Investigation: Age Of Expansion – A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Precious Galaxy Book 2)

by Sarah Noffke

  “Rebellious and curious,” Bailey summated, and patted her gun. “And if all else fails, I’ll threaten to shoot him in the foot.”

  “Good call.”

  The Tuetian was pacing back and forth in his cell when Lewis and Bailey entered. He halted and regarded them with a cautious stare.

  Lewis stepped forward, pulling a chair from against the wall as he did so. He turned it around and took a seat, pressing his chest into its back. Unsurprisingly, Bailey chose to remain standing, her hands behind her back, and chin lifted.

  “I’m Detective Lewis Harlowe.” He motioned to his partner, “And this is Lieutenant Bailey Tennant.”

  “Hi,” the alien squeaked, like he’d suddenly lost his voice. “I’m Vitos Rigar.”

  “Nice to meet you,” the detective said politely. “What do your friends call you?”

  Vitos looked around, an uncertain expression on his round face. “Uhhh…’Vitos’ is fine.”

  Lewis nodded. Not a rebel. An outcast. He put an easy smile on his face. “I bet you want to know what the members of this ship do,” Lewis said, an easy smile on his face.

  The Tuetian’s wings buzzed, as a light flickered across his eyes. “You’re not with that company, that much I can figure out.”

  “Do you mean Monstre Corp?” Bailey asked.

  The Tuetian shrugged. “I think that’s the name. I haven’t personally met anyone from there, but I heard they were hostile, and guarded by a black mass.”

  Bailey’s eyes sparked and shot to Lewis.

  “Black mass?” he questioned. “Did this thing come down to your planet?”

  “It’s been all over the Cacama system,” the alien told him. “We heard reports that it went to Pochli, and the entire population disappeared. A team was sent out and confirmed that there was no one left on the planet.”

  “But the…‘black mass’ came to Tueti?” Lewis asked.

  Vitos nodded.

  “Why didn’t anything happen to you?” Bailey inquired.

  “You mean, why didn’t we all disappear?” he asked.

  “The crew of this ship vanished when the black mass came here,” Bailey explained, trying to offer a piece of information out of goodwill.

  Vitos’s mouth popped open. “You’re trying to find them, aren’t you?”

  “What can you tell us about this corporation?” Lewis asked, instead of answering the intruder’s observation.

  “They showed up several months ago,” Vitos began. “First we saw the black mass, and then we heard the rumors about Pochli. Then the asteroid belt changed.”

  “Changed how?” Bailey asked.

  His wings flapped nervously. “From the mining. That’s when General Fisk set up a meeting with one of the corporation’s representatives; it didn’t go well. There was a fight. Casualties. The general demanded that the corporation leave our planet, and told them that if they came back, there would be problems.”

  “And have they returned?” Lewis asked.

  Vitos shook his head. “No one has. Not until you two arrived.”

  This provided more unanswered questions than information. Why were the Tuetians not affected by the monster? What was Monstre Corp doing in the Cacama system? They would need to know more.

  “I understand that I came here by an unorthodox method,” Vitos stated. “I’m sorry for that. But I promise to be of help, if you’ll let me. You’ve lost your crew; I’d like to offer what I can.”

  “Why?” Bailey asked, a strong cynicism in her voice.

  “Because…” Vitos said, his tone uncertain. He cleared his throat, attempting to bolster his confidence. “When those from Pochli disappeared, my own did nothing. I thought that cowardly, but that was the general’s decision. He made the agreement with the humans on the asteroid belt to leave the matter alone and keep to ourselves.”

  “What do you want in return?” Bailey wanted to know.

  The alien shook his head, confusion heavy in his gaze. “I only want a chance.”

  “A chance at what?” Lewis probed, his tone sensitive.

  “A chance to do the right thing.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Cacama System

  “Don’t worry, the doctor did this to me, too,” Dejoure assured Vitos, who had sensors attached to his head.

  “But his head isn’t covered in hair, making this test a lot easier,” Hatch grumbled, bustling around the two.

  Bailey looked away from the Tuetian ship, which they’d started calling the Dragonfly.

