I smiled and accepted the chip. It tasted as good as it looked, and helping Tee eat them would shave a couple of minutes off the wait time to burn them off. “Do you mind sharing?”

  “Not at all, mi amigo. Mi nacho es su nacho.” He glanced past me, noticing Archie resting at my heel. “Hey Arch. You’re getting bigger.”

  The Aleal waved its tendrils in affirmation, following me into the galley and climbing into the seat adjacent to us.

  “Chip?” Tee offered the alien, laughing when it shrank back, disgusted. “Your loss, man.”

  We wolfed down the chips in comfortable silence before heading for the gym.

  “I’m going to loosen up with some cardio before hitting the weights,” I said when we entered, crossing to one of the three treadmills in the small compartment.

  Tyler stepped onto the neighboring machine, immediately setting a pace just a hair slower than mine. Archie remained near the doorway, content to observe.

  We stuck to lighter conversation as our feet pounded the humming belts. After two miles, we shifted to weight machines.

  I mopped sweat from my face with a small towel, gulping water between sets. With a deafening crash, Tyler slammed a massive pile of weights onto the leg press. The machine creaked alarmingly, and I winced, glad not to be underneath a couple hundred pounds of metal if something broke. Even after a long day of running from robots firing plasma bolts at us, my roommate clearly subscribed to the "go big or go home" philosophy.

  "So..." Tyler huffed between blistering reps. "You talk to Ally yet? Is she holding up okay?"

  I nodded. “About an hour ago. She’s still processing. She feels most guilty about the fact that she doesn’t regret it.”

  “Understandable,” he replied in a strained voice. “I feel most guilty about the fact that I didn’t rocket punch Zariv’s ugly mug the moment we went in there. Maybe Nyree would still be alive.” He released the weights with another loud crash. “But like you’ve said before, this isn’t a video game. We don’t get do-overs. And regret isn’t going to get us home.”

  “You haven’t had any trouble knocking out robots. Do you think it would be easy for you to kill another ILF?”

  “Don’t you remember the part back at Levain’s where I smashed that orc’s face?” Tee replied. “Was it easy? Yes and no. I don’t want to hurt anything. But I will for the same reason Ally did. I was ready to crush Levain’s skull before he could crush your windpipe. I just didn’t put enough oomph into it.” He craned his neck back to lock eyes with me. “I’m sure you’d do the same for one of us.”

  “Yeah, of course,” I agreed. “But I think I’d feel more like Ally. Overwhelmed with guilt.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. You might surprise yourself.”

  “I hope I never have to find out.”

  “It’s a nice wish, Katzuo. But the way things have been going, I don’t think the odds of it coming true are too good. I think you’re better off resolving it in your mind beforehand, so you don’t suffer Red’s fate.”

  “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

  Tyler climbed off the leg machine and clapped me on the shoulder. “Of course I’m right.” He headed for the free weights. “I assume we’re on our way to the evil lair?” he said, picking up a pair of forty-pounders to do curls.

  “With a pitstop at some other station to pick up Goloran’s AV equipment,” I replied. “Four weeks.”

  Tee froze mid-curl to look at me. “Four weeks? Damn. Our pictures are going to be on milk cartons by then.”

  “Do they still do that?”

  “Beats me.”

  “If you think it’s bad for you, it’s worse for Ben. His cancer is spreading again, and he can’t do anything about it until we get out of Warexia. I’m worried we won’t make it out in time for him.”

  Tyler waved my concern aside, biceps bulging as he continued his reps. “No offense, but you worry way too much. We made it out of Cacitrum in one piece with a real solid lead on where to find something that might just get us home. Everything is trending up, my friend."

  I wanted to point out our escape had come at a significant personal cost for two members of the crew. But Tyler's buoyant optimism helped dilute my worry, at least somewhat. It was true that things could definitely have ended much worse. For the first time since our arrival and despite future dangers that likely awaited us, a glimmer of hope had sparked among us. If the Wardenship held any useful secrets, maybe we did have a shot at outrunning Ben's illness and getting back to Earth.

