The Maid Got My System by Joi Massat

Author:Joi Massat [Massat, Joi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quinlan Circle
Published: 2023-03-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Huxley pointed. On the door to the café, Jacob and Pip noted several cubbies filled with informational pamphlets.

"In case anyone gets lost," he noted winkily.

"That's perfect, Ralphie, sir!" Pip said. "I was getting tired of reading those detective stories!"

Huxley grunted in agreement. "I admit that atlases might make for more suitable reading material during a sky cruise, but I actually acquired the Kitty-Cat Tale mystery series in bulk. I caught the author when he was on the cusp of burning his entire stock!" He laughed hugely despite the total lack of joke there, as if life itself was the joke. Pip didn't get it, but she guffawed.

"Ah, one more thing," she said just as Jacob was rising to leave. "Would you happen to have any more tasks lying around for us to do? Any more interesting experiences?" She winked at Jacob.

Ugh. He didn't appreciate her making such an obvious hint. And he figured that if her references got too close to disclosing his systemlessness, that might make Huxley actually suspicious. Safest to take the reins and reply directly.

"Stop it, Pip. You know we don't need permission to make our own experiences together." Then he muttered to Huxley, "We were thinking of going on the deck together at peak sunset." Fat chance.

Huxley closed his eyes and hummed, "Mm, yes. Take a load off. You'll need it." Turning his attention to Pip's request, he said, "There is something onboard that needs doing, and it might indeed take the delicate touch of a well-tutored maid."

Pip made a clicky sound with her mouth and shot Jacob an "OK" hand sign. Jacob would accept this.

"Have you been to the Polar Expedition exhibit yet?"

"No. It's still closed, isn't it?" Jacob said.

"Yes, for a reason. The creatures in the enclosures are out of control."

Ack. Murderous, revolutionary polar bear rampages entered their thoughts.

"They aren't breaking down the cages or anything!" Huxley assured, waving his hands and a napkin. "...But," he added thoughtfully, "they might."

Jacob said, "Well, let's backtrack. What do they actually need?"

"Their daily food, daily water. This morning they started refusing meals. Zookeepers leave and come back, only to see parts of the enclosures damaged and moved. Several keepers have been attacked without warning." He said sternly, "Jacob my boy, Pippy my girl, I think what they most need is a thing you two know very well: good old tender loving care."

His words hung in the air for a minute, causing a great shiver. Huxley thought the shiver was the frisson you feel after hearing a great opera. It wasn't, it was just kinda disturbed.

"Okay, so Pip will calmly feed them and rub their backs," Jacob said. If it was that simple, good. There were thousands of ways they could use that to test the Maid-Class System. If it was more complicated, even better. Bloodshed helped.

But the implication that the animals had all decided to rebel at the same time, across different enclosures, was unsettling, to say the least.

The Polar Expedition happened to be pretty close to the guests' suites.

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