“How did you make that so quickly?” I knelt down to look at the small robot that was currently circling the floor of the windowless and mostly empty room. The spaceship seemed to have lots of these secret little spaces. The trick was finding the hidden latches and touch screens to grant access to them.
“Oh. I’ve had practice.” Rachel smiled in a way that suggested there was far more to the story. I was beginning to understand that her story would take me months, if not years, to fully wrap my head around.
“Yeah, but still. That thing is cool.” I watched as the silver ball attached to two spindle like legs moved around.
“Cool.” The robot stopped and spoke in the voice of a little girl.
“It talks?” I tried to swallow down my surprise.
“Yes, I talk.” Out of nowhere two bright yellow eyes appeared on the ball. “And I see. I see you.”
Creepy. Cool yet creepy. “Umm, ok. That’s even cooler than I thought.”
“Her name is Amsi.” Rachel sat down cross-legged.
“Does that stand for anything?”
“Automatic, multi-tasking, system, integration.” Amsi answered for Rachel.
“Got it,” I replied as if robots answered my questions every day. Each time I thought the surprises were over, another came my way.
Amsi stopped in front of me. “And does Noah stand for anything?”
I stared at the two electronic eyes. There was no mouth, the voice was coming from some sort of speaker. “Not really.” I glanced over the robot to look at Rachel. “What are you going to have her do?”
“Telton can’t find updated intel on what ships are within striking distance of Earth right now. They are using some new cloaking device even he doesn’t recognize. That means the Emperor had them designed behind his back. That comes with all sorts of implications.”
“As in the Emperor knew what Telton was up to?” That wouldn’t be good news for us.
“Maybe. Or maybe he just didn’t want Telton to know what he was up to.” Rachel fidgeted with a small piece of metal.
“Neither scenario is good.”
She set down the hunk of metal. “No, definitely not.”
“So how would it work? You connect her into a larger system or…” I liked to think I had a decent grasp on technology, but I’d figured out quickly that Andrelexa technology was in a whole new ball field.
“I can connect myself in. Thank you.” Amsi rolled her head around.
“Oh. Okay.” Although I kept the sentiment to myself, it was weird to interact with a robot. Especially when it had only been a pile of parts a few hours before. I knew Rachel was cool, but this pushed cool to a whole new level. Who could build a walking, talking, robot with advanced capacities out of recycled parts? Evidently Rachel. No wonder fixing my laptop had only taken her a few minutes.
“What do you do with your free time?” Rachel stretched out her legs in front of her.
“Ah, nothing too exciting. I play music, play my share of video games, read. I go to the gym if I can motivate myself.”
“Don’t downplay it. You’re at the gym every morning at seven like some kind of lunatic.” Dale laughed.
I glanced over my shoulder. I’d had no clue he was standing there. “Aren’t you supposed to be guarding Caspian?”
“Nah. He fell asleep.” Dale leaned against the door frame.
“He fell asleep?” Rachel raised an eyebrow. “I can’t imagine.”
“He did. And right in the middle of a conversation. He’s seriously rude. I don’t see what you saw in him. Okay, I do. The guy’s got things going for him in the physical department I guess,” Dale rambled on.
“I don’t know either.” Rachel leaned back on her hands. “But it doesn’t matter now. “Tell me about the gym.”
“It’s nothing exciting. It’s where you work out. I imagine you had those places on Andrelexa.” Otherwise Caspian, Kelby, and Telton wouldn’t look the way they did.
“Maybe we did, but usually our fitness goals were met by connecting with the systems.”
“You used computers to stay in shape?” Dale walked further into the room. It made the already cramped space feel crowded. “That sounds awesome.”
Rachel laughed. “I guess so. So this gym, is it outside?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then why go? I mean you have air you can breathe! Why not spend every minute outside?”
I smiled. “I love that.”
“Love what?”
“How excited you get about stuff.” It wasn’t getting old at all. In some ways her excitement was contagious.
“If you’d spent most of your life unable to breathe the air outside you’d feel the same way.”
“You are right. Sorry if that was rude to say, but it’s nice. It’s nice to see someone care about things the rest of us forget about.”
“When we get back to Earth try to listen. Try to focus on those things. Like you said stop to smell the roses.”
“I will.” There were a lot of things I’d try to do now. I was done living in my little numb bubble.
Amsi beeped. “Ship located. Ship in range.”
“Uh, that can’t be good.” I looked at Rachel.
Rachel paled. “Amsi, feed information into the ship’s central computer.”
Amsi beeped again. “Task complete.”
