Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 274(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Mardok’s answers to Niri are very short and blunt. He is not a talker, my mate. I do not mind that. He seems like Asha—someone with hurts buried deep. It makes me ache for him, because he is my mate and I want to help. Perhaps the love I have for him and the kit we make together will carry the pain out of his eyes, like it did for Asha and Hemalo. I like the thought very much.
They both look over at me. “She should meet the captain,” Niri says with a smile that does not reach her eyes. “Did you send him the language file?”
My mate sighs heavily. “I guess I should. I can’t put it off, can I?”
I do not understand why they both look so unhappy.
MARDOK
The captain isn’t pleased. The captain isn’t even remotely pleased. I explain to him the situation with Farli, and the fact that there are more people—more mesakkah, no less—living somewhere on this snowball of a planet, and marooned.
“Old Sakh?” He looks thoughtful as he swirls his tea in his favorite mug. “Ancient history. How did they get here?”
“The Sakh Empire was space-faring,” I remind him. “The technology wasn’t what we have, of course, but they were still very capable.” I glance back at Farli, who is sitting in the ship’s mess hall with Niri. The medic’s been told to keep her busy while I explain things to the captain, and right now Niri is showing Farli how to brew tea through the computer system. I can only imagine the wonder and delight in Farli’s mind as she pushes buttons and makes tea come out, and I hate that I’m not there at her side.
“And you’re sure this isn’t a plant of some kind? That she’s not a spy?”
I look at him like he’s crazy. “Captain, this is a remote snowball not even near any shipping lanes or disputed territory. What would she spy on?”
“Us?”
All that military background finally made the man’s mind snap, I decide. “We’re a long-haul freighter. Right now we’re carrying kelp from Eldirav V.” It’s a high-end product, but it isn’t exactly worth spying over. “Can’t say that there’s a need to spy on greens.”
The captain grunts, like he doesn’t quite believe me but doesn’t have any other theories, either. “I find it hard to believe she knows nothing about us. Or the ship.”
I’m pretty sure she knows nothing about nothing. Farli’s a blank slate when it comes to our world. In a way, it’s kind of charming. It’s also utterly terrifying because it makes her helpless. I still don’t think she realizes I shot her pet. I don’t think she has any idea of what a blaster is.
I envy her that.
The captain doesn’t look convinced. “So she’s just lost, then?”
I bite back my sigh. The captain’s a good man, but stubborn. “Don’t think she sees it that way. This is her home. I don’t think she’s ever known anything but this place, not if she’s speaking Old Sakh.”
“How many of her people are here?”
I shrug. “Your guess is as good as mine. She hasn’t said much about them, but I don’t think she’s hiding anything.” I feel strangely protective of her, and I don’t like that the captain’s being a pain in the ass about her. She means no harm. If anything, we’re the harmful ones. I’ve known her for all of an hour or two and I already tried to kill her damn pet.
Chatav considers this carefully, then nods. “I’ll determine what to do with her over dinner. Be sure she’s dressed appropriately.” He turns his back to me and marches out of med bay, military-crisp.
Keffing hell. Dinner? Every time the ship has visitors, the captain loves to put on a military-style formal dinner for everyone. It’s more or less the politest interrogation possible. I was hoping he wouldn’t pull this shit, but the captain loves ceremony. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea for Trakan to know that she’s here,” I call after the captain’s back.
“I did not ask you, Vendasi.” The captain’s response is icy. He doesn’t even turn around. “This is a small crew. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
Sure we don’t. We just don’t ask about shit we don’t want to know about. I rub my jaw. “Fine.”
I don’t like this, but I don’t have a choice. I’m not in charge here, and even if I dig my heels in, Niri and Trakan will go with what the captain says. I’m just the mech. But I can’t get over the feeling that I’m somehow ruining Farli’s life already, and it doesn’t sit well in my gut. I know what it’s like, first hand, when someone invades a peaceful land and brings unwanted technology with them. And it makes my blood run cold to think of Farli losing the happy innocence in her demeanor.