Hoping I don't make another uploading mistake. For those who might have been confused by the previous chapter, it's been updated! And now, on to the final day at the Sapphire Shores. I'm guessing that any readers who made it this far won't need to be reminded of the warnings in chapter 1. :)
Beta-read by Kokodoru!
Enjoy!
"Bye, Ruko!" Miku said to the ship with a small wave.
"Farewell, Miku," the AI droned. "I hope that in infinity, our paths may cross again."
"So do I. Be good, ok? Take care of Luka for me!"
"I will consider that an order," they said, and Luka could hear the slight shift in tone that hinted it was a joke.
"I'll be right back," she said to the ship. "The exchange point isn't too far from here."
"Alright!"
With that, they sealed the pressure chamber door, then walked down the docks westward, away from the blinding morning sun.
The android hummed a little tune: Luka recognized the sailor's shanty she had been singing when they first met.
"That's a big throwback."
"I suppose I was feeling nostalgic," the android replied with a slight grin. "You will be leaving the planet after the meeting, right?"
"I still need to hand over the 2% tax of all my sales, but that's usually pretty quick admin stuff. With prices so high, they probably won't even count it."
"I think I saw you prepare that this morning?"
"Yep. Just need the money from you to complete it. I would put it to the side in advance, but if he pays me a bit more or a bit less..."
"I understand. Otherwise, nothing is keeping you?"
"Nothing. I did all my shopping. I might swing by Meiko's place before I go to my island retreat."
"Oh, do you know where it is already?"
"I have a few ideas."
"Isn't that exciting? Your dreams are coming true."
"I still have to finish it."
"You're closer than you've ever been though, no? A potential for a dream come true on the horizon: isn't that grand?"
"I guess it is," Luka admitted, slowing to a stop. "Alright, we're here."
"So soon!"
"Yep. At the end of platform N31, between the florist shop and the enforcer hub."
Miku nodded, then approached the large glass bay window there. Luka kept her eye on the relatively thin crowd: so early in the day, most people would conglomerate at the market to see what the fresh pickings were. It was also the perfect place to get cheap breakfast, or to find the more illicit spoils of the night. Nobody had any reason to stick around the docks.
"It's still so beautiful."
Luka looked over to the android. Her hands and face were pressed against the glass, but she left no oily traces, no damp exhales on the clear surface. Her hair was still tied in twin-tails, held up by her fancy anti-grav ties, and she was wearing the clothes she had chosen herself, purchased with her own money.
It was strange that she was essentially being sold. Luka had used the word 'adoption' to herself, but she couldn't detract from the reality of the situation. Miku was still cargo. The smartest, most autonomous, technically legal cargo the planet had possibly ever seen.
"Hey."
Miku turned, smiled at her. "Yes?"
"I wanted... I wanted to thank you."
"What for?"
"I know we had our misunderstandings at the beginning. It wasn't always easy between us. But... You made a real effort to make things better. You could just as well have accepted that I don't deal well with company and that you fucked up, but you found a way to make it work and you respected that. And... I don't think anybody has ever done that for me before. At least not so thoughtfully."
"Given the chance, someone else out there will," Miku told her, voice soft.
Luka could barely smile. "Maybe. Maybe not. I wasn't ready to give anybody else a chance, and I was forced to give that to you. And you surprised me. I don't... I don't have any reason to believe that it'll ever be so simple ever again."
"There are trillions of you out there."
Luka shrugged. "It takes too long to give them all a chance."
"Perhaps."
"I just wanted to say thanks, for all that. I'll see if I learned anything from it, but today, right now, despite all that's happened? I'm grateful, I think. So thank you."
Miku's smile turned tender, her eyes so gentle, so cool, Luka had to look away. "You're welcome."
"Keep it up, whatever it is you're doing. Your new owner will be charmed, I'm sure. You'll have a great time."
