They all knew that he'd swear he wasn't going right up till the last minute and then bitching all the way be the first to follow RJ where ever RJ was going, and the fact that they all knew he was just blowing, pissed him off royally. He turned and stomped out of the room.
"Who shit in his cereal?" Poley asked. They all turned and stared at the robot. "What?" he asked with a shrug.
* * *
Exhaustion was starting to take its toll on Janad. The metal rolling thing had been almost upon her before she woke up, and she'd barely gotten away. She couldn't remember the last time she'd managed more than a few minutes sleep in a row, got to eat a whole protein bar at one sitting, or even gone to the bathroom without having to jump up and run to stay ahead of the relentless metal bastards.
She'd learned the hard way what would happen if they caught her. She hadn't moved fast enough, and one had shot a beam of light like the weapons she'd seen the Reliance soldiers use. It hit her arm leaving a bad burn. Left untreated, it caused an equally bad fever.
She didn't know how much longer she could hold up.
* * *
"Because I don't want them to go, that's why!" RJ said insistently. "I don't want them with me."
"You said them
.
I'm assuming that means you're all right with me going, then," Topaz said.
"I understand your reasons for wanting to go
. . .
"
"You forget who the hell you're talking to!" Topaz said losing patience with her for the first time during their conversation. "I know exactly why you don't want them with you. Because they're going to die
.
You, me, Poley, we're not likely to die. But David and Levits will. You think if you remove them from your life now you won't have to live through losing them. But the truth is you'll just lose them sooner. Normal people die, RJ, and people like you and I have to learn to live with that. They want to go with you
. . .
"
"They don't want to go. David insists on going because he thinks he has to pay for his crime by suffering as much as I do, and Levits. . ." she laughed. "He doesn't want anything to do with any part of this mission. He is only now insisting on going for what you and I know is the most stupid of reasons. . ."
"Because he loves you," Topaz said with a gentle smile, "that's not such a stupid reason."
"That's not what I was going to say," RJ said nervously.
"But it's the truth. I'm not an empath, and I know it, so I know that you know," Topaz said gently.
RJ sighed. "The mission has a lot more chance of succeeding without them getting in the way."
"I disagree; I think it has a better chance of success with them," Topaz said.
"How so? Levits hates David, and he never wants to go into space again. David hates Levits, and he knows nothing about space or space travel. In a lot of ways he's still just a green work unit."
"Levits is a starship pilot
. . .
"
"Who's terrified of space and flying
. . .
"
"But he knows what he's doing, RJ. You're a quick study, but you've never actually flown a starship; he has. David thinks on his feet when his dick doesn't get in the way, and whether you want to believe it or not, you need them. Look at what you have accomplished together. True, there were setbacks. But together you freed a country," Topaz said.
RJ seemed to accept what he was saying. She sat down and ran her fingers through her hair before looking at him again. "But, Topaz
. . .
Don't you see? If they go with me there is a very good chance that they will never see Earth again. That they will never have normal lives. They could have that here, but only if I leave. I want them to be happy."
"Levits has already lost one woman that he loved. Do you really think he could survive losing another? As for David, I think he only lives for the chance of redeeming himself in your eyes. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that either of them will be happy if you leave them
"Who shit in his cereal?" Poley asked. They all turned and stared at the robot. "What?" he asked with a shrug.
* * *
Exhaustion was starting to take its toll on Janad. The metal rolling thing had been almost upon her before she woke up, and she'd barely gotten away. She couldn't remember the last time she'd managed more than a few minutes sleep in a row, got to eat a whole protein bar at one sitting, or even gone to the bathroom without having to jump up and run to stay ahead of the relentless metal bastards.
She'd learned the hard way what would happen if they caught her. She hadn't moved fast enough, and one had shot a beam of light like the weapons she'd seen the Reliance soldiers use. It hit her arm leaving a bad burn. Left untreated, it caused an equally bad fever.
She didn't know how much longer she could hold up.
* * *
"Because I don't want them to go, that's why!" RJ said insistently. "I don't want them with me."
"You said them
.
I'm assuming that means you're all right with me going, then," Topaz said.
"I understand your reasons for wanting to go
. . .
"
"You forget who the hell you're talking to!" Topaz said losing patience with her for the first time during their conversation. "I know exactly why you don't want them with you. Because they're going to die
.
You, me, Poley, we're not likely to die. But David and Levits will. You think if you remove them from your life now you won't have to live through losing them. But the truth is you'll just lose them sooner. Normal people die, RJ, and people like you and I have to learn to live with that. They want to go with you
. . .
"
"They don't want to go. David insists on going because he thinks he has to pay for his crime by suffering as much as I do, and Levits. . ." she laughed. "He doesn't want anything to do with any part of this mission. He is only now insisting on going for what you and I know is the most stupid of reasons. . ."
"Because he loves you," Topaz said with a gentle smile, "that's not such a stupid reason."
"That's not what I was going to say," RJ said nervously.
"But it's the truth. I'm not an empath, and I know it, so I know that you know," Topaz said gently.
RJ sighed. "The mission has a lot more chance of succeeding without them getting in the way."
"I disagree; I think it has a better chance of success with them," Topaz said.
"How so? Levits hates David, and he never wants to go into space again. David hates Levits, and he knows nothing about space or space travel. In a lot of ways he's still just a green work unit."
"Levits is a starship pilot
. . .
"
"Who's terrified of space and flying
. . .
"
"But he knows what he's doing, RJ. You're a quick study, but you've never actually flown a starship; he has. David thinks on his feet when his dick doesn't get in the way, and whether you want to believe it or not, you need them. Look at what you have accomplished together. True, there were setbacks. But together you freed a country," Topaz said.
RJ seemed to accept what he was saying. She sat down and ran her fingers through her hair before looking at him again. "But, Topaz
. . .
Don't you see? If they go with me there is a very good chance that they will never see Earth again. That they will never have normal lives. They could have that here, but only if I leave. I want them to be happy."
"Levits has already lost one woman that he loved. Do you really think he could survive losing another? As for David, I think he only lives for the chance of redeeming himself in your eyes. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that either of them will be happy if you leave them
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