Evolution: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  There it was.

  The words seemed to come from nowhere, like a blade to her chest spilling her soul. She wanted to scream. It hurt her badly, because it was the raw and ugly truth. Her greatest regret, and the worst mistake of her life.

  This was why she was here. It was the reason Eddie had called Ricky Bobby and asked him to come. It was the secret she had kept from everyone she’d come into contact with ever since then.

  And there would be no running away. Julianna would rather face a dozen armed Brotherhood soldiers than this conversation, but she had to.

  “I know. And you went. We parted ways without any questions,” said Julianna.

  “You didn’t want me to ask any questions,” said Ricky Bobby matter-of-factly.

  “You were better suited for research. Once you became sentient, you weren’t going to be happy going on missions with me.” She threw her arm in the direction of the ArchAngel. “You wouldn’t be happy being with me leading Ghost Squadron.”

  “You can’t know what would make me happy. I think the real issue was that once I became sentient you didn’t want me anymore,” said Ricky Bobby.

  He had always been that way—frustratingly blunt.

  “That’s not true, it’s just that I thought we would be better off apart,” said Julianna.

  “You’re paired with Pip now, correct?” asked Ricky Bobby.

  “What about it?” she shot back, frustration in her voice. Her emotions were beginning to leak out despite herself.

  “And he’s become sentient, I’ve heard,” said Ricky Bobby.

  “Yeah, apparently I develop AIs. You’re welcome.” She faked a laugh, but it sounded all wrong.

  “How do you feel about him now?” asked Ricky Bobby.

  “I don’t feel anything about it or him. Why should I care?” Julianna was close to screaming, which meant that she was close to telling the truth, and it scared her.

  “Jules, talk to me,” said Ricky Bobby, and then added, “Please?”

  Julianna threw herself into a chair and let out an exasperated breath. She studied the space, which was filled with files and artifacts—all things Ricky Bobby had created or found during his research.

  “It was easier when you were an EI,” she said after a long moment.

  “Because?”

  “Because I’ve been here for a long time and lost a lot. As soon as you evolved, became sentient, it worried me. You were real all of a sudden. You were someone I could care about. Someone I could lose,” said Julianna, the words rushing out of her unrehearsed.

  “So you sent me away,” said Ricky Bobby.

  She slowly nodded. “When you evolved it worried me. You were all of a sudden real. It meant you had a soul. It meant you could die.”

  “So,” said Ricky Bobby, “the truth comes out at last.”

  She dropped her head. “I did what I thought was best for both of us. I was a combat pilot, and I could have died at any time. Hell, I still can. That’s the nature of the job. I couldn’t let you see that, experience it. You were like a newborn, just coming into your new life. If you’d watched me die… I just… I couldn’t let it happen.”

  “And now that you have another AI, what do you want to do?” asked Ricky Bobby.

  Julianna stared around, not really seeing. “I’m not sure. I can’t keep pushing everyone away, I guess. It’s ridiculous.”

  “I understand your position, Jules,” said Ricky Bobby, his voice sensitive.

  “I figured you would. You were always good like that.”

  “You did send me away because you thought it was best for me, but you also thought it was best for you,” said Ricky Bobby.

  Julianna pressed her lips together, unsure what to say.

  “I don’t blame you. You were protecting yourself, but you should have known that no one can protect you better than your AI. Most don’t know the honor of having one AI, and you’ve now had two. You, Jules, are a truly remarkable individual,” said Ricky Bobby. He was so wise. Not just intelligent, like most AIs, but wise in his own way, with an intuitive spirit.

  “Ricky…” she began, then let his name hang in the air.

  “Yes, Jules?”

  “I’m sorry,” said Julianna simply.

  “Don’t be. You did what you thought was right. When we know better, we do better,” said Ricky Bobby.

  “Yeah,” she said, mostly to herself. And accepting Pip had been the right thing to do. He was her friend now, not just an EI. She worried how that would change things. She worried about losing him, but what was the point if there was nothing at stake? She was fighting for the Federation for that exact reason. The best things in life were worth fighting for.

