“Weapons?” Renosha asked. “You chose to have them removed from the Eye of Orion when it was built. What has changed?”
Steo said, “We’ve been attacked and hounded across countless light years. Tully is dead and many more will follow if we don’t take action. Given a choice, I say we fight.”
Renosha merely nodded.
“I have nowhere else to go. More important, I can’t think of anything better to do. I’ll do it for Tully,” Glaikis said.
Cyrus grinned. “Am I officially part of the crew now? Hmm … morale officer, style director, one-man landing party.” He shot them a finger-pistol and a wink. “I need to start my hero’s journey somewhere. Destiny calls.”
“The bounty for Dr. Spierk is still out there. Yuina, flight or fight?” Steo asked.
She looked around at the group.
“I can’t get paid selling Cyrus to the slave trade. Even his parts are useless. If you promise we’ll get something from this crusade, I’m in,” Yuina said.
“Oh yeah I need credits too,” Cyrus added as an after-thought.
“Governor and I go where Master Steo goes, needless to say,” said Hawking.
Renosha said, “Agreed.”
Steo said, “Is that everyone? Great! We’re good to go!” Emotionally, he was beginning to recharge.
Renosha said, “The odyssey of the Eye of Orion has begun. Our quest is to apprehend the renegade doctor and prevent a galactic war.”
CHAPTER 37
Hardware
Ema returned. “Your boat is ready. Follow me.”
They were surprised to see Yuina run after her down the corridor.
When she sensed Yuina struggling to catch up behind her, Ema slowed to a walk. “Why do you pursue?”
“I’m going with them,” Yuina said.
“I am aware,” Ema said.
“Don’t you want to know why?”
“You have a reason?”
Yuina said, “To prove I have a soul.”
Ema regarded her with unblinking amber eyes. Her furry ear twitched. “Ah. You, child, did not request anything of me. Do you now?”
Yuina said, “Yes. Steo stole my gun. He doesn’t know that I know. I’d feel better with a gun in my hand.”
Soon they stood in the semicircular room next to the bay where their ship floated. Many of Ema’s cylindrical robots hovered around the ship making last-minute adjustments.
“The boat has been repaired and improved. It has armaments now. They are new to you, but your simple computers have been updated with operating instructions.”
“Hey look Steo, they replaced the weapon pod. It even matches,” Glaikis said. Looking out at the ship, she found a new pride: she was a crewmember on the Eye of Orion. That was something worthwhile to her.
Steo felt like he was seeing his ship for the first time, at the manufacturer Vector Opulence back on NBS 2. The Eye of Orion gleamed. Its surfaces were smooth and its lights glittered. Ema’s robots finished the final touches and pulled away from the ship. It was grand.
“Assistance is granted,” Ema said. “I have removed certain information from your computers and automatons. We do not modify living beings. Therefore I will ask that you not linger on what you have experienced here. This system must remain blacked out.”
“We understand. Consider it forgotten,” Steo said. Glaikis and Yuina nodded in agreement.
“Know this,” she continued. “Our minds are not the same. Your goals and methods are your own. The future of the galaxy is dependent upon the choices you will make. Should you fail, billions of lives will turn to ash. Your galaxy will convulse in spasms of bloodletting.”
The crew smiled at each other.
“Go now and do not return,” she said.
“Thank you, Ema,” Steo said as he walked across the white plank. The crew of the Eye of Orion eagerly followed.
THE END
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my critical group:
Melanie Chin
Jason Frazier
Matt McBee
Marci Ferraro
Adam Taylor
I would like to also thank those who helped put together the book:
George Yoo
Debbie Bright
Marina Anderson
Jason Anderson
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1 Treachery
CHAPTER 2 Star System Entry
CHAPTER 3 Hard Dock
CHAPTER 4 Slanglish
CHAPTER 5 Door Reader
CHAPTER 6 Eroteme?
CHAPTER 7 Kurzia Station
CHAPTER 8 Gearjacking
CHAPTER 9 Payback
CHAPTER 10 Ship Graveyard
CHAPTER 11 The Fire Scorpion
CHAPTER 12 The Eye of Orion
CHAPTER 13 The Vadyanika
CHAPTER 14 Tully
CHAPTER 15 Yuina
CHAPTER 16 Glaikis
CHAPTER 17 Mission Statement
CHAPTER 18 Past Times
CHAPTER 19 Renosha
CHAPTER 20 Trial
CHAPTER 21 Necroscience
CHAPTER 22 Percaic Entry
CHAPTER 23 The Amaranthine
CHAPTER 24 Trail of the Vadyanika
CHAPTER 25 Cyrus Majeure
CHAPTER 26 Bringer of Fire
CHAPTER 27 Camaraderie
CHAPTER 28 Prey
CHAPTER 29 Factions
CHAPTER 30 Radiant Trail
CHAPTER 31 Above & Below
CHAPTER 32 Old War
CHAPTER 33 Course Charting
CHAPTER 34 Life in the Black System
CHAPTER 35 The AndroVault
CHAPTER 36 Sapience & Sentience
CHAPTER 37 Hardware
Acknowledgments
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