Chapter Forty
Adjustments
“What do you mean requisitioned?” Nellie growled.
“That is what I said, too,” Salem replied with a frustrated sigh. “I was told it was still available for system defense but was not to be sent any staff or crew.”
“Were there any other requisitions?” Nellie asked with a sinking feeling.
“About half of the scraped ships and several rare resources,” Salem replied apologetically. “I was tempted to refuse, but she is still a Queen.”
Nellie methodically picked up one datapad after another, smashing them against the edge of the desk before dropping them in the recycler.
“Nellie?” Salem asked.
“It’s fine, Salem. Thank you for letting me know.” Nellie rubbed her forehead in irritation and wished she had more datapads to smash. “I will ask her what the plan is and let you know.”
“I’ll have more datapads sent along,” Salem added.
Nellie laughed and closed the comm line. After taking a few minutes to center herself, she opened her mouth and called her co-Queen.
“Lucy?”
No answer.
“Bunny, is Queen Lucy currently connected to the network?” Nellie asked.
“No, Queen Bonne Chance. She has not connected to the network since she left the apartment last night,” Bunny replied.
“Thank you, Bunny, do you need anything?” Nellie asked.
“I am content, thank you.”
Well, at least someone was. She flicked through connections on her implant but there was no entry for Lucy. There had never been a need for one until now.
Lovely, now this had to be all public.
She stalked out of her Day Cabin and into the C.I.C.
From how the X.O. and the others were avoiding her gaze, they were aware of recent events.
“Comms, get me the other Imperium-class on the line, will you?” Nellie said through gritted teeth.
“I will try, Admiral.”
She scanned the ID beacons in and around the station, not seeing the other ship.
“Where is it?” Nellie asked.
“Queen Lucy took it straight out of the dock and engaged the grav tow on a number of vessels before heading for the far side of the planet, Admiral,” Morton told her. “There was no ID beacon active at the time, which is why we are having trouble establishing communications.”
“Oh, I see,” Nellie said calmly. “Get me Paren on the line, please.”
“She has not answered our queries in the last—” Morton started before the line opened.
“I still think an asteroid would have been a funny idea,” Paren said a little smarmily. “Also, she wouldn’t have nicked half your stuff.”
“Be a dear and get me the N.S.S. Divorce Settlement on the line for me, will you?” Nellie said brightly.
“Oh, it’s one of those moods.” Paren sniggered. “Coming right up!”
“Thank you, Darling!” Nellie said brightly.
Morton and the rest of the crew were exchanging panicked looks.
Lucy’s voice came in loud enough that the entire C.I.C. could hear. “Whoever this is, go away. I’m busy.”
“Is that right?” Nellie said. “Well, when you get a minute, I’d like to talk.”
“Nellie! Shit I—”
Nellie cut the comms.
“If she calls back, transfer it to my day cabin,” Nellie said and stormed out of the C.I.C.
The comm line was blinking when she arrived, but Nellie let a tiny bit of pettiness out and got a cup of HyperDrive before she answered.
“Nellie, sorry about that I thought you were Salem or someone.” Lucy said quickly. “I didn’t want to talk until I was done, you see.”
“Lucille,” Nellie said as she sipped her coffee, “You got a really good look around my brain while you were in there, right?”
“Of course,” Lucy replied. “Why, what’s wrong?”
“What is the Earth's custom when a long-term relationship breaks up?” Nellie asked.
“What does this have to do with anything?” Lucy asked.
“Humor me,” Nellie said viciously.
“They split assets and… Oh, fuck!” Lucy nearly audibly winced.
“Did we split up, and you forgot to tell me?” Nellie asked.
“NO! No, no, no, no, no!” Lucy said. “It’s nothing like that, it’s just….”
“Glad to know I didn’t just get dumped in front of the entire system,” Nellie said when Lucy didn’t continue, “But a head’s-up would have been nice. You don’t live in my head anymore. Conversations may be required.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Lucy sighed. “Look, I know you are pissed, but we had the materials, and I want to do something… but I want you to trust me and let it be a surprise.”
“Lucy, did you look at the battle plans I drew up? Or the operation I have planned for the very near future?” Nellie asked.
“No? I didn’t know those things existed,” Lucy said sadly. “Nellie, I know this may sound strange, but I really need to know you can still show me trust. So I can show you that you can. It might not make sense, but….”
“It sounds like you are trying to shortcut the whole apology thing, again.” Nellie growled. “But, okay.”
“Really?” Lucy sounded delighted.
“Lucille, let me be very clear,” Nellie said. “You left, and I put that down to being overwhelmed with the idea of having people like you. You stayed away when we were in trouble, and I put that down to poor communication. You came back and immediately asked for time alone, which I put down to…fuck if I know, but I decided to do it, and now I wake up, and you have taken half of what we fought and nearly died for and won’t tell me why.” Nellie took a breath. “More than that, you are asking me to PROVE I trust you when I have never done anything to make YOU doubt ME.”