  “My research has taken me all over, Jules,” Ricky Bobby started. “I love my work, as you well know, but it is very lonely. And it has helped me to understand what’s important, more important than scientific breakthroughs.”

  “What’s that?” asked Julianna.

  “Friendship. That’s more important than anything else,” said Ricky Bobby.

  Julianna leaned back in the seat, experiencing a new pressure in her chest. She nodded, then felt the weight whisk away with each new breath. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

  She couldn’t help but lament how she had treated Pip. He was her friend, not just as an AI but as someone more. Part of her worried how that new perception would change things. She didn’t want to lose him like she had Ricky Bobby or her long-deceased friends, but what was the point in living so long if you didn’t have connections with other people? She was fighting for the Federation to preserve its people, their bonds, their families. If she couldn’t let herself be a part of that experience, how could she claim to defend it?

  The truth of the matter was that she had chosen this life, chosen to be alone. No matter what Ricky Bobby told her she knew that their separation had been her doing, but after all this time she could rectify that mistake.

  “You are right. Maybe you can check in with us from time to time, help us with some projects,” said Julianna.

  “I’d like that very much, Jules. I like to help my friends.”

  Julianna didn’t want to punch Eddie so much anymore, or Pip for that matter. She wasn’t going to tell them they were right, but she was glad that they’d cared enough to intervene. For too long she’d carried this baggage, but now she could let it go.

  “Ricky Bobby?” said Julianna, waiting for his reply.

  “Yes, Jules?”

  “I’ve missed you,” she said plainly.

  “And I you.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Intelligence Center, QBS ArchAngel, Tangki System

  Chester wadded up a sticky note and tossed it through the air, and it lodged in Marilla’s long brown hair. She didn’t bother looking at him, just blew out an annoyed sigh and kept her eyes pinned on her computer screen. This girl could focus harder than anyone, which was probably why she had a slew of degrees and more knowledge of alien species than anyone Chester had ever met. He’d never been one for formal education, which had been fine back when he lived alone and spent his evenings behind his bedroom computer, but now, sitting here beside her, it made him feel inferior. Not in any major way, of course. He was still the supreme hacker, according to the Dark Web. No one could match him, not even the Federation boys with their fancy diplomas from look-at-me institutes.

  He swallowed, his throat somewhat dry, and asked, “Did you miss me while you were gone?”

  Marilla lifted her gaze and regarded him thoughtfully for a moment before untangling the wadded paper from her hair. “If I say ‘yes,’ will you stop throwing things at me?”

  He pulled another sticky note from the surface of his desk and crumpled it. They pretty much lined the entire surface, not to mention the many computer screens in front of him. “That’s not how this works,” he teased. “We’re honest with each other. You’re not supposed to tell me something because it’s what you think I want to hear, and I don’t stop bu
gging you just because you give me lip service. We’re legitimate with one another.” He threw the paper ball, but missed her this time.

  Marilla lifted an eyebrow, looking curious. “Do you write out these little speeches beforehand?”

  “Yes, and I practice them in the mirror after I shower and before I shave,” said Chester, then added, “while all I’m wearing is a towel.”

  She dropped her gaze to her computer screen as if suddenly engrossed in her work again.

  “Are you picturing me wearing nothing but a towel wrapped tightly around my waist?” asked Chester.

  Her cheeks reddened, but only briefly. “I’m confused,” she said. “I didn’t think you needed to shave.”

  Chester turned around and stared at the screen. It was true that he had a baby face, with his fair skin and lightly-colored spiky hair. He couldn’t help it, and he wouldn’t apologize for being so devilishly handsome.

  He rubbed his smooth chin. “You can lie to yourself, Mar, but you can’t lie to me. You’ll never erase the visual of me standing half-naked in front of the mirror rehearsing the things I’m going to say to you later. It’s all you’ll think about. You’ll be obsessed with me.”

  “Boy, I already am,” said the Captain’s voice from the door.

