Piece Simul ✔

Chapter 35-Guin-The Way Things Are

"When you think about it, we've already completed our tenure."

Guin paced the Comms room, hefting an ansible from one hand to the other.

"Yet, we're still out here, and Control expects reports. Not to mention the unjust demotion of their best crewmate," she said, spinning Forster around in his chair to eye him closely. "Well, they're not going to get what they expect. Not in the slightest."

Guin patted him on the cheek, removing the composite adhesive that had covered his mouth. "First, I'll deal with you."

Here, she pulled him towards her face, and he reared back as though he knew what was coming. She laughed, holding his head in place easily, forcing her tongue past his lips. The kiss was more for utility's sake than for anything else, and so she kept it brief. Which was best, because the next second, her tongue was on fire.

She drew back from Forster sharply, holding her mouth. "Shit, man, you didn't have to bite me." She tasted blood. "Ya got me good."

Forster glared at her, spitting out red on the floor. 

"No matter. You can already feel it working through you, right?" From the look on his face, Guin knew it to be true. She remembered the initial tingling, the crawling sensation, and the clarity. 

Not fair to keep it to yourself, someone whispered inside her.

By her count, she had shared with Russ, Forster, and Samuel. One more, and then a return to Terra. There, she could help so many people gain clarity.

Before that, she needed to complete the side-mission. Being in charge certainly helped on that front, and now she could easily maneuver the ship to make the jump, instead of forcing Forster to do it for her. As she readied the command, she watched the viewer screens. Russ floated in a dura-chamber, Tiptree slept, and Samuel ranted silently at the camera in a holding station.

"Crew status reports," Guin asked of the mainframe.

"Russ entered dura-sleep approximately 67 minutes ago, instructing bot Genly Ai to surgically remove her hand. Tiptree---"

"Damnit," Guin said, an instinct in her head wondering why she hadn't cut out her eyes. She shook off the thought to focus on Samuel pacing back and forth across the screen. "What's Samuel doing?"

"Russ ordered him into quarantine."

The janitor always managed to surprise her. Despite her annoyance, Guin was impressed. "Nice," she murmured.

By her revised count, Guin only had one, and Forster was yet to be a done deal.

She figured the crew wasn't going anywhere, and thus she aligned the new coordinates on the mainframe.

"Where are we going?" Forster demanded.

"Don't you worry." Guin grinned.

No matter. Any change to the current course would be catastrophic.

"We'll have no fuel to get back home." He paused, then choked out, "You'll kill us."

"Not entirely. We're going to a new beginning."