“Let’s find Telton.” Rachel jumped to her feet, and we followed her into the hall. I could hear the clip-clap steps of Amsi as she hurried to keep up with us. We reached the command pod. The doors were already open, and Telton stepped into the doorway blocking the pod from view.
“We have a problem.” Telton’s eyes were dark.
“I know. Amsi is the one who found it.”
“I assumed as much. We are lucky you work fast.” He eyed the small robot waiting beside Rachel.
“How close is the ship?” I asked. What I was really asking was how much time we had left.
“Too close.” Telton rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m using our most secure cloaking, but we’re going to have to hyperspace.” His expression darkened, and I knew that wasn’t a good thing.
“And we don’t want to do that?” I asked.
He clenched his jaw. “No. We don’t. Kelby won’t be able to find us if we jump too far, and we can’t predict with 100% certainty where we will end up. There are variations sometimes.”
“Then we can’t hyperspace. I won’t leave Angie.” I’d made enough mistakes in my life. I wasn’t adding another to my list. Especially not when it came to my sister. I’d been an idiot to let her leave with Kelby.
“There’s another option,” Caspian called from a place that sounded much closer than the prison bunk. “We are within reach of the back way into North Star. They will be required to give us safe harbor. They are a neutral planet.” He walked into view.
Rachel walked up to him and wagged a finger in his face. “What are you doing out here?”
“I heard the commotion. I couldn’t stay away. I can help.” He made no move toward her—or me. Maybe I should have been worried, but I was too busy freaking out about Angie and me being separated. I was really sucking in the whole good brother department.
“North Star holds a similar problem with hyperspacing.” Telton paced the small hallway. If he was concerned with Caspian being out he didn’t show it. “We will be hidden from all radars which is good—aside from Kelby being unable to find us.”
“Then no.” I shook my head. “That is also off the table.” Angie had made the decision to leave with Kelby, but that was under the impression I’d be waiting for her when she got back. I couldn’t just disappear on her.
“We don’t have to stay hidden forever.” Carl stepped out of the command pod. He was making himself very comfortable there. “We are better off taking a short shelter then hyperspacing. There is a chance he could take years to find us if we jump too far.” He repeated Telton’s warning.
“We can’t risk that.” Telton spoke what I was ready to say.
“What’s our other choice? Defend an attack head-on in this ship?” Carl asked. “Is that even possible?”
“It is possible. But only if Rachel is safe. Once she is safe we can fight them off. This ship’s defense system isn’t impenetrable, but we have a strong chance,” Caspian explained.
“Stop worrying about my safety.” Rachel glared at him. “Everyone needs to be safe.”
“They want you, Rachel. You are too important to risk.” He spoke softly to her.
“Then what are you suggesting?” She asked. “What is your plan?”
“You go to North Star.” Caspian pointed to her.
“Are you suggesting we send Rachel alone?” Telton’s eyes widened. “That is unacceptable.”
“No. I am not suggesting that. She will go with him.” Caspian nodded in my direction. “He cares for her enough to make sure she survives.”
“Of course I’ll make sure she lives.” I had followed her off of Earth? Hadn’t I? “But I can’t leave Angie.”
“You aren’t leaving her. We can defend the ship long enough for them to come back. I will send word for him to expedite the mission. One they return we will all join you on North Star.” Telton seemed to be coming around to the new plan quickly.
“What is North Star?” I wasn’t going to a random planet without having some idea of what it was. I’d been following along like an idiot long enough.
“It’s a completely neutral planet. It’s hidden between several black holes. It’s the safest place in this galaxy,” Telton explained.
Blackholes and safe. Those were two words I never expected to hear in the same sentence. “And they will let us in?”
Telton nodded. “They will. They provide safe harbor to those who are oppressed.”
“And to those who aren’t for a fee.” Caspian flexed his arm. “But no one can hurt anyone while on its surface.”
“If Noah doesn’t want to go, I can.” Dale pushed his way into our mini circle in the hallway.
“No.” Telton shook his head. “You will stay here.”
“Why?” Dale’s brow furrowed.
“Because you will say something ill-advised and get the safe harbor revoked. It is better that it is just them.” Telton inclined his head toward where Rachel and I stood.
“So you want me to stay on a ship that’s going to get attacked? Is that correct?” Dale laughed dryly. “While Noah and Rachel prance around some fairy world of safety?”
“It’s not a fairy world,” Telton scolded. “And does Noah prance?” Telton asked as if legitimately curious.
“No,” I quickly replied. “I don’t prance. And I never said I was going.”
“Don’t you want Rachel safe?” Caspian set his intense gaze on me. “Doesn’t she matter to you?”
