Forging Ties (Ties, Book 3) | ✓

Chapter 17

When Skye woke up the next morning, he found that the others were still asleep, so he crawled out from between Hamish and Duran and crept out of the room. He yawned as he descended the stairs and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth out some of the tangles. Sera and Everett were sitting at one of the tables with the robot standing next to them, so Skye approached them.

"Good morning, Skye," Sera said.

Everett glanced up from the rectangular device with a digital screen that he was poking at with what looked like a small pen, nodded at Skye, then went back to what he was doing.

Skye's fingers itched to reach out and take the half-eaten omelette on Sera's plate, but he tried to be polite. "Can I have that?"

"Why don't you sit down with us and we'll get you some breakfast of your own?" Sera offered. "Just tell the robot what you want and it'll tell the people in the kitchen."

Skye gave the robot a distrusting glare as he sat down next to Sera. "Chicken."

"I'm sorry, that item is not listed on the menu. Could you please—" the robot started, but Skye covered his ears and made an "ahhhh" sound until it stopped talking.

Sera sighed loudly. "Robot, for goodness sake. Just go and ask in the kitchen if they can make up a plate of roast chicken."

"I will inquire in the kitchen," the robot said before walking away.

Sera turned to Everett. "Can't you give that robot some social awareness?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Everett said. "What happened to wanting a simple robot? Do you know how complicated social awareness is?"

"Maybe for some..." Sera said.

"Oh, no, no, you're right," Everett said as he tapped at the screen with his little pen. "Silly me. I had the 'clueless dickhead' slider set to one hundred. Let me just—oop! There we go, back down to zero. Problem solved."

"Okay, okay," Sera said. "Point taken."

Everett shrugged. "I'll play around with it and see what I can do. It'll be funny if it fucks up, at least."

Skye looked up as Hamish, Duran, and Slone came down the stairs.

"Good morning," Sera greeted as they walked over. "Sit down and I'll buy you some breakfast. The robot should be back from the kitchen in a moment."

"Thanks," Hamish said, sitting down next to Skye and slinging an arm around him. "We're from far-off lands, so we don't have any local currency."

"Mirriam was telling me all about that last night," Sera said. "I'd like to give the trip there a shot, if you'd like. The robot's about as smart as a brick at times, but it has better odds than any person of navigating those waters."

"That'd be great," Slone said. "Like Hamish said, we ain't got any money on us, but if you get us back home I'm sure we can work something out. Can't say I'm rich myself, but my pack'll take care of the debt."

"Mirriam also promised payment, but I daresay we'll sort it all out," Sera said. "But not over breakfast. Here, the robot's on its way back. Tell it what you want."

"Whatever meat they got ready to go is fine with me," Slone told the robot.

Everett eyed the robot as the light on the side of its head spun.

"I'll check in the kitchen to see if they can fulfil your request," the robot said and Everett nodded, satisfied.

"Just a bowl of whatever's hot," Hamish said.