by Sarah Noffke
“And over time, the race became a myth,” Eddie finished for her, in awe that they’d been able to accomplish such a task.
“It wasn’t hard, since we can blend in so easily,” Penrae said. “We were able to create a secret infrastructure to support our kind.”
“Like the pharmacy,” Julianna guessed.
Penrae nodded. “And we stole the riches of others to build our own fortune.”
“Which is how the Saverus obtained a fleet that makes me wet myself,” Eddie stated, remembering the vast force they’d accidentally dropped into that included several large battle cruisers.
“Yes, and I suspect that they’ve already changed locations,” Penrae said.
“They have,” Julianna confirmed.
“So the Saverus have been biding their time for all these years. Why come out now and go after the Tangle Thief? What’s the end goal?” Eddie asked.
Penrae hesitated, still afraid her next words would scorch her insides. “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked after a moment.
“I’m afraid it isn’t,” Eddie said.
Penrae didn’t say anything, apprehension boiling in her eyes.
“So far, nothing you’ve said has harmed you,” Julianna reasoned. “You’ve been brainwashed and abused, but it was all lies. If you help us, we will do what your Elders never did. We’ll empower you and trust you.”
Penrae straightened, seeming to find a new confidence. “The Saverus want the Tangle Thief so they can steal back the home planet.”
“What?” Julianna asked, alarm flaring in her voice. “But they’ll create a tear in the galaxy that could destroy it.”
Penrae nodded. “The Elders don’t care. They only care about themselves. They want to take Savern back for good.”
Chapter Four
Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
“So I tell the guy, ‘if you’re so sure, why don’t we throw down right here and now?’” Pip boasted over the speaker.
Hatch lifted his eyes from the client on the workstation, shaking his head at Knox. “That never happened.”
“It’s more of a hypothetical,” Pip said defensively. “If someone threw some shade on me, I’d open up a can of whoop ass.”
Knox burst out laughing, unable to control himself.
Hatch puffed out his cheeks, not looking impressed. “I didn’t understand a word you just said.”
“When are we going to work on getting Pip a body?” Knox asked him.
“One with pecs,” Pips added.
Hatch actually smiled at this. “It’s definitely on the long list of projects. But first, I’m working on integrating you into Teach and establishing control over muscle function.”
“I can already regulate Julianna’s breathing, temperature and pain receptors. How difficult is it to give me the ability to control their bodies?” Pip asked.
“In theory, it shouldn’t be difficult at all, but a bad connection could have serious repercussions for the captain,” Knox explained, having done much of the research.
The head mechanic agreed with a nod. “Which for me isn’t a deterrent. The wait is mostly about me finding time for the project and determining a new way to bind you into their human form. Maybe after we finish up with this client I’ll be able to look into it.”
Knox attached a series of wires to the Tangle Thief, using precision to ensure the connections were tight. He hadn’t returned to his old self since losing the other pieces of the device, but Hatch thought it was because Knox was evolving, becoming something new based on his experiences in the junkyard.
“I’m still not getting a reading on a compatible device,” Hatch reported, staring at a screen beside his workstation.
“Which means?” Knox asked.
“It could mean that the other pieces of the Tangle Thief are destroyed,” he proposed hopefully.
“Or that they’ve simply been disconnected so that we can’t track them down,” Pip added.
Knox’s shoulders slumped slightly, to Hatch’s dismay.
“I was getting to that,” Hatch grumbled, irritated with the AI’s lack of decorum.
In other matters, he didn’t mind Pip’s bluntness so much…but Knox needed them to track down the Tangle Thief. It was part of his redemption.
“Good morning,” Liesel chirped, striding into the lab, carrying a small white box and searching the workspace. In the front pocket of her overalls sat Sebastian, his head and tail poking out of either end. “Is Harley in here?”
“He is not,” Hatch said, his attention back on the client. “I don’t allow the dog in here. This is a mechanic’s lab, not a kennel.”
“Since the upgrade, he’s less of a dog and more of a team member,” Knox argued.
Hatch cut his eyes at him, earning a look of apology. “He still sheds and gets into stuff.”
“I was only asking because Sebastian still has issues after being chased,” Liesel explained.
“He wasn’t the one that got stuck in a vent shaft and nearly died,” Pip accused.
Liesel smiled sensitively. “Yes, but Sebastian is still dealing with trauma, not to mention guilt over what happened to Harley.”
“Can we get a little therapy for the ferret with PTSD?” Pip joked.
Liesel pulled the ferret from her pocket and placed him on her shoulder. He crawled down her back and all the way to the floor, scurrying for the back of the lab.
“Don’t touch anything,” Hatch warned, wagging a tentacle menacingly in the air at the animal.
Liesel set the white paper box on a nearby workstation. “I brought you all breakfast; I know you’ve been working nonstop on the client.”
“Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!” Pip said with enthusiasm.
Liesel blew a breath upward, knocking her bangs off her forehead. “I’m a vegan, you know that.”
“Oh.” Pip sounded deflated. “Wakey, wakey, veggies and sadness.”
Liesel shook her head good naturedly at the joke. “Pip, I thought you were all for a vegan diet.”
