STORY: The Ryo lookalike throws himself against the real Ryo and they tussle on the floor for a moment.
STORY: Rolling, one flipping the other over.
RYO: The real Ryo tires to use his ring to knock the thing out!
TUELLER: Tueller tries to separate them, but, you know, I like a good doppelganger dividing set up.
STORY: Ryo, you get a good shot on him, and it really rings his bell, but before you know what’s happening you’re both standing up, both a little hazy from the combat, both ready to convince your friends you’re the real one.
RIGHT RYO: Ryo looks at you, Ryo.
LEFT RYO: Ryo looks back, adjusting his glasses.
RIGHT RYO: “That was bracing.”
MILLICENT: “Hmmm.”
LEFT RYO: The Ryo on the left dusts off his jacket, adjusts his glasses, and looks unhappily at his doppelganger. “Oh, come on.”
MILLICENT: Millie leans over to Tueller and stage whispers. “You know, it occurs to me that we don’t really have to make a choice here. We could just space them both.”
TUELLER: “That works for me.”
MILLICENT: Millie shrugs.
Chapter 74
TUELLER: “I’ve reset our course for Io, by the way.”
TUELLER: “Esi’s there so we might as well go right there.”
RYO: Ryo just looks at him.
STORY: Figgan’s standing behind Tueller, just shaking her head disapprovingly. “I tried to stop him.”
STORY: “He’s so much bigger than me.”
TUELLER: “I am.”
STORY: “This is suicide, though.”
RYO: “He’s bigger than us all put together.”
TUELLER: “No, we’ll be fine.”
RYO: “But I agree that this isn’t a prudent path.”
MILLICENT: “Oh good, you have a plan?”
TUELLER: “No.’
MILLICENT: “I’m very interested to hear your-oh.”
MILLICENT: “I see.”
TUELLER: “We’ll figure something out.”
MILLICENT: “I’d like to address some concerns I have.”
Chapter 73
TUELLER: “Thank you Ryo. Your plan got us here. You got us in a room with her. My name couldn’t have done that without you.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods. “You’ve been far more capable than I’ve given you credit for.”
RYO: “Kind of you to say, Mr.,” he catches himself, “Tueller.” He nods, genuinely appreciatively. “But I don’t think that my part did all that much. I’m . . . so impressed by you.” He then looks at Millie. “Both.”
TUELLER: “Epaphus will also do, if you must call me Mr. Something.”
RYO: “Mr. Epaphus dem lo bin Sol.” He nods again.
TUELLER: “I prefer nicknames, though.”
TUELLER: “No need to go the full mouthful.”
RYO: “It’s actually growing on me.”
MILLICENT: Millie shakes her head. “I don’t know. It’s too long.”
MILLICENT: “Grandiose.”
RYO: “Precisely!”
RYO: Ryo beams.
Chapter 72
TUELLER: “Can someone please buy me a drink?”
RYO: Ryo stands. “Whatcha having?”
TUELLER: “Well whiskey.”
RYO: Ryo goes to the bar, and orders three whiskeys.
STORY: The bartender thinks you’re hot, Ryo, and gives you a free upgrade to the good stuff. He also gives you a wink.
RYO: Ryo winks back. And leaves a big tip. He returns with the drinks. “To a plan.” He raises a glass.
MILLICENT: “A plan, at last!”
TUELLER: Tueller drinks his whiskey. “Ugh, well whiskey is going to be the roughest part of this entire affair.”
MILLICENT: Millie drinks. Looks twice at the glass.
Chapter 66
STORY: Tueller, Alejo falls to the ground, shaking.
STORY: “Mr. Ya’Makasi,” Chandra begins. “If you’ll sit, I believe we have much to discuss.”
TUELLER: Tueller bends down and looks after Alejo.
STORY: “He’ll be fine. System update.”
STORY: Chandra smiles.
ALEJO: “Ffff,” Alejo tries to talk but can’t form the word.
STORY: “He’s gone years without one! Thank whoever brought his software back online, will you? Was it Dr. Breedlove?”
Chapter 64
RYO: “Chandra wants Doctor Breedlove’s help. Needs it, actually. The only way to get that is to give her something that doesn’t matter. I’m giving her an ally. And information that is unimportant.”
RYO: “If you make me make this pitch to Chandra, I will. But that’s not the position you want. You want something over me. You know I’ll win the battle. You want the war.”
SIOBHAN: “That’s your play here? The triple cross?” Siobhan scoffs.
RYO: He shrugs. “Quadruple. But yeah. It’s what I do.”
RYO: “You have your skills. Which I grudgingly respect. I have mine. And you know it.”
SIOBHAN: “You’re freelancing, but you think Tormod will agree with you once you tell him?”
RYO: “You know he will. I have far too much political capital to burn. Will he be pissed? Sure. But if you play this card now, you lose your leverage. You let this play out, it gets me in deeper . . . you might have enough to move me out of second position.”
