FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Shaped like a long, black disk, the enemy ship had claw-like protrusions aimed at the Herald. These claws glowed brightly as they gathered energy to unleash another round of lasers, exploding like fireworks as they struck the forcefully surrounding the Herald.

"Faith, how are shields?" Lucianna said.

"Holding steady, but we should pursue an escape route. We are too low on resources to engage in a dogfight."

The enemy ship fired off more lasers, landing several direct hits that rocked their ship. Milo and Lucianna stumbled as the bridge shook beneath them. It reminded Milo of the time he'd been on a cruise ship, how unsteady his legs had been, how his stomach gurgled and turned over.

"Captain!" Faith shouted.

Lucianna dashed toward the center of the bridge, where a lone chair sat overlooking all the screens. She seated herself and hurriedly tapped some buttons. From the armrests of the chair, a pair of handles emerged, gleaming in the light. She looked at him from over her shoulder.

"Darling! Take that seat over there! It's going to get bumpy!"

He sprinted for the chair, his legs crying in protest, still sore from Rivra's grueling training. (She definitely worked me too hard!)

Rivra took her seat to Lucianna's right and began punching buttons by sheer feel and memory alone.

"Engaging auxiliary shields."

Lucianna read a screen to her right. "Main shields at seventy-five percent. That's good. We shouldn't take any major damage, then." She pressed a button on her chair and spoke into a small microphone. "Prepare for an interstellar fold! Secure yourself and any loose belongings!"

Rivra's fingers flew across her console, as she rattled off a list of actions: "Preparing the hull for interstellar fold. Deploying fold skimming wings. Redirecting shields to protect deployed wings."

Faith reappeared on one screen. "Captain, an unknown entity has landed on the hull!"

Gritting her teeth, Lucianna changed the external camera from the enemy ship, flipping through various angles, until she spotted the intruder. Milo's eyes widened, and Lucianna slapped her hand on the console.

"Son of a bitch…"

It was another spider robot, almost exactly like the one she and Milo had encountered on Earth. It skittered along the exterior, closing in on one of the long, antenna-like fold skimming wings. Lucianna jumped from her seat.

"They're trying to stop us from folding!" She turned toward Milo. "Darling, do you think we can pull off a fusion?"

He gulped and fiddled with the diamond on his wrist. While he was exhausted, something told him that combining with her could be done.

"Yeah, but only for a short time, I think."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Rivra said. "It hasn't been that long since the last time. And if Milo separates out in space…"

Lucianna shook her head. "We're not going out there." She waved Milo over, and he leaped from his seat. Lucianna pressed a button on her right arm, and it collapsed in on itself, folding down until it disappeared inside her shoulder plate.

Milo closed his eyes and reached out with his right arm, touching Lucianna's right shoulder. A bright flash, and the hugging pressure compacted him into a familiar shape.

Lucianna rolled her new wrist, the white armor glimmering. She clenched the hand into a fist, her eyes blazing with power.

She slapped a button on her chair, and one of the two handles receded into the chair. In its place, a metal tube with a handle inside of it rose and snapped into place. She thrust her hand inside, gripping the handle tight as her body glowed with a light purple aura.

A series of lights blinked and flickered along the consoles, a soft hum filling the air in a chorus of machine sounds and thrilling energy. The hairs stood on the back of Lucianna's neck.

"Stun Shield is active!" Faith said.

Lucianna twisted the handle and pushed it forward.

On the Herald's exterior, the spider robot closed in on the joint where the fold skimming wing met with the hull. It raised its wide, sharp legs to strike.

The shields of the ship coalesced in a shade of dark purple, and the robot froze, electrical currents jumping back and forth along the hull and the robot. As if struck by lightning, the robot burst into flames, its smoking remains launching into the vacuum of space.

"That threat is gone, but I sense they are sending more," Faith said.

"Too bad for them. We're ready to fold! Brace yourselves!"

She switched out the stun shield handle for another, this much more like the lever of a motorcycle, and grabbed both handles. With a deep breath, she shoved both handles forward.

The ship sang at a high pitch, and the stars dotting the galaxy stretched past them in long, bright streaks. Rivra gripped the sides of her chair, her mouth set in a grimace as every muscle in her massive frame tensed. Remnants of eggs and sausage bubbled back up her throat, and she belched through her nose, burning her nostrils.

After only a few moments, the ship stopped.

The stars snapped like rubber bands back to their original pinpoint shapes.

Lucianna slumped back in her chair and heaved a sigh. "Thank god."

There was a flash, and Milo fell onto Lucianna's lap. They stared at each other, wide-eyed, neither one of them wanting to be the first to move. His face flushed red, and she slipped into her cat-like grin.

"Oh, so forward~ You could've asked to sit in mommy's lap!"

Milo scrambled and fell onto the floor, grunting in pain. Lucianna rolled her eyes, cupping her chin.

"Geez, do I have morning breath or something?"

Faith cleared her throat. "Congratulations, Captain. We have successfully escaped the bandits."

Rivra crossed her arms. "They're getting much bolder. How did they even find us?"

"We have a huge bounty on our heads. People like that will patrol all over, even if it means getting just one of us."

Lucianna slumped back in her chair, pushing the button on her shoulder plate, her right arm unfolding itself. She flexed her fingers, rolling them, clenching and unclenching her fist.

"Yeah, but what about our cloaking device? We've slipped past many patrols."

"That is simple," Faith said.

She moved away from her screen, and behind her sat the now-two-armed robot Rivra had defeated on Earth. Lucianna shot up from her seat, cursing under her breath.

