Page 29 of Alliance
The connector sank into my spine with a coppery aftertaste in my mouth. I grabbed Fásach’s wrist before he clicked it into its lock, when I wouldn’t be able to speak anymore.
“I never got the chance to tell my originator that I was thankful that she chose me. So I want you to know, I’m thankful that you let me choose you, Fásach. That also means a lot to me.”
My fingers drifted off his wrist and he clicked the charging cable in place. [Conditioning unit for charge…] Myface returned to its neutral position—a soft, relaxed smile—and Fásach crouched in front of me. He stared into my eyes and waved his hand, testing if I was still with him.
A moment of fear passed through me. Hot venandi breath, wandering hands…
When he decided I was absent, he sighed with a rush and rested his forehead against my knee.
“I was so worried Trav was gonna try to—” he choked off his words, sigh seeping into my leg with a humid puff of air. I wanted to offer him my nails, even if they were blunt compared to his claws. To run them through his fur and caress the shell of his big round ears until he was relaxed.
It’s okay. I’m fine. Traveler was nice.
His head lulled to the side and though I was looking out the open door into the hallway, I thought I felt his eyes on mine. He considered me, and the points of his impressive teeth brushed my thigh as he smiled.
“You’re not a doll. No fucking way.”
My heart skipped, even though he wasn’t really speaking to me. His voice was a murmur, almost a purr.
Thank you for seeing me.
“Good night, Roz.” He huffed a self-deprecating laugh. “I guess I’ll ask if you like waking up to the lights on or off next time.”
Then he left the lights on and returned to his daughters.
My newfound power to lie creeped into my thoughts. Maybe I wouldn’t tell Fásach that I remained awake while charging. I liked his unfiltered words and how they filled me with warmth. Rosy had many intimate memories, but these were mine alone, and I would cherish them.
Despite having no control over my features, I still felt as ifIwere smiling.
09
I’d been productive. Very, very productive. And it feltgood.
Maybe most people wouldn’t think that, since I’d spent most of my time wandering around theMummerlike [reference] Alice in the Queen of Hearts’ garden, but the ship and I had a secret.
It was alive.
I ran my fingers along its walls, following data streams into little treasure alcoves that never failed to surprise me. A funny-smelling metallic door that swung open rather than receding into the wall. A real, pink-glass windowpane sandwiched between standard plas ones, looking in on a hydroponics room. A row of decrepit respirators lined up on hooks, so high up that they nearly disappeared into the ventilation and coolant pipes. They’d been organized by age rather than species, and there weredozensof them. These little anomalous details were all over the place! Random and unexpected, some macabre and disturbing, some with an air of nostalgia…
That’s how I figured out the ship had its own LMem. Rosy’s memories felt exactly the same to me, manifesting at random, seemingly unconnected to what was happening, but somehow still impactful. They left a blip in the ribbon of my conscious mind, like the snag of rough nails on silk satin.
A ribbon exactly like the one flowing above my head in its own river.
I watched another snag race by and locked onto it, following it down one narrow alley, then another. The little warbling knot disappeared into a vent behind a biometric lock, and I huffed, defeated. If I could, I’d chase them all day.
“Apparently I’m aterribleschool marm.”
I gasped, spinning on my heel. Traveler stood at the end of the tight alley, hands in his pockets. The glow at the back of his eyes was alarming in the dim light. The ship groaned as he smirked and sauntered forward.
“All those data packets and freedom, and I still somehow find you playing hooky in the bowels of my ship.” He stopped right in front of me, face frozen with its easy smile. I recognized it for what it was: a recorded action. Because when I looked in his eyes, his glare was full of daggers. “What are you doing here, Roz?”
“Oh, uh… I was…” I attempted my newfound power and lied. “I got lost.”
“Passengers don’t get lost here.” He took another step towards me, and I backed up against the grate. “This is my wing of the ship. TheMummerhas to grant you access.”
“Well, she didn’t.” I crossed my arms over my chest, trying in vain to hide my own echoes of erratic vitals wafting up into the air to join the rest of theMummer’sLMem. “I was just wandering around, following the blips.”
Traveler’s demeanor shifted and he tilted his head. “She? You think my ship is a she?”