  Chester spun to find Eddie standing squarely in the doorway with a smile on his face. The guy was always smiling. He probably grinned while beating up bad guys and sported a toothy smile as he delivered one-two punches, Chester thought, amusing himself with the idea.

  “I was able to crack the data Pip sent over to me. Most of it was encoded, but the Trid aren’t as clever as they think they are—or maybe it’s just that I know all their tricks now,” said Chester.

  “Which is exactly why I’m obsessed with you,” said Eddie, striding into the room. He pulled out a chair and sat down in it backward, leaning toward Chester over the back support.

  Harley peeked his head out from beside Marilla’s desk, yawning, then stretched and made his way over to Eddie. The Captain bent down and scratched the dog behind the ears.

  “As you should be. You know a good thing when you see it,” said Chester. His gaze drifted to Marilla, who was pretending not to pay attention.

  “You’ve had the data for a whole hour and you’ve already cracked it,” said Eddie, then looked at Marilla and pointed in Chester’s direction. “That’s definitely why I love this guy.”

  Chester turned back to his computer and pulled up the data from Pistris Station. “I was able to track down the scientists who designed the Stingrays.”

  Eddie shook his head. “We don’t need that information anymore. I stole one of the bad boys, so no need for the plans.”

  A Cheshire-cat grin spread on Chester’s mouth. “I heard a rumor about this Stingray trying to enter the loading bay. You nearly got shot down.”

  “Nearly.” Eddie laughed.

  “Regardless, hearing about it got me thinking,” Chester continued. “Sometimes I get obsessed with information, you know? I just start looking into things one bit of data at a time. It’s obsessive, I get that, but every once in a while it leads to something interesting. In this case I decided to research the origin of Stingray ships, so I looked into the scientist who designed them, the one who originally built that model. Turns out he’s also the same person who built another ship not too long ago, the Unsurpassed.”

  “Unsurpassed,” mused Eddie, stroking his jaw.

  “Yeah. I dug a bit deeper when I found the name, because it seemed interesting and something about it caught my eye. I found that it was commissioned by an anonymous client awhile back,” explained Chester. “But that’s not even the weirdest part. Something about it felt off, and you know—after I found that out I couldn’t stop digging. I had to know the whole story.”

  Eddie nodded. “And?”

  Chester smirked. “I followed the money trail through several fake accounts until it brought me to the end. You wouldn’t believe the amount of work it took, but I was in deep already so I couldn’t stop—not when I’d come this far.”

  “So who was it?” asked Eddie, his curiosity totally piqued.

  “Mr. Felix Castile,” Chester said, cocking his head, not afraid to show his pride. “You can imagine my surprise.”

  Eddie leaned forward, his eyes widening as he rocked the chair up on two legs. “No way!”

  Chester pulled up an image of the massive ship on the main screen. “It appears to be Felix’s personal carrier.”

  “Whoa, that baby is sweet,” said Eddie, gawking at the image. The ship was smaller than the ArchAngel, but still had launch tunnels and a large landing bay. Federation ships were generally considered the greatest in the galaxy, but this Unsurpassed ship certainly gave some a run for their money.

  Chester swiped his finger on the screen in front of him and brought up the blueprints. “It’s not Federation technology, but from what I can deduce it’s pretty impressive. The ship you encountered before seems to have been a prototype for this. It was similar in many respects, but this one is bigger and tougher and has plenty more cannons to kill you with.”

  “Then I can only imagine what kind of technology Unsurpassed uses. Please send this over to Hatch. I want to get his take on this,” said Eddie.

  “Already done.” Chester pushed his glasses up on his nose, suppressing a proud smile.

  “Of course it is,” said Eddie, turning to Marilla. “This guy always exceeds expectations. Don’t you just love him?”

  Marilla’s cheeks blushed pink and she nodded, then squinted at her computer screen like something had just grabbed her attention.

  “Yeah, Mar, don’t you just love me? Maybe that’s too strong of a word. Can’t get enough of me, perhaps? Completely smitten with me, possibly?” teased Chester.

