“Hello, Oxade.”
“Hey, guys. Where are the others?”
“Something very peculiar happened while we were conducting the transfer.”
“Did the transfer complete?”
“Yes,” Poz blinked his eyebulbs and beeped, “All fifteen brontobytes of it. The thing is, though—”
“—Where is everyone? I told Hughes and Nutrene to keep an eye on them.”
“If you’d let me finish,” Poz interrupted, “Something untoward occurred right over there, behind you.”
Oxade’s heels skidded across Tor’s vomit patch by the chair, “Whoa,” he yelped and gripped the sticky back rest.
“Ugh. What the hell is this?” He flung the pink slime from his glove.
“According to the Manuel’s last data point, it’s called Symphonium. An evolutionary entity from whichever celestial territory they visited.”
“Celestial territory? What are you talking about?”
“The Manuel recording a place name. Pink Symphony. Not much else is known. I would say it certainly accounts for the virus that has pervaded the ship.”
Oxade looked at the concoction of drool in his gloved palm and grew anxious, “You said there was something untoward?”
“Yes,” Neg hopped over to Oxade and beeped, “They all ran off. Tor Klyce turned into a fleshy spider thing and puked on the floor.”
“Eurgh,” Oxade moved away from the puke on the floor and inspected his heel, “You could have warned me.”
“Well, we did try.”
“They’re all Androgynes, bar two. The botanist woman and the Captain,” Oxade scowled, “If there was a virus it won’t have affected anyone but them.”
Poz and Neg watched Oxade wipe the remains of the goo on the communications panel.
“You’re wrong, I’m afraid,” Manuel’s voice sparked up. His book holograph drew along the air and sparked, announcing his arrival.
“Manuel?”
“Yes.”
“Where are your crew, Manuel?”
“Do I detect a hint of antagonism in your voice, Captain Weller?”
“No, you don’t.”
“It’s just that the way you’re talking indicates that the safety of my crew is not of paramount importance to you.”
“Manuel, I capture and kill felines for a living back on Earth,” Oxade huffed. “Don’t think my remit doesn’t extend to autopilots. Where is the rest of your crew? In particular, Jelly Anderson?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“I am the Captain of Space Opera Charlie, you Spanish-named lamebrain,” Oxade lifted his D-REZ firearm at the communications panel, “I therefore outrank, outnumber and outgun you. Now, for the final time of asking, and presuming you don’t want your physical memory to get blown to pieces, where are the others?”
“The others?”
“Yes, the others.”
“As in, the crew?” Manuel butterflied around in the hope Oxade wouldn’t shoot his physical home. He bought himself some time when he saw a distant figure move in the corridor behind the door.
“Yes, as you say, the crew.”
“Oh. Level Ten, Engine & Payload,” Manuel hoped Oxade would fall for his untruth, “We had trouble with the thrusters and wanted to check.”
“Level Ten? Isn’t that, like, a fifteen minute journey?”
“Yes, yes,” Manuel clapped his covers together, congratulating himself. “I did it. He believed me.”
“Who believed you?” Oxade fumed as he asked the question.
“Oh, uh, nothing,” Manuel faux-cleared his throat, “Sorry, just another communication coming through. I think the crew will be at least thirty minutes.”
Poz spun around to Neg and then back to Oxade, “Captain?”
“Yes, Poz?”
“I’m afraid to inform you that this autopilot is lying.”
“I am not lying,” Manuel lied.
“Lessense,” Oxade waved Poz away, “Autopilots can’t lie. Thanks for all your help, Manuel. We’ll be on our way.”
Manuel flapped his covers at the canisters, “Excuse me. You’ve forgotten your nukes.”
Oxade made for the door. In doing so, he stepped into Tripp and Jaycee’s path, “Oh.”
Tripp eyed Oxade with suspicion, “What was that about nukes? Who are you?”
“Oxade Weller, captain of Opera Charlie,” He extended his hand to shake, “We’re here to rescue you.”
Jaycee spotted the D-REZ in Oxade’s hand, “You came prepared, I see?”
“Can’t take any chances,” Oxade turned to the Rez-9 in each of their hands, “And I could say the same about you.”
Tripp shook the man’s hand a little harder than expected, “Tripp Healy. Captain. We’re relieved you managed to make it here to rescue us.”
Alex and Nutrene walked into the control deck. They were surprised to see Oxade. He threw them a snarky smile as if to say ‘shut up and let me speak.’
They nodded and lowered their guns.
“Your two crew members, here, very helpfully assisted us with tracking down a tango on board our ship.”
Oxade nodded at the splattered chair and lifted up his goo-smeared glove, “So I see.”
“Don’t get any of that stuff on your person, by the way. It’s contagious.”
Oxade’s breath fogged up the inside of his mask, “Contagious?”
“You wouldn’t believe the journey we’ve been on,” Jaycee said. “We’ve been to the center of the multiverse. We saw the nucleus of evolution with our own eyes.”
“And we rescued her,” Tripp added.
Oxade took a step away and looked around the control deck, “Am I right in thinking you’ve made one of the most important discoveries of our lifetime?”
“No,” Tripp said. “We’ve made the most important discovery of all time.”
Oxade grabbed his gun with both hands. He readied himself for action. To the others, it looked as if he was getting comfortable.
Both conclusions were true.
“We have to get back to Earth,” Tripp said. “We need to get Jelly home so she can cure us all.”
“Cure you?”
“She’s pregnant,” Tripp said. “We think her litter is the key to life, when it arrives.”
Oxade laughed with a degree of venom, “You’re not serious, are you?”
“Deadly serious, yes.”
“Do you realize how stupid that sounds?”
“Actually, yes. But it’s the truth.”
“Lessense,” Oxade lifted his gun at Jaycee and Tripp. They knew something like this was coming. Alex and Nutrene circled around them and pointed their guns at both men’s faces.
“Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen,” Oxade said. “You’re going to call Anderson and get her to board Charlie. Once she’s on, we’ll join her and leave you here. Where are Wool ar-Ban, Haloo Ess, Bonnie Whitaker, Tor Klyce, and Baldron Landaker?”
“They’re all dead,” Tripp held his hands in the air along with Jaycee, “Only Jaycee and me left.”
Oxade shouted at Manuel, “Is that true? Are they all dead?”
“No, they’re all alive. Tripp is lying to you,” Manuel sped up his speech, “They’re on their way to come and kill you.
Tripp and Jaycee turned to each other – initially confused, but very quickly tuned in with what Manuel was up to.
“No, Manuel,” Tripp yelled, adding to Oxade’s confusion. “They can’t know they’re all alive.”
“I knew it, they’re not dead,” Oxade palmed the lever on the side of his K-SPARK and pointed it at the communications console. He turned to Nutrene and Alex, “Kill them!”
“Tripp, Jaycee – now,” Manuel screamed and whizzed into the air.