Lyssa's Run_A Hard Science Fiction AI Adventure Read online

  she said. There was a pause as she grew quiet. Andy didn’t know how to explain the feeling but she seemed to go away for a heartbeat. He was able to turn his attention back to Cara, who was grinning at the comms desk in a way he hadn’t seen before. Kerda was telling her a story about his school and a friend who had tried to catch a goat during class. Kerda’s voice had lost all professional stiffness. Now he was a young man excited to tell a story.

  The distant quality of Cara’s smile made her look almost infatuated.

  She was oblivious as Andy stared at her, studying her responses.

  Lyssa’s voice shocked him back into the present. He blinked, looking away from Cara just as she burst out laughing at Kerda’s story.

 

 

  Andy said.

 

 

 

 

  she said.

  The unexpected sadness in her voice made Andy add,

 

 

 

  Andy cleared his throat.

 

 

  she said.

  Andy ignored her. He switched to the general shipnet. he said.

  Fran came back immediately.

  Andy said. Fran continued to prove herself reliable and self-reliant. She’d also saved Sunny Skies from the scrap heap on Cruithne and repaired the damage to Airlock One after Zanda’s final attack. She also seemed to like Andy for some reason, which he still hadn’t figure out.

  Petral said, cutting into this reverie.

  Andy said.

 

  Andy chewed his lip. The pretense might have worked if Cara hadn’t already told the Protectorate lieutenant that Brit was gone. He might try to play it off as Brit being gone in another part of the ship.

  Fran said.

  Petral said.

  Rubbing his forehead, Andy cut in,

  Petral said.

 

  She stopped as if she had remembered something.

 

  Petral said. Mental laughter floated across the Link.

  Fran asked.

  Petral said.

  Andy said.

  Cara was giggling at something else Kerda had said. Andy leaned close to her ear and whispered that it was time end the conversation. Her face fell but she nodded.

  “I’m going to have to go, Bran,” she said. “My dad says he’s got the info you want.”

  Over the ship’s Link, Petral said,

  The technician didn’t respond.

  “Oh,” Lieutenant Kerda said. “Sure. We’re ready to receive whenever he’s ready. It’s been really fun talking to you, Cara. I’ve been out here so long I’d forgotten home. Thanks for helping me remember. Look, when you get to the ring you should look me—”

  “Captain Sykes here,” Andy cut in, clearing his throat. “It’s time for you to brush your teeth, Cara. I know you’re only twelve, but you want to hang onto your real chompers as long as you can. Right, kiddo?”

  “Yes, Dad,” she said, glowering at him.

  “Uh,” Kerda said nervously. “Captain Sykes. Your daughter sounds so much older than that. She’s a real talker.”

  “Right. It’s easy to forget.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Andy sent the ship’s info Petral had updated. “You have our logs?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Kerda said after a minute. “Everything looks in good order. I’ll forward the entry to the Mars 1 Ring Port Authority. Safe travels, sir.”

  “Stay safe yourself, Lieutenant,” Andy said. He closed the channel.

  Cara had a smirk on her face. “Grandpa Charlie would have been proud?” she asked.

  Andy gave her a sideways look. “Too proud,” he said.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  STELLAR DATE: 09.13.2981 (Adjusted Years)

  LOCATION: Sunny Skies

  REGION: Mars 1 Ring, Mars Protectorate, InnerSol

  Andy released control to the M1R tug drone and watched the holodisplay closely as Sunny Skies made final velocity adjustments before docking. In another five minutes, Airlock One had become fixed to a docking scaffold and they were drawing power from the ring. His stomach did a small flip as the habitat ring slowed, and rotated its pods, adjusting to the greater spin of Mars 1.

  Petral called over the Link.

 

 

  Andy stopped himself, realizing he was taking his anxiety out on her.

  Petral chuckled.

  Andy leaned back in his seat and stretched. t. I’m going to need to get some supplies. I’ve also got a list of possible cargo jobs. You want to take a look at it?>

 

  Andy asked, wondering what would be there for her after the fighting on station.

 

  Andy said.

  There was a pause. Andy didn’t know her well enough to be able to read between her words. She didn’t let any emotion slip over the Link. She sighed.

  Andy blinked. He wasn’t trying to suggest he wanted a relationship with her. He had thought she had a big ego, but this was beyond what he had guessed.

 

  Andy said.

