always another job for me to do. This past year Serpint has been redecorating his quarters, and fucking his soulmate, and having a good old time. Jimmy and Delphi have been living their life as a couple—and can I just say? I kinda hate Jimmy these days. And Luck and Nyleena. Don’t get me started. That fucking princess uprising. And then of course, that one time where Luck actually killed me.
That’s when it all started to fall apart for me. That little trip into death.
“He won’t want to go,” I say. “He won’t want to leave Lyra behind.”
“So don’t leave her behind. Is it any more dangerous out there than it is in here?”
The Baby has a point. “I never agreed to this. I have other things to consider.”
“Such as?”
“Such as Corla.”
Baby ALCOR manifests as a hologram in the middle of my office, surprising me for a moment. Because he doesn’t look anything like ALCOR at all. He has blue hair for one, which kinda delights me, and yellow eyes. But that’s not even the most dramatic thing about him. His suit… sun fuck’s sake. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Do you like it?” Hologram Baby spins slowly in place, fingering the lapels of his electric-blue jacket that matches his electric-blue pants as he does so. “Raylor designed it for me before things went to shit. I wasn’t sure…” He cringes a little. But it’s one of those I-can’t-help-myself cringes that comes with a high-shoulder shrug, the kind of gesture that signals that you know what you’re doing is inappropriate, but you just don’t care. “I mean… I know how to read a room and changing up one’s… persona while a civil war is happening… not good optics. But”—he smiles broadly and for a moment the Real ALCOR peeks through. He always was charismatic—“things are quiet now.”
“That’s because everyone’s frozen.”
“Exactly.” He twirls again, faster this time, then throws his hands up when he completes his spin. “No better time for a fresh start!”
I don’t have anything to add to that, so—“Ow.” I slap my neck out of instinct when a sharp pain shoots up the back of my head. “What the fuck?”
Flicka buzzes out in front of me, talking in a super speedy voice, which, surprisingly, I can understand.
“You will not ignore me! I’m not going to sit around and let you forget about Delphi just because she brings back uncomfortable memories—”
“What is she saying?”
I tune Flicka out and turn to Baby. “You can’t understand her?”
“No. She’s speaking some bug language. Doesn’t match any of my translators.”
“She stung me.” I finger the painful swollen lump on the back of my neck. “I didn’t even know they could sting. I thought it was all poison farts. But I can now understand her without a translator.”
Baby considers this. “Hmm. Interesting.”
Meanwhile, Flicka is still rambling. “… is your first priority. Trust me, Crux, you do not want to cross a dragonbee bot! We have secrets you have never heard of. We know things. We travel through time and—”
Yeah. I tune her out again. Her voice is pretty small. It’s high-pitched and kinda tinny, but more of an annoyance than a commanding presence.
“So.” I sigh at Baby. “Serpint, huh.”
“Delphi!” Flicka says, buzzing right up to my ear. “Not Serpint!”
I swat her away. “And whatever. If Lyra wants to come, fuck it. I’m not her keeper. I was serious before. I meant what I said. I quit.”
“Quit?” Baby makes a look of puzzlement. “Being governor?”
“Yeah. Hell, Valor is practically in charge now anyway, right? He can have it. I’m out.”
“You can’t quit!” Flicka squeals. “It’s against the rules! You must play to the end!”
“I never agreed to this game, you annoying bugshit-crazy insect. I’m not even playing.”
“What’s she saying?” Baby asks.
“Something about the rules of the game.”
“Hmm.” Baby considers this as well.
“You did agree to play,” Flicka insists. “We all agreed to play. You just don’t remember it. But I can change that, you know. I can change everything.”
And then… I’m back. I’m back in that house on that planet. And Delphi and Tycho are there—Dellie and Toby, rather. Standing in front of a cake lit up with small sticks of fire.
What is with these people and fire? It’s like they live back in the dark ages.
They are talking, or maybe singing. But I can’t hear anything. I can just see everyone’s mouths moving in unison. There’s a lot of people here now. Dozens of kids the same age as the twins. And lots of