Murder on a Moon Trek

Chapter 22: Chipped

Doc Edison made it clear that he didn't agree with the decision to chip me. Apparently, that didn't matter. In a move faster than I expected someone with Neptune's build to be able to make, the senior security officer snatched the chipping gun from Doc, pivoted, and jabbed the barrel into the base of my skull. I felt the cold metal pressed into my hot skin, and then heard kachung. A prick of heat shot into the back of my neck. A split second later, I felt the chill I'd heard described as ice flooding through my veins. Having been raised on an ice farm, I had often questioned the possible accuracy of that description.

It was spot-on.

Neptune slammed the chip gun onto the table. "Lt. Stryker will report to uniform ward management at Zulu Five."

No one had acknowledged it, but Vaan had lost his home planet too. Relationship baggage notwithstanding, right now, we were the closest thing each other had to an ally on this ship.

As the sensation of ice flooded my system, my limbs felt sluggish and hard to maneuver. Whatever Vaan might have been thinking, it didn't involve snatching me from Neptune's grasp, running out of the chamber meeting, and submerging me in hot, hot water. He seemed paralyzed by torn loyalties. I knew there wasn't much he could have done, if anything, but still. He chose his side, and it was political. The very last thing I saw was the horror on Vaan's face.

Neptune picked me up, one arm under the back of my neck and one under my bent knees. I felt dizzy and went limp against him. I wanted to fight but couldn't. My limbs shook. I pulled my arms up against my chest for warmth. The room filled with judgment. I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see it.

Sounds from the room came at me as if through a tunnel, and I had a hard time making out who said what. Someone called Neptune an idiot—was that Doc?—, laughter, and whispers. And then silence.

The doors opened, and I felt myself jostle against Neptune's chest. I fought against the cloud in my brain. Now was not the time to let injected chemicals interfere with my deductive reasoning. I had to focus on one detail, one tiny detail, and once I could make sense of that, the rest of the world could come into focus too.

I opened my eyes. The side of my head rested against the logo on Neptune's uniform. The logo was where the integrated recording device was in my uniform. It must have been the same for him. I took a deep breath and whispered into his chest, "I can't believe you chipped me. I thought we were on the same side." The effort of speaking took more energy than I'd expected.

"Don't talk," Neptune said. "Relax."

I forced my eyes open and looked up at his face. From my angle, all I got was the bottom of his chin. "No," I said. "I'm not doing what you say anymore."

"Okay, then talk. Tell me who you think killed Dakkar."

"Don't say his name. He's not a person, remember? His identity is his rank, just like me. I'm not the daughter of Jack Stryker, I'm the uniform lieutenant aboard Moon Unit 5."

"Tell me about your father. Tell me what happened."

"Don't try to trick me," I said. And then images filtered into my brain. Faces appeared and disappeared like partially materialized aliens who changed their minds about where they wanted to land. "Vaan," I said.

"Don't talk to me about Vaan," Neptune said.

"But I want to talk about Vaan. I have to talk about Vaan. He's just like me."

"He's nothing like you."

"He's just like me only he's not at all." I felt like what I was trying to say and what I was saying weren't matching up.

Neptune carried me through the halls of ship until we reached the staff quarters. "Hold out your hand," Neptune said.

"No." I balled my fist. Sure, he was strong, but he was going to have to wrestle my palm open before I'd help him.

"Name the fifty-seven verity tells."

"I don't want to."

"Number one: eye contact. Number two: shallow breathing. Number three: perspiration."

"If you already know them, why do you need me to tell you?" I asked. He wasn't making any sense.

"You need to focus on something you know until your brain clears."

So, I focused on one thing: my anger. The cloud of confusion dissipated from my thoughts. Anger filled me, fueled me, and I struggled against Neptune's arms.

"You don't care about me. You shot a subcutaneous tracking chip into the base of my skull. I'm half earthling, you moron! Did you stop for a second to consider the long-term ramifications of messing with my spinal cortex? And what that chip would do to my cognitive functions? That's what I got, Neptune. When the powers that be were handing out skill sets, I got a brain. You destroyed that without a second thought."

My body drained of the exerted energy of telling Neptune off, and I felt myself deflating. I looked away from him. "Why did you have to chip me? I was starting to like you. Now I can't like you anymore."

Neptune hesitated for a moment. "I did what I did for your safety."

I tipped my head forward, and my hair fell to either side of my face. I pressed my fingers against the back of my neck where Neptune had pressed the muzzle of the gun.

I grabbed his hand and made him feel where he'd shot the chip. "You hurt me. I want you to feel where you hurt me."

My hand was on top of Neptune's, and I pressed his fingers into my flesh. I expected it to hurt, but it didn't. Unlike the icy cold of the tracking chip, his fingertips were warm. His thumb and forefinger glided across my skin in a rhythmic manner, hypnotizing me and making me forget about what had taken place.

"Relax, Stryker. Everything will be okay."

"No, it won't. It'll never be okay again. You ruined me."

He was quiet for a moment. And then, "You're due in the uniform ward in the morning." He grabbed my wrist and pried my hand open, and then waved it in front of the door. I was tired and confused and a little sick. I stumbled into my quarters and landed on my bed. Whatever was going to happen to me now was anybody's guess.