Taun shook his head. “I answered your question. Now, it’s time to answer one of mine.”
She settled back and focused on him. An unknown feeling coursed through his veins. Excitement? No. He knew what that felt like. This was something more. Deeper.
“Who is Baenon?”
Her face went blank. “Not going to answer that. Ask another.”
“Who is X-9?”
“The A.I. He spends most his time making the repairs that are too dangerous for us to do ourselves.”
“We haven’t seen him yet.”
“You haven’t,” was her reply.
“Why not?”
“If you or your friends pose a threat to any of us, you will.” He raised an eyebrow at her ominous statement, but before he could ask her to elaborate, she asked again, “The brands?”
“Our business. Not yours.” He glanced at her shoulder. “How did you injure your shoulder?”
Surprise then confusion swept through her eyes. “How—?”
“What type of shampoo—”
Vril’s hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. “Excuse us, Suni. I have need of Taun’s presence. We have matters to discuss.”
Taun snapped his mouth shut. He had been dangerously close to revealing too much. He rose and followed behind a straight-backed Vril outside the dining hall.
He had gone too far, let his emotions get the better of him. Which was, in itself, unheard of. As a cyborg, his emotions were naturally stunted. His Neural Net Processor ruled most of his actions. And that was the reason for the NNP, especially in the field.
With the NNP, his thoughts were supposed to be logical and straightforward, but since the rebellion, he had noticed he was more emotional than he had been since before his transformation. If it were regular times, he would’ve gone to the medic and had his processing unit adjusted. Now, in the outside world, there was no visiting the medic and Taun found he liked the way he was.
He felt more alive than he had in recent years.
But how could he convince Vril of that?
Would he want Taun to shut down and perform a self-healing diagnostic session?
They finally made it to the hallway and as soon as the dining hall door slid closed, Vril turned around and faced Taun. “We’re not staying here.”
“I know.” He reminded himself of that fact every time he looked Suni’s way.
“As soon as it’s advantageous for us, we’re leaving to find the others.”
Taun knew this as well. When he thought of Suni too much, he reminded himself of this. “Understood.”
“The less they know about us the better it will be for them.”
Taun gave Vril a nod. Vril hadn’t said anything Taun didn’t already know. But why did he get the feeling Vril was trying to convince himself of these things, rather than reminding Taun not to get too attached to this family?
Chapter Ten
“I don’t know. It was a little weird. He acted like he overheard us talking. He mentioned Baenon, X-9 and my shoulder.”
Suni lounged in one of the empty chairs in the cockpit with her feet propped up on the station console. Her head rested on the back of the chair as she threw a ball into the air and caught it. She frowned, trying to think back. “Have we ever mentioned X-9 to them or by name?”
“I doubt if he heard us. He would have to have super hearing or something, and I don’t know why anyone would waste that type of technology on an idiot.”
Suni had stopped by the bridge after breakfast, knowing that’s where she would find Saph. After spending a fitful sleep, tossing and turning, she had decided that she couldn’t ignore her feelings toward Taun and really didn’t want to. She wanted him to notice her. She liked the way he looked at her. She liked their conversation, no matter how brief it had been. She liked…him. And she wanted him to like her.
She needed supplies, like the latest beauty regimen, good smelling shampoo—not the kind that she mixed herself that resulted in a mash-up of scents—and perfume and then there was the matter of her clothes.
Suni threw the ball up again and caught it. “See, that right there is uncalled for. Maybe it was their first guard job? That doesn’t mean he’s an idiot. It just means that there’s a learning curve.”
Saph opened the flight map. “Why are you getting yourself worked up about an overly muscled man who isn’t going to be around long enough to make your panties wet? Why do you need new clothes and smell good stuff anyway?”
Suni missed catching the ball she had just thrown. It came down and smacked her in the face. “Why do you say things like that?!”
Saph snickered and glanced at her sister over her shoulder. “Because it’s true. Nothing good can come of this…whatever it is that you’ve got made up in your head. End it.”
“So, we aren’t going to stop on Ocea?” Suni leaned over to pick the ball up from the floor.
“It’s for your own good, Suni. Let him go.”
“Don’t worry about me and my heart. We’re both doing just fine.”
Saph let out a snort that told Suni that she didn’t believe her.
“I’m not getting the clothes for him. They’re for me. It’s been ages,” she lied. Suni was already making plans for Taun to like her.
“Yeah, this whole thing is giving me Baenon vibes.”
Suni hadn’t seen or heard from Baenon after Saph had kicked him off the ship. It’d been a brief fling that’d been more trouble than it was worth. “Baenon was a good kisser though.”
Saph gaped. “A good kisser?! The item we lost during that debacle was worth fifty points!”
“I told you I was sorry!”
They had only just started the scavenger hunt and Baenon had offered to help. Their second item in and Baenon had decided he knew what was best and he didn’t like taking orders from Saph. It’d been a mess resulting in Baenon showing his true colors, them losing the second item and Suni’s heart being broken. There was also the part about him stealing from people but Suni hadn’t found out about that until later when Kenzi came barreling down on them because he’d stolen something from him. Now they were on Kenzi’s radar and he was a thorn in their side ever since.
