Chapter 14 Team
Team
Jace sluiced hot water over his head. His muscles loosened under the multiple-jet spray.
It seemed like there was a jet positioned at every single part of his body.
His private bathroom was filled with glorious, spicy-smelling steam from the hair and body products the Osiris had prepared for him.
He closed his eyelids and just let the water wash all of the suds away.
I created the products just for you so it would work with your body’s particular chemistry, the Osiris told him, sounding very pleased with itself. Your scent can be enhanced further to attract Khoth, but I muted it as this is a business meeting.
Jace’s eyelids sprang open. I thought pheromones were a myth in humans at least.
On the contrary, during puberty several auxiliary steroids are thought--
I’m not going through puberty again! Jace groused. That was hard enough the first time with the headaches, tinnitus and auras!
He massaged the back of his neck. He didn’t feel a headache coming on, but he feared one would. He had experienced his old ailments on the Khul ship so that meant they could come back so it wasn’t a useless fear.
I am adjusting your form to eliminate these malfunctions, the Osiris said with almost distaste.
Are you sure you can? Jace asked, stilling so that not even the movement of his hands against his own body would distract him from any of the nuances of the Osiris’ communication.
Of course, that was when the Osiris stopped using inflection and was robotic and smooth once more, Yes.
Just yes? No doubts there? No concerns that I’m broken forever? Jace asked.
Those are your fears. Not mine. I do not have fears, the Osiris informed him and now the emotion was back again in that tart response.
You shouldn’t lie to yourself, Osiris, Jace told the AI.
I do not lie.
Oh, ho, ho! We’re going there, are we?
I simply do not tell you everything until it is the optimal time, the Osiris said.
Not telling is lying by omission. It’s still lying, Jace said, wondering if the AI really didn’t understand the difference.
For something so incredibly smart, it was acting “dumb” here. But, then again, Gehenna was far more emotionally intelligent, but had turned herself into the Terminator, expecting a warm and fuzzy response.
Your parents are requesting entrance to your quarters. Shall I let them in? The Osiris was so bland in this request even as Jace grew a little tense.
He’d laid down the gauntlet with General Intoshkin.
Both of his parents served under the man.
They’d pledged oaths to serve the United States of America and both of them took that duty incredibly seriously.
Now, he was messing with the military’s plans and they were stuck right in the middle of it.
He didn’t doubt that they would take his side.
Like Khoth, his parents put duty above personal gain.
Meaning they would do what was right even if it cost them dearly.
He would, of course, offer them both a position on his crew, but would that make up for what they were losing?
Yes, let them in. Make sure they’re comfortable, Jace said, though the last was uncertain. Oh! Warn them about Gehenna.
The Osiris didn’t answer with words, but he felt a wordless acknowledgement of the command.
He did wonder how the Osiris would warn his parents that the Terminator was in the meeting room.
Knowing Gehenna, she would want to fun up and embrace his mother in those metal claws.
Jace let out a burst of laughter that echoed in the shower.
He could have found out exactly what was going on by connecting more closely to Gehenna, but he wanted to be surprised.
How is Khoth doing? Jace asked.
He had left the Thaf’ell Commander to get settled in his quarters and to bathe.
While the interior of Khoth’s rooms had not been so grand as his, the Thaf’ell Commander had appeared to appreciate the three rooms that would give him ample space to work, sleep and take care of his bodily needs.
Jace was rather hoping to take care of certain other bodily needs and hoped that the bed in Khoth’s quarters would often be empty.
I have provided him with his new uniform, the Osiris answered, interrupting his thoughts.
New uniform? Jace blinked.
As Commander under you of the Osiris, the Osiris answered.
But he hasn’t accepted that yet. And--
He has sent his mother a letter of resignation. She is… upset, the Osiris had paused before providing the name of the emotion, either to think which one best applied or to give it emphasis.
Yeah, I bet. I’ve upended his life, Jace said. In two days everything he’d planned is thrown away.
His purpose is to destroy the Khul and protect the Alliance, the Osiris replied crisply, and that is better served here.
Yes, but--
You did not make him choose, the Osiris interrupted. You did not suggest he break his internal structure.
