Through all of this, the Cosmic Thing playlist was on constant repeat. Algar wanted me to know something, but I just wasn’t getting it. However, I liked all the songs, so that was good.
Two teams of twelve finally settled—which was double what the Star Trek gang took along, because that was us, always doing it up big—meant it was time get the other members of the Away Team who weren’t on the command deck, so we headed to the Observation Lounge. While we were explaining what we were doing and who was going where and why those who weren’t named were going nowhere, my children in particular, I gave the kids hugs, starting with Charlie and Wasim and ending with Jamie.
“Be careful, Mommy,” Jamie said seriously. “Daddy won’t be with you and you won’t be with him.” She looked worried.
“I will be sweetie. Daddy and I are always careful. And we can get to each other fast.” Well, I could get to Jeff fast via the power cube or with Lilith’s help, and that counted, right?
She shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.” She lowered her voice. “I think he’s crazy.”
“Who, Daddy?”
“No. The Sheep Man. I think he’s mean and crazy and he won’t like you, Mommy.”
Didn’t have time for the full deciphering of whatever my little girl was talking about. Gave her another hug. “I’ll handle him, Jamie-Kat, don’t you worry.”
Hugged Lizzie again as I stood up. “Try to make sure no one’s telling Jamie weird stories,” I said quietly. “I think she’s believing them. Especially whatever about some sheep dude.”
“No one’s been doing that,” Lizzie said softly, sounding confused. “We’ve totes been looking at the planets and Wasim has been talking about why red suns are old. No one’s mentioned sheep.”
“Huh. Well, okay. I guess.” Wondered just what had scared Jamie and why a sheep was now the focal point. Something Mother of the Year was going to have to figure out in my copious spare time.
Adam pulled me aside. “Is there a reason you’re sidelining me, Kitty? I’m a former athlete and a former Army Ranger, and you’re letting Kristie go.”
“Kristie’s a cyborg, you’re a regular human dude, impressive Army experience I didn’t know about or not. I’m not taking Mister Gadhavi, either, or Tito, and, trust me, those men can handle themselves in a fight. I’m not taking the princesses who, let’s be honest, can probably take on an entire planet by themselves. I want people up here who can come in and save us if we need it. If I take all my tough guys, who’s left?”
He brightened up. “Should I have us ready, just in case?”
“Sure, why not?” Hey, that none of us had thought of this was just Adam showing he was an important member of the team. “I want you, Tito, Mister Gadhavi, Naveed, Rahmi, Rhee, Jeremy, Jennifer, Mister Joel Oliver, and Hammy all primed and ready. You’ll all want to have body armor and weapons. Don’t get into them now, but be standing ready to get equipped fast. Maybe we come back and you’ll have just waited around. But, based on experience, we’re going to need you, somewhere along the line.”
“Who do you want leading that team? I’m willing, but I’m also the least experienced.”
“See, this is why I like you. You’re always willing and you check your ego at the door. You’re in charge. You had the idea, you have the background, and the princesses have a lot more respect for any man who’s been in the military.” Sure, it had taken me years of work with them, but they had learned to respect some men. “Let me know if anyone gives you any trouble about this, and rely on Tito if the princesses get uppity.”
Adam grinned. “You got it, Chief.” He hustled off to get his team together.
Emergency Backup Team chosen and prepping, the two official away teams headed for the armory, because if I wanted Adam and his team in armor carrying big guns, I wanted that for the rest of us even more so.
First, however, made a pit stop.
Went to the bathroom so Lilith could join with me before I suited up. For whatever reason, I didn’t want to tell the others she was going to be inside me, though couldn’t have said why. It was less shocking this time, mostly because I was prepared for it. Got a lot of information about where we were, but it went in fast. Figured I’d ponder what Lilith had learned when we had a moment of dullness. Waited until she’d settled into the back of my mind, where she wouldn’t be intruding on my conscious thinking unless necessary, then joined the others.
Happily, Mother had been able to create more suits, so we weren’t out. Some of the suits Wruck and I had used were still available, though no one took those. Chickens.
Jeff’s team was him and Christopher, Reader and Gower, Claudia and Lorraine, Wheatles and Grentix, Tim and Serene, and Butler and the Kristie-Bot—who was totally jazzed about being on the show.
Pulled my team together as we were doing all this, the Cosmic Thing playlist still going strong, as a way for Algar to remind me that I still wasn’t getting something he thought was hella obvious. “I want us agreeing that no one goes off alone. Everyone has an assigned partner, and they don’t leave that partner. I’m with Richard, Malcolm and Nightcrawler are a team, Len and Kyle, John and Mossy, Abby and Mahin, and Chuckie and Kevin. I’m not wild about the fact that we have teams that have no A-Cs, so I want all of us staying as close together as we can because, let’s be real—we want to be able to grab our teammates and run at hyperspeed if things go wrong.”
“You mean when,” Siler said, “not if.”
“Potato, potahto.”
“Let’s call the whole thing off,” Buchanan said, sounding like he meant it.
“Can’t do it, and you know it.”
“I do, Missus Executive Chief. I do. I’m just not happy about it. On the other hand, I’m almost ready to faint that you actually chose to take your security team with you, versus making us go off with Mister Executive Chief.”
“He’s got all of Alpha Team, both former and current, other than me and Richard. He’s good.”
“Like everyone else who’s been sidelined for most of this trip,” Kevin said with a smile that showed off his awesome teeth, “I’m glad to be coming along.”
Kevin was highly competent and someone who was great in danger situations. Having worked with him a lot, I’d demanded he be on my team. That Kevin had bags and bags of charisma had nothing to do with it.
“Hey, I wanted the hot guys with charisma with me, what can I say?” Well, okay, not much to do with it.
He laughed. “The flattery will get you everywhere.”
“Should the rest of us also be flattered?” Siler asked.
“Absolutely. I choose my team based on looks. And the girls are hotties, too.”
Abigail and Mahin laughed as Chuckie snorted. “Just don’t say that where Jeff can hear you.”
“Too late,” Jeff said, coming up behind me. “Nice to know you’re swinging back to thinking humans are hotter than A-Cs.”
Turned around and hugged him. “Only hotter than some A-Cs.”
He shook his head. “I know, not hotter than my Uncle Richard.”
“Hey, girls like the Silver Fox look.”