Big Dicker, page 3
“We kinda do,” I say. “But only to get Jimmy back to the Loathsome One. Then we get our reward, free Tycho, and get as far away from the Cygnian-Akeelian war as we can.”
It sounds impossible when I say it out loud, but Flicka is nothing but supportive. She and I have been a team since I was three years old. When all my harem sisters back in the palace were being assigned nannybots, I was given Flicka instead.
Dragonbee bots are notoriously sneaky and mean and they bite and sting you when you piss them off. They can also cook up little poisons in their belly regions. Flicka has about a dozen different poison recipes in her repertoire. She never uses them. She’s actually a really nice bot.
They’re not much to look at alone, but let me tell you—a swarm of these things are a horror screen in the making. And they have this little stealth mode that lets them sneak up on you too. You only hear them coming if they want you to. The buzzing is used as a threat. So being gifted Flicka instead of a nurturing nannybot was punishment for being bratty. But Flicka, Tycho, and I became a tight little dream team in a place made of nightmares.
I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t dreaming of a free life outside of Cygnus. My father used to bring me books. Fairy tales and myths of long-ago times when being a Cygnian princess meant you were destined to find a prince who’d whisk you away to a fantasy station where you ate tushberries and sparkling passion-lime wine all day while sitting on plush cushions.
Flicka would listen with me. We’d dream up all kinds of ways to escape. She was a prisoner just as much as Tycho and I. And without her scheming there’s no way we could’ve ever made it out of the system.
I owe her. But also love her. She’s my best friend. Probably my only friend after Tycho and I’m not sure he counts because he’s my brother.
The line for Mighty Passes isn’t long when we arrive and there’s only a few families still left in the receiving area, so we shuffle up behind them and wait our turn. When we get to the counter I’m informed that Flicka counts as a full person even though she’s smaller than my big toe.
“All sentient beings must have a pass. And you must sign a contract taking full responsibility for her actions.” The Mighty Ambassador gives my little bee the stink eye as she says this. “If it bites anyone, or stings anyone, or harasses anyone—”
“I get it,” I say. “And she’s not an it, she’s a she.”
The girl behind the window visibly shudders. Like imagining my bee as her companion gives her the creeps. She’s one to talk. She’s dressed up in a Mighty Minions red and black gown with horns made of holo flames coming out of her head. Who’s the crazy one here, lady?
We get the passes and enter the resort. Flicka attaches herself to my shoulder and then says, “The Flame Lake Sector is to the left.”
Just as I turn and begin walking, a group of holo Mighty Minions appears in a circle around me, holding hands and running in a circle as they taunt me with a nursery rhyme about death.
“Sun’s sake,” I mutter, waving my hand through them to make them go away. But they persist, their taunts growing louder and louder. “What the hell? And who brings their kids to a place like this? There’s nothing but demons and flames everywhere I look.”
“Oh,” Flicka says.
“Oh, what?”
“I just interfaced with their code. They’ve been programmed to harass anyone who is not wearing Mighty Minions paraphernalia.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not. Just go into the nearest souvenir shop and buy a hat.”
“What a fucking scam.”
But I do it. And the hat sets me back more than a hundred credits. I’m just about to leave when Flicka draws my attention to the Mighty Hime Princess Spa. “You should get a makeover,” Flicka prods. “That way you’ll blend in and Jimmy won’t suspect you’re a Cygnian princess.”
“Hmm,” I say, drawing in a deep breath. Because that’s not a bad idea. Right now I practically scream, Look at me! I’m a princess! My bodysuit is pale yellow right down to my pink boots and my long hair is a bright tushberry color because I ate those for lunch. “How much is it?”
“A thousand credits,” Flicka says. But I can almost hear the smile in her voice. “That would really piss Queenie off.”
“Sure would.” I laugh under my breath. “Let’s do it.”
I get the full package. The complete Mighty Minions Resort makeover. My long, tushberry hair is now red and black and twisted up into a single horn on the top of my head with holo flames shooting out the top. My formerly yellow bodysuit now has a holo projections running through the threads so it’s white with red stripes down the side of my legs just like Mighty Hime wears in the holo-cartoons. My formerly pink ship boots are now black and go all the way up to my knees. Everyone wants to look like Mighty Hime on the resort. She’s Mighty Boss’s love interest.
It was a lot more than a thousand credits and Queenie must be monitoring my spending because she sends me not-so-subtle messages on my wristband to knock it off.