“Of course she does.” I refused to let his pointed words get to me. “But so does my sister. If you think you can defend this ship…”
“They want Rachel. They don’t even know I’m here.” He was challenging me, trying to get me boxed into a corner. I wouldn’t be.
“How do you know?” I threw back. “Your father left a tracker, remember?” He could pretend all he wanted, but he wasn’t as untouchable as he liked people to think.
“And Kelby sent it off to buy us time.” Caspian rocked back on his heels.
“Sent it off?” I was pretty sure I didn’t even want to know what that meant.
Caspian confirmed my suspicion. “You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do.” Ready to hear it or not, I needed to. The time to keep my head in the sand was over.
“He sent it to earth.” Telton walked back into the Command Pod. “Siberia to be exact. Smart plan.”
“What? So now they will be more likely to attack Earth?” How was that in any way a good plan?
“My father won’t attack. They want me found. Just like they want Rachel found. The medallions have value. As long as they think one of us is on Earth they won’t destroy the planet.”
“So why don’t I go back?” Rachel put a hand on her chest. “We can protect Earth, and I can find my brother.”
“Because by now it is crawling with enemies. If they get their hands on you, all of this was for nothing.” Telton sat in one of the captain’s chairs. “Caspian has a good plan. I vote we go with it.”
“Oh. Are we voting?” Dale strode into the room before I could. “Because my vote is I stay wherever you send Rachel. I’m not dying today.
“I was speaking rhetorically.” Telton turned his back to Dale and looked at a screen. “The only vote that matters is mine.”
“What about mine?” Rachel groaned. “Oh wait. No one cares about what I want.”
“You want Earth saved. You want your friends safe.” Telton turned to Rachel. “I do understand what you want, and you can have all of that only if we are successful in defeating the Emperor.”
“So you expect me to hide out on North Star while you battle?”
“I expect you to extract information on North Star.” Telton tapped the side of his head. “The value for information is just as important as battle.”
“What information?” I wasn’t hiding out while my sister was somewhere in danger, but if I could be useful, that was a whole different situation.
“The Emperor is not working alone.” Telton zoomed into the screen. “He has other help.”
“And I don’t understand how he hid it from me.” Caspian’s hands balled into fists.
“Your father is an expert in deception.” Telton’s eyes darkened. “We have no time to waste. Rachel and Noah you take Amsi and go to North Star. The rest of us will prepare for battle. Oh, and be prepared to meet the rulers of North Star. You never really know what you are going to get with them.”
“I can’t do this.” I wanted to protect Rachel, but how did I really know North Star was safe? Didn’t Telton just say you never knew what to expect with the rulers? Not to mention that leaving when I had no idea where Angie was wasn’t an option either.
“You have to. If our enemies breach the ship and take Rachel… you don’t want to know what they will do.” Caspian’s face contorted in pain. “If you care for her at all you’ll do this.”
Rachel cringed. “They’d cut off my head wouldn’t they?”
“What?” My chest clenched. “What are you talking about?”
“To get the medallion.” Caspian looked down at his feet. “There is another way, but knowing my father he wouldn’t take it.” He grimaced. “We can’t let that happen. I swear to you on all that is enteral and true I will find a way to get your sister to North Star.”
“More of these oaths?” I didn’t get it. “Why are you so willing to make an oath to protect someone you don’t know?”
“Because then you will protect Rachel. There is nothing worth more in the world to me.”
“We can stay on the ship, Noah. We can stay safe here.” Rachel put her hand on my forearm.
“Then who will get the intel?” Telton scowled. “Do not forget your diversion to North Star serves two purposes.”
“Do we have a way of returning to the ship?” That was the only way I was doing this. I wasn’t getting trapped forever without knowing what was going on with Angie.
“Yes. You can return at any time.” Telton seemed to be truthful. “That’s why you must keep Amsi with you. Rachel has built another powerful robot.”
“Wait.” Dale blinked several times. “You can’t seriously be considering this. Leaving me here?”
“I’ll be here as well.” Carl spoke calmly. “Don’t you want to participate in cosmic battle?”
“When you put it that way…” Dale trailed off.
“Perfect.” Caspian nodded. “It has been decided. Noah, a word please.”
“You want to talk to me?” I put a hand on my chest.
“Yes. If you would.”
I agreed. Not because I wanted to listen to him but because I had my own message for him. We walked off back into the main sitting room. He stopped and put his hands on my shoulders. “If you so much as leave her side I will kill you.”
Two could play at the threat game. “If you so much as let Angie get a scratch I will kill you.”
“Then we have an agreement.” He removed a hand from my shoulder and shook my hand.
“I want to protect Rachel. I’ll do everything in my power.”
“I know. That’s the only reason I’m agreeing.” He turned and walked back toward the others.