by L H Whitlock
His RAB dinged and Brock looked down to see the Comm activated. He touched the screen and it prompted him for the identification code for the unit he wanted to call.
What the fuck? He must have done something to bypass the security.
Not wanting to miss what may be his only chance, he punched in the code for Lily’s RAB. A dial tone echoed off the cold steel walls. One ring… two… three... then static filtered through the other line. He doubted he was out of range for the Developers’ technology to connect with Lily’s RAB, but since hers was an older model, he supposed it was possible it didn’t have the same range. He re-entered the code just to be sure he hadn’t messed up, but just before he could press the button, Alyssa burst into the room, a scowl on her porcelain face.
13
Alyssa’s heart beat frantically as she sprinted down the walkway, following the blinking dot on her RAB. That man never did listen to directions. Brock was about to get himself into some serious trouble.
She had only been gone for an hour, if that. She had to give Reylan an advancement, conveniently separating her from Brock. It was a simple surgery—Reylan wanted his legs replaced with a state-of-the-art elm wheel. It was the fastest unit available and, if he were traveling over terrain where the wheel wasn’t sufficient, he could morph the appendage into any shape he wanted. It was still in its trial stage, which was why he had chosen her as his mechanic. The man wasn’t even out of anesthesia when she realized Brock was up to his usual ways.
Brock was not in his room and was on one of the restricted levels, searching for a way to contact his team, no doubt. The moment he reached out to his team, the Developers would be able to hone in on their position. She should let it happen; she was a Developer after all. But hearing his stories about the team and how much he loved them made her realize she couldn’t give them up. She couldn’t get these people killed. She gritted her teeth and cursed her flesh form... or heart, as Brock kept insisting, for being too emotional.
Brock didn’t care what happened to him as long as he made sure his team was safe. Emotion tingled in her nose. She wanted someone to care for her like that. To look at her and worry about her, to find her funny, smart, and beautiful, and not treat her like she was an outsider.
Her breath came out in huffs and she threw herself through the doors only to find Brock’s finger hovering just above his RAB.
“Don’t!” she gasped.
“What?”
“I said don’t.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
Alyssa gritted her teeth. “Why can’t you just stay in the room like I asked you?”
“I’m not your child. I’m a grown-ass man and can choose to do whatever I please,” Brock defended, his brown eyes hardening.
“You don’t realize what you’re doing. Everything we do is monitored.”
Brock’s forehead creased. “Just leave me be.” He went to press the button again and Alyssa jumped forward, swatted his arm out of the way, and unhooked his RAB, sending it clattering to the ground.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” Brock bent to retrieve the armband, but Alyssa was faster and scooped it up. She glanced at the screen and quickly erased the call he was about to place. Thank goodness she was not too late.
Brock crossed his arms. “I don’t know what your problem is, but I was just checking some things out.”
“Who were you calling?”
“No one.”
“You’re a damn liar. You were going to call that Lily girl, weren’t you?”
Brock raised an eyebrow. “Jealous?”
Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Stop playing around. This is serious.”
“So what if I was?” Brock said.
“You can’t call her. Or anyone. The moment you do, the Developers will be able to track them.”
“They already know they are in the Aviar nebula. What’s the big deal?”
“That nebula is thousands of light years across, they would never find them,” Alyssa said, her voice holding a hint of desperation.
“Why do you even care?”
Alyssa crossed her arms. “I should ask myself that same question!”
Brock’s eyes narrowed. “So you know then?”
“Of course I know! I would have to be an idiot not to know!”
Brock’s face dropped. “Well, they don’t know.”
Alyssa rolled her eyes once again. “Of course they know!”
“Is there a problem?” a voice from behind Alyssa said.
Alyssa spun to face Voen. He stared at her with his cold, blue, gleaming eye sockets and a chill ran down her spine. The gears in his abdomen turned as though they had purpose. She knew they didn’t; it was all for show. She liked the man better when he still had at least a few patches of flesh—rotting as they may have been—hanging from his body. But he had been completely upgraded the moment he de-materialized.
“No problems, Voen, my apologies, we were just leaving.” Alyssa reached out to yank Brock with her, but stopped just as her finger tips brushed his forearm. Shit! What’s wrong with me?
She glanced back at Voen and knew he had seen her touch Brock. Streams of data ran across the glow of his irises as he recorded and processed everything.
She cleared her throat, but it did little to dispel the ball of nerves lodged in the base of her neck. “Er… come on, Aldridge, we’re done here.”
Voen blocked the door. “What exactly were you doing in here? You’re not permitted to be in my office.”
“Aldridge was just confused, he remembered that he had an office, but couldn’t remember which one it was. When he saw this one unoccupied he thought it must be his.”
“And checking my messages I see?”
“Um… they were on the screen when I came in,” Brock provided.
“I see,” Voen said.
Alyssa made her way to the door, stepping carefully around Voen. “We must be going, it’s lights out soon.”
Voen stepped to the side. “Of course, please, don’t allow me to make you miss curfew.”
Brock followed Alyssa. Voen didn’t move and Brock had to tilt his shoulders to make it past the machine without brushing against him. Brock looked up and found the cold, gleaming, blue eyes burrowing into him, a stream of data running past the artificial irises.
