Out of Time by Ryan Matthew Harker (ebooks online reader txt) 📕

I clap my hands on the armrests. “Excellent!” I pull Khronos from my pocket. Putting him on the seat I say, “I'm gonna give you two an hour, that should be more than time fro a couple quantum processors such as yourselves to come to an accord.”

The only response I get is another sullen, “Whatever.”

Whatever. I go take a nap.

One hour turns into three before Sammi wakes me up to enjoy the spectacular meal she'd been preparing all cycle. I'm not entirely sure what's in in but it's got meat, potatoes, and carrots in it which, as far as I'm concerned is everything a grown man needs in a meal. She can fight, she can shoot, she can cook; I may just have to marry this chick.

After a nap and dinner an hour turns into closer to five. I'm not sure what to expect when I get back to the bridge but when I arrive it's quiet. Real quiet. A little too quiet.

“Hey you guys,” I greet. “How've the two of you been doing in here?”

“Hey, Davey!” “Hey, Davey!”

“Did you enjoy your nap?” “How was dinner?”

Whoa! Spirits seem high. This is quite the improvement. “Both were exceptional, my friends. Sooo, did y'all sort out your differences?”

“Oh yeah, boss. We did that in the first thirty seconds.”

“Oh?” I'm not too surprised. Maybe a little, but I know the AI's processing power is way beyond anything we humans are currently doing with our brains. “So we're ready to rock then?”

“We are rocking, Davey,” Khronos informs me.

“We are?” Now I'm surprised. “I thought we'd have to hook the two of you up somehow. You know, get you wired together with cables, or something.”

“We have synced our systems wirelessly, Davey.”

“Oh, right Khronos. Of course.” Wifi, I should've known. And I'm the brains of this operation. “Well, what do you boys say to a test run then?”

“Ready when you are, Davey.” “All systems go, boss.”

I page the galley. “Hey, Sammi, you about ready to join us?”

“Almost. Gimme three more minutes.”

I'd filled her in on this newest scheme over dinner. “Okie dokie, darlin'. See you in a few.” I'm not about to ride this next gamble without her by my side, so while we wait I feed the AI's some Rift coordinates.

Within five minutes Sammi's on the bridge, sitting next to me in the pilot's chair. “All right then, is everyone ready?” I ask.

“Ready.”

“Ready.” “Ready.”

Well,, here goes nothing.

“Khronos, TRAVEL!”

Publication Date: 10-15-2011

All Rights Reserved