“Sorry, we have to go,” Matt said, waving us out of the room. We exited quickly, closing the busted door behind us. “We’re lucky if—“ He went silent as the whine of approaching sirens pierced the exterior walls. “Never mind.”

  “Someone called the cops on us?” Tyler said.

  “We did just break and enter twice,” Ally said. “And we destroyed hotel property in the process.”

  “I doubt anyone called,” Matt said. “Likely an automated system triggered the request when the door locks were damaged.”

  “We can’t catch a break, can we?” Tyler asked.

  “This time, maybe we can,” he replied.

  CHAPTER 7

  Cheeks touching, Ally and I stared through the peephole in the door to our room, waiting and listening as the police bots that showed up at the hotel made their way from door to door, checking each of the empty rooms.

  One of the bots finally moved into view in front of our door, and we backed away before it knocked, quickly sliding under the covers of my bed and into what would appear to be an intimate position. I draped my arm over her, spooning beneath the blanket as the second knock came.

  “Go away!” Ally shouted.

  “This is Officer D198 of the Cacitrum Police Department,” the bot replied. “You will answer some questions.”

  “We’re sleeping,” I snapped. “Get lost.”

  “You will answer some questions,” the robot repeated.

  “Don’t you understand the meaning of go away?” Ally added. “We’re not decent in here.”

  The door unlocked and opened. The black and white police bot stepped through, its eyeless face seeming to look right through us. “You will forgive my intrusion and answer some questions. Where were you fifteen minutes ago?”

  “Right here,” I replied. “Where else would we be?”

  “Yeah, what is this about?” Ally added.

  “Did you hear or see anything strange?” The bot asked.

  “Other than you, no,” I answered.

  “Did you forcibly enter any other occupied units?”

  “We’ve been right here since last night,” Ally said. “And we’d like some privacy, if you don’t mind.”

  The bot remained still for a moment as if it needed to run our answers through an algorithm that would decide whether to arrest us or not. Finally, it took hold of the door. “You are cleared of suspicion. Thank you for your cooperation.” It closed the door behind it when it left.

  “I can’t believe that worked,” I whispered in Ally’s ear, laughing quietly.

  “Matt said it would,” she replied, looking over her shoulder at me.

  “Yeah, but I still didn’t think it would fly.”

  “Well, it did. You can let go of me now.”

  “Oh, right.”

  She threw the blanket off both of us. “Come on, I want to see how Matt and Tee weasel their way out of this.”

  “Me, too,” I replied. We both got up and hurried to the door to watch through the peephole.

  The police bot knocked on Matt’s door. He opened it straight away. I couldn’t hear the exchange, but then the big-eyed alien we’d barged in on moved into view with another bot.

  “Oh, crap,” I said.

  “It’ll be fine,” Ally replied unconvincingly.

  We stared out into the hallway, tension building as the ILF came face-to-face with Matt. The bot’s gestures suggested it was asking the alien to identify Matt as one of the intruders. The alien said something. Matt said something, neither of which we could hear in more than a low mumble. Then the bot gestured, and the alien returned down the corridor alone. The three police bots convened together for a moment before one of them turned to Matt. Rather than arrest him, it must have said something before turning away.

  Once the police bots left the floor, I threw our door open, and Ally and I hurried across the hall to Matt and Tyler’s room.

  “What did you say to them?” Ally asked as we entered. “We thought you were goners.”

  “They brought one of the victims up to identify us,” Tyler said. “But we scared him so bad when we barged in on him that his voice didn’t provide the bot’s algorithms enough certainty to make an arrest. They warned us that if we were the ones responsible we’d better cut it out, or else.”

  “How did you know that would happen?” I asked.

  “I didn’t. Completely,” Matt replied. “I think if they had brought up the woman instead, we would have been screwed. The ILF seemed to be a little out of it. I played the odds and figured we were due a win.”

  “What?” Tyler said. “That’s not what you told me.”

