by Gini Koch
“That sounds extremely useful,” Chuckie said.
“It is,” Drax confirmed. “Moreover, it’s necessary. Right now, we could be gathering power from both the Eagle Nebula and the star for this system—it’s why the outer part of the ship is made from metal from Vatusus, so that it can draw in light. But with no chlorophyll being infused regularly into the metal it cannot. And without it, our life support will be compromised sooner as opposed to later. Warp working means nothing if we can’t also ensure that the crew can survive the journey.”
“Word to the mutha.” Now I wanted to hear Bel Biv DeVoe. I’d been a lot more relaxed in the lounge with Tim and Wruck. Decided that I was about one more stressful moment from just putting in my headphones and ignoring everyone else’s complaints, Jeff’s in particular.
Chuckie cleared his throat. “I’m going to place a bet.”
“We’re not in Vegas, but okay.”
He shot me the “really?” look. “That planet is extremely green. I’m going to bet that it will have enough chlorophyll on it to restore what was lost, destroyed, or stolen. And, conveniently, we’re already supposed to go down there and save the day.”
“We’ll rescue you and, in return, just give us some chlorophyll and we’ll go away? Could work. Of course, we have no idea what’s going on down there, who we’re dealing with, or how we get said chlorophyll into our possession, but it’s as good a plan as any.”
“Do we have a shuttle that can go to the planet, or are we going to land?” Jeff asked.
“We have shuttles,” Drax replied. “They hold up to twenty. Under the current circumstances, landing would be our last choice.”
“Oh, I’m sure we won’t need that big of an away team. Just make sure that no one’s wearing a red shirt and we’ll be good.” This earned me a ton of dirty looks, which I ignored. “I know who I want down on the planet with me.”
“Why do you think you’re going?” Jeff asked, in the growly man voice he still persisted in believing made me behave and obey anyplace other than in bed.
“Because I’m the one who was given the quest by Sandy. And, let’s be real—we were told we’re dealing with a mad scientist. The two people for sure going, therefore, are me and Tim. I’ll advise who else I want on the fun excursion, but it won’t be you.”
Jeff’s eyes narrowed. “And you expect me to stay on the ship why?”
“You’re the POTUS and the King Regent and we need you up here to make a really grand entrance if necessary or to fire laser cannons in all haste, depending.”
“She’s right, Jeff,” Chuckie said. “If we’re going down to the planet, then you need to stay up here in the ship, where it’s reasonably safe. I, however, am going,” he added, shooting a “try me” look my way.
“As if I was leaving our resident genius on board? Yes, you’re in. So is Christopher. I like having the Flash around. I want the rest of Alpha Team, too, though not Paul, but definitely Richard.”
“We need other fighters,” Reader said. “Just in case we meet a lot of opposition early.”
Well, Algar had told me to keep him with me. “Tito, Rahmi, and Rhee. Mahin and Abigail. That gives us fight, special talents, and a doctor along. I think that’s good for now.”
“I’m going with you,” Jeff said calmly, but with a great deal of conviction. “I’m not allowing my wife, my family, or my friends to go down onto an alien planet without me. Period. Toss all the reasons why at me, it’s not going to change anything, because I’m never going to look at our children and share that the reason they don’t have a mother anymore is because I stayed behind while she went into battle without me.”
Would have argued, because I really did want him to stay safe on the ship. However, since I knew he felt the same about me, and since I also found his dedication to being protective extremely sweet, chose not to have this fight. “Fine, Jeff. You’re in. And we don’t know that we’ll be in battle.”
“You don’t know that we won’t be, either,” he pointed out.
“True. But that leaves us without the Grand Poohbah reveal if we need it.”
“Use Paul or Drax,” he said. “Either one can work. Or both. Though I think we’re being highly optimistic in thinking that any of us acting like royalty will have any impact on the natives of the planet.”
“It might,” Tito said. He was looking intently at the screen at his station. “If, you know, we can find any. I see no signs of what we’d call human life down there. I don’t see life that appears sentient in any way. I just see a ton of green.”
“Well, let’s get down there and find out. How do we tell if we can breathe on the planet?”
“Scanning planet now,” Mother said. “Results shortly.”
Chose not to ask how this wonder was achieved. “Just be ready to book it out of here, chlorophyll or no chlorophyll, if things go badly.”
Mother confirmed that we could breathe the air safely, so, while Jerry, Joe, Randy, and Brian actually got to do the jobs they’d trained for, the rest of us on the away team trotted off to grab those members who hadn’t been on the command deck and get ready.
Spent some time with the kids, presumably so we could listen to them whine about not getting to go along. Got whined at by Team Tough Guys, too, so allowed Wruck to join us. Was grateful that the shuttles held twenty, since we were, by now, at sixteen. Airborne whined at us over the intercom, but were overruled based on all of them actually being able to pilot the ship.
“I suppose it’s a good thing that everyone wants to visit, right?” I asked Jeff as we all got into the body armor that was standard on all Drax Industrial ships.
The first time I’d put on Drax Body Armor, Patent Pending, I’d been impressed. Not as impressed as I’d been by what the Alfred in Bizarro World had created, but still, impressed. But now? Now I was officially enthralled.
