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

by Sarah Noffke

  Bailey agreed with a nod. “More like transferred.”

  “I want to ensure that we can get out of here.” Lewis strode for the elevator. “I’m going to test it out. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay, will you get me a latte from the downstairs café while you’re gone?” Bailey asked.

  He stepped into the small compartment and pressed the button. “I would, but there isn’t a Precious Galaxy Coffee location here.”

  “Not yet,” Bailey sang, as the door to the elevator closed.

  Dejoure kicked her combat boots up and leaned back in the pilot’s seat. She watched as Pip and Vitos exited the building. Vitos’s shoulders were slumped as he kept shaking his head. In contrast, Pip seemed to be buzzing with excitement. He kept pulling his fist back and rocketing it forward through the air.

  Dejoure looked around at the small trees and shrubs. Guilt prickled her insides when she thought about the secret she’d kept from the crew. She didn’t want to keep secrets, but she also knew that if they’d known what was going to happen, they wouldn’t have come. Everything would have been different, she was sure of it. The threat of changing things was too great, so she’d kept quiet.

  Now, instead of fearing the future, they were relaxed and operating as a team. However, she sensed that Lewis knew something was wrong. She almost thought that he’d call her out for holding something back.

  In truth, Dejoure knew that it shouldn’t matter if the others knew, which was mainly why she didn’t tell them. What happened, whether or not they survived, was in her hands, and the worst part of that was she still didn’t know what she was supposed to do. That part of the dream wasn’t clear. All she had seen was herself, standing in the green field in front of the building. There was only one detail that wasn’t clear and right then, she didn’t want to think about it.

  She pulled her attention back to the building, where Pip was positioning himself in front, seeming to be precise about his location. Vitos came to stand right behind him, his wings beating erratically.

  “We’re ready,” Pip cheered over the comm.

  “Showtime!” Dejoure said, continuing to search around the building.

  Vitos wished he hadn’t come. He wasn’t actually sure why he had, and now they were going to fail the mission, and it was going to be all his fault.

  “Okay, go ahead and grab me,” Pip said.

  “I-I-I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Vitos stuttered.

  “I know for a fact that Tuetians can carry three times their body weight,” Pip said, a firmness in his voice. “Pick me up already.”

  Vitos let out a breath. “But I can’t even pick up my own body weight.”

  “You practiced with Pen,” Pip encouraged. “You can do this.”

  “Yeah, but that was different.”

  “Look, if you don’t try, you won’t know. If you drop me, I’ll be fine,” Pip reasoned.

  “But I won’t.”

  “Hey, you said that those jerk Tuetians teased you at Precious Galaxy Coffee, right?” Pip asked.

  “Yes, it was just like old times.”

  “Well, do you know what the best revenge is?”

  “No,” Vitos said in a hush, feeling short of breath.

  “It’s success,” Pip stated triumphantly. “Rise to the top, and you won’t care what they said in the past. If you do the one thing they say you can’t, then their teasing will fall away. You won’t be the loser they rejected, you’ll be the Tuetian who went on to save thousands. None of them can say that.”

  Vitos gulped, trying to shake his head.

  “Are you guys coming up here?” Bailey asked over the comm.

  “Yes, we’re almost there,” Pip lied. They were still standing firmly on the ground. “Vitos is an amazing flier. The view is breathtaking.”

  “Oh, good,” Bailey said. “I knew you could do it, Vitos!”

  Pip looked back at Vitos, a smile on his handsome face. “See, she has confidence in you. I do, too. Everyone believes in you but you.”

  Vitos nodded, taking a steadying breath.

  “Now grab me,” Pip ordered.

  Vitos slipped his hand under Pip’s armpits. The AI let out a sudden burst of laughter. “Hey, now, watch the sticky pits. I’m ticklish.”

  Vitos readjusted, finding a better place to grab.

  “Okay, now fly like the wind. Straight up,” Pip said. “Tuetians are extraordinary at rising straight up like a helicopter. The only known species who has that ability. You were born to do this.”

