The doors slid open on their tracks then quickly slammed shut, nearly snatching the Uncle P's cigar out of Liam's mouth. He scowled, adjusted the cigar between his lips, and forced his fingers between the doors. Pulling against the magnetic safeties, he leaned into it until the emergency sensor chimed and the doors were opened by the safety subroutine. Inside was the communications center of Eagle-X's micro-station.

"Damnit, Nash, I told you to have that door repaired!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Marcus. I'll get someone from maintenance right on it."

"I feel like we're stuck in a dance that just won't end."

Richard Nash rushed over, splitting his attention between his datapad and his boss. He was a short man with short cut blonde hair and a thin mustache. He was responsible for keeping the micro-stations comms online.

"I know, Mr. Marcus. We're trying, but we're always low on supplies and the door is low on maintenance's to-do list."

"Ummm, Mr. Marcus," a young man nervously approached, "you can't smoke in here."

Liam removed the cigar and waved it around for everyone to see.

"I'm not going to smoke it," he grumbled. "I just like the flavor."

Nash pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Back to work, Smith!"

"Sorry, sir!"

The young man rushed back to his station. His colleagues all shaking their heads.

"What brings you here, Mr. Marcus. Aren't you and the team scheduled for departure in an hour?"

"Yes," Liam returned the Uncle P back to its rightful place between his lips. "We're loaded up and doing final checks. We only have one problem."

"What's that, sir?"

"No one has seen my partner."

"Has anyone tried his quarters, sir?"

"I've sent a few people. No answer." Liam removed the cigar and put it in the holder he kept clipped to his belt.

"Maybe he's not there?"

"Maybe." A smile spread across Liam's face.

"Sir, please..."

"We're going to page him."

"But the last time someone disturbed Mr. Scott, he put them through a construction barrier."

"Sure did."

"Sir?"

"We're on the clock, Nash." Liam looked around the comms. "Which display are we going to use?"

Nash mopped the sweat from his brow.

"I guess we'll use my station, sir..."

"Good man."

Liam waited as Nash nervously typed in the commands to activate the paging system in Scott's room. Liam envisioned the big felarnian sprawled out across his bed, snoring away the day while the rest of the team waited for take-off. It was no secret Scott balked at all forms of authority, most people just accepted it. Even Liam was often guilty, but this was a complete disregard for everyone else's time and the mission in general. Liam couldn't just turn a blind eye.

"Are you sure, Mr. Marcus?"

"Do it."

Nash pressed the button to execute his commands.

The display came to life revealing a dimly lit room. On one wall was an arsenal of swords and other bladed weapons. Beside them were two suits of antique felarnian armor, symbols of an era before space travel when the cat people of felarnia fought in endless wars for territory and honor. On the other side of the room was what could only be described as a massive bean bag covered in blankets and small pillows. It looked a lot like a felarnian home mound, their traditional bed. Clothes were strewn everywhere.

"See. No one is there," Nash said with a strained smile.

On cue the room was rocked by a deep and raucous snore. Liam smirked.

"Which button activates the page?"

Nash pointed with a shaking finger.

"May I?" Liam asked.

Not waiting for an answer, he pressed the button. A loud chime filled the room, echoing off of the walls like the ringing of a bell. The mountain of blankets stirred. Then, to the surprise of both men, a rail thin, pale one-armed woman emerged. She wiped her eyes and tossed a pillow at the camera.

"Big guy," she said with a yawn and stretch. The blanket fell exposing her nakedness.

Nash blushed and looked away. Liam was too shocked and intrigued to avert his eyes, like a planetside transport accident, he was compelled to watch.

The blankets stirred again and a large midnight blue felarnian with ginger stripes sat up, spilling pillows to the floor. He angrily flung the blanket across the room and stood up. He too had no clothes on. He yawned, his big tongue hanging out of a mouth so much like an Earth Tiger's that one couldn't tell the difference. His huge biceps bulged and his pectoral muscles rippled.

"Damn!" one of the young techs exclaimed as she watched from her station.

Scott looked up at the camera and display, only then registering he was being watched. He roared, the speaker relay filling the comms room with the base timber of his anger. The young tech yelped.

"Rise and shine, kitty!" Liam taunted. "You overslept. Wheels up in forty-five."

"Roger," Scott snarled. Then he punched the display and comms lost video signal.

"Scott!" Ivory, the one-armed BACK pilot, said over the audio.

"I'm going to throw Nash out an airlock," he snarled.

"You wouldn't," the woman chuckled.

Scott growled.

"Okay, you would." Ivory lowered her voice. "Nash, hide until they leave."

The audio cut out.

Nash shook like a leaf, sweat staining most of his shirt and slacks. Liam cringed at the sight, aware he might have done some real harm.

"Run."

Liam waited beside the Strike Shuttle in landing bay 1. The team was loaded up and ready to go except for Scott. Liam consulted his datapad as the grumpy felarnian entered through one of the staging room doors. Behind him were Ivory and Taylor-06. Their eyes met and he couldn't help but smile. Taylor-06 was a series 3 construct, lifelike in every way. All it took was a glimpse of her lovely eyes and Liam 's day was a little bit brighter. She blushed and waved as they approached, he waved back. Scott tossed his duffel bag at Liam's chest, nearly knocking him over.