"But we have signal jammers! Nothing should get in or out of this ship unless we allow it!"

Faith stroked her chin. "There was no signal. Not the traditional kind, anyway."

"What? Then how…"

Her eyes widened, and she looked back up at Faith.

"Was it…one of them?"

Faith nodded. "A technophir, yes."

They all grew silent. Milo's eyes darted between them, his stomach a bit unsettled from the fold, as they had called it. He licked his lips and tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"W-what is a technophir?"

"A being capable of melding with technology," Faith said. "The restrictions are that the host of a technophir must have a power source for them to combine with, and, typically, they must have a space for their physical body to rest while they inhabit the body of their host."

"Okay? And what, this robot was one of them?"

She shook her head. "It was inhabited by one."

Rivra snarled. "I destroyed that bot, though! Its lights went off and everything! Shouldn't that have cut off the technophir?"

Faith shook her head. "Once a technophir imprints on a host, they can feel the pull of their host like a string. Even if the host has been rendered uninhabitable, the pull they feel remains. The only way to destroy the pull is to find the 'core' the technophir has chosen as the anchoring point."

Faith held up a cube, no bigger than a quarter, turning it over and over.

"It took some digging, but I found this technophir's anchor. I have sterilized it, so they can no longer track us that way." Her eyes flicked to Lucianna. "But it is odd…no one has been so bold as to outright attack us in the past."

"Someone knows," Lucianna said, shaking her head.

"What does that mean?" Milo said.

"It means you two need to take your training seriously," Rivra said, crossing her arms. "We'll be sitting ducks if you separate mid-fight."

Faith nodded. "That will be the wisest course of action. First, we should sell the scrap for more resources. According to my readings, we are near our destination. I suggest Tereine and Albany go to sell the scrap."

"Eh?!" Lucianna scowled. "Why them? They can't fight!"

"We need resources," Faith said. "Tereine and Albany are lesser known members of our crew. They will not draw attention like you or Rivra. Besides, we still have the transporters in case of emergency. The planet we are visiting is a merchant-based economy, so I doubt they will struggle to find a buyer."

Lucianna sighed. "Why do you have to be so logical, Faith?"

"It is my strong suit, Captain."

Rivra chuckled and plopped back down in her seat. "Well, I trust Faith's opinion. We'll leave it to Tereine and Albany, then. Which means…you and I can train, Captain."

Lucianna threw her hands up. "Train? Who's that? Never heard of her! Milo and I have a busy day ahead of us, anyway!"

"I suggest Milo also go with Tereine and Albany," Faith said.

Milo drew back, his mouth falling open. "M-me? Won't I just get in their way?"

"It has been a while since we have had an Earthbound human aboard. My calculations could be off, and I need to gather data to better enhance your suit. Otherwise, you could end up dying when we least expect it. You should not be out long, but if you feel ill at all, I can save you with the transporter."

"Oh, okay…that sounds…great?"

Lucianna and Rivra both stepped in front of Milo.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Rivra said. "What if something happens out there? We can't afford to lose Milo."

Lucianna squinted at Rivra. "Didn't you just try to eat him yesterday?"

"That was yesterday. I recognize now there's a hidden potential in him."

Faith shook her head. "You cannot shelter him. If you truly want him to be a member of this crew, then he must perform many functions, inside and outside the Herald. This will prove to be a valuable experience."

Milo raised a hand. "D-don't I get a say in this?"

All three of the women said, "No!"

***

Eventually, Faith convinced Rivra and Lucianna to allow Milo to travel with Tereine and Albany to the merchant city of Coalwatch, a thriving marketplace where nearly everything could be bought and sold.

Lucianna and Rivra both fretted over Milo, making sure he knew exactly what every button on his suit would do. Rivra reminded him to stretch before getting into a fight if it came down to it, otherwise he needed to wait for help. Lucianna practically hung off Milo, not wanting him to leave the ship.

Tereine sighed. "Aye, the whole town will turn to dust if we don't get going."

"It's okay, Captain!" Albany said. "We'll make sure Milo stays safe!"

Albany grabbed Milo's hand and led him toward the transporters. Tereine gave Rivra and Lucianna a little wave before following suit.

Lucianna hung her head. "Ugh, that should've been me, going on a date with Milo!"

Rivra shook her head. "They're going to get supplies, you baby."

Lucianna pouted. "Let's just hurry and do some training.."

Rivra cracked her knuckles. "Now you're talking! Let's work up a sweat!"

"Ew, sweat…"

Meanwhile, Tereine, Albany, and Milo loaded into the transporters. Before they took off, Albany handed Milo a tiny square that reminded him of the wafers at church communion.

"Chew this, and it'll help reduce the nausea from transporting. I heard you got really sick the first time."

He smiled at her, and thanking her, gulped down the square. A pleasantly light and sweet flavor coated his tongue, reminding him of those chocolate wafers he would stock all the time.

(Huh…that all seems so far away now. Even though it's only been a couple days…)

As the glass tubes sealed each of them inside, Faith's voice broke over the intercom system: "Initiating transport. Brace yourselves."

Milo held his head high. Despite the anxiety gnawing at his stomach, and the fear of being away from Lucianna and Rivra sitting in the back of his mind, he looked forward to whatever happened next. He wanted to be alive and experience it all.

The transporters hummed louder and louder, until they flashed, a thunderclap renting the air. There was a ding, and the glass tubes opened.

"Transport successful," Faith said.