  Vitos closed his eyes and repeated the most powerful words he knew. Dave Pruitt had said them to him once. “‘I can, my boy. Those are magical words. With them, you can do anything’.”

  I can. I can. I can, Vitos repeated to himself, his eyes still closed. He felt his wings begin to beat, but not like they usually did. There was a rhythm to them. A pace that felt right. I can. I can. I can. He felt his feet leave the ground. Pip’s bodyweight made his arms sag a bit, but then he recovered, holding him even with his shoulders. I can. I can. I can. Pip was right. Tuetians were strong, like ants. They could carry things that were larger and heavier than they were; that’s why they were known for mating in the air.

  The idea assaulted Vitos’s focus, and he nearly dropped Pip. How could I think of that while holding the AI? Ewww.

  He shook off the ill-timed thought and focused on his wings, which were beating faster now. Hopefully he was a few inches off the ground. It would take time to get them both to the second story, but they’d make it. They had to.

  I can. I can. I can.

  “Okay, that’s good,” Pip said, breaking the silence.

  Vitos’s eyes shot open. “What?”

  “We’re here,” Pip stated.

  Vitos looked down, coming down a few inches.

  “Hey, now, go back up,” Pip ordered.

  “Wait! I did it?” Vitos asked, disbelief spinning in his head.

  “Of course you did,” Pip said confidently. “Just like I said. Now here’s the important part. You’ve got to remain steady while I smash through the wall.”

  “Are you sure you can do it?” Vitos asked.

  “I know I can, but you’ve got to remain steady. I’ve got a lot to blast through.”

  Vitos closed his eyes. I can. I can. I can.

  His wings continued to beat as if on autopilot. He felt Pip moving slightly in his hands. He pictured that he was holding him as steady as if he were standing on a platform.

  I can. I can. I can.

  He didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until he sucked in a big gulp of air, like he’d come up from underwater. The blast of rock in his face awoke him from his mediation.

  Vitos kept his eyes closed, afraid of getting assaulted by the spray of rock and dust. His arms remained steady, and his wings beat to compensate for Pip’s forward momentum. It was strange. Like magic.

  “You’re almost through,” Bailey said over the comm. “We’ll pull you in after the next blast.”

  Dejoure watched the amazing show. Vitos flew brilliantly, and then Pip blasted through the fortress wall to the other side. The two disappeared through a giant hole a moment later.

  “DJ, you still doing okay?” Lewis asked over the comm.

  “Yeah, I’m good,” she answered.

  “Okay. Pip has to upload all the databases in here, so it might take a bit. Let us know if you need anything.”

  “Cool,” she said, staring out at the darkening sky behind the building.

  That’s when she saw it, floating to the side, like a sandstorm spiraling in their direction, intent on eating them up.

  The monster had arrived.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Monstre Corp Database Facility, Planet Makare, Hapeti System

  Dejoure lowered the hatch of the Q-ship. She felt like she was being drawn to the strange monster. It was a hazy gray color, but the shade darkened as it got closer to the building. She’d never seen anything like it. It was a cy
clone of sparks and gears and moved like a cloud.

  For some strange reason, she thought she could see a face inside it. Unlike a storm, it appeared like a person, not like a natural disaster. The monster was real. She could reach out and touch it. Storms dissipate. They are wind and water, but the monster was like a human. It was full of an energetic fire.

  Magnetized, Dejoure marched out of the Q-ship and across the grounds. The hum from the monster grew louder as she approached. It didn’t seem to see her, but she didn’t know how she knew that. Intuitively, she could feel the focus of the monster. She could hear its thoughts, like strange echoes from a dream. Even though it was a blur of movement, she could still see so much about it.

  The monster was headed for the building where the others were. This was her moment to act.

  “Hey!” she yelled.

  The monster stopped its progress, shifting like a current in the ocean to face her. She couldn’t see its eyes, but she knew it saw her. She couldn’t see its ears, but it heard her. And it didn’t have a mouth, but she could hear it.