For the Distant Voyager, Drax had pulled out all the body armor stops. Now, it not only conformed to your entire body, but allowed you to look as if you were just wearing your normal street clothes because it went on over them and conformed to them as well. Though the armor didn’t cover my purse—that I had to carry over my neck and let it risk itself without protection. So Alfred on Bizarro World was still ahead in the game.
But it was hard to complain because Drax was definitely winning in this universe. Had no idea how he’d done it—despite him having told me countless times—because my ears just didn’t want the rest of me to have to know and, frankly, I didn’t really care how he’d done it, just that he had.
“I don’t know if I’d call it good, baby,” Jeff said. “But it really seems as though all our civilians on board think we’re on some sort of vacation.”
“Like the Grand Tour, only of space, not of Europe.”
“Yes,” Chuckie said. “Very much like that. I’m with Jeff—I don’t think most of the civilians see being out here as the very dangerous thing it is.”
“We’ll be ready for the danger,” Claudia said.
Mahin nodded. “No one is going to ruin the trip for everyone.”
“And we know it’s not a vacay,” Abigail added. “But I don’t see any reason to panic the others—right now, I feel pretty great.” Since an aspect of Abigail’s exceptional A-C talents was that she was sort of a reverse empath—meaning if someone near her was angry, she got angry, and so on—her feeling good was a very positive sign.
Jeff grunted. “I agree that the level of excitement is high. But that’s why they all want to visit this planet with us.”
“We’ll worry about it once we see what’s down there,” Christopher said reassuringly. “Amy, Denise, and Doreen are riding herd on all the kids, and Kevin’s got the rest of the security personnel assigned throughout the ship where our people are. It’ll be fine.”
“Do we take weapons?” Lorraine asked, as Rahmi and Rhee pulled out their b
attle staffs. They were the daughters of Queen Renata, who was both our close ally and the ruler of Beta Twelve. They were also Amazons. And somehow, they always had their battle staffs with them, even if no one else could see them. Had often wondered if it was because the Amazons were shape-shifters, but had never found the right time to ask, and now was certainly not it.
“Hells to the yeah,” Reader replied. “I don’t want us down there unarmed. It sounds great to say that you come in peace, but it helps to be loaded for bear, just in case.”
“What James said, tenfold.” I liked Drax’s laser guns. They were big and effective, but light to carry.
“I agree, as well.” Mister Joel Oliver was in da house, and he had all his cameras on.
“What are you doing here?” Jeff asked.
“And where’s Bellie? And before you try to say she’s back home, I already know that she’s on board.”
Oliver shrugged. “I asked Bellie to remain in our quarters, which she agreed to do because I’m going down to the planet with you. This is the first time any of us will land on this world. From what Prince Gustav has said and the star charts show, this area of the galaxy isn’t well traveled. For all we know, we’re about to be the first contact for whatever sentient race or races are down there. As such, a trained and seasoned journalist will be an excellent addition to the landing party. Also, it’s me or Miss Kristie, take your pick.”
“You,” said in unison by most of those in the room.
“Having a cyborg along wouldn’t be a bad thing,” I pointed out. Not that I wanted the Kristie-Bot over Oliver, but still, she could take far more of a beating than he could. “Or an android,” I added for loyalty’s sake. The Kristie-Bot had proven her worth, but I still preferred Butler and Maurer.
“Which is why Colonel Butler is also joining us,” Oliver shared. “He doesn’t feel that he needs body armor or weapons. He’s familiarizing himself with the shuttle’s systems while waiting for the rest of us.”
“Who isn’t going with us might be the better question, but fine.”
“Think of it as if it’s Beta Eight,” Serene said, as she slung her chosen laser onto her back. “Maybe we’ll get along with most of the inhabitants and it’ll be beautiful and wonderful.”
“I echo my half-sister’s optimism,” White said, eyes twinkling. “The portion of the White Family that’s going along is ready for the excursion, come what may.”
“Then let’s do it,” Tim said. “Before anyone else demands to join us.”
Shuttles were able to launch from a variety of areas around the ship. From the command deck, we could go through doorways to the right or left of the main command area. Per Wruck, Butler had chosen a shuttle on the left side, for no reason other than he’d been closer to that side when the decision to go had been made.
“Did you guys check the shuttles for stowaways?” I asked Wruck, as we entered the shuttle bay.
“No,” a new voice said. “They didn’t.”
CHAPTER 29
WE ALL JUMPED AND stared at the Dazzler standing there, looking amused. “You all really like to make things interesting.”
“Camilla, what the hell?” was about all I could come up with as a reply.
She laughed. “Surprise.”
Camilla was an A-C rarity—a natural Liar. They were few and far between, and when found were usually whisked off to Liar’s School or whatever they called it, to get trained into the Lying Way. Meaning they were excellent at subterfuge, infiltration, and similar. And there were none better than Camilla.
The Royal Family made the most use of their Liars, and Alfred had assigned Camilla to us when I became pregnant with Jamie. She’d saved us more than once, though we’d gotten to save her, too. While having yet another stowaway on board was in some ways annoying, that it was Camilla was pretty great. It was hard to say that I liked her—she didn’t go out of her way to be likable or hang out with others—but I respected the hell out of her, and her having our backs was a very good thing.
