"Then one day, I don't remember which one it was," Jessit continued. "But it was like years after the crash. These white-haired people with bronze skin and blue eyes found him. They thought he was a god. And of course so did he. He basically did to them what the Reliance had done to his people. He made all of their males stop breeding their females in their cycles, and he bred with all the females when they were fertile, making children that were all as brown as we are. He formed the Religion, and put a breeding program in place that would insure that his race would survive but wouldn't become so inbred that they started to have genetic mutations. It's very complex, and one has to wonder if the high priests have always understood the program themselves."
"So in fact he was like a god because he did create you," Topaz said thoughtfully.
"Yes," Jessit said. "He and the priests."
"So here's something I don't understand," Stratton said. "From what you have said, and what little I have observed in your culture, women are more or less completely equal. Children are raised by both parents, men and woman hold the same jobs, wear basically the same clothing, and train and fight together. Yet woman aren't allowed to be priests. They aren't even allowed in the palace or the temples, why is that?"
Jessit laughed. "Ah! That's easy. Women distract men, and men distract women. A choice was made. Men would serve, and women wouldn't. Therefore we can't have them around to distract the King and the priests."
"It's probably simpler than that," Topaz said. "The Ancestor thought he was god and therefore perfect. That's why he put the breeding programs in place – to make everyone look like him. He was black, so he wanted them to be black. He was male, so therefore those who were male were more perfect, so he set them up as the priests."
"Yeah, well, here's what I don't get," Bradley started. He, too, had been listening to the native's story. "If Paul Arquette hated the Reliance so intensely, why did this people ever deem to trade with them? To even try to have friendly Relations with them?"
Jessit smiled. "Ah . . . because the King/God's spirit is said to move to the body of the Chosen. The King/God's have all taken council from the priests. At some point the Reliance sent ambassadors to trade with our people. The high priest's voices told him it was a good thing. The other priests agreed, and when they told the King what the gods had told them, the King gracefully agreed. Of course the King/God never reads from the book of The Ancestor, so he wouldn't have known about the real history. And you and I both know he really did not possess the spirit of Paul Arquette. So he had no real problem with the Reliance, and we needed replacement parts for the generators, light bulbs, metal implements and things the Reliance had in abundance and that we could not make."
"So . . . the priests are all schizophrenic?" Topaz said again.
"No," RJ said. They had walked up unseen on the group huddled around the fire, and they all jumped. "Sorry," she said with a wicked grin, then continued with her train of thought. "The priests are all telepaths, although I'm sure that being untrained as to how to handle the power they do go quite mad. Basically these people are the descendants of a deranged, armless black French human and criminal Argy telepaths who had been sent to this planet as part of their sentence. By the time the deranged, armless black Frenchman got here, the telepathic gene had been mostly bred out. Then by the time he bred in his own genes for several generations, the common Argy empathic trait all but disappeared. However the priests have a separate breeding program. One that ensured that the telepathic gene remained active. Although without knowing what it is, they believe that they are talking to the gods."
"Damn it, RJ," Topaz said. "I wanted to figure it out."
"Sorry, Old Man, but maybe now you'll be able to get back to work," she said looking at the hands and their apparatus at his feet
Topaz grumbled, got up and moved to pick up the prostheses from where he had laid them in the dirt. He turned to Taleed and shrugged. "Sorry," he apologized.
"I have gone a lifetime without hands; a few more hours aren't going to make a difference," Taleed said graciously.
RJ went over to the fire, lifted the skewer from the tripods, and pulled one of the fully cooked and steaming hot snails from it. She let it cool only a few seconds and then took a bite out of it. "Wow! These are really good! What are they?"
Taleed started to answer, and Levits moved quickly to put a hand over his mouth. "No. Don't tell us. I may actually enjoy it if I don't know." Levits let the boy go. He hefted the backpack from his back and sat down on the rock next to Taleed.
"Did you bring me anything?" Topaz asked looking at the obviously full packs on each of their backs.
"Some very heavy, horrid weapon RJ simply had to have. Nothing of any real value," Levits said glaring at RJ. RJ just smiled and returned the skewer to the tripods.