"I shall," the android said, approaching her once more. "I've learned a lot from you, in return. Even—"
"Ah! The robot of my dreams!"
The two women turned to find a small group approaching them. Most of the half-dozen present were clad in dark clothes, Craypt, Nek, and Human, all large and muscular and, apparently, armed. Before Luka could think to panic, however, the face that led the troupe froze her into a stupor.
It was none other than Kaito Shion. He was impossible to mistake, with his gargantuan height, royal posture, and eyes and hair as blue as the planet itself. He wore the white and golden robes of his family, jewels on his fingers, gold around his neck, and the weight of an empire on his shoulders.
"Hey," she greeted, doing her best to stand straight and keep her head level. "You're the buyer for Miku?"
"Yep, it's me! You're the proxy, I take it? The chaperone?"
"I am," Luka managed, her eyes darting from the android to the tall man. His blue hair and fine features were unmistakable. "My boss didn't tell me I was going to be meeting up with you."
"I didn't tell your boss," he said with a chuckle, before turning towards the android. "Now, let's examine the goods, shall we?"
"Hello!" Miku chirped, her hands clasped in front of her chest. "Officially, I am named Electric Angel, but I have been given the name Miku."
The man hummed. "Fascinating. You said it's from Earth?"
"Boss only gave me the basics: earth tech, last of its kind," Luka mumbled, doing her best to sound disinterested. The facade was surprisingly difficult to maintain. "A really unique kind of AI."
"Is that so? It can sing any song?"
"Give me any limitations or specifications and I will do my best to create a song tailored to your desires."
"Amazing. Can I ask for a demo?"
Luka shrugged. "Go ahead. I got all morning."
"Great. Miku, sing me something... Hm, how specific shall I make it?" he asked one of his bodyguards.
"As specific as possible, to make sure she generates unique songs," the nearest Craypt replied, voice guttural.
"Alright. Hm. Use a vocabulary centered on technology," he started, counting his requests with his fingers. "Make it a typical human song structure: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, but don't double the refrain at the end!"
"Understood!"
"Make sure there's an evolution throughout the song: while each chorus should be almost completely the same, make sure there's some kind of growth or progression. You know what I'm saying?"
"Absolutely, it's no problem."
He whistled. "Alright. Last request: distort your voice as much as you can, where appropriate, while still being intelligible."
"Very well," Miku said with a smile.
Luka thought she might have to think for a while to generate a song so specific, but the android only needed a handful of seconds before the song started.
Miku ticked the first criteria with the very first line, and with each subsequent verse leading all the way to the end of the first chorus, from the structure to the distortion to the lyrics, she completed them all, save one: Luka wondered how she was going to interpret the request for 'growth' in the lyrics.
"But I'll say Hello again
Hello, just who can I become?"
Luka dared a glance at the man while the android sang. He seemed genuinely impressed, his smile wide, blue eyes positively sparkling. She was sure he only saw money, but she wanted to hope that he could grow to see her as a person. For both their sakes.
The second chorus started, and Luka paid close attention.
"But I'll say Hello again
Hello, just who have I become?"
Luka's jaw dropped, which she quickly noticed and remedied. It wasn't so spectacular. It wasn't so difficult. But that Miku had the creativity and intelligence to think of a song so telling, so well-structured, in only seconds? It was amazing.
It was so revealing, too. It spoke of herself, of her story, and if Kaito had an ounce of reasoning skills, he would know that this song was also an introduction.
Luka could only hope he could see this, that he had the cognition to process and understand it, as Miku sang the end of the last chorus.
"But I'll say Hello again
Hello, and turn to face the sun!"
The man waited until the music came to a close before breaking out in applause. Others, who had stopped to watch as they walked by, joined in while Miku bowed and smiled.
"That was absolutely stellar!" he exclaimed. "This is amazing, it's perfect!"
"Thank you," Miku sing-sang, over the moon, her smile brightening the whole system.
