by Keri Kruspe
“Human, you should know better than to ever assume anything. You will give us the information we have asked of you.”
“I don’t suppose claiming parley will do any good here, would it?” Where was Captain Jack Sparrow when she needed him?
“We do not know this term, thus your request is denied,” came the cold reply. “However, we will be generous and give you two choices.”
Her stomach rolled and her heart thumped. Uh-oh, this can’t be good. “Yeah, what’s that?”
“You will divulge how you can best be useful to us.”
Silence. “Or?” She winced.
“Or, you will renew your acquaintance with Dr. Knum’Nz.”
Chapter Six
D’ZIA
With exaggerated stealth, D’zia snuck into the ship’s hangar with a silent JR10. He and two of his AoA companions disabled the four Erkeks guarding the ship nice and quiet-like. It unnerved him how well he worked with the Sismall and Runihura males, especially since they’d just met. They slunk off to plant their explosives outside and around the building before moving away to plant others. That left him alone in the echoing chamber.
D’zia snickered quietly at the speed the aliens left him to claim their own ships. He remained slouched behind a tower of massive cargo crates to analyze the layout of personnel in relation to the ship he was supposed to take. The plan was for him to place a small explosive on the far side of the immense hanger door before he boarded the sleek ship. Once inside, he’d power it up, hit the detonator button, and wait for the blast doors to disintegrate. Then he’d blast out through the hole he made and escape into the star-filled sky.
His explosion would be the signal for the other explosives planted around the compound to detonate. During the confusion, the AoA would take the twenty 10-15’s they’d targeted. This would give D’zia a chance to leave in the uproar.
The plot might be solid enough, but D’zia never depended on one set of plans. Something always got in the way. Good thing he had JR10.
“So, what do you think?” he asked his AI companion.
“About what?” JR10’s baritone voice dripped with irritation.
What in the nine systems was JR10 irritated about now? Holy Goddess, he was as bad as Qay, annoyed with D’zia all the time. “What do you mean, ‘about what’? Do you think this will work?”
“Dunno, bro,” came the unhelpful answer.
D’zia knew he’d be sorry if he played into JR10’s pity party, but once again he found he had no choice. “Okay, I give up.” He closed his eyes as he prayed for patience. “What are you upset about now?” Before the bot gave him an empty story, he continued. “And don’t give me any danka shit saying there is nothing wrong either.”
The little spybot actually sighed. Which D’zia found amusing since JR10 didn’t need to breathe. “Okay, look bro,” JR10 said.
D’zia pictured him on the top of his head, held in place by the strands of his hair. Good thing his hair was like an extra limb, so he had no trouble keeping the little AI secure.
“I hate to be such a downer, but you never even asked for my input when you were planning this fiasco.”
Well, holy maggoty hell. He’d somehow hurt the little bot’s feelings…again. “You’re mad because I didn’t invite you to join in on the conversation?” D’zia gave a short laugh. “Since when did you need my permission to do anything, much less to give everyone your opinion?”
“Well, you should’ve asked my opinion anyway when you were all talking,” JR10’s voice was inflexible with an underlying twang of hurt.
“First of all, I never intentionally kept you out.” He had to soothe the little bot, because D’zia not only needed his input, but he had to admit, he was fond of the little irritant. Almost like having a miniature version of himself to talk to. Besides, how was he to know JR10 hadn’t talked it over with Shysutá without him? “Holy maggoty hell, you’ve never kept your mouth shut before. Besides, you and Shysutá seemed tight enough. Why act like this except to be a pain in my ass.”
JR10 gave a small huff. “Okay, fair enough.”
When JR10 said nothing else, D’zia had to prod him. “So…what do you think?”
“I think you’re in over your head,” JR10 stated in a bland tone. “But, lucky for you I’m here to bail ya out.”
D’zia frowned. “Bail me out?” He had to think for a moment before it dawned on him what the bot was trying to say. “Oh, you’re going to help me with something?”
