What the hell was that?
My wristband vibrates an incoming message.
“Oh, God.” I sigh. Because there’s only one person that could be. “What?” I say, after tabbing accept.
“Where are you? I’m ready to go. This Big Dicker ship is getting on my nerves. She’s starting to catch on and keeps asking me for my docking bay number so she can send someone to pick up the water generator, kitchen, and salvage bikes.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“The strip poker game I’m playing to distract his stupid ship and give you time to get him on board. What’s taking so long? And where did you get those clothes?”
I look down at my super-comfy outfit, then back at my screen to the little animated voice wave of Queenie. “Jimmy offered to let me autoshop. So I did.”
If this ship could roll her eyes at me, she would be doing that right now. “He just… offered, huh?” Then she lowers her voice. “Are you fucking this asshole?”
“No,” I say. But I might like to, I don’t add.
“Where are you? Is that… did you two get a room?”
“We’re stuck here until the morning. All the docking bays are locked up tight for the night.”
“You’re joking,” Queenie says.
“No, I swear. The Mighty Ambassador told us that we can’t get past the receiving areas.”
“And you believed her? And he believed her? Do you, or do you not, both have access to evil sentient ships?”
Hmmm. Is Queenie evil? She might be.
“For fuck’s sake,” Queenie says. “Use your damn brain. Make your way to my docking bay immediately and ping me when you get there. I’ll open the doors and—”
“No,” I say, kinda sick of her shit. “You’re not in charge here, OK? I am. This is my mission and you’re just transportation. So I’m letting you know right now that we have a plan and that’s the one we’re using.”
“You’re right, we did have a plan. And you’re not following through.”
“Not you, we. Jimmy and I are the we here.”
“You and Jimmy have a plan to kidnap him?”
“Yes. No. Yes.” I sigh with frustration. “He thinks he needs to pick up the water generator. So it’s fine. There’s no point in calling attention to us by trying to hack into the Mighty Minions security system when we don’t have to.”
“You’re breathing thin air right now, Delphi. And the Loathsome One is going to hear all about this in my report. Do I need to remind you what’s at stake here? Your brother is probably being tortured, or hell, maybe he’s even dead by now, that’s how long this is taking.”
I narrow my eyes at her, instantly angry and serious. “He better not be dead. That’s all I have to say. Because… because…”
“Because… what?” she challenges.
“Because I’m dangerous, that’s what. You have no idea how dangerous I can be.”
“Pfffft,” she scoffs. “You’re stupid. You’re weak. You’re no more dangerous than that idiotic dragonbee bot. So I’m telling you one last time, get him down to my docking bay immediately or I’m sending word to Loathsome One that you’ve gone rogue.”
“I’m gonna take my chances,” I growl, ending the call.
That’s when Flicka starts buzzing against the side of the glass she’s trapped under and jolts me back to the situation.
“Oh, shit! Flicka! I’m sorry!” I rush over to the bar and lift the glass. She comes whizzing up in spiral circles and then zooms across the room. Hovering for a second as she stretches her wings, then flies back to me and lands on my shoulder.
“I heard all that,” Flicka squeaks in her tiny voice. “Maybe we should do what Queenie says?”
“She’s not in charge. I am.”
“Did it ever occur to you,” Flicka says, “that the Loathsome One sent Queenie along to spy on you? Or to get rid of you? All she has to do is turn off life support on the ship while you’re sleeping and it’s over. She’ll have Jimmy and that’s all the Loathsome One wants, anyway.”
Oh. Well, shit. I didn’t even think of that. “I’ll put on a suit as soon as we board.”
“Alternatively,” Flicka says. “Perhaps we should…”
“We should what?”
“Change teams? Hmmm?”
“Change… you mean join up with Jimmy?” I guffaw pretty loud at that. “How is that going to help us get Tycho back?”
“He has friends, right? Powerful friends. Even if one is pretty drunk right now. He’s got that ship. I’m pretty sure that the Big Dicker is better equipped than Queenie. The Loathsome One doesn’t have a super-sentient AI with no restrictions running her station and upgrading her ships to illegal standards, right?”
“I don’t know,” I say.
“She doesn’t. I do know. The Loathsome One Lair Station AI has all kinds of regulators on it. She would never give anyone power over ships like that.”
“Hmmm. Sounds iffy, if you ask me. Why would Jimmy help me? I’m no one.”