Empty Toward The Moon

Chapter Eighteen

After going over the supplies we'd need over the course of six months dirt-side, it took a little wrangling as the Quadrozzi wanted to gift all the materials to me without charge, but I refused. I insisted I pay for it all. When they asked how I could do this, I handed over a casino chip worth two million credits and asked them to keep the change. I had no intention on haggling over prices with any of them as I was certain I'd be haggled under the table.

When Gianni found out the casino chip carried a balance over four times what their goods were worth, they wanted to give it back. When I pointed out that they had given me another million credits on the Clan pin that I didn't need, I then said that I was reciprocating the filial gifts and that shut them up quickly.

One to Cia. Quadrozzi Zero.

A few days later, after the evening meal, and we'd all gone off to bed, I was lying on my bunk, going over the manifest of goods I'd purchased. I realised the room was a little more quiet than normal. Mocha almost always talked the night away, or he'd read out loud to Latte, or they'd watch a vidcomm on the holo-project I brought along with me. When I sat up on my bunk and looked at them, I realised they were both lying on their respective beds asleep.

Anything I should know about? I asked Nova. He has his digital fingertips in every area of the ship. If a problem pops up anywhere on board, he sets off alarms well before the normal computing systems does, and I heard staff and crew say that The Chaser has never run so smoothly before.

[Both Latte and Mocha opted for BrainComp implants and had them surgically inserted early today. They spent twelve hours asleep while their new hardware assimilate into their brains. This procedure usually takes place in children at the age of five and can be inserted in teens as old as twenty without any problems. But the later a human body has a BrainComp implanted, the larger the risk of non-assimilation and storage capacity is vastly restricted.]

Did their procedures go well? Are they going to be OK? How is their pain levels? I asked rapid-fire questions.

[Anyone would think you care for them, Cia.] Nova's voice came off rather sarcastic and I realised we had a problem.

Explain the reason for your derision, please Nova. What has you upset? I straight up asked him.

[You haven't made any accommodations to take Latte and Mocha with you. You keep setting up little metaphorical pot-holes for them to fall into, like showing them the sapphire expecting it to be stolen, then you dump them onto other members of The Chaser's crew to baby sit every day, and refuse to have them join you in any planning for the future. You are the last member on board the ship to know that they had their implants inserted today. You didn't even notice that they weren't at dinner tonight!] Right about now, if Nova had a body, he'd be crossing his arms, turned away and pouting. His words were loud and angry and laced with accusation.

"Hang on, Nova. What do you think is going on here? What makes you think I am responsible for these two in any way? How come you are so angry at me when you haven't even talked to me about what you want?" I am whisper yelling at this point, my emotions leaking over into the bunk room and I stand up and pace towards the door and back.

[Am I not allowed to get angry? And what do you mean, what do I think is going on here. Are you not responsible for them?]

"No, I'm not responsible for them." Before I can explain further, Nova interrupts me.

[Why not?]

"Because I'm not a SLAVER, Nova. I'm not a slaver that tells them what to do, where to go, how to eat, when to sleep. I DON'T OWN THEM!" I yelled.