them where they skittered. He continued until there was nothing but guts and sizzling remains. Even still, hundreds remained.
He grabbed some of the stragglers and placed them in his remaining capsules, kicking out and swiping the ones that got on his boots and suit.
On his way out of the mines, he blasted one of the lower passages, closing off the hive to the surface. At least from this access point.
When he stood in front of Titan’s ambassador two hours later, Hysterian tossed him the hatchlings, sent him the video access from the drone he deployed, and told him to get his people evacuated out of the area and to leave these mines alone. To go far, far away and hope they never encounter the billions of aggressively hungry insects beneath them.
Life was too short, after all, for a human.
Even a sick one like him.
Then Hysterian told him to go fuck himself.
Eight
“Leave,” Hysterian ordered.
Horace and Daniels stopped what they were doing and stood. They walked out of the bridge when Hysterian changed his mind.
“Daniels,” he barked. “Stay.” Hysterian triggered the door to shut once Horace was on the other side.
Hysterian had just returned from his meeting with Titan’s ambassador. He had yet to wash the dirt and guts from his suit. The ambassador had been furious Hysterian hadn’t offered a solution to their problem. Having a bloated man yell at him did nothing for Hysterian’s mood.
Titan’s ambassador reminded him of Raphael, and not in a good way. At least Raphael came up with his own solutions. He massaged his brow.
“Do you need something from me, Captain?” Daniels asked.
He pivoted to face his bridge officer. “Why were you in my quarters?”
“Your quarters? I don’t know what you mean, I wasn’t in them.”
He always knew a lie when he heard one.
Daniels is good at lying.
Or I’m losing my mind. Hysterian’s mood soured further.
“Don’t bullshit me. I have you on video. I have everything that goes on in this ship on video. It all streams back to the source: me. I knew you were in my quarters the moment you walked in. I won’t ask again.”
Daniels crossed his arms, straightening. Hysterian had to give it to the man; Daniels wasn’t as intimidated as he should be being confronted by battletech like Hysterian. Daniels was either confident or dumb. Hysterian hadn’t paid his officer enough attention the past few weeks to know which it was.
He just hadn’t fucking cared.
“I was in your quarters, Captain, several weeks ago,” Daniels said. “I was looking for my stash. I thought you may have found it, confiscated it, and I wanted to prove to you I can still use and do my job well.”
“Your…stash?”
“Simple boosters, just enough to tweak my energy, nothing more.”
“And you thought they were in my room?”
“I didn’t know where else they could be, sir.”
“I didn’t take your fucking stash. I don’t care if my workers use drugs. Get off my ship.”
Daniels finally flinched. “Get off the ship? Are we boarding on Titan?”
“No, the Questor is disembarking tonight. You are not.”
“It was a mistake. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“You’re a fucking liar, that’s what’s wrong. And you threatened another crew member while you were at it. The only reason you’re still employed is because I couldn’t get rid of you sooner. Now, get out. I’ll have Mia transfer you your final paycheck and help you find boarding on the next commercial transport off this planet.”
Daniels’s chest swelled. He’s going to fight. Hysterian wiped the grime from his sleeve, ready for it.
At least a fight would stop him from searching for Alexa and stupidly finding out how tight her cunt was with Hysterian’s still-twitching fingers. That was, of course, if her quiet invitation was to be read correctly. He could stretch her; he just had to wear a damned glove on his hand first.
“So I get sacked and stranded in space, while you, a messed-up Cyborg with more issues than a wingless fly, gets off the hook? You don’t fucking deserve to be a captain,” Daniels spat.
“You’re playing with poison,” Hysterian growled.
“I know you bounced with Raphael in Elyria, a fucking drug dealer. Do those hiring you for these important ‘jobs’ know? I sure as hell wonder what the media would say if they knew what kind Cyborg you really are, especially since so many already want you dead.”
Hysterian cracked his jaw. “So you know about Dimes?”
“I was a regular there between jobs. I know everything,” Daniels sneered.
“And you applied for this job because?”
Daniels’s nostrils flared.
“If you know