Chapter 42: A Lovely Twin-Set and Pearls

Jack locked eyes with him. "What? How?"

He grinned at her and leaned close. "Most important, that collar looks real good on you." Her stomach clenched and she recoiled back away from him, as much as she could. "Collar just makes you feel good, makes you feel bad, makes you pass out. The chip has way more programmable options. So lucky for you, you got more, whatzits, autonomy. At least until we hand you off to Big Bad or Chillingsworth's people. They won't be sweet and gentle like us."

Again, she had to force herself not to look at Riddick. "May I put on my shoes?"

"You bet, darlin'."

I really wish he wouldn't call me that. Riddick loomed up, her shoes and socks in his hands and barely banked rage in his face. Here," he said, shortly.

She took the shoes without meeting his eyes. "Thank you. Could you two . . . move?" With a grunt, Riddick moved away. Toombs followed. She bent over her feet trying to keep her fingers from shaking.

Eve laughed. "You two," she said, shaking her head. "Not sure you guys will fit on the same spaceship." She looked at the diagnostic display. "Looks like we should get at least nine hours before her next seizure. Let's get going."

When they got to breakfast, Nara took in the control collar with a look and a curt nod. "I'm sorry it's come to this," she said. "Jack, I need you to tell me everything that happened when you connected to the computer. Then I need you to get communications back."

To Jack's surprise, Toombs pulled out a chair and helped her into it. "Hey, goatfucker," he called to the kitchen. "Got hungry children here." Riddick dropped down next to her, started rubbing her thigh under the table. Jack couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Hard to put into words," she said, slowly. "At first, it was just . . . white. Then it was like I was walking and talking with a woman. Also there were cows and sea monsters."

"You should have written a report immediately after," Nara said.

"Thor's hairy balls, lady," Toombs said. "You didn't see her seize. She was in no state to grip a pencil."

Jack snorted. Toombs, my gallant defender. Who I'm pretty sure is jerking off thinking of me having sex with other men. My god, people are complicated. "You're right. I should have thought of that as soon as I woke up. I wasn't thinking straight."

Riddick had her hand and was now using it to stroke his own leg under the table. She started to resist until she realized he was passing her hand over her shiv in his pocket. Her shiv. She felt herself unthaw slightly. At least he doesn't want me unarmed. I gotta keep better control of that thing. She gripped his fingers under the table, slipped her hand into his pocket. Heard his breath catch. Heh. Guess Big Bad likes this.

Her fingers brushed something hard in his pocket. Abu's message chip. I wonder . . . After the little adventure on the diagnostic bed, he'd cleaned her. But not very well.

"What else do you remember?"

She played her fingers on the thin cloth between the pocket and Riddick's thigh, knowing she was leading him on with no plans of paying it off. His breath caught again as she slowly pulled the tangle of cord and chip out.

"It told me that the weapon we need is down at the bottom of that pit you've mislabeled a thermal tap."

Nara shook her head. "I went to the bottom of that hole. It was just a hole."

"Maybe it's like the command center. You guys can't use it. Maybe you gotta be Colchis."

"It's also more than three quarters of a mile straight down. You're in no shape to make that climb."

"Computer told me I don't have to. All I have to do is jump. It said angels will catch me. I'm guessing there's a catch-field. I'm willing to try."

"Oh hells no," Toombs said. "You are not jumpin' down some dark hole at 10 meters per second per second. You will not be pretty at the end of it. If we can get lifters workin', I'll consider letting you go spelunking. But no jumpin'."

"Let's see what Aereon has to say," Nara said. "Another reason to get communications back. Do you remember anything else?"

"It said the Necromongers get their power from the Underverse. Like they ripped a hole in the multiverse and somehow harvest power from the flow back and forth . . ." Jack shook her head. "Like a paddle wheel in a waterfall, maybe." She stared into the middle distance. "Might explain how they can move that fast with that small of power plants on their ships. They could be pulling power from a different universe. Nyarlathotep be feared."

"Merciful gods," Nara breathed. "We have to tell Aereon."

Jack looked at Nara. "Right. Did you localize the breakdown in communications?"

Nara shook her head. "Not my area of expertise. But I couldn't find any blown circuits or broken cables. Looks to me like you tripped some security system and we have to figure out how to get it to stand down. "

Jack sighed. "If that's the case I'll need to set up a link with the computer again. I think it wants to help me. I just need to figure out how to tell it how and it just needs enough power to do it." She rubbed her face, feeling the collar move against her neck as she did so. I really hate this thing. She swallowed hard.

Dahlgren set down a basket of muffins with a flourish, bustled back to the kitchen. Toombs grabbed one and stuck most of it in his mouth. "You mean stick your hand in the table again? The thing that gave you the seizures?" he asked around crumbs.

Jack took a muffin and slowly unwrapped it. Blueberry. "I'm hoping now that we know what it is we can set up something less . . . invasive. I'm sure the original operators didn't have their hands stuck in liquid metal having mystical visions of sea monsters to operate this place." She took a bite. "I've got some ideas. I'll need the nanites. But they're all in the docking bay behind the blast doors. This is delicious, Dahl."

