AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tinsley’s candor was refreshing—another sign this being was right for him.
“We’re up for launch,” she said and maneuvered the controls as Dante took the copilot seat. They coordinated a smooth, seamless liftoff, working well as a team.
Once they were out of Lorr’s orbit, they set it on autopilot and double-checked that they were on the correct course. Then they went to the galley for a meal.
“What sorts of food do you like, Dante? You can ask Jeeves for anything, and he’ll make it.”
“Jeeves?” Dante said.
“Oh, the AI. You know, it’s Iris, by default. But I renamed it Jeeves and programmed a male voice.” She grinned. “On Earth, rich humans have assistants called butlers who attend to their every need. In literature, the most famous butler in history was named Jeeves. It’s a snooty name, and I thought the joke was funny.”
He laughed, and she looked up to the ceiling, as if talking to the ship, even though microphones were arrayed all throughout.
“Say hi, Jeeves.” She spoke to the AI.
“Hello, Mr. Lorrz.”
The voice had an accent Dante had heard only a few times, hailing from a once-great Terran island kingdom.
“It’s an English accent. British. You don’t hear that dialect much nowadays,” she whispered. “My accent is Indian, but it’s inflected with some British. They used to run my country once.”
“How did the ship know who I am?” Dante asked, perturbed.
“I should reprogram it to have less sensitive audio detection,” Tinsley said. “I programmed it to be a little bit of a kiss-ass, though, so I’m sure it’ll like you just fine.”
“It is my delight to kiss your ass as much as you like, Master Tinsley and Prince Lorrz,” Jeeves replied.
“Oh, Jeeves, you’re a true friend. What do you recommend for dinner?”
“Some pasta with pesto I believe might be pleasing to you.”
Tinsley looked at Dante, who nodded. Once the dishes materialized, he instantly recognized the cloque—a bland food staple that could be dressed up in other flavors. The sauce was unfamiliar to him, but when he tasted it, he found it delicious.
“I worked up some human recipes with various local ingredients,” Tinsley said.
“This is wonderful,” Dante said.
“More, sir?” Jeeves piped up.
“Yes, please.”
“And drinks, madam?”
“Oh, I forgot to ask you, Dante,” Tinsley said. She patted Dante’s hand again, and he felt an even stronger jolt of electricity shoot through him. “What do you want to drink?”
“Why don’t we leave it up to Jeeves,” he said. “He seems to know what he is doing.”
“Two beverages please, Jeeves, of your choosing.”
He took his second plate out of the alcove when the door slid open. Tinsley retrieved two large stemmed glasses and set one before him. It was a silvery drink from one of Noxxa’s moons with restorative, relaxing properties.
“We should toast. Shouldn’t we?” She raised her glass.
“What are we toasting to?”
“To a successful mission?”
“On Lorr, we have a superstition. It might be silly, but we don’t toast to a successful mission until after it’s succeeded.” He felt like a buzzkill, and he worried that she might get offended at his rejection of her toast.
