Upon Vestia: Chapter Twenty-Nine

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Ivor was pretty thankful for Tala's quiet thoughts, if her unshielded thoughts were anything like her speaking voice, he'd have had a headache already.
He nodded slowly.

"I can get started on that letter." Starr said and stood. "The female is named Nova. She will go to the Devil to meet there." She added so they would know.

Still looking more than a little anxious, Kay nodded to Starr. [I'm going to get back to work then.]

Ellie went and hugged Matt awkwardly, because it was sorta awkward to hug someone in a wheelchair. "I kid, I kid, we're all gonna have not-private fun together. No kissing."

~~
"I should talk to Mourn about this, since he ordered the part," Asher said. "And meet Nova. Then I guess I should pack." He also wanted to apologize to Kay at some point soon. So many things to do, oh dear.

James nodded to Asher, "I'll come along then." He smiled at Starr, "Thanks again for the letter and arranging a bodyguard. It means a lot to us." And to think he hadn't trusted her when they first met. He'd been pretty wrong, and he was glad every day for it.

Kay forced a weak smile at Asher. It was better to let he and James just sort this out, he was only tagging along out of worry for Asher. Starr wouldn't allow anything to happen to him, right?

He nodded once more and went back to work, because distracting himself with filing and paperwork and setting up the other medical room was all he could do to stop him panicking about all this.

---

Matt hugged Eliie back, it was super awkward. Eugh, he hated being in this dumb chair. it sucked. "Alright alright, if you do though, i'm gonna stare and make you both self conscious." He snickered.

Ellie laughed. "Soo awkward, oh my gosh. We'll be good, right Shane?" She paused, "Unless you want in, Matt, then we could have, like, a three-way makeout session." Last time she'd kissed Matt she'd decided pointy teeth probably weren't her thing, but that was negotiable.

Matt snorted. "I don't even think that's possible." he pointed out. "And Shane doesn't think i'm hot." He grinned at Shane and fluttered his eyelashes. "I'd suggest we make him jealous but I don't think he'd care either." He shrugged. Shane was pretty easy going wasn't he?

Shane laughed and shook his head. He knew they were joking, but that didn't really make it easier.

~~~
Starr waved and headed for her room to write that important letter about Rigel being able to make decisions, but no one messing with Asher's code and she would take care of that when she had time to be there herself.

~~~
Nova headed for the Devil once she had her small bag of clothing she had gotten since being free ready. She had red hair and a fair complexion in her Terran form.

Ellie went and patted Shane's shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay Cutie, I'm not gonna make out with him or you. I don't wanna make anyone jealous of my hotness."
(To the city?)

~~
Asher and James went looking for Mourn next. James preemtively grabbed a broom from a closet in case they needed to wake Mourn up, which got an amused smile from Asher.

(To the city!)

Mourn was working on the united code, a plate of food next to him as he typed.

---

Matt watched Shane curiously, hmm... okay then. he shook his head and followed the pair.

"Vestia? A little help?" James asked, peering into the room.

--Hey Mourn, you have visitors-- Vestia said helpfully.

Mourn looked up at the flashing lights. "Wh?" He looked around, tilting his head at the androids. "Robots? What you want?"

Asher smiled at Mourn. "Good morning. Vestia's going to be staying on Terra longer than expected, so I've scheduled for the Silver Devil to take me to Mars for repairs tomorrow. Since you ordered my replacement part, I'm going to probably need written permission from you to get it installed, or for you to be there." A little complicated, but oh well.

"If you went along, you'd have to try to ignore a lot of casual assholery from BrainTech though," James pointed out. "Those guys are insufferable dicks."

Mourn tilted his head. "Why we stay here?" he asked, curious as always. "Megabrain stupid people, it no problem dealing with stupid people. Talk slower." He cackled.

Asher looked to James, he wasn't sure how secret Armin's molt was supposed to be, hmm.

"Armin's molting soon, we want to keep him near actual vavare doctors," James said. Hey, vavare didn't really do secrecy, right? If they did, he could always apologize.

Asher nodded. "Armin needs the best care possible to make sure he doesn't have any complications, so we want him here." He frowned at Mourn, "Maybe don't patronize them too much if you come along on this trip. We need their goodwill." Until Asher went and backstabbed MegaBrainTech in a few months, anyway. Then the goodwill wasn't gonna matter much.

"It'd be fiiiine," James snickered. "They're a competent corporation--well, sorta competent--, they're not gonna let their employees get insulted by someone talking to them like they're stupid."

Mourn snickered "I only be rude if they stupid." He shrugged. "I can work on code on other ship. United code different, take different approach." He gestured at the screen. "Lots of work, no just use your code. No work." He shook his head. "Spider man sick?" He had no idea what the hell a molt was. "He be fine. Nobody die on us yet no?" He grinned. "owner come too?"

Asher nodded. "Armin's species loses their old skin every few years and grows a new one. It's potentially very dangerous, so we're making sure he stays as safe as possible."

"Yeah, it's not gonna be fun for Armin, but he should be okay," James said. "Starr's going to stay here, she has stuff to keep an eye on, with her people. And she's buddies with Armin too, I think, so she probably wants to keep an eye on him."

"You're working on the Terran United code?" Asher looked curious. "Do you think you're getting closer to the solution?" Those poor Terran United androids, being confined by the Laws against your will while other androids walked free must be awful.

Mourn shrugged. "Have to tell code ignore other os. Laws still there, just no able hijack body. Easier ignore. Work a little different to sevens, but should work. I find solution, fix robot."

"It sounds complicated. I'm glad you're trying to help them." Asher smiled softly. "So you're planning on coming to Mars? We'll most likely leave tomorrow unless something unexpected comes up."

"Better than writing note no? especially if owner no there. Maybe look funny no have either. " Mourn shrugged. "No need stay on ship to code, can code anywhere. " He grinned. "Beside, maybe interesting see head office."

"Good point," Asher agreed. "That would be a little weird to send an android in without any of the buyers." He looked a little nervous, but nodded. Mourn was smart, he might not be the most mature and collected person ever, but he wasn't going to do anything that would jeopardize the androids' safety. Right?

"You'll have to tell me what the place is like, man. I've only ever seen it in the holodeck, and I don't think that's the same," James told Mourn.

"I bring you postcard." Mourn told James with a smirk.

James laughed. "Postcards from MegaBrainFart are gonna be collectible after Asher asskicks them. Buy me lots of them!"

"I should go see Nova now," Asher said, trying to hide his amused smile, and failing. "She's the bodyguard Starr is sending along," he added as explanation. It felt weird to have a bodyguard, much less talk about it, wow.

"they think need bodyguard?" Mourn tilted his head. "I keep you safe. I good in fight." He nodded.

Asher smiled at Mourn. "I know you're good in a fight, but I don't think we want to fight a corporation and risk becoming wanted by the Terran Empire. Ideally if anyone is in danger, we just want to safely escape the situation, leaving our enemies confused but unharmed. The biggest concern is that someone might try to search my files, not that someone will likely attack us."

"Although it'd be really satisfying to beat the crap outta some corporate dweebs," James said wistfully.

"James," Asher said, frowning at his brother.

"can do that without owner permission?" Mourn asked curiously. "Code no allow that no? " He remembered how he'd had to get permission every time to look at the android's code. "Still think you have code, we pretend good yes?"

"Terran law doesn't permit searches without owner permission or a search warrant, but it's wise to be careful," Asher said. "MegaBrainTech has ways to bypass our system security, they did create us after all." He nodded, "If we can pretend I'm just a normal robot getting repairs, we shouldn't have any trouble."