his...unmentionables. And leave for the animals to fight over.”
Click’s eyes went wide. He placed a protective hand over his precious groin. “Oi! What did I do?”
“Something about being a traitor, I believe,” Atom explained. “You…” He stopped again, shifting his hand to Rose. “Have a fate worse than all of us, I’m afraid.”
“The hair again?” Rose asked. Atom nodded. He opened his mouth to explain, but Rose held her hand up to stop him. “I’d rather not know,” she said.
“So you break cage apart?” Jax asked. “I can do that without sound.” She shoved a finger at Atom’s arm. “Why should that matter?”
Rose doubted that even Jax could get them out of this cage without raising the attention of their captors. “Because it puts us on even footing. If we can’t slip away unnoticed then at least we can go down with a fair fight. Isn’t that right, Mr. Loquacious?”
Atom looked unsure. “Captain, might I have a word?”
“Go ahead,” Rose said.
Atom glanced around at the crew before he added, “Alone?”
Rose sighed. She took Atom by the arm, his real one, and walked him to the far corner of the cage, waving the others away. They huddled across the cage with dejected looks.
“What’s the trouble, son?” she asked.
He traced the edge of his arm-cannon with a shaking finger. “I...I’ve never actually used this before.” He looked back at Gabriella and sighed.
“You seem to have the hang of it,” Rose encouraged him.
“No,” Atom snapped. He turned back to her. “I mean...I mean as a weapon.”
Rose grasped the underlying current. “Ahh.” She clapped Atom on his shoulder. Pulling him in close, she whispered, “You’ve never had to protect yourself?”
Atom shook his head. His eyes asked the question she was sure his throat couldn’t.
“No, I’ve never killed a man before,” she said. Her mind added, not officially at least.
“I don’t know what to do. I want to help.” He paused and eyed Gabriella again before he continued, “I want to help everyone, but I can’t bring myself to hurt anybody. The very idea of it makes me nauseated.”
Rose didn’t expect the young lab assistant to act any other way. “Jax might be the best person to talk to about this.”
“You mean she’s...” Atom asked in a half question.
“She’s had to. Jax has lived a hard life. The village she grew up in was a regular spot for raiders. She was raised with a sword in one hand and the head of her enemy in the other. Killing is in her blood.”
Atom turned green at the idea.
“You don’t have to hurt anyone,” Rose said.
“Do you think?” he asked.
“I would never ask someone to do anything that I wouldn’t do.”
This explanation seemed to please the young man. “That’s very wise of you, Captain.”
“Just get us out of here, and if need be, cause enough of a distraction to let us get away.”
“That I can do.” Atom turned back to the crowd. Rose caught him by the arm again and tugged him back.
“Atom,” she said. “Please take your time with Gabriella.”
“Take my time?”
“She’s kind of...sheltered. I know the impression that most men have of my crew, because of our unconventional lifestyle, and perhaps part of it is our own fault. After all we aren’t the simple mothers and homemakers women are expected to be. In this case... Guppy...she’s young.
Inexperienced. Just take your time with whatever it is you’re thinking about.”
Atom paused for a moment, his brow furrowed as if he was confused by Rose’s words.
Slowly, his face twisted into a mask of revulsion. He glanced at Gabriella, then back at Rose.
“Captain!” He motioned to the young lady in question. “I would never...take such liberties with...do such a thing...never!”
“Calm down.”
“I admit, I’m quite fond of the young lady.”
“And she’s taken with you.”
Atom seemed not to hear her. “But there is a certain propriety to these things. One
Click’s eyes went wide. He placed a protective hand over his precious groin. “Oi! What did I do?”
“Something about being a traitor, I believe,” Atom explained. “You…” He stopped again, shifting his hand to Rose. “Have a fate worse than all of us, I’m afraid.”
“The hair again?” Rose asked. Atom nodded. He opened his mouth to explain, but Rose held her hand up to stop him. “I’d rather not know,” she said.
“So you break cage apart?” Jax asked. “I can do that without sound.” She shoved a finger at Atom’s arm. “Why should that matter?”
Rose doubted that even Jax could get them out of this cage without raising the attention of their captors. “Because it puts us on even footing. If we can’t slip away unnoticed then at least we can go down with a fair fight. Isn’t that right, Mr. Loquacious?”
Atom looked unsure. “Captain, might I have a word?”
“Go ahead,” Rose said.
Atom glanced around at the crew before he added, “Alone?”
Rose sighed. She took Atom by the arm, his real one, and walked him to the far corner of the cage, waving the others away. They huddled across the cage with dejected looks.
“What’s the trouble, son?” she asked.
He traced the edge of his arm-cannon with a shaking finger. “I...I’ve never actually used this before.” He looked back at Gabriella and sighed.
“You seem to have the hang of it,” Rose encouraged him.
“No,” Atom snapped. He turned back to her. “I mean...I mean as a weapon.”
Rose grasped the underlying current. “Ahh.” She clapped Atom on his shoulder. Pulling him in close, she whispered, “You’ve never had to protect yourself?”
Atom shook his head. His eyes asked the question she was sure his throat couldn’t.
“No, I’ve never killed a man before,” she said. Her mind added, not officially at least.
“I don’t know what to do. I want to help.” He paused and eyed Gabriella again before he continued, “I want to help everyone, but I can’t bring myself to hurt anybody. The very idea of it makes me nauseated.”
Rose didn’t expect the young lab assistant to act any other way. “Jax might be the best person to talk to about this.”
“You mean she’s...” Atom asked in a half question.
“She’s had to. Jax has lived a hard life. The village she grew up in was a regular spot for raiders. She was raised with a sword in one hand and the head of her enemy in the other. Killing is in her blood.”
Atom turned green at the idea.
“You don’t have to hurt anyone,” Rose said.
“Do you think?” he asked.
“I would never ask someone to do anything that I wouldn’t do.”
This explanation seemed to please the young man. “That’s very wise of you, Captain.”
“Just get us out of here, and if need be, cause enough of a distraction to let us get away.”
“That I can do.” Atom turned back to the crowd. Rose caught him by the arm again and tugged him back.
“Atom,” she said. “Please take your time with Gabriella.”
“Take my time?”
“She’s kind of...sheltered. I know the impression that most men have of my crew, because of our unconventional lifestyle, and perhaps part of it is our own fault. After all we aren’t the simple mothers and homemakers women are expected to be. In this case... Guppy...she’s young.
Inexperienced. Just take your time with whatever it is you’re thinking about.”
Atom paused for a moment, his brow furrowed as if he was confused by Rose’s words.
Slowly, his face twisted into a mask of revulsion. He glanced at Gabriella, then back at Rose.
“Captain!” He motioned to the young lady in question. “I would never...take such liberties with...do such a thing...never!”
“Calm down.”
“I admit, I’m quite fond of the young lady.”
“And she’s taken with you.”
Atom seemed not to hear her. “But there is a certain propriety to these things. One
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