Determination: Age Of Expansion – A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Precious Galaxy Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  A pained smile cracked on Bailey’s mouth. “Yeah, so I guess I feel like the universe is giving me a second chance with DJ. I get to do what I love, work for the Federation, and I get to care for a child who needs me.”

  “Are you ready to be the decision-maker, though? Like your parents ended up having to be?” Lewis challenged.

  “You know, when we were at Starboards, I was more protective of DJ than the other kids, telling her to cloak or stay back.” She looked up at Lewis, a meaningful expression in her eyes. “It was like something kicked in. My instincts were connected to her and specifically what was in her best interest.”

  “Then it sounds like you’re perfect for the job,” Lewis said.

  “But she wants us both to sign on for it.”

  “I’m not sure why. You are fine on your own,” he argued.

  “I think what she wants is the semblance of a family, something she’s never had.”

  Lewis suppressed the tightness in his throat, forcing it down with a small breath. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Q-Ship, Near Planet Makare, Hapeti System

  “Can we get some tunes?” Pip asked from the second row of the Q-Ship.

  “No,” Lewis said, at the same time that Bailey answered, “Yes.”

  She cut her eyes at him. “Seriously, you’re a stick in the mud.”

  “We’re headed down to a planet for a mission,” Lewis retorted. “I think we need to stay focused.”

  “Music helps with focus,” Pip sang.

  “Monstre Corp thinks we’re dead,” Bailey argued. “And Hatch fixed us up a new thingy-majig so we can get past their security system.”

  Lewis pointed to the back. “And we have a minor.”

  “Hey, I’m considered a young adult,” Vitos said from the back.

  Lewis shook his head. “Not you.”

  “He means me,” Dejoure said.

  “I still don’t see why she needed to come,” Lewis said, grumpily. He’d been relieved when Bailey woke up after the Pod-doc, but then after the whole Dejoure thing, he’d become extra sensitive. He guessed that, as partners, he and Bailey took turns with their bad moods. That was probably for the best.

  “She had a premonition in her dream,” Bailey explained.

  “And what happened, again?” he asked.

  “I don’t remember,” Dejoure called from the back. “But I was with you guys, so therefore, Jack thought I should come.”

  Lewis sighed loudly, skepticism heavy in his demeanor. Maybe it was the idea of the responsibility and perceived loss of freedom making him irritable. Bailey remembered her dad always being in a bad mood. They called him ‘Grumpy Daddy’ behind his back.

  “So, tunes?” Pip tried again.

  Bailey shot him a cautious look. “We’d better not.”

  Pip smiled and nodded. “That’s fine, I have music in my head.” He began humming to himself. He was wearing skinny jeans and a T-shirt that said, ‘Hedgehogs. Why don’t they just share the hedge?’

  When the Q-ship passed into Makare’s atmosphere, Bailey held her breath for a moment, expecting Monstre Corp ships to materialize again.

  Nothing happened.

  “Doesn’t look like there’s anyone on the ground,” she said, pointing to the building in the distance. It was a squatty building that didn’t have anything remarkable about it. That worried her, since all of Monstre’s buildings were either floating or built inside asteroids or filled with strange technology.

  “The monster could be anywhere, though,” Lewis stated.

  Pip stopped humming. “So far, the shields and cloaks are holding.”

  The transition to bodyhood made it so he could access the ship’s information when he was in close proximity to it. He could even control it, but he had to physically be inside the ship to do so, unlike before when he could be in multiple places at once.

  Bailey nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. “I think that they’ve let their guard down. I mean, we faked our death pretty well.”

  “You did almost die,” Lewis stated dully.

  “But I didn’t fully die,” she argued. “And stop worrying. We’re going to be in and out of there, no problem.”

  “I thought you were worried about jinxing us,” Lewis countered.

  “Well, in light of your bad attitude, I’ve decided to be the overly optimistic one.” She pointed to his neck. “I think your tie is too tight. It’s making you scowl.”