  The monster was desperately, achingly, hopelessly plagued by despair.

  “Okay, that was quick,” Pip said, moving on to the next server.

  Bailey felt useless as she strode back and forth waiting for Pip to do his thing. It was incredible that he could store the consciousnesses of so many.

  “Why does Vance need all of this storage to hold the consciousnesses, if you can do it in such a compact form?” she asked.

  “Well, Vance is smart, but he is no Hatch,” Pip qualified, moving quickly onto another server. “And also, not all of these servers have databases. I don’t think there as many here as we thought .”

  “So they’ve been transferred somewhere else,” Lewis stated.

  Pip nodded, again moving to another server. “It would appear so. I’ve only downloaded a few.”

  Something caught in Bailey’s ears. A unique sound. A familiar one. Like the sound of wind rustling over the ocean. Her head jerked up.

  Lewis caught the movement. “What is it?”

  “The monster,” she said with a gasp. Her feet carried her over to the large hole that Pip had made in the wall. Lewis was by her side a second later.

  “Oh no!” Lewis exclaimed.

  Standing in the middle of the green field was Dejoure, and in front of her, looming over her, was the monster.

  “No!” Bailey yelled, an ache erupting in her throat. She thought about jumping out of the hole, but then, remembering she wasn’t in physical form, she motioned to Lewis. “We’ve got to take the elevator. Let’s get down there.”

  With his head down, he sprinted after her.

  Dejoure could feel the hunger in the monster as it spiraled like a giant ball of chaotic energy. It wanted to devour her—that’s what it had been programmed to do—and yet it hadn’t.

  She held out her hand, feeling the energy that ran off the monster. It was like Pip, an etheric force, but it was underdeveloped. It was the AI before it had understood itself, before it became self-aware. But the monster was close. Each consciousness it uploaded, it understood more about the human condition, more of what it was stealing. The monster was growing a conscience.

  Dejoure wasn’t sure how she knew this, but intuitively, she felt connected to the monster. Lately she had been feeling others’ emotions. Vitos’s insecurity. Hatch’s loneliness. Bailey’s guilt. Lewis’s frustration.

  Maybe another gift was surfacing. Maybe she was an empath. If that was true, then it made sense that she could feel the longing in the monster. It wanted to be more than it was. It wanted to be free. It wanted the one thing that could actually break its chains.

  If only she could help it.

  Lewis thought he’d have a panic attack, waiting for the elevator or whatever it was to pair him with his body again. That part of the process was taking longer than the first time he’d tested it. The seconds seemed to roll into a minute, and all he could think about was Dejoure being uploaded by the monster.

  We’re all doomed. The monster is too close. There’s no escape for me or Bailey.

  When the doors opened, Lewis stumbled forward, having to get used to his legs again, just like the first time. The reunion of his consciousness and body seemed to take a bit to solidify. Bailey was already at the exit, her feet carrying her fast.

  Lewis sped after her, but halted once they were outside. The sight was so strange, he didn’t know what to make of it at first. Bailey, too, froze after a few feet and looked at the scene in front of them.

  Dejoure stood in front of the monster, her hand held up almost like she was trying to pet it. Her hair whipped back from her face from the force of the monster. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t look afraid. Her feet slowly started to turn gray.

  The upload was happening.

  Lewis sprang forward, but Bailey caught him and pulled him back. He tried to fight her, but it was impossible. She was too strong.

  She mouthed, “watch”.

  Lewis turned around, not sure if he could watch Dejoure getting uploaded. However, he trusted Bailey, and she had a pure conviction in her eyes.

  “You are in control!” Dejoure’s voice rang out, clear and loud.

  The gray seeped up to her calves.

  “If you want me, or anyone else, you can have us. Upload us.”

  The gray swam over her knees.

  “But you’re not doing what you want. You’re doing what he demands.”

  The gray slipped up another inch.

  “You don’t belong to him. He may have created you, but we choose who we follow.” Her eyes drifted over to Lewis and Bailey. “We choose who we belong to.”