“Yes.”
“Fine. I will adjust my plans,” Nellie said. “But Lucy, this was the last thing to do to repair our relationship. I’m choosing to trust you here. Fuck me over this time, and we are done.”
“I understand,” Lucy said excitedly. “I won’t touch a single resource or person from now on, I promise.”
Nellie closed the line.
Stolen novel; please report.
“Salem, do we have enough to make another Imperium Cruiser?” Nellie asked a few minutes later as she leaned over the main display in the C.I.C.
“Yes, and Lucy did something to the nanites and plans. The plans remain unchanged, but build speed is twice what it was.” Salem replied quickly. “We still have enough resources to make two Imperium-class vessels.”
“Good, but I only want one for now,” Nellie said. “And half of the remaining supplies are to be detailed to Remy for use in his jump point defence rings. Consider those authorized.”
“Yes, Ma’am!” Salem said delightedly. “What about the remaining scrapped ships, and the automated cruisers?”
“The automated cruisers are to be combined into Liberty-class heavy cruisers, then put back on automatic patrol.” Nellie smiled a nasty smile. “The rest is to be given to Paren. She has a pet project she will need them for. Also, a dock added to the R and D lab.”
“Understood,” Salem said. “Anything else?”
“Yes, I am going to be unavailable for about an hour,” Nellie said. “I am going to see the Clutch”
“Yes, Queen Bonne Chance,” Salem said. “Will that be by shuttle?”
“No need,” Nellie said and closed the comm line.
Turning around, she looked over the visitor who had just arrived in her day cabin in a small flash of light.
“Elder,” Nellie said. “I was just coming to see you.”
“You are busy,” The Elder grinned. “No need to make a special trip on our account.”
“You are not the Elder I know,” Nellie said simply.
“No, I am not,” the elder said, clicking their beak in amusement.
“Has something happened to—”
“She is fine,” the Elder said with an amused chirp. “You care? How sweet, how… refreshing. But a Queen should speak to a Queen.”
“The Clutch do not have Queens,” Nellie said; the explanation of their hierarchy had been complicated but clear enough on that point.
“Yes, and I am the one they do not have.” Another chirp.
“The Imperial Line has blockaded the system, but it isn’t about the Clutch,” Nellie said, getting an affirmative beak clack in response, “But things have become difficult recently.”
“Sleeping with men is easier; ours are simple creatures.”
“You are aware of everything, aren’t you?” Nellie said, glaring.
“Yes.”
“You knew about the egg?”
“Yes.”
“You knew about the AIs?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t do anything?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because we knew about people like you.”
“Like me?” Nellie asked.
“Ones who come, and build, and stick their noses where they do not belong. Then, despite all reason, make things better instead of worse.” The Elder picked up the HyperDrive dispenser. “I take this.”
“Okay,” Nellie said.
“Thank you.” It vanished.
“Shit! I wanted to ask for some help!” Nellie yelled.
Her comm line lit in red, and urgent call.
“Yes?” Nellie snapped.
“Ma’am, this is Logistics Officer Cheape; I just wondered if you could explain it?”
“What are you talking about?” Nellie sighed.
“A strange creature with four legs and strange eyes just appeared in my office and handed me a map of the ore belt, detailed scans showing large resource deposits. It said to call you and say thank you for the gift, and it hopes it helps….” Cheape trailed off.
“What?” Nellie groaned. “Tell me the rest.”
“It appeared right next to Edwards, and, well, he was a little surprised,” Cheape said. “He made a screaming-adjacent noise and slapped it.”
“What did our visitor do then?” Nellie asked eyes closed against a cruel universe.
“It laughed and patted him on the shoulder,” Cheape said. “At which point he apologized and it gave him a small crystal.”
“A crystal?” Nellie’s eyes shot open. “Did he touch it?”
“Yes, Ma’am. At which point his hair turned blue.” Cheape said carefully.
“What happened next?” Nellie asked, frowning in confusion.
“He said thank you and that it was a very nice color,” Cheape said, her voice sounding oddly distracted. “He then complimented the creature’s coloring and offered it a drink or somewhere to sit down.”
“Is it still there?” Nellie asked.
“No, Ma’am,” Cheape said. “However, it seemed to take to Edwards and left him a gift as well.”
“Another crystal?” Nellie asked.
“No, Ma’am,” Cheape said. “It is, well, it appeared to be some form of…”
“Spit it out, Cheape!” Nellie said as the anxiety was killing her.
“It’s an organ, Ma’am,” Cheape said. “It gave him an internal organ.”
“I’m on my way,” Nellie sighed.
===<<<>>>===
“This what happens when you talk to strange aliens,” Paren admonished him as he sat on a bench in her lab.
