Deadly Betrayal (21 page)

“Yes. They want what we have. It might not end up being with these girls, but I doubt they’ll stop looking.”

The twins’ decisions might rest on more variables than me, but he was right about John. “We should go talk to your father.”

*****

Just as Adam predicted, John said, “You decide, Hon. If you want to go save the world, I’ll do what I can to help you. If you want to go home, we’ll go home and put our feet up.”

“I want to go home.”

Adam said, “So we’ll go home.”

That was so easy it made me suspicious. Maybe he was serious about wanting to stay with me this time.

John shook his head. “I hear a but.”

I didn’t want to say it, but the words forced themselves over my lips anyway. “Yes. Going home doesn’t feel like the right thing to do.”

“So you want to stay with them.”

“No, I really don’t. I don’t know what to do.”

John said, “I think I should take you and the brothers home. Adam and I will go deal with Blake’s problems, and then we’ll come home to you.”

“No. I agree with taking the twins home, but in that case the three of us should stay together.”

Adam shook his head. “Sam and Eli won’t go for that. If you were with them they would feel they stayed for you, but they won’t go home on their own.”

Good point.

“Do we at least have a good plan?”

John chuckled, “Three androids, three humans, three aliens of which one is unconscious, and an old freighter against the Confederacy flagship. What do you think?”

“Considering we have you, two of the ship’s top commanders and the third in custody it doesn’t sound so bad.”

“I guess we’re doing this thing then.”

I sighed. “Probably. But only if we have a good plan. Right?”

We waited for a long time while Ima studied Jia’Lyn’s image scans, prepared her for surgery, and worked on her.

Debana sought me out in the kitchen. “So, what’s it like to live with an android?”

The way she asked brought a smile to my face.

“Like him, do you?”

“I do. It scares me.”

“Well, all relationships have ups and downs. I think most of the time, ours has been really good. One difference is that our downs have been crash landings.”

“Like with Eve. She
really
wanted to make you suffer.”

“Exactly. In our case, when things go wrong it’s a nuclear bomb. That doesn’t mean it would be the same for you.”

She sighed. “They are sexy though.”

“Totally.”

“How did you guys find Sam and Eli? Neither of you ever mentioned them.”

“We didn’t know they existed.” I told her the story up until we visited her on the Bell just before the great escape. “After that it seemed logical to go rescue Blake and Ima, and if we weren’t hunted before that… We decided to hide in John’s and Adam’s original home. We thought it was empty.”

“And you had Sam’s head all that time.”

“Almost forgot him on the Bell when the nanites attacked.”

Her skin took on that funny blue tone again. “I’m sure happy you remembered him.”

“I am too.”

She got a dreamy expression. “What is it like where you live?”

“Honestly, the planet is a steaming jungle. Not my thing, but probably fantastic if you’re into it. We live underground. It’s… It’s big.”

I still didn’t like to go to the lower levels alone, but Eli was a good sport and usually went with me.

“I know it’s too early to ask all this, but… If we all survive and if Sam and I keep hitting it off… Would there… Would I…”

“Would we have room for you? Of course we would.”

“I’m being so stupid. I haven’t even kissed him.”

“You should. See if you like it.”

“What if
he
doesn’t like it?”

“I’m guessing he will. Either way, you want to find out.”

“Is it strange? I mean, they’re machines, but not at all like machines.”

The question made me laugh. “I wondered that too. It’s not strange at all. It’s pretty fantastic.”

When Debana left, Samuel sought me out. I heard them meet in the corridor outside the kitchen. She said, “Hey you. I was just having tea with your sister.”

“And I’m looking for my sister.”

I thought she would plunge in and kiss him, it sounded like a good opportunity, but he arrived much too quickly for anything to have happened.

“Sister, I need advice.”

I smiled. “Would this have anything to do with a cute chemist whose eyes change color?”

He sat down next to me. “Yes it would. I really like her.”

“As much time as you spend together, I’m pretty sure she likes you too.”