  “Can you keep that light up, please?” Liesel asked, pulling her head away from the ship’s exposed engine.

  “Sorry,” Bailey said, refocusing.

  She’d been helping Liesel study the ship—which was actually very innovative, according to the chief engineer. Meanwhile, Hatch was studying the Tuetian to try and find out why the monster didn’t affect him or his species.

  It hadn’t taken much convincing to get Vitos to submit to inspection; only the promise of a few stories about humanity’s history, and some details on what Hatch was. The alien was full of questions, though Bailey could tell he was holding back from asking everything he wanted to know.

  “Do you think that your kind are worried about you?” Dejoure asked him, shifting on her feet like it was hard for her to stay still.

  She is a kid, Bailey had to remind herself. Her own sisters had never been still, usually fidgeting around nervously. The thought of them made her chest tighten with nostalgia. She shook it off, trying to listen to the Tuetian’s reply.

  He appeared to be debating his answer. “I’m not sure they’ll notice I’m gone. Not for a while,” Vitos said. “Not until it’s time to do ground patrols.”

  “Why would they notice then?” DJ asked, a thoughtful look on her face.

  “Because if I’m not there, they have no entertainment,” Vitos stated bitterly.

  Her brow furrowed. “They make fun of you?”

  Bailey smiled at the girl’s intuitive nature.

  “Yes, but they have every right to. I’m sort of a joke.” He motioned to his wings, and frowned. “I’m not a good flier.”

  “So?” Dejoure demanded. “No one should ever be made fun of.”

  “I-i-it’s fine,” Vitos stuttered, obviously not used to being lectured by a tiny human. “I’m a freak. Tuetians can fly starting shortly after birth. The doctors have examined my wings and there’s nothing wrong with them. However, for some reason I’ve never been able to fly but for short distances.”

  Hatch looked up, eyeing the Tuetian’s wings with slight curiosity.

  “But you can fly,” Dejoure said, her tone adamant.

  He shook his head. “Tuetians can fly long distances and up to great heights. During patrols, I usually have to take breaks, or I’ll knock the others out of formation. It’s hilarious.” The alien laughed coldly, but Dejoure wasn’t the least bit amused.

  She crossed her arms in front of her chest, wearing a scolding expression. “That’s not at all funny,” Dejoure said. “We shouldn’t be teased for something you can’t control. Mrs. Hinez always said that only those who don’t feel good about themselves make fun of others.”

  “Mrs. Hinez doesn’t know everything,” Hatch argued. “There are certain things that are off-limits, of course, but a little good-hearted teasing ensures we don’t take ourselves or others too seriously.”

  “You’re only saying that because you were never really teased,” Dejoure said stubbornly. “You’re a know-it-all scientist who can do anything because you have extra appendages.”

  He turned slowly, giving her an annoyed stare. “Right, because nerds have never been the butt of a joke.” Hatch focused back on the equipment he’d hooked Vitos to. With his attention on the monitor, he said, “Another good word. Appendages.”

  “Do I get ten points?” Dejoure asked playfully.

  “Yes, fine,” he said dismissively. “Take ten points.”

  “No fair!
” Pip complained overheard. “I’ve been trying to organize a point system for good behavior, and you always turn me down!”

  “Deflating your spirit gives my life purpose, Pip,” Hatch muttered, leaning close to study the monitor.

  “That’s it!” the AI yelled. “I’m taking ten points from you, Doc!”

  “Oh, no, don’t,” Hatch said with a fake groan, obviously not at all concerned.

  “Oh yes. Keep it up, and it will be another five,” Pip warned.

  Lewis walked up beside Bailey, his attention also focused on the exchange over by the examination area. “When did this become Hogwarts?” he asked her.

  Ensuring she was still holding the light properly for Liesel, Bailey chuckled. “Pip would definitely be in Slytherin, if it was.”

  “I heard that!” Pip yelled. “It’s so unfair. You write a few dozen orphan jokes, and everyone thinks you’re evil.”

  Dejoure’s mouth popped open with disgust. “You came up with a bunch of orphan jokes?”

