I claimed my usual spot with my head on his shoulder and draped an arm and a leg over him, hoping it would at least keep him with me until I fell asleep.
He rubbed my arm. “You seem concerned. Is everything okay?”
How did he always know?
“Do you think your brothers understand… You know, boy-girl stuff?”
“Boy-girl stuff?” He sounded on the verge of laughter.
“Relations, sex, the whole nine yards.”
He fell serious. “I was programmed with it. Sam has good social skills and seems set on flirting with Debana, so probably. Eli, I doubt it. And why are you asking?”
“I think Eli is infatuated with Jia’Lyn.”
“She’s not even conscious. Might never be again.”
“I know. I said infatuated, not in love with.”
I could feel him sigh.
“Mind telling me how you reached that conclusion?”
“You know how he is with visual stimuli. Have you ever really looked at her colors, her skin, the surface of her snakes, and their eyes? He has stayed by her side since he saw her the first time.”
“When you put it like that, I guess I should have seen it coming.”
Eli didn’t have a lot of experience with persons outside the family. Probably none until this very day.
I snuggled closer. “I wouldn’t be worried if she were herself, but we don’t know who she will be if she ever wakes up.”
He ran a hand over my arm. “I’ll go down there tomorrow and check in on him. I’m guessing you don’t want me to do it right now.”
“I certainly don’t. I’m trying to figure out a way to make you stay longer.”
“How do you know I’m leaving?”
“I deduced it based on historical data.”
He kissed the tip of my nose. “You could just ask.”
“Please stay.”
“I might have forgotten to tell you, but I will never leave you again. At least not to go far. Not unless you tell me to, and maybe not even then. The Grendl, everything that happened to us, I don’t want to be separated from you like that again.”
That had to be the single sexiest thing anyone ever said. I rolled on top of him. “Such fantastic loyalty must be rewarded.”
He looked quite happy with himself. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The next morning, I woke from Adam stroking my arm and saying my name. Apart from that, I was only aware of a blazing headache.
“Are you okay? It’s in the middle of the day.”
“I don’t know. My head is killing me.”
His frown deepened. “Can I get you anything?”
I closed my eyes again. “I doubt it.”
“Want me to get Ima?”
“No.”
He ran a hand over my hair and even that gentle touch made me want to weep. I reached out my hand instead and he took it.
The next time I opened my eyes I couldn’t recognize the ceiling. My head still hurt, but it no longer threatened to explode. Probably had something to do with a silvery disk on the back of my hand.
I glanced over to the left and saw John on a stretcher. To my right, Blake sat up on the edge of a bed, rubbing his temples. He too had a silvery disk on his hand
“What happened?”
Blake shook his head and grimaced at the extra pain.
“I have no idea. I remember having early breakfast with Ima when I got a headache from hell.”
We were three humans on the base, and right now all three of us were down and out. Seemed like too big a coincidence.
John groaned and muttered a colorful curse that ended with, “And I haven’t even been drinking.”
I said, “You know what else is weird? There aren’t any androids in here.”
I expected at least one or two of them to hover around us, making sure their pet humans would live.
My brain said I should get up and investigate.
My body said, “Right. Sure. Maybe after a nap. Or never.”
A door opened and Adam stepped in, followed by Samuel, Eli, and Ima.
Eli said, “What’s wrong with them?”
Ima’s tail whipped from side to side. “I don’t know. Something is affecting them but not the rest of us, and I have no idea what it is.”
“This might be my fault.”
Adam crossed his arms and stared at his brother. “What did you do?”
Eli looked at his feet. “She told me not to tell you.”
“Who did?”
“The snake.”
I clearly just thought I had the headache of a lifetime. I must have had a stroke or something, because now I thought Eli claimed to talk to snakes.
“What snake?” From the sound of it, Adam’s patience was running out. Not good.
Eli still wouldn’t lift his head, but he pointed towards Jia’Lyn’s room. Her snakes never talked to me, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t.
Ima said, “One specific snake or all of them?”
John had attempted to sit up, but he fell back on the pillows. “Does it matter?”
Samuel sighed. “He won’t tell you anything.”
He grabbed a chair, took Eli’s hand, and pulled the unwilling android over to me. “Sit here and tell her all about it.”
Eli shook his head. “I can’t.”
I understood Samuel’s plan, but it was so hard to think.
“Eli, I don’t feel so good. Would you please sit down and keep me company? You can do that for me, right?”
I could see Blake move at the corner of my eye. He probably wanted a swifter resolution, and I did too, but this was the best course of action. Adam motioned to him to be still.
Eli sat down.
I reached out my hand and he took it, holding it gently. Good thing the snakes didn’t cause much damage to his skin, I had no idea where it came from or how to replace it.
“You like Jia’Lyn, don’t you?”
He nodded. “She is so pretty.”
“She is. She was one of my best friends before all this happened. Now I’m afraid I’ll never get her back.”
“Because of the robots in her head.”