RJ looked at the strangers, sizing them up with a glance. One thing was obvious; they were afraid of her. She could feel their combined fear like a wave. They didn't know what she might do to them, but they were pretty sure they weren't going to like it, and just as sure that there was nothing they could do to stop her.
Of course they had a point.
"So . . . Who's in charge?" RJ asked of them as a group. They all looked at the biggest man in the group, as the native – who had no doubt come with them – struck a neutral pose as if to say he was with no one and knew nothing.
The big man turned and stared back at the woman. She looked up at RJ unblinkingly although her emotions gave her away. "Technically that would be me. Lieutenant Stratton, First Division, Space Force." She stood up and held her hand out towards RJ.
RJ stuffed the rest of the meat in her mouth, grabbed the woman's hand with her greasy one and applied just enough pressure for it to be uncomfortable. The woman's face didn't falter, even as the fat from the meat dripped out the bottom of their joined hands, and RJ let her hand go. She wiped the goo from her hand onto her pants leg and smiled. Then she turned quickly on the big man.
"But you're basically in charge now," RJ said noticing the way he jumped.
"I don't think any of us are in charge now," he said, quickly composing himself.
RJ laughed heartily as she helped Janad take the heavy pack off. "He's a smart man. Give him a gold star," RJ said smiling at Topaz. Topaz just shrugged as if to tell her that her little display of power was more irritating than it was amusing. She shrugged back, acknowledging his indifference and letting him know she didn't care what he thought.
"Do you have a name?" she asked their leader.
"Bradley. This is Jackson. Our wounded man is Decker, and the native is Jessit," he said.
RJ could feel his fear of her start to fade. He really was a smart man, and he knew that if she meant to kill them she would have done it already, and saved herself the trouble of getting to know them. "Levits, David and Janad," RJ said pointing at each respectively. "Apparently we are all on the same side, so as long as you do what I tell you, when I tell you, we'll be all right."
She spoke to Topaz over her shoulder, "Give them their weapons back."
"Oh, I don't think that's such a good idea," Topaz said quickly.
Levits dumped his heavy pack then grunted and walked into the brush.
"Who died and left you in charge?" RJ said angrily. Now was not the time to question her authority. Not in front of the new "recruits." She looked around, then looked at Topaz suspiciously. "Where is my brother?"
Topaz seemed to focus more intently on his work as if he hadn't heard her.
"Topaz, I asked you a question. Where is my brother?" RJ demanded.
"Ah . . . You don't have a brother. You have a sister, but . . ."
"Don't start your shit with me, Old Man," RJ hissed back. "Where is Poley?"
"He's watching them . . . You told me to have him watch them," Topaz defended.
"Watching them do what from where?" RJ asked hotly.
"Watching the camp, watching the prisoners . . ."
"Prisoners?" RJ asked, her patience wearing thin.
"Well, you're the one who always says you can't be too careful, and I was in charge . . ."
"Who said you were in charge? Why would I leave you in charge? You're crazy; you know that. In charge of what?" RJ said hotly. "Of in case of any Reliance defectors should happen to land a ship in our camp? Give me a freaking break!"
"I'm pretty sure you left me in charge, RJ. And, yes, in case something just like this should happen . . . I mean someone has to be in charge," Topaz defended.
"Well, no offense, but it wouldn't have been you," RJ said with a sigh. She mentally counted to ten. "Now, what the hell have you done with my brother?" RJ demanded, taking a menacing step closer to him.
"I had him walk up on the little hill over there and keep watch. I figured he could see the whole camp, and if any of the prisoners . . ."
"Oh, just shut up, Topaz," RJ looked up at the hill, focused, and saw Poley. She waved at him and said, "Poley get back down here."
She heard him answer, and then saw him start to run down the hill.
A few moments later Poley seemed to appear out of thin air. The four newcomers seemed a little shocked at the speed with which he had returned, and from the look on Bradley and Stratton's faces they had already come to the wrong conclusion. "He's not, you know," RJ told them.
"Not what?" Stratton asked.
