“The transit has been modified for efficiency,” Agameg said as they started down a gently lit hallway. The deck was black with a high polish. The walls were darkly padded, featuring a touch of gold trim. “Are we already above the Pilot’s Den?”

  “Yes, the transit system has very few large cars, and the smaller movers are much faster,” Agameg explained. At his signal, all but one of the guards and Alice left before they continued on.

  “I can help you get back into service,” Alice said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a therapist, but I’m happy to be your guide. I can also fast track any help you want, like medical services, extra protection, or special deliveries from the galley. Full disclosure: I’m also passively listening for any big emotional peaks, just in case you need real help. Nothing invasive until you’re ready. Even then, I won’t do damage, and it doesn’t even have to be me.”

  Breaker couldn’t help but recall what it felt like to have Bion force his way into his head, and cringed again. “Someone has to look around in there for me to rush back into service,” Breaker said. “What I don’t know about any remodelling in there could be trouble, so I’d rather get a report on that. How long does it take? How long do you have to be in there?”

  “I don’t have to go in there for more than a minute after we do a little prep. I’m trained for this, finding hidden programming. You’ll barely know I’m there,” she said reassuringly.

  “I’m guessing I won’t be able to see anyone else until I’m cleared?” Breaker asked.

  “Most people are being kept away, you’re right. Your Wing Commander would be here, but he’s on a mission,” Agameg replied. “Others are being cleared on a case-by-case basis.”

  “Why aren’t you two worried that I have some kind of subliminal assassin programming?” Breaker asked, chopping the air in front of him.

  “I’d see you coming,” Alice replied.

  “Ah, catching whatever I’m transmitting,” Breaker said.

  “I wouldn’t have to see you coming,” Agameg said firmly. “My reflexes aren’t on the human scale. I can non-lethally disable you before any real harm is done.”

  “I’ve never felt safer. From myself,” Breaker said, watching the pair lighten up a little. He hadn’t considered that someone could have put some kind of programming in his head. He’d seen films with secret assassins, even heard that one of Remmy’s team had once been subconsciously programmed. “If it’s in there, I want to know, and I want it fixed. If I can’t trust myself, then what’s the point of me being here?”

  “So, you don’t mind if I look for evidence of blocks or implanted directives? I can do it right now,” Alice said.

  “We are here,” Agameg said, gesturing towards a pair of doors. They opened, revealing a large main room that was set up like a private lounge, with an empty small bar, a high quality holographic system built into the ceiling, a large sofa and a pair of armchairs facing it. “As I said, decoration will be up to you. It is an unused hospitality suite at the moment.”

  “This is too much for me,” Breaker said as he stepped inside.

  “Move in, give it a try. You never know,” Alice suggested brightly.

  “Well, you twisted my arm, okay,” Breaker replied, still not sure what he’d do with all the space.

  “The view is currently classified, so that wall is blacked out. You can use it to display whatever you like, or show the actual view once you regain your clearance. That is, unless the Triton’s position isn’t of strategic importance, which is rare these days,” Agameg said apologetically.

  “Well, I guess I’d better get checked, so I can see what’s out there. Which side of the hull are we facing?” Breaker asked.

  “Forward. Your view will be magnificent,” Agameg said.

  “That’s a selling point,” Breaker said, turning around to look back at his escorts. “So, what can you tell me about what’s been going on? How are you doing?”

  Alice nodded at Agameg, who stayed outside. After the doors closed, she stepped beside the door and faced him. “I’m good. This is a break for me, if I’m honest. I’ve been running around like mad.” Her heavy armour split down the middle, and she stepped out of it. The suit closed behind her, keeping Alice’s shape, activating its helmet so it looked like a motionless sentinel.

  “I guess you can’t go into details,” Breaker said. “Not pressing though.”