14
“I think you have some explaining to do,” Brock said as he entered the room he and Alyssa shared.
Alyssa stormed ahead of him, not gracing him with a response.
“Hey!” Brock grabbed her shoulder and spun her to face him. “Answer me.”
“Don’t touch me!”
Brock snatched his hand away. “Sorry.”
Alyssa grabbed a meal bar and plopped down on a stool. She ripped open the package and took an angry bite, her gaze still avoiding his.
Brock took the seat across from her. “Hey, are you going to answer me?”
“I don’t need to answer anything. It isn’t me who has some explaining to do, it’s you.”
“I have some explaining to do?”
“Yes. You. What the hell do you think you’re doing? Sneaking around the ship. What exactly are you looking for?”
“I thought you didn’t curse.”
Alyssa scowled. “You’re no Developer. I don’t even know why I’m protecting you.”
Brock jumped to his feet. “Whoa, let’s talk about this.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. You don’t have your memories because there are none present for the arm to sync with. You are not in the system and you said you were with the Renegade. The Developers don’t even have anyone in the Renegade ranks.”
Brock’s heart leapt into his throat. He had known she was close to the truth, but he didn’t realize she had it all figured out. With a sigh, Brock dropped his gaze and stared at the meal bar, his appetite lost.
“So, if you knew this entire time, why didn’t you turn me in?”
Alyssa’s stony face melted, making her loo
k vulnerable for a brief instant before she once again covered it with her steadfast mask. Her ability to do this showed that she was used to hiding who she truly was.
“I don’t need to turn you in; they already know you’re not a Developer. They just want to know where your team is.”
“W… what! Then why did you try to stop me from contacting them?”
“Because,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t… I guess—”
Brock rubbed a hand through his black hair and cut her off. “So, what happens now?”
She lifted one long, slim finger to her lips in thought. “You help me get out of here.”
Brock studied her for a moment but couldn’t quite read the look in her clouded eyes. “What? Why?”
Alyssa pressed a button on her RAB and tossed her half-eaten meal bar into a hole that opened up in the wall. “It’s none of your business why.”
“I think it is. I’m going to be risking my life to help you get out of here.”
Alyssa looked at him with hard green eyes. For such a free-spirited, animated girl she could be quite venomous when she wanted to be. “Oh, please. I risked my life trying to keep you from contacting your friends and you don’t see me asking you a bunch of questions on why you decided to play Mr. Undercover.”
“Hey!” Brock held up his hands. “I didn’t ask to be here, I got picked up. I would much rather be with my team right now, not on the warship that nearly killed us all.”
“You could have taken a shuttle out of here the first time you lost me.”
Brock pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn’t have another choice. Sighing, he looked back up at Alyssa and was about to declare that he would take her with him, but the words were sucked back down his throat when he saw that she no longer wore her sexy-as-hell, skin-tight jumpsuit, but instead a barely there black nightie.
“Uh…” was all Brock could manage as his eyes wandered over her exposed silky skin. The nightgown’s straps hung over thin, dainty shoulders. The neckline dropped into a V, revealing the slight swell of her petite breasts. The hem ended mid-thigh, displaying her long, slim legs in all their everlasting glory.
Brock’s throat dried up. Was this some sort of test? If so, he was entirely fucked. He liked to consider himself an honorable man, but when handed a skimpily-clad goddess, even the most noble of men was sure to have sinful thoughts. Like picking her up and taking her against the wall, floor, or bed-matt, whichever was first in his path, just to name one particular thought that blinded him at the moment.
“What, uh, are you…” Brock swallowed, “wearing?” To his embarrassment his voice came out in a squeak.
Alyssa flipped her long blue-black hair over her shoulder. “What’s wrong with you? I’m just getting ready for bed. Press the button on your suit and it will morph into your sleeping outfit.”
Brock looked at the button on his wrist. So this is how I change. But if her sleeping outfit looks like that… then what will mine look like? Gulping, he pushed the button and was left in only his boxers. Brock’s gaze jumped to catch Alyssa’s. He thought for a moment she was studying him, but she quickly looked away.
“Now let’s get ready for bed.” Alyssa twirled on her heel, causing the hem of her dress to dance around her upper thighs, and pressed another button on the wall. This one revealed a small sink with rags and toothbrushes.
“Er… I think we have more to discuss.” Although that was true, Brock wasn’t sure how he was going to discuss anything with her dressed like that.
Alyssa dumped a glob of toothpaste on the brush. “I don’t have anything more to discuss with you tonight. I’m going to bed.”
“Well… I’ll help you escape.”
“It wasn’t up for discussion, we leave tomorrow.” She scrubbed her teeth.
Why was she suddenly in such a rush? And bossy… though he had to admit that only made her look even hotter. “Sure… tomorrow.”
Alyssa turned, her hands on her hips and toothbrush still in her mouth. “Great. Now get some rest. We have to leave early, before curfew is over.”
“Why can’t we leave now, if it’s so urgent?”