"It can put on a totally new show every night?"
"Effortlessly."
"How long can it sing for?"
"Days on end. I do require charging if I am not allowed unobstructed access to sunlight."
"Here's the cable," Luka muttered, reaching to hand him the cable. "She reaches a full charge in less than four hours, give or take."
"Fantastic. And what about maintenance?" he asked, coming closer to the robot. "The hair, for example."
"I am built to be easy to diagnose and fix. When it comes to aesthetic upkeep, I can be washed with water and soap, but please do not submerge me."
"Is that all? Amazing. Can it read a room?"
"She's emotionally intelligent," Luka said. "She can read a room, faces, anything."
"Emotionally intelligent, you say," he said with a grin. "That's absolutely perfect. This is everything I was dreaming of and more!"
Luka nodded. "That's fantastic."
"I'll take it," he said. "I imagine you want the money?"
"It is a sale, isn't it?"
"It is," he said with a laugh. "Where's my money?"
One of the bodyguards stepped forward with a briefcase. Kaito took it and held it up, opening it for Luka to see.
"This is the sum your boss and I have agreed on," he said with a sparkle in his eye. "Does this look satisfactory?"
Luka gulped, thumbed through the bills with her good hand, trying to count as quickly as possible. There weren't many bills, but their individual worth was substantial.
It was a fortune.
"Looks good," she said, trying to sound firm, almost bored. "I'll take that."
"It's a deal!"
"Deal."
He handed over the briefcase, then waited for Luka to update the sales page on the tablet. For the spice, a sale was done the moment they said it was, but for the android and her sticker...
"It's done," Luka announced, pocketing the tablet.
"Is it?" Kaito asked one of the guards.
One of the Nek bodyguards approached the AI, then pulled at the sticker on her arm. This time, it peeled away without any trouble.
"She's yours," Luka whispered.
Kaito smiled and turned to two of his bodyguards. "You two, escort it to the Golden Palace. It needs to be shown the ropes."
One insectoid and one human nodded, flanked the android, and started walking away. Miku turned around and waved to the woman.
"Farewell, Luka! Good luck!"
Luka could only manage a little wave, weighed down by the briefcase. Within seconds, the trio ducked behind the enforcer hub, rounded a corner, and disappeared.
Luka swallowed past a lump in her throat. It was strange, the android still scared her, but, all things said and done...
She was going to miss her. Maybe just a bit, just a tiny bit, but that alone spoke volumes.
"I'm looking forward to what we'll make of it," the man said, his voice low so only Luka could hear him. "Especially since it took so long for me to get my hands on it."
"Well, you know my boss had to wait the typical cycle—"
"'My boss'? Cut the crap, Luka. That's your name?"
The woman froze at the change of tone. "What?"
"I was supposed to have it days ago. You even got my hopes up, agreeing to the meeting and everything. I was not happy with what I got instead."
"Wh—"
"Now, one of my best friends is in jail, at the behest of my purist father," the man growled. "And all of my clients were very disappointed when I had to tell them that they had to wait a bit longer before they could play with their new doll."
An icy fear settled on Luka's stomach. The bodyguards approached, making a crescent shape around the two, keeping just enough distance to not look suspicious to the crowd.
"What? You were—"
"Shh, quiet," the man ordered. Out of the corner of her eye, Luka could see the profile of a gun muzzle through one of the guard's pockets, pointed right at her. Her heart leapt up to her throat and stayed there. "Don't want to attract any unwanted attention, now."
She could barely breathe. "You..."
"I was the buyer, yes," Kaito whispered. "And I was pretty sure the fortune I offered would get me cooperation without question. Money like that always does. But not this time. You just had to rat me out. My best man is disfigured and locked away for life." He chuckled. "For now, at least."
Luka backed away, but one of the guards grabbed her by her bad shoulder. She swallowed a yelp.
"Slavery is illegal," she stammered. "It's... It's your law!"