  “Well, yeah, but the lieutenant said they weren’t funny enough, so I’ve been working on them,” Pip said.

  Bailey’s eyes were suddenly hyper-focused on what Liesel was doing with the engine, but she could feel the girl staring at her. “I told him they were in bad taste.”

  “Actually, I believe you said, they weren’t ‘punchy’ enough,” Pip recalled.

  The lieutenant scoffed, trying to cover the warmth spreading up her neck. “Come on, DJ. Who are you going to believe? Me or that Slytherin?”

  “Since I don’t know what a Slyth-whatever is, I’ll believe you,” Dejoure said.

  “If you all would shut it for one minute,” Hatch began, “I’m trying to conduct research.”

  Vitos pushed back in the chair, an apprehensive expression on his face. “Who is Pip?” he asked Hatch.

  “Oh, Pip is the AI that was attached to our commander, Julianna Fregin. When she was uploaded by the monster, they were separated and Pip stay here since he isn’t a living being. He is the second AI on the ship, Ricky Bobby being the one in charge of the battlecruiser.”

  Vitos head revolved, wonderment in his eyes. “This is an interesting place.”

  “It’s home,” Hatch said dismissively. “What I think is interesting, is you.”

  “What did you find?” Lewis asked, looking at the screen next to Hatch.

  “I think I’ve figured out…why the monster can’t upload Tuetians,” Hatch stated, his voice careful as he studied a readout that was printing next to the monitor. “I’ll have to look into it further, but I hypothesize that the monster has difficulties uploading Tuetians because of the unique structure of their brain.”

  “What does that have to do with it?” Bailey asked.

  “I wasn’t able to study the monster extensively, but I did learn that it hooks into certain areas of the brain in order to enact its process,” Hatch explained. “These are specific areas that the Tuetians don’t have.”

  “Are you saying that, in this case, having a tiny insect brain is a good thing?” Pip asked.

  Dejoure’s hand shot to her open mouth. “Teasing! What did I say about teasing?”

  “That it builds character and should be encouraged?” Pip pretended to ask.

  “No!” the girl exclaimed. “I said that it wasn’t nice to tease others for things they can’t control.”

  “Oh, well, Slytherins have really bad hearing,” Pip said flippantly. “But does that mean we can tease others for things they can control? Like Hatch’s grumpy attitude is within his abilities to change, and yet he acts like he’s got a stick up his—”

  “I wouldn’t finish that sentence, if I were you,” the Londil warned.

  “Honestly, I’m not certain how to finish that sentence,” Pip stated. “I’m a bit perplexed regarding the Londil anatomy. Do you even have an—”

  “And that’s the end of that conversation,” Lewis said, cutting the AI off.

  Hatch nodded appreciatively. “I think what we’ve learned is that the monster was designed to upload human consciousness.”

  “That’s right, it didn’t work on the AIs,” Lewis recalled.

  “Exactly, although I suspect the monster can upload other species, since it was almost successful with me,” Hatch amended.

  “But the monster might struggle with uploading certain aliens?” Bailey asked.

  Hatch stared off, deep in thought. “So it would appear.”

  “Something else of interest is the construction of this ship,” Liesel spoke up, taking the light from Bailey with a smile.

  Hatch looked over, his attention suddenly on the chief engineer. “What have you learned?”

  “Well, we named this ship accurately,” Liesel stated. “Much like a dragonfly, this ship has excellent flying maneuverability, much of its design resembling a helicopter, but it also has spacecraft capabilities.”

  “That is interesting,” Hatch mused.

  “And much like our friend, here,” she continued, extending a hand to Vitos, “the ship’s visibility is almost three-hundred-and-sixty degrees.”

  “How do you know that about Vitos?” Hatch asked.

  Liesel blinked at him blankly. “Well, isn’t it obvious?”

  Bailey studied the Tuetian, its head dominated by large eyes that covered the sides and part of the back of his skull.

  “Plus, dragonflies are my spirit animal, so I know a lot about them,” Liesel added.

  Hatch let out an annoyed breath. “For several seconds, you had my respect as a scientist—then you went and blew it with hippie talk.”

