They had spent an hour in velox before Vas had Lynx bring them back into normal space. When that was done, the captain quickly checked his ship to make sure there was no way Jane could accidentally see where they had been. Then he used the chip and key Falk had given him to remove the cuffs from Dr. Jane. He tucked them into the holster that held his e-pistol.

Jane took the liberty of ripping the blindfold off herself. “This is why I hate war!”

Vas’s patience evaporated. “Because it’s inconvenient for you? Because you didn’t get to stay as long as you like and do whatever you want?” Reyer forced herself to stand. She put a hand on the captain’s arm, but he ignored it. “We know you don’t like our war. How many times do you have to say it? You sit there with your snide sense of superiority, belittling what matters most to us! We’ve given up everything and risked our lives for what we believe in!”

Jane stood up, toe to toe with Vas. “And I haven’t?”

Lynx came down from the cockpit and stood beside them. “Captain, Dr. Jane, I have noticed that the irritability of humans increases in almost direct proportion to their levels of hunger and exhaustion. I recommend a full eight hours of sleep and food before you continue this conversation.”

Vas turned away. “No, Lynx. There isn’t much more to say.” He went toward the back of the ship, dodging past the stacked boxes and cases that held all of Jane’s equipment and specimens. He tossed Ciro and Jane their water and food packages, but he brought Reyer’s out with his own. As he handed Alix her water, he said, “You’re right, Dr. Jane. I’m sorry. I’ve been in it too long. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember there’s more to life than this war.”

The brief uneasy silence of the truce was broken when Lynx said, “Captain, considering your tendencies, you’re displaying unusually perceptive metacognition.”

Vas said, “Ciro, next thing I want you to teach that bot is tact.”

Ciro snorted as he poured his hot water into the pouch. “Yeah. I’ll put that on my to-do list.”

“Would you like me to do that, sir?” Lynx said.

“Sure, Lynx. Don’t bother setting an official reminder. I’m not likely to forget.”

Vas held out his arm so Reyer could use it to sit down, then dropped himself into the seat across from her.

Since each person was preparing their food and beginning to eat, conversation naturally flagged.

Jane paused after a few bites to mutter, “I was trying to say that I’m frustrated because, if it wasn’t for the war, we could have worked together.”

Ciro leaned back. “Technically, we did work together.”

Jane made a face. “You know what I mean, Wonder Boy. More cooperation, fewer blindfolds.” She took another bite. After she had swallowed, she said, “Next we go to Gardner?”

“Is Gardner a planet?” Vas asked.

“There is no known planet that goes by that name,” Lynx said.

“Gardner is the other person the xeno mentioned. The man he took orders from,” Reyer explained. When Vas looked at her, she said, “I watched the video while you were flying.”

“I only know two names—his and Harlan,” Jane said. “I want to talk to one of them.”

“Getting to Harlan would be hard,” Ciro said. “He’s looking for us, and he knows that we know what he is. But Gardner has no idea we know his name.”

Vas dropped his utensil into his food so he could gesture. “We have no idea who this man is or what planet he’s on. If you think getting to Harlan would be hard—”

“But we can find out!” Jane said. “Ciro brought all his equipment.”

“Your faith in me is inspiring, Dr. Jane,” Ciro said.

“I meant I could borrow it and use it to find him.”

“Of course you did.”

“More xeno hunting?” Vas asked.

“I don’t know if he’s a xeno or not, but the way Peak talked about him, I don’t think he is,” Jane said.

“Dr. Jane, if Gardner isn’t a xeno, then you know what that means, don’t you? That the Supremacy is using them?”

There was a pause. “I know.”

“Dr. Jane, is your food sour?”

“No, Lynx.”

“And you want to do this?” Vas asked.

“Obviously,” Jan said. “I study xenos. He might know something. End of story.”

Ciro smiled. “You’ve got to admire such bullheadedness.”

“Dr. Jane, I was told to drop you off on a planet of your choice—”

“Then I choose the one that Gardner’s on.”

As Vas ran a hand through his hair, he noticed Reyer’s smile. It was entirely too knowing for his comfort. “We’re not making any decisions until we’ve had some sleep. Lynx has a damn good point—we need the rest.”

“But—” Jane started to say.

“Yes, Doctor?”

The edge in the captain’s voice made Jane hesitate. She looked at Ciro, but he was staring down at the last of his food.

“Sure. You’re right,” Jane said. “I could use some sleep.” She looked around the ship. Ciro hadn’t even brought out his tech yet, and it was still crowded. “Cozy.” She motioned to Alix. “Still, it has to be worse for you.”

“Why?”

“Your back.”

Reyer smirked. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

Jane snorted. “Alix, you could barely sleep on the mattress back at the hot springs. Are you going to try telling me it hurts less here?”

“‘Fine’ means that there’s nothing I can do about it and I’m used to sleeping on ships.”

“You get used to this?”

“Eventually,” Vas said. He walked over to the locker where he kept the spare blankets and pulled them all out.