“In my defense, no one has ever physically inserted an organ into me during polite conversation before,” Edwards said carefully. “I am not sure that is a thing people do.”
“What about me?” Paren asked, hands on her hips. “I gave you plenty of new things!”
“Yes,” Edwards allowed, “But at least you normally asked first.”
“Well, I try to be polite,” Paren beamed. “Now, how does it feel?”
“Fine,” Edwards said carefully. “But what does it do?”
“It seems to absorb toxins and impurities from the blood,” Paren said critically. “To an almost impossible degree.”
“So it is a good thing?” Edwards asked, pleasantly surprised.
“Very,” Paren said eventually. “Kind of a thoughtful gift, really.”
“Still, I’d prefer if you were the only one making changes to me,” Edwards sighed.
“Me too,” Paren said. “Which is why we need to talk.”
“Okay,” Edwards said.
“Come and sit down,” Paren said, “It feels weird talking about this if you are on my project table.”
Edwards did as she asked, sitting down on a chair. As far as he could remember, this was the only time she had asked him to sit down without holding a scalpel at the time.
“Wh—” Paren shushed him, shooting him an irritated glare.
“Look, I am not your normal girl,” Paren paced up and down as she spoke. “I know that, and it makes things complicated at times. This is one of those times. Complicated feelings and such are involved, and I am not great at those.”
Edwards nodded politely, trying to figure out where this was going.
“I don’t really know how to do any of this, so I looked at lots of entertainment cubes, talked to the few non-idiot people I know, and well… none of it felt right for me, so I want to just do this my way, would that be okay with you?” Paren asked, seemingly a little embarrassed and unsure.
“Of course,” Edwards said.
“Great. So here is the situation,” Paren said seriously, “I like you. Quite a bit, actually. And not in a ‘let’s be friends’ way. Do you feel anything for me?”
“I do,” Edwards nodded. “At first, it was more terror than anything, but you don’t keep going back to someone you are terrified of, right?”
“Correct. Good observational skills,” Paren said seriously. “Normally, that would mean we would be dating, but that isn’t really my thing. The only other option seemed to be sex with no real relationship. Or just friends. So I decided to just do what feels right to me.”
“Of course,” Edwards nodded, “I would never want you to do anything you didn’t feel right about.”
“Excellent,” Paren nodded. “So here is how I see things. You are mine.”
“Pardon?” Edwards felt like things had missed a few steps.
“It’s unfair to you, I know.” Paren nodded. “You need time to adjust and discover your own feelings.”
“That would be nice,” Edwards admitted. “This is all pretty fast.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Paren nodded. “Still, facts are facts. You are mine. I’d love to be a better person and be all nice about it and such. But I’m just not. Sorry.”
“So, what happens now?” Edwards asked.
“What do you mean?” Paren frowned. “That was all I had to say.”
“Oh, right,” Edwards stood up. “So, does that mean I can kiss you now?”
“If you like, but I can’t promise—”
Edwards stepped forward and put a hand gently on the side of her face, tilting her head slightly to meet his, and kissed her. The kiss was long and sweet, and tender, and it took his breath away.
“Wow,” Paren said when he stepped back.
“Yeah,” Edwards said, a flush in his cheeks. “I’m happy to take this as slow—”
Paren jumped on him, her lips locking with his as she rode him down to the ground.
===<<<>>>===
Nellie eased the door to Paren’s lab closed as quietly as she could, cutting off the noises coming from within. Despite all the nanite control of her body, Nellie found herself blushing furiously as she soundlessly hurried away.
She had intended to check and see if Edwards was okay.
Yeah, he seemed fine.
Energetic even.
And the blue hair kind of suited him.
She managed to suppress most of the flush by the time she got to Salem’s office.
“How’d he look?” Salem asked as Nellie walked in.
“What? I didn’t look!” Nellie protested, the blush back in full bloom as the memory rose unbidden to her mind’s eye. Adopted or not, a mother should never see her daughter doing that. Or the other things.
“You went to check on Edwards?” Salem prompted. “Is Paren satisfied?”
“She looked it,” Nellie said, trying not to giggle.
“I don’t—” Salem’s eyes opened wide. “Reallly?” She grinned wickedly, “What were they doing? Exactly?”
“Salem!” Nellie laughed.
“Well,” Salem grinned. “I am a married woman, so to speak.”
“We are not talking about it,” Nellie insisted. “We need to arrange to mine the asteroids.”
“I have detailed the operation out of the Sparklight,” Salem said, still grinning. “Hey, I just thought; she wasn’t a virgin, was she?”
“Not with what she was doing,” Nellie slapped a hand over her own mouth. “We really can’t talk about this.”
They refocused the discussion on the rapid mining of the asteroids, using the versatile weapons and large bays of the Sparklight to allow rapid progress. All in all, it would just about keep them on track.
But that didn’t change that it was now a lot more work for everyone, thanks to Lucy.