God's Bounty Hunter (Biddy Mackay Space Detective Book 1) by T Olivant (reading in the dark .txt) 📕

“Quite.” Tolly’s face showed an emotion Biddy had never expected to see on a God: shame. “And I believe they will be looking for revenge.  That is what you must try to prevent.”

“Me?” Biddy nearly screamed in frustration. “What can I do, stuck in this tin can?”

Tolly leaned backward. “Tell me what you thought of the Augment you knew as Lu Tang.”

Biddy felt her cheeks begin to heat up. “I… I actually liked him.  I know it’s stupid after everything he did, but up until he took over the ship I kind of felt sorry for him.  I guess I was played, right?”

“No,” Tolly said, his strange non-human features creased into a frown. “I think it was Lu Tang who was played.  That’s if I’m right about a few hunches.  And if I am right then I think there might be the smallest of chances that we can still save him from himself.”

Biddy heard someone clear their throat beside her.

“Could I speak to Tolly, Detective,” Hastings asked.

Biddy gave him a searching look, then shrugged.  She wasn’t running a dictatorship and the Captain was entitled to his say.

Hastings moved in front of the viewscreen. “I just wanted to ask if it might be wishful thinking on your behalf.  I mean, this Augment is practically family to you, right?  Maybe you just don’t want to believe that he’s a bad guy.”

Tolly didn’t look offended at the interruption, as Biddy imagined he might. “That’s part of it, I’m sure.  But the thing is, I’m better placed than any of you to imagine what’s going through Lu Tang’s head.  I’ve been there.  I’ve passed through the centuries just as he has.  Yes, not all Augments have turned out to be forces for good.  But I happen to believe that there’s still a chance at redemption for Lu Tang.”

“And when will you know that that chance has gone?” Elvis asked.

“Good question.  Can I ask, did Lu Tang take anything onboard your ship.”

“The portal drive?  Yes.” As she spoke the words, Biddy’s heart sank.

A tremor passed across Tolly’s face. “Then that chance is getting smaller by the second.  Listen to me, Detective.  You must regain control of your ship and stop the Augments from using the portal drive.  If not they could wipe out this entire system in minutes, along with every lifeform within it.  Only you can save them, Biddy Mackay.”

Chapter 42

Lu Tang was trying his best not to become annoyed.  Annoyance was not an emotion befitting of a God.  But that was the very emotion that he had felt when Augustus had positioned himself in the Captain’s chair of the Black Maria.

“Do you know how to pilot the ship?” Lu Tang asked.

“It can’t be that difficult.  Spaceships don’t seem to have changed much in the last century.” Augustus ran his hands over the control panel and managed to turn the engines on at his first try.

Annoyed.  Lu Tang was definitely annoyed.

“We should wait until we hear from our contact,” Lu Tang reminded them.

“Ah yes, this mysterious voice of yours.  And you have no idea who it might be?”

“I do not need to know.” Lu Tang felt possessive of the Voice.  It was he who had performed his tasks so admirably.  He had no wish to share it with the others. “Without the Voice you would all be still frozen solid.”

“I look forward to an opportunity to thank them.  Right now, I think we should release our brothers and sisters, don’t you?”

Lu Tang had to admit he could not see a problem with this idea.

Augustus pressed some buttons on the control panel. “We’ll bring this ship down right in the middle of the waste compound.  There should be plenty of room.”

A cough.  The young female Augment whose name had turned out to be Bela raised her hand. “Won’t this draw the attention of the miners?”

“Not to mention Scotclan,” Lu Tang added, “the law enforcement people I told you about.  We should aim for a more subtle approach…”

“Subtle!” Augustus gripped the arms of the chair, his long fingernails threatening to pierce the fabric.  “We are avenging Gods!  The time for subtlety has long passed.  Where is the portal drive?”

“The what?” Lu Tang asked, a black pit opening where his stomach should be.

“You know what.  The portal drive.  The item that was responsible for the rebellion.  The most valuable machine in the galaxy.  Or are you so inept that you have let the humans get their hands on it?”

“Of course not.  It is aboard this very ship.”

Augustus grinned.  It was not a pleasant sight. “Then we will have our revenge sooner rather than later.”

A hush fell on the group of Augments.

“You want to use the portal drive as a weapon?” Bela asked.

“How else will we teach the people that we are not to be messed with?  We owned this entire system, and they took it from us.  From what Kepler has told us, no one fears the Gods anymore.  Why would they when we can be removed without a second thought?  Have you forgotten how they piled up our bodies like butcher’s carcasses?  We must show them that we are back and that we are still in charge.”

“There are other ways,” Lu Tang said softly, but his voice was drowned out by the murmurs of agreement.

“They stole a century from us.” The older, shorter Augment who Lu Tang still could not name shook his fist in the air. “They owe us their lives in return.  No one will ever try to fight the Gods again.”

Lu Tang closed his eyes for a moment, then he turned his back and left the command room. He entered the small office that must once have belonged to the young detective.  He fought the urge to lay his head upon the desk