  Lewis ran his hands over his face, blowing out a breath. “I’m fine. I’m only a bit stressed after that last mission and everything.”

  “But I’m upgraded, and Pip is pretty badass.”

  “And we have a child with us,” he reminded her.

  “I can stay with the ship,” Dejoure said from the back. “I don’t want to be a problem. Honestly, I only remember seeing myself standing outside the building.”

  “So it doesn’t sound like you stay in the ship,” Lewis said.

  “Well, I will, if you tell me to,” Dejoure offered.

  Lewis rolled his eyes. Here it was. A parenting decision. If he told her what to do, then it was a slippery slope and he’d land straight into the role of parent. Bailey knew he didn’t want to fall for the trap.

  “Just use your own judgement,” he finally said.

  “If there’s a man who wants to give you candy, don’t take it,” Pip offered.

  Bailey laughed. “Great advice.”

  “And don’t eat yellow snow,” Pip said.

  “Looks like snow won’t be an issue.” Bailey’s enhanced vision let her see the surface of Makare with extreme detail, distinguishing blades of grass as the Q-ship landed. She looked around at the unassuming two-story building in front of them.

  “So, inside there are a few hundred consciousnesses?” Vitos asked, leaning forward to get a better view.

  “Or more,” Lewis answered. He looked at Bailey. “Any sign of the monster?”

  She paused to listen, remembering the monster made a soft humming sound, something she should be able to pick up on now, even from far away. “No, I think we’re good.”

  Lewis shook his head. “I don’t get it. Something doesn’t add up. They were guarding this facility tightly before. We blow up, and they drop their guard?”

  “Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Bailey said, popping up to a standing position.

  Lewis stopped her, placing a hand on her arm. “Remember that last time, on Sutra Nine? It was a trap. Vance allowed us to break in because he was going to blow the place up.”

  “Yes, so we’re on the defensive even more,” Bailey said, shrugging him off. “And this time, we have Pip.”

  The AI smiled, eager to go on another mission in his body. “I’m ready. Let’s go rescue some folks.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Monstre Corp Database Facility, Planet Makare, Hapeti System

  Lewis couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with this building, this mission. He’d retreated inside himself, trying to take the time to observe.

  Lately, he’d felt like he was going through something, with Dejoure, Bailey’s accident, and Pip evolving. Maybe it was Melanie and the etheric diamond hanging over his head. He thought he’d feel better after ruining her, but it hadn’t helped as much as he thought.

  The group looked out at the plain, concrete building. They didn’t have the cloaking belts with them, since two of the three had been damaged at Starboards Corp.

  “Cover me,” Bailey said, gesturing to the front door.

  The building had no windows and appeared to be made out of thick, reinforced concrete, like it had been built to withstand violent storms. Lewis looked around. The planet of Makare was plain, with small trees and shrubs. The blue skies were clear, and only a light breeze danced across his face. He didn’t think, based on the undamaged plant-life, that many storms broke across this area.

  He nodded, drawing his gun and scanning the area ar
ound the building. Vitos and Pip stood beside him, both doing the same.

  Bailey made it to the door without a problem. She pulled at the handle and when it didn’t open, she stood back and fired at it. A moment later, she turned around and waved them over.

  Vitos and Pip hurried over immediately, but Lewis stayed put. He turned back to Dejoure, who was standing inside the ship.

  “Stay on the comm and let us know if there are any issues,” he told her.

  She nodded, pushing her hair behind her ear.

  Then he ran for the entrance, where the others had slipped through.

  “This place could use a splash of color,” Pip said when Lewis entered the building.

  “All the facilities are like this,” Bailey stated.

  The entrance was an all-white room that was surprisingly small and narrow. On the opposite wall was a bank of roughly twelve elevators, which seemed like a lot, considering there were only two floors in the building. Above the elevators was a quote that read, ‘Sometimes - history needs a push. -Vladimir Lenin.’

