Close Proximity - An Aeon14 Space Opera Adventure (Perilous Alliance)

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Close Proximity - An Aeon14 Space Opera Adventure (Perilous Alliance) Page 8

by Chris J. Pike


  Nadine sent a relieved sigh across the Link.

 

  Nadine cut the communication, and it was clear that Kylie’s own motives weren’t clear to Nadine. Maybe they weren’t clear to any of the crew. She really needed to fix that.

  Turning on the lights, Kylie rose and headed to her wardrobe. Time to get to work.

  * * * * *

  Dressed in shimmering purple pants paired with a black jacket, Kylie entered the galley. The counter was covered in more potato peels than she thought could come from the handful of potatoes they had in stock. She picked up one of the spiral pieces and let it uncoil in the air. It reminded her of the breakfast in bed he’d whip up for her when they were stationed on-world.

  “These look familiar.”

  “They always were one of your favorites,” Grayson said.

  Over by the stove, Winter cast her a glance as he tilted the frying pan, coating it in oil. “And to think your man Gray here didn’t want breakfast duty. He’s a whizz with a veg peeler.”

  Grayson sighed. “Please don’t call me that.”

  Kylie smirked and sized him up, without trying to look like she was sizing him up. “I have to say; I’m surprised you kept up with the cooking skills.”

  “The SSF doesn’t leave much time for extracurricular activities, but everyone has to eat. What are you doing up so early?”

  “I got a call. Care to step outside so we can talk? Winter, do you mind?”

  Winter snorted and added the potatoes to his sizzling frying pan. “Only thing I mind is talking when I’m trying to work.”

  Kylie motioned for Grayson to follow and led him out into the hall and down into a private nook. She propped herself up on a piece of exposed conduit, but Grayson stood erect. He crossed his wrists. The man never could relax.

  “What’s this about?” he asked.

  “Your AI. He downloaded the schematics for the Dauntless last night—and not just the ones pointing to the nearest fire escape. Why?” She studied him intently. Kylie didn’t trust AI and considered it possible that Jerrod did it without Grayson’s permission. If any surprise registered, she wanted to see it.

  Grayson’s face barely flickered. If it was news to him, he didn’t let it show. He had always been a great poker player. “Protocol. If we need an exit plan or get boarded, or any of the other dozen of situations we could get ourselves into, we need to be prepared for any eventuality. You haven’t forgotten all the old rules, have you?”

  “Hardly.” Kylie’s tongue ran along the inside of her cheek. Was he lying or was he telling the truth? The carefree way in which he answered said he was on the up and up, but she knew better than to trust everything he said at face value. He would always be SSF first and Grayson second.

  If she trusted Grayson, could she trust his AI? It was clear he did.

  “You could’ve asked me this over the Link?” he asked.

  “I wanted to see your face when you answered. Look into your eyes and see if the words and the truth had any…disagreements.”

  “And?”

  “I wish I knew.” She scowled. “I guess I’ll have to take your word, for now. If this mission is to succeed, we have to trust each other.”

  Grayson nodded. “I’ll earn that trust. I promise, Kylie.”

  “But your AI. Jerry.”

  “Jerrod,” Grayson corrected. “I know you don’t trust AI, but he’s had my back for over ten years since our pairing.”

  Kylie resisted an eye roll. “Of course, he has. He’s in your back. Your brain. However it works. It’s in his best interest to see you’re all right, but isn’t it possible he could have orders you don’t know about?”

  Grayson’s lips drew together in a thin line and his brow furrowed. “No.” His cheeks flushed and it was clear Kylie had hit a nerve.

  “Okay, okay. Forget it, then. Back to breakfast. I’m going to relieve Nadine on the bridge. She needs some rest and she’s probably starving at this rate.”

  She waited for Grayson to say something else, but wasn’t really sure what she was waiting for. Kylie walked toward the bridge and pinged Winter over the Link.

 

  Hopefully, that was all she’d have to say on the situation. Hopefully, it would turn out her fears were just old paranoia, old suspicions.

