Page 2 of The Omega's Unexpected Bounty
“No, but you might wish you did if captured.” His lips pursed into a thoughtful expression. “Twenty years is a long time. Do you think there’s anyone or anythingto rescue?”
I blinked and said nothing. I suppose it was an answer. Quality of life in the galaxy depended on where you live. Volardi Soturi had it easy, and I guess my people on New Texas did too. I have never been to Earth, but I heard they were good with the Volardi.
Twenty years of sending mates should do that.Wasn’t sure if that meant Earth was my enemy or not. Although there were plenty of immigrants from there on New Texas.
Little me sighed loud either to exaggerate or because of his size. “Why now? Is it because...” His small lips thinned again, and he looked down. Plenty in the galaxy didn’t consider a sim alive although they treated them well enough. I was neutral, but I never saw a computer who understood to ask about my father. Maybe closer to Volardi homeworlds they did, but not where I was from.
“I can engage other modes if you want to talk? On Earth, they would call me a ‘shrink.’” He smirked. “Am I not the perfect size for that?”
I fought the grin and wondered if I should. Talking to myself all day wasn’t healthy, but this was a lonely profession. It was one reason I let him free-evolve. He could become his own person – so to speak. A shrink would speculate I created him because I wanted a family again. The father I grew up with passed away from a gunshot in a saloon. “Great Sheriff, bad father,” I said and then winced as I realized I said it out loud. “More like better Sheriff than a father.”
“Nothing else to do except talk,” said Tiny. “Long boring hours of looking out the window at the shimmering warp effect. Nothing but streaks of white against black…”
That wasn’t entirely true. I could work out in the dojo, look up information on the colony, or go over the plan once more but I saw no need. It wasn’t complicated; hard, but simple. Just crash onto the planet and retrieve one man.
“Maybe,” I said, “but why are you asking me? You have my memories.”
“It’s my conversation algorithm,” he said.
“So you’re talking to me because something’s making you do it?” I scowled. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
“‘Something’s makingyougo to the colony. Doesn’t that bother you?”
I slapped my fist into my hand and winced from the thud and because I did it. It was a Volardi expression.Theyused it when distressed, and the implications were clear. I wasn’t them, and yet, I mirrored them.
“Something wrong?”
“It’s my wrist and arm. I’m still not used to the additional weight.” I held my wrist out; under the tanned skin and muscle were three hidden, metallic claws – six total if you counted the other pair. They weren’t ideal for the Core worlds with higher technology since they’d show on higher security scans. Out of the way places like New Texas and the upcoming mining colony were fine.
“Don’t flex wrong. Otherwise, you’ll slice your hand.”
“I have healing nanites.”
“Oh, inthat case,claw it up then.”
I gave him a half smile. “I don’t remember sarcasm in the algorithm.”
“A bonus from the universe. ‘Serendipity’ as the Volardi say.”
“They say a lot, and that is not a pleasant surprise.” Actually, it was, but I wouldn’t compliment those four, even if they wouldn’t hear. They were thieves and criminals, but they told me where my father was.
“To your other question, maybe,” I said. “My first father never looked for him. It took over a year to find that crew who left him on the planet.”
“And you’re still going after him, even with what they told you?”
“It’soneside of the story,” I said. “Who knows what the truth is with those four?”
Little me shrugged as if to say I was right.
“But enough talking,” I said. “We have to crash a ship into the planet.”
***
Chapter Two
GRADEN
THE OCEAN PLANET OF AUGO