I ignore her. I need to blend in. And the best part is, when I finally do leave that spa, there’s no more ring of evil holo-children taunting me as they sing death wishes.
Flicka directs me to a data access point and says, “Go find that job posting and let’s get this show on the road. Mighty Minions is creepy as fuck.”
I agree and head that direction. It takes me a little while to find his post, figure out how to answer it, and link up to my Mighty Pass, but once that’s done I press send.
Now all we have to do is head towards Flame Lake and wait for him to come to us.
We’re gonna be out of here and on our way back to saving Tycho before I can ever get my credits’ worth out of this new outfit.
CHAPTER FIVE - JIMMY
I keep checking my Mighty Pass to see if anyone’s answered yet, but no luck. I feel weird without Xyla. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been out without her. We’ve done everything together since my brothers and I landed at ALCOR two decades ago and even though Dicker is here waiting out in the docking bay, it’s not the same.
I’m not really a loner, I decide.
Maybe I’m not into humanoid companionship the way most people are, but I miss my sexbot best friend. Especially here on Mighty Minions. I’ve been to all kinds of stations and planets over the years. Pretty much seen and done all there is to see and do.
But I’ve never had to spend time on a family resort. It’s like hell for me. All these stupid kids, all these stupid parents, and there’s a ring of evil holo-minions who keep taunting me with death rhymes everywhere I go.
God, this was a bad idea.
But Dicker’s last suggestion hangs in my thoughts. Grab something to eat and wait for people to get off work.
I look around for food. The place is thick with people. Like wall to wall bodies. But I’m taller than almost everyone except the Centurians, so I can see over most of the heads.
I decide on the Evil Noodles place because it’s pretty hard to fuck up noodles, and head in that direction. Predictably, there is a line. I don’t understand this standing-in-line thing on a place like this. Hell, even on Harem we have auto restaurants where you just blip in your order and a bot will deliver it to wherever you are, but not here apparently. They want maximum parental frustration and kid meltdown.
It’s working.
“What can I get for you?” a Mighty Ambassador asks me when I finally make it to the counter.
“Number three noodles with dumplings.”
“Perfect,” she says, creepy holo flames shooting out of her mouth with the word. “That’ll be one hundred and seventeen credits, plus gratuity, plus Mighty tax, so your grand total is four hundred and three credits.”
She actually has the nerve to smile through that whole absurd sentence. But I’m not in the mood to argue so I just flash my wristband across her scanner.
“Great. What’s your name?”
“Jimmy,” I say.
She frowns at me. “I’m sorry. Did you say Kraunfelter?”
“What?”
“Your name. It’s so weird.”
“It’s just Jimmy.”
“Razolt?”
“Jimmy,” I say again. I’m used to this. Happens all the time. But I have never understood it. Sure, I have the most unique name in the galaxy, but it’s not that hard. “Jim-meeee,” I sound it out for her.
“I’m so sorry,” she says through her mouth flames. “Hazenfloff. Got it. We’ll call your name when it’s ready. Next!”
I sigh, but then my Mighty Pass chimes a beep and when I glance down, someone has answered my job posting.
Success! I’ll be out of this nightmare in a matter of hours.
I move off to the side and stare down at my pass to find the reply.
Oh, and she’s even cute—if you don’t mind the holo flames shooting up from the horn on top of her head. Delphi is her name. Competent in all aspects of sentient ship engineering, including water generators! Perfect.
I message back. How soon can you start?
Delphi: Tell me where to meet you. I’m in the Fire Mountain Sector right now.
Me: Head to Flame Lake and I’ll meet you in front of Evil Noodles.
Which reminds me. Where are my freaking noodles?
“Excuse me,” I say to the girl who helped me. “Are my noodles ready yet?”
“What’s your name again?”
“Jimmy.”
She squints her eyes at me. Like she’s never heard this name before even though two minutes ago she took my order and we had a whole conversation about it. “What? Can you say that again?”
“Hazenfloff,” I say, giving up.
“Oh, right here,” she says, grabbing a red and black take-out bag. “We called your name but no one answered.”
“Right. Because my name is Jimmy.”
“These aren’t yours?”
“Yes,” I say, taking the bag from her hand before I have to explain this again. “Thanks.”
I walk away and look for a table but every single one is filled with crying kids dressed up like a Mighty Minion and parents wearing Mighty Boss hats. Like this is a requirement. But I don't get more than a few steps before that gang of evil holo-kids is circling me again, singing their death songs.
