Corruption_Age Of Expansion_A Kurtherian Gambit Series

by Sarah Noffke

  “So you’re not hoping that she’ll whip you up a hot meal?” she challenged.

  He smiled, “Oh, now that was just a smart business decision. I think best when I’m well fed.”

  “Well, she might not even get up to the top of the building, and then all of this will be irrelevant,” Bailey said, lifting the cloaked ship off of the ground.

  “Let’s also hope that the building doesn’t disappear again…then she’s out of luck,” Lewis stated.

  “I actually figured out the optical dispersion that Starboards Corp is using, and hacked the front window to counter its effects,” Pip stated overhead as a digital spark ran across the window’s surface.

  “Damn, and here I thought you were going to sit on your ass and play video games while we were gone,” Lewis said.

  “I wish I had an ass to sit on.” Pip sighed longingly.

  “I’m sure Hatch will make that happen,” Bailey encouraged, flying the ship higher and closer to the building.

  “But I want one that you can bounce a quarter off of.”

  Lewis shook his head. “I never understood that expression.”

  “What amazes me is the conversations we have while on missions,” Bailey said, amused.

  “Speaking of missions,” Pip ventured, “What exactly are you doing, flying up to the top of Starboards Corp headquarters?”

  “Rescuing an orphan who may or may not have special powers,” Lewis explained.

  “Oh, cool,” Pip chirped.

  On top of the building was a helicopter and a small transport ship. They must keep their ships somewhere else. The balloon was high above and anchored by four thick cables. Besides the aircraft, the top of the building was empty.

  “Well, that’s that,” Bailey said, scanning the roof. “Looks like the kid didn’t make it.”

  “Question,” Pip began. “If the ship is cloaked, how is this orphan supposed to see us?”

  Lewis turned to Bailey. “Yeah, maybe she’s hiding.”

  “I can’t turn off the cloak,” she argued.

  Lewis thought for a moment. “Ships probably pass by Starboards Corp all the time, but the bad guys don’t worry about them because they think they are invisible. Just pass over, like a regular ship out for a stroll. You don’t need to be cloaked.”

  Bailey rolled her eyes. “Ships don’t stroll.”

  “But you get the idea,” Lewis stated.

  “Curious tidbit,” Pip said. “Starboards Corp does monitor for ships, and moves to avoid them if they are in their trajectory.”

  “To avoid collisions?” Lewis guessed.

  “Exactly,” the AI confirmed.

  “Which means that when we turn off the cloak, Starboards can spot us, and the building will start moving in an attempt to avoid us,” Bailey deduced, her tone calculated.

  “One hundred points for the lieutenant,” Pip said.

  Lewis looked out the view finder, scanning the roof. “Okay, then we’d better make this look as unsuspicious as possible.”

  “If they are monitoring for spaceships, won’t they see us picking up one of the kids?” Bailey asked.

  “Probably. And then you’ll be in trouble,” Pip stated.

  Bailey gave Lewis a cold stare. “All so you can have a hot meal.”

  He laughed. “You may be able to sustain yourself on crackers and chips, but this guy needs some meat and potatoes.”

  Bailey shook her head. “Uncloak the ship, Pip,” she instructed, turning the ship around to make another pass over the building.

  “Ship is uncloaked,” Pip reported.

  “Okay, now we casually fly by,” Lewis said, craning his neck to check the area next to the stairwell exit.

  The ship violently tipped to the side and shook, then leaned dramatically to the other side.

  Bailey’s eyes widened as she tightened her hands on the controls. “The turbulence from that balloon is crazy.”

  “I think it’s a defense mechanism to keep ships away from the building,” Pip related.

  Struggling to keep the craft steady, Bailey nodded fervently. “Yeah, I would totally take a different route if given the choice.”

  The top of the building was still empty save for the aircrafts, and the vibrating cords tied to the balloon.

  Bailey dipped the Q-Ship lower, only feet above the surface of the building. Several warning lights flashed red on the console. “I can’t keep the ship here much longer. This isn’t safe.”