Jace frowned. His internal--
His honor. What he believes about himself and the universe, the Osiris explained.
Jace slowly nodded. I suppose not. But what he’s doing is really hard.
It shows a resilience of mind that will make him an appropriate Commander here, the Osiris stated simply.
I should probably have some kind of ceremony or something. Don’t you think? To welcome those who choose to be part of the crew? Jace suggested.
Yes, I will provide modifications for the crew.
Why does that send a chill down my spine? Jace laughed.
You are experiencing no such physical reaction. Your mental one is unnecessary as well, the Osiris was all tart again. Your parents are waiting for you.
And he felt the Osiris withdraw. He connected more fully to Gehenna. She joyously greeted him.
Your father really likes my new form! She enthused.
Yeah, he loves that movie and anything with Arnold in it is a secret pleasure, Jace admitted.
I’m not sure what your mother thinks about it, Gehenna admitted. She keeps edging away from me on the couch, but when I ask her if anything is the matter she claims there is not!
Just let her get used to you, Jace suggested. I’ll be right out. Let my parents know, yeah?
The Osiris already did so, Gehenna sounded peeved.
Well, we mustn’t take away all of its fun. You get to converse with them, he pointed out.
Gehenna sent him a big smiley face that floated up into the heavens.
Jace didn’t even have to touch the controls to have the water turn off. He did it simply with his mind. He stepped out of the shower stall and grabbed an incredibly fluffy towel. He dried himself off. The door to his bedroom silently slid open. The cooler air flowed around him like an embrace.
He saw a small rectangular orange light on the wall.
He went over to it and that portion of the wall popped open to reveal a drawer.
Inside were what must have been his non-space battle uniform.
It was a pair of fitted black pants that had a lot more give in them, a long-sleeved white shirt that hugged his new muscles like a second skin and a black jacket that felt like leather, but wasn’t.
There were, of course, socks and underwear.
There was another orange light on the wall. When he went near that a pair of boots was revealed. Jace slipped them on as well to complete the outfit. The drawers closed and the wall became seamless again before a mirror appeared there so that he could see himself.
“Looking good,” he admitted with a grin.
No longer were his clothes baggy or his hair unkempt.
Whatever the Osiris had done to him seemed to take all the fuss out of looking good.
He shook his head at his own reflection.
That sense that this was and wasn’t him was still there, but it wasn’t causing any consternation in him. It was like living a dream.
Though the Khul are a bit of a nightmare and I have to figure out how to stop everyone from killing each other.
His reflection lifted an eyebrow and his smile had turned from joyous to a little wry.
But he’d take this life over the aimless one he’d been living.
There was so much possibility here. He wanted to infect the Alliance and humanity with it.
To show them that their narrow views of what should be, what could be and what they wanted to be were just that: narrow.
Here goes nothing.
He turned on his heel and headed towards the sitting room where his parents and Gehenna awaited him. He knew that the wall would once again become smooth and non-reflective even as the lights turned off after his leaving.
He found his parents and Gehenna sitting on the same couch like three awkward birds frozen to a line. His mother immediately jumped to her feet and came towards him. She was not a fan of the Terminator.
“Jace! You look well!” She cupped his face and turned it this way and that to confirm that her head-on view was correct.
“I feel good. Really good. A long rest was what I needed,” Jace assured her, letting her pet him and be a mom in that moment.
She smoothed her hands through his hair and shook her head. “You look now like I always saw you looking in my mind. But are the headaches and everything really gone?”
That was what he had asked the Osiris. “Mostly. I just experienced one on the Khul ship when we lost contact with the Osiris.”
She ran her hands over his shoulders. “I like the outfit. Perfectly tailored for you.”
“You don’t look too shabby yourself, Mom.”
She was wearing one of her skirt-suit uniforms, far more fancy than his, which was well-made, but seemed more casual. His father was dressed up as well and not in his flight suit.
Is that a bad sign or a good sign? Jace wondered. I’ve already asked Khoth really to abandon his life. Should I be asking my parents?
But all he asked them out loud was, “Want some breakfast? Khoth should be here shortly and--”
But his mother was shaking her head. “We’ve got to meet with the general.”