"For now," he repeated, his voice reduced to a low, deep hiss. "Once I butter up the politicians and put a laser between my old man's eyes, that's all going to change. Trafficking is just too lucrative. People will pay anything for the rights to play with the toys they want to play with. And I'm willing to supply their demand. I'll be richer than anyone in my family's history."
The hand on Luka's shoulder squeezed, almost hard enough to make her knees buckle from the pain. He grinned, stepping closer.
"Now, I know that I essentially got what I wanted, and at a significant discount too," he started, staring at the briefcase in Luka's hand, "But you did cause me quite a bit of trouble, you know. You defaced my best friend. And you made me have to sit through yet another endless scolding from my father when he figured it out. Plus, part of me thinks that you're quite upset with the fate I have planned for your little robot. You'll want to fight back, right? Save its little artificial life?"
The woman couldn't even move. Kaito chuckled to himself, just a tiny bit.
"That's what I thought. So, between me wanting my revenge, and also wanting to keep you silent... Well, I think you've just won a free trip to the trash pit! Isn't that fantastic?"
That was when two extra pairs of hands grabbed her by the shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a vehicle waiting, the back door open.
They started pushing her, and she couldn't even will herself to resist.
Luka did the only thing she knew how to do.
She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Miku!"
Her name was enough to snap her out of it. As she screamed the android's name, her body filled with fire, pure anger, liquid terror, and she spun, slamming the briefcase into one of the guards' temples. He crumpled into a heap, but another soon replaced him. Before long, the others overpowered and silenced her before she could scream again. Luka could barely see through watery eyes as the onlookers fled the scene, watching wide-eyed as Kaito Shion himself was forcibly escorting her to his car, a scaly hand covering her mouth.
Miku was nowhere to be found.
Luka dug her heels into the ground, praying that the material of her soles would catch on the metal, in vain. She struggled, wriggled, writhed, winced at the pain in her shoulder, the claws in her cheek, getting only angry hisses and clattering in response.
The car drew ever nearer.
"What—"
Two of the hands on her disappeared, then another, before a shot rang out, absolutely deafening. Her left ear started ringing. Before Luka could begin to question it, only able to grunt at the pain in her ear, she tried escaping again, slipping out from the grip of the last two men.
"Get her!" Kaito's voice rang out. "Get—"
Another shot cut him off, and Luka fell to the floor, disoriented. Her shoulder hurt like hell, but she couldn't tell if she was wounded. She could barely walk, she was so scared.
Yet another shot, then another, before these too were overpowered by a resounding boom that shook her down to the bone.
Luka turned onto her back just in time to see Miku grab one of the guards by the back of his jacket, lift him over her head, then slam him into the ground head first with a sickening crunch.
The image was burned into her retina. She felt the sound down to her gut.
All the other guards had their weapons drawn, but Miku's arm, glowing bright blue, was pointed at them and fired before they could even squeeze their trigger.
Another boom as the explosive orb of energy left the barrel, then crashed into one of the men's chests, turning his hide of scale into pulverized flesh.
Luka scooted back, her senses assaulted by her ringing ear, the screams, orders, deafening gunshots, the stink of burning meat and blood, the blinding light of lasers flying every which way, the limbs flaying and fraying, bones crunching, blood flowing. Clutching the briefcase, she continued moving back, away from the fight, until a flash caught her eye.
Kaito was pointing the barrel of his own gun right at her.
She could only flinch before Miku's silhouette jumped in front of the bright laser. It impacted, and then another and another, but all they did was make the android stumble back until she was standing right over the woman.
"Luka, get up!" the android ordered, reaching down with her hand to hook under her good shoulder. Her voice sounded so far away. "Get up!"
Luka obeyed, all her limbs shaking.
"Get them!" Kaito roared, changing the laser cartridge of his pistol. An animalistic scowl pulled at his lips. "Get them!"
