Rituals, Regrets, and Really Dumb People

Chapter 11: Computer Geeks Need Love Too, Part 2

It took us a few minutes to rig up our little scheme, but once we got it going, we walked back outside to meet with Nebby, Geraldine, and Corbin. They were standing towards the end of the room, shooting the bull.

"Naw," Corbin told Neb. "I kind of like the way I am right now."

"So, nothing I can say to sell you on some arm bionics?" Nebby asked him. "How about a new pair of chrome roller-feet."

"I'm fine."

"What about you, Geraldine? New metallic body after the world ends? I just want claim on the territory you hold now. Can even give you—enhancements." Nebby was such a dorkimus maximus; he was motioning his hand in front of his own chest, to hint what enhancements meant exactly.

Geraldine was disgusted by this. "No, thank you, Nebuchadnezzar. How about I enhance your skull with this here hammer?"

"Okay," I said out loud, raising my hands and interrupting their little post-apocalypse haggling. "I managed to talk to Jo for you, Neb. She is willing to forgive you."

"Yes," Jo said, stepping up with me. Lilly lingered towards the back of the room, away from us. I knew why she didn't want to be close, either; she was going to puppeteer the conversation for Jo, helping give Jo the strength she needed through her magic and influence. "I will forgive you, Nebby."

"You will?" Neb said, standing up and smacking his hands together. "Terrific!"

"Under one condition."

"Oh? I see why he wanted to talk to you now." Neb wasn't that stupid, at least. He was still eager to get Jo's approval, though, so it seemed it'd work either way. "What condition is that?"

"Give Mathias—err, master—a ship and let him at least attempt to take down Typhous."

Neb laughed at the request and slowly came to sit down on his mechanical throne. "Truly? That is all?"

"Yes, and all is forgiven."

"Mmm, no."

"What?" Jo asked. A hint of Lilly's voice bled in with Jo's that time. "But—"

"It's not the price of a ship, I have quite a few of them," Neb explained. "It's just stupidity. I don't want to be a part of that. Sanguine isn't going to beat Ishmael. I can't beat Ishmael, and if Sanguine is as powerless as a normal, then he doesn't have a chance in Hel."

"I have He and She both on my side," I told the lord of the computer kingdom.

"Hasn't done you any favors it seems to me," Neb replied. "I want your forgiveness, Josephine, truly. But to send out for such idiocy is not something I'd partake in."

"Then I will not forgive you," Jo replied.

"Regrettable, but something I'll have to live with. You'll be alive, at least, and that's fine with me. Now, I know it won't make it up to you, but I do have something for you."

"What?"

"A gift. It's all I can do to make it up to you, a way of saying sorry. Now, I was going to wait to surprise you after the whole-world-ends-thing, you know, to boost spirits, but since you're here and I've hurt you unintentionally, I want to show you good will."

This could not be any good.

"Bring X-T-10 dash 3-4-9-N," Nebby said to an intercom at the arm of his throne. The intercom beeped and booped before it activated whatever it was that Nebby asked for. I could hear the chains and tracks throughout the palace move to bring about that long strand of numbers and letters. "I promise you, this is such a great treat, Josephine."