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him.
    “Thank you, Captain. I am honored.”
    “So what’s next?” said Jon. “Seiben keeps asking me when we’re going to go to New Byzantium. It’s been several weeks now. I don’t blame him for being impatient.”
    “Yes, I have been thinking about this issue,” said Bast, his face turning stoic again. “After analyzing the star charts from DLC station, it seems that New Byzantium’s location intersects with one of the trajectories we’ve plotted for the escape pods.”
    “So we can drop off the Seiben family while searching for one of the pods?” said Jon.
    “Yes, Captain.”
    “Good. So I take it we’ll be heading there next?”
    “If you are in agreement,” said Bast.
    “It works for me,” said Jon. He wondered why Bast kept looking for his approval on decisions like this. It was his ship. Jon and his crew were guests at best. He didn’t need Jon’s approval for anything. It would seem to weaken him as a leader in front of the Chaanisar crew. How would someone like Lieutenant Jarvi see the gesture? Could he really just be extending an olive branch?
    Jon felt the creature’s objections. It had a different view of things. The creature seemed to feel Bast was trying to get Jon to drop his guard. He needed Jon to get to Doctor Ellerbeck. Once the brain chips were removed Bast would turn on Jon and his crew. Of that the creature was convinced.
    Jon considered the creature’s analysis, and didn’t disagree. They would only search for the Hermes crew until they found the doctor. It was the only reason the Chaanisar even tolerated them being on board. The brain chips were an incredible threat to their new found freedom. Any encounter with the Juttari would see them enslaved again. Removing the brain chips was of paramount concern.
    All this talk about uniting the crews was nothing more than a smokescreen. If Bast could get Jon on his side, he could convince the doctor to help. With the brain chips gone the Hermes crew would be seen as a liability and a threat. Bast would show his true colors. The purge would come.
    The symbiont was right. He would not allow Bast and the Chaanisar to lull him into a false sense of security. He needed to prepare. If the Chaanisar were going to attack, he would be ready.

Chapter 8
     
    “Daddy, when is Anki going to be here?” asked Alina, Captain Seiben’s youngest daughter.
    “Soon, sweetheart,” said Seiben, sitting at a table in their assigned quarters, across from his wife.
    “It’s taking so looong,” said Alina, curling her lower lip.
    “I know. It’ll just be a little bit longer. Why don’t you go play with your toys?”
    Alina sighed, gripped her doll tighter and walked away.
    “She’s not the only impatient one,” said Darla. The look on her face told Seiben he was not going to like the direction this conversation was heading. Unfortunately he couldn’t think of any reason to leave the table. Not without making things worse. He would have to sit still and take his medicine.
    “What do you mean, darling?” he asked, trying to soften the coming assault.
    “What do I mean? How can you ask me that?” said Darla, her face turning red. “I’ve been staring at these terrible symbols for weeks now. How long are we supposed to endure life on board this horrible ship?”
    “I’m sure it won’t be for much longer,” he said, trying his best to sound conciliatory.
    “That’s what you said last week,” said Darla, raising her voice. “And the week before that. I am about to lose my mind in here. Can you understand that?” Of course he could understand. She was practically screaming at him.
    “I’m not happy about it either, darling,” he said, keeping his tone calm and apologetic. “But what can I do about it? It’s not like I can take over the ship and fly it wherever I damn well please.” He heard the frustration creep into his voice and cringed. That was a mistake.
    “Oh you would like that, wouldn’t you? I know you’d rather be