see if there’s anything in there that the deep freeze made me forget.”
“Right.” Mopeña said as he turned back from Gill. Si could tell the pilot wasn’t buying it.
Gill boxed him on the shoulders, “Just remember, we’ll be watching.”
Si figured the engineer wanted it to sound menacing, but he looked too much like a monochrome version of Lyz for Si to ever really be scared of him.
He ducked into his office before they could get any more attempts at intimidation in.
The office was a mess. It looked like someone had torn through it and then turned off the artificial gravity for a while. Probably scavengers looking for anything they could pawn with his name on it.
He sat at the desk and slid his hand under the top, releasing the catch to the small compartment he’d had the builder install. His original intention had been to keep his most important papers in it… and in some ways that had been its final purpose. It slid open, the contents untouched by time or looters.
He pulled out the photo laying on top. Danielle stood on his left, leaning over, her lips pressed firmly on his cheek.
He flipped it over and read the lines he’d memorized a long time ago—though it felt like only months for him.
Save the universe for me.
TWELVE
Dani watched as Lyz’s purple boots swung back and forth under the thin line of lights embedded in the ceiling. She stared up at Obie’s ceiling as the tech braided a piece of her hair and let out a long sigh. “This whole job is going to shit.”
“It could always be worse,” Lyz offered as she ran her fingers through the loose ends of her hair, twisting and twining.
Dani yawned and tried to figure out what time it was. “I really don’t think so.”
“Well, we could have gotten the ship, we could have not found the tracker… the cryo capsules could have been empty…”
Dani turned her head to look into Lyz’s eyes, which were violet with her current pair of c
ontacts. “How would the last be worse? Quince is dead because of those tubes. Mari and Chin are knocked out in the infirmary.”
“True…. But you never would have found Osiris again.”
“I wouldn’t have to battle unpleasant memories either.” She tried not to think about the picture on the navigation screen, the way Adilyn had moved closer to him…. Dani flinched and Lyz’ grip on her hair turned painful.
“Puh-lease, if his ex is all the baggage he’s got on board, that’s nothing. Remember, you’re the one pretending to date the Mandall boy. I think that’s a worse transgression.” Lyz pushed her way up to sitting and crossed her lime green legs, fanning out her skirt and plucking at an indigo ruffle. “If anything I’d be worried she’s going to come after you; after all you are sleeping with him.”
“I am not.” Dani sat up, turning to her best friend, seeing the teasing smile too late.
“You are too easy to bait. Besides, you are sleeping with him, even if it’s just in the same room. Oh….” Lyz rolled away from her, sitting upright and covering the lower half of her face with her hands.
“What?” Dani glared at her best friend and waited.
“The look on your face… neither of you were on the couch last night were you?”
“It’s not what you think.” Dani’s fingers played with the braid running down one side of her head.
Lyz rolled her eyes. “I’d be over the moon if it was what I thought. Remember, I’m not the one in this room who’s in severe need of getting laid.”
“No, of course not, you and Mopeña keep each other… occupied. I’m still amazed Gill hasn’t killed him.”
“We have an understanding.” She pulled her blood red locks over her shoulder and separated them into four strands, weaving them into a more intricate braid—one Dani’s hair was too thin to hold. “But we’ve got better things to talk about, like these sleeping arrangements. What was it… if it wasn’t what I’m thinking?”
“I was upset.”
“And?” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowed at Dani accusingly.
“And I didn’t want to feel alone.”
“Aaaaand?”
“So I asked him to stay with me.” She didn’t realize how cheesy that sounded until it was already out. Luckily, Lyz breezed right past it.
“Aaaaaaaaand?”
Dani let out a heavy sigh and turned a disgusted look on her friend. “Really, Lyz, nothing happened. I was exhausted, my face was puffy and red, I probably looked disgusting.” And I hadn’t given myself permission to use him like that yet.
“So, you just turned over and went to sleep?” The disbelief looked out of place with her glittering piercings. “Come on, Dani. I heard the annoyance when I commed you to get someone down there to help me. He did not sound like a man who wanted to leave.”
“Did you ever think maybe he was tired?” She flopped backward onto Lyz’ bed. “This conversation is definitely making me tired.”
“No, I’ve seen tired. The man that stepped off that elevator was reluctant. So what happened?” Lyz yanked her upright.
“He held me until I fell asleep. When I woke up, he was gone and I was hugging a pillow, looking a lot worse for the wear. So I doubt he was reluctant about leaving me.”
She dropped her hands to her lap, braid forgotten. “Oh, Dani. You’re so silly sometimes. And that, that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I was in one of his shirts…” Dani tried not to laugh as her best friend squealed, leaning forward on the bunk. If it made Lyz happy, she could imply things were more than they were. “And he did kiss my forehead.”
Lyz pushed her. “Why the hell are you in here talking to me? You at least need to go find him and thank him for taking care of you last night. I can suggest several ways that thank you could go….”
“Yes, and I’m sure Mopeña has received every one of them.” Dani shook her head, undoing half the braiding Lyz had done moments before.
“There’s only one that I’m saving for something too spectacular to deserve any of the old standbys.” Lyz looked to the door starry-eyed, as though the words would bring Mopeña to her threshold.