  “Because I needed you to stay calm,” Matt replied. “Anyway, we’re in the clear. Who’s hungry?” He glanced at Tee. “I promised you exotic alien food.”

  “Apology accepted,” Tyler said. “I'm famished. I wonder if they have anything like eggs and toast around here? With extra-terrestrial sausage or bacon or something?”

  The area near the shipyard didn’t see enough tourists to have many restaurants, and Matt made the unwise decision to let Tyler choose where we ate. Because of that, we spent the next half hour making our way all the way back downtown. Drones still passed overhead occasionally, but it was impossible to tell if they were still looking for us or if it was just regular traffic.

  Tyler finally chose a small cafe just off the primary thoroughfare. Instead of Earth-typical seating, the proprietors offered adjustable platforms that allowed easy access for species with wildly differing bodily compositions. We settled at one, my gaze drifting to the alien at the adjacent platform. A hairy bipedal alien that might have passed for a Sasquatch back on Earth, it placidly forked a pile of wriggling grubs into its gaping mouth. Ally’s eyes widened with a mixture of revulsion and fascination. When it came our time to order, I closed my eyes and pointed. Ally ordered a little less randomly, but still with no idea what she might actually get, while Matt and Tee asked for the special without questioning what it might be.

  “You two are brave,” I said as the server went to put in the order.

  “I told you I was tryin’ it, whatever it is,” Tyler replied. “I meant it.”

  “If whatever we get is still moving, I’ll give it to T-Bone,” Matt said.

  “Me, too,” Ally agreed.

  We had our meals in front of us within ten minutes. Tyler and Matt wound up with bowls of gently steaming, pale orange glop. Spongy green cubes dotted the surface. It smelled vaguely of overripe fruit.

  “Damn, if I had known it was soup, I would have picked something else,” Tyler griped. “Do you think they have spoons, or do I just pour it down the hatch like a Viking?”

  I poked my equally unappetizing breakfast with the single two-pronged utensil I’d been provided.

  Alyssa made a face at her bowl of brownish goop. “I think I’ve lost my appetite permanently.”

  Tyler picked up his bowl, cocking his head back and pouring the fruity glop into his mouth. “Ulgh! Tastes like sweaty gym socks and moldy yogurt.”

  “You can have mine,” Matt said, pushing his bowl toward Tee.

  “No thanks, man,” Tyler answered. ”They have to make better stuff around here somewhere. We passed all those other…” Tyler's complaint broke off mid-sentence. Alarmed, I followed his wide-eyed stare across the street. Ominous figures approached, eliciting cries of dismay from pedestrians scrambling to get out of their path.

  Princess Goloran strode regally at the head of her werewolf bodyguards. Her slitted violet gaze pierced straight through me as she angled unerringly in our direction. My heart sank. There was no way her presence was coincidental after our disastrous encounter with her at the spaceport.

  "Crap, it’s official. The Warden hates us." Tyler's observation drew wry chuckles from the rest of us despite our situation rapidly circling the drain again. So much for a quiet breakfast.

  "These guys probably aren't here to give us a hug,” Matt observed. He reached into his pocket, withdrew Head Case and passed it to me. “Be ready to run if it gets ugly. I’ll slow them down.”

  “Matt, you can’t—“ Ally said.

  “That’s my job,” Matt interrupted.

  “We aren’t leaving you behind,” I said, cupping Head Case gingerly.

  “You might need to. Look, whether or not you’ve realized it yet, I’ll die before I let anyone hurt any of you. So don’t let me die in vain.”

  The comment sent a shiver down my spine. Before any of us could think of an adequate response, Princess Goloran drew up beside our platform. I expected her to launch immediately into a venomous tirade. Instead, she simply regarded us silently with her unnerving lavender eyes. Beside me, Alyssa made a tiny squeaking noise like a mouse glimpsing a prowling hawk. I couldn't blame her. My own throat had gone sandpaper dry. I desperately wished Ben was available to pull off another spectacular magic trick to counter whatever unpleasant surprise Goloran had in store. The tension grew increasingly heavier until she finally decided to speak.