 

  Winter was nothing if not consistent.

 

  Kylie sighed, <…not rush in and do anything stupid. We’re family. Such as it is. Let’s not let a stranger mess that up.>

  Kylie ended the conversation as she rounded the corner and entered the bridge. Just like last night, Nadine sat in the pilot’s seat—which sat only a meter off the deck—with her legs curled up underneath her. She stared out the window. Her breathing calm, in long deep breaths, almost like she slept, but Nadine was wide awake. Studying space, her mind probably racing along with the stars. They could swallow your troubles away if you allowed them to. Kylie craved that.

  “Nadine?” Kylie reached up and placed her hand on the back of the pilot’s chair, causing Nadine to jump.

  She slipped down out of the elevated seat, landing gingerly, and walked to her comm console where she sat down and pulled up a report. “Captain, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Stealthy like a cat.”

  Nadine did her best to hide a smile, but Kylie saw it crinkling along the edges. “Anything from Grayson?”

  “Just protocol. So he says.”

  “Is it? Protocol?”

  Kylie nodded and slipped into the chair beside her. “It is.”

  Nadine scowled. “Then why that face? You don’t trust him, but still you couldn’t bring yourself to tell me he’d be here, on your ship. To let me discover that way, that we were about to be thrown together with your ex?”

  “We just got out of lock up. We were having a nice night; I didn’t want to…risk it all.”

  “But you did risk it all. Worse than if you had told me. Kylie, I’m a big girl. I can take the truth. He’s your ex. Not a dirty secret.”

  It was true. All of it. So why did Kylie make sure stupid decisions? She didn’t know, but she wished she did. “Go get some rest, a shower. Breakfast will be ready soon. I’ll monitor things up here for a bit.”

  “Yes, Cap.” Nadine rose and stretched her long legs. “If it turns out he is lying, what’s our next move?”

  “I’m hoping we don’t need a next move. I’m hoping I’m just jittery.”

  Nadine nodded as Kylie slipped into the pilot’s chair. “We’ve lived our lives on the fringe before. We can do it again.”

  “We’d be fugitives this time. A little bit different than salvaging abandoned ships and staying under their radar.” Kylie gazed out into the black. The vastness of it always made her feel better. Like she could slip away, get lost, and no one would be the wiser. She’d done it once before.

  “I don’t want to make this harder on you. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling to have him here. I’ll stay away if that’s what you want, but if you decide instead you’d like to talk…”

  The shock of her lie and seeing Grayson again must’ve finally worn off. Kylie didn’t deserve someone like Nadine. Someone that was kind, generous, giving. How’d she ever managed to land a girl like that, Kylie didn’t even know. To think she put it all on the line for Grayson, someone who was the exact opposite of Nadine.

  By the book. Rules. Military before personal.

  It turned her stomach.

  “Talk is better than staying away. Thanks, Nadine.” Kylie tried to smile.

  Nadine returned it.
“Excuse me, Cap. Whatever they’re cooking in the galley smells pretty good. I think I’m going to grab a bite. Did you want some?”

  “Nah. I’ve eaten enough spiral potatoes to last me a lifetime. I’m sticking with good old-fashioned coffee.”

  Nadine raised her eyebrows. “Well, suit yourself.”

  Kylie swiveled in her chair as Nadine left the bridge. In just under twenty hours, they’d arrive at the Jericho. And, if Kylie’s nagging suspicion wasn’t wrong, all hell was going to break loose.

  * * * * *

  Kylie was nursing a hot cup of coffee in a blue mug when Rogers slid into the chair beside her. He slouched down, legs wide, and threw his arms behind his head before settling in. “You missed a good breakfast. And a hearty lunch.”

  “I’ll be around for dinner.”

  Rogers nodded and puckered his lips as he thought. “Pretty hard out there for you. Ex-husband, angry girlfriend, you nearly shot Winter….”

  “It’s a gangbuster week for me, what can I say?”

  He grinned. “You know how to throw a great party.”