I slink back into a little side alley and they look confused for a moment. Like I disappeared. Then I realize that the alley is a safe zone, and eat my noodles and dumplings standing up as I look out for the evil uni-horn chick.
It’s a good thirty minutes later before I pick her out in the crowd of people standing in front of Evil Noodles. But the moment I step away from the alley, the ring of holo minions circles me and begins their evil taunts.
“Hey, Delphi!” I call over the demon kids.
She turns, looking around until she finds my face. Which is kinda weird because I didn’t put a pic on my profile when I made that message. “Oh, hey!” she calls, then pushes her way through the crowd until she’s a few feet away. “I see you found some friends.”
“Little fuckers won’t leave me alone.”
“Here, put this on.” And she hands me a Mighty Boss hat. I take it from her, slap it over my head, and instantly the hologram disappears.
“What the hell?”
“They’re programmed to harass anyone not wearing Mighty Minion paraphernalia.”
“This place is such a scam.”
“Tell me about it.”
I take in her appearance. She’s a little bit short. Maybe even tiny. Red and black hair twisted up into the flame-thrower horn, white holo bodysuit with red racing stripes down her legs, and tall black boots.
If holo-cartoons could be porn stars, she’d definitely have a job. Because she is one sexy little minion.
“So,” she says, cocking her head at me. “You needed an engineer?”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “We picked up a pesky virus leaving Blue Sand Beach and got stranded here in Mighty Hell. It messed up our water generator and dumped all our water. Now it’s self-replicating and… yeah. We need help. My ship already has another water generator lined up but installing it is a two-man job.”
“Well, I’m just the girl for you then. Where’s your new generator? We can pick that up first.”
I frown at her. Because I didn’t say we needed to pick it up. “Uh, hold please. Let me call my ship and ask.”
“Sure thing,” she says, turning away to give me privacy. But just as she does that I see a flash of gold shimmering on her shoulder and realize she’s got a dragonbee bot as a sidekick.
Which is pretty unusual. Dragonbee bots are some of the worst. They sting, they bite, and they are notorious for infiltrating stations and ships and messing up their programs with the little puffs of poison they shoot out their asses. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s why they were created. Stealth sabotage. We don’t even allow them on Harem. Nothing good ever came out of something so small.
Which just makes me think this Mighty Minions place is even more fucked up than it appears. Probably has some hidden agenda if it allows dragonbee bots to live here.
“How you getting along?” Dicker says, answering my call.
“Found an engineer.”
“Good. I won the kitchen. So when you pick up the water—”
“No,” I say. “Forget the kitchen. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. I want to be out of here as quick as possible. Send me directions to pick up the water generator.”
Dicker sighs. “Fine. And sent. Let me know when you’re headed my way so I can have the right circuits shut down.”
“Cool. Later.”
I turn back to Delphi and find her standing directly behind me. “We good?” she asks.
“We’re good.” My wristband bleeps the directions and I open a holo map to guide us to the right sector. “We need to stop by Fire Mountain to grab some parts first.”
“Cool,” she says, her little dragonbee buzzing up near her ear.
“Where did you get that thing, anyway?” I say, pointing to the bot.
“Oh, this is Flicka. She’s been my partner pretty much my whole life. Can’t even remember a time when she wasn’t buzzing in my ear. But don’t worry, she doesn’t bite. Much.”
I raise one eyebrow at Delphi.
“Kidding.” She laughs. “She bites a lot. Just don’t touch her and you’re fine.”
“Great,” I say. “Just my luck.” I pan my hand in the direction the map is telling me to go and say, “After you.”
“So where were you headed before you got stuck on Mighty Minions?” Delphi asks.
“Outer Highway.”
“Oooooo. You’re an outlaw. Should I be scared?”
“Yes,” I say.
Which only makes her laugh. “But where were you headed on the highway? There’s not much out there.”
“Just some business I have to take care of.”
“Gotcha,” she says. “No more questions.”
She is cute. I’ll give her that. Even dressed up in that Mighty Minions getup. But there’s something off about this girl. And that bot on her shoulder just proves it. Had it her whole life? What kind of parent gives a child a dragonbee bot?
But then I look around me. Thousands of parents bring their kids to this station of evil for vacation, so maybe the wider world is more fucked up than I ever realized?