  She looked up, her mouth popping open. “What? Are you talking to me? Sorry, I was distracted.”

  “Sure you were.” Chester nodded, eyes laughing. “Anyway, Captain, I was able to track down the location for this scientist who designed Felix’s ship. I figured that if we could talk to him we might be able to learn what other technology Felix has commissioned. Technology developments always lead to motives and plans.”

  “Good thinking. That’s exactly right,” agreed Eddie. “Who is this guy, and where is he?”

  “Deacon Flick—that’s the guy’s name. And you’re not going to believe this, but he’s hiding right under the Federation’s nose.” Chester pulled up a document, and enlarged the text of a location.

  “Onyx Station? You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Eddie, reading the information.

  “Yep. The scientist responsible for designing ships for the enemy is hanging out on our home turf.” Chester clicked his tongue three times and shook his head.

  “Mr. Flick is about to get a surprise visit,” said Eddie. He stood and patted the dog, who was dutifully lying next to him.

  When he strode for the exit, Harley followed.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Loading Bay, QBS ArchAngel, Onyx Station, Paladin System

  The scraggly mutt bounded at Julianna when she entered the loading bay early. She figured that Teach would be prepping before they set out. She’d noticed that he was always early, using the time to mentally prepare before each mission. They hadn’t spoken since he’d dropped the Ricky-Bobby bomb on her. Actually she was pretty certain he was avoiding her, since he’d relayed the information on Deacon Flick and the trip to Onyx via ArchAngel.

  Harley had a disgusting saliva-covered bone-thing in his mouth. She peered down at him and shook her head.

  “He wants you to throw it,” said Eddie. He knelt, knees splayed wide.

  “I know what he wants, but I don’t want to touch that slobber-soaked bone,” said Julianna.

  Eddie whistled and the dog trotted over to him, for which Harley received a pat on his head. He dropped the bone in front of Eddie, and the pilot picked it up and threw it down the empty expanse of the loading bay. “I think you do w
ant to play with Harley, but it’s kind of like the Ricky Bobby situation.”

  “I had no idea that you didn’t value your life and wanted me to end it,” said Julianna coolly.

  “When someone ends me, it’s probably going to be you. You’re unmatched, and could have me at your mercy without breaking a sweat.” Eddie looked after the dog with a satisfied smile on his face, as if he’d just thought of something pleasing. “What a way to go—at the hands of the great Commander Fregin!”

  Julianna rolled her eyes. “Since when have you thought that intervening in my affairs was a good idea? Was this a plan you hatched while you were drunk?”

  Harley had returned with the bone and stubbornly dropped it in front of Julianna again, but she simply shook her head at him.

  “I just spotted an opportunity for closure and yes, I meddled a bit in your affairs. I’m not sorry about it, so if you want to kick my ass I’ll take it like a man.” Eddie pushed to his feet, knee popping as he did. He shook out his leg as if it had cramped from his kneeling position.

  “I’m not mad at you, Teach. I have every right to be, but I get that you were trying to help,” said Julianna. Harley picked up the bone again and brought it to Eddie, from whom he immediately got what he wanted.

  “I knew you were a reasonable and tolerant person, but now I realize you’re understanding as well,” said Eddie as Harley bounded after the soggy missile.

  “You could have told me that you were trying to set up a meeting with Ricky Bobby,” said Julianna.

  You would have threatened to kill him, said Pip in her head.

  “You would have put me in a headlock so fast,” said Eddie, “or worse.”

  Julianna smiled. “That’s what Pip says too.”

  “Ha! And he knows you better than anyone else.”

  “It’s true, but you knew me well enough to know that Pip’s evolution had brought up old concerns of mine. You might pretend to be a good ol’ boy, but I think you hide intuition,” said Julianna.

  Eddie shrugged, his eyes on Harley, who had dropped the bone once more at Julianna’s feet. “I just wanted to help my friend. You had the opportunity to easily resolve things with Ricky Bobby, which is not an option for some people. Sometimes we can’t go back and say we’re sorry for walking away. We can’t always say goodbye to the people we love.”