Rhee looked both surprised and pleased. “Wife of my heart, you said you were investigating something.”
“I was. It led me into the ship. Then the ship started acting up and I decided that the best place I could be was in a shuttle, just in case.”
“How did you avoid being seen by Mother? Um, the AI that runs the ship. That’s her name.”
“That you gave her, I’m sure. I ‘worked’ for Drax, remember? I know how to circumvent most of his safeguards. However, someone else knows, too.”
“Stephanie?” Jeff asked.
She nodded. “I’m not sure who planted the bomb that knocked out the warp core or who took the chlorophyll, but she has to be on the suspects list. And I know what was going on because the shuttles can access the intercom system and I did. So I don’t need a recap.” She grinned at me.
“Wow, I feel so useless all of a sudden.”
Butler put his head out of the shuttle. “Can we go? I think the sooner we’re down there, the sooner we find out if this planet can help us or destroy us.”
“Well, with that cheery outlook, how can things go any way but right?” We started loading into the shuttle—which was more like a space-aged bus than anything, with a really interesting moon roof—when another thought occurred. “Christopher? Can you please do a fast check of all the shuttles on the ship? Just in case?”
“Sure, Kitty.” He was gone in a flash, but not back in one.
“I’m staying on the ship,” Camilla said, as Jeff and I waited for Christopher to return.
“Not that I’m complaining, but that makes you literally the only person who doesn’t want to go with us. Why are you happy to hang out instead of demanding your seat on the shuttle?”
“I want to be sure that things here remain . . . safe.”
“I’m all for that,” Jeff said. “Especially because the children are both on board and wanting to go to the planet.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t put it past Lizzie to try to sneak onto a shuttle and come down.” And if she did it, then Wasim and the Valentino boys, at the very least, would go with her. Frankly, all the kids would go. Camilla hanging around seemed like a really good plan.
“Lizzie’s not as reckless as you think she is,” Camilla said, as Christopher finally returned. “But I’ll keep an eye on all of them.”
She wandered off as the three of us went inside and got seated. “Found no one else, but I think that someone other than Camilla was hiding on the ship. I found traces that indicated someone was living in a couple of the shuttles.”
“That should have been impossible,” Tim said. “People were on this ship constantly while it was being built and we had the highest levels of security, including top Field teams.”
Christopher shrugged. “I told Buchanan about it, as well as the fact that Camilla’s on board. They’ll do a full investigation of the ship, again, while we’re down here.” He strapped in and we took off.
Butler was acting as pilot with Reader as copilot. “I threw James a bone,” Tim whispered to me. “Technically, I should be the one copiloting, but I figured why not make his day?”
“I think you’re enjoying this entire mission a little too much.”
He grinned. “It’s nice to not be the Junior Commander for a change.”
“You get used to it,” Christopher said, with a wink for Jeff.
Who rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s a whiner today.”
Looked at the ship as we headed for the planet. It still looked beautiful but just a little less shiny than it had when we were on Earth. Wasn’t sure if that was because we were farther from this sun than we’d been to our own or if it was the lack of chlorophyll. “I hope we can get what we need.”
“We will,” Chuckie said firmly. “Drax had the necessary equipment on board, and Serene and I have it with us now.”
Decided to stop worrying about everyone on the ship and focus on the mission, such as it was. So, I looked at the planet.
I wasn’t really an astronomy expert, but it looked larger than Earth to me. Figured I’d ask someone else if it was relevant. Hyperspeed meant distances weren’t nearly as big a deal as they could be.
There were clouds scattered around the world, just like on Earth. It was very pretty—white clouds against the green background. And green was really this planet’s operative word. I would have expected to see some blue, since I had to assume a planet this green had a lot of foliage and, therefore, a lot of water. But I didn’t glimpse any.
Well, that wasn’t quite true. There were all shades of green, though a bright grassy green was predominant. However, there were some blue-greens in there, though the blues were muted.
The closer we got, the more the planet looked like it was mostly made of grass.
“I see no roads or anything like them,” Reader said. “There could be some trails, but if so, they’re not well traveled.”
“Should we orbit?” Chuckie asked. “To see if there’s a more industrialized section?”
“We can,” Butler said.
So we did. There were rolling hills and grass. Plains covered with grass. What sure looked like oceans of grass. Trees that resembled bamboo and grass. And all in shades of green. “Even the water here is green,” Mahin said. “If there is no dust or dirt, I’m not going to be much use to the team.”
“Maybe the dirt is green,” Claudia suggested. “It’s possible.”
“We shouldn’t have any trouble getting what we need,” Lorraine said. “So there’s that.”
“Only we’re supposed to stop two superconsciousnesses who are interfering and prevent a mad scientist from destroying this solar system.”
“Are you sure this is the right planet?” White asked. “It does seem rather . . . calm, and not a hotbed of nefarious activity.”
“And unpeopled,” Reader added. “Sensors aren’t picking up anything humanoid, anywhere.”