My Crazy Hot Interstellar Affair

28. Google Galaxy Deemed Future of Intergalactic Navigation

Andie lay beneath Oliver, breathing hard, his cinnamon-scented, muscly back compressing her breasts.

Under some circumstances this position would have been welcome, but right now, with her bare behind almost frozen, her hair and skin streaked with bird poo, and an army of stupidly shod supermodels rocking the ship with laser fire, it wasn't all that fun.

"Speak for yourself," Bad Andie said.

"Blissful silence in my head for an entire chapter, and now you decide to come back! Don't you have a Bigfoot novel to read or something?"

"I'm into Mermen now. They're just so ... slippery. And those man-sheaths! I'm totally over Bigfoot. I mean, he's great. But those sharp teeth! Too violent. I'm a lover, not a fighter. And speaking of lovers ..."

"That was close," Oliver said, making no attempt to get up. Andie was having a hard time hyperventilating, which should've been a simple thing to accomplish under the circumstances. "As soon as Star has prepared the engines, we will leave the hangar."

"You're squishing me," Andie grunted, pushing against Oliver's shoulders. It was like trying to move an alien-sized chunk of concrete.

The ship shook as it absorbed the energy from another laser blast. Andie's stomach twisted. Why did an advanced alien spaceship need to warm up its engines like some old Buick?

Oliver effortlessly leapt off of her and offered her a hand. Too tired to argue, Andie grasped it and stood. Oliver squeezed her hand and sucked in a breath. "You are injured," he said.

"I'm fine, thanks to your magic Gripple. By the way, if you've got one, I could use it. I mean, after your family finishes shooting at us. How long does the ship need to prepare its engines?"

A sickly sweet burnt smell, like charred marshmallows, wafted into the cabin.

"That's enough, Star. Please, Andromeda, Star prefers 'she' to 'it.' And I am glad you are all right," Oliver said, blue lightning flickering in his eyes.

"I prefer Andie. And could you stop that sparking thing and let go of me? I'm not interested in a physical relationship with you." The smell dissipated.

"Liar!"

Andie ignored her bad self. "Especially given the handy dandy death sentence that comes with. I'm here for my friend and that's it. Understand?"

"Spoilsport," Bad Andie moaned.

"Shut up!" Andie said. Out loud.

Oliver winced and released her hand. "I said nothing. And I cannot control the sparks. They are involuntary."

"I wasn't talking to you," Andie (stupidly) said. The last thing she needed was for Oliver to know that she heard freaky voices.

"I resent being called freaky," Bad Andie snapped.

"Oh, I see. You were speaking to Star?" Oliver said.

"No, I ... Doesn't matter." The ship pitched from another blast. Andie tumbled into Oliver. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her upright. The ship rocked, this time without being blasted. Star was obviously not amused. "Can we just get out of here?" The engines vibrated beneath them.

"Now that the engines are ready, we can enter the airlock, as long as the lasers have affected nothing essential."

No, no, no! The ship had to work. "Essential? What do you mean? Oliver, we have to get out of here. Now!"

"As long as the navigation system, life support, and the warp drive are undamaged, we should be fine."

"You have warp drive? Like in Star Trek?"