"A GSH . . . He's not," she said simply. "However, he is my brother."
"Did you leave Topaz in charge?" Poley asked immediately, not allowing Stratton to respond to what RJ had said.
RJ sighed deeply. "Of course not, Tin Pants."
"Then it was just more of his crazy ramblings," Poley said matter-of-factly.
Topaz's head jerked up. "Crazy ramblings! Crazy ramblings! How would you like this little metal arm shoved right up your little metal ass?"
"I wouldn't like it," Taleed said. "I would like to use the hands."
Just then Levits walked back into camp. He had his under wear on, but he had the top of his pants wadded up in one fist and they were hanging around his knees. His other hand was cupped very close to his groin.
"What's wrong?" RJ asked with a sigh.
For answer, Levits started to laugh hysterically. "Wrong? What's freaking wrong? Oh, nothing's wrong. My life's perfect – couldn't get any freaking better. I'm stuck on this floating turd of a planet with you bunch of lunatics, and now . . .." He moved his hand away to reveal a small lizard about an inch long and almost as wide stuck on his leg. "What the freak is this thing, and is it going to move?"
"A vampire lizard," Jessit said moving forward. "It won't move until it's finished eating. It makes a hole in you and sucks your blood out through its tube-like mouth . . ."
"I don't want to know it's freaking life cycle! I just want it off of me!" Levits hollered.
"Can you get it off?" RJ asked the priest.
He nodded. "Yes, but it hurts."
"It hurts now," Levits said. "Just get the bastard off of me. I'm using my blood, I need it."
Jessit nodded, walked over to Levits and smacked the lizard hard with the palm of his hand. Levits let out a scream, and the lizard fell to the ground hissing up at them. Jessit picked the little beast up by its tail and tossed him into the fire where he made a satisfying little popping sound.
"Now we have to suck the poison out," Jessit said moving to do so.
"Poison!" Levits screeched. Then he grabbed the native's head. "Wait! Wait a minute. How bad is the poison?" he glared at David, who was trying hard not to laugh, but not really succeeding.
"It won't kill you, but it could make you very sick."
"Probably infection caused from the bite itself. Sucking on it probably removes the impurities," RJ said. "Better let him do it."
Levits looked at her appealingly, then looked to the spot where the bite was.
RJ looked at Bradley and Stratton. "So much for making a formidable first impression," she said. Rolling her eyes she grabbed Levits' arm and started pulling him towards the area behind the ship. "You are such a big baby."
"You know what, RJ? Just once I wish something like this would happen to you," Levits said, and then they were out of sight.
David looked at Bradley and smiled. "I'm not an empath, but I know what you're thinking," he said.
"What would that be?" Bradley asked.
David smiled more broadly and answered, "How the hell did this band of lunatics beat the Reliance?"
Bradley smiled then and relaxed for the first time all day. "Wow! You read my mind."
Even shut up on the bridge he could hear the screams of the prisoners in the brig, although he wasn't quite sure whether the noise was real or imagined. He was spacing them as quickly as possible to make sure they didn't escape again. He had no qualms about executing the prisoners, he just wanted the job to be over so that the station could get back to business.
What a mess! Whatever happened to dying with dignity? he wondered.
"Could you please . . . " Briggs took a deep breath before looking back up at the screen and continuing. "I have told you that everything here and on the station is well under control. Please just dock and do the repair work as you have been ordered."
"You're correct. My orders are to fix the ship. But I am not required to put myself, my ship or my crew in jeopardy to do that. To the contrary, unless you are in immediate danger, my first priority is to ensure the safety of my ship and my crew. The patch on the station is holding, therefore you are in no immediate danger. Your job is to make sure Pam Station is secure enough for my people and I to dock safely and make the repairs. You do your job, and I will gladly do mine . . ."
"How dare you tell me what my job is, you glorified mop jockey! Listen to me! Dock that ship and get to work before I write you up!"
The overweight man in the work coveralls looked at him and smiled broadly. "What's that, Briggs? I can't hear you; we're breaking up. Must be that damned magnetic pulse."
It sounded more like he was scraping something across the transmitter.
