Read Online Embarkment 2577 by Maria Hammarblad - Free Book Online Page A

you going to tell me?”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “Tell you about
what?”
    Men. Impossible. “About us. You don’t
seem to mind spending all your time taking care of a lost girl. What am I to
you? How long were you in my time? What happened?”
    “I’m not going to tell you. Maybe your
memories aren’t the same as mine, and if you’re biased by my point of view you
might never remember.”
    From my point of view, there were
flaws in his logic. “But…”
    He interrupted me, with the same
infuriating calm as always. “I could only tell you my side of the story, and
you have the right to make up your own mind.”
    About what? Him? Surely some eloquently
presented facts wouldn’t hurt me. “Really?”
    “Really.”
    He paused to pick a flower growing next
to the path. I expected a horde of angry gardeners yelling plants shouldn’t be
touched, but we were still alone. He put it in my hair, and I grumbled, “You’re
just trying to distract me.”
    “Yes. Is it working?”
    When we reached my door, he gazed into
my eyes with an indecipherable look on his face. “Good night, Alex. I’ll see
you tomorrow.”
    He bent down a little to kiss me on the
cheek, and the touch sent a burst of electricity through my skin. I didn’t want
him to go, but I wasn’t able to ask him to stay.

Chapter Eight
    It had been an eventful day, and I was
exhausted. My mind wanted to keep poking at the android mystery, but my body
said no. Sleep took me so quickly I can’t even remember going to bed.
    Blaring alarms made their way into my
dreams. Who was dumb enough to set an alarm clock? I sure hadn’t. Pulling a
pillow over my head didn’t silence the noise, and I finally sat up. “What’s
going on?”
    The always friendly and almost human computer
voice announced, “We have been boarded, Alex.”
    Boarded? What was the silly machine
talking about? “But we’re okay, right?”
    “I cannot answer that question. The
bridge crew and most of the officers have already been taken prisoners.”
    “Prisoners?” As peculiar as my new
friends could seem at times, they always appeared to have everything perfectly
under control. An enemy able to come aboard and snatch them all up must be
formidable.
    The phrase “bridge crew” churned in my
mind. Wasn’t the bridge were my android friend went every night? To command the
ship? His kiss still burned on my cheek. I wanted more of them. That meant we
both had to live.
    The normally neutral computer voice
changed into Anya’s. It was easy to forget she was a program and not a flesh and
blood person. She must be stored in the mainframe for the night.
    “Alex, I’m trapped in here, and they’re
restricting my access to the systems. I can’t get to my mobile unit. Someone’s
coming your way, you have to hide.”
    Great idea, but where? I ran into the
living room, but it was too late. The door slid open and I dove down behind the
sofa. More clothes would have been good. Lying nearly naked on the floor with
my breasts pressing against the cold tiles was uncomfortable, not to mention
undignified and ridiculous.
    I heard footsteps and held my breath.
Could they hear the pounding of my heart? It echoed like a drum in my ears,
drowning out the noise of someone rummaging around in the room. I crawled
forward ever so little to take a peek.
    A pair of big and hairy feet clad in
leather sandals came into view. The creature had long and tobacco coloured
toenails. Might be normal for the species, but still… disgusting.
    Glancing further up revealed more fur.
The intruder walked upright like a human, but had a strong tail. When standing
still, it leaned its weight on it. A stout body ended with four arms evenly
spaced around it. Was that clothes, or did it wear its ribs on the outside of its
chest?
    The head was also furry, and boasted a
snout, multi-faceted eyes, big horns, and a number of fangs sticking out
through the mouth. It might very well have been pretty to other members of the
same