Uprising: Starship Renegades, #1 by S.J. Bryant

Author:S.J. Bryant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Saffron Bryant
Published: 2019-10-12T07:53:37+00:00

CHAPTER 18

Atticus did his best to sit still because every tiny movement made his skin pull tight and sent sharp, stinging pain across his body.

"We should go back to Ghost and get this stuff loaded," Kari said, gesturing to the open bag by her leg. "Even though I've used half of it on you two." She waved her hand at Atticus and Ryker, but one corner of her mouth lifted.

"Fine by me," Ryker said. "I'm starving."

Kari scooped up the bag of medical supplies and headed for the door.

Ryker offered his hand to Atticus and helped haul him to his feet. Atticus did his best not to cry out, but the intense pain made his head spin. Whatever the robots, and Kari, had given him might have helped, but it couldn't change the fact that the fire had burned through layers of his flesh.

Rusty managed to rouse himself from the corner and staggered after Kari. Atticus hung back to catch his breath before trailing behind them.

Just outside the door, Alpha waited.

"May I assist you?" he said.

"No," Kari said. "We're just going back to our ship."

"Allow me to accompany you."

"We know the way."

"Please, I insist."

Alpha's tone remained friendly and accommodating but his words made Atticus' skin crawl. On the surface, the robot was being helpful, but he wouldn't take no for an answer and walked with them down the passage. He didn't speak again, or try to interfere, but Atticus could feel the optical strip watching, analyzing, and he wanted to be far from the robot. He tried instead to focus on his companions, but he couldn't help scowling as Rusty staggered from one side of the passage to the other, using the walls to stay upright. Kari had said that he was suffering some kind of PTSD and at the time Atticus had felt bad for hating the robot, but then he remembered the flames, the smoke, his lungs burning from the inside, and he couldn't help his resentment rising.

Besides, what kind of robot suffered from that level of alcoholism? The others brushed it off like it was nothing. If Rusty was really that traumatized, then he should be seeing a robot psychiatrist or something… did those even exist?

The line of thought distracted Atticus enough that he didn't notice the pain caused by walking until they reached the airlock and Ghost.

"I will await your return here," Alpha said, taking up position just outside the airlock.

"That won't be necessary," Kari said. "Go… do whatever you normally do."

"It is no trouble," Alpha said. "I will wait here."

And just like accompanying them from the kitchen, there was no way to change the robot's mind although he never strayed from utmost politeness.

Ghost's door hissed open, and Atticus and the others trooped inside. The sweet smell of cinnamon washed over them. Atticus would have drawn a deep breath except that every movement of his lungs was like hot coals in his chest.

The door slid shut behind them, but Alpha stayed standing just outside, like a guard to a prison cell.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.