  Vitos pointed to the quote. “Looks like we found our next sutra.”

  Lewis nodded, his eyes scanning every inch of the space. There really wasn’t much to it. Just white walls, the quote, and the elevators. He spun like he’d heard something at the entrance, but there was nothing there.

  “This doesn’t seem right,” he voiced.

  “Well, we know that it’s definitely a Monstre Corp facility.” Bailey pointed to the quote. “It’s got the propaganda and lack of decor to prove it.”

  “I can’t shake the feeling that we’re walking into a trap,” he stated.

  “I don’t think so,” Pip said, his eyes glazing over momentarily. “I can’t hack into the systems from here, but I’m not hitting anything that throws up flags.”

  Bailey indicated the elevators. “Well, shall we go up?”

  Lewis shook his head. “Why aren’t there any stairs? Or anything at all besides elevators to the second floor?”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Pip sang.

  He pressed the button for the elevator in front of him. The door slid back, but only two and half feet to reveal a small closet-like space. He poked his head in before retreating.

  “Okay, I’m definitely not sharing this one with any of you.” He walked into the elevator.

  “Wait,” Lewis said, rushing over. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going up,” Pip said, clicking the button beside the door inside the elevator. “See you up there.”

  Lewis shook his head, running his hands over his hair.

  Bailey clicked the button for the elevator in front of her.

  “You’re not…” he said, giving her a scolding expression.

  “Of course I am.” She stepped into the elevator when it arrived and waved. “Last one there is a rotten egg.”

  When the door to the elevator closed, Bailey expected to experience the feeling of going up. Instead, a blue laser, starting at her feet, zipped back and forth, scanning her body. She jumped back as much as she could in the small space, but the sensation didn’t actually hurt. If anything, she felt better. Weightless.

  The door opened to a much larger space than where she’d been before. It resembled the server room where she’d met Pen on Sutra 9. Bailey stepped into the darkened space, her gun whipping to the right and then the left. She didn’t hear anything. The space was empty besides the rows and rows of servers.

  “This elevator is broken,” Pip said over the comm.

  “Mine worked,” Bailey replied.

  “Yeah, this one isn’t working either,” Vitos stated. “I’m going to try another one.”

  “Me too,” Pip agreed.

  The door next to Bailey’s elevator popped open. She swung around, pointing her gun. Lewis stepped out, a perplexed expression on his face. She lowered her weapon immediately.

  “Is this…” his voice trailed away as he looked around.

  Bailey nodded. “Yeah, it’s the server room.”

  “But that’s too easy.” Lewis scratched his chin, thinking. “We stroll into the building and take an elevator up to the second floor? I don’t get it.”

  “Well, we haven’t gotten to the databases yet, so wait. I’m sure a fire-breathing dragon is about to drop out of the ceiling.”

  Lewis’s hand drifted beside the wall. “No, I’m not expecting anything like that. Vance thinks smart, like the monster. He doesn’t overdo things when simple works.”

  Bailey watched him trailing his hand over the surface of the wall. “What are you thinking, Harlowe?”

  He turned back to face her. “The paint smells new.”

  “So? They probably paint it weekly to ensure that it’s white enough to make people go blind,” she joked.

  He shrugged, taking her seriously. “Yeah, maybe.”

  “None of the elevators I tried so far have worked,” Pip said over the comm.

  “Same here,” Vitos stated.

  Bailey looked back at the elevators Lewis and she had used. “Try numbers eight and nine.”

  “Yeah, we have,” Pip said. “Those don’t work. None of them do.”

  “For you, they don’t,” Lewis said, like something was suddenly occurring to him.

  “What is it?” Bailey asked him.

  He rushed over to the closest server. “Bailey, this is new construction, the elevator and this room. What if the reason there is no security is that they don’t need it? Why waste funds on guards if you don’t need them?”

  “And why wouldn’t they need them?” Bailey asked, pointing at a server. “I’m about to take all the databases.”