Saph turned to Suni. “We can’t afford for you to get smitten by another man we don’t know or trust.”
“I’m not smitten,” Suni grumbled. “But what would be the harm in keeping them around for a little while?”
“See?!” Saph pointed at her. “That’s exactly why we can’t keep him around. I don’t like them. I want them to leave.”
“And we’re going to pretend that you don’t have the same look on your face when you see—”
“Uh, hm.”
Both Saph and Suni startled at the deep voice and turned toward the doorway. Vril stood, looking better than he had the night before. His hair was slicked back, and he was cleaned up. Suni would see what had caught her sister’s eyes.
“Can we help you?” Suni asked him.
“Yes, is there some reason why you’re sneaking up on us?” Saph added.
“Saph,” Suni hissed.
Vril cleared his throat again. “I came because I wanted you to divulge our flight plan to us. We should know where we’re going.”
“You don’t have a right to know anything besides when and where we need your services.”
Appalled, Suni elbowed her sister. “Saph?”
Saph blew out a deep breath. “Fine. We’re going to Ocea.”
Suni turned her head to Saph. “We’re stopping there? For real?”
Saph rolled her eyes. “If I didn’t, you would only come back here, asking me to stop somewhere else.”
Suni grabbed her sister in a hug which Saph tried to squirm out of.
“Why are we stopping at Ocea? You didn’t discuss this with me.” Vril asked.
The air in the room thickened. Suni released Saph, who’d gone rigid.
“Uh, oh,” Suni said under her breath. This wouldn’t end well—for the commander.
“I don’t need to discuss anything with you.”
“I’m the commander of this mission. You will defer to me.”
Saph laughed heartedly. “Commander? Of this mission? You aren’t my commander. In fact, since this is my ship, I outrank you.”
Vril glared at Saph. “I demand to know why we’re going to Ocea.”
“Demand away.” Saph turned her back on him and angrily punched in some codes on the console. “You have three hours on the planet’s surface,” she said to Suni.
“Thank you, Saph.”
Vril’s jaw clenched. “Why are going to Ocea, Captain?”
Saph didn’t turn around to address him, but one side of her mouth lifted. “Supplies.”
“Why wasn’t I informed?”
That was enough to make Saph turn her seat around to glare at Vril. “That’s the thing about being captain. I don’t have to run anything by a random passenger.”
“I’m Commander Vril—”
Saph crossed one leg over the other. “Of what military?”
Vril cursed under his breath and stabbed his fingers through his unruly hair, ruining the neat waves. “That’s classified.”
Saph leaned back. “Well, Commander Vril of no military, this is my ship, not yours. If you don’t like it, feel free to depart.”
Suni stood, trying to break up the tension between the two. “Saph…”
“You’re right,” Vril said between clenched teeth. “You’re the captain and I’m a passenger.”
“The help,” Saph corrected.
“Saph,” Suni said again, this time singing her sister’s name. What Suni wanted to avoid was a big blowout. Saph was Captain, but they still needed Vril and his teams help with keeping Kenzi at bay.
Vril clicked his boots together and stood ramrod straight. “Do you need my help with anything at the moment?”
Saph glanced at Vril up and down, making a show of it. Then she swiveled her chair back to face the console. “No. I’ll let you know if I have need for you.”
Vril opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the sound of Tayan’s shoes slapping against the floor.
“I’m going down to the planet’s surface too!”
“Next time. This is going to be a quick stop,” Suni told her.
Tayan bounced from one foot to the other. “We can take the jumper. I want test out the jumper’s engine. I made some improvements.”
“It was a bad idea to let the child play with the jumper, and an even worse idea if you let her test it in open space,” Vril said through clenched teeth.
Saph turned around abruptly and put up her hand. “Hey, if anything, Tayan fixed your crappy jumper. I would’ve charged you for her repair work.”
Vril folded his arms. “You’re the Captain. I thought you would have all the say about what happens on board.”
Saph raised her shoulder. “I do. I just don’t feel the need to exert my authority over what my family does in their free time.”
“Free time is what you’re calling it?” Vril humphed. “More like meddling.”
Saph’s jaw clenched. She stood and faced him. “This is her home. She wasn’t meddling. She was fixing something.”
Vril matched her energy, meeting her eye to eye. “Only because I wasn’t available to tell her no.”
“You don’t have a say about anything that goes on my ship.”
“I have a say about my jumper and my team,” Vril countered. “She stays here.”
* * *
An hour later, Suni, Taun, Zema and Tayan were on Ocea. Tayan skipped ahead while Zema walked with Suni and Taun brought up the rear.
“Why is the child allowed with us when there’s an obvious threat?” Zema asked, in a voice that didn’t match her looks. She was all business, hard-core, with muscles flexing as she walked, yet her voice was soft and airy with a delicate note to it.
“The next item we need isn’t here, so I don’t expect any trouble.”
“There are hazards all around. She shouldn’t leave the ship unless you’re sure that there aren’t any dangers lurking about.” As Zema said the last sentence she squinted and glanced around.
“This is a M-Class planet. We’re safe here.”