Dahlgren came out with a frying pan. "Thanks! I made this special for you."

Jack smiled at him. "Thank you." He started piling scrambled tofu on her plate.

Jack was very aware that Riddick was gazing thoughtfully at Dahl. Who he now knows tried to rape me. Might not be interested in saving the galaxy from Necromongers, but he was sure interested in that. She didn't know how to feel about that. "Whatcha cooking for the rest of us?" Riddick called out mildly.

"Bacon and eggs," came back from the kitchen. "Lemme know how you like 'em!"

As Dahl was cooking up the flurry of orders, Jack turned to Nara, taking the opportunity to move the chip into the pocket on the far side from Riddick. "Is there an inventory of equipment I can use somewhere?"

"Sure." Nara reached into a bag and pulled out a handheld. She punched some buttons and handed it over. "I'm sorry, I should have asked this first, how are you feeling this morning?"

Jack started scrolling through the available equipment. Didn't look up. "Like I got beat up, irresponsibly drunk, shot, beat up, tied up, terrorized, and, oh yeah, sold into slavery. Though I guess that last bit happened a while ago." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I hesitate to bring this up but I'm a little afraid that if you use this . . . thing around my neck, you'll trigger a seizure."

She was talking to Nara but Toombs answered. "It's a risk. Wanna test it all safe in the med lab first?"

Oh god, no. He'll strap me down and I can't handle that right now. She shook her head. "Please don't," she said, her voice cracking. Dahlgren distracted everyone by coming back with food. Even Riddick stopped mauling her leg to eat. She buried herself in the console for the rest of breakfast.

Jack won't look at me. Don't like it. She and I got things to talk about. Though I'm happy about those little fingers in my pocket. Glad she took her shiv back, even if she don't wanna use it.

Wanna talk to her about things we can't talk about with the mercs around. I sigh. Maybe she's bein' smart. If we're giving meaningful looks to each other, everyone's gonna know it's not just casual fucking.

Jack and Nara are geeking at each other about Colchis shit. Try to keep up. Most of it's really boring. Enough that I think Toombs is lookin' at porn on his handheld. After way too long Jack says, "I'm stalling. It's all chicken and egg. I need to get the blast doors up so I can get the nanites back to help me build an interface device so I can safely interface with the computer. I need to interface with the computer to get the blast doors up so I can get the nanites back. I gotta go mindmeld with the table again."

"I am eager to see it," Nara says. Like it's a special fun thing.

"That's right, you're the only one who hasn't seen Girl Genius here have a seizure," Toombs drawls. "Hold up, ladies. I'm all for you buildin' an interface device, but I'm been charged by her amazing airiness to make sure the little girl don't get too damaged before we get to Riddick. We're already pushing the rules laid down and I don't get paid if those rules get broke."

Jack swallows and stares straight down. Hits me she does that every time someone says my name anymore. My teeth are grinding. Force them to stop.

"Ah." Jack says. "Maybe – maybe we can cobble something together." She looks lost. Seems to make a decision. "I'd like to go to the control room and run a diagnostic."

Toombs taps the control unit for the collar around her neck thoughtfully. "You think you can sneak a feel of the table, darlin'?" Jack's eyes lock on the controller. Hate it. Did not leave her in New Mecca so assholes could teach her what it feels like when those buttons get punched.

Not that I don't half want him to punch those buttons. My better angels want the excuse to kill them all. My worst . . .

Now it's my turn to look down. Not proud of those feelings. I love this kid. This woman I'm fucking.

Grown-up Jack keeps talking. "In my professional judgment, it is our best option. But would you like me to do, Mr. Toombs?" she asks politely.

"Mr. Toombs. I like it," he leers. "Something less brain damage-y, please."

Nara stands up. "Mr. Toombs, this is unconscionable. We have to get back to work. If she thinks the risk is acceptable, we should let her take it."

"Didn't you get past the blast doors?" He jerks a thumb at me. "If Mountain Man can do it, why can't the nanites?"

Jack turns and really looks at me for the first time since I told her I wasn't gonna kill her until we had a chance to talk about it. Feel myself blush like a motherfucking schoolgirl. Like I'm embarrassed by my feelings. Which she don't know about. I hope. "You did what? How?"

I suck my teeth. Like her looking at me. Hold the moment an awkwardly long time. "Thought about what kinda secret door a bunch of super soldier scientists like you would build into their docking bay. Figured out they'd make something you'd have to cooperate to operate. But I'm real big so I didn't need anyone else."

Now Jack's staring at me with something strange in her eyes. Kinda like she's happy I said that. Wanna think about it, but Nara butts in. "He found a keyhole or something. Up high. Opened a tunnel." Nara makes a face. "He had to boost me up and we had to crawl a long way through the dark and drop a long way down to the floor."

"Tunnel," Jack breathes. "Oh. Would one of you show me?"

We split the party because that's worked out so well for us so far. Me and Toombs with Jack. Logan and Nara putting together equipment Jack asked for. Dahl on kitchen duty. He really is a good cook. Don't know as I've ever eaten so well.

