the cargo hold,” Jake said. With another sickening moan from Rani, he was up and at the door. “I’ll be right back.”
Rani refused a drink of water. “Tell Jake I’m going to my room,” she said. After two steps she fell to the floor.
“Rani!” Durga cried. She ran out of the dining room and came back carrying cushions from the passenger cabin. Char and Mike put one under Rani’s head and the other under her knees.
“I’m going to check your wound,” Char said. She loosened Rani’s flight pants and eased the top down a little. Rani groaned and went paler.
Mike knelt close to Char and examined Rani’s skin. “This bruise is not good. That shibdung used the disruptor.” He outlined a faint discoloration on Rani’s hip and said in Char’s ear, “Let’s hope it didn’t clip her intestine.”
“Don’t die,” Durga said.
Rani managed a weak smile. “That is not my plan, little warrior. Char is right. I only need to let the antibiotics do their job.”
“I’ll start the subnet search,” Mike said. “Rani probably does just need antibiotics, but we should get her to an infirmary on the surface.” At the door, he gave them all a thumbs-up.
During dinner, Mike had been genuinely upbeat about something—probably Rani’s capitulation over Corcovado—but Char was positive he wasn’t happy about her and Jake being together.
She couldn’t expect him to be thrilled about it, but she wanted to be sure he had no hard feelings. She decided to keep him company while he worked on the subnet.
Entering the galley, she heard him talking to someone. That was quick work.
“I suppose it’s sentimental,” he said. “They want to reward me for saving the children.”
A pause, then he said, “Of course I think it’s ridiculous. But if it means restoring order after all this chaos, I suppose it’s my duty.”
Another pause. He was using an earpiece. But who was he talking to? And taking credit for saving the girls was pretty audacious.
“Well, yes. I suppose I was an exceptional governor. I’ll be an exceptional emperor too. I don’t mind saying it.”
Did she hear that right?
“All the CEOs are on board. Even Garrick.”
Emperor. That’s why he was so bubbly at dinner. She thought back over the last few days. She’d never heard him talking to anyone, but now she realized he’d intended it that way.
When Geraldo made contact, Mike had immediately cut him off. Maybe it hadn’t been about security at all. Maybe Mike had wanted to make sure Geraldo didn’t say anything about their plans.
“I’ll drop the Michael , though. Emperor Augustine sounds more impressive.” He laughed at his own joke.
She had suspected he was lying to her just before the Space Junque arrived at the annex. He’d closed the orbit runner’s canopy. How did she miss that? Why would he do that unless he was hiding something?
She had to get back to the others. She had to tell Jake and Rani.
“They want you as much as they want me, Sky. Your Tesla units will save civilization.”
What the hell? Char wheeled around. Her throat went dry and she could hardly breathe as it dawned on her just who was on the other side of that conversation.
“You’ll be my empress,” Mike said. “The world will adore you.”
“You bastard!” Char stormed into the cockpit. Mike was sitting in Tyler’s chair. When he saw her, he pulled the drive out of the com and stuck it in his pocket. “Sky’s alive?”
He stood up and eased into the galley. Char flew at him and pounded on his chest. “How could you? You said Tesla was cut off. You let me think she was dead!”
“It’s not like that,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do.” He grabbed her wrists. “Look at me.”
“Let me talk to her.” God. Sky, Sky . “Put it back in.”
“Maybe I made a mistake.” He ignored her plea. “I thought if I told you and things went wrong, it would be like losing her twice.”
“Liar!” She struggled against his grasp,
Rani refused a drink of water. “Tell Jake I’m going to my room,” she said. After two steps she fell to the floor.
“Rani!” Durga cried. She ran out of the dining room and came back carrying cushions from the passenger cabin. Char and Mike put one under Rani’s head and the other under her knees.
“I’m going to check your wound,” Char said. She loosened Rani’s flight pants and eased the top down a little. Rani groaned and went paler.
Mike knelt close to Char and examined Rani’s skin. “This bruise is not good. That shibdung used the disruptor.” He outlined a faint discoloration on Rani’s hip and said in Char’s ear, “Let’s hope it didn’t clip her intestine.”
“Don’t die,” Durga said.
Rani managed a weak smile. “That is not my plan, little warrior. Char is right. I only need to let the antibiotics do their job.”
“I’ll start the subnet search,” Mike said. “Rani probably does just need antibiotics, but we should get her to an infirmary on the surface.” At the door, he gave them all a thumbs-up.
During dinner, Mike had been genuinely upbeat about something—probably Rani’s capitulation over Corcovado—but Char was positive he wasn’t happy about her and Jake being together.
She couldn’t expect him to be thrilled about it, but she wanted to be sure he had no hard feelings. She decided to keep him company while he worked on the subnet.
Entering the galley, she heard him talking to someone. That was quick work.
“I suppose it’s sentimental,” he said. “They want to reward me for saving the children.”
A pause, then he said, “Of course I think it’s ridiculous. But if it means restoring order after all this chaos, I suppose it’s my duty.”
Another pause. He was using an earpiece. But who was he talking to? And taking credit for saving the girls was pretty audacious.
“Well, yes. I suppose I was an exceptional governor. I’ll be an exceptional emperor too. I don’t mind saying it.”
Did she hear that right?
“All the CEOs are on board. Even Garrick.”
Emperor. That’s why he was so bubbly at dinner. She thought back over the last few days. She’d never heard him talking to anyone, but now she realized he’d intended it that way.
When Geraldo made contact, Mike had immediately cut him off. Maybe it hadn’t been about security at all. Maybe Mike had wanted to make sure Geraldo didn’t say anything about their plans.
“I’ll drop the Michael , though. Emperor Augustine sounds more impressive.” He laughed at his own joke.
She had suspected he was lying to her just before the Space Junque arrived at the annex. He’d closed the orbit runner’s canopy. How did she miss that? Why would he do that unless he was hiding something?
She had to get back to the others. She had to tell Jake and Rani.
“They want you as much as they want me, Sky. Your Tesla units will save civilization.”
What the hell? Char wheeled around. Her throat went dry and she could hardly breathe as it dawned on her just who was on the other side of that conversation.
“You’ll be my empress,” Mike said. “The world will adore you.”
“You bastard!” Char stormed into the cockpit. Mike was sitting in Tyler’s chair. When he saw her, he pulled the drive out of the com and stuck it in his pocket. “Sky’s alive?”
He stood up and eased into the galley. Char flew at him and pounded on his chest. “How could you? You said Tesla was cut off. You let me think she was dead!”
“It’s not like that,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do.” He grabbed her wrists. “Look at me.”
“Let me talk to her.” God. Sky, Sky . “Put it back in.”
“Maybe I made a mistake.” He ignored her plea. “I thought if I told you and things went wrong, it would be like losing her twice.”
“Liar!” She struggled against his grasp,
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