Page 68 of Ava Greasemonkey

She fumbled with the straps for a minute. “Vox? If something happens to me . . .”

“I do not want to think that way.” He froze in place at her words, his pacing stilled.

“Just listen. If it does, please try to do what you can for my family,” Ava said, jaw trembling.Whatever you can. It has to be enough.

Vox sighed, then walked up and pushed his head against her, humming. “Ava. If something happens to you, I will go and rampage across the stars.”

Ava didn’t know how to respond to that, so she just slid into his lap and let him hold her for a while longer.

Rhutg, muscles straining, loaded the two Tuxa into the transport. Erox went through behind him, double-checking all the calibrations.

The Haroo transport was different from the Phor one Ebel and Nuor took earlier. The outside was painted a bloodred with white trim. The Phor one, by contrast, was as unadorned as everything else they made. Ava slid into the transport while watching Erox finish the calibrations. Ava regretted not spending more time with Ebel learning about the controls before he went as she stared at the panel before her blankly.

Although . . .She squinted at the controls written in the Haroo’s native tongue.Ebel might not have been able to read this either.

Rhutg was focused on a manual in front of him, referring to it frequently as he looked at the controls.

“Were you not able to . . . absorb the knowledge?” Ava asked as he clicked away.

Vox answered, arms slung over a protrusion of the door, “The Haroo are one of the species whose minds we can’t breach. Which is why the contractors were not spared.” He spoke softly, trying not to distract Rhutg.

Ava looked at him, momentarily shocked, remembering the takeover and the Haroo being part of the casualties. She filed that knowledge away and bit her lip nervously while Rhutg continued typing.

Thankfully, Rhutg seemed confident as he buckled the Tuxa in, his eyes focusing on each of theirs in turn, giving silent instructions. Ava went into the tiny craft to climb over and sit behind the two Tuxa on an upholstered seat. She absently buckled herself in, watching Rhutg finish his calibrations.

The Tuxa husks both sat there, barely breathing, unnaturally silent in front of her. Vox’s description of them earlier as just husks seemed apt. They didn’t truly seem alive anymore. She poked one in his meaty shoulder with her finger while waiting for Rhutg to finish. The Tuxa didn’t even flinch.

“Are they going to be able to do what we need them to do when you’re not around?” She waved her hand in front of its eyes as the Tuxa stared vacantly ahead.

“Yes,” Vox answered from where he’d entered the transport again, carrying her knapsack. “Their minds are ours. They will follow what we want until they die.”

Ava halfheartedly poked the one in front of her again. “Yes . . . but they don’t even have reflexes.”

Vox flushed and closed his eyes. They opened a second later, and he said, “Try it again.”

“What did you do?” Ava squinted, poking the Tuxa gingerly while asking.

This time the Tuxa responded with a grunt. “Watch your hands,” he wheezed out.

It startled Ava, who jumped back into her chair.

“Now he is programmed to do that,” Vox explained, chuckling. He reached over and began handing her all the items she had gathered to take with her.

The transport was small, so it was a tight fit. The biologics sat on her chest, her pack was between her knees, and an oxygen tank sat over her shoulder. She felt sticky in the suit, already sweating, and closed in by the tiny space.

Vox took her hands in his as the last calculations were being done by Rhutg. The transport would fly itself, theoretically. The control panel in front lit up in a soft hue now that the ship was warming up.

“Go through the plan. One more time,” Vox said softly, pulling her attention back to him.

Ava nodded. “The Tuxa here are going to com Torga when we get close and say the transport is damaged and they are going to attempt to land on one of the roof pads. Once we land I’ll have the transport start to self-destruct and cut a hole in the vents underneath with the smoke to cover me.”

Vox nodded, rubbing her hand. “Immediately message me when you are in.”

“I thought . . .”

“I do not care. Send a message when you are in.”

Ava gulped, panic rising. She swallowed it back down and continued, nodding, “Then I make my way to where your females are.”

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