If Balor Corporation and the little merc crews were better housekeepers, we might not have found the tunnel exit again, it fit so seamlessly high in the wall. But our footprints in the grit and gravel gave it away.

The tunnel exit is also way too high for Jack to get her hands on. "Would one of you get me a ladder?" she asks.

"Transpo guy can do it," Toombs says, expansively.

"Transpo guy don't know where they're at," I respond. Toombs rolls his eyes at me. I play dumb about his directions until he stomps off, muttering. Then it's just her and me at last.

Tyr's shaggy balls, now that I have a minute with her, I don't know what to do first. Root around in my pocket and press the broken hilt of the knife I found in a cave into her hand. "Don't tell," I whisper into her ear. "Got this on Audhumla. Think it belonged to your people. It fit in a keyhole that opened the tunnel."

She nods. "Thank you. That makes sense. Another security measure." She twists up to look at me "Why is that a secret?"

"Abu told Toombs I went to Audhumla. Don't want him thinking about why I was there." She swallows hard.

"Right. Your charming home away from home." Her voice is artificially light. Like she's still mad at me but don't wanna talk about it. Maybe because of what the mercs did to her on Audhumla. Maybe because of what I did back to her in the med lab. She turns the hilt over in her hands. Her eyes flicker up to me. "Feels . . . right somehow."

"Yeah."

"'An Underverse blade in Furyan hand,'" she murmured. "Or in mine . . ." She swallows.

Don't like this. "What?"

"Something my sister – the system said. Yesterday. When I mind melded with it. She said a Furyan has to kill . . . some Necromonger . . . with an Underverse blade to save the universe." She swallowed. "Or I do." She shudders. Like killing bothers her.

"Zhylaw."

"What?"

"That's who Abu wants me to kill. Lord Marshal Zhylaw."

She shudders again. "I didn't know his name. Sounds hard to kill."

"Yeah. Said I'd get five mil for it. Five mil, a pardon, and," I grip her shoulders, "you don't go to Chillingsworth's people. Guessin' it's the same guy." Whole lot of what she just said bothers me. "Your sister?"

She shakes her head. "Sorry. The interface. I think it was trying to make things easier for me by looking like someone I know. Knew. It picked my sister Radne. It knew her, from before."

"Was Radne mean to you like your brother?" I run one hand down her spine and one finger under the control collar, as gentle as I can be. She shivers. Makes my cock ache even more than her little fingers under the breakfast table.

"No. Don't do that." Her voice is sharp.

Stop caressing her. "Don't do what, Jack?"

"Don't finger the fucking collar. Makes me feel like you're choking me. Just – don't touch it."

"What are you two lovebirds up to?" Toombs sings out from the end of the hall. I drop my hands like a guilty schoolboy.

"I think he likes this necklace you gave me," Jack answers in that same light voice. Hits me it's the voice she'd use on the skiff when she didn't want to talk about her nightmares, or why she didn't want to go back to Mercer, or how she got on the Hunter-Grazner. Abu couldn't stop picking at those scabs. He'd pick and pick and she'd end up crying in my lap, leaving big snot stains on my shirt. I've missed those chaste cuddles. Except I also I want to shove her against the wall and fuck her senseless. Aereon's fucking right, I'm fucking bonded to her. Makes my guts clench.

"Really?" Toombs says, like we're talking about a nice twin set and pearls. "Bet I got one that'll fit you somewhere." I roll my eyes at him.

We get the ladder in place. Toombs brought a short one because he's an asshole. Even on the top rung she has to reach up to find what she's looking for. She stands on that top rung for a long time running her palms on the wall, seeming to be thinking deeply. I hold the ladder steady at first, especially since she hasn't really cleaned up since the last time we fucked and that sweet smell makes me happy. But Toombs keeps getting behind me, disturbing my calm. Ladder seems stable enough. I lounge back watching her.

She comes back down and pokes at base layout diagrams on her handheld. Smiles at Toombs. "Do you have that light again?" He hands it to her, their fingers touching. She smiles at him like she likes him. He fucking likes that. I fucking hate that. Consol myself that she's playing him. She goes back up the ladder and does something with the light against the wall for a bit. Puts it back in her pocket.

See that she palmed the Audhumla hilt and and is rolling it on the wall. Tryin' to hide what she's doing from Toombs. She's got the certain cast to her shoulders she used to get when she'd try to sneak out of our quarters to play with the other kiddies or whatever the fuck used to lead her into temptation. I'd let her sometimes, when I had time to discreetly stalk her. Gave me the chance to stretch my legs and play doting big brother in new and exciting ways. Gave me the chance to kill a few people who were entertaining thoughts about her I didn't like. Drove Abu nuts. But hey, man's gotta find his pleasures where he can.

A tunnel opens right in front of her head, big enough for one. She's got her palms in it. Her muscles coil. Shit.

I lunge but I'm too slow. She kicks the ladder at me hard and launches into the dark. The wall slides shut behind her.