  I picked up a pair of twenties and joined Tee in his reps. I had four weeks to continue adding muscle. Four weeks to train. Whatever happened when we got to Levain’s station, I would be bigger, badder, and more ready for anything than I had ever been.

  CHAPTER 34

  The two weeks in hyperspace to Asterock passed almost too quickly. Intent on becoming a force to be reckoned with for as long as we remained in Warexia, I’d spent countless hours honing skills I’d practiced but not truly taken seriously until now. Before this, I had almost taken the idea of going home for granted, assuming we would find our way without too much trouble or strife. I’d learned the hard way. We all had. Warexia was amazing, but it was also dangerous and, thanks to the Warden, wildly unpredictable. There was no place in it for the Noah who had followed a strange text message to a deserted farm looking for a magic starship ride. That innocence had to stay behind on Cacitrum.

  Tyler was right. The odds that we could visit Levain’s station and enter the Wardenship to hopefully find what we were looking for without conflict were low. The odds that we’d ever make it back to Earth without a fight lower still. Tyler, Ally, Ben, Matt and the others weren’t just crew. They had become my friends. My family. For at least as long as we were stuck here.

  And like Ally, I would do anything to protect them.

  I wasn’t physically where I wanted to be. Not yet. But I was two weeks closer. With help from Red, my aim had improved dramatically. While I couldn’t call out kill shots like her or even hit a target center mass regularly, I’d graduated to no longer sending bolts sizzling into the overhead and bulkheads, missing entirely. And with Tyler’s help, I’d already added nearly five pounds of muscle since our first workout six weeks earlier. Aside from nachos, I had transformed my diet from junk food into protein and clean, healthy carbs. I hadn’t graduated from rail-thin yet, but when I took off my shirt, I could see some definition of lean muscle in my arms and abs. It was progress I could be proud of.

  Since our escape from Cacitrum, things had also trended up for Matt, Ben, and the others. Matt’s bandages were off, and his shoulder healed, though he would need some time to rehabilitate and regain strength enough to resume our martial arts sparring. Well enough to return to piloting Head Case, he had chosen instead to leave me with that duty for the time being while he continued to recover. Even Ben looked a little less pale, finally succumbing to Matt’s insistence that he use the chaos energy he could gather to slow his cancer rather than holding onto as much as he could to defend us. However, he channeled the energy to restore himself, it definitely appeared to help.

  Meanwhile, Meg, Leo, and Lantz had kept themselves occupied by teaching the network specialist all about the systems on Head Case, hoping that his expertise could help them uncover the Warden’s backdoor access to Levi and the PSC and, even better, lock him out. Lantz seemed confident that even if he couldn’t lock out the Warden, he could improve our security standards, provided Meg and Leo walked him through how our technology functioned. While I found the interplay between the three engineers fascinating, I didn’t have time to tag along.

  Hzzt, however, didn’t seem to have much interest in learning. Rather than make himself useful, the alien spent the time planted on the sofa in the lounge, binge-watching movies in Head Case’s data store. In passing, I caught snippets of Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings, and the Terminator franchise, as well as some movies that seemed to focus on a cat. Tee and I wondered why we often heard the big-eyed alien’s excited chittering in the passageway leading to and from the crew quarters during our sleep hours. We finally learned from Lantz, who shared a room with Hzzt, that the paranoid ILF was utilizing Asshole and even raiding the galley at night to stockpile enough snacks and booze to last him for a month of movie watching. Not only was he a flaming alcoholic, we wondered how he managed to stay so thin.

  “Noah, the Captain has requested that you report to the flight deck immediately,” Levi said over my comm badge.

  I glanced over at Archie, tendrils whipping this way and that as the Aleal worked to solve a Rubik’s Cube I’d asked Asshole to make for me. I’d always enjoyed the simple puzzle, and turning the squares helped me fall asleep over the noise of Hzzt coming and going. I never expected Archie to be interested in it, never mind the apparently singular focus it showed in trying to complete the patterns. It had become quite good at it already, and even as I affirmed Ben’s request and stood to head for the flight deck, it tossed the Cube to me to mix it up again before I left.