Dicker’s map takes us over the Mighty River of Death, through the Mighty Boss Castle of Demons, and under the Mighty Mountain of Fire.
And the whole time the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of leaving here in a few hours.
There’s something inside me. Something telling me to get to the biogenetic lab as quick as possible. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in danger on this station.
And it’s got nothing to do with Mighty Boss or his disturbing holo minions.
CHAPTER SIX - DELPHI
He’s quiet as I lead the way through the resort and it’s starting to make me nervous. Flicka gently reminded me when we set off that he didn’t mention that he needed to pick up a water generator, so I goofed up and he might be suspicious.
So I kept my mouth shut after that.
But I can’t help but look over my shoulder to study him every chance I get. He’s very handsome. I already know he’s Akeelian but his deep violet eyes are a dead giveaway that he’s more than just your average two-cocked alpha male. Akeelians have all sorts of colored eyes, just like Cygnian princesses, but the ones with violet eyes are the breeders. Genetically engineered males who should be able to breed with their Cygnian soulmate and actually produce offspring the natural way.
At least this is what I’ve learned second-hand from the Loathsome One.
Which gets me thinking… he could be my soulmate. I’m one of the special ones who were engineered to breed.
But he’s not. Because I’d have known the moment we locked eyes. And one touch from him would make me light up like the sun.
None of that happened. And it’s not because I have exceptional skills at controlling my glow—though I do.
It’s because we’re not fated.
I’m pretty sure the Loathsome One already knew that. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s counting on Jimmy being her fated mate. That’s why she wants him so bad. If she could breed with him and get pregnant then she’d automatically become a power player in the big Cygnian-Akeelian war that’s brewing.
But that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. Jimmy’s kind of a good catch. He’s rich for one. Very rich. I know he’s part owner of Harem Station and that place makes billions of credits a month. And he’s rugged. Square jaw with just the right amount of stubble on it. Hard muscles underneath his tight black shirt. Big hands and nice, thick, light-brown hair that hangs over his eyes and makes him look both mysterious and dangerous at the same time.
Not to mention he’s got two cocks. I’ve been with a few Cygnian males over the years, but never an Akeelian. They’re something out of fairytales and myths to us girls back home. So… being with a male who could pleasure me the way I was meant to be pleasured is intriguing, to say the least.
It sounds impossible when I say it out loud, but Flicka is nothing but supportive. She and I have been a team since I was three years old. When all my harem sisters back in the palace were being assigned nannybots, I was given Flicka instead.
Dragonbee bots are notoriously sneaky and mean and they bite and sting you when you piss them off. They can also cook up little poisons in their belly regions. Flicka has about a dozen different poison recipes in her repertoire. She never uses them. She’s actually a really nice bot.
They’re not much to look at alone, but let me tell you—a swarm of these things are a horror screen in the making. And they have this little stealth mode that lets them sneak up on you too. You only hear them coming if they want you to. The buzzing is used as a threat. So being gifted Flicka instead of a nurturing nannybot was punishment for being bratty. But Flicka, Tycho, and I became a tight little dream team in a place made of nightmares.
I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t dreaming of a free life outside of Cygnus. My father used to bring me books. Fairy tales and myths of long-ago times when being a Cygnian princess meant you were destined to find a prince who’d whisk you away to a fantasy station where you ate tushberries and sparkling passion-lime wine all day while sitting on plush cushions.
Flicka would listen with me. We’d dream up all kinds of ways to escape. She was a prisoner just as much as Tycho and I. And without her scheming there’s no way we could’ve ever made it out of the system.
I owe her. But also love her. She’s my best friend. Probably my only friend after Tycho and I’m not sure he counts because he’s my brother.
The line for Mighty Passes isn’t long when we arrive and there’s only a few families still left in the receiving area, so we shuffle up behind them and wait our turn. When we get to the counter I’m informed that Flicka counts as a full person even though she’s smaller than my big toe.
“All sentient beings must have a pass. And you must sign a contract taking full responsibility for her actions.” The Mighty Ambassador gives my little bee the stink eye as she says this. “If it bites anyone, or stings anyone, or harasses anyone—”
“I get it,” I say. “And she’s not an it, she’s a she.”
The girl behind the window visibly shudders. Like imagining my bee as her companion gives her the creeps. She’s one to talk. She’s dressed up in a Mighty Minions red and black gown with horns made of holo flames coming out of her head. Who’s the crazy one here, lady?