  “Not to mention that you’re attracting all sorts of attention,” Pip added.

  “Yeah, that too,” she said, pulling the ship up as they neared the edge of the skyscraper. She gave Lewis a sympathetic shrug. “We tried. That’s what we said we’d do.”

  He nodded, though he suddenly felt heavy with disappointment.

  The look in the kid’s eyes when she thought she was getting away from that oppressive place was like magic. He thought that they could use a little magic on Ricky Bobby.

  “Yeah, we tried. Nothing else we can do,” he agreed quietly.

  “Please recloak the ship,” Bailey requested. She looked disappointed.

  “Done,” Pip confirmed. “I like that you say ‘please’. That’s something you should teach Julianna when we rescue her.”

  “I don’t think I should be teaching manners to a commander,” Bailey said with a forced laugh.

  “Probably not. Ready to head home?” Lewis asked, staring out at the blue waters of Kai, which reflected the clouds in the sky.

  “Yeah. Pip, please set us on a course for Ricky Bobby,” Bailey requested.

  “Sure,” he acquiesced. “But in case you’re wondering, there’s a small human standing on the edge of the building, waving in our direction.”

  Lewis bolted forward, trying to see behind the Q-Ship. “What? We have to go back.”

  Bailey looked at him with a cautious stare.

  “The ship is cloaked,” he argued against her silence. “Come on. She showed up. We have to go back.”

  She blinked at the controls, seeming to consider her options.

  “Bailey, she’s just a kid. And she’s smart. And—”

  “Shush it, Harlowe,” she snapped. “I’m turning back. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to do it. We can’t risk Starboards seeing us.”

  Lewis pressed back in his seat, letting out a hot breath of relief. “Open the hatch and get us as close as possible.”

  Bailey looked at him in disbelief. “Are you sure? The turbulence is something else.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I can totally do it.”

  The wind felt like hands, slapping at Dejoure’s face. Being on top of SB was the most uncomfortable experience. The freezing temperatures weren’t even the worst part; it was standing on the building and feeling like, at any moment, the wind was going to pick her up and throw her over the side.

  From her previous attempts, Dejoure knew that SB didn’t monitor the top of the building heavily—no one would be stupid enough to come up here. Still, she didn’t want to risk getting caught, and decided to hide in the dark of the stairwell until she saw the ship.

  She’d been searching for it when it materialized at the edge of the building. The bulky ship was plated in sleek chrome, and looked like a super-secret agent’s getaway craft. It was moving too fast, and dropped several feet, seeming to have trouble flying near the building.

  Dejoure bolted out from her hiding place, fighting the wind that barreled against her. A strong gust knocked her down, the sharp asphalt of the roof biting into her hands, and her chin knocking hard into the ground. She peeled herself up to see the ship passing over the edge of the building.

  “No!” she yelled, her voice hoarse in her throat and barely audible over the wind.

  Struggling to a standing position, she tried to run, but her feet felt like they were moving through quicksand. This is like in my dream last night!

  She had been running after a ship, but the harder she tried to reach it, the slower she f
elt she moved. She’d woken in an especially good mood, though. She wasn’t sure why, and didn’t remember any more of the dream than that.

  “Come back!” Dejoure yelled, continuing forward, keeping her eyes on the ship as it trailed away.

  They’ll turn around. They have to. The guy and girl seemed so great.

  Not ‘nice’. Nice was boring. They were real and badass and super-secret agents.

  But the ship continued to speed away, and then it vanished. Just like how the guy and girl had disappeared, the ship was simply gone from view.

  “No!” Dejoure yelled, waving her hands above her head. “Come back!”

  She stopped when she was almost to the edge of the building, feeling the wind whip at her back, threatening to push her over.

  “Come back!” she yelled again.

  She stared over the top of the building at the vast blue waters, a tear prickling at the corner of her eyes. They’re gone.

  That was the worst part, but also on the list of horrible things was that she was going to be in major trouble for trying to escape again. She would be in solitary confinement for the rest of her life.