  “No, it’s all right,” Alice said as she retracted the gloves of her vacsuit and drew her finger down from her neck so it opened a little, loosening across the shoulders. Her suit was glossier than he’d seen in military models, more like something Ashley would wear. “The people you remember are still around, just not available at the moment. A few of them are already trying to get cleared to see you, someone in the hangar leaked that you were back, and scuttlebutt travels faster than ever on the Triton.”

  Breaker looked away as he caught himself noticing her from the neck down. She was in fantastic shape and gifted with feminine curves. He put his attention on the suite. One of those armchairs looked awfully inviting. “So, I might get a visitor or two tonight?” he asked.

  She walked past him, and he noticed that she was shorter than he was, reminding Breaker of Tria. The last memory of her, standing with Vollis, crossed his mind. He pressed it away. Alice’s expression grew more serious as she turned around. “Are you looking forward to seeing people?”

  “A few. I think it would be good, but I’m still winding down from the escape. I was in a cell an hour or two ago. All this good treatment is a shock. Maybe you should check my head before I get used to it,” he replied.

  “It’ll be better if we sit and warm up a little.”

  “Warm up?” Breaker asked, more anxious than he expected.

  “It’s simple. The best way to do this is to have a little more light conversation before I check you out. It’s like getting a baseline for an old biometric lie detector test,” Alice said as she sat on a bar stool facing him.

  “Where do you want me?” Breaker said, looking around.

  “Anywhere is fine, just get comfortable,” Alice said with a shrug.

  He lowered himself into an armchair that felt almost too big, keenly aware of the crinkling of his emergency suit. He’d take it off, but he was wearing nothing but the shorts beneath. “All right, so… small talk, or?”

  Alice regarded him with a little smile and leaned back with her elbow on the bar. It reminded him of Carnie, who used to sit like that sometimes while they were waiting for their order in the Pilot’s Den. “How are you feeling?”

  “Crusty,” Breaker said, running his hand over his rough hair. It had been regrowing, but not evenly, and it was a little brush like. “I could use a shower, hell, a hard vibro-scrub would do me some good.”

  Alice laughed. “I don’t think anyone cares how you look, if that makes you feel any better. We’re just glad you’re back. How do you know me?”

  “I really don’t. I mean, I know who you are, and we met formally during the Bullet Chasers Monument Dedication, but other than seeing you with Carnie, I don’t know you well,” Breaker replied. “Are you reading me? I don’t feel you in there.”

  “I’m not welcome yet, and I’m not forcing anything, either, just catching your emotional peaks as they pop up,” Alice replied. “Well, this is completely unfair, and I don’t mean in a mind reader way. I know you better than you know me. When your squadron thought you snuffed it, they shut up about you at first. About a month later, there was a ceremony when Halfer and Raver were lost. I’m sorry, by the way.”

  Breaker accepted her condolences with a nod. “I didn’t know Halfer, and I barely knew Raver. Were there a lot of losses while I was away?”

  “None after that. Plenty of close calls,” Alice replied. She focused on him like they were the only people in the galaxy.

  Maybe it was part of her passive reading, but he was impressed at the young woman’s talent for making him feel so invested in their conversation. “Bion was pretty angry about our ships jumping in and out whenever they liked.”

  “That’s the life saver. I’m not sharing any secrets when I say we’ve lost ten times as many ships as people thanks to quick quad jumps. Anyway, stories about you started after the wake and didn’t stop. Honestly, it feels like I know you. That squadron, the deck crews, even galley staff missed you.”

  Breaker rubbed his eye, pretending that he was welling up. Really, if she kept talking like that, it would happen, because he was touched to the core. “Yeah, the Galley. Me and the twins would stop in and say thanks. The three of us have a thing for food prepared by human hands, and they made the pudding, or whatever it is. You know, the unpronounceable stuff they love. They’re good, right? Gren and Garma?” He braced himself.

  “I’m bending the rules because it’s like everything is classified, but they’re alive and well. I think I’ve seen that pudding, too. It moves on its own, right? Can’t be made in fabbers?”

  “Right, that stuff. Eudoovirigarr, or something,” Breaker said, trying to roll his r’s.

