“Jace, are we in any danger?” his mother asked.
“No, I don’t think so. The Osiris won’t harm you, because I don’t want it to. What happened in the corridor was a mistake,” Jace said as he eyed Gehenna over his mother’s shoulder.
Gehenna drew in some of her tentacles in shame. He wouldn’t explain how it was Gehenna’s mistake. His parents were already suspicious of her when she was only trying to help. Her helping though did seem to cause chaos. But it was not ill-intentioned. Besides, everyone made mistakes.
“Forgive me, Jace, but how would you know all of this?” General Intoshkin asked. “And even if you feel you know it, how are you certain it’s true? Who knows what was pumped into you, young man. How can you trust anything?”
Jace had to admit he had a point. But he was bone deep certain about things. Even without Osiris communicating to him like Gehenna did, he was sure of the statements he was making. But other than simply saying that, he had no proof to offer.
Not yet anyways.
“My son doesn’t lie, General,” his father said firmly. “He also isn’t prone to putting people in danger. He’s had to… to always think ahead because of his condition. If he says it’s okay, it is.”
My condition… huh. My condition was not being fully transformed into the Pilot. I am now, but I still have so many questions and not enough answers!
“And it is okay,” Jace said gratefully with a smile at his father. He had feared that his parents would show their overprotective side and not listen to him. But even if they likely wanted to hustle him out of this place, they trusted him. “Let me just try and figure out what’s going on here. If you don’t feel comfortable staying, I understand. But I have to remain.”
“If you are staying, we are,” Khoth said firmly.
“I’m so glad that you are including me in things,” Thammah replied dryly.
“You like trouble, Flight Commander. I did not believe you would go even if I ordered you away.” Khoth crossed his arms at the wrists behind his back.
Jace let out a bright burst of laughter. Khoth lifted an eyebrow as if to ask what was so funny. He didn’t think Khoth would appreciate him saying how cute the two of them acted together. It was as if they had known each other for ages, but they had just met. Thammah grinned at him. She knew what was funny.
But Jace said, “Nothing, nothing. Let me just talk to Gehenna here.”
Khoth lowered his voice and said, “She and the Osiris appear at odds. I think, also, that she is hiding things.”
Jace was pretty sure that Khoth was right. But were they things that were dangerous or malicious? No, they were likely protective. He would get Gehenna to trust them with whatever bad things she was hiding. But first things first. He had to make sure the Osiris wasn’t going to blow up and make a liar out of him.
Gehenna, do you know what’s going on with the Osiris? Jace asked her. What’s with the vibrations?
They were at the same level as when they began. Jace wondered if the ship though could shake apart. He could feel the thrum through the soles of his feet.
The Osiris was in a deep sleep, Jace. It’s ability to connect to any of its power cells and activate its systems was hugely limited, I think, she theorized. I’m guessing here, but now that the Osiris has a Pilot again, the Osiris can now restart those systems, including ones to heal the hull.
Jace chewed his inner cheek. So it doesn’t need me to order it to do something like that?
Maybe not consciously no. Think of it like breathing and your heart beating. Those things go on in your body without conscious thought. In the case of the Osiris, certain base systems would be allowed to activate once a Pilot is aboard.
Jace slowly nodded. Well, it’s sort of a load off. I wouldn’t want to have to control every single thing the Osiris does to maintain its systems.
Indeed! Gehenna lifted up several tentacles as if they were her arms to gesticulate. That would be burdensome! I suppose if you did not wish the Osiris to repair itself, you could order it not to.
But I do want it to!
Don’t worry. A stray thought shouldn’t stop the systems. I am pretty certain that Osiris would require you to be very clear and insistent for it to stop, she remarked dryly.
Jace wondered about the clear antagonism between Gehenna and the Osiris then. He had expected that since they were all connected now--or both were connected to him anyway--that there would be a greater understanding between them. Or, at least, Gehenna would know more. Not to mention that she had spent who knew how long aboard the ship.
I expected you to know more about the Osiris. I mean you were… well, you were imprisoned on it, Jace stated.
The Osiris and I were created by very different people, Jace. It has loads of secrets I don’t know, but you can, she said.
There was so much in those few sentences that she had revealed that he wanted to chase down. Who were these very different people? What did she mean by “very different”? Why would there be secrets between these people? Were they at odds? In competition? Enemies?
That last thought had him ill at ease. But yet it, and all those other questions, fell to the side as he needed to know how he could learn the Osiris’ secrets, or if not its secrets, what he could do as the Pilot.