Ciro helped himself to the floor when Jane said she wasn’t going to have him falling on her in the middle of the night. He was asleep in minutes. The doctor took over the bench they shared and fell asleep with a pen still in her hand. It was resting on her open notebook. When Vas removed both, she didn’t stir. He walked around the edge of the middle bench and sat down closer to Reyer.

“What was she writing?” Alix whispered.

“She was taking notes on her dissection—I think. Her handwriting isn’t the best. And she only writes on the lines when she feels like it.” He closed the book and put it beside him before rubbing his face with both hands and taking a deep breath. “Was there anything else in that video I should know about?”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Not really. I think Jane was asking him the questions that the unnamed older gentleman wanted her to ask first. She added a few of her own as she thought of them. They wanted to know why he was there—he was looking for me—who had sent him—Gardner and Harlan—and how many more there were, which he didn’t know.”

“How many more human-xenos, or how many more plants in the Rising?”

“She asked about both. He claimed to know nothing about either. When Jane started asking him questions about being a xeno he got upset.”

“Upset how?”

“Disturbed, frustrated…almost frantic. Jane talks mean, but when it got bad, she stopped. After that she decided to go in and look at him.”

“And I’ve seen the rest.”

Reyer nodded.

Vas reached under the bench and pulled out his kit bag before switching over to the seat near Reyer. She watched without comment until he pulled out the chess board and put it on the mini-table between them.

“Vas, you’re exhausted. How much of a game do you think you’ll manage?”

“I’ll be that much easier to beat.”

“I’m exhausted too.”

“Then get some sleep.” He motioned to the floor. “There’s not a lot of space, but if that bench is too uncomfortable, there’s room enough. At least you can lay down flat.”

“It’s not that easy for me.”

He started pulling out the pieces. “I know. Jane got it absolutely right. You’re in too much pain to sleep, aren’t you?”

“It’s fine.”

Vas smirked. “I know what that means—nothing you can do about it—”

“And I’m used to it.”

“You’re wrong, though.”

“Oh?”

“You can do something about it. My first-aid kit is fully stocked. If you want, I can get you a dose of something stronger than your Tranomine. You can sleep—”

“No, thank you, Captain. Maybe someday, but not today.”

“How can you be so stubborn?”

“Hard work and practice.”

“I was asking about the Tranomine, not your stubbornness in general.”

“I lived alone, Vas. There was no one to regulate me but myself, so I had to be careful. I stay away from the harder drugs because if I’m off my head on them, they always sound like a good idea.”

“Miss Reyer, you’re not alone now.”

“I’ll be alone again soon enough, so it’s still not a good idea to get hooked.”

Vas briefly grit his teeth. “If that’s your decision, I’ll respect it. But if you can’t sleep, then I’ll be your distraction. It’ll give me a chance to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“The discussion. You were awfully quiet earlier. I want to know what you think.”

“I think it’s adorable how hard you try to resist temptation.”

Vas’s smile only pulled up one side of his mouth. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yes, sir.”

Vas let out a noisy sigh. “Then never mind me. Lynx says you’re supposed to be more reasonable and less impulsive—”

“My exact quote was that she was more logical—” Lynx said from his place in the cockpit.

“Shhhhh,” Reyer hissed at the bot. “He was close enough, Lynx.”

“What do you think about going after Gardner?” Adan asked.

“I think you know what I would say. I told you I wanted to help. Why are you even hesitating?”

“Because I’m supposed to keep you safe, Miss Reyer.”

She leaned forward, her arm resting on the board. “Vas, that’s not possible. As long as they’re after me, I’ll never be safe. My choices are to run and hide or stand and fight. Either way, I’ll be in danger.”

Vas moved the hand he’d been leaning on as he watched her. “You’re not helping. I need a voice of reason to talk me out of this.”

“Lynx is up there.” Reyer pointed.

“He’s never been able to talk me out of anything.”

“Even if I could, I wouldn’t want to.”

Vas went back to putting the pieces on the board. “I still don’t know why he thinks you’re so reasonable—”

“I said ‘logical,’ Captain,” Lynx insisted. “No human is reasonable.”

Adan tried his best to play a decent game of chess with Reyer, but he couldn’t manage to stay awake. The third time she had to nudge him when it was his turn, he admitted he was done. She was already standing over him with a blanket. He was asleep almost before she finished covering him. Then Alix made her way up to the cockpit and sat down in the pilot’s seat.

Lynx turned his head, registered the fact her finger was over her lips, and lowered his speaker volume.

“Miss Reyer? Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Too much pain, Lynx.”

“That pain is bad for your well-being.”

“Tell me about it.”

“As I’ve already stated, a healthy human requires—”

Alix’s chuckling made it hard to speak, so it took her a moment before she could give him the shut-up command. “Have you never heard that phrase before, Lynx?”

“Of course, Miss Reyer. It’s a request for more detailed information.”

“Yes, but sometimes it’s pure sarcasm that means we’re already well aware of it.”

“Oh. I see. I will remember that, Miss Reyer. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, thank you, Lynx. I’ll be asleep pretty quickly. Let me sit here, look at the stars, and enjoy your company. And don’t let me destroy the ship if I accidentally kick something.”