  “Don’t finish it too fast,” I told the Aleal after hastily rearranging the colors and tossing it back to it. “I have to go up to the flight deck, and Matt’s showing Tee how to work the Hunter, so he won’t be back for a while either.”

  Archie’s tendrils slowed momentarily as it considered the warning before picking up speed again. I left before it could ask me to undo its corrections for the hundredth time.

  I hurried to the flight deck, nodding at Tyler, Matt, and Lantz lounging in the stadium seating as I passed them, pausing at the command station. “Reporting as requested, Captain.”

  Ben acknowledged me with a smile. "We're about to drop out of hyperspace at Asterock. I thought you might like to guide us in.”

  "That would be awesome!"

  “Then proceed.”

  “Yes, sir.” I moved forward and slid into the empty pilot's seat. “I have the stick, Leo.” He already occupied the co-pilot’s seat.

  “You have the stick, Noah,” he complied, releasing the ship’s control to me as I laid my hand on them.

  My attention settled on my station surround, the holographic sensor grid displaying a countdown timer. Of course, Levi could shut down the hyperdrive for me, but what fun would that be? I tapped the interface to override the automation and reached forward to the switch that would manually deactivate the drive.

  My finger had already started itching for action when the counter hit zero, and I flipped the switch, clicking it into its off position. The hyperspace field collapsed around us, stars appearing in the endless black. Drop variability being what it was, with my timing being slightly off from what Levi’s would have been, we came out of hyperspace further from Asterock than I wanted.

  “Jump complete, Captain,” I announced.

  “Take us in,” Ben replied.

  Spotting a tiny dot in the distance on my surround, I oriented Head Case toward the station and increased thrust to accelerate our approach. I wasn't sure what to expect as we drew nearer, but definitely not the sight that greeted us.

  Asterock wasn't a space station in the traditional sense. What I’d initially thought to be a dense asteroid field was instead a field of massive space rocks deliberately moved into adjacent positions. Huge transparent cables connected them, the entire arrangement held completely motionless in interstellar space.

  The station’s exterior had clearly been laser-carved, leaving angular facets framing enormous lighted viewports. Ships moved lazily around and between the massive chunks of rock. Scanning Asterock's interior, I noticed hollow spaces carved into each rock, home to sprawling subterranean cities.

  "Amazing!” I remarked in awe.

  As we got closer, the most amazing thing we saw was the hyperloop trams running through the transparent cables between the asteroids. They shuttled rapidly from rock to rock in nearly constant motion.

  My initial awe only intensified the more details I absorbed. This was no backwater station. It made the space-bound cities I'd seen in games and movies seem lackluster by comparison.

  Ben whistled appreciatively over my shoulder. "This place is incredible! I've never seen anything quite like it.”

  Even Matt couldn't fully contain his appreciation. "Impressive," he agreed.

  “Goloran definitely made a nice choice for a meetup point,” Ben added. “Speaking of which, Ally, open a channel to the princess.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” she replied from the comms station. The request connected almost immediately.

  "Ah, there you are. Right on schedule." Goloran's cultured tones emerged crisp and clear. "I didn’t think you would let me down. My technicians await your arrival at the central docking asteroid. You'll need to request permission before landing your...unique vessel. Kloth is transmitting the access credentials.”

  "Of course." Ben grimaced at the veiled reminder of our ship's bizarre appearance. "Anything else we should know?"

  "Yes. Under no circumstances are you to reveal Cacitrum as your point of origin should anyone inquire. Given current tensions, that information could undermine our common goals."

  "Noted. Thank you again for arranging this, your highness. We'll be in touch once the upgrades are complete and we're underway."

  "Please do so. Safe travels, Captain Murdock." The channel clicked off.

  Ben blew out a tense breath before turning to me with a grin. "Alright Noah, time for you to show us what you’ve learned. Let's not keep the Goloran’s techs waiting."

  “Ben…Matt, are you sure you want me to take us in?”

  "You've totally got this." Matt's calm confidence bolstered me from the cheap seats. "Just remember your training."

