Free Coffee Cup Dreams (A Redpoint One Romance) by J.A. Marlow Page B

a good feeling.
    But Rachel was shaking her head. "No, not the
boss. He's great, even though under a bit of strain. It's the
station itself. It can, uh, affect people sometimes. As if the
station doesn't like them. The boss doesn't run people off. It's
the station."
    Tish blinked. Not the sort of thing she'd
wanted to hear. "And you say the movie isn't real?"
    "No, of course not. It just gives people a
feeling, a 'sense' if you will, that they are not welcome. And they
leave. It's as simple as that." She looked behind Tish and grinned.
"It appears you have made new friends. Yep, you'll fit
in."
    Tish glanced around her to find three bots in
a row, all staring up at her with their eyestalks. Just hovering
and watching. "What are they doing?"
    "They like you. It happens that way. A bot or
two will decide they belong to you personally."
    The bots continued to stare at her, giving
Tish the oddest sensations. They weren't just curious. They were
staring up at her because… it was her.
    "Or is that the other way around?" Tish asked
with a hesitant laugh.
    Rachel let out a loud infectious laugh. She
punched Tish in the arm. "Good one!"
    An alarm beeped from both of their wrists.
Arthur's voice shouted, "Hull breach near Sector 3122 Maintenance
Shaft 2. Self-repair systems have failed. I need all maintenance
personnel here now."
    Tish tensed. "That doesn't sound
good."
    Rachel didn't smile at all. "It's not. Follow
me, I know a fast way. I hope you don't get motion
sick."

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER NINE

    TISH DIDN'T HAVE time to ask the other woman what she meant.
With her tool cart in tow, Rachel took off in a run and Tish had a
hard time keeping up. The bots had no trouble at all, gliding as
fast as Rachel ran, their whistles, beeps, and squeals reinforcing
the atmosphere of stress.
    The things couldn't even talk, and yet they
got their point across. When she had time, she was going to have to
think about that part.
    Rachel disappeared around a corner. When Tish
caught up with her she was folding herself into a smaller
maintenance pod than the one she'd ridden in before. Rachel's bot
settled into a compartment in the back.
    Tish slipped into the front facing seat next
to her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the three bots that
had been following her heading for the back of the pod.
    Rachel touched the small control panel.
"Sector 3122 Maintenance Shaft 2, and don't spare the speed. Oh,
and put on the seat restraint, Tish."
    The door closed next to Tish while she
struggled with the shoulder harnesses. "Do you think the computer
is going to understand that?"
    Rachel didn't have a chance to respond. The
moment the door closed the pod shot forward, dropping down into an
opening appearing in the floor. The one headlight at the front of
the pod illuminated a small tube, just the right size for the pod.
They zigzagged back and forth and up and down while the pod picked
up speed every moment.
    Tish reached out to brace herself against the
door to keep from getting slammed around so much. She was going to
have bruised shoulders where the harness bit into her.
    Rachel's shoulder bumped into hers. "Better
than a carnival!"
    "It wasn't like this yesterday," Tish said,
trying to keep her head from hitting the door window.
    "No, just in emergencies."
    The answer helped a little. Good, she didn't
have to worry about how much she ate before arriving for work on a
typical work-day.
    The pod spiraled downwards so fast it left her
stomach near the location of her throat. The descent stopped
abruptly and instead forward motion took its place. A sharp ramp
appeared ahead of them. The next moment they were in another
maintenance corridor and coming to a quick halt.
    Tish let out a long breath, allowing herself
to relax against the seat.
    "No time for rest. We have a problem to fix."
Rachel unhooked her harness and nudged her out of the
pod.
    Tish stepped out and away on shaky legs. The
corridors leading away from the miniature transport