“That’s before I had the prospect of a body,” Pip stated. “The captain is going to eat all sorts of cheesy foods once we’re paired. The captain is going to eat all sorts of cheesy foods when I take over. Mozzarella sticks, nachos, macaroni and cheese, pizza, quesadillas, cheesecake—”
“We get the point,” Hatch cut the excited AI off.
“Well, I made you all vegan donuts,” Liesel said with a wide smile. Automotive wire was wrapped around her blonde pigtails, its frayed ends sticking up.
“Uhhh…Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” Knox dropped his gaze, suddenly looking very busy.
“And I don’t eat vegetables,” Hatch stated blankly. “If you have any crab cakes, I’ll take those.”
“I’m afraid I don’t,” Liesel said, pushing the box farther onto the workstation. “Well, I’ll leave these in case you all change your mind. I swear they taste like real donuts.”
“Anytime you have to describe your food as tasting like the real thing, it’s considered fake and therefore not as good,” Hatch reasoned.
Liesel laughed. “As soon as I said that, I knew you’d chide me for it.”
“What is in these not-real donuts?” Pip asked. “I’m thinking about going into baking when I have a body.”
Knox darted his eyes up to meet Hatch’s. “Can you picture the captain wearing an apron?”
“Actually, that reminds me, Pip,” Hatch said, combing a tentacle over his wobbly chin. “I have a proposition for you and Teach’s body.”
“I’m listening.” Pip sounded curious.
Hatch looked over his shoulder at Liesel. “We’ll discuss it later. Go on then, about the donuts,” he said, quickly diverting the conversation. The fewer people he let in on his cruel joke, the better.
Liesel tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Well, the recipe is fairly easy. It calls for aquafaba, almond milk, almond flour—”
“What’s aquafaba?” Knox asked.
“Yum!” Pip chirped sarcastically.
Knox eyed the box of pastries, his face restrained. “That’s a creative use for the substance.”
“Aquafaba is used in place of egg as the binding agent,” Liesel stated.
Hatch jerked his head up. “That’s it!”
Knox and Liesel exchanged curious expressions.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” Pip finally said, breaking the strange silence. “What’s it?”
“I’ve figured out how I’ll bind you, Pip, into Teach,” Hatch said, his voice vibrating with excitement. He loved moments of scientific revelation, and that inspiration could come from anywhere.
“With an egg substitute?” Pip asked.
Hatch shook his head, bustling over to his computer station. “I’ve got to change the binding agent. It needs to be compatible, similar to the one we used for installing you in Julianna, but it will have a different chemical makeup.”
“So you’re using bean juice, in essence,” Knox said, his tone growing with enthusiasm as he processed the theory and realized how genius it was.
“Exactly!” Hatch typed furiously, recording his ideas.
“And then the captain and I will bind and make a vegan donut!” Pip said victoriously.
Chapter Five
Jack Renfro’s Office, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
Jack eyed the green smoothie in his hands like it was toxic waste.
“What is that?” Eddie asked, playing with one of the many “toys” Jack displayed on the far wall, most of them related to science or mathematics.
“It’s a wheatgrass shake.” Jack took a deep breath, held his nose and took a sip.
“Why are you forcing yourself to drink that?” Julianna asked.
Coming up for air, Jack wiped his mouth of the sludge. “Because it’s good for me.”
Eddie pulled back one of the balls hanging from the pendulum of the Newton’s cradle before releasing it. He watched the opposite ball swing, having been displaced by the motion. “If you want to live an extra few hundred years, why don’t you take a nap in a Pod-doc instead of forcing yourself to drink slime?”
Jack nodded, setting the drink down and pushing it away. “Yeah, I get where Liesel is coming from with this conscious living approach, but I’m not sure if the diet is for me.”
“I think the beauty of a good relationship is that you don’t have to become like each other to be together,” Julianna stated.
Eddie and Jack both gave her quizzical expressions, the only sound in the room being the clicking of the pendulum balls.
“What?” Julianna asked.
Eddie pointed to Harley, who sat stoically beside Julianna. He looked regal with his shiny coat and sharp gaze. “That dog has had an effect on you.”
Julianna ignored this with a shake of her head. “Jack, before you tried poisoning yourself with nutrients, you mentioned something about new weapons.” The excitement was palpable in her voice.
Jack popped up to a standing position, his hands clasping behind his back, his eyes pinned on his desk. This was quickly becoming known as ‘Jack’s briefing stance’. “Have you heard of the Nihilist organization?”
“No, but I already don’t like them,” Eddie stated. “I’m guessing they aren’t known for holding peace rallies.”
Jack shook his head. “No, quite the opposite. The anti-government organization is responsible for a handful of bombing attempts on Onyx Station and Federation Border Station 7.”
“Where do we find them and how do we take them out?” Eddie asked, striding over to Jack’s desk and taking a seat. Julianna never sat down when in Jack’s office, choosing rather to stand beside the chair. She rarely sat, actually.
“We got a tip that they are planning another bombing on Onyx,” Jack began. “I have Chester hacking their communications to find more details.”