“No one is truly safe anywhere. You have to always keep your guard up. She should’ve stayed behind.”
Suni chuckled. “Calm down, Zema. You two didn’t come down here to guard us.”
Zema grunted. “I’m aware. There are some supplies we needed as well.”
“You guys go and get your things and Tayan and I will handle our business. We can meet back at the jumper in two hours.”
“We should stick together,” Taun said from behind them. “Zema’s right. It’s not safe here.”
“Tayan is a growing girl. She can’t spend all her time on a spaceship. When we’re able, we stop at M-Class planets so she can get fresh air and sun.”
“You’re the ones choosing to live on a spaceship.”
Suni reared back. “Choosing?”
She had been a kid herself when they had taken to living in space. No one had asked her what she had wanted, and no one had cared. One night she had been sleeping in her comfortable bed in the only home she had known, and the next she was putting her meager belongings away in the small cabin that she had taken as hers on The Renegade.
“I didn’t choose anything. It’s something we have to do until we can get enough credits to settle down.”
“So, you play a game?” Taun chuckled to himself. “That sounds like a great plan.”
The last sentence was said in a sarcastic tone that she didn’t appreciate. “Hey! Don’t forget that we’re the ones who rescued you. Not the other way around. If it weren’t for us, you all would be corpses by now—no offense, Zema.”
“None taken,” Zema said.
“We would’ve survived.”
“Yeah. Sure.” She had seen the state of their ship and with their air supply quickly depleting they would’ve been dead within the hour. She glared at him. “Why are you acting this way? What’s wrong with you?”
The blood seemed to leave his face when she said that.
“You’re acting hot and cold,” she continued. “You’re mad, then okay, then indifferent. You’re all over the place.”
“Have you run a self-diagnostic—”
“Yes!” Taun snapped at Zema. Zema pierced her lips together.
“Don’t talk to her like that!”
Taun looked off into the distance, ignoring Suni. “We’ll stick together. If we hurry, we can get all the supplies and meet your sister’s deadline for returning to the ship without us having to split up.”
“You feel pretty comfortable with giving me orders.” Her irritation grew. Here she was trying to buy new clothes to look appealing to him and he was being rude about everything.
“You wanted me to watch over you.”
“Yeah, back on Stindrol. Not here. And we all know how that fiasco turned out.” Suni stopped. “Tayan, come on. We’re going to head this way toward the livestock.”
Tayan bounced on her heels and swung around. “Zema said they needed long range communicators. The merchant for that is this way.”
Suni motioned in the opposite direction. “We’re splitting up. We’ll meet them back at the jumper when we’re done.”
“I told you—”
Suni stopped Taun with a hard stare. “I’m not under your command. You can’t tell me what to do.” Maybe Saph was right. Maybe they would all start barking out orders.
A smirk settled firmly on his face. “Yes, I can.”
“I hired you to guard us. When we need it.”
“We’re not getting paid.”
She held up her fingers and counted off. “Room, board and a ride from whomever it is you’re hiding from.” When Taun’s gaze widened, Suni continued, “I’m not dumb. It’s apparent you’re running from someone.”
Taun clenched his jaw.
“I’m the on
ly thing between you sleeping in a comfortable bed to being shot out the airlock. Don’t keep testing me.”
“The bed isn’t that comfortable,” he grumbled.
“I agree with you there.”
Zema pulled Taun’s arm to guide him in the direction Tayan had been going in. “Come on. We can get our supplies and they can get theirs. The faster we get back on the ship, the better.”
Suni started in the opposite direction. “We’ll call you when we’re ready.”
While everything in him roared to stay and have it out with Suni, Taun let Zema pull him away. The farther the distance between them, the more irritable he became. He couldn’t smell her scent anymore. She’d changed her shampoo too. Today her hair smelled more flowery than before.
Instead of performing a self-check, which he had to do every time he was in her presence, he figured it wasn’t any use. It always came back with the same result. Nothing was wrong with his NNP. There was something wrong with him.
“That female is so infuriating.”
Zema seemed unfazed by his outburst. “She seemed fine to me. This blow up was all on you.”
“Me? Why would you say that? She was the one being unreasonable.”
“Unreasonable to being bullied? Go figure,” Zema mumbled.
“You heard her!” He made his way past a few people who were meandering about. “So insolent and mouthy and doesn’t listen to direction.” He ran a hand over his hair. It was longer than he would usually let it grow. The fine strands prickled his palm.
“Eh. She didn’t speak any lies.”
Zema maneuvered past three children playing with a ball in the middle of the walkway. “We are indebted to her for rescuing us. They’re letting us stay with them and she isn’t under our command. Things would go a lot smoother if you and Vril would stop trying to tell them what to do. They’re fine until they get a hint of someone trying to exert their authority of them.”
Taun stumbled over his own footing trying to watch Zema. “Are you on her side?!”
She shrugged and kept walking. “There are no sides. Why are you so worked up about this anyway? She doesn’t need our help for this trip and with them out of the way, we can try to find out if there are any other cyborgs in the area and try to connect with them. That’ll be a lot easier to do without them around.”
Saving The Cyborg (Cyborg Redemption) Page 9