SIOBHAN: “I’m not political, and I’m not going to go any higher than CTO, so I’m mostly just curious to see how he’ll respond when he sees this. Thanks for talking into the camera.” Siobhan taps the side of her UberGoogle Glass. She turns, and her computer interface spike comes out as she walks to a terminal.
SIOBHAN: “I hope we both see how this goes.”
Chapter 63
TUELLER: Tueller turns, “My associate just wonders, as friends, if we can ask what the Trirubidium was for?”
TUELLER: “As former inhabitants of Sol, we have a certain curiosity.”
STORY: “You may not.”
STORY: “Thank you for asking.”
JENNY: Jenny nods. “Thank you.”
TUELLER: “May I ask what, if anything, you may share with us if we are able to find the Trirubidium that Proog was unable to provide to you?”
STORY: “My gratitude.”
TUELLER: Tueller nods, “Thank you for your time, your grace. We must leave now; the authorities gave us only 10 minutes to discuss with you. Is there an easier way to reach you than talking our way through the police cordon outside, for our further conversations?”
STORY: The Antaam looks you up and down. “Why would you desire an easier way?”
JENNY: Jenny nods. Under her breath, understanding Thasht a little better, “Ohhhhh.”
TUELLER: Tueller nods, “Indeed, your Grace. Until the next time.”
Chapter 62
ALEJO: Alejo is there, sitting, with a bottle and two glasses. As Tueller walks in, he pours a glass for him and slides it across the table without looking up. Then he pours his own.
ALEJO: “Time for a talk.” He raises the glass.
TUELLER: “I didn’t see what happened, but it looks to me like things got bad and you went off and made them worse. That about right?”
ALEJO: “No,” he takes a modest sip and then a deep breath, collecting himself. “No, what happened is that everyone except Thasht did exactly what I said not to do. Tux wanted to play hero, though he should have never been on a field op. Kahn followed me even though I told him to go back to the ship. You and Millie didn’t leave with the most important item in the fucking galaxy when I told you to.”
ALEJO: “And now Chandra has Millie, Noma, and the deck.”
ALEJO: “Oh, and probably Kahn.” He drinks again.
Chapter 61
ALEJO: Alejo nods at Kahn and starts towards the gift shop. “You cover me at a distance when we get there. Run and get back to the ship if anything goes south.”
ALEJO: Alejo moves very fast but expects Kahn will keep pace.
STORY: Kahn takes one step with you but puts a hand on your arm, trying to stop you. “Captain.”
ALEJO: He pauses but doesn’t look at him. “Yeah.”
STORY: “Let’s go. You don’t need to do this.”
ALEJO: He spins and looks at him. His jaw is clenched tightly. He’s about to say something, then he stops. “You’re right.” He says this softly. “Lead the way. The ship.” He gives Kahn a quick smile.
STORY: Kahn relaxes, then heads off for the ship after Thasht.
ALEJO: As soon as Kahn has taken a few steps, Alejo slips away at top speed the other direction, towards the gift shop.
TUELLER: “I’m on my way. Where’s Alejo?”
TUELLER: Tueller skitter-walks the Gregor out of the Peregrine and aims for the thinnest walls between him and Millie.
STORY: There are three, Tueller!
TUELLER: “Listen for the sound of property destruction. It’s probably going to be me.”
STORY: You Kool-Aid Man through two of them. Millie, there are some faint destruction noises coming from your right.
MILLICENT: “He won’t tell me. What’s going on with him? He’s. Cold.”
TUELLER: “Tux. He takes death badly. Does stupid shit in response.”
MILLICENT: Millie taps Thasht and indicates that they should not be in the path of the tank.
STORY: Thasht gets the message and steps back as the third wall is blasted out and the Gregor greets you. It’s a little tight in these hallways, but obviously Tueller is making it work.
TUELLER: “Don’t know if it’s rage or if he goes suicidal but he makes bad choices even by his standards.”
TUELLER: “Oh, hi guys.”
MILLICENT: “Hi.” Millie waves, kind of dejectedly.
MILLICENT: “Let’s go save the day, I guess.”
Chapter 60
ALEJO: “Doc, how’s the deck going?”
MILLICENT: “We just got out of the research rooms. On our way to the prize.”
ALEJO: Alejo waves to Jenny. “Let’s see if we can catch up to the idiot. I’ll take point. You got our backs.”
ALEJO: To Millie: “I think Tux is headed your way. Try not to shoot him. Punching his dumb ass is okay though.”
MILLICENT: To Tueller, “Let’s keep our eyes peeled for Tux. He might have slipped away to try and get the deck.”
STORY: The four of you haul ass towards the Earth exhibit, a long hallway with various small rooms on each side focusing on major Earth scientists and historical figures. You come in from opposite ends, seeing each other as you all run for the door you all know holds Minaaki’s room, close to the middle of the long hallway.
STORY: A figure emerges from the room, looking exhausted but smiling, and holding a small tablet-sized black case. Tux looks up, noticing the four of you running for him, and grins at Millie. “Got it.”