Chapter 1 Leaving, Or Running?

Panting hard, Dustin dodged the punch and slammed his shoulder into a pillar behind him, causing him to grunt in pain, and throw his hands up in surrender.

"You're getting slow, old man," said the boy in front of him with a wide grin. Kit was grown, a man in his own rights, and the people followed him like a true king.

Dustin took off his gloves, annoyed that he had lost, and threw them onto the bench. The pain was already gone, his healing having taken care of it already.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" asked Dustin, taking a swig of his water.

"I could ask you the same thing," said Kit, taking his gloves off and setting them down.

"I'll be fine."

"It's mom, isn't it?" Kit didn't look at him, but it was obvious the topic was not a good one.

"Don't mention Olivia. I don't want to talk about her."

"Alright. I understand. How about we go one more round before you have to leave?"

"No, I've put this off for too long. It's been fifteen years! If I don't go out and start getting the rest of our people, there won't be any more to get."

"The nanobots have been doing an awesome job retrieving them without you."

"Look, Kit, I know you don't like me going out and doing this, but I am not king material. All these people constantly needing their hands held drives me crazy. I have to go."

Kit looked down at his water bottle, seeing that it was almost empty. "You should ask her to go with you."

"No. She can rot in hell." Dustin tossed his bottle onto the bench, next to his gloves, and headed for the door.

"Dad," called Kit, and Dustin paused. He hadn't called him dad in a long time.

"What?" he asked, not turning around. He couldn't see the lost look in his eyes that he knew was there.

"I'm telling mom."

XxxxX

Dustin sat in the pilot seat of his new ship. He had finished building it last week and the preliminary tests had all come back that morning in the clear.

"Computer, how many locations do we have lined up?"

The voice that answered was the voice of a station AI that had been rescued by Dustin before its station had been blown up by aliens, "There are forty-three locations left where Uz'En have been identified and labeled irretrievable by the nanobot overmind."

"Forty-three? I thought there had been forty-five?"

"One location suffered a setback during an altercation between the two races that claimed the planet, and all life was lost. The other location has gone missing."

"Missing? Like the whole planet is gone?"

"Yes, and the star that was in the solar system as well. I believe it may have exploded, though there were no signs for such. Perhaps it was helped along?"

"Maybe. That sucks. I should have left last week, when I finished this boat."

"It's a good thing you didn't," came a voice from the back of the bridge.

Dustin cursed as he jumped out of his seat.

"Get the hell off my ship!"

Olivia stood in the doorway, with her hand on her hip.

"Or what? You're going to kick me off?"

"Yes!"

"Too late, I sealed the door. You'll have to restart the countdown and that could take another week, unless you don't mind messing up some of your precious city leaving?"

Dustin gritted his teeth in frustration. This was Kit's fault! That damn brat couldn't keep his nose out of places it didn't belong!

"If you threaten Kit, I'll kick your ass out the airlock and make you fly back home," she growled.

Swallowing his words, because that was exactly what he had been going to do, he weighed his options. Every since Kit had said he would contact her, Dustin had been hoping she ignored it. The fact that she was here confirmed that she still cared.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, softer but still in a growl.

"I plan to accompany you on this little adventure, and make sure you survive to see your grandkids."

"It's too dangerous. You know I don't plan to come back. This place is perfect for our people, but it's not the place for me."

"Don't you think I know that? It's going to take you years to get all of these people rescued. Especially now that the nanobots can't be used like before. You know that you can't do this alone. These AI's are smart, and useful, but they don't compare to me. I can't be shut down with an EMP, or whatever that new device they've come up with is."

Dustin ran his hand through his hair and glanced back at the waiting computer terminal he had been sitting at. He had originally designed the ship for two people. If Granny were here, he would have asked her to go with him, but she was still gone trying to find others of her kind.

"Look, I know you hate my guts, and that's my fault. I'm sorry. I should never have done what I did. If I could undo it, I would, but I can't."

Dustin refused to look at her.

"I had hoped," he started then stopped himself, shaking his head.

"I know. I never did get those memories back. The original Olivia is well and truly gone. I'm sorry."

He turned to look at her, hoping his eyes weren't red. He had only cried once, but he would be damned if he told her that.

"Can we be friends?" she asked.

"Hell no, get off my bridge," he said gruffly, turning and throwing himself into his seat.

Olivia stood there, watching him for a while, before turning and leaving the bridge. He waited to hear the door slide shut before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked the AI, softly.

"No, start the engines. Let's get off this planet and save some people."

The countdown began and he felt himself pushed back into his seat. This was a horrible idea. He should have restarted the countdown and waited another week instead of allowing her to come along. She had left him, and now she was forcing her way back into his life.

The truth of the matter, that he never intended to return, was the reason she came with him, not because she had any feelings for him.

"I am preparing to jump," said the AI.

Nanobots streamed out of special ports in the front of the ship, forming a ring very quickly. He watched as they activated and a portal to the other side of the galaxy opened up. It was time to get serious about his promise to save everyone who was Uz'En.