Chapter 31LEX

Lex’s punches flew fast, but the Valkyrie caught each deftly with her shield. The sheer force of Lex’s blows knocked her adversary back a step. Lex seized the opening and dove forward into her sparring opponent in a burst of flame.

“Ouch!” exclaimed Brynn, rubbing her cheek. “What the hell, Lex?” Hell, eh? Brynn was clearly an ‘adult,’ according to whatever bullshit definition the jester lady used. The Valkyrie’s skin was slightly singed, but no serious damage, luckily. Lex wasn’t supposed to use fire in their training — particularly not against an unsuspecting opponent.

“Uh, sorry,” said Lex. “I…didn’t mean to. I just…argh…this – this – this woman!! What’s her PROBLEM?!”

The Lady of Hyperion raised an eyebrow.

Lex continued. “Flashfucker, or whatever her name is.”

Lex knew it was Flashfire. She often said “Flashfire” during her dashes. Well, those times were clearly over.

Brynn looked slightly amused, but still more pissed than amused.

“What about her? And can you have a modicum of self-control?”

No, obviously not, thought Lex. If you want that, Vonn’s in his room. Brooding.

“She…” Lex paused. “She says we can’t go into the back garden anymore. …and she’s a total bitch!”

“Lex,” said Brynn with a sigh. “You’re going to need to learn to control your temper. Not just for me, or the other people here, or even common decency. If it’s a weakness, your enemies will use it against you.”

It’s a strength, too! thought Lex. Lex looked angry. She felt angry. The fire welled up inside her again, and-

“LEX!” Brynn’s voice snapped her out of it. She’d never heard Brynn raise her voice that loud. Lex felt that burning rush of shame rising from her gut into her cheeks, and she bent her head, subduing herself demurely.

The Valkyrie went on. “For all we know there could be a WAR coming, and I’ll not have you getting yourself killed, or worse, getting someone else killed, because you can’t keep it together when someone does something you don’t like!”

A war?! That was news. With whom?, Lex wanted to ask, but she was busy being lectured and, given the look on Brynn’s face, decided it was prudent to keep her mouth shut. Hadn’t there just BEEN a war with those shadow people or whatever they were? Right before she and Vonn were woken up. Of course she had missed out on the fun.

Brynn paused for a moment, perhaps thinking she’d said too much. She shrugged. “Now, Miss FLASHFIRE is a cybersecurity expert that Meridian brought on to secure this facility, and she has suggested REASONABLE precautions.”

If there was any threat of war, it admittedly made a lot more sense. But why’d that stupid woman have to be such a bitch?

“She wasn’t very nice,” mumbled Lex, after a moment.

“What?” asked Brynn.

Lex prudently changed tack. “Uh, she said she was in charge,” said Lex. “Is that true?”

Brynn cocked her head sideways. “In charge of security, sure.”

Oh. So Lady Brynn was still in charge of everything else? Lex felt stupid.

“Um, okay, good,” said Lex, feeling the color rise in her face. “I…I’m sorry about the fire. Can I…help?” What was she going to do, rub aloe on the Valkyrie? Didn’t make for the worst mental image, admittedly…

Brynn frowned and shook her head. “Just work on controlling your temper. It’s very powerful, Lex, but YOU must master IT, and not vice versa.”

Where did Brynn get off sounding so wise? Maybe Meridian was rubbing off on her? Or maybe the Valkyrie was a lot smarter than she let on.

Lex bit her lip and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, and you have an appointment with Miss Flashfire tomorrow morning to have your cybernetic enhancements examined. See that you’re on your best behavior. And after that, there’s a good chance we’ll be heading to Atlas.”

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Chapter 32

VULCAN

It turned out not to be a fire at all, but rather, steam. Grey and Sebastian arrived to a room clouded with steam (invisible) and smoke (visible) — or perhaps condensation of the steam. The young man — Othin — was standing on a chair, struggling to disconnect the smoke alarm, and his uncle Watt was standing nearby berating him. Over in the corner was a strange, almost animal-like machine with claws, seemingly the source of the steam.

