Space Relics (Galactic Archaeology Book 1) Read Free Page A

Lord Baylor from running away. It’ll be easier for him to kill everyone on the planet instead of paying you.”
    Rick gave the brute a tense expression. “I won’t stop her if you don’t want to, but I warn you: she’s a stubborn woman. I’d duck if I were you; things end up breaking when she’s angry.”
    “Shut up,” the brute said. A man of few words, like most of the genetically engineered marble-brains that rich men hired to clean up after them. It wasn’t that they didn’t like to talk; it was some sort of mental impairment that geneticists had created in their brains to make them incapable of thinking too much by themselves. They followed orders, got paid, and didn’t ask questions. They were more impulsive and violent than mentally advanced men, and they wouldn’t use information against their masters. A good silence guarantee.
    Rick shrugged.
    Amy’s shuttle took off and started chasing after Lord Baylor’s. Her weapons were as hopeless as his, but she was angrier and she had a computer’s reflexes.
    The workers looked up and shouted in admiration, pointing at her. Amy shot at one of the Argonaut’s engines to disable it, but she forgave Lord Baylor’s transport shuttle. She dove down and shot straight at the brute.
    An impeccable shot, as always. She hit him straight in the heart, and he fell to his knees.
    With one last effort, he aimed his guns at both of his targets.
    Rick jumped aside and dodged the beam.
    The brute fell forward and hit the ground with his head. Rick ran to take his weapons in case any of the other workers were still loyal to Lord Baylor.
    Rick waved at the intercom in his ear. “Not bad, but I’d rather not dodge any bullets.”
    “If I didn’t know you, I’d say that you’re jealous that I’ve had to save you again.”
    Jealous? Not really. He was just annoyed that he always ended up having to risk his neck because his ship’s computer had far more personality than she was supposed to.
    Lord Baylor boarded the Argonaut. She accelerated and left the planet’s orbit. Her broken engines slowed her down, but she was still capable of escaping. Lord Baylor wasn’t going to let them catch him that easily, and he still owed Rick a fortune.
    “What now?” Rick asked. They couldn’t chase after him aboard one of the shuttles; they’d only manage to reach a couple of nearby bases.
    “Richard…” Amy’s voice was tense and regretful.
    What? A bad feeling ran down Rick’s spine. He looked around, but none of the workers had decided to attack him.
    On the floor, a few feet away, Lucas was on his knees, holding his stomach with both hands. Blood gurgled out of a large wound in his stomach. He looked up with an apologetic expression.
    Why did people want to say sorry after they were shot? Damn it; they weren’t supposed to feel bad for being hit!
    Rick walked over to him. Lucas stank of iron, and his eyes were looking straight at death. He was scared to die. His chances were slim.
    “Richard, I—” Amy began.
    “Shut up and bring that shuttle down here,” Rick said. “He needs medical aid right now.”
    “I don’t have my tools or my systems.” The transport shuttle didn’t approach them. She was paralyzed, incapable of deciding. Not a good time for a computer to learn about regret.
    “Well sew him up with a robotic arm,” Rick said. “Just do something, but do it right now.”
    Damn, damn, damn!
    Out of all the possible outcomes, Amy’s improvisation had ended up hurting someone. Rick wouldn’t have minded being hurt, but he was used to it. Lucas had never left his library; he was too soft to survive a wound like that without surgery.
    And they didn’t even have any anesthetics. It was going to be a long day.

Chapter 3
    Amy used the shuttle’s robotic arm to sew Lucas up while her hologram stared at the scene and tapped her foot on the floor. Even though she was a robot and she wasn’t supposed to have any feelings, she was concerned for Lucas. The