“I haven’t met many women.”

Good point. And for the most part of his life the ones he knew were crazy.

“Do you think you like her because she’s the first you’ve really met, or do you like-like her?”

He looked amused. “I have wondered the same thing. Adam lived amongst humans for many years before meeting you, but he didn’t fall for anyone else. I’m assuming the same can be applied to me, in which case I like-like her.”

“Have you kissed her?” I already knew the answer, but it was still the right question.

He shook his head. “No. I want to, but I worry I won’t be good at it. Or maybe she doesn’t want to.”

“I’m sure you’ll be great at it. You should try.”

“I don’t suppose I can try on you, just to see if I need practice?”

Cute, and I really shouldn’t laugh, but it was hard not to. “No, you can’t. For several reasons. I’m a one android woman. Your brother is a patient person, but he wouldn’t respond well to that experiment. And, the most important, if you really like her, you should be kissing
her.
”

“These are good reasons. Thank you.”

“Let me know what happens.”

*****

It seemed to take forever before Blake came to get us. He said, “Ima actually let your brother enter the operating room.”

Adam smirked. “He seems to annoy her less than I do.”

Definitely.

Normally, Adam’s mere presence aggravated Ima. Allowing an android to be present during surgery was a huge step for her.

Blake said, “Come. We want to be there when Jia’Lyn wakes up.”

Ima waited for us, looking fatigued. “That wasn’t easy. Whoever built that thing knew what they were doing.”

Eli said, “Thank you for letting me assist.”

She nodded and looked at me. “There’s hope for that one.”

Eli looked confused and John said, “That was a compliment, son.”

Blake looked through the one-way window. “Thus far she has only seen one of us and it’s a person she doesn’t know. I’d like to keep it like that for now. Eli, would you mind sitting with her until she wakes up? We need to determine if she’s back to herself and what she knows.”

“Of course.”

Looking at him now it was hard to believe he was the same person we found cowering in the basement.

*****

Jia’Lyn woke much sooner than I expected. I thought she’d be out for hours, or days.

She looked at Eli and said, “I know you. Or, my snake knows you. She has been talking to you. She says you protected her.”

“I did my best.”

“Why?”

“It was the right thing to do.”

“I know I’ve never met you, but you still remind me of someone. My best friend’s husband.”

“Who is your friend?” I admired Eli’s calm.

“She… She came from the past. It’s an amazing love story, maybe I’ll tell you some time, I don’t feel up to it right now. I
think
something happened to her husband, but I can’t remember. I worked on a starship, and a lot of bad things happened. I remember them going on shore leave, but after that everything is a blur.”

She groaned, “Why can’t I remember?”

Eli said, “You should get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to be alone.

“You won’t be. I will be here.”

“You are so much like him. But Adam was an android.”

“How do you know I’m not?” He sounded curious.

“I don’t know. I thought there was only one.” Her eyes fell shut and both woman and snake slept.

Blake said, “We should have someone here tonight.”

“Eli is here.” John sounded uninterested.

Adam said, “I’ll stay.”

He was right. She was our friend more than anyone’s, and we owed her for a great many things.

When everyone else left, Adam said, “You don’t have to stay. I’d like it if you did, but you don’t have to.”

I was exhausted and he probably knew.

I glanced through the window. “Do you think she knew what was happening when she lost control?”

He rested his hands on my shoulders. “Maybe. I knew.”

“What are you… Oh. Eve.”

His sister took us prisoner, deactivated Adam, and programmed another personality over his. Cain almost killed me while Adam watched, helpless to do anything about it.

Jia’Lyn was there for us in the aftermath of that too.

I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. Resting my head against his chest didn’t make everything in the world right, but it
felt
better.

Adam finally said, “Stay here and watch her. I will be right back.”

He returned within minutes, carrying a large chair that almost didn’t fit through the door. I wouldn’t have been able to lift it, but it probably weighed nothing to him.

I expected him to offer it to me, but he sat down, reclined it, and said, “Come here.”