We get the passes and enter the resort. Flicka attaches herself to my shoulder and then says, “The Flame Lake Sector is to the left.”
Just as I turn and begin walking, a group of holo Mighty Minions appears in a circle around me, holding hands and running in a circle as they taunt me with a nursery rhyme about death.
“Sun’s sake,” I mutter, waving my hand through them to make them go away. But they persist, their taunts growing louder and louder. “What the hell? And who brings their kids to a place like this? There’s nothing but demons and flames everywhere I look.”
“Oh,” Flicka says.
“Oh, what?”
“I just interfaced with their code. They’ve been programmed to harass anyone who is not wearing Mighty Minions paraphernalia.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not. Just go into the nearest souvenir shop and buy a hat.”
“What a fucking scam.”
But I do it. And the hat sets me back more than a hundred credits. I’m just about to leave when Flicka draws my attention to the Mighty Hime Princess Spa. “You should get a makeover,” Flicka prods. “That way you’ll blend in and Jimmy won’t suspect you’re a Cygnian princess.”
“Hmm,” I say, drawing in a deep breath. Because that’s not a bad idea. Right now I practically scream, Look at me! I’m a princess! My bodysuit is pale yellow right down to my pink boots and my long hair is a bright tushberry color because I ate those for lunch. “How much is it?”
“A thousand credits,” Flicka says. But I can almost hear the smile in her voice. “That would really piss Queenie off.”
“Sure would.” I laugh under my breath. “Let’s do it.”
I get the full package. The complete Mighty Minions Resort makeover. My long, tushberry hair is now red and black and twisted up into a single horn on the top of my head with holo flames shooting out the top. My formerly yellow bodysuit now has a holo projections running through the threads so it’s white with red stripes down the side of my legs just like Mighty Hime wears in the holo-cartoons. My formerly pink ship boots are now black and go all the way up to my knees. Everyone wants to look like Mighty Hime on the resort. She’s Mighty Boss’s love interest.
It was a lot more than a thousand credits and Queenie must be monitoring my spending because she sends me not-so-subtle messages on my wristband to knock it off.
I ignore her. I need to blend in. And the best part is, when I finally do leave that spa, there’s no more ring of evil holo-children taunting me as they sing death wishes.
Flicka directs me to a data access point and says, “Go find that job posting and let’s get this show on the road. Mighty Minions is creepy as fuck.”
I agree and head that direction. It takes me a little while to find his post, figure out how to answer it, and link up to my Mighty Pass, but once that’s done I press send.
Now all we have to do is head towards Flame Lake and wait for him to come to us.
We’re gonna be out of here and on our way back to saving Tycho before I can ever get my credits’ worth out of this new outfit.
CHAPTER FIVE - JIMMY
I keep checking my Mighty Pass to see if anyone’s answered yet, but no luck. I feel weird without Xyla. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been out without her. We’ve done everything together since my brothers and I landed at ALCOR two decades ago and even though Dicker is here waiting out in the docking bay, it’s not the same.
I’m not really a loner, I decide.
Maybe I’m not into humanoid companionship the way most people are, but I miss my sexbot best friend. Especially here on Mighty Minions. I’ve been to all kinds of stations and planets over the years. Pretty much seen and done all there is to see and do.
But I’ve never had to spend time on a family resort. It’s like hell for me. All these stupid kids, all these stupid parents, and there’s a ring of evil holo-minions who keep taunting me with death rhymes everywhere I go.
God, this was a bad idea.
But Dicker’s last suggestion hangs in my thoughts. Grab something to eat and wait for people to get off work.
I look around for food. The place is thick with people. Like wall to wall bodies. But I’m taller than almost everyone except the Centurians, so I can see over most of the heads.
I decide on the Evil Noodles place because it’s pretty hard to fuck up noodles, and head in that direction. Predictably, there is a line. I don’t understand this standing-in-line thing on a place like this. Hell, even on Harem we have auto restaurants where you just blip in your order and a bot will deliver it to wherever you are, but not here apparently. They want maximum parental frustration and kid meltdown.
It’s working.
“What can I get for you?” a Mighty Ambassador asks me when I finally make it to the counter.
“Number three noodles with dumplings.”
“Perfect,” she says, creepy holo flames shooting out of her mouth with the word. “That’ll be one hundred and seventeen credits, plus gratuity, plus Mighty tax, so your grand total is four hundred and three credits.”
