Eradicate (Manipulate, Book 3)

Chapter 15

Basher's ship

In transit

Basher stood in the pilot's room of their tiny spaceship, looking at the door of the biobank. It housed the organic matter that completed the biocomputer... and it looked exactly like the housing Akemi's brain was in. He'd hoped to have her with them on this return trip, but instead they'd gotten nothing for their expensive and dangerous gamble.

This small ship was piloted by Basher's partner, who had volunteered to help with their crazy rescue effort. He was a good friend – and almost always ripe for any mischief against a Merith. He'd stayed with the ship, and picked them up when their tiny shuttle got back into orbit. The ship was a Spo messenger, tiny as jumpships went, but perfect for their needs.

Basher's partner was quiet for a Spo, which was very quiet indeed, but as he finished entering the parameters into the quantitative computer, he spoke. "I'm sorry you didn't find the little girl."

Basher nodded. "Me too, looks like our trip was for nothing."

"I already sent your message to the palace on Merith Prime. You think Faal has some plan to entrap your friends there?"

"His minion spelled it out pretty clearly. Have they replied yet?"

"No, but I disconnected us as soon as I sent it. We need to be far away from Merith II before anyone can locate us." He tapped the screen with one long claw. "I've scheduled a series of short jumps to get us away from here, in case Faal has an orbital tracking system, which I expect he does. After that, we'll see if your friends have responded."

Basher held onto the door frame for the first jump, a moment of rushing speed, vertigo, and weightlessness. Then they snapped into their new position. Basher's partner flushed pale purple with satisfaction, "All mapped. Perfect location. First of twelve."

He looked over at Basher. "You look exhausted, even for a human. I'll give you five minutes to get some food and strap in before the next jump."

Basher patted his partner on the shoulder and went to get some food. He found Claire sitting on one of the backward Spo chairs, awkwardly strapped in, and sipping something hot through a straw. She was wrapped in her new blanket.

A few days ago, just before they'd left the embassy, he'd given it to her.

He'd asked her to wait in the hall while he retrieved something, and she'd leaned against the wall, shifting the weight off her recovering leg. He went in and grabbed the present he'd gotten for her. It wasn't wrapped or anything, wrapping paper wasn't really a high priority export from Earth, so he brought it out in the bulky, burlap bag it came in.

"Merry Christmas," Basher had said.

"What's this?" Claire asked, fingering the drawstring.

"Something I found for you. Open it up."

She frowned with her forehead, and slid the drawstring down, pulling out a thick, soft blanket. It was a hand-pieced Tergre quilt, made of the wool they imported from their homeworld. It was unbleached and the color of the animals could still be seen: muted cream, white, and mottled brown. The vendor told him each square came from a different animal.

Many of the quilts he'd looked at were dyed striking colors or pieced more intricately, but this one, the plainest, was also the softest. It also happened to be the most expensive, but his salary had been accumulating dust for three years. He needed something to spend it on.

He'd also thought, being completely honest, that she'd be more likely to accept something that didn't look particularly special.

She still hadn't said anything, she just shook it out and held it up, letting it hang to the floor. It also hid her face from him.