  Seeming unaffected, the engineer shrugged. “It’s really a well-designed ship. I should be able to have it repaired fairly quickly.”

  “Okay, you do that,” Hatch said, taking the sensors off Vitos, whose wings were twitching at his back.

  “What’s a ‘spirit animal’?” the Tuetian asked, unable to hold in the question any longer.

  “It’s something dumb, akin to astrology,” the doctor grumbled, shaking his head.

  Undeterred, Liesel smiled. “Actually, a spirit animal is something you feel close to, that you associate with. Maybe it’s another form you take in your dreams, or an animal that calls to your desires.”

  “Dumb, like I said,” Hatch reiterated, pulling the rest of the sensors off Vitos, and pushing the cart back toward his workstation.

  “Everyone has a spirit animal, and finding out what it is can be really fun,” Liesel enthused.

  “How do we do that?” Dejoure asked.

  “I’ve found an online quiz,” Pip cut in.

  The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’m not talking to you right now.”

  “And yet I’m talking to you,” Pip said.

  “You don’t need a quiz,” Liesel stated. “Instead, think about your strongest attributes, and what animal embodies them.”

  “Could my spirit animal be a human?” Vitos asked.

  Pip burst out laughing overhead.

  “Don’t laugh,” Dejoure scolded.

  Liesel smiled, leaning down to pick up Sebastian. “Your spirit animal is whatever you want it to be. Mine is a dragonfly and a ferret.”

  “I don’t think I have a spirit animal,” Bailey said, not able to think of one that she fully associated with.

  “Maybe you need to take that quiz,” Lewis said, winking at her.

  “Oh, what’s yours?” Bailey asked him.

  He puffed up his chest proudly. “A Palomino horse.”

  “This quiz is dumb,” Pip complained. “I got a whale.”

  “What? How did that happen?” Bailey asked.

  “It says I’m easily lost in my own imaginative efforts,” Pip related.

  “I think a whale suits you perfectly, then,” Liesel said, putting Sebastian on her shoulder.

  “I think it does, too,” Bailey said mischievously. “I totally see you insulated with thick blubber.”

  A loud gasp echoed overhead. “Are you calli
ng me fat?” Pip asked.

  “I totally am,” Bailey said.

  Dejoure chuckled, her one green and one brown eye sparkling.

  “Hey, I thought you didn’t approve of teasing,” Pip protested.

  Dejoure continued to laugh. “You’re an AI who doesn’t have a body.

  “I still have feelings!” Pip exclaimed.

  “What goes around, comes around,” Bailey said, winking at Dejoure.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dining Hall, Ricky Bobby, Cacama System

  Vitos picked up the English muffin dripping in hollandaise sauce, and eyed it with an uncertain expression before laying it on the table next to his plate.

  “What are you doing?” Dejoure scolded.

  She was wearing a blue apron and holding a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice in one hand; her other hand was fisted on her hip. She was a great cook, which was her contribution to the team, along with her light nature and quick wit.

  The alien looked down at her. He was so much taller than she was, even seated. “I don’t eat stuff like that.” Vitos pointed at the offending breakfast.

  “Fine, don’t eat it, but keep your food on your own plate. That’s good manners,” she told him, filling Bailey’s glass with juice.

  Lewis cracked a smile at the lieutenant across the table. Dejoure had begun to come into her own since they moved into the Precious galaxy, and it was quite entertaining to see.

  “M-m-manners?” Vitos asked, an innocent expression on his face.

  “Yes. You know, rules that you follow to be respectful to others,” the girl stated.

  Vitos scratched his head. “Well, I haven’t eaten you; I think that’s pretty respectful. We’re taught to eat others’ young.”

  Dejoure only pursed her lips and held up the juice. “You don’t want any of this, do you? I’m guessing if you don’t eat bread then you’re probably not into fruit. Is that right?”

  Vitos shook his head. “I’m carnivorous. Just the eggs and bacon are great, thanks.”

  “You don’t really eat people, do you?” Lewis asked, pushing his hash browns around on his plate, sopping up the egg yolk. The eggs Benedict, a favorite of his, was incredibly good.