  Teeth chattering, Dejoure turned for the stairwell. Heading that direction was easier, because the wind was pushing her, almost like it was encouraging her back to the oppressive hell of SB.

  Dr. Ass would probably lecture her for the umpteenth time about taking their services for granted. He’d assign her extra telekinesis lessons; those were the worst. Even worse than the sensory deprivation tank, or the random number generators.

  Holding her arms close to her chest, Dejoure turned back one last time. She didn’t see the ship returning, like she’d hoped…only the open prison of blue skies and an endless sea.

  “It wasn’t meant to be,” she comforted herself, turning for the stairwell.

  The handle to the door was freezing, and resisted when she tried to open it. Last time, it had jammed and that’s why Dejoure nearly froze to death. Thankfully, this time the handle released with a bit of encouragement.

  “Hey, kid!” she heard from behind her, like the wind was taunting her.

  She turned around, about to curse at the skies.

  Hovering in midair was the guy, the super-secret agent. He was holding onto something inside the cloaked ship, but his other hand was extended.

  Dejoure blinked several times, trying to ensure the vision was real.

  “Are you coming?” the guy asked. He lurched to the side, obviously having trouble keeping his balance in the wind.

  “Hell yes!” Dejoure sang, a giant grin spreading across her face.

  She bolted forward, the wind unable to hold her back. When she neared the ship, the guy leaned farther out and grabbed her hand, yanking her hard into the spacecraft. Her feet remained steady under her as she looked around. The girl, who was flying, smiled from the front, a look of relief on her face.

  Dejoure turned back to the open door, watching SB grow smaller as they flew away.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Q-Ship, Tangki System

  Lewis had been quick to get the girl buckled in before taking his seat beside Bailey. She offered him a tamed expression, hoping her excitement was well hidden.

  “Well, that was fun,” he said with a laugh.

  “You like hanging out of flying ships, do you?” Bailey asked.

  His eyes full of laughter, he replied, “Would you believe me if I said ‘yes’?”

  “That obviously wasn’t your first time, either,” she observed.

  Overhead, Pip made a sound like he was clearing his throat. “Introductions?”

  “Oh, right.” Lewis let out a long breath, turning around to face the girl. “Hey there, stranger. Do you want to tell us anything about yourself?”

  The girl with short, black hair was looking all around, studying the ship with curious eyes. “Hi. Thanks for rescuing me. I realize that you didn’t have to. And I know that you’ve got super-secret stuff going on, but I promise I can help. I’m really good at stuff. Like, Billy lost his notebook, and I totally found it for him right away. I somehow knew exactly where to find it…although I don’t know why he wanted to find a dumb book full of lesson notes.”

  Lewis gave Bailey an amused look. “She’s a good finder. What a great skill.”

  “Why don’t we start with a name,” Bailey suggested.

  “Oh, right,” the girl said. “I’m Dejoure.”

  “De-what?” Lewis asked.

  “Dejoure,” the girl repeated. “I don’t know why. It’s the name my mom gave me.” She appeared rather detached at the mention of her mother.

  “Hey, Dejoure,” the detective greeted her, butchering the name of French origin. “I’m Lewis, and this is Bailey.”

  “And I’m Pip,” the AI chimed in.

  Dejoure’s eyes slipped to the side. “Where is Pip?”

  Bailey steered the ship out of Kai’s atmosphere, on course for Ricky Bobby. “He’s in the ship. He’s one of our AIs.”

  “ ‘One of’ indicates that there’s more than one,” Dejoure said, leaning forward.

  Lewis seemed proud when he looked at Bailey. “See, she is smart.”

  Bailey ignored him. They’d both acted on their emotions, and now he was trying to pretend it was a logic-based decision. At least she was owning it. “Yes,” she replied to Dejoure. “Pip is one of two AIs. The other is on our battlecruiser, Ricky Bobby.”

  It feels weird to call it ‘our battlecruiser’, Bailey mused.

  But at the moment, it was theirs. They were the crew. Hell, they were all the ship had.