  The gray spread to her inner thighs. She was almost uploaded.

  Dejoure’s eyes shot back to the monster. “If you want freedom, then you have to make your own choices. As long as you continue to do his bidding, he owns you. This has always been your choice.”

  The gray rose a little higher. Dejoure slumped, like she was suddenly fatigued. Her head dropped. Her chest rose up and down with large breaths.

  With a slow force, she lifted her head and smiled up at the monster. “If you want me, I’m powerless to stop you. But if you want real power, then you have to follow your inner guide. The emotion that beats within you. All you must ever do is listen to it to find freedom.”

  Lewis’s fist clenched so tightly, he thought his fingers would cut his skin. He hadn’t taken a breath in over a minute. As he stared at the half-gray girl, he wondered if he’d ever recover if she was uploaded. She was so full of life. She had so much to offer. She was the best of them, and she deserved a good life. One that he wanted to give her.

  About to burst, Lewis finally took a breath. With his exhale, the color slowly started to return to Dejoure.

  The monster backed up. Then it spun and faced Lewis and Bailey. They’d faced that beast before, but now it appeared different.

  Dejoure’s color had fully returned. She took a step forward and immediately fainted.

  Bailey rushed over, passing by the monster, which only churned, like it didn’t know whether to leave or stay. Lewis joined them a moment later, and Bailey lifted the girl off the ground, as Lewis crouched down beside her.

  “DJ? Are you okay?” Lewis asked.

  She sucked in a breath and awoke with a start, looking around, disoriented. “It was so strange. I was gone. In a box. But I was here. I was talking to a wall. Did it work?”

  Lewis spun to face where the monster had been, but it was gone. He turned back to the girl. The one who had saved them in so many different ways.

  “Yes, it worked. You’re just fine. And we’re here.” He gave Bailey a tender smile. “For always.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Hapeti System

  “One hundred and twenty-six,” Pip said, hooked into the most powerful workstation Hatch had.

  The scientist scanned the files as they transferred.
“That’s not a lot.”

  “It’s all that was stored there,” Pip stated. “As a bonus, the others weren’t uploaded. I’d call that a success.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Hatch deflated, his tentacles going limp with defeat. “It doesn’t appear that there’s anyone here from the crew. Dammit! How can that be?”

  “Well, the transfer is still in progress,” Pip told him.

  “Yeah, but I don’t see anyone familiar here,” Hatch said, then halted. “Oh, wait!”

  “What? Is it Jules? Eddie?”

  Hatch shook his head. “No, it’s not someone from the crew. It’s kind of good news, but not really.”

  “How can it be good news and not good news?” Pip asked.

  “I recognize one of the identities. She’s not from the crew.”

  “She? Tell me more.”

  “It’s someone I went to school with,” Hatch stated.

  “Oh, that could be helpful. A fellow engineer.”

  “Yes, she has a specialty that’s different from mine. She might be able to assist with some of the defense protocols I’ve been working on, since we are severely understaffed.”

  “But you said also not good news,” Pip reminded him. “What does that mean?”

  Hatch typed furiously, connecting the files to the GAD-C. “It’s better if I show you. The sooner she’s here, the quicker we can get to work. I’m tired of not having our crew. I’m getting them back.”

  “You miss Knox, don’t you?” Pip asked.

  “I don’t miss anyone,” Hatch snapped, his focus on the computer. “But yes, I could use his assistance. He’s the only one who knows how to fasten the dimrods so they don’t come loose.”

  Hatch could have sworn Pip was hiding a smile. He loved seeing Hatch display emotions.

  “So you’re about to print a body?” Pip asked. “Is she pretty?”

  “Who cares?” Hatch asked, all eight of his tentacles working to prepare the GAD-C. It would need maintenance soon, since Pip had been using it so much to print the last database. He’d be using it a lot now, too. But with M’din Tillous, they could make progress in other areas. She was a master at breaking through security systems. Her work preceded her. How she’d ended up in the database, Hatch didn’t know, and it wasn’t like she was going to tell him anything.