She actually has the nerve to smile through that whole absurd sentence. But I’m not in the mood to argue so I just flash my wristband across her scanner.
“Great. What’s your name?”
“Jimmy,” I say.
She frowns at me. “I’m sorry. Did you say Kraunfelter?”
“What?”
“Your name. It’s so weird.”
“It’s just Jimmy.”
“Razolt?”
“Jimmy,” I say again. I’m used to this. Happens all the time. But I have never understood it. Sure, I have the most unique name in the galaxy, but it’s not that hard. “Jim-meeee,” I sound it out for her.
“I’m so sorry,” she says through her mouth flames. “Hazenfloff. Got it. We’ll call your name when it’s ready. Next!”
I sigh, but then my Mighty Pass chimes a beep and when I glance down, someone has answered my job posting.
Success! I’ll be out of this nightmare in a matter of hours.
I move off to the side and stare down at my pass to find the reply.
Oh, and she’s even cute—if you don’t mind the holo flames shooting up from the horn on top of her head. Delphi is her name. Competent in all aspects of sentient ship engineering, including water generators! Perfect.
I message back. How soon can you start?
Delphi: Tell me where to meet you. I’m in the Fire Mountain Sector right now.
Me: Head to Flame Lake and I’ll meet you in front of Evil Noodles.
Which reminds me. Where are my freaking noodles?
“Excuse me,” I say to the girl who helped me. “Are my noodles ready yet?”
“What’s your name again?”
“Jimmy.”
She squints her eyes at me. Like she’s never heard this name before even though two minutes ago she took my order and we had a whole conversation about it. “What? Can you say that again?”
“Hazenfloff,” I say, giving up.
“Oh, right here,” she says, grabbing a red and black take-out bag. “We called your name but no one answered.”
“Right. Because my name is Jimmy.”
“These aren’t yours?”
“Yes,” I say, taking the bag from her hand before I have to explain this again. “Thanks.”
I walk away and look for a table but every single one is filled with crying kids dressed up like a Mighty Minion and parents wearing Mighty Boss hats. Like this is a requirement. But I don't get more than a few steps before that gang of evil holo-kids is circling me again, singing their death songs.
I slink back into a little side alley and they look confused for a moment. Like I disappeared. Then I realize that the alley is a safe zone, and eat my noodles and dumplings standing up as I look out for the evil uni-horn chick.
It’s a good thirty minutes later before I pick her out in the crowd of people standing in front of Evil Noodles. But the moment I step away from the alley, the ring of holo minions circles me and begins their evil taunts.
“Hey, Delphi!” I call over the demon kids.
She turns, looking around until she finds my face. Which is kinda weird because I didn’t put a pic on my profile when I made that message. “Oh, hey!” she calls, then pushes her way through the crowd until she’s a few feet away. “I see you found some friends.”
“Little fuckers won’t leave me alone.”
“Here, put this on.” And she hands me a Mighty Boss hat. I take it from her, slap it over my head, and instantly the hologram disappears.
“What the hell?”
“They’re programmed to harass anyone not wearing Mighty Minion paraphernalia.”
“This place is such a scam.”
“Tell me about it.”
I take in her appearance. She’s a little bit short. Maybe even tiny. Red and black hair twisted up into the flame-thrower horn, white holo bodysuit with red racing stripes down her legs, and tall black boots.
If holo-cartoons could be porn stars, she’d definitely have a job. Because she is one sexy little minion.
“So,” she says, cocking her head at me. “You needed an engineer?”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “We picked up a pesky virus leaving Blue Sand Beach and got stranded here in Mighty Hell. It messed up our water generator and dumped all our water. Now it’s self-replicating and… yeah. We need help. My ship already has another water generator lined up but installing it is a two-man job.”
“Well, I’m just the girl for you then. Where’s your new generator? We can pick that up first.”
I frown at her. Because I didn’t say we needed to pick it up. “Uh, hold please. Let me call my ship and ask.”
“Sure thing,” she says, turning away to give me privacy. But just as she does that I see a flash of gold shimmering on her shoulder and realize she’s got a dragonbee bot as a sidekick.
Which is pretty unusual. Dragonbee bots are some of the worst. They sting, they bite, and they are notorious for infiltrating stations and ships and messing up their programs with the little puffs of poison they shoot out their asses. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s why they were created. Stealth sabotage. We don’t even allow them on Harem. Nothing good ever came out of something so small.
