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[MiniKitty]

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You have a choice. You are facing it right now.

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Wait, what are you doing?

Uhm, preparing a response?


Madeleine takes my hand off the console and turns my seat in her direction. Her gaze pierces my skull. Monique sits in the other seat, knees up to her chin. She is intimidated.

Levan, take a moment to think this through.

What is there to think through? I will get us into trouble if I do not respond.

That is why I want you to think this through.

... What do you mean?

Those are nomads, right?

Yeah. Space fish and their human goons.

If you help them, what does that make you?

... I do not think I have much of a choice here, Madeleine.

You have a choice. You are facing it right now.

If you answer that transmission, you give them what they want.

These things have no interest in your well-being. Nor in that of Kris.

Besides, you do not have any interesting intel for them, right?

Madeleine, what am I supposed to do? They hacked the Kay just like that!
If I do not respond, they will come for us!

No, they won't. Levan, those things can't just enter house space and shoot us where we are.
If they could do that, they would not need you, right?

So, you just want me to ignore that message? Pretend we did not get hacked?

We'll need to wipe the Kay's memory core.
Upgrade the firewall and what not.

... Ames, then.









I set course for the Kepler system. Navigating through the dark matter storm is a lot easier now, thanks to the time Aspen, Kristoff and I spent here. The local Zoners seem to be intending to stay. The station has a big shield bubble, securing the area around it. There are a few other ships outside, however, the place is still super creepy. Here's hope that the space fishes avoid Kepler just like anyone else does, apart from the Zoners and some other rugged souls.

Monique remains quiet for a long time. I think by now, she fully realized the severity of the situation.

I lay down on the bed, trying to get some rest. They both join me. Huddled up under the blankets, we just remain there, closing our eyes. Weird, really. Ames is just another freeport, but the storm outside made me think that we might actually be safe here for the time being. Even with the lightnings in the distance. How weird. Space weather...



I feel less pressure and less heat. Madeleine leaves the bed. Probably going for a smoke in the hallway. Short time later, I feel Monique leaving. I pretend to sleep.



Have a moment?

Sure. Obviously.

Is he worth all this?

You tell me.

Yo, Mad, just gimme a straight answer. Why are we doing this?

Because we love him?
Because we are too deep in this?
Because we need each other?
Because we prefer this over a normal life?

Is that so, tho? Like, for real?
Yeah, I love him. It's weird, a bit? He is smaller than me.
I mean, honestly? He is probably the best boyfriend I had so far.
Cute, sexy, funny, rich, all that, right? Talented fingers. Good kisser.
Good in bed. He even cooks for us. But...
Is he worth dying for?

I have no plans on dying.

Ah, right, so you hold up your hand and say no when the nomads come?
Mad, this is something way too big. Aliens? Hackers? These technofreaks?
And for what?

Guy has two girlfriends and could have even more!
And yet he is obsessed with that depressed twink.
I don't think we mean as much to him as he does to us, Mad.
So, what's the point? Why risk my life being with him?
I mostly just wanted to stay at the den! Freedom and all.
Now we're trapped on a gunboat in buttfuck nowhere!

You wanna fuck off? Do it. I won't stop ya.
But I'm not going to let him go through hell on his own.
Yeah, maybe we're just side bitches to him, and?
If you wanna have a normal life, we'll drop you off.
Just curious to see how you want to return to normal after all of this.
In case you haven't noticed: Aspen died when she tried normal.

You donno that.

That's exactly what happened. Got picked off when she was on her own.

... you really think so?

Look, Mo. I'm not a fan of any of this myself.
But the Kay is our best bet right now.
Levan is our best bet right now.
You got a cool boyfriend here and it's not gonna be boring.

Fuck everything else. I only need him.
And I honestly want you with us.

For a while, nothing. Then some unintelligable talking. They come back to the bed. Madeleine has that stench of her fake cigarettes on her. Both hug me. We fall asleep.

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