RAM-9’s radiant green oculi peer inside my windshield. It folds its propellers into its back, paws at the glass, loses traction on it, and scrambles in frictionless, awkward chaos as it slides down the glass to my hood.
I find the energy to laugh once and crack the door so the robot can come inside. It’s the size and general shape of a cat, complete with a tail and pointed ears.
RAM-9 crawls over my lap, curls up on my chest, and switches on its cold weather heaters that keep its joints from seizing in winter. Its warmth is comforting. After wiping the tears from my face, I collect my blankets, eager to get some rest. I think Talros makes his creatures because he’s lonely. He no doubt has to program behaviors like the purr of RAM-9.
Up on the hillside street, I see my ex-bestie, Kayla, leaving the portside restaurant with a bag of food.
Screw Kayla, Verity, Elwin, the restaurant managers, and the rampant gangs that have killed so many and got Verity and my mother hooked on Surge-stims.
I don’t want to be here anymore. I want a new life. Even if it isn’t perfect. I just want a change from the same oldshit.
5: Aurelius
We exit Allele and enter the shipping yard nestled not far from a familiar civilian market. In this area of Taitith, the most commonly transported goods are consumables: food, clothing, and personal care items. It’s unusual to encounter a conflict here.
A cargo crew from Thorian space is being attacked by another from Mindor’s solar system. From what I overhear, it’s because of a dark red alien male with bound wings who’s arrived with the Thorians.
“I’m not Talhuskin!” he angrily shouts as the port guards try to break up the fight. “Those greedy rats can suck a talon, for all I care!”
“Shit.” Blaize cuts away from us to target a civilian mob that’s gathering weapons in the market. Eluni leaves my side to help port security.
Allele, can you find any information on this species? Dock logs, anything to help?
Searching,she says.
I push on, toward the middle of the conflict and start holding them apart. “Stop! What in the void had you all at such odds on our ship?”
A Mindor motions violently to the unfamiliar species. “His kind took one of our females last week!”
“We did not!” the winged male protests. “That was a Talhuskin! We are not the same!”
A Thorian I recognize as Clan Leader Harklos steps forward, defensively holding his wooden staff in both hands. He looks ready to fight to the death, dressed in his metal-plated leatherarmor. The gleam in his striated black and blue eyes confirms my suspicions. “The Denarso took our females and some others, including one from a Drathious vessel. Jorusk helped us get our females back. So we are working together. He isbloodnow.”
Thorians believe acts determine family, not DNA. If they’re blood brothers, then I know he will die for Jorusk.
“His kind stole from us!” The Mindor Pack Leader asserts. “That makes you as much our enemy as him!”
Aura, I do not have much information on Jorusk, but I can say that Mariel was returned to Planet Mindor by the Thorians just minutes ago.
“Mariel is safe on your homeworld,” I tell the Mindoran leader before motioning toward our diplomatic chamber. “If you want to have a conversation about relations between your species, I welcome you to do so in the isolated Valence chamber ofTiatithwhere our Spark Arrestors make us equals. But you will not risk the lives of innocent civilians on my watch, no matter how pissed you are.”
The Mindor pack leader takes an aggressive step toward me. My Storm reacts to his advance, sending crackling arcs threading around my body like electric aquamarine spiders.
“I do not want to hurt you,” I tell him.
“You going to shock me with your pretty little static?” he jeers.
“I could kill you.”And everyone on this ship. One supernova.We are a dangerous breed. I’m surprised the ABR committee let me in.
“Don’t make a mess of this place over me,” Jorusk says. “I’ll leave. I just wanted to help the Thorians deliver their produce to you on time since they spent days looking for their females, then cared for me after the Denarso injured my wings. I was just trying to get them back on schedule.”
The Mindor leader fumes and growls at me. “I will not trust the Thorians until he is gone! He was on our planet before she went missing!”
Jorusk’s wings twitch in their leather bindings. “I was speaking with Pack Leader Norramus about the missing female. You likely found out about her after I left because she wasn’t from your pack,Luslym.”
The Mindor leader snarls at him. “You want her. Do not lie!”
“I am not interested in mating with ananimal.” Jorusk squirms. “I want a human. My Inferno demands it.”