"Gee! I can't hear anything you're saying."
"Damn it, man . . . I'll see you court-martialed! This is not some joke. My mission is in jeopardy."
The image faded out, and there was no audible response.
"They have cut transmission, Captain," the communications moron reported.
Briggs took in a deep breath and wondered why he had been surrounded by idiots. There was no problem on the station now; they had totally crushed the uprising. No doubt the maintenance people who were giving him all the trouble had managed to make contact with the Kryptonite, and they were refusing to dock as a sign of solidarity.
Well, that just wasn't going to work, not in the Reliance. Not with Captain Briggs!
"Get me a line with Admiral Berk. I'll get that fat jerk off his ass one way or the other," Briggs ordered. "We'll see if the moron is still laughing when Admiral Berk gets done with him."
"Yes, Sir," the communications officer said. It seemed to take the idiot an hour to get Briggs a clear line with the Admiral.
"What is it now, Briggs?" the Admiral's voice sounded tired and angry. His features probably would have been impossible to read even if he had bothered to look into the monitor.
Briggs took a deep breath. It was hard not to tell the guy where to stick his attitude. When he had accepted the position on Pam Station with the duty of moving the Beta 4 humanoids to Earth for military training, he had been promised it was a cushy position that would propel him up the ranks. Now everything was falling apart through no fault of his own, and he was dealing with all these nightmares while the Admiral was curled up in some cozy office planet side. Briggs realized now that if the mission was successful the Admiral would get all the credit, and he'd get his crumb for being a "good boy". If the mission bombed the way it seemed destined to do without some help from, Berk he, Briggs, would be hung out to dry.
"Sir," Briggs saluted and swallowed hard. "We caught and executed the rebel spies who were directly responsible for the attack on the station and for giving top secret information to the New Alliance, and there was a minor disturbance among a few additional personnel. We have contained the rabble-rousers and things are now back to normal. My problem now is that the repair crew from Stashes is refusing to dock and do their job . . ."
"Briggs, handle these problems yourself!" Berk said hotly, looking up for the first time. "We have bigger problems than a few disgruntled maintenance workers. Your little Beta 4 natives have just gone crazy in their camps and are tearing the bases apart and killing all the Reliance personnel they can get their hands on. It's all Earth Forces can do to contain the bastards. It's obvious the rebels were able to infiltrate at some point and win the brown bastards over. Until a full inquiry can be made, your operation is closed down. So you see? Making Pam Station operational is no longer a high priority. Someone somewhere dropped the ball, and you better hope it wasn't you, Briggs."
"Sir, I assure you . . . I followed your orders to the letter! I gathered up anyone I even suspected of spying as soon as I knew there was any sort of problem. I feel as if I have acted admirably under these conditions. Nothing that has gone wrong is my fault. It certainly wasn't my idea to train Beta 4 humanoids to fight the rebels. It certainly wasn't my idea to trade them for radioactive gold. I was just following orders, and I really think . . ."
"Quit whining, Briggs. If I were you, I'd quit wasting time figuring out all the reasons none of this was my fault, and find some way to salvage what's left of the operation. Do something right, and it might even make you look better in front of the board of inquiry." The screen went blank, and the transmission ended.
"Well, that's it then." Briggs sighed. He stood up and started pacing, burying his fingers deep in his ever thinner hair. The worst had happened. The entire plan had fallen apart, and he was going to be blamed. Blamed for all of it. From the missing transport ship and the hole in the station to the Beta 4 natives' attack on Reliance personnel on Earth and the destruction of Reliance property. He was going to be blamed for it all, and at least his career, if not his life, was over. He walked back to his chair, sat down and took a deep breath.
"Yumby, stand on," he ordered. The sergeant turned to look at him curiously. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Power our weapons up and target the Kryptonite . . . Lieutenant Drex, get the Kryptonite on line."
The fat maintenance guy's face filled the screen again. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Briggs?" he screamed. "Our sensors indicate that you have aimed your forward gun at us."
"Yes, that's right, fat boy. And unless you dock and get your fat ass to work, I am going to blast your defenseless ship right out of the sky," Briggs said. "In ten, nine, eight . . ."
