Max looked helplessly toward Rick who hurried down the corridor. After a few seconds, Rick slid forward and curled a tentacle around James’s torso. “Max Husband must work without offspring.”
James shoved his father’s tentacle away. “Untrue. Xander goes with Max Father.”
“Xander has talent with language. Xander can assist.”
James aimed his biggest eye at his brother. If octopus could’ve killed with a glare, Xander’s days would have been numbered. James’s tentacles were stiff as he said, “I can assist.”
Rick moved closer to James. “I too wish to go with Max Husband. But my talent is programming, and I am not of help where Max Husband goes. Therefore, I logically stay.”
“My talent is weapons. Cranky female-presenting creature requests help for weapons. Therefore, I go.” With each word, James's voice grew louder. Substantially.
Rick leaned his torso toward Max, which he interpreted as a request for backup. Max moved to Rick’s side. “Hey, kiddo. I wish you could go. In a fair universe, she would listen to your suggestions because you are very good at engineering. I bet you could do wonderful things if you came. But people aren't fair. The universe isn't fair. And if you came, she would not listen to you.”
James’s tentacles grew stiffer. Max had a flashback to Pete throwing a fit about Max’s school camping trip where he had not been invited. Rick might talk about how offspring were born mature, but Max was fairly sure he was full of shit, because James was gearing up for a toddler temper tantrum.
“She ignores Xander,” Max explained. “She is a rude poopy face with Xander.”
Xander made bubbly noises of agreement. Max was lucky that Xander had less of a temper than James did or both, their potential client and James, would get an earful about how poopy they were being.
“She ignores Xander because Xander has talent with useless language. I have talent with weapons. With ships.” After James made that proclamation, Xander grabbed at his brother’s closest leg. James grabbed back. Before Max could do anything, Kohei had waded into the middle of the match and grabbed both brothers. He was so much stronger than Xander and James that he pulled them apart, and Rick caught James and held him to one side.
“Xander, take the cart out,” Max said.
Xander spat at Kohei and said something untranslatable to James before he headed toward the door.
“I could help Max Father!” James said.
Max could imagine the wealth of frustration he would hear if they had the fancy business translator. And he got it. He did. As much as he hadn’t wanted to be assigned to active combat, he remembered the frustration of watching other pilots get those positions. He’d railed against the unfairness of never getting the opportunity to prove himself, all because someone had spread a true rumor about his homosexuality where an Afghani translator overheard it. It sucked knowing that you weren’t welcome, and it broke Max’s heart that James felt shut out.
“You are brilliant,” Max said as soon as Xander was safely out of the fray. Hopefully that meant James was listening.
“Much annoying with brilliance,” Rick added.
Max grinned at him. “Yep, you make good offspring,” he told Rick. The undulating tentacles suggested that Rick appreciated the compliment, even if James was still all stiff tentacles. “But kiddo, Carrington has this screwed-up idea that your people aren't worth trading with, just like she had a screwed-up idea that humans were useless and harmless.”
“You taught her of screwing up perception with humans. Teach her different with Hidden People,” James demanded.
“I am trying very hard to do exactly that,” Max said. Having to look James in his eyes and tell him that the world was unfair—that sucked. Maybe if they could earn enough money, they could reveal the true author of the navigation program and then move to a part of space with absolutely no sentient life. Max was starting to think sentience was overrated. His family and a dog, and he’d be happy.
“Return to waters,” Rick said.
“I’m not dry,” James argued. He was sounding more like a toddler every second.
“Then go elsewhere.” Rick’s volume did imply snapping.
With more gentleness than Max expected, Kohei herded his little brother toward the door that led back into the main living areas. Max watched them go. “I hate this universe.Star Trekpromised me that space was going to be better.”
“Star lied,” Rick said. “I didn’t know I hated until you showed me reason for much hate. I am unsure whether you should say sorries or I should be grateful.”
That was a pretty damn good summary of the whole fucked-up situation. “Maybe both.”
“Logical and illogical.” Rick blew bubbles. “Humans make life odd.”
Max huffed. “That we do.” He held a hand out toward Rick, and he curled a tentacle around it.
Rick didn’t speak for several minutes. “I worry. Carrington is not with trustworthiness. Be very carefuls.”
“I will,” Max promised. “Trust me, I know all these people are backstabbers. They want profit, and they will hurt people to get it.”
