Pictoria (The Ammonite Galaxy Series, Book 4)

Chapter 17

THE NEW SPACESHIP hovered close to the Kwaide Orbital Space Station, and Arcan appeared on the bridge, where Diva was consulting with Samoso about supplies.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"What took you so long?"

Arcan shimmered, rather disgruntledly, she thought. "It takes a long time to buy things from the Sellites."

"Buy? They made you buy this thing? That must have cost a small fortune!"

"It took all the money accumulated so far in the foundation."

"WHAT? That is robbery!"

"No, Diva, I told you, I bought it."

"I meant ... Oh, never mind ... Hmm ... I had better take better care of this one then."

"Yes. Please don't blow it up."

"I didn't want to blow up the last one! You make it sound like I planned the whole thing; did it for fun."

"I was merely making a statement. I have no money left to buy another one."

"All right. I will do my very best to keep this one in good working order."

"Thank you Diva. Not that I am complaining – I know you saved me from the Dessites."

"You're welcome, Arcan. Now, we are taking a few more people than I planned back to Pictoria." She explained about the extra bodyguards and then went into details about the supplies they were taking. It took Arcan only a moment to get those on board the new ship. He transported Diva directly to the bridge of the new space vessel.

"What are we going to call it?" asked Diva.

"Does it matter?" Arcan gave a shimmer.

"Naturally. I think this should be the Independence, too, right? After all, the first Independence rescued you from the mindmerge. We'll call her the New Independence." Diva smiled around at the pristine bulkheads.

Arcan glinted. "Whatever," he said, sounding so like Six that Diva felt a momentary stab of anguish because she missed the Kwaidian. She straightened her shoulders. "Right. If you can get all of us over to the gas giant, then we can be on our way. Oh, wait! Cimma wanted to pick up somebody else ... you will have to talk to her before you take us over to Pictoria."

Arcan scintillated. "I have spoken to Cimma. We must wait for a few moments."

"I wish I could know what has been happening to the others. Do you think Grace will be all right? She sacrificed herself for us, you know."

"I think you all did that. I hope that you will all come out of this alive."

"Me too. Did you have time to think about some way of getting out of the carbon nanographite traps?"

A shadow ran through the orthogel entity. "Not yet. I will be working on that after I leave you inside the gas giant. By the way, how will I know when to pick you up?"

"You don't. Perhaps you could travel to exactly the same place you leave us every other day, at the same time? But don't hang around – if we are not there leave immediately, and try again after another couple of days."

"Very well. But what if you need me urgently?"

Diva shook her head. "You can't risk it. You have to work on your own on some sort of mental shielding from the mindmerge and a way to escape any traps set for you with that material they use, and leave us to our fate until you can be sure you are safe."