Page 28 of Treasured By the Hunter

I expected the flyer to call out like it usually did when it found something edible, but it didn’t. Instead, it approached cautiously and quietly. It didn’t want the other scourge in the area to know it had found the prize. Sneaky. And terrifying, considering that meant it had at least enough intelligence to think ahead.

With the creature’s attention focused on the prize, my two new AI friends instructed me to reach behind the nav screen for the controller. I found something that looked like a video game controller magnetized to the counter there. Except this one was huge and had a joystick in the center.

“You can hold it and use it anywhere on the shuttle, or you can place it in front of the screen right here,” Pip said as a spot in front of the screen lit up.

I placed the controller on it, and it magnetized into place.

“How was Harb’k controlling you before without this?” I asked the shuttle.

“He programmed locations verbally. You can do that, too, but the weapons must be hand-operated.”

“Unless you’re a PIP model,” Pip said. “I can shoot anytime I want. Pew! Pew!”

Considering he sounded like an eight-year-old, I wondered if that was really a good idea, but I kept it to myself.

The ship’s blasters were ridiculously easy to operate, and it wasn’t long before two flyers were on the ground. I’d even downed the second one before it got too close to our artifact.

Not wanting a pile of dead bugs to be in our way later, I decided I needed to take care of the bugs long before they got close. The next scourge to come near was a handful of scuttlers. These were easy to take care of as well. This was kind of fun.

I had to admit that Harb’k’s compromise with me staying to shoot and him traveling to find the cables and nets was a good one. Even with my electric scooter, Harb’k was probably faster, and he could fight, too, if he got into a tight spot.

I’d have to wait things out if bugs cornered me. Riley and I once got trapped for two whole days before the bugs lost interest. We didn’t have time for that right now.

With nothing left to shoot at, I lifted the shuttle higher so I could have a better view of the area. From where we were, I could see Harb’k making his way across a field.

There was nothing else to do, so I decided to chitchat with the shuttles. “Shuttle, do you have a name?” I asked. “It feels weird just calling you Shuttle when I’m calling Pip, Pip.”

“My name is—” The shuttle proceeded to make that strange noise it had made when we first met.

“Oh.” I struggled but couldn’t even manage the first syllable. “I don’t think I can pronounce that,” I said, giving up.

“I told you,” Pip said, “you have to pick a name the humans can pronounce. My official name is”—Pip rattled out a string of noises filled with growls and snarls—“which translates to ‘personality and intelligence prototype’ in English so, P-I-P, Pip.”

“What does your name translate to in English?” I asked Harb’k’s shuttle.

“It translates to Shuttle Program Number Three.”

“Wow, the Xarc’n military was so creative.”

But the shuttle didn’t catch my sarcasm. “They were,” it agreed. “They created the hunters and the shuttles.”

Pip did, though. “I don’t think that’s what she… never mind.”

“I do not mind the name Shuttle. Harb’k has called me that for decades. Xarc’n or English, it is the same. I am not picky like Pip.”

“I am not picky,” Pip huffed. “Anyway, I can’t wait for you to get back to the base and meet everyone. They’re going to be so happy that Harb’k has a female. But I think some of the women in New Franklin will be upset that he is taken. They have crushes on him.”

There was a lot to unpack there. First, Harb’k had women crushing on him? But also, Pip seemed to think that I was going to return to his camp and that Harb’k and I were a couple or something.

Not wanting to disappoint the shuttle, I said, “We're not actually togetherlike that, and I’m not heading back to camp with him.”

“Then where will you go? It’s dangerous out there!”

“I’m heading to Sanctuary after this.”

There was a loud gasp, followed by, “You traitor!”

Chapter 13: Zoey

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