The scientist's face was a shifting mask of emotions. Frustration. Hope. Fear. "My team has been working day and night to get that damn ship back online. It's the main computer. Something called Magnis. It keeps thwarting all of our attempts to force its activation."
"Magnis? He's still alive?" Sylvie was glad the ship's brains hadn't been totally destroyed in the crash. She knew he was only a computer, but people got very attached to their electronics. Even if he did beat her at every game stored in his memory banks.
"Yes, he's alive all right," Jark'Khal said. "He keeps denying us access. As far advanced as we are compared to you, I was sure we'd have cracked it by now. Maybe if you talked to the computer," he said, addressing Sylvie. "It might activate if it heard a familiar voice."
"That's actually a good idea," Sylvie said. She'd assumed the computer was dead, but if he was standing in the way of figuring out how her ship had taken down the shields, then it couldn't hurt to try and talk Magnis into helping out.
Once they'd figured out this mess, she and Magnis could fly on home. Without having surrendered herself completely to the regent. Heavy emotion rose sharply inside of her at the thought of leaving him. She glanced up at him as he continued to verbally pound the creep beside her.
"Sure, a great idea. Get both you and your ship in the same place so Hareema agents can take you both out in one fell swoop. I don't think so." X's tone was adamant.
"Come on, X," she said. "We don't have any other leads. It's worth a shot."
The regent's eyes narrowed. His skin was darkening, but not taking on a particular color. "If it's a set up, I lose any hope of finding out what happened."
And you lose your hold over me. Once I have my ship back, I won't have to sleep with you for a ride home. As much as I was curious about making love to him, he was almost desperate to have a go at me. His obsession should have been disturbing, but it wasn’t. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a man in my bed, or simply on my mind.
"I'm willing to argue the point." She straightened her shoulders before sneaking a peek at the prisoner.
Jark'Khal was hanging on their every word, still terrified that he'd be accused of being an enemy collaborator.
"But not here." She threw her thumb over her shoulder at the scientist. "Are we done with this guy?"
"He's told us nothing." X shook his head. "However, he doesn’t seem to have anything worth digging for anyway.”
"Then let's get out of here. These cells give me the creeps."