“I don’t even want to know.”
“Seriously, you need to go.” Lyz pushed her off the bed and onto the cluttered floor. “And I don’t want to see you again until you have something juicy to share.” She pulled the small pillow from behind her and smacked it against the back of Dani’s head. “Shoo! Get out!”
“I’ll remind you, I outrank you,” Dani said as she moved to keep from stepping on a pair of boots. “Do you know what a dresser is for?”
Ignoring her second question, Lyz shoed her toward the door. “You don’t outrank me when it comes to stuff like this. Honey, I’d have an admiralty in this area.”
Dani couldn’t argue with that. Standing, she snatched the pillow away from Lyz and tossed it back at her.
“Don’t dawdle. I’m not getting any younger here.” Lyz shoved her at the door.
Tripping over a bundle of bright orange tulle on the ground, Dani turned back to her friend as she fell against the doorway. “If I manage to make it out of here alive, without dying in this rainbow sea of clutter, I’ll do my best.”
“And I’ll be keeping tabs on you, so don’t try to go off and do something boring.”
The idea of Lyz poking around in Obie’s systems sent a cold shiver down her spine.
“Lyz,” Dani paused as she pushed the hatch open in front of her, turning back to her best friend. “Be nice to Obie, okay? I don’t want her to feel threatened by you in any way.”
“Okay… weirdo.” Lyz scooped up a pile of clothes and tossed them toward the corner. “Why so serious all of a sudden?”
“Just, trust me on this one. Okay?”
Lyz nodded skeptically.
She didn’t know how to say “I don’t want this insane ship killing you because you said something stupid” without pissing Obie off.
Lyz stared at her with a bemused expression. “Alright, Obie and I will be as close as a girl and a machine can be. Well… as close as a girl can be with a machine this big.”
Thanking her, Dani left. She hoped the gentle warning would be enough to keep Lyz out of Obie’s sights.
The corridors were quiet, something she’d known they were going to have to get used to. A crew of ten was all she needed to move the ship—though, now that she knew the ship had a sentient AI, that number was wrong. She could have gotten the ship going and off the ground with just her and Lyz… assuming the ship was cooperative.
Her life would be a million times easier. Even if Obie had popped out her ice-cube crew and they’d taken over… at least José would still be alive.
“There’s our girl.” Gill and Mopeña strode down the hall toward her, devious grins on their faces. That was never a good omen.
“Hey guys… what’s going on?” She glanced at their hands to make sure they weren’t hiding anything dangerous.
“Not much, oh captain my captain.” Gill’s mouth tweaked in the way it always did when he was trying not to laugh.
“Willy, why does your brother-via-lover look like he’s about to wet himself?” She turned to her pilot, watching his face for the telltale signs he was lying.
“We just had a little chat with your boyfriend, is all.”
“Great,” she said as she cuffed them both on an ear and pushed past them.
“He’s in his old office.”
She didn’t acknowledge Gill’s shout as she rounded the corner and dropped down the ladderway.
She stood in the shaft catching her breath, trying to think of all the worst things Gill and Mopeña could have said. Hoping she was overthinking things, she stepped into the hall. Osiris’ old office had been on the same deck as the Navigation room she’d seen him and Adilyn in earlier. She turned away from that hall and moved toward where the schematics showed the compartment.
The door she stopped in front of was nondescript. If sh
e hadn’t known better, she might have guessed it would open to something as innocuous as a supply closet, except those were clearly marked.
She took a deep breath, steeling herself to the possibility of the worst. With only vague guesses as to what the boys had said, she considered heading back up deck and beating it out of them.
Fighting through her own procrastination, Dani stepped toward the door and raised her fist to knock. The hatch swung open before she could finish the motion.
Si looked up at her from his desk, a flash of panic crossing his face as he shoved something in the drawer in front of him and slid it shut. “You found me.”
“It wasn’t that hard.” She stepped over the hatch tread and sat in the chair across from him. The hatch swung closed behind her. She pointed to the door without looking back, “That, however, is a little creepy.”
“Obie has control of all the hatches on this level and most of the others. She can seal sections off in the event of a hull breach.”
“Lovely.” Her gaze traveled to the desk in front of him. “Classified documents?”
He smiled through a wince. “Not so much. Honestly? I thought you were Adi and I didn’t want to give her any more ammunition against me.”
“That bad?”
“I kind of blew up at her. But now she knows she was wrong.”
“You told her.”
“You could wear it now.”
She thought she heard a hint of hope in his suggestion. And she considered how it had made her feel as a girl. She couldn’t feel that now, no matter how much she might want it.
“I’m not really the sort to throw things in other people’s faces. Especially if I’m stuck on a ship with them.”
“Well, Obie’s a big ship.”
Dani couldn’t agree with that. “And yet, I feel like I’m trapped in a closet.”
He watched her, nodding and then, he moved his hands under the desk and the drawer popped out again. “This,” he said, pulling out a set of papers. “Was what I didn’t want her to see.”
She took them from him and her eyes stuck to the first words. Her handwriting scrawled across the page and she folded it up, handing it back to him without reading further. “I can’t believe you kept that.”
