“Great mercenary-ing, guys,” I say.
Kronos storms out, so thoroughly annoyed by the course of events I am sure he would beat the hell out of me if the others would let him. I am scared of what he’d do if he did get me, but I don’t think they’re going to let him get anywhere near me now. I’ve passed through the point where I do something just bad enough that they’d let him teach me a lesson, and I’m out the other side of they’re scared he’s going to ruin me. Actually kind of a good tactic, not that I planned it.
Boss doesn’t seem mad, but he doesn’t seem amused either. He steps away from his console and shakes his head at me.
“That was…” he says. “You are…”
“I made friends,” I say. “And I like to think I saved some lives. You would have evaporated all of those aliens. And the Sligs would have sold the women. This is actually the best outcome of a whole lot of possible outcomes.”
“It isnot!” Kronos says, not quite shouting but certainly projecting his voice as he steps off the bridge.
Kronos is pissed at me. The chain of command on this ship is confusing. Sometimes it seems like Sharp is captain. Other times, Kronos seems to be in charge. Boss is an independent creature at the best of times, but dominant all the time.
“You have to at least attempt obedience,” Sharp says. “This interference in our missions is going to end badly. Kronos is right about that. We could get ourselves killed if we can’t focus on the mission at hand.”
“I’m not going to be strapped down and thrown around the whole time you guys are having fun,” I say. “I made friends with that lady, too.”
“You did not make friends with her, I’m afraid. I know it felt like it, but that woman is a ruthless space pirate prepared to risk her life for a few rare elements. She’s not a friend. And there’s no guarantee she’ll let those women go.”
My jaw drops as I consider that his points are extremely valid. I trusted her, because I am a girl’s girl, but you never really know what the truth is when people are negotiating for their lives. “Oh, my god. There’s not! I need to get back on the mic with her.”
“No, you don’t. We are nowhere near that scene anymore.”
“We’re not? Why don’t I feel the ship move when it zips lightyears at a time, but when we were in that fight just before, everyone was getting tossed around like rocks in a bottle?”
“The ship has gravity fields, but they don’t activate with short, sharp movements. They’re designed to ameliorate bigger, longer motions. It’s like you won’t feel a lot of movement in a car speeding in a straight line, but one taking sharp turns over rough ground, even at lower speeds, feels harsher.”
“You know about cars?”
“I know about so many things,” Sharp says. “We’re done with this. We’re staying out of work territory until you are under control.”
“I don’t think I am ever going to be under control,” I sigh.
“I can believe that,” he says. “But we will try nonetheless. Stay out of Kronos’ way.”
CHAPTER 6
Staying out of his way seems like a really good idea. Seems like the only thing to do. I stick around Boss and Sharp almost exclusively for a day or two, but after a while, I find myself drawn back to him.
Maybe it’s because I’m stupid, or maybe it’s because I feel uncomfortable at the idea of a massive alien just lurking around the ship being angry at me. That makes me more nervous than just confronting him directly.
I pace back and forth in front of his door for what feels like an eternity before getting up the courage to go in.
“Kronos!” I shout his name and walk into his room. I guess I’m trying to project a strong front?
“What?” He looks up at me from a book he was reading.
“Are you mad at me?”
He looks at me, and for a moment there is so much fury in his eyes I think he might tear me apart. Then he bites it back, orfights it down, or whatever it is an alien like him does in order to not rip me to pieces.
“There is no point in being angry with you,” he says. “You have always been uncontrollable. That’s why we lost you the first time, and it’s why we’ll lose you again.”
I frown slightly at that.
“You got to evaporate people the other day. Doesn’t that make you feel better?”
“No. Knowing that I have you safe, knowing that you’re not an amnesiac time bomb waiting to go off, and being able to complete simple missions without you interfering would make me feel better.”