“Yes, genius.” JR10 had no trouble sounding sarcastic. “The detonator your ‘friends’ gave you doesn’t have the range to set off the explosives as you sit in the 10-15. I, however, have already recalibrated the detonator to match the range needed. Besides, I think you should reconsider taking that piece-of-crap ship at all.”
D’zia’s stomach hardened as he imagined sitting in the 10-15 with no way out. “Damn, thanks.” He swallowed in a dry throat. “But, what’s wrong with the ship?”
“I gotta tell ya, this ship is in the maintenance hangar for a reason. It’s missing two important things, hyperdrive, and weapons. Think that might be something you’d miss?” JR10 gave a slight snicker. “Oh, and by the way, I disabled the tracking device your new friends planted on you. You’re welcome.”
Maggoty hell, what a mess! Would anything go right? “Okay, lesson learned. I’ll never assume you’ll pipe up in a meeting without asking your opinion first. That make you happy?”
“Ain’t no thing but a chicken wing…thanks, bro! I totally got your back,” JR10 almost sounded contrite. D’zia didn’t buy the humble act for one click.
“Okay, the ship is a piece of danka shit. So why the heavy guard?” Visions of going outside the hanger and trying to find another ship made D’zia’s mouth dry. He still had to blow the hatch door to signal the others to detonate their explosives and throw the compound in chaos. Maybe there was one just outside the hangar doors…
“Because of that one.” The bot sounded awestruck.
D’zia’s skin prickled in nervous reaction as he glanced around.
“The one over there to your left.”
JR10’s voice penetrated D’zia’s distraction. “Huh?” He caught the last part of JR10’s sentence. “Where?” At first, he saw nothing, but once a hoverlift moved a few measures away, it revealed a strange, small craft. It was in the same basic shape of the 10-15, but this one was about half the size of the normal gray/silver combination and it was a solid, matte black and blended seamlessly into its surroundings.
Sleek, sexy, and deadly were the words that came to mind as his heart beat a hard tattoo in excitement. “What is it?” he whispered aloud.
“That, my friend, is our ticket outta here,” JR10 announced with pride. Damn, the way the spybot acted, you’d think it was his ship and not something he planned on stealing. “What we’ve got here is a brand spanking new 11-15, fresh off the assembly line. Not another one like it in the entire galaxy, and guess what the best thing about it is?”
“What?”
“She’s fully loaded and ready to go. Best of all, she’ll get us to FiPan faster than any ol’ 10-15 could. The imbeciles had planned on testing it within the next half a click or so, but we’re going to nab it first.”
“We are? And how do you think we’re going to do that?”
JR10 gave a snort loud enough for anyone around to hear. “Oh, ye of little faith. Watch the master at work.”
It didn’t take long to see what JR10 meant. The broken 10-15 engines around them started and the personnel in the hanger scrambled away from the ships. Knowing a great cue when he saw it, D’zia left his hiding place with careful steps and slunk along the hangar walls of the round room.
“Stop for a click!”
JR10’s loud voice caused D’zia to pause mid-step. Good thing the AI talked in his head. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have heard him over the din of the shouting voices and the rumble of several ships in a confined space.
“There�
�s a guard to your right. Give me a click and I’ll take care of him.”
From his position plastered against the wall, D’zia caught sight of the uniformed guard.
The Friebbigh raised a disintegration weapon at his face. Before a shot fired, JR10 sent a high-pitched sound through the communication band in the guard’s helmet. The effect was instantaneous. The sentry dropped in a boneless heap as his blaster bounced across the hard floor from lifeless hands.
“Why can’t you do that to everyone else?” Normally the girly little whine would never come out of D’zia’s mouth…well, at least not where anyone could hear.
“Oh, stop being such a baby,” JR10 chastised him. “I don’t have the range for everyone here, you big dumbtard.”
“Fine.” D’zia’s neck heated in embarrassment. Hopefully, his companion would forget that outburst. He continued to make his way toward the ship as he swept his eyes back and forth for any other surprises.