  “I’m just trying to give them some space before we arrive at Jericho. Once we get there, there’s a lot we need to do. We need to pull together as a team. Think we can manage that?”

  He crossed his arms and gave her a penetrating stare. Then it softened, and he laughed with that friendly twinkle in his eyes. “We can manage anything, but we need you, Cap. We need you to bring us all together. Hiding out on the bridge isn’t helping anything.”

  Maybe not. Maybe Rogers was right, but Kylie wasn’t ready to mingle with the crew. “Has everyone been behaving themselves?”

  “Yeah, for the most part. Just a few spork jokes.”

  Kylie laughed. “I guess I’m never going to live that one down.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It’d be pretty cool accessory to wear on your belt, don’t you think? Fastest spork slinger this side of Trio. Instead of draw, you could yell scoop. It would blend in against those sparkly pants, too.”

  She nearly bust a gut from giggling so hard. When she settled down, she saw the joy on Rogers face. “Thanks. I don’t always make it easy, but you always have my back. The Dauntless’s back. She’s your girl as much as she is mine.”

  “Amen to that, Cap. I hope it’s always true.” Rogers stroked the console and gave the old girl a hearty slap.

  “It will be. Soon we’ll embark on a new future. A new legitimate path. We just have to get through these next few days.” Just the idea of it made Kylie long for something different. She couldn’t wait to come out of the shadows.

  Rogers leaned over the console and brought up the holodisplay. With a few flicks of his wrist, he rotated the planets and trajectory. “Well, they got the message Nadine sent, and they have a slot for our salvage in the Valhalla shipyard. Nothing to show that they’re suspicious.”

  “There’s no reason to suspect us of anything—unless they have us bugged, or there’s a mole in the SSF. In either case, we better rest up and be prepared for a battle just to be on the safe side.” With that, Kylie rose from her seat. “I’ll see you at dinner. Chin up, we’re going to get through this.”

  “And Nadine?” Rogers asked. “What about her? Will she get through this?”

  Kylie shook her head. She knew Rogers was protective of not just the ship and herself, but Nadine, too. “She won’t be in danger.”

  “She will be in danger.” Rogers leaned forward. “She’s going to go with you to see Maverick and find this girl. If things go galactically south, she’s in trouble, and she can’t fire a weapon like you can.”

  “I’ll be with her. I promise. I’ll protect her, Rogers.”

  He took a deep breath and sunk back down into his seat. “It needed to be said. I worry about you, but you can handle yourself. Nadine, she’s a stars-be-damned princess.”

  “Not just to you. To me, too.”

  “It still needed to be said.”

  Kylie smirked. “I get where you’re coming from.”

  “Good.” Rogers nodded as he climbed up into the pilot’s seat. He always preferred it up there, and Kylie couldn’t blame him. It was the best seat in the house.

  * * * * *

  Rogers had piloted the ship in a gravity-brake maneuver around Einendart, navigating its dozens of moons and flotsam and jetsam, like the professional he was. Now they were in clear space between the outer gas giant and Townsend. When they got closer to the red dwarf and its three planets, things would require a manual touch, but for now, the ship coasted through space guided by its autopilot NSAI.

  For the last big meal before the op, the crew had gathered together for dinner in the galley. Kylie made an old-fashioned corn bread that her mother taught her how to make using slow-churned butter. A delicacy that her crew had come to expect at the evening meal when supplies were available.

  Served up with Rogers’s mock-tuna casserole and green beans, it was a comfort meal fit for a king, and one that reminded Kylie of being home. While they ate, everyone’s mugs sloshed with too much spiced wine, carrying the evening’s revelries well into the night. Long after the plates were licked clean, everyone still sat around the table swapping stories, which were met with hearty laughter.

  Good for the spirit, and good for the team.

  “What, exactly, is in mock-tuna casserole?” Grayson asked. Maybe he was drunk, maybe he was tipsy, but he was too professional to show it. That or his AI kept his blood stream regulated and clear.

  “You don’t want to know,” Nadine said and burst out laughing. She was such a cute drunk.