“Yes.”
“The snake told me about that. It tried to fight them, but the nanites were too strong.”
I had been curious about Jia’Lyn’s snakes for years, but something happened every time I asked her about them. “How do you talk to them?”
“In my head. There’s really just one and it’s a part of her, but still separated.”
“So all those heads share one consciousness.”
“Kind of.”
“You talk in your head? Are you telepathic?”
He nodded. Over by the door, Adam lifted an eyebrow. I bet he hadn’t seen that coming.
Eli said, “I can sense brain waves.”
“And you’re saying the snake is free to think for itself now.”
He nodded again.
“Honey, whatever you did is making us really ill. I feel like my head is about to explode. Why would the snake want that?”
“She doesn’t. It wasn’t supposed to affect you. I didn’t mean to make you sick.”
“I know you didn’t.”
I struggled to keep up the patient façade. Just following the conversation seemed a superhuman feat.
“Eli, I need you to tell your brother what you did and how it could help her. He can figure out a way to make it happen without us getting sick. Would you please do that for me?”
“I was afraid no one would believe me.” His voice was so quiet I could barely make out the words, but Adam probably heard him fine. “It’s a low frequency infrasound generator. The sound waves will help her.”
Adam stepped closer. “Where is it? What is its range?”
Eli looked up. “You’ll help me?”
“Of course I will, but I need to know if it’s easier to move the humans, or your sound generator and Jia’Lyn.”
“The generator isn’t big. Should I get it?”
“Yes, but don’t bring it here, bring it to the shuttle bay. I will meet you there.”
Ima had listened with admirable patience, but now she interrupted. “I’m coming with you. We’ll take shuttle twelve, I have prepared it for medical emergencies.”
Samuel stepped closer. “What do you want me to do?”
“Stay here and man the radio.” Adam came closer and kissed my forehead. “I’ll be right back. You should feel better as soon as that thing is out of here.”
“Be careful.” Thinking and talking were nearly impossible.
He winked at me and disappeared into the next room. Ima followed, hissing something derogatory about androids.
Minutes later, I felt better and John grumbled, “I guess Eli’s devil device has left the building.”
“I’m hungry.”
*****
We eventually persuaded Samuel that we were fine. I said, “Can we eat? Please? Pretty please?”
He looked like he suspected a trap.
John said, “Honey, we don’t need his permission to leave. C’mon.”
I was still a little wobbly, but able to stand. John slammed an arm around me and with his support I could walk.
On the way to the kitchen, I heard Adam’s voice on the radio. “Is it working?”
Samuel said, “I believe so. They claim to feel better already. We’re on our way to make food. How are things on your end?”
“Ima says it’s working and Eli says the snake told him to turn the generator off. We’re heading back.”
I never thought I’d hear a sentence from Adam’s mouth that included both snake and generator. Bizarre.
“But she’s still unconscious?”
“Correct.”
I wanted to interrupt and ask when he’d be back, but that seemed childish.
When Adam entered the kitchen, I took his hand and tugged towards the corridor. He smiled to the others, “Evidently, I’ll be right back.”
When the door closed behind us, I wrapped my arms around his neck and he put his hands on my hips. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Someone cared enough for me to even dress me in a robe, and odds were it was him.
“Any time. You scared me.” He brushed his lips over mine. “Grilled cheese?”
“Yes. Debana and Samuel have worked out a system for speedy cooking.”
“Should I taste some?”
“I think so, but you can probably make a more informed decision if you taste more from me first.”
“I see what you’re saying. Research is important.”
He tugged me closer and kissed me, hungrily this time. Footsteps approached. It sounded like Ima, so we ignored it. Her tail whacked my butt. “Get a room you two.”
I pulled free. “Ima, is she doing better?”
“Much better. I didn’t believe your metal friend at first, but it made a big difference.”
*****
I stayed with Ima the rest of the day. There was nothing for me to do, and I’d rather talk to her than watch the others make experiments I didn’t understand.
We kept an eye on Jia’Lyn through the window, but I don’t think either of us expected anything to happen. That is, until Jia’Lyn opened her eyes and looked at my android brother.
“Who are you?”
“I am Eli.”
“You are, aren’t you. Where are we, Eli?”
“We’re on a science station.”
Ima narrowed her eyes. “Keep an eye on them.” She reached for the communications’ system.
Eli frowned and blinked several times. “Sister, don’t come in here.”
Jia’Lyn said, “Who is your sister? Why don’t you want her to come in here?”
Eli said, “It doesn’t matter. What’s the last thing you remember?”
Ima whispered, “I think the snake warned him about something.”
“I agree. He’s handling it so well.”
On the other side of the one-way window, Jia’Lyn said, “I was on the ship. I had dinner with my captain and his wife.”
Both Adam and Blake came hurrying into the room and Ima gave them a quick recap. Adam frowned. “He warned you not to go in there?”
“Yes. I’m guessing he meant everyone, not just me.”