Which just makes me think this Mighty Minions place is even more fucked up than it appears. Probably has some hidden agenda if it allows dragonbee bots to live here.
“How you getting along?” Dicker says, answering my call.
“Found an engineer.”
“Good. I won the kitchen. So when you pick up the water—”
“No,” I say. “Forget the kitchen. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. I want to be out of here as quick as possible. Send me directions to pick up the water generator.”
Dicker sighs. “Fine. And sent. Let me know when you’re headed my way so I can have the right circuits shut down.”
“Cool. Later.”
I turn back to Delphi and find her standing directly behind me. “We good?” she asks.
“We’re good.” My wristband bleeps the directions and I open a holo map to guide us to the right sector. “We need to stop by Fire Mountain to grab some parts first.”
“Cool,” she says, her little dragonbee buzzing up near her ear.
“Where did you get that thing, anyway?” I say, pointing to the bot.
“Oh, this is Flicka. She’s been my partner pretty much my whole life. Can’t even remember a time when she wasn’t buzzing in my ear. But don’t worry, she doesn’t bite. Much.”
I raise one eyebrow at Delphi.
“Kidding.” She laughs. “She bites a lot. Just don’t touch her and you’re fine.”
“Great,” I say. “Just my luck.” I pan my hand in the direction the map is telling me to go and say, “After you.”
“So where were you headed before you got stuck on Mighty Minions?” Delphi asks.
“Outer Highway.”
“Oooooo. You’re an outlaw. Should I be scared?”
“Yes,” I say.
Which only makes her laugh. “But where were you headed on the highway? There’s not much out there.”
“Just some business I have to take care of.”
“Gotcha,” she says. “No more questions.”
She is cute. I’ll give her that. Even dressed up in that Mighty Minions getup. But there’s something off about this girl. And that bot on her shoulder just proves it. Had it her whole life? What kind of parent gives a child a dragonbee bot?
But then I look around me. Thousands of parents bring their kids to this station of evil for vacation, so maybe the wider world is more fucked up than I ever realized?
Dicker’s map takes us over the Mighty River of Death, through the Mighty Boss Castle of Demons, and under the Mighty Mountain of Fire.
And the whole time the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of leaving here in a few hours.
There’s something inside me. Something telling me to get to the biogenetic lab as quick as possible. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m in danger on this station.
And it’s got nothing to do with Mighty Boss or his disturbing holo minions.
CHAPTER SIX - DELPHI
He’s quiet as I lead the way through the resort and it’s starting to make me nervous. Flicka gently reminded me when we set off that he didn’t mention that he needed to pick up a water generator, so I goofed up and he might be suspicious.
So I kept my mouth shut after that.
But I can’t help but look over my shoulder to study him every chance I get. He’s very handsome. I already know he’s Akeelian but his deep violet eyes are a dead giveaway that he’s more than just your average two-cocked alpha male. Akeelians have all sorts of colored eyes, just like Cygnian princesses, but the ones with violet eyes are the breeders. Genetically engineered males who should be able to breed with their Cygnian soulmate and actually produce offspring the natural way.
At least this is what I’ve learned second-hand from the Loathsome One.
Which gets me thinking… he could be my soulmate. I’m one of the special ones who were engineered to breed.
But he’s not. Because I’d have known the moment we locked eyes. And one touch from him would make me light up like the sun.
None of that happened. And it’s not because I have exceptional skills at controlling my glow—though I do.
It’s because we’re not fated.
I’m pretty sure the Loathsome One already knew that. In fact, I’m pretty sure she’s counting on Jimmy being her fated mate. That’s why she wants him so bad. If she could breed with him and get pregnant then she’d automatically become a power player in the big Cygnian-Akeelian war that’s brewing.
But that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. Jimmy’s kind of a good catch. He’s rich for one. Very rich. I know he’s part owner of Harem Station and that place makes billions of credits a month. And he’s rugged. Square jaw with just the right amount of stubble on it. Hard muscles underneath his tight black shirt. Big hands and nice, thick, light-brown hair that hangs over his eyes and makes him look both mysterious and dangerous at the same time.
Not to mention he’s got two cocks. I’ve been with a few Cygnian males over the years, but never an Akeelian. They’re something out of fairytales and myths to us girls back home. So… being with a male who could pleasure me the way I was meant to be pleasured is intriguing, to say the least.