"All right, you freaking lunatic! But don't think I'm not going to report this."
"You have exactly twenty minutes to dock and commence work on the station. Transmission out."
"Lieutenant Drex, get me Lieutenant Stratton on the surface. I want to know what if any progress they have made," Briggs ordered.
"Yes, sir," Drex said.
It took quite a while to raise Stratton, and sounded looked hurried and was obviously out of breath as she answered him.
Briggs didn't beat around the bush. "Stratton, it is customary to call in occasionally and inform your Captain of what . . . if indeed any progress you have made."
"Sorry, Sir, the magnetic pulses . . ."
"Magnetic pulses! Magnetic pulses! I am sick to death of every incompetent buffoon on this mission using that as their excuse to screw up. You will get up here immediately and report every detail of information that you have learned about that planet."
"Sir . . . We aren't finished gathering information yet," Stratton said.
"Oh, yes. Yes you are," Briggs said. "The entire mission has been scrubbed, and all that remains is for me to try to salvage our previous trading agreement with those filthy primitive bastards and try to save my own ass. I need to be briefed in full about what you've learned about their culture, attitude, and battle readiness immediately."
Nothing but silence answered him for the longest time, and his anger flared again.
"Lieutenant, all that is left is for you to say Yes, Sir and report back to the ship immediately."
"Yes, Sir," she said.
The transmission closed.
Briggs screamed in frustration and slammed his fist into his consol, causing warning lights to flash and sirens to wail.
"Get these fucking things turned off!" he ordered the crew.
"Sir," Yumby seemed reluctant.
"Spit it out, man!" Briggs screamed as the emergency alarms shut down.
"Well, Sir . . . the station-wide emergency system which you just activated?"
"Yes?"
"Well, Sir, when it comes on . . . the. . . um. . . the cells automatically. . . uh. . . open. . . in the brig," Yumby explained not without cringing.
"What!" Briggs screamed. "Why the hell would they do that?"
"It's a safety precaution sir," Yumby explained. "People in the brig aren't usually receiving anything more than discipline, and . . ."
"Are you telling me that all those lunatics are loss on the station again?"
"Not the whole station," he said with an air of pride. "I was able to close the cell block off before they had time to escape."
Briggs seemed to be relieved. "Good then they're still locked up."
"Yes, Sir, but . . . Well, they are mostly the maintenance people."
"So?" Briggs snapped.
"So, there are several maintenance hatches in the cell block, and they know their way around the service ducts," Yumby explained.
"Why would they put something so freaking important basically on the arm of my damned chair? How freaking stupid is that . . . Gas them!"
"But, Sir . . . the ducts serve the entire station, and . . ."
"Yumby, you find a way to contain those prisoners, or I'll see to it that when I go down I take you with me. Do you understand!" Briggs screamed.
"Yes, Sir," he said. Then just stood there.
"Do it now!"
Yumby ran to his console and started keying frantically.
Briggs jumped up and started pacing, again pulling at what was left of his hair. "It's all coming undone. I have to think. What do I do now? What is my next move?" He was talking out loud, and when he looked up and realized that everyone on the bridge was staring at him as if he had gone round the bend, he yelled at them all. "Don't you have anything better to do than stand around on the bridge all day?" No one said anything; no one moved. "Well?"
"Sir," Drex started. "We work on the bridge."
"Oh . . . I know that! Don't you think I know that!" he said momentarily stopping to glare at them all.
What next, Briggs? Everything is coming apart, and now all the lunatics who want nothing more in this world than to kill you are loose and running amuck on the station again. If some broom pusher doesn't kill you, it's a sure bet the Tribunal will fry you. You have to do something amazing and brave.
Suddenly he knew exactly what to do.
"I . . . I can't wait for Stratton to get back. I will have to go to the planet's surface myself without the information and try to save our relationship with the natives. Lieutenant Yumby, you're in control until I get back." He turned on his heel then and headed for the door. "Yumby, get me a crack team of Elites and three GSH's, and have them meet me in the hanger. We will be taking a fully loaded and fueled battle cruiser. If the natives won't talk reason, we'll at the very least teach them some respect."