“So we need to step in and stop them on Onyx station,” Julianna stated.
Jack shook his head. “I have Chester working overtime to find the location of their current base. I thought we could kill two birds with one stone.”
Eddie leaned forward. “Not sure why you’re slaughtering birds when terrorists should be our focus, but you’ve got my attention.”
“I’d read that Lieutenant Fletcher has had a few run-ins with the Nihilist organization,” Jack explained. “When I questioned him on it, he said they’d slipped by his efforts more than a few times. Apparently, they have an arsenal of impressive weapons, which always give them the advantage.”
“Impressive weapons?” Julianna asked. “Now I’m paying attention.”
Jack released one of his easy grins. “I thought that might get you. Ghost Squadron has needed better guns for quite some time. If Chester can track down Nihilist headquarters, you can surprise them there. We stop the bombing, and you confiscate their arsenal.”
“Meanwhile, none of the space stations know there was ever a threat,” Julianna stated.
Eddie smiled wide. “And continue to sleep peacefully in their beds.”
Chapter Six
Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
Julianna tapped her foot, her anxiety seeking to bound out of her chest.
Your heart rate is elevated, Pip observed.
Shouldn’t you be concentrating or chanting or something, she retorted, irritation heavy in her tone.
Hatch told me to sit back and relax while he does all the work.
Ha-ha, Julianna spat with zero humor. She eyed the table on the far side of the room where Eddie was stretched out. He reminded her more of an aircraft getting an upgrade than a human undergoing a complicated procedure.
Try petting Harley’s head, Pip suggested. That has shown to increase serotonin levels.
Julianna dropped her eyes to the dog stationed at her side. I’m good.
I’ve sifted through many of your memories and can’t locate the one that produced your fear of dogs.
I don’t fear Harley.
You don’t anymore, but originally his presence elevated your blood pressure. Now it does quite the opposite.
I’m not the touchy-feely type. He understands that.
Does he? Pip questioned. Before Julianna could tell him where to stick his loaded question, he said, I must be off. The captain is calling me.
Fuck my life, Julianna thought, pressing her eyes closed.
I heard that, Pip chimed before falling completely silent. Julianna felt the absence that she attributed to Pip being busy, usually in Hatch’s lab. Now that absence would be because Pip was hanging out in Eddie’s head, discussing who knows what.
Julianna turned, putting her back to the far side of the room and pretending to study a workstation filled with devices.
Is everything okay? Harley asked.
Yeah, it’s fine…well, actually I think it’s as far from fine as possible.
Do you want to talk about it? Harley offered.
Julianna shook her head, but then her words betrayed her.
I think I do, she heard herself say.
Eddie sat up before he was ordered to do so, which earned him a contemptuous stare from Hatch.
“Dammit, Teach,” Hatch bellowed. “Are you trying to ruin everything?”
“What if I told you it wasn’t my fault?” Eddie asked.
Hatch’s scowl fell away. “Was it not your fault? Did Pip make you sit up?”
Eddie shook his head. “Nah, I have to take full blame. I got up of my own accord.”
Hatch grunted with frustration. “Figures. You literally can’t follow directions to save your own life.”
“How do we know if it worked?” Eddie asked.
Scanning a computer screen, Hatch said, “Well, how do you feel? Can you hear Pip in your head?”
Eddie stared without seeing, trying to determine if he felt changed. “Does he sound different than my own thoughts?” he asked.
Hatch waved Julia
nna over with a tentacle. She appeared more than reluctant to come forward. “Julie, can you explain the difference between Pip’s voice and your thoughts?”
Julianna slid her hands into her pockets, a tense expression on her face. “You’ll know the difference.”
Hatch shrugged, only partially satisfied with her inadequate answer. “There you go. Try talking to him. The connection appears to be made, but it might still be in transition.”
Pip, are you there? Eddie asked, feeling silly talking to himself.
Nothing.
Eddie pursed his lips, scanning his body, like expecting it to look different. Hey, buddy, are you there yet? he tried again.
Hey, buddy, are you there yet, a voice echoed in his mind.
That’s strange, Eddie thought.
That’s strange, the voice repeated.
Pip, is that you repeating what I say?
Pip, is that you repeating what I say, Pip said, a hint of a laughter in his voice.
Eddie smiled. “I think we have a clear connection.”
“You think?” Hatch asked, not at all sounding impressed with the less than definitive response.
“Well, Pip appears to be repeating everything I say, but I think that’s him,” Eddie said.
Julianna shook her head. “That’s him.”
“We need to determine if he has control over your body,” Hatch stated. “In most instances, you’ll have to relinquish control to him. I made it so he didn’t have free reign over your body, although if you’re not paying attention, he might be able to take over.”
“That sounds troublesome,” Eddie said with a laugh. How bad can it be, having an AI who has access to my body? What’s the worst we could do?
“You’ve been warned,” Hatch stated. “Go ahead and relax and try to give him control.”
Eddie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Pip?
Yes, Eddie? he answered.
Oh, good, you’re talking to me finally.
The experience of having something…well, someone in his mind was incredibly surreal. This will take some getting used to.