Alyssa shook her head and her long blue-black hair kissed over her exposed shoulders and back. “Too much security, it lessens as it gets closer to morning.”
“Right.” Brock nodded as he stepped up to the sink to brush his own teeth.
***
Alyssa hopped onto the bed, scooting closer to the wall to make room for Brock. Alyssa forced herself to look at the wall as Brock finished getting ready. The light revealed details of his body that were hard to ignore. She wished she had stayed in her Slender suit. It wasn’t very comfortable, but at least she wouldn’t have to sleep with a half-naked Brock all night.
Though she had seen other naked flesh forms—she was a mechanic after all—she had a hard time looking away from Brock’s. His dark brown skin was slightly lighter on his chest and abdomen and he was all defined muscle.
After another moment of hesitation, Brock lay down, shifting multiple times to find a comfortable spot, and then he crossed his arms. “See you in the morning,” he grumbled.
She didn’t say anything back to him. Her stomach still felt like a ball of lead had settled inside of it. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to leave.
15
“We look absolutely ridiculous.” Gloria sighed dramatically.
“It’s not so bad,” Lily responded, though she secretly agreed. They had stolen some clothing from a merchant so they would fit in with the other space pirates. Unfortunately, they still didn’t quite blend in.
Gloria chose puffy, blue pants with an orange bra and boots. Alberta wore skin-tight leather pants, boots, and a corset top. Gustavo had pinstriped shorts that fell to his knees and an opened vest, revealing a tanned, hairless chest. Ulrick still managed to look intimidating in his awkwardly small cargo pants, tight shirt, and purple vest. His expression said he was likely as happy about his new attire as Gloria was. Lily didn’t mind her own outfit. She managed to find a long black shirt, boots, and yellow leggings.
“Alberta.” Ulrick’s deep voice pierced through Gloria’s whining. “You mentioned someone who may know about the Developers. How do we find them?”
“The bar.” Alberta shrugged as she led the group down the rocky path.
Gray buildings rose from the black rocks of the asteroid that made up the pirate trading post. Several of the small celestial bodies lay in close proximity, each used for a different purpose. The one they were on now was used for trading goods such as food, weapons, and ships. Another was used for trading slaves (highly illegal, but that didn’t seem to matter to the pirates), and another was used to find hit men and collect bounties. Ripped tents adorned the streets and the place was packed with people of all races.
“Alberta, now’s not the time to drink. We need to find answers.” Gloria rolled up her shorts so they displayed even more of her long, slender legs.
“Pirates like drink. We finds and interrogate.” Alberta’s thick accent remained complacent.
Taking an abrupt turn, Alberta entered the rotting doorway of a urine-smelling, bug-infested tavern.
A few heads turned as the group entered, but most of the crowd remained embedded in whatever questionably illegal task they were engaged in.
Lily took a seat at the bar next to Alberta while the rest of the group waited near the entrance.
“What can I get you ladiessss?” The bartender leaned across the dimly lit counter, displaying sharp teeth and a pointed face covered in purple and yellow scales.
“Twos rumnil,” Alberta instructed, her gaze never stopping their endless search of the room.
The reptilian bartender slammed two empty glasses onto the rotting bar top. Lily watched halfheartedly as he filled them with dark liquor, enzo eyes, rubarlla flesh, and mixed fruit.
“Who are we looking for?” Lily gazed around the room. A group of men played Iron Fist in the corner, a game where
you threw knives at objects sitting on various body parts. In another corner was a group of people dressed in black robes talking quietly, as if that was discreet. Gaudy, gold and black chandeliers hung from the ceiling by cobweb-infested chains. Vermin scurried along the floor picking up remnants of the diners’ meals. Rotting, untrustworthy tables littered the area, each packed with various species.
“Henter. He work lots with Developers. Bastards owes me seventy kon.” Alberta finished her drink in a few large, un-lady-like gulps.
“Oh… yes, Henter,” Lily mused, remembering the gray, tentacled man.
“Alberta…”
At the sound of the pitchy tone, Alberta dove over the bar top, leaving Lily to fend for herself.
“Lily…”
Lily turned slowly to face Evin and Tally, a set of pirate twins she and Alberta used to do jobs with.
“Evin, Tally.” She raised her glass in greeting. “I see you are doing well despite recent… events.” Lily thought maybe she should throw in a quick ‘sorry,’ but it wasn’t her fault, it was Alberta’s and she wasn’t about to take the blame.
Evin stepped forward, a smug grin stretching his green skin. He was tall, fit, and missing a few teeth but somehow still incredibly handsome. His green hair fell to his shoulders, his green jumpsuit blending with his skin.
“What brings you to these parts? Want another round?” Tally sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. “Alberta, you can stop hiding. I saw you.”
Muffling a string of curses, Alberta’s head popped above the bar. “Heys Tally, heys Evin,” she greeted with a limp wave.
A scowl twisted Tally’s red lips. “You said you would be right back. Then I hear you left town with my ship.”
Alberta’s mouth quirked to the side but she remained silent.
“Well, you can make it up to me now,” Tally said in a sickly sweet tone as she pulled an E-gun from her waist. “Give us your ship, you lying, cheating bastard.”