  Alice laughed and nodded. “I can’t pronounce it either.”

  The impending reading drained the levity from the situation faster than he liked. “So, ready to check my brain?”

  “I think you’re almost relaxed enough, but I want a little more warm up first,” Alice replied. “One thing first. I’m going to get glimpses of what’s in there. I have to look around for something specific, abnormal features that stand out from your normal memories that suggest that there are implanted ones. Blocks could be there too, but I don’t have to get rid of them if you don’t want me to. I can tell you about them instead.”

  “I’d rather know my own mind, even if it means that you get a good look around too,,” Breaker said. Alice seemed satisfied with the answer, and he guessed why. “That’ll help you figure out if I’m dangerous to myself and others, I’m guessing.”

  “Definitely,” she replied.

  “Then get in as soon as you think I’m ready for it. I’ll warn you though, there are some pretty crazy things stored up there, you might not look at me the same way after this,” Breaker enjoyed teasing the much younger woman. She seemed to enjoy it too, judging from her chuckle.

  “You really like to put other people at ease,” Alice said.

  “When I can. Makes me feel useful too, I think,” he replied.

  “It’s good for you. I don’t know you well, but I bet you’re the type who lightens their load by taking the burdens of others,” Alice said, the words not quite matching her apparent age.

  “Maybe,” Breaker replied. That word, ‘burden,’ made him flinch a little. It reminded him that there were things he should say before they got into his head, before she discovered the details herself. “Listen, seriously, I need to tell you something. Mind reading aside. I was in simulations that tricked me into showing everyone around the contents of my brain for a couple of months before they put me in a cell. After that, Bion forced himself into my head and I’m pretty sure he saw a lot about how the Archangels are built, especially everything I understand about the mini Quad Drive. I gave him my best math on how to interdict them.”

  “That’s where that came from,” Alice said, leaning forward. “Can’t talk about that yet, but it didn’t do as much harm as you might think.”

  There were consequences, though. He could see it on her face. “I also gave up the location of the Bitter End Base.”

  “Well, you’re not the only one. Don’t feel bad about that. One of the Privateer Captains gave that up, I’m still trying to figure out who. There hasn’t been an attack yet, but it’s coming. At least, I’m sure it’s coming.” Alice seemed a little perturbed.

  He assumed that it was another thing she couldn’t go into detail about, so he moved on, embracing his relief. “How do you know it was leaked?”

  “We caught the information mid-relay between Order battle groups. Can’t tell you how, surprise, surprise,” Alice said with a crooked smile. It seemed like she was getting tired of having to limit her speech too.

  After taking a deep breath and doing his best to stitch his own timeline together, he said. “Well, at least I probably wasn’t the source of the leak, just a point of confirmation. If you need a pilot out there to help defend the place, I’ll be there.”

  “It was pretty bad on the Rixe, wasn’t it?” Alice asked.

  He didn’t want to share the details, not yet. So much was jumbled, and he was more interested in what he missed. Still, he needed to tell her something. “It was worse than I thought getting captured would be. Then the real horror show started when Bion tried to data mine my brain, but don’t worry, I’m back. I can’t wait to kick ass again. Bring on the debriefing. I can’t wait to answer one thousand and one questions if it means I get back on the stick,” Breaker replied, realizing that he was starting into a rant.

  “Well, I’ll shorten that, but I won’t be doing the debriefing,” Alice said. “One last thing before I make sure your head is basically okay. A question.”

  “Shoot.” Breaker said, moving from the chair to a stool two spots away from her at the bar. His feet wouldn’t touch the floor, so he adjusted it, bringing himself down to her level.

  “You checked me out when I stepped out of my armour.” Alice was still relaxed, it didn’t look like she was offended, just stating a fact.

  “Well, I’m on the spot, but that’s not a question,” Breaker replied, getting ready to apologize.

  “The question is; what did you think?” Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Old confidence saved him. This may not have been a flirtatious moment, but it resembled one he’d had more than once. The difference was, this was Alice, a Captain and soldier he respected from a distance. That guided his reply. “You’re lovely, Carnie is a lucky man.”

