sky or ground, and turned the Space Junque into a going concern.
Links which Mike could rescind on a whim.
Unlike Rani, Jake never resented their childhood friend’s ascent to power. Truth be told, Governor Augustine was a paragon of honesty and fair-dealing compared to your average public official.
But the wind was now the whirlwind. Tyler dead, Rani off the ship, mushroom clouds in bloom throughout North America—and orbit was about to become a nightmare.
Jake reached for the com as the Junque drew within range of contact with the V. As he sent out a signal, a private shuttle passed by in the opposite direction. It was close enough to make out its sunflower logo and the pilot’s long curly hair.
The DOGs had off-planet vehicles. Shibad . The shuttle seemed to ignore the Junque , but Jake switched off communications in case it had a data spider. He’d contact Rani on his personal com when he got closer and have her meet him at the docking bay for a quick pickup.
He wanted to get back to the I. He wanted to get back to Char.
An old conversation with his mother popped into his head.
Find a nice girl, Jacob, and let her make you happy. Until then, take the shuttle and stay out of your father’s crosshairs.
But Magda, you’re not nice.
I’m not talking about me, son.
Right. Magda was a brilliant woman, but not much for judging a man’s character. Jake lived at the edge of the law and often stepped to the other side. He hated the Imperial government but didn’t do anything about it. He sympathized with the DOGs but couldn’t abide their methods.
Aside from Magda and Rani, he didn’t much like anybody. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he certainly wasn’t nice. He was worse than good or evil. He was neutral. Nothing.
He should have stayed neutral in the matter of Char Meadowlark. He should have dropped her off and returned straightaway to Vacation Station. That was the plan, even after she jumped on him when they broke atmosphere.
To be fair, he might have jumped on her too. A little bit. Still, he should have docked and dashed.
It was the hair that tripped him up. That crayon-black color had to come out of a bottle, but then Char’s kisses lacked the tell-tale aftertaste of cosmetic pharmaceuticals. Women who used that stuff tasted funny, no matter what Rani said.
Once he discovered that Char Meadowlark was chemical-free, he noticed she was kind of…well, nice. What was she doing with Mike? She said her sister was his fiancée, but Mike wasn’t engaged to anybody.
Jake was already in the Blue Marble unnoticed in the corner when Char walked through the door. Something animalistic and territorial had swept over him when Mike put his hands on her like she already belonged to him.
The clashing vibes had been obvious. Mike wanted Char, but she wasn’t picking up the signals. An intensely satisfying fact.
Movement, not too far off, caught Jake’s attention. Bare eyes alone, he could see two ships heading up from the planet. He suddenly understood why the fake ID.
He’d wondered what was so urgent Mike couldn’t wait for legitimate papers to get Char Meadowlark off planet. He was the shibbing governor. All he had to do was say jump.
But questions would have been asked.
Mike must have known those strikes were coming. If the Junque had been returning to the surface, would he have warned Jake and Rani not to go?
“Destination ETA: one minute, thirty seconds.” The audionav brought Jake back to the present, and he sent a link request to the V for docking data. At the same time, his personal com buzzed in his ear.
“Rani. I was just about to call.” The Junque turned to line up for docking. “I’m here.”
“Jake, stay away from the docking bay.”
“I see what you mean.”
The V was under attack. Not by DOGs. Too many incoming civilians were trying to land at once. Two personal shuttles had crashed into each other and were heading in a mash-up toward the VIP
Links which Mike could rescind on a whim.
Unlike Rani, Jake never resented their childhood friend’s ascent to power. Truth be told, Governor Augustine was a paragon of honesty and fair-dealing compared to your average public official.
But the wind was now the whirlwind. Tyler dead, Rani off the ship, mushroom clouds in bloom throughout North America—and orbit was about to become a nightmare.
Jake reached for the com as the Junque drew within range of contact with the V. As he sent out a signal, a private shuttle passed by in the opposite direction. It was close enough to make out its sunflower logo and the pilot’s long curly hair.
The DOGs had off-planet vehicles. Shibad . The shuttle seemed to ignore the Junque , but Jake switched off communications in case it had a data spider. He’d contact Rani on his personal com when he got closer and have her meet him at the docking bay for a quick pickup.
He wanted to get back to the I. He wanted to get back to Char.
An old conversation with his mother popped into his head.
Find a nice girl, Jacob, and let her make you happy. Until then, take the shuttle and stay out of your father’s crosshairs.
But Magda, you’re not nice.
I’m not talking about me, son.
Right. Magda was a brilliant woman, but not much for judging a man’s character. Jake lived at the edge of the law and often stepped to the other side. He hated the Imperial government but didn’t do anything about it. He sympathized with the DOGs but couldn’t abide their methods.
Aside from Magda and Rani, he didn’t much like anybody. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he certainly wasn’t nice. He was worse than good or evil. He was neutral. Nothing.
He should have stayed neutral in the matter of Char Meadowlark. He should have dropped her off and returned straightaway to Vacation Station. That was the plan, even after she jumped on him when they broke atmosphere.
To be fair, he might have jumped on her too. A little bit. Still, he should have docked and dashed.
It was the hair that tripped him up. That crayon-black color had to come out of a bottle, but then Char’s kisses lacked the tell-tale aftertaste of cosmetic pharmaceuticals. Women who used that stuff tasted funny, no matter what Rani said.
Once he discovered that Char Meadowlark was chemical-free, he noticed she was kind of…well, nice. What was she doing with Mike? She said her sister was his fiancée, but Mike wasn’t engaged to anybody.
Jake was already in the Blue Marble unnoticed in the corner when Char walked through the door. Something animalistic and territorial had swept over him when Mike put his hands on her like she already belonged to him.
The clashing vibes had been obvious. Mike wanted Char, but she wasn’t picking up the signals. An intensely satisfying fact.
Movement, not too far off, caught Jake’s attention. Bare eyes alone, he could see two ships heading up from the planet. He suddenly understood why the fake ID.
He’d wondered what was so urgent Mike couldn’t wait for legitimate papers to get Char Meadowlark off planet. He was the shibbing governor. All he had to do was say jump.
But questions would have been asked.
Mike must have known those strikes were coming. If the Junque had been returning to the surface, would he have warned Jake and Rani not to go?
“Destination ETA: one minute, thirty seconds.” The audionav brought Jake back to the present, and he sent a link request to the V for docking data. At the same time, his personal com buzzed in his ear.
“Rani. I was just about to call.” The Junque turned to line up for docking. “I’m here.”
“Jake, stay away from the docking bay.”
“I see what you mean.”
The V was under attack. Not by DOGs. Too many incoming civilians were trying to land at once. Two personal shuttles had crashed into each other and were heading in a mash-up toward the VIP
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