Of course, JR10 being JR10, didn’t let it drop it completely. The stupid bot snickered. “Don’t worry, little girl. Uncle JR10 will take care of the big bad people for you. If anyone dares to get close, I’ll zap ‘em.”
D’zia swallowed a growl. If JR10 kept the guards away from him, he’d count it good. He forced his neck muscles to loosen enough to avoid an oncoming headache. Soon he was on the side of the black vessel away from anyone who might see them.
“Where’s the door?” he asked his small companion. He placed a palm on the outside skin of the ship.
As soon as D’zia’s iridescent, tan skin lay on the surface, the area mimicked his skin tone and caused his palm to transform and blend into the ship’s outer casing.
“Whoa! Did you see that?” He laughed and pulled his hand away. The ship resumed its normal, matte exterior.
“Didn’t I tell you? This ship is the perfect chameleon, no need for any type of cloaking device. It absorbs outside stimulation and can adjust to any environment to make it completely blend in. Since the ship is organic, the stealth capabilities are second-to-none. That’s why the AoA couldn’t detect she was even here.” JR10 chuckled at D’zia. “But, best of all, she’s an AI like I am.”
“She is? She’s okay with us…ah, ‘liberating’ her?”
“Oh, this lovely lady is Elemi and she’s begged me to interface with her. Now we are the best of friends. Aren’t we, my everlasting beauty?” JR10’s croon made D’zia scrunch his face in pain. “Yes, we’ll take you away from these bad men…don’t you worry your pretty little self any longer.”
A body-sized hole opened in front him and caused D’zia to jerk in surprise. Good thing he caught himself before he lost his balance and fell in face-first. He leaned to peer in the dark interior before he slipped inside.
“All in?” JR10 asked as a dim light came on. Tiny orange lights flickered on the floor as if to lead him in a specific direction. “What are you waiting for? Follow the lights, find a seat, and strap in. We’re gonna blow!”
D’zia didn’t hesitate. He ignored the interior design as he made a mad scramble to find somewhere to sit. He was glad the interior was big enough for him to move around without bumping into an immovable something. He eyed a slim seat to his right and threw himself on the cushioned pad. Once his butt hit the chair, a protective cocoon encased him. As he got comfortable, he heard a loud boom followed by a piercing claxon from the outside. Strange how that sound echoed within the ship.
“Woo-hoo! Here we go!”
JR10’s excited shout made D’zia wince as the screeching outside competed with the little bot inside his skull. The ship lifted and his body bounced back with the G-force of their departure as it rushed forward.
“Yee-haw!” The crazy spybot came out of his nest on D’zia’s head and jumped up and down with glee. Good thing they were in a soft bubble or JR10 would fly off.
“Damn it, JR10!” D’zia shouted above the noise. His last syllable came out overly loud since they had cleared the bombardment going on behind them.
“Wow! Wasn’t that great?” JR10 kept his excitement going. “Ah, Elemi, you are a treasure without measure!”
“I thank you so much, my little filos,” a soft, feminine voice replied. “It was my pleasure.”
It was strange to have an interstellar ship called JR10 “friend.”
The cocoon surrounding him dissolved and D’zia flexed his shoulders. “Is anyone coming after us?” He stood and blinked to figure out what he was seeing. The entire outer casing of the ship evaporated and enfolded him in a mindboggling scene of streaking stars. It was like flying through space without a ship. He threw his head back and spread his arms wide. His mouth opened with inexplicable joy as his body became free in the cosmos.
“Negative, filos D’zia.” The pleasant tone of the ship answered the question D’zia had forgotten he’d asked. “I will keep monitoring to ensure we are not followed. Do you have a destination you wish me to coordinate?”
Lora! D’zia lowered his arms as his face tightened. “Yes, definitely. Please head for FiPan. We don’t have time to waste.” Tight-lipped, he rushed along the lighted walkway until he found the control room. He slid into one of the two seats available. He had to get to his TrueBond as soon as possible. “By the way, JR10, did you record the conversation with the AoA and send it to Qay?”
