The other ship moved around theirs to position itself at the back and soon, the AI spoke. “Vessel docking. Airlock integrated.”
“He’s boarding,” Ka’Cit said and moved forward.
In the next few moments, Nia held her breath and reached for her blaster.
Ka’Cit glanced at her, his gaze moving to the gun in her hands. “Won’t do much damage against him with that.”
Huh?
She’d seen it burn a hole through metal and burn a living being to a crisp.
“He won’t hurt you either…I don’t think.”
Nia’s eyes widened and she gripped the gun tighter. Just what the hell did that mean?
“Not that I’d let him.” Those last words came under his breath as if he was talking to himself but now there was tension in her veins as she gripped the blaster.
In the next few seconds, the red light above the door changed to green and the doors opened to a…
Nia blinked, surprise catching her off guard.
A robot?
“V’Alen.” Ka’Cit took a step forward.
The robot blinked and he ignored Ka’Cit for his gaze found her immediately.
Nia didn’t know what to do. She could only stare.
She’d seen a lot of shit since leaving Earth, she’d even seen robots at the Exchange. Shit, even Riv had robots on his farm tending the hay fields, but none of the robots she’d seen looked like this one.
His body was completely metal, except for his face, which looked…human.
It was…unnerving and interesting at the same time.
“You never said you were taking care of a human.”
Ka’Cit sighed. “I’m hardly taking care of her. I try, but she’s more bad at ass than I am.”
Nia frowned at his back before his meaning caught up to her and she stifled a chuckle.
“Badass, Ka’Cit. Badass.”
He chuckled too then shrugged. “Close enough.”
Ka’Cit stretched out the device he’d taken from the enemy ship toward the robot and the robot took a step forward.
She didn’t know why she expected his steps to be heavy, like iRobot or something, but they weren’t.
His steps were even more silent than Ka’Cit’s.
V’Alen took the thing in hand.
“This will work,” he said. “This will get them out.”
Nia took a step forward then. “You mean the other humans?”
The robot’s gaze met hers once more and she could swear his pupil moved in his eye like a camera lens.
“Affirmative,” he said.
“How…” She was almost too afraid to ask. For one whole year, she’d thought she was alone. Then she’d met Lauren and then Cleo. Now she was being told there were others. “How many other humans are there?”
The robot’s face was impassive as he spoke. “Over two stleks. My scans cannot penetrate the hold completely.”
Nia frowned, confused, and glanced up at Ka’Cit.
“More than twenty-four,” he said.
Nia’s heart thumped in her chest and she had to grab on to Ka’Cit to keep steady.
“And,” she pointed at the device the robot was now holding, “this will help? This will help them?”
V’Alen’s head moved almost imperceptibly. “It will save their lives.”
She didn’t know why but tears filled her eyes at that thought.
The danger they’d put themselves in had been more than worth it. If they were able to help even one other human, it would have been worth it.
“You are…overwhelmed.” It was the robot’s voice and she looked up to see both males staring down at her. “My presence unnerves you. I will go now.”
He turned to leave and Nia reached out to him, the tips of her fingers brushing against his metallic body. “Wait!”
He paused and his gaze fell to her fingertips.
She pulled them away when she realized what she’d done but pushed forward with her question.
“Will they be all right…after you get them out of this…hold?”
The robot studied her for a bit then something almost like a smile made his lips twitch a little, she wasn’t sure.
“They will be. They are with us. We will keep them safe. Just as he,” his gaze moved to Ka’Cit, “will keep you safe.”
Nia nodded.
She could feel Ka’Cit’s presence beside her as she watched the robot go.
His hand came up and a finger brushed against her cheek, wiping away a tear she didn’t know had fallen.
“You are leaking.”
Nia choked on a sob and a laugh as the same time. “I guess I am. You don’t ‘leak?’”
“No.” He paused. “Does it help? When you leak. Does it make you feel better?”
“Sometimes.” She forced a smile.
“Nee-ya?” When she looked up, the concern was clear in his eyes. “I do not understand. We did the job. We were successful. You were successful. They will be saved because of you. But you are leaking because of it.”
Nia smiled a little and rested her head against his chest.
A hand came up and cradled her head, so she stayed there for a bit.
She couldn’t explain to him how she felt and he seemed content to just let her stay there.
As the other ship disengaged and disappeared once more into the void, Ka’Cit released a sigh.
“I should…take you home.”
The way he said it, the utter sadness in his voice, made her glance up at him.
She couldn’t see his face, but his eyes looked pained.
Nia smiled. “I know, it’s been kind of fun, hasn’t it?”
Ka’Cit pulled his gaze from hers to look through the view screen.
“I guess I can’t keep you. That would be against your will and wrong. You can’t just keep things you want for yourself, just because you want them.” It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than making a joke.
Nia looked away.
Was it wrong that she wanted him to “keep” her?
Whatever had happened between them had changed her life forever.
She didn’t know what was normal after this.
35
The trip back to the surface of Hudo III was mostly filled with silence.
It seemed they were both in their heads and Nia didn’t notice most of the journey till they landed back at the Exchange.
When her feet finally hit ground again, it felt as if ages had passed since she’d last been on the planet.
It was as if she’d spent a whole lifetime in the cosmos