In the room, Jia’Lyn said, “Would you help me sit up?”
“Of course. You are so pretty, and your snakes are so pretty.”
“Do your really think that? I don’t feel pretty.”
“Every part of you, except the device at the base of your neck.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe I was mistaken.”
Ima pulled up images on the computer, leafing through them. “What device?”
Adam stopped her. “Go back. One more. There.”
I didn’t know what imaging of Jia’Lyn’s neck was supposed to look like, but it looked fine to me. Clearly to Ima too, until Adam pointed out some little detail a normal person couldn’t have spotted.
Blake clenched his jaw. “Someone planned this for a long time.”
I said, “What are we going to do?”
Ima showed her fangs. “Get it out of there.”
Adam stepped closer to the glass. “Can you sedate her in there?”
I expected Ima to answer, but Eli said, “Yes.”
“Yes what?” Jia’Lyn sounded confused. Was this really her, or was she still under someone’s control?
Adam said, “Go ahead, brother. It’s for her own good.”
I always thought of Adam’s hearing as supernatural, but I hadn’t realized how exceptional it must be.
Eli sighed and nodded. “I’m so sorry.” He touched her neck with his thumb and a moment later she slumped in his arms. “Do you want me to take her somewhere?”
Adam nodded to Ima. “He can hear you.”
She seemed as stunned as I was. There was microphones and speakers ensuring we could hear what went on in the treatment room, but no sound should come through the other way around.
“Yes. Yes, we’re going to surgery. I need to prepare, but Blake is coming to show you the way.”
“Yes, ma’am. If you require assistance, I have extensive knowledge in anatomy.”
“I can see that.”
She and Blake disappeared and I waited until Eli carried Jia’Lyn out of the room.
Adam said, “He is much tougher than I thought. Didn’t think he had it in him.”
I nodded. “He handled that really well. Do all of you know how to do stuff like that?”
The matter was clearly of little interest to him. “I need to talk to you. We’ve been working on a plan to clean out the Bell. Naturally, Blake wants us to help.”
“Naturally.”
He pulled out a chair for me and crouched by my side. “What do you want to do?”
I didn’t expect my input to matter. “I think we should have a family meeting.”
“It won’t matter. They will go along with whatever we decide.”
I sighed and rested my hand on his shoulder.
“That’s not right.”
“That doesn’t matter. John will follow you no matter what. The twins love you too, but hopefully in a different way. I don't think I can handle sharing you four ways.”
I laughed. “I’m pretty sure in a different way. You’ve seen them.”
“Yes. They want what we have. It might not end up being with these girls, but I doubt they’ll stop looking.”
The twins’ decisions might rest on more variables than me, but he was right about John. “We should go talk to your father.”
*****
Just as Adam predicted, John said, “You decide, Hon. If you want to go save the world, I’ll do what I can to help you. If you want to go home, we’ll go home and put our feet up.”
“I want to go home.”
Adam said, “So we’ll go home.”
That was so easy it made me suspicious. Maybe he was serious about wanting to stay with me this time.
John shook his head. “I hear a but.”
I didn’t want to say it, but the words forced themselves over my lips anyway. “Yes. Going home doesn’t feel like the right thing to do.”
“So you want to stay with them.”
“No, I really don’t. I don’t know what to do.”
John said, “I think I should take you and the brothers home. Adam and I will go deal with Blake’s problems, and then we’ll come home to you.”
“No. I agree with taking the twins home, but in that case the three of us should stay together.”
Adam shook his head. “Sam and Eli won’t go for that. If you were with them they would feel they stayed for you, but they won’t go home on their own.”
Good point.
“Do we at least have a good plan?”
John chuckled, “Three androids, three humans, three aliens of which one is unconscious, and an old freighter against the Confederacy flagship. What do you think?”
“Considering we have you, two of the ship’s top commanders and the third in custody it doesn’t sound so bad.”
“I guess we’re doing this thing then.”
I sighed. “Probably. But only if we have a good plan. Right?”
Chapter Thirty-Two
We waited for a long time while Ima studied Jia’Lyn’s image scans, prepared her for surgery, and worked on her.
Debana sought me out in the kitchen. “So, what’s it like to live with an android?”
The way she asked brought a smile to my face.
“Like him, do you?”
“I do. It scares me.”
“Well, all relationships have ups and downs. I think most of the time, ours has been really good. One difference is that our downs have been crash landings.”
“Like with Eve. She really wanted to make you suffer.”
“Exactly. In our case, when things go wrong it’s a nuclear bomb. That doesn’t mean it would be the same for you.”
She sighed. “They are sexy though.”
“Totally.”
“How did you guys find Sam and Eli? Neither of you ever mentioned them.”
“We didn’t know they existed.” I told her the story up until we visited her on the Bell just before the great escape. “After that it seemed logical to go rescue Blake and Ima, and if we weren’t hunted before that… We decided to hide in John’s and Adam’s original home. We thought it was empty.”
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