  “How was your meeting with Levain?” she asked, a hint of both malice and amusement oozing from her tone.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be on your way off-world?” Tyler replied, maybe a little too nonchalantly. I blamed his rocket fist for his overt boldness.

  “Yes, I was,” Goloran replied, eyes narrowing as she glared at Tee. “Until all flights out of the spaceport were suspended due to planetary defense operations. Not coincidentally, it’s also come to my attention that Zariv declared war on Levain, and Levain may be dead. Apparently, both Zariv and defense forces chased a starship constructed to resemble a robot head from Levain’s compound, until it somehow vanished inside the tunnel leading to the spaceport’s transit center.” She paused, eying each of us. “But I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

  “Why would we?” Matt asked.

  “It’s not every day that visitors show up on Cacitrum asking for Levain. Again, not coincidentally, I’m sure. You’re clearly outsiders. Even if your manner of clothing didn’t make that relatively plain, your dining choices do. You didn’t even ask for the menu for humans and adjacent species.”

  “There’s a different menu?” Tyler cried. “What the hell was I eating?” He shoved the bowl even further from him.

  “Well, at least that explains it,” I replied, stabbing my rock-hard sausage thing with the tiny pitchfork.

  “If you know we’re outsiders, then I’m sure you know the Warden is involved,” Matt said. “But you don’t have any proof we have anything to do with the robot head starship or Levain’s demise.”

  “No proof,” she agreed. “Only experience and an ability to do basic mathematics. I can put two and two together.”

  “So what is it you want? A bribe to keep you from calling the cops? After this meal, we have about twenty quark left to our names.”

  “Is that what money is called here?” Ally asked.

  “On Cacitrum, anyway,” Matt answered.

  “It’s denominated in quarks across the galaxy,” Goloran said. “By decree of the Warden.”

  “You learn something new every day,” I said.

  “As for what I desire, I was still deciding as I approached. I certainly didn’t expect to find you eating Hexiv slop at a tourist cafe. At first, I thought perhaps I would have my grithyak tear you limb from limb for preventing my exodus from this miserable planet. Then, I couldn’t help feeling strangely sympathetic to your plight. Perhaps because you also seem quite miserable with your current situation.”

  “Misery does love company,” Matt said.

  “Indeed, it does,” she replied. “As a result, I’ve decided to extend an invitation rather than hostilities.”

  "Well, we appreciate that. I think,” Matt said hesitantly. He regarded the looming princess warily across the platform. "To what end?"

  Her smile held a hint of sarcasm. “As we just agreed, misery loves company.”

  Matt laughed. “And that’s the only reason? I can also do basic math.”

  “As newcomers to Warexia, you no doubt desire information about the galaxy in general and the Warden more specifically. And certainly, as you mentioned, you desperately need funds if you’re to remain here for an extended period of time. There’s also the matter of Cacitrum Law Enforcement seeking you for questioning, even if they have yet to understand who or what it is they seek. I can help you make all of those complications go away.”

  “In exchange for what?” I asked.

  "Information is the greatest form of currency,” she replied. “I want to know why the Warden sent you to Levain and why Zariv is suddenly no longer content to share the wealth of Cacitrum with him.”

  “I think you might be disappointed in the answers,” I said. “If you’re looking for political intrigue, you won’t find it here.”

  “I suspected as much already. The Warden’s ways are never so straightforward. Which is all the more reason why I’m willing to overpay for potentially meager bites of information.”

  “And you promise you won’t sick your dogs on us?” Ally asked. “I mean that figuratively, not literally.”

  “Literally works too,” Tyler mumbled, too softly for Goloran to hear.

  “Of course not,” she answered. “I assume we’re all evolved here? There’s no reason for violence when discussion will suffice. An exchange of information, and we’ll go our separate ways.”

  "I get why you might be curious," I said. "But helping us is risky, isn’t it? What if the Warden catches you?"