  Petral asked, all business.

  Andy wasn’t sure if her tone was a dismissal, disappointment, or maybe relief.

 

  Andy said, quashing the image of a tank-like Fran that came to mind.

 

 

  Petral’s tone carried guarded approval.

  Andy said.

 

  Andy frowned.

 

 

 

  Andy said.

  Petral gave a throaty laugh that sent a shiver down Andy’s back.

  Andy said.

  She chuckled again. An image of her deep blue eyes flashed over the Link, making Andy feel like she was looking directly into him. It was unsettling.

  he said.

 

  Andy said.

  Petral released a long sigh.

 

 

 

 

  Andy looked up from the list of supply vendors he had been scanning and frowned. Once the goods were on the ship, it was twice as difficult to get anything off that didn’t meet his standards. He wasn’t going to get caught out in the middle of the Jovian Combine with a ton of rancid protein additive. As much as he liked pancakes, he was sick of living on cheap carbohydrates.

  She was right about the money, though. There were separate lists of transfer agents organized by trust ratings he could hire to manage all this for him. He could sit in the dayroom with the kids watching vids while someone else did the work.

  The thought of paying someone else to negotiate his deals put a sick feeling in Andy’s stomach. He was sure the idea would make his father roll in his grave. Deals were the joy in life, right? Humans tell stories and make deals.

  he said.

  Petral said.

 

  Mention of Fran seemed to irritate Petral.

 

 

 

  Petral said, her tone mollifying.

 

 

  Andy switched on the internal comms. “Cara? You there?”

  She answered immediately, “I was about to come up to command. Are we docked?”

  “We’re docked and hooked into the network. I’m going to go pick up some supplies and am going to take Tim with me. Do you want to take a walk with Petral?”

  “With Petral?” she asked.

  Andy couldn’t tell if there was excitement or concern in her voice. “She’s leaving soon,” he said. “You two seem to have hit it off.”

  “I guess,” Cara said.

  Andy frowned. “You want to stay on the ship?”

  “Should we leave Fran here alone? We’ve never really done that.”

  “I think we can trust Fran.”

  “Are you sure, Dad? You’re not just thinking with your feelings?”

  “What does that mean? You know this is an open channel, right? Fran are you listening in?”

  Cara snickered. “Why would I talk about your feelings on an open channel? Wouldn’t that embarrass you? Would that make you turn red?”

  “You’re pretty funny,” Andy said. “Do you want to go with Petral or not? If not, I’ve got a list of systems I need you to check. Since we’re back on network, we also need to see if Alice has any updates.”

  “What’s Petral going to do off the ship?” Cara said.

  There was a click as someone else entered the channel. “We’re going to visit various public terminals in dangerous sections of this shipping port and talk to filthy people with bad breath,” Petral said. “Wholesome stuff. You’ll learn a lot.”

  “Can I take a gu
n?” Cara asked.

  “No,” Andy said.

  “You won’t need a gun,” Petral said, amusement in her voice. “An operator fights with her head first, anyway. If you need a gun, you’ve probably already lost. Plus, this isn’t the Wild West. Unlicensed civilians can’t carry weapons on Mars 1.”

  “Fine,” Cara said.

  “When are you leaving?” Andy asked.

  “Ten minutes,” Petral said. “Get your running shoes on, Cara. Meet me at Airlock One.”

  “Take your brother,” Andy said. “I’ll meet you there as well.”

  “Tim’s in a bad mood.”

  “Tim’s always in a bad mood,” Andy said. “I’m starting to think it’s a personality trait.”

  “He learned by watching you,” Cara replied.

  “Watch yourself, young lady. I’m going to buy food, including juice. We’ll spend the next six months drinking watermelon flavor.”

  “I hate watermelon flavor!”

  “Hurry up,” Andy said. He turned off the channel, then stood and stretched.

  he asked Lyssa.

  The AI didn’t answer immediately, then said,

 

 

 

 

 

  Lyssa’s tone was flat. Matter of fact.

 

 

  Andy felt like every conversation with Lyssa was a game of twenty questions, every grain of information he gleaned only came through a process of elimination.

 

  Andy waited. He still wasn’t certain how much of Lyssa’s paranoia was warranted. he asked.

 

 

  Lyssa said.

  It was only sort of a lie. He had considered it only in the context of whether or not she was old enough to be attractive to him.