Condition Evolution 2: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure by Sinclair, Kevin (black female authors txt) 📗

There must have been some sort of alarm to notify the re-blob-tionist as moments after we entered a fat slime-alien slowly appeared behind the opening. It was the most inhuman-like creature I’d seen so far, and it stunk of farts strong enough to compete with the other smells in the place. “Business?” it asked in a very strange screeching voice. I had no idea where that voice came from. I sure couldn’t see a mouth anywhere.

“I’ve a job to transport a prisoner from the dock jobs board,” I stated.

“Yes. I know the one. It was only put up an hour ago. Wait here. I will have them brought out.”

“Well, this is easy so far,” I said to Ember.

“You’ve probably jinxed us now,” she grumped.

“With the lives we’ve led, I doubt jinxing is an option. We’re lost in a distant part of the galaxy with a race of supremely powerful aliens hunting us down, while simultaneously destroying our home planet.”

“Yin and yang, Shaun. We used to be broken lumps of human misery and now we’ve superhuman powers, a spaceship, and a job. And the Fystr aren’t hunting us; they’re hunting Ogun and the crew. We could do well out here. I don’t know about you... well, actually I do, but life was a sack of shit for me on Earth. If I was by myself I’d probably want to go back, but I’ve got you, you big handsome killing machine. Who’d kill a whole planet and die just as happily, just to protect me? There’s nothing left there for me.”

“Yep. That’s me,” I said smugly. “There’s definitely been positives, still, ‘broken lumps of human misery’ is laying it on a bit thick. Don’t you think? And, I do still feel bad just leaving Earth to be reduced to rubble.”

“I feel the same. Only, rather than try to do the impossible, let’s just spend a little time strengthening our own position before making any rash moves.”

I was about to agree but the prisoner was brought out, so I just gave her a wink.

I was expecting a brutish, scared, and scary-looking alien. However, the one we got was a small slender human-looking man or woman, though I really couldn’t tell which. When I say human-looking, it was important to mention they were a kind of indigo color with a few mildly unusual ridges on their face. They also had a mask covering their mouth, so to be honest, they could’ve had a bear snout for all I knew.

“Here is the prisoner,” the slimy blob said.

“What’s with the mask?” I asked.

“They can control you with their voice. It’s important not to take it off. I will be sending a communication that you’re on the way to the client. Can I have your ship’s tracking details, so the client can monitor your progress?”

“Uh, sure. Except, we’ll need to go check first. I don’t have them on me.”

“You can go. The girl and the prisoner will stay here until you get back,” the blob said.

Ember shrugged acceptance.

I laughed in response, “No fucking chance. Keep the prisoner until we get back.”

The blob didn’t seem to like the answer. “Doesn’t matter. Just give me your docking bay number and I can get it from that.”

“Suspicious, but okay. It’s Docking Bay thirty-one,” I answered.

I saw Ember about to correct me. I stopped her with a look.

“Come on then, criminal.”

I took hold of a rod from the guard that was attached to the prisoner's handcuffs. It wasn’t until I had hold of it that I realized it wasn’t even attached, at least not physically. It clearly had some kind of link to the prisoner’s cuffs, leaving them no choice but to follow us. We led them back to the ship and felt glad to get out of that stinkin’ hellhole. I felt like I’d been using a soiled baby’s diaper as a facemask.

“What was all that about, Shaun?” Ember asked me.

“Why did they want you to stay? They could’ve asked either of us to go to get our tracking number, yet they specifically wanted you to stay. They didn’t even need that information. They were trying something on. I don’t know what, but I wasn’t leaving you to find out.”

“I’m sure it was just because of the way you were talking; it was a little odd. You seemed extra paranoid.”

“I dunno. Maybe it’s just some kind of slime-blob aversion that I suffer from.”

When we arrived back at the ship the supervisor came over and stopped us to say, “Your cage has been delivered to your pilot.” He said the word ‘pilot’ with distaste, and looked meaningfully at us.

“Is there a problem?” Ember asked.

“Your pilot. He’s a Torax.”

“Okay? Is that supposed to mean something to us?” I replied.

“They’re the scum of the universe. They cannot be trusted. No one would hire a Torax. Why have you?”

“He seems okay to us,” I said, starting to get a little angry now.

“Well, I don’t want a Torax in one of my docking bays. Either get rid of him, or get out of here.”

Ember and I looked at each other in surprise. I was thinking we’d made a mistake and needed to get rid of Calegg. It seemed Ember had a totally different reaction. “Well, fuck you. And you can shove your docking bay up your skinny, green ass. Calegg is a good guy and a member of our crew.” She marched away towards the ship and I followed quickly after her.

Once on the ship we deposited the prisoner into the cage and locked it, then we went to see a certain Torax pilot named Calegg.

“You’re still here?” Ember asked.

“Don’t know why, but yeah,” he laughed.

“Have you ordered the parts?” Ember asked.

“No. I haven’t.”

“That’s strange. Any reason why not? You seemed to think we were barely flightworthy.”

“I’ve had a good look at all your systems. There’s lots of work to do, but if we’re going to be working together, then every penny counts. I know somewhere