He chuckles. “I love military planners, you’re all always ready for something more.” He steps closer to the two Presidents without giving an answer.
The Presidents are Protectors. As soon as I think it, he turns.
“I’ll talk to the other Protector Leads.”
I guess that’s answer enough. With a nod, I keep my face blank because talking to the teams was a thought I was just forming. Readers can be scary people.
Barber and Silva fall in line with me. “Did you get a warning?” Silva asks.
“The messenger said if he talks to me, I need to listen and he’s meeting the other Protector Leads.” They’re two Leads so he’d talk to them directly. I don’t have any more than that.
“Is he going to shield the ship?” Barber asks.
“He didn’t say. He’s not staying. I think that means that he’s not shielding anything.” Not that I get what shielding means but it is his wording.
Silva surprises me. “He doesn’t have to be here to shield the ship. He shielded Badass and dicks all the way in Rhode Island dropped dead.”
That has me turning toward him for a crackpot check. “He’s like Zeke from Flight Guard at Elan?” I ask for clarity.
“Stella said Zeke suspends time, Citiali makes a shield that covers across the country.” His answer doesn’t help me understand a damn thing.
“Is there a book about all this Native magician shit?”
Silva moves forward as ship uniforms come our way. “Ask Sophie. Stella sent her a workbook or something. They callit freaky.”
Great, she’s the last one I want to ask for more information. I stand behind Alder and watch the greet with the captain while thinking back. The robot explanation took forever because they have three sheets filled with information.
I never thought about robots in real life, then thought they’d be great, only to realize this could be a societal breakdown, economic disaster and wealth shift that guarantees poverty worldwide — if it’s not kept to some kind of regulations.
I smile watching Alder charm the captain. He sees the whole picture and is going to prove it right here on the ship. The LP amazes me with his understanding, he said the Alpha-Bits were slaves, so I guess he’s making sure the rest of us stay purpose filled and free to live our lives. His, ‘Accented by robots and not slaves to them and corporations,’ words sounded good. He said, ‘Happy’ and it’s cute the way the Brothers answered it back, but I’ve never been a slave. It’s another wonder I got now that I think about it. Presidents were there and I know they’ve never been slaves.
“Silva, Hud, Peggy, follow the Ensign to the cabins. Second team Leads, stay with your packages.” The voice isn’t new, but I turn to see who is delivering it. I didn’t know Jack from Bravo was here and move with Jordan and Stella’s Leads to clear the cabin for Alder.
§*§*§
Cruise ship
Sophia
Seeing the quick turn of Hud’s head to VP Jack, I smile.His surprise shows in little signs that don’t register unless you know him well. We’ve been partnered for a few days now and I know him pretty well. New people throw him, I think as I step up to follow Alder. Hud looks back to make sure I’m in place before he turns toward the big stair case. I know someone is stationed at the top because I approved the Security Brothers before it was submitted to Asa and he passed it on to the Presidents. No changes were made to it so the chameleon drones are in the cabin hall and transmitting to Asa and his Alpha-Bit surveillance.
“They’re working.”
I smile turning toward the little wind shift I felt. “Thanks. The other Leads wouldn’t be up there if they weren’t.”
He smiles. “You never jump when I show.”
Shrugging as my eyes scan back to Alder, I explain, “I feel the shift in air, it’s like a light breeze.”
“You were a sniper.” He isn’t asking, but he is.
“You’ve seen it. It wasn’t my job but I note small changes in everything. Why are you here?” I don’t know if he’s seen it, but he told me about Brothers I’d know here and in Virginia so he saw some of my classified past.
“I saw. I have a room here. I’ll bring Aurora later.”
Righty then. I guess Mucimi is another Protector here. He walks closer to the Indian VP from the Protector training Club I never trained at, then turns toward the stairs while we all go past them to an atrium. This is a shopping deck that I know we won’t be spending much time on. I’ve learned very few in Badass are shoppers.
I catch the Captain’s words here and there confirming that the ship isn’t full, it’s shuttling up the west coast to a world tour ship that lasts over 90 days. I can’t imagine a three-month vacation. What the hell do you do for three months?