  Taking a moment to calm my anxious nerves, I triggered the comms. "Asterock Central Docking Control, this is the merchant vessel Head Case requesting permission to dock.” We’d settled on a merchant vessel in hopes the specificity would short-circuit any deeper curiosity. Hopefully, no one would question the label too closely.

  "Head Case, we have you on our sensors,” a bored voice drawled. "Please submit verification credentials for docking access."

  There hadn’t been time to check the credentials the princess had passed over, but I had to assume they were good. “Transmitting now." Tension ratcheting higher, I crossed mental fingers. Either the credentials would pass muster, or we were in serious trouble.

  "Credentials received and accepted, Head Case. You are cleared to proceed to Level 12, Arm 3. Sending approach path and docking coordinates now."

  I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. We were in! "Much appreciated, Central. Level 12 inbound." Cutting the channel, I glanced back at Ben, who nodded his approval.

  “Not so hard, was it?” Matt asked.

  “I haven’t docked us without crashing into anything yet,” I replied, returning my attention forward as Head Case closed on the asteroids.

  Other ships—transports, freighters, and even gleaming yachts—moved in purposeful patterns around us. The variety of shipping revealed Asterock as a hub of interstellar trade, commerce, and apparently entertainment. My gaze slipped from the target momentarily, latching onto gaudy and colorful flashing lights emanating from multiple locations on the nearby asteroid. Giant holographic projections advertised the rock’s entertainment options for diversion to incoming vessels like ours.

  My earlier nervousness faded away as intense concentration took hold. I followed the assigned approach path. Head Case responded perfectly to my guidance, oncoming asteroids and ships sliding smoothly by us as I wove a steady course toward our destination. Up ahead, scaffolds clung to a massive dark rock, topped by blocky structures painted in bright, welcoming colors, projectors creating additional advertisements up ahead.

  We cruised through the marketing toward a smaller neighboring asteroid studded with docking arms. Levi labeled it Central Station on my display. I tweaked our course, homing in on the coordinates for our berth. The assigned docking clamp awaited, empty and ringed in colored guide lights. Gently easing back the throttle, I fired lateral thrusters to line us up before edging forward. Nerves threatening to throw off my cool, I remembered to breathe and focus the way Matt had taught me.

  Head Case slid neatly into place. Magnetic grapples engaged with a sharp clank, securing us firmly. I sat back with an explosive sigh. We arrived safe and sound.

  “Nice work, Noah,” Matt agreed. “I knew you could do it.”

  “Never doubted you for a second,” Tyler agreed.

  “Thank you,” I replied, shaking off the tension in my hands.

  “Tyler, Noah, Ally, you’re with me,” Ben said, rising to his feet. “Leo, you have the stick. Matt, you have the flight deck.” They both affirmed their roles while I climbed out of the pilot’s seat and joined Tee and Ally, the three of us following Ben off the flight deck.

  Ten minutes later, we grouped at the bottom of the exit ramp dressed in more appropriate deep space hauler clothing, including faded dusters and weathered boots. We wore protective underlays and carried concealed weapons beneath our eclectic attire. Just in case. Not that we expected trouble, but better to be safe than caught unprepared. Again.

  With the docking arm clinging to the hangar bay door like a toilet plunger, Ben opened the smaller bay door, allowing surprisingly humid air carrying exotic scents to pour in. The enclosed docking bay reminded me of an airport terminal on Earth, only with starships in various shapes and sizes parked in standard flight lines instead of aircraft. Robotic loaders and refueling drones bustled efficiently around the dock. No customs or security gates were visible, only rows of kiosks offering various station services. Compared to Cacitrum, the security was nearly non-existent.

  We started through the bay. It didn’t take long before Tyler nudged my arm and jerked his chin toward the far corner. Three Gothori in dark jumpsuits with epaulets—two men and a woman, all smaller in stature than Princess Goloran—stood there, watching us with obvious interest. Several cargo containers were stacked on a hovercart beside them, and the woman cradled an official-looking tablet. She stepped toward us, her subordinates following closely behind her, pulling the cart.