“The probability of catastrophic failure due to inadvertently moving or disturbing the controls might as well be zero. But I will keep watch if it will ease your irrational fear.”

“I love you, Lynx.”

“I’m glad you find me useful, ma’am.”

[https://i.imgur.com/6iM8gcI.png]

Reyer woke up to the sounds of a whispered argument. She was still in the captain’s chair, but someone had put a blanket around her. Her attempt to stretch was aborted when the pain in her back made itself plain. She let out a small cry.

The whispers stopped. She heard footsteps and turned to see Vas coming up the stairs, a mug in each hand. Without a word, he passed her one.

She took a deep breath. The scent of leaves and earth filled her world. She sipped the tea.

“Good morning,” Vas said.

“Morning,” she grumbled. “What have we got?”

“When I woke up, they were already at it. Ciro’s found the general.”

“The general?”

“Sorry—former General Emery Gardner. Gardner isn’t an uncommon name, so they had to weed it down to the most likely suspects. Once we had all the Gardners associated with the military, it was much easier to pick him out. He was the only one that had worked with alien exploration, classified materials, and has a history with the Rising. He’s also almost as bad at being retired as you are, Miss Reyer. For all he bought a nice piece of property on Kala, he seems to still be involved in something that requires enough security that Ciro is having trouble breaching it.”

“Kala?”

“P16. You’ve never heard of it?”

“No.”

“It’s kind of famous. It’s where all the rich people in the Supremacy go to retire. If you’re not old and important, then you have to be young and famous to live there. It started out as a farmers’ planet, but now the farmers’ children all work to provide services and luxury to the wealthy.”

“P16? It’s a central planet?”

“Not exactly.” Vas turned and whistled to get Ciro’s attention. “Tablet?”

“You’ll have to come down here. They’re all hooked in.”

Reyer put the blanket aside and used Vas’s proffered arm to help herself up.

He saw her wince. “Ah, yes.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dose of Tranomine.

As they were making their way down to where Ciro and Jane were working on the main deck, Vas told his brother to bring up the star map.

Ciro set it up on a tablet and put a holo-prism above the screen to create a 3D image.

Reyer knelt on the middle bench, trying to tuck her legs so she could be comfortable.

Vas pointed to the cluster of stars that everyone knew. “The main body of the central planets are here. Ciro, can you zoom in?” The image reformed. “Kala is here—off in its own little corner.”

“I presume that it’s completely Supremacy controlled?” Alix asked.

Ciro scoffed. “It’s controlled by money.”

“It’s owned and controlled by the Supremacy,” Vas said, “but it’s completely uncontested with no political issues because they buy their way into whatever they want.”

“Which means that it’ll be unoccupied and unprotected.” It wasn’t even in a question in Reyer’s mind.

“Unoccupied, yes. Nothing but minor peacekeepers. However, it is protected.”

“That’s what we were discussing when you woke up,” Jane said. “Can I get some more coffee?”

Ciro pushed away the wires he’d tangled over his body and stood up. “I have to get some more too. Instant or canned?”

“Instant.” She rolled her tongue out in disgust as he took her mug from her. “Gross or grosser. I’ll get used to sleeping on a ship first.”

“Jane, there’s tea on this ship,” Alix said.

“Thank you for that utterly useless information.”

Reyer smiled and sipped her drink. “Tell me about why the protection would result in a ‘discussion.’” She did her best air quotes considering one hand was holding a mug.

Jane yelled back to Ciro, “I told you, you were being too noisy.”

“They use force fields,” Vas said.

Alix almost spit out her tea. “I thought you said it was uncontested!”

“It is. It has no strategic value—”

Ciro handed Jane her coffee. “And you’ve never heard of it, so obviously the Rising hasn’t bothered with it.”

“There are no bases?” Reyer asked. “No information centers?”

“Nope,” Vas said. “Only a lot of rich people that can afford to buy force fields.”

“Ah. That won’t be a problem. I’m good with personal force fields.”

“That will be helpful, Miss Reyer, but it’s the planet-wide ones we were discussing.”

Ciro pulled up a map of the unfamiliar planet, then overlaid the image of the force fields to show their coverage. The massive interconnected array formed a misshapen bubble that covered the majority of the populated areas, all the way to the ground.

Ciro pointed out the handful of entry points. “By invitation only. Scanned code on entering the atmosphere, and no public ports of any kind.”

“So we can’t use them?” Reyer asked.

“I could maybe hack in and fake a code, but when we tried to land, we’d have to be insanely persuasive because they’d know instantly that we don’t belong there. We’re going to have to take an alternative route.”

Reyer looked up at the captain. “Vas, this ship has no guns. What are we going to do?”

Adan Vas had on his playful smile. Alix felt an equal measure of wariness and excitement gather in her chest.

“Block and run,” he said.

She smiled. “Never heard of it.”

“That’s because no one but me and Ciro can do it.”

Jane pressed all her fingertips into her forehead. “Whatever you do, don’t ask how fast we’ll be going when we hit the force field if Wonder Boy over here screws up.”