The remaining guards stumbled to their feet, their clothes in tatters, a few limbs missing, while Miku pulled Luka backwards so quickly the woman lost her footing. The android didn't slow down at all, dragging the scavenger across the floor.
"Miku, I can't—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Miku lifted her weapon again, not pointing at the bodyguards, or even at Kaito, but at the large bay window.
With a deafening explosion, followed by the head-splitting sound of thick glass shattering into billions of pieces, the pane burst outward.
The alarm sounded and the bulkheads slammed shut at impossible speeds, coming to a crashing, ground-shaking halt just centimeters from Luka's feet.
The woman blinked.
The bulkhead had been so close to slicing right through her.
Luka wanted to faint. The bystanders were all screaming, barely audible over the shrill alarm.
"Get up, Luka," Miku ordered, her voice suddenly so gentle, almost lost in the middle of all the panic. "Please stand up."
"I can't—"
"You can do it."
"Oh my stars," Luka stuttered. "We need to go. We—"
"May I carry you?"
"They're dead."
"Please, may I carry you?!"
"Oh my stars, we're going to die here."
"Luka!"
"Get us out of here!"
Miku took that as approval and scooped the woman up in her arms before bolting down the dock, straight towards Ruko. Enforcers were already running towards them, their own guns drawn, but none of them wanted to fire at the android with the glass windows right behind her.
"Ruko, open the door!" Miku yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Do it, Ruko!" Luka screamed, unable to hear her own voice. "Do it!"
"Order received," the AI replied into her implant, but she felt the vibrations more than she heard them. "I detect that you are in danger: commencing departure procedures."
Miku jumped into the ship and summoned her gun again, pointing it at the enforcers. Luka managed to slip from her grip and make her way through the ship, keeping herself upright by leaning on every surface on the way.
"We're getting out of here, Ruko," she said, all but collapsing into the pilot's seat.
"What is our destination?" Ruko asked as the engines roared to life, the pressure chamber door already closing. Miku fired only a few more times, the sound jarringly comedic little 'pew pew's instead of the earth-shaking explosions they had been.
"Somewhere big and empty," Luka hurried to order, making sure everything was functional. "Give me a rundown."
At the back of the ship, the chamber door hissed as it sealed, and then there was the toe-curling screech as the metal of the dock, which made a seal with the ship, was torn from Ruko forcibly peeling away.
After a jolt, they were freed from the dock and started flying up and away.
"All systems nominal. All fuel cells are full. Oxygen supply is full. Water supply is full. Provisions are sufficient for a two-month trip. Warming interstellar boosters."
"Engage those the moment you can."
"Gaining altitude and velocity," Ruko droned as the planet disappeared beneath them.
"We're being followed!" Miku exclaimed, suddenly at her side. "There."
"Enforcer drones," Luka gasped. "Get us out of here, Ruko!"
"Engaging interstellar boosters in three, two, one—"
The entire solar system vanished, all the stars turning to streaks. The two women gripped the dashboard during the acceleration, the flower leaned in its mug, but after a minute, the speed was constant, and the windshield had nothing to show but the vast emptiness of space.
"Reaching a random destination in two hours," Ruko said. "I have chosen an isolated pocket of space, as per our escape procedures. We shall be difficult to locate there."
"Great," Luka panted.
She couldn't feel her legs.
Her shoulder was on fire.
Her head felt like it had been rung like a bell.
She turned in her seat, finding the android beside her, eyes wide and wild, staring right at her.
Her clothes, so new, so perfect, were also in tatters.
"Miku, are you alright?" she asked, reaching up with her good arm.
"Are you hurt?" the android echoed, her hands already gently hovering over her shoulder.
"Did they—
"They fired so many times—"
"Your clothes—"
"Your shoulder—"
The android shook her head, resting both hands on Luka's shoulders, so gently the woman barely felt them. Luka couldn't calm down so quickly though, her free hand picking at the tatters of her clothes, finding pocks and burn marks on Miku's skin beneath.