"Yes, Sir," Yumby said.
"Well . . . Get to it! While you're at it, call maintenance. When I get back I want that damned emergency control button to be . . . Somewhere else."
"Where, Sir?" Yumby asked.
Briggs turned to look at the man, his eyes becoming two slits. "Oh, you're pushing it, Yumby. Just tell them to put it somewhere where it can't be accidentally activated."
"Yes, Sir."
"Good," Briggs started towards the door. "I'm on my way to the hanger."
Yumby sighed with relief, glad to see the back of Briggs. He was also pretty pumped about being in control. That is he was pumped until he received the answer to his call.
"They've escaped! All the prisoners have escaped! I don't know where they are, but they're not in the cellblock. I have deployed the troops, but they could be anywhere . . . Man, we are so screwed."
Yumby took in a deep breath and moved to the Captain's chair. "I have accepted temporary command while Briggs goes planet-side, Wiksel." An audible sigh of relief could be heard from Wiksel's end. "Tell the troops to double their efforts. Over"
"Will do. Over."
"Lieutenant Yumby, should we warn Captain Briggs?" Drex asked.
Yumby looked at Drex and smiled. "Warn him about what? The situation is under control."
"This changes everything," David said. "Now we can't just sit around here wasting our time letting blood sucking lizards hang around on our genitalia."
"For the last time, shit boy. The wretched bastard wasn't on my dick," Levits cursed from where he sat holding the poultice the native priest had given him on the bite.
"Well, you wouldn't have guessed that from what you wanted me to do," RJ said with a wicked grin. She turned her attention to Topaz. "Aren't you done yet?"
Topaz looked up from where he stood working on the apparatus that was now attached to Taleed. "This is a complicated piece of equipment, RJ. It's robotics, it takes careful thought and delicate adjustments. You can't just slam it together with rubber bands and baling wire."
"Whatever the hell those things are," RJ said with a smile.
Topaz chose to ignore her. He stood back and looked at the boy. "Try it now."
Taleed moved his elbow, and the robotic hand grabbed the rock he'd been reaching for. His eyes lit up. "I am whole. Look Haldeed, look! I have hands." He experimentally tossed the rock, and it hit Topaz right between the eyes.
"Hey!" Topaz shouted, rubbing the wounded area. He turned to RJ and smiled. "Now that's freaking gratitude for you."
"Oh!" Taleed said his features becoming a mask of apology. "I am so sorry, Old One. It's just that my excitement is far greater than is my aim."
"Don't worry about it, son. I say that every morning when I go to the bathroom," Topaz said wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. "So isn't anybody going to say it?" he demanded.
"You are a genius." RJ walked over and kissed him on the check. "Aren't we all very impressed at how clever and resourceful Topaz is?" She started clapping, and the rest joined in. Topaz bowed less than graciously.
"However!" RJ said holding up her hand and stopping the applause.
"However?" Topaz asked with a mock pout.
"Yes. However, we don't have time to celebrate. David's right. The call from the station does change everything. Stratton, Bradley and the others are expected back on the station. If they don't show up there soon, they will be under suspicion, if they aren't already, and we miss a valuable opportunity to gain access to the station. One I don't think we can afford to waste." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded her head as if to answer a question that no one had asked.
"Give me a minute," she said and then turned and walked away into the brush.
They watched as she left.
"I hope this means she finally has a plan," David said.
"Or at the very least that she's going to make one," Topaz said nodding. "It's rather unnerving to have a leader who suddenly stops leading"
David nodded his head in agreement.
"Hey! Look, Haldeed! I think I've got it this time," Taleed said as he threw another rock. This time the rock hit Haldeed between the eyes
Haldeed slung his hands around angrily, You are either a very bad shot or a very good one. "I . . . I'm sorry. I wasn't throwing the rock at you, I was throwing it to you," Taleed insisted.
Perhaps you should try throwing something softer than a rock, Haldeed suggested rubbing his head.
"Yes, maybe I should," Taleed said and went in search of something to throw.