  Kylie leaned over the table to grab the bottle of wine and topped off Grayson’s cup. “Tofu. Spongy, fermented, tofu.”

  Grayson turned several shades of green and everyone laughed, even Winter.

  “I don’t like my cooking to be mocked, but that was worth it to see you change that to that color,” Roger’s chuckled.

  “When we ship out from Trio, or Silstrand, we usually get to have real meat,” Nadine said. “Chicken, duck, fish. Even some beef. Except for me, I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Until I met Nadine, I thought they were mythical creatures,” Winter said.

  “Practically are.” Nadine gave a loud laugh.

  Kylie held her mug up in the air. “Tonight, things could’ve gone way worse. The bread didn’t get burned, the butter didn’t curdle, and no one tried to kill each other. To tomorrow morning, lady and gents.”

  Winter and Rogers thrust their mugs into the air. “To tomorrow!” They chugged their wine just as Grayson held up his and gave a small nod of appreciation toward Kylie.

  “You have to chug it,” Winter said.

  “Oh, no, I don’t think I really—”

  “Chug it!” Rogers banged his fist on the table. “Chug, chug!”

  Grayson sighed and complied, tilting his head way back to get the final drops down his gullet. He launched into an uncontrollable cough, and his face turned bright red.

  Winter held out a small bottle. “I spiked it with jalapeño bacon whiskey when he wasn’t looking.”

  Kylie laughed and slid a napkin over to Grayson. “Your first hazing. I think you’re officially part of the crew now.”

  Grayson covered his mouth with the napkin but couldn’t speak yet.

  Kylie excused herself and collected the dirty dishes and carried them to the sink. Nadine met her there with two bright red serving platters. “Things are going better than expected.”

  That was what worried Kylie the most. Winter, except for the harmless prank, was shockingly well behaved. Maybe he was taking her threats seriously for a change. Kylie shrugged. “Let’s see what tomorrow brings us.”

  “And tonight, if you want company…” Nadine ran her hand along the countertop as she swayed on her feet.

  “You’re drunk.”

  “Not that drunk.”

  “Even so, I can’t…not until you’re level headed again. Sleep it off, and we’ll see each other in the morning.�
� Kylie filled the sink with soap and plopped all the dirty dishes inside. “Winter, your turn.”

  He sighed as he pushed back his chair. “Yes, Cap. This is why I’m always saying we need some hired help around here.”

  “Winter,” Kylie put her hand on his shoulder as he stepped up to the sink. “You are the hired help.”

  Everyone laughed, and with that, Kylie took her leave for a little shut eye. Halfway to her quarters, someone called her name. With a stumble, she turned around and saw Grayson rushing after her. Great, just what she needed. To be drunk, impressionable, and vulnerable.

  “Can I help you with something?” Kylie swayed side-to-side as he came to a stop in front of her.

  “We didn’t discuss the mission. I thought after dinner, we might have time for a briefing. A group one, I mean.”

  Kylie snickered. “We did that yesterday. Everyone knows what they need to do. Tomorrow we get started. Tonight, we partied, and now we relax.” Kylie slapped him on the back. “I know that’s hard for you to understand, being a military man and all.”

  Grayson’s eyes narrowed. Angry. Kylie had seen that look before. “That’s not all I am. Stop marginalizing me.”

  “I’m not marginalizing anything. It went good in there. They’re starting to like you.”

  Grayson blustered. “You used to be a military woman, too.”

  “But not a very good one,” Kylie said with a shrug.

  “You know the commitment and the risks we’re all taking.”

  “I’m still taking those risks. Still committed, but now to myself and my crew. Not some huge alliance who doesn’t care whether I live or die—that wants to stick AIs in everyone’s heads. It doesn’t care for you either, Grayson. If you die, they’ll just replace you with someone else. That’s how it works. Rank and file.”

  Grayson scowled, but he remained silent.

  “Maybe you’re more comfortable in a big organization, but I’m happier on my own. See you tomorrow. It’ll be here before you know it.”

 

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