"They got you!" she cried, "Do you need fixing? I can—"
The pressure on her shoulders grew firmer, which was exactly what Luka needed to get grounded. The old familiar fear washed away the new panic, anchoring her in the present with a bitter weight.
"I am alright," Miku whispered, and Luka realized the android was actually shaking. She most likely couldn't cry, but the way her voice wavered told her she would. "Are you?"
It was crazy how she actually had to think about it. "Maybe," she said after a pause. She blinked, only to regret it as images flashed before her eyes. "I'm... I'm hopped up on adrenaline. I'm freaking out! I'm not sure I can feel anything at all. I can barely hear you."
"Please let me look at you."
"What about—"
"I am fine. My systems are also nominal. Please lie down."
"I..." Luka tried, only to find that her legs had no strength. "I can't."
"May I carry you?"
"Yeah."
Once again, Miku scooped her up, paying more mind to her shoulder. During the two steps' time it took to reach her bed, Luka just breathed.
"I can't... What..."
Miku put her down on the bed, pushing Dexter to the side. "You don't seem to be bleeding."
"I think I'm not?"
"May I check?"
"Yeah."
Miku gently patted her down, making sure the bones in her limbs were all in one piece, before gently examining her torso.
While she worked, Luka felt reality return to her. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and exhaustion settled in without any mercy. The ringing in her head only worsened. She refused to close her eyes, to even blink.
"Oh my stars, I was going to die."
The tealette finished her check at Luka's neck. "You're alright, against all odds. How is your shoulder?"
"Fucking hurts."
"Do you want to examine it?"
"No. Not now. I— Miku, what just happened?"
The android sat on the bed. "I am not sure. When I heard your scream, I immediately knew something was wrong. I outran my two guards effortlessly: they hadn't heard you and didn't notice I was gone until it was too late."
"Oh... You heard me. You actually heard me..."
"When I arrived, they were dragging you to that car. They opened fire when they saw me, so I saw fit to do the same."
Luka nodded, still breathless.
"What happened?"
"I..." She shook her head to chase the images, the smells, the sounds. She swore she remembered hearing them scream for help over the alarm. Had she really? "He was going to kill me. The trash pit."
"What? Why?"
"I..."
"Did you anger him?"
"No! Yes," Luka admitted. "I didn't know..."
Miku frowned, but the woman saw neither disappointment nor anger, only confusion. "It's alright, Luka."
"No! It's not fucking alright. I... Oh my stars."
The android placed her hand on Luka's good shoulder. "Do you need comforting?"
"I don't know," Luka blubbered, and she realized she was sobbing. That hand had lifted a person, and then…! "I need... Where is Dexter."
"Do you need time?"
"I think. I think, yeah."
"Very well."
Miku stood, handed her the large plush. A minute later, she returned with a glass of water and two pills, which she set next to her bed. Then, the android settled in the pilot seat, watching the emptiness of space soar by, her only companion the bright blue flower in its vase.
Luka needed more time than she could count, much less admit, before she could take the medication. Her heart racing, mind reeling, she needed entire minutes to even accept that all that had happened was real.
Kaito was going to kill her, and instead, Miku killed them all.
Luka wanted, needed to scream.
Instead, she only breathed. In, then out, then in again. She tried to remember the old mantras she'd used to cling to, back when she was desperately trying to stop relying on drugs to escape the trauma of conflict. The recent cigs sprang to mind and her gut ached for them, but she breathed in, breathed out, and set her jaw.
She was going to have nightmares for a while. She'd have to accept that.
As she breathed, she kept her eyes on the android. She kept watching her even as her breaths eventually slowed, her heart rate normalized, and the ringing slowly quieted down. After what felt like forever, she took her pills. Even her tears stopped falling at some point.
But she never took her eyes off the android.