The spybot scurried down D’zia’s arm to rest on the control panel in from of him. “Why do you insist on asking stupid questions you already know the answer to? Of course I did. I’m not an amateur, you know. Just because you don’t tell me to do something doesn’t mean I wait until you do. I have a mind of my own, thank you very much.”
D’zia wouldn’t point out the contradiction in that last statement to their earlier conversation. He refused to let the bot’s snarky attitude irritate him. With a wistful glance at the passing stars around him, he breathed in a clean sigh. “Okay Elemi, let’s go save my TrueBond.”
* * *
LORA
After the strange character in the billowing robes and glowing orb left, a different sexbot arrived to escort Lora to her new “quarters.” She’d refused for the umpteenth time to tell the pirate anything else. No way was she going to reveal who D’zia was; she had no wish to divulge his ties to the Zerin royal family. She didn’t doubt the threat the pirate gave her was real, so she guessed she wouldn’t be there long. She’d probably be back in the care of the icky scientist and his painful experiments sooner than she’d want to.
Her shoulders drooped as she walked behind the bot. This one was a mirror image of the first one except for the color…a metallic green with three shiny yellow eyes. Even their voices were the same, a breathless quality she supposed males throughout the galaxy found alluring.
Males…men…she was in this whole fiasco because she had wanted to find the right man, er, male and the promise of true love. Unbidden, D’zia’s image came to mind and Lora smiled as she relived the last time they were together. Her heart skipped several beats as her palms sweated. The ache in her chest returned, a painful reminder that a part of her was missing.
Yeah, okay…he was totally worth it. She missed being in his arms, snuggling into his wide chest surrounded by his alluring scent. His spicy aroma gave her visions of steamy nights on satin sheets. Most of all, she missed his crazy sense of humor and the intelligent way he viewed life. She had to get back to him, be with him. What if she took off and ran down the hall? She might outrun the cyborg behind her…
Before she acted, the cyborg led her down a long, bright corridor with individualized cells on both sides. There weren’t any bars bisecting the rooms. The distinctive chambers were separated by the shimmering force fields between them. Some cells were dark, either empty of an occupant or maybe holding a creature who didn’t like the light. Several catcalls, whistles, and foreign sounds Lora couldn’t identify followed them. It must be a universal thing for males to act like morons whenever a female walked by.
Lora checked back and forth between the cells out
of curiosity. Holy shamoka, the diverse variety of aliens was mind-boggling. There was everything from blobs on the floor to a large, granite collection of grey boulders. The biggest surprise was the person in the cell next to the one the bot led her to. Lora’s mouth dropped in breathless astonishment.
“Lora? Is that you?” A feminine, human voice squeaked in excitement.
“Sherri? Oh my God, what are you doing here?” How in world was Sherrilyn, one of her friends from the StarChance, in the next cell? Other than a wan expression, Sherri didn’t appear any different from the last time Lora had seen her. There was an empty plate on her narrow cot, so at least she wasn’t starving.
“Please enter the domicile and stand at the back of the room,” the breathless sexbot commanded her. “We do not wish you to suffer injury.”
“It’s okay, Lora,” Sherri gestured for Lora to listen to the robot. “Do as she says since they’re a hella lot stronger than us.” She raised up the sleeve of her worn tunic to show a fading bruise. “I’d hate for you to suffer the same thing I did.”
“Oh my gosh! Are you okay?” Lora faced Sherri across the forcefield. Without the visual shimmer, she’d have believed they were in the same room. Up close, Lora examined her friend.
There were dark circles under her eyes and her plump mouth was set in a pinched line. Her reddish-brown hair had grown out from the edgy bob, and her bangs were hanging into her large, brown eyes. Sherri was a beautiful, successful woman who under normal circumstances would intimidate Lora. But her warm, no-nonsense attitude had never given Lora a minute of trepidation.
Sherri nodded. “Yeah, the only thing hurt is my ego.” A soft chuckle told Lora her friend was embarrassed. “My own fault, the sexbot had a gentle hold on me, but I tried to yank my arm away from her. Which was stupid since just holding me she could have torn off my arm.”