Read Scrapyard Ship 4 Realms of Time for Free Online

emerged out of several ports. Some were small, no bigger than a cellphone; others were the size of a minivan. Hover drones, retrieving the items as they appeared, placed them off to the side.
    “ I anticipated this, Captain. As I mentioned, this device is quite amazing. Amazing enough to manufacture, replicate, everything required in rebuilding the bridge and other damaged areas of the ship. With the help of the hover drones, she can be completely restored.”
    “ Timeframe?”
    “ Perhaps a week, maybe less.”
    “ What’s your estimate for finding a weakness on the drone we can exploit?”
    “ By tomorrow morning. That is if it’s even possible.”
    “ Do your best. We’re in a lot of trouble if you can’t,” Jason exclaimed. “Also, you’ll be part of the assault team that’s going to Earth to disable those five drones. I’m not exactly sure what we’ll be running into down there, but I have a feeling we’re in for a wild ride. One that makes what happened to us on HAB 12 seem like a walk in the park in comparison.”
    Billy and Orion looked at each other and smiled. Dira crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I should sit this one out?”
    “ Sorry, we’ll definitely need a medic.”
    “ What about Mollie? She’s going to need a lot of TLC over the coming days, perhaps even weeks.”
    “ Already have something in the works for Mollie. She won’t like it but my options are limited.”
    Chapter 7
    “ No! I want to stay with you.”
    “ I’m sorry, Mollie. It’s not safe where I’m going. You’ll be with people you know, and Grandpa.”
    “ Will Dira stay with me?”
    “ Not this time, Mollie. Think of it like you’re going on your own adventure.”
    “ Where’s that?”
    “ To a place where there are other planets and different kinds of people.”
    “ Can Teardrop come with me?”
    “ Of course. Teardrop is yours.”
    Mollie chewed the inside of her lip, seeming to weigh everything in her mind. He watched her as she scooted up in her bed. She had bed hair and a bad case of morning breath. Without her mother around, he’d need to help her stay on top of such things. Jason’s heart froze, realizing with Nan gone, his little girl would now depend on him more than ever. Guilt tugged at his heart—of all times to have to leave her …
    “ Will Uncle Brian be there?”
    “ Uncle Brian? Um … I’m not sure. I guess I can find out.”
    “ OK. If Uncle Brian is there, then I’ll go.”
    Jason smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I need to make arrangements; why don’t you hop in the shower. And don’t forget to brush your teeth.”
    But Mollie was somewhere else. Her teary eyes glazed over and Jason knew she was thinking about her mother. She leaned forward for a comforting hug and Jason, wrapping his arms around her, kissed the top of her head a second time. “We’ll be all right, little one. I promise.”
     
    * * *
     
    The admiral ran his fingers through his own crop of disheveled bed hair. Jason had obviously gotten his father out of bed, and by the looks of things from sixty light years away, he wasn’t too pleased about it.
    “ If you haven’t forgotten, Jason, I’m the commanding officer for the entire Allied forces. Not a good time to make a play-date for me and Mollie.”
    Jason let his father’s words hang in the air.
    “ But of course she can come,” the admiral relented. “There’s nothing more important to me than my granddaughter.”
    “ She wants her uncle to be there, too.”
    “ Brian?” the admiral asked, sounding amazed anyone would actually want Brian around.
    “ Probably something to do with him saving her life back at the scrapyard. Is there a problem? Has he already left?”
    “ No, although we’ve certainly tried to expedite that process.” His father looked as though he regretted what he’d said and continued, “It’s not so much Brian, but that creature, hopper thing. If it’s not nonstop eating, it’s shitting in the corridors.