  "Let the Warden worry about his own wellbeing. I will not live like he’s constantly looming over my shoulder!” Her hot retort drew uneasy looks from her entourage. “Now, what do you say?”

  I recalled Ben's exhaustion. He remained too weak for Head Case's resizing. We needed more time. Some quark, and insight couldn’t hurt either, especially if it helped us get out of this galaxy and back to Earth. I glanced over at Tee and Ally. They nodded, reluctant but eager to move forward. I passed Matt a similar tiny nod.

  He sighed. "Where do we start?"

  CHAPTER 8

  Princess Goloran led us out of the cafe and down the wide avenue, her four werewolf bodyguards surrounding us. Her earlier offer had seemed genuine, but the hairy scissor-hands surrounding us made me wonder if we were exchanging one bad situation for another. We passed gleaming storefronts and colorful market stalls, most operated by an endless array of robots catering to the tourist trade. My eyes drifted to a window display of colorful clothing, reminding me of what Matt had said about the economical convenience of the assembler on Head Case making our clothes versus his sacrifice of a blaster for a handful of quark to buy them.

  "So, are we going to your place?" Tyler asked casually, seemingly at ease despite our tense situation.

  Goloran's full lips quirked. “Our discussions require privacy. And I thought you might appreciate more comfortable surroundings than a dingy cafe or wherever you managed to stay last night.”

  "Works for me. This is quite the ritzy neighborhood.” Tyler eyed the alien script adorning the ornate marble archway just ahead. “I hope I don’t offend you, but I was wondering if you’re also human? Or human adjacent, I guess? Whatever that means.”

  The princess halted. "I am Gothori. And yes, we are human adjacent. It means that Gothori are biologically compatible with humans and other human adjacent species.”

  “Sort of like German and Japanese,” I said.

  “I don’t know what that is,” Goloran replied. “But if you refer to two different races with similar genetic composition that are able to cross-breed, then yes. I am a full Gothori. And while the Warden terms us adjacent, we are superior to basic humans in every way."

  Tyler swallowed uncomfortably. "Duly noted."

  I stifled laughter, exchanging amused glances with Ally. Only Tyler would antagonize someone flanked by werewolves.

  We approached a towering hotel, the elegant curving facade reminiscent of ocean waves. Gleaming glass spires rose high overhead, reflecting prismatic light. The arched entrance glittered, inlaid with shifting rainbow hues.

  Humanoids of widely varying shapes and sizes loitered beneath the portico. A sky-blue painted robot attendant hurried over when we entered the golden lobby. It bowed so low its head nearly brushed the floor.

  “Your Highness! We did not expect you to return so soon, but it is a pleasure to have you back. How may I be of service?"

  "Have food sent to my usual suite,” she commanded. “Edibles from Gothus, particularly baked delights and savory meats.”

  The concierge straightened. “Yes. It will be done immediately.”

  Goloran swept past without another glance, werewolves at her back as she made for a row of elevators. We hurried after her into the waiting car.

  "Nice digs," Tyler observed, taking in the cab’s gold filigree and plush carpet as it rose rapidly toward the upper floors.

  The elevator slowed, doors whispering open to reveal a lavish room with more square footage than my entire house. One entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows offered a stunning panorama of the city, sunlight glinting off distant towers. My earlier apprehension faded. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

  “It’s amazing up here,” Ally said, voicing similar thoughts. “Cacitrum is so beautiful.”

  “Except for the spaceport,” Tyler added. “What a dump.”

  “The spaceport is a reminder of Cacitrum’s violent past,” Goloran explained. “When this planet was nothing more than a military outpost for the Hemid, they nearly destroyed the planet during their war with the Gothori. But that was many years ago, long before I entered this life. “

  “Which side won?” Tyler asked. “Hemid or Gothori?”

  “In war, no one truly wins,” Goloran replied. “But the Gothori were ultimately forced to negotiate a truce. The Hemid reclaimed Cacitrum and over time, turned it into what you see today. But the spaceport remains as it was, at least on the outside. So the Hemid never forget the true cost of aggression.”