I climbed up on his lap, and when resting on him with his arms around me, I slept within minutes.

*****

I woke hours later from a scream, but it wasn’t mine. Adam was already getting up, rising from the chair while holding me in a manner impossible for a human.

In the next room, Jia’Lyn sat up in bed with her eyes wide. Eli said, “You’re safe. It’s okay, I’m here. You’re not alone and you’re safe.”

The expression on her face made me want to go in and hug her.

There was no need. She turned towards Eli’s voice. “You’re still here.”

“I promised I would be here.”

“I think I’ve done some terrible things. The engines… I sabotaged the ship.”

He nodded. “I know. It’s not important right now. You just need to rest and get strong again.”

“You’re so much like him. Who are you?”

“So much like who?”

“Adam. But Adam is an android, and he doesn’t look like you. You’re not him, are you?”

Eli smiled. “I am not. I’m Eli, and I’m here for you. Go back to sleep. I will be here.”

Jia’Lyn leaned back and he tucked her in.

I whispered, “He is so good at this.”

He must have heard me. He glanced over in our direction and winked.

When we sat down again, Adam said, “Will you be able to stay awake for a few?”

“Why?” It was in the middle of the night, and the way he asked sounded like, “We need to talk.”

“Blake and I have come up with a plan, and I want to tell you.”

That sounded like, “And I don’t think you’ll like it.”

“What is it?”

“We’ve been listening to Confederacy transmissions with the shuttle. The Bell remained at GA11 for almost a week, looking for Jia’Lyn. Evidently they haven’t found her because she’s here. That means they lack the entire senior staff, which in turns means disorder.”

“I would normally say ‘Oh no,’ but now I guess it’s a good thing?”

“They’re going to GA7. During their stop there, John will hide our ship among the other freighters and teleport me aboard. I will rig the system to sweep the ship with a low level radiation, kind of like how Eli suggested, and as soon as she’s traveling again, I will start the sweep. With any luck, anyone remaining unaltered will recognize me and be willing to help. Or, at least obey.”

Horrible idea, especially coming from someone who swore he’d never leave me again a day earlier.

“That’s the worst plan I’ve heard. And she could be docked for weeks. Months. You could be stuck in there forever.”

“I know. But I have to be on the ship when she takes off, so I can’t risk leaving. I calculate a ninety-six point two percent higher probability of success if I go than if anyone else does it.”

I needed to stay calm or he wouldn’t listen.

“Adam, this is a bad idea and I don’t want you to do it. We have to be able to think of something better.”

“The ship’s sensors won’t register me as a life form and I can stay hidden. I know the ship. With any luck I’m impervious to the nanites and if not, well, I can at least see them. Plus, I might still hold some authority over the crew.”

Stubborn man. “Shouldn’t we start with trying to figure out what’s happening and who’s doing all this?”

“We need the ship to do that.”

It was probably logical from his point of view, but I hated it. The mere idea made me want to cry.

I hid my face against his neck and he ran a hand over my hair.

“I
really
don’t want you to do this.”

“I know you don’t, but it’s our best way to regain control of the Bell.”

And then what? Sneak onto other ships and do the same thing? Planets? The rest of the galaxy? With any luck this hadn’t gone too far out of hand, but as John pointed out, a thing like the nanites would spread like wildfire.

There would always be a situation he could handle better than anyone else, and eventually he would be killed. Again.

I kept my voice as steady as I could. “You have asked for my opinion so many times these past few weeks when it didn’t really matter. This time it matters, and I don’t want you to do this.”

“We’ll help with the Bell and then we’ll go home.”

“Sure we will. And pigs can totally fly. Upside down, even.”

“Alex…”

“No. It will always be like this. Earlier today we agreed to help if we had a good plan. This isn't a good plan. There will always be just one more bizarrely dangerous and important thing no one else can do. I will go through the rest of my life worrying for you.”

His strong fingers forced my face up so I had to meet his eyes. “This is the last one. I promise.”