Bradley caught Stratton's attention and shrugged towards an area behind one of the skiffs. Bradley left and was followed a few seconds later by Stratton. They stopped in a grove of small trees about fifty feet behind their own skiff.
Bradley looked back in the direction of the group, then back at her. "I'm not sure I'm exactly comfortable with that lot making decisions that affect us all," he said.
Stratton nodded. "I know what you mean. We have the only viable ship, and I would think that would at least buy us one vote. We're being left completely out of the loop."
"Do you trust her?" Bradley asked.
"RJ?" Stratton asked.
"Yes, RJ. Who else?" Bradley said a little impatient.
"I trust her to get us all killed if it serves her purpose. I think we, unlike her own people, have the unfortunate position of being expendable to her. I trust her not to kill us or double cross us, but I don't trust her not to get us killed," Stratton said. "She's a freak with feelings, that in itself makes her the scariest thing I've ever seen, but then there's the . . ."
"Disorganization, the obvious insanity," Bradley supplied.
"Yeah, those," Stratton said with a laugh. "Decker's getting better, but he certainly isn't ready for open combat, and I can't even guess at what she's got going on in her head. What she's going to order us to do."
"Have you noticed how her right arm jerks all over the place? What's up with that? Is that some sort of nervous twitch?"
"No, I read about it in a briefing. It's some defect caused by a flaw in her genetic engineering," Stratton said. "From the way she acts, I don't think it's the only one.
"We could sneak back to the skiff. We might be able to get Jackson inside and get the hatch closed before they figured out what we were doing," Bradley said.
"That's a risk I don't think we can intelligently take," Stratton said in disbelief. "These people aren't exactly the kind of people you want to catch you in a double cross. I doubt we could even get past them. Have you watched Poley? The one they call her brother. In spite of what she said, I'm guessing he's some sort of freak, too. I imagine that he kills completely without conscience. He appears to be watching everything at once, and yet he rarely speaks, and his features hardly change. No, I don't like it, but I'm thinking we're going to have to go along with whatever plan she comes up with. Unless you just want to blow our brains out right here."
"Now that's good, clear thinking."
They both practically jumped out of their skin as RJ seemed to fold out of the plants behind them. "She's absolutely right, Bradley. We don't like to be double crossed, and if I even think that something you're doing or are likely to do is going to cause me or one of my crew to be injured or even that it may endanger our mission, I'll kill you without conscience. That's just the sort of girl I am. You know – flawed and defective." She turned and started back towards camp, then turned around. "Well, come on. I've got my plan."
They nodded and started after her. When Stratton came up even with RJ the woman draped her arm over Stratton's shoulder, causing Stratton to jump. "By the way – just for the record – Poley is a robot with AI, not a freak." She turned her head and looked right into Stratton's eyes. "Oh, and here's something else. I don't like being called a freak. I can handle being called disorganized, insane, even flawed. But don't you ever call me a freak again. Understand?"
"I.. I'm sorry," Stratton said. She was glad when RJ released her and walked on ahead. She turned to look at Bradley, and she didn't have to tell him how scared she was. He could see it in her eyes. She let out a long, slow breath and then started to breathe normally.
"I am going to work very hard at never pissing her off again," Bradley said in a whisper.
Stratton whispered back. "If she wasn't intending to use us for cannon fodder before, I'm pretty sure she just changed her plans."
"And you see? I can still hear you. So please shut up," RJ yelled back at them. "Or I'll make up a cannon fodder assignment especially for you."
RJ walked back into camp and right up to the fire. They followed and sat on the ground behind the others.
"All right," RJ said with a broad smile, "I have a plan."
"Yes!" David said in an excited tone.
RJ smiled at him and then continued. "The way I see it, the battle is on two fronts – the station and the palace. So we are going to have to break into two units. We will transfer enough power from the fully powered skiff to fly the other as far as capitol. That should still give us plenty of fuel to make it to the station. Jackson, can you fly the skiff?" RJ asked.
"Yes," Jackson answered.
"Good, that makes my plan that much easier. Now here's what we're going to do . . ."