Free Space Wrangler by Kate Donovan Page B

today’s look.
    â€œHi, Alexia. Welcome aboard.”
    She walked to the center of the control room and turned slowly, taking in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view. “This ship is amazing. When TJ told me it shimmers, I didn’t know what he meant, but it’s fantastic. And you look good too,” she added with a mischievous smile.
    Damn, she’s gonna flirt.
    She gestured to herself. “I hope jeans are okay?”
    â€œThey’re fine. You’ll be taking them off anyway.”
    â€œOh really?”
    â€œTo change into bio-hazard gear,” he explained. “Because of the poison on Destry. There’s a changing area in the shower room, and a locker for your stuff.”
    â€œSounds good.” She walked to the curved wall of the compartment and stroked it. “Are the Titans this shade of blue too?”
    â€œThey have a lot of bio-metal, but mixed with other alloys, not just titanium. So they look grayer.”
    â€œI see.” Her fingers slid over the wall again. “It’s extravagant, isn’t it? I mean, I understand using bio-metal for equipment, but for a structure? How rich are you, cowboy?”
    He chuckled. “My family never really had money, but we had lots of land. I sold most of it and invested in bio-metal. The Drifter was the best place to store it.”
    She seemed to consider this for a moment, then approached the control panel. “And this is the famous Sensie?”
    â€œShe’s been dying to meet you. Right, Sensie?”
    The computer spoke in a flat, mechanical voice. “I thought she’d be taller.”
    â€œHuh?” He winced in Alexia’s direction. “Sorry, that was weird.”
    â€œIt’s fine,” she murmured.
    â€œYour mother was tall,” Sensie continued. “I thought you would be as well.”
    â€œHey, drop it,” Rick insisted, adding in a sheepish tone, “Sorry, Alexia. It’s nothing personal.”
    â€œReally? Because it sounded personal.” She sent a playful glare in the monitor’s direction. “But what can you expect from a semi -sentient? I hope you didn’t overpay for her, Rick. The programmer clearly took some shortcuts.”
    Sensie shot back immediately. “You really shouldn’t malign your own brother that way, Ms. Montoya.”
    â€œSensie…” Rick began.
    But Alexia waved his objections away, her eyes now blazing with annoyance. “If Trent Montoya had created you, you’d be perfect. Just because some loser tried to clone one of his prototypes and failed— miserably —doesn’t make Trentresponsible for your glitchy performance.”
    â€œI am not a clone.”
    Rick erupted in disbelief. “ Sensie! ”
    The computer continued icily. “Your brother created four prototypes. I am one of them. And I am not glitchy.”
    â€œSensie, stop talking . That’s an order.” Rick turned to Alexia, who was staring at him in complete confusion. He knew he should just lie, right there on the spot. Tell her Sensie was indeed a glitchy, semi-sentient clone with delusions of grandeur.
    But he couldn’t. So he said simply, “We need to get underway or we won’t have enough light for the Titans. Sensie, take us out of dock. Use the course I charted this morning. And don’t say another word.”
    Gesturing toward the guest chair, he told Alexia, “You should strap in for this. It’s usually smooth, but I don’t want you losing your balance.”
    â€œMy balance is fine.”
    â€œWell, let’s sit anyway, okay? We need to chat.”
    Alexia waited as the wrangler procured two cups of coffee from a chrome-plated dispenser in the command center wall. He was obviously stalling, and while she couldn’t wait to hear his explanation for the computer’s bizarre claim, she too needed a few seconds to pre-think this “chat”. For one thing, Rick Gage