  “But, if I were single?” Alice pressed, definitely flirting.

  “A little young for me, to be honest. I know it doesn’t matter with most people these days, but I’m very old school. You could be my granddaughter,” Breaker said, starting to feel deeply uncomfortable.

  Alice patted his arm and smiled. “Good answer, you’re off the hook. The important part is your reaction. I needed a harmless emotional peak. That question has worked better on other people, but that’s good enough. Oh, don’t worry about checking me out, by the way. Practically everyone looks at everyone, it’s natural, especially since you didn’t stare, I almost thought I’d have to go a lot further to get a reaction.”

  “Like get out of your vacsuit?” Breaker teased.

  “No,” Alice laughed, slapping his arm. “Call Agameg in for some surprise shape-shifting. Dirty old man,” she wasn’t serious about the last part.

  “Maybe I am, just a little, but I fight it,” Breaker teased back. He had more experience at this game, and decided to derail the conversation before this woman he barely knew was still laughing. “Seriously, you look like you’re barely out of your teens to me, so you’re safe here. Besides, you remind me of someone I couldn’t save.” Breaker didn’t expect to add the last part, and it sobered them both quickly.

  “I’m sorry,” Alice said. “And I do feel safe, so you know. Otherwise, I would have skipped right to Agameg’s shocking shapeshifting show.”

  Breaker broke the silence that followed by clearing his throat and asking; “So, embarrassment gives you a good benchmark?” Breaker asked.

  “Right, it does. It’s pretty harmless if you can find a low stakes trigger, like I did. It’s social, but strangely primal. You really don’t get shaken up easily in social situations, do you?” Alice asked.

  “No, I could tell you stories,” Breaker replied, recalling one birthday party with his fellow Chasers that started with a fellow pilot’s girlfriend emerging from a giant cake. It was an ancient cliché, but set a great tone for the night, which was also the celebration of the return of three crews in one week. A few of his stories would come from that night, in fact. “I’ll share some other time.”

  “Right, work to do, but I’ll hold you to that.” It seemed like Alice was enjoying her time with him, even as she straightened in her seat and got more serious.

  “Get in my brain,” Breaker said, trying not to sound as nervous as he was.

  “Relax as well as you can.” Alice followed that with a long exhale. When she finished, she took a breath. “The first part is word association. I say something and watch for your response.”

  “Sounds like a test I can pass,” Breaker said.

  Alice began, enunciating each word clearly, spacing them out in a steady rhythm. “Order. Sky. Home. Triton. Card. Ronin. Edxi. Flame. Hostage. Defence. Citadel. Silence. Revenge. Peace.”

  Breaker hoped she learned something, because he didn’t feel like he reacted drastically to anything. It seemed like she did, because Alice regarded him more seriously by the end. Then he felt her in his mind. It wasn’t the same as Bion, she was just a presence that felt light, yielding, even friendly. A tear rolled down his cheek, as he felt growing panic regardless. “Get it over with.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” Alice said, putting a hand on his. “Breathe with me. Slow in, slow out. Think about something you enjoy.”

  He followed her breathing pattern, looking into her blue eyes. He struggled to find something to remember that was completely joyful. Then he had it. A recent memory that engaged every sense. “I’ve got it,” Breaker said.

  “Tell me about it,” Alice said soothingly.

  “It was the first time I flew the Spitfire after we finished building it. The roar of the engine, vibration of the frame all around me. I could feel how it pulled me through the air.” There was a feeling, like someone was peeking at other memories for tiny fractions of a second.

  In flashes, he recalled the inside of the Monte Carlo Chaser ship, a Tiki bar on Great Swan Beach, the first time he inspected an Uriel Fighter, and then Bion’s face right before he forced himself into his head. He inhaled sharply as the fear of the past struck him before departing suddenly. “He’s not here, you’re all right,” Alice soothed.

 

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