“He got scared,” Othin was saying defensively. “Of course he released some steam.”

“You made it SENTIENT?” shouted Watt. “Why in GAIA’s name…?!”

“Sorry, Uncle. Uh, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Why not give it the extra processing power to be able to do solo missions?” He lowered his voice. “Also, Huginn needed a friend.”

Watt looked at a loss for words. His face was red, and steam seemed to be coming out of his ears, but that was really just steam in the room.

Grey cleared her throat.

“Ah! Miss Grey. Um. Everything is under control. I’m so sorry about the disturbance,” said Watt. He followed Grey’s eyes over to the machine. “Oh, this is that project my nephew and I were working on, the tunneler for the Depths. Apparently, er, my nephew thought it should be a real badger.”

Grey’s poker-faced expression (aided by her visor) betrayed absolutely no reaction, but Sebastian leapt in.

“More animals are always welcome, but someone has to take care of …him?”

Othin nodded at the pronoun. Watt looked stunned that Sebastian would speak before Miss Grey, but the heiress didn’t seem to mind (though who could tell behind that visor?). Well, Sebastian was in some ways a PR person for Hawk Aviation so it stood to reason that he had some decision-making authority. Or was he volunteering?

“You can’t be on missions with Huginn and still look after it…him…” said Watt, looking at his nephew. The stout man looked over at Sebastian, thinking a moment, then sighed. “I’ll do it. My project, after all. He’ll need a name.”

Grey and Sebastian gave expressions suggesting “don’t look at us.”

“Muninn,” said Othin. “Then he can be Huginn’s friend.”

“You’re naming it…what’s that translate to…Mind?!”

“Well, he is sentient now.”

The machine stumbled out of the corner and looked up at the four humans. It was actually adorable, with a badger-like snout and giant digging claws.

“Muninn should be a bird, like Huginn,” said Sebastian. “This boy’s a digger. Something earthen, with steam and claws. A new facet of Hawk Aviation.”

Suddenly, to everyone’s shock, the machine opened its snout and said its first words. Its voice was deep and gravelly.

“Hello everyone.”

Watt looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

“It can talk?!”

“I maaaaay have done a few more modifications than I mentioned,” said Othin sheepishly.

Watt continued to look completely stunned. Finally, he regained his composure.

“My talented nephew, everyone.”

No one clapped.

“So — perhaps the creature should name itself?” said Sebastian.

“Him,” corrected Othin.

The creature cleared its throat. “Her,” it corrected in its deep bass.

Othin looked thunderstruck. Admittedly, the creature was not anatomically correct, as it were, so it was somewhat free to choose its own gender identity — not that it wouldn’t have been free to do so anyway…just…

“I’m still downloading a lot of information about the world,” said the creature. “So, I don’t have a sense of what a good name would be.”

“Perhaps we could stick with the mythological theme?” offered Sebastian. “Hestia, perhaps?”

The creature shook her head.

“Freyja?” asked Othin.

Again, no. A jet of steam shot out from its nostril.

Watt threw up his hands. “How about Volcano?”

The creature’s ears perked up.

“Vulcana,” said Othin.

“Vulcan,” said Vulcan.

Grey finally spoke for the first time. “Sebastian, discuss animal caretaking procedure with Watt, and perhaps remind Othin as well. I look forward to Vulcan joining us on a mission to the Depths soon. I think there are some puzzle pieces still to be found down there.”

She was referring, presumably, to her quest to avenge the events that had transpired down there so long ago, and take down Magnus Pretorius. But of the others in the room, only Sebastian had an inkling of this latter goal. And — close as he and Grey had become, she had spoken only little of it. It seemed too painful. No doubt the poor girl must have PTSD, thought Sebastian.

He escorted Watt and Othin from the room, Vulcan in tow.

They didn’t know it then, but Vulcan’s first “mission,” of sorts, would be of a very different nature.

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