Miku had just killed for her again. But, unlike with the pirates, who had literally put a bullet into her, subjecting her to the vacuum of space itself, all Miku had to go on this time was Luka's panic, their aggressive behavior, and a waiting vehicle. While the evidence was there, it hardly justified a mass murder.
Miku was probably wondering why she had offed a dozen people for a scavenger who couldn't wait to get rid of her. And this, right after vowing to use violence only as a last resort.
Miku deserved to know why. Luka could not keep that from her.
Luka clenched her fist into Dexter's fat belly. She wanted to explain, needed to, but explaining that day meant explaining that other night, the night she had never wanted to tell Miku about. It had always been easier to keep it to herself. Keeping it to herself meant she didn't have to admit she forgot most of it, the details swept away by the drug-induced cloud. It meant that she didn't have to put her reasoning and intentions into words. Justifying her actions was something she had grown tired of.
Plus, now that she knew that she was so sentient, she didn't want Miku to be confronted with what people could do to her once they were given the chance.
But, Miku needed to know.
No matter how much Luka willed it, that would not change. Delaying the inevitable did nothing, either. All she could do was gather the remaining courage before the boosters stopped, so she wouldn't be forced to speak in the deathly silence of space.
The moment she let go of the plush, however, Ruko announced, "We shall be arriving at our destination in one hour. I suggest you consider a new destination as soon as possible. The eldest son of the Shion family is dead, and they will most likely be wanting revenge."
Luka gulped, her heart beating heavy in her chest. "How...?"
"Miku has informed me of all that has transpired," they said. "Considering the leverage the Shion family has across the galaxy, it would be safe to assume that your life is now in critical danger." Then, as an afterthought, "You have also failed to pay the 2% tax on your monetary gains."
"Are we really in danger?" Miku asked, her voice surprisingly subdued.
"More than Luka has ever been before," Ruko admitted. "It is one thing to anonymously plunder spice. It is another to be complicit in the murder of the son of one of the universe's most high-profile politicians."
"Oh fuck," Luka whimpered. "What... What if they don't care?"
Ruko thought for a second. "Please elaborate."
"Kaito was going to kill his dad. And..." Luka trailed off. "Oh, stars."
"If their relationship was strained, then there may be a chance that this could be overlooked to some degree. However, these odds are low. We need to plan for a safe place to stay as soon as possible."
Luka, who had been ready to stand, fell back on the bed.
"What exactly do we have to plan for?" Miku asked.
"Someplace anonymous, where you can stay for a very long time," Ruko said. "More than that, I do not know. I do not have information relevant to keeping away from people this powerful. I can escape the enforcers of local systems, competing scavengers, and the like. I have no expertise in a galaxy-wide manhunt."
"A manhunt..."
"We have a head-start," the AI droned on. "You can purchase a planet, along with the material necessary to create a long-term settlement, and go live there before news of your actions could arrive at whatever planet you would be doing your shopping at."
Luka shook her head. "That creates tracks. They'll know it was me, so soon. They'll figure out which planet I purchase, or just go from one habitable planet to another. There aren't that many... They'll find me..."
"We do need a destination," Ruko insisted. "We can stay in an empty pocket of space for up to two months, after which we will be forced to find society and replenish our stocks."
"No. They have the tech to find us in that amount of time, even if we float in the largest void of the populated galaxy," Luka muttered. "It's best to disappear on a populated planet somewhere."
"Shall I run a list of densely populated satellites that do not cooperate with the galactic organization?"
Luka could see them already. Miserable rocks in space, barely more than asteroids, or cobbled-together artificial planets made of rusting metal and flimsy gravity simulators. Inhabited by the scum of the universe, people that yank other people into alleyways, knock them upside the head, and then sell them for profit after having their way with them. People who feed other people to animals. People who perform body modifications that border on the inhumane, often without consent.
Luka had been to such locations a few times, just long enough to obtain some really illegal technology. Brief visits all told. But Miku?
