Nothing, not that I’d expected it. Hoped for it, yes, but expected, never.
“I’m sure you know, but the Cradi, the crew of the Eknara, and the Yoko Ono solar system are all going to be fine. Thank you for helping us help them.”
Nada.
Heaved a sigh. “I’m sitting on vital information that I have no way of explaining to the others. I’m not even sure if I’m looking at this stuff right, but it appears to be a set of galaxy maps that are very different from the ones we have, seeing as they all look like photographs. In some of them, there’s a solar system that’s floating outside the galaxy itself, but it’s not in all of them. I spotted this same solar system when Lilith went inside of me. I have no idea if it matters or not, but it sort of seems like it must. And I’m not sure what the maps are trying to tell me but it’s clear that, whatever it is, it’s vital.”
Still nothing.
“And we lost the coordinates to get to Ixtha. I realize that you wanted us to handle everything we’ve just done, and I have no complaint or argument about that, but everyone feels we need to get to Ixtha, and we don’t know how.”
Was expecting the lack of response I got this time.
“And I don’t know what to do with the Anti-Mother. Dropping her into a vat of grain alcohol, though satisfying, seems wrong. But I don’t know how to ensure that someone doesn’t accidentally release her.”
Saw an image of Cradus. Interesting. Well, the Anti-Mother was, realistically, the biggest threat to the entire ship, crew, and galaxy, so Naomi responding to this request of mine made sense. Not that anyone else had been remotely interested in helping. Of course, the clue—since I seriously doubted that Naomi was suggesting we make another stop at Cradus—had come after I’d said that killing the Anti-Mother felt wrong, though. Maybe that was why she’d superconsciousnessed up and actually handed out said clue. So, had to figure out what she meant.
The obvious reared its head and waved at me. Better slow than never, that was my motto.
“Oh. Duh, and thank you. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your giving me an actual idea for what to do. I doubt it’ll kill her, but it should contain her successfully and safely, and that’s what we need.”
The image of Cradus disappeared. In its place was the face of a beautiful Dazzler with ebony skin, kind eyes, and a lovely smile. Naomi.
“We still miss you so much. Everyone’s managing, though. Abigail and Jerry seem solid, just like Paul and James. Your parents are hanging in. Chuckie’s doing well with Nathalie, and I assume you approve or I’d know about it.”
Naomi laughed, not that I heard a sound, and nodded.
“Good. Things seem reasonably calm in the multiverse, so I assume that all the action’s happening here, like always.”
She bobbed her head to the side, as if to indicate that, yes, it was business as usual here, but that didn’t mean that it was all calm in the multiverse.
“I’ll be ready, like always, if you need me elsewhere. Um, a question? Why are so many people with us? I mean like Jeff’s Cabinet and the families. I think I get why on the Valentinos and Prices, but the Cabinet’s reasons for being with us elude me.”
She laughed again and I saw a picture of something that looked like a lot of pomp and circumstance that featured the politicians and Jeff’s sisters and their families. Everyone looked happy to be there, but I had no idea where “there” was or what was going on.
Naomi looked pleased, though, as if she’d given me all the info I needed and expected that I’d clearly made the leap. Decided not to disabuse her of that notion. “Super and duper I suppose. Um, another request? We need to find Ixtha and we have no idea of where she is. Plus, it looks like that solar system that’s drifting in the black is probably in dire need, too.”
Naomi gave me a look I was familiar with. I hadn’t seen it from her often, and I surely hadn’t seen it from her in a long time, but I still recognized it. It was her “Duh” look.
Before I could ask or say anything else, though, there was a knock on the door. Naomi blew me a kiss and disappeared and I was merely looking at my reflection. The Universe Wheel was gone.
Heaved a sigh, got up, and went to the door. To find the possibly last person I wanted to see at this particular moment.
Chuckie.
CHAPTER 88
“HEY,” CHUCKIE SAID. “Are you okay? You look funny.” He cocked his head at me. “Actually, you look guilty.” Dang. Chuckie always knew when I was lying.
“Um, why are you here?”
He raised his eyebrow. “Because Jeff wanted you checked on and, normally, I’d be one of your preferred options.”
“You still are.” Well, normally. Just not when I’d been talking to his beloved dead wife.
His eyes narrowed. “Are we fighting and I don’t know about it?”
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Pulled him into the room. “No, we are not secret fighting.”
“Huh.” He looked around and went into my bedroom.
“Seriously? Did Jeff think I was having an affair and you’re the one he sent to check to see if someone’s hiding under the bed?”
“No.” He came back out. “Stop looking guilty. I get it.”
“You do?” Had no idea what he was getting.
“You wanted to check the Universe Wheel and you didn’t want to be bawled out for not focusing on the issues at hand.”
It was rare when Chuckie jumped to both the wrong and the right conclusion at the same time, but was grateful it had happened now. “Yeah. I just . . . I haven’t checked as often as I’d promised the Jamie from Bizarro World I would, and since they made this for me on Cradus, it was about time I used it.”
“And birthing a superconsciousness can take a lot out of a girl, at least so I’ve heard.” He grinned at me. “Relax, Kitty. I’m not here to narc on you. Jeff was just worried and, frankly, so were James and I, so I came to check on you. Everyone else is still on the command deck, hoping to get to fly the ship. I don’t care about that, and Wheatles is there to help with any issues as we get to his part of the Milky Way, so I figured I’d check on you and run an idea I had by you at the same time.”
Sat on the couch. “Shoot.”
“What if we put the trap that has the Anti-Mother into some of the metal we got from the Cradi? That could keep it safe in transit and, hopefully, fully contained.”
“Dude, sometimes we’re so in sync it’s scary. I came up with that one just now, too.” Oh, sure, with help, but still, I’d managed to get there. And I wasn’t the Top Genius Man, either.
“Great. If you’re up to it, I’d like to do that now. The longer that thing is able to be easily opened, the longer we have something far worse than a live nuke on board.”
“No argument from me.” Slung my purse over my neck and we headed for the cargo hold.
It was several decks down from where we were and chose not to use hyperspeed because that would help me keep the fiction that I was exhausted going.
“So, what did you see?” Chuckie asked me as we walked to the elevator.