  “Nice to meet you Lewis, Bailey, and Pip.” A sour expression crossed the girl’s face when she finished speaking.

  “What is it?” Lewis asked.

  “Ummm…no offense, but those don’t really sound like super-secret agent names,” Dejoure said. “Shouldn’t you be called something…”

  “More badass?” Lewis finished her sentence.

  “Yeah, like Blink, Rogue and Storm,” Dejoure offered.

  Bailey laughed. “Well, for starters, we’re not X-Men.”

  Dejoure was still studying every part of the Q-Ship with her gaze. “But you are secret agents. I can’t wait to find out what mission you’re working on, and how I can help.”

  Bailey gave Lewis a hesitant look. “We’re going to have to hold off on giving you any details just yet. You have to meet someone else first…”

  Loading Bay, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System

  Dejoure had screamed with delight when they entered Ricky Bobby. Lewis thought she might pass out from excitement, which is why he had her put her head between her legs and take several deep breaths. He couldn’t even remember what excitement felt like as a child, and he certainly didn’t understand the feelings of an orphan, although he thought he could kind of relate to them.

  Bailey landed the Q-Ship with a bit more force than she had before. Her gaze darted to Lewis, and she shook her head. “It’s the kid’s squealing. It sort of got to me.”

  Dejoure slapped her hand to her mouth. “Sorry. I won’t do it again. I’ve never been on a real battlecruiser. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  She peered out the front window at the other ships sitting in a row. In the distance, Jack, Hatch, and Liesel were approaching to welcome them back and see how the mission had gone.

  Lewis stood, straightening his suit. “What do you think they are going to say when they find out you kidnapped a member of Starboards Corp?”

  Bailey rolled her eyes at him. “Very funny. We’re in this mess together, Harlowe.”

  He winked at her. “Good answer.”

  Turning to Dejoure, Bailey waved her toward the exit. “Come and meet the crew of the ship. You’re going to love them. Well, I think you will. To be honest, I don’t know them all that well myself. I hardly even know that guy,” she said, pointing at Lewis.

  Dejoure’s eyes grew wide. “You what?”

  Lewis laughed, clapping a hand
on the girl’s shoulder. “Hey, you wanted an adventure.”

  “You what?!” Hatch yelled, his face flushing pink.

  “Well, she’d already spotted us, so we had to keep her with us, and then she made a good case for herself,” Bailey explained, bracing herself for another explosion from the Londil. He’d taken the news of Dejoure’s presence a little worse than the others. Jack still appeared to be contemplating the idea, and Liesel looked like she wanted to start braiding the girl’s hair.

  Hatch’s cheeks puffed out. “Did you even consider the implications of adding another person to this ship? There’s a reason that we only brought you two in for this investigation. The less involved, the better.”

  “We realize that,” Lewis stated. “But we thought, as an asset of Starboards Corp, she might be able to offer us special intel.”

  “Did you get the files?” Hatch demanded, one of his tentacles scratching furiously at the top of his head.

  “Yes,” Bailey said, pulling the Quick Key from her pocket.

  The mechanic crossed two of his tentacles in front of his chest, softening a bit. “And what about the balloon, did you find out any information on that?”

  “We didn’t, unless there’s something in the files,” Bailey admitted. “But Dejoure has a chip that gives her special access to Starboards. It might come in handy.”

  “And she can cook,” Lewis argued.

  Hatch’s face seemed to swell with his growing frustration. “I eat raw fish.”

  “But I don’t,” the detective joked in reply.

  Dejoure took a step forward, curtsying in front of the three. “I promise I’m not going to be a problem. I’ll help however I can.”

  “And what about the monster?” Hatch asked. “You’ve put this child in major danger by bringing her this close to it.”

  The girl’s mouth fell open, her eyes also going wide. “What is that?”

  “De-jar, we can explain,” Lewis began, again mispronouncing her name. “In the bottom of the ship—”

  “No, what is that?” Dejoure pointed at the entrance where a creature stood with his ears perked up.

  “Oh, that?” Lewis asked, confused. “That’s Harley.”