She almost scoffed, even with the gravity of the situation weighing down on her. They wouldn't be able to hurt Miku.
Nonetheless, that was a terrible, terrible idea for any sort of long-term escape. Being in such a location meant being surrounded by drugs; she'd surely turn to those instead of a therapy AI to deal with the day's events, and neither of them would survive for very long if she didn't have her wits about her. Plus, those people worked for money. The Shion had more money than she could comprehend.
"No," she managed, feeling the panic start to cloud her judgment. "No, we need... Fuck."
"I have no alternative suggestions," Ruko said.
The woman closed her eyes.
"Fuck."
"Luka?"
"I was supposed to fucking retire!"
The hum of the boosters was accompanied only by Luka's heavy, angry panting.
"I was supposed to disappear without anybody fucking looking for me!"
"Luka..."
"I was supposed to drop off the face of the universe! I was supposed to..."
A cool touch to her cheek startled her back to the present, and despite the wave of fear at the sight of the android, Luka realized she had started crying.
"I'm sorry," Miku whispered.
The woman shook her head, closed her eyes, felt the tears roll past her temples. One nestled in her ear, ice cold.
"Fuck."
"If I had known—"
"Don't," the woman urged. "Don't tell me you wouldn't have."
"It—"
"I'm glad he's dead. He deserved what you did to him. But... Fuck. I wish I hadn't been there."
The android didn't move, keeping her hand on the woman's cheek.
"I'm sorry nonetheless."
"We have fifty-five minutes until we reach our destination," Ruko urged. "If you have any idea for a further destination, I can recalculate without having to lose any momentum."
Luka panted. "There's nowhere to go."
"Is Earth a good place to go?" Miku asked.
"They'll probably look there first," the scavenger growled. "You're Earth tech. They'll see if you ran on home."
"May I recommend going home?" Ruko suggested.
Luka scowled, but Miku asked, "Home?"
"To Luka's birth planet," the AI specified.
Luka shook her head again. "Meiko wouldn't..."
"Meiko!" the android exclaimed. "She wouldn't take you in?"
"She hates me enough as a low-life scavenger. As a runaway from literally the most influential mafia on this side of the galaxy? Stars, I'll be a hazard and she'll treat me as such."
"Would anybody look for you there, though?"
After a few seconds' thought, Luka had to admit, "No. It's such an insignificant planet. Even she denies knowing if neighbors ask for news about me. If anybody knows about any kind of existing connection between us, then it's a miracle..."
"Then I suggest we give it a try," the android urged.
Luka panted. She compared the idea to escaping the populated galaxy, waiting somewhere outside of the Milky Way, where matter was few and far between, just waiting and waiting until she starved to death, until they ambushed her, anything.
Her home planet, however, was quiet, discrete, densely populated. She had no real reason to be there: why would they look for her on that planet? And Meiko might — just might — take her in...
It was their best idea.
"Ruko?"
"Yes?"
"How long would it take for us to get to Terranova?"
"We are currently at the edge of the civilized galaxy. Terranova is a fair distance away. Calculating."
Luka sighed, opened her eyes. Miku was still there, gently stroking her cheek.
The woman was too beat-down to care.
"It would take us eight rotations," Ruko announced. "We are going the wrong way. Redirecting. I advise you both to brace yourselves."
Luka cursed. "Miku, strap yourself into the pilot's chair."
"You—"
"I'll strap myself in here," Luka told her as the android stood and complied. Once the android was seated, the woman buckled herself in with the series of belts by her bed.
"Turning in three, two, one..."
The ship lurched almost violently, which the android didn't anticipate. Her hands scrambled at the dashboard while Luka held onto her buckles with her good hand. Her stare, though, remained fixed on the ceiling. Soon enough, the turn straightened out, and the ship was once again racing through space in a straight line.
"Making our way to Terranova," Ruko said.
Luka only nodded.