  “Go ahead and try,” Lewis encouraged.

  She reached out to place her hand on the server, but it went straight through. Like she was a ghost.

  Her mouth popped open. “Hey! Why does it do that?”

  “Because we’re not really here,” Lewis began to explain, pacing back and forth. “The elevator did what the monster does, in essence. It put us here in consciousness form.”

  Bailey’s heart was suddenly beating so loud she’d swear Lewis could hear it. “But then, does that mean we’ve been uploaded?”

  Lewis shook his head. “I don’t think so, because we’re here in the physical realm, not inside one of the databases. This isn’t like the experience that Penrae described.”

  “Why would Vance do this?”

  “It’s just a security measure,” Lewis explained. “If your trespassers can’t get into the space, then they can’t steal the databases. Notice there’s no way in or out, only the elevators that only transport your consciousness. The reason there was so much security before was because this hadn’t been completed.” Lewis pointed to the walls. “The construction is new.”

  “But why have the elevators?” Bailey asked.

  Lewis looked around. “There’s got to be a way to disable the function, but who knows what it is. And I’m not sure we have time to hunt around for how to bring our bodies up here.”

  “So Vance isn’t worried about us being in this facility because, firstly, he thinks we’re dead, and secondly, he knows that even if we get in here, we can’t take anything,” Bailey summated.

  Lewis nodded. “And remember that the monster’s technology didn’t work on AIs or Tuetians.”

  “And that’s why Pip and Vitos are stuck on the ground floor.” Bailey sighed.

  Lewis smiled, and it transformed his face. “However, Vance hasn’t thought of everything.”

  “Does that mean you have a plan?” she asked.

  “Yes, but it involves someone else saving the day for once. Not you and I,” Lewis stated.

  Bailey returned his smile. “I’m okay with that.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Monstre Corp Database Facility, Makare, Hapeti System

  “Are you sure we can’t go in through the roof?” Pip asked over the comm.

  Bailey tilted her head up as she walked, careful not to ru
n into any of the servers. “No, the wiring seems to be running straight into the ceiling.”

  “We could use the Q-ship to blast a hole in the side of the building,” Vitos suggested.

  “And potentially blow up half the servers,” Lewis stated, looking tentatively at Bailey. “We both think we need a more decisive strike.” He attempted to knock on the exterior wall, but his hand went straight through. “But I’m guessing this concrete is roughly four feet thick.”

  “Because Vance didn’t want to take the chance that someone could saw through to the other side,” Pip said.

  “We also checked the elevators and the shafts are blocked,” Lewis stated.

  “Because they aren’t elevators at all,” Pip said. “They actually don’t go anywhere.”

  “So this is the best option we could come up with,” Lewis said.

  “Why can’t Vance have a normal security system?” Vitos asked, defeat heavy in his tone.

  “Hey, you can do this. We believe in you,” Bailey said.

  “Okay, we’re going to get into position,” Pip stated over the comm.

  Lewis nodded. “DJ, are you there? Still doing alright?”

  “Yeah, I’m here,” she answered. “I’m sitting in the front of the Q-ship. Looks like I’ll have the best seat in the house for the show.”

  “Good, you can relay any information to us,” Lewis said. “We’re going to stay inside here to direct Vitos and Pip.”

  “That’s so cool,” Dejoure said. “You’re there, but not really.”

  “Yeah, it’s the same technology the monster uses, but different,” Bailey said. She gave Lewis a curious expression. “Vance really thinks outside the box, doesn’t he?”

  He laughed. “That man doesn’t even think in the same universe as the rest of us. If he wasn’t such an evil parasite, I’d be interested to meet him and pick his brain.”

  “But if you did, he’d probably upload your brain to his super computer,” Bailey said with a laugh.

  “Yeah, I’m guessing this is sort of how it feels to be uploaded, but it’s locked into a location, so we aren’t really being stored,” Lewis stated.