"I deserved that," Liam grunted.

Scott snarled and stomped up the ramp, disappearing inside the shuttle.

"He'll be okay," Ivory assured.

Liam dropped the bag on the ground.

"Hadn't realized you'd become our resident expert on Scott Felinus."

"Please, if you and this beauty weren't so busy pretending not to be in love, there'd be some other experts onboard."

It was Liam's turn to blush.

"Ivory, stop," Taylor-06 pleaded.

"You two need to stop. People have money on how long it's going to take you two to make it official."

Taylor-06 blushed even harder, her peach colored cheeks reddening. Liam marveled at the advanced technology which made a construct, the pinnacle of artificial intelligence, able to pass for a living breathing human woman. He stared at her adorably embarrassed expression and became overwhelmed with the desire to take her in his arms and kiss her forehead.

"Do you see what I mean?" Ivory pointed at them with the fingers of her artificial arm. The tips flashed. "I'm posting this on my station network blog."

"Ivory, don't," Taylor-06 begged as she grabbed the offending fingers.

Liam cleared his throat and tried to regain a modicum of composure.

"Guys, we're about to take off." He looked to the Strike Shuttle then swept his eyes across the landing bay. "We might be gone for a while."

"I read the briefing, boss." Ivory adjusted a few settings on her arm. A habit when she was agitated. "I'm still not sure why you're grounding me on this one. Thought I already proved myself."

"That's exactly why. Scott and I are leaving, Patricia has been gone for a little over a year. I need people here I can trust to keep an eye on things."

"People?" Taylor-06 ventured.

Liam smiled. "Yes. People." He knew she loved to be considered part of the team and not just another machine. Being called a person made her eyes sparkle.

Ivory put her hand on Taylor-06's shoulder.

"Look," Liam started, "this place wouldn't run without The Council. They're as much Eagle X as me and the cats, but they rarely see eye to eye. T's already sitting in Patricia's place. Ivory, I've arranged for you to sit in my stead."

"They aren't going to listen to us," Ivory scratched her scalp. "They'll probably down right resent our input."

"Undeen will definitely resent your input, but Ticker will listen to you and the others will listen to him. I'd love to have you guys on this one with us, you're two of my three favorite ladies." He winked. "But I need you both here making sure we have a home to come back to."

Liam hefted Scott's bag over his shoulders, shifting his feet to support the weight.

"What the heck does he have in here?" he grumbled under his breath. "If we're being honest, I think you guys have the hard job. It's much easier to end an argument with a kinetic rifle than with pacifying words."

Ivory flexed her cybernetic hand and a blade emerged from the elbow.

"If Undeed gets out of line I could..."

"Ivory," Liam chuckled, "don't puncture anything vital."

"I'll try," she said with what Liam hoped was mock disappointment.

"Mr. Marcus!"

The trio turned around at the sound of Jason Headly rushing over. He skidded to a halt, fumbling and nearly dropping his datapad. He tucked the device under his arm and straightened his maintenance coveralls. Liam smiled with approval.

"Looking good, Runt."

"Thanks! They say I'm getting the hang of things very quickly."

"I know. I've been keeping an eye on you."

The boy beamed. Jason had been orphaned during a Pale Garden raid and Liam took him in. There was no shortage of concerned adults to look after the boy, but he looked to Liam Marcus for paternal approval.

"What's going on, kid? Come to see me off?"

"No," the boy said, looking down at his feet.

"Eyes up here, Jason." Liam raised Jason's chin. "You have something to say, you say it. Don't be afraid to speak your mind."

The boy squared his shoulders, stood a little tall and screwed his eyes shut.

"I tried to volunteer for the R.Nano2 experiments and they told me I can't because I'm just a kid and I would need my parent's permission, but I don't have any parents because the Garden killed mine so I have no one to ask except you because you're the man in charge and if you say I can then I can and I really want to!"

Taylor-06 and Ivory watched Jason with wide eyes, taken aback by his tirade.

"Whoa, whoa, Runt. Breathe." Liam lowered himself down until he was eye level with the boy. "Who told you about the R.Nano2 Trials?"

"A chance to be as powerful as you and Mr. Scott, an opportunity to take the fight to the Pale Garden. Everyone is talking about it."

Liam shook his head. The doctors running the trials promised him they could keep the experiments out of the micro-station's gossip. As he feared, they were clearly unsuccessful.

"Okay. Next question. Why would you want to participate? R.Nano kills people. It's like a metal bug that eats you alive from the inside out. You don't want to die, do you?"

"It didn't kill you or Scott. It didn't kill Patricia."

"We were the exceptions."

"Maybe I will be an exception."

"Maybe. Or maybe the nano will kill you." Liam took the boy's fist in his much larger hands. "I, for one, am looking forward to seeing you become a man. I want you beside me as we set the Garden to the torch, but that can't happen if you're dead."

"But-"

"No, Jason. Not now. Not today." Liam stood. "One day, when you're old enough to understand what you're asking."

Runt snatched his hand out of Liam's grasp.

"I do understand." Tears streamed down his face as he raced off.

Liam made to follow and Ivory put her hand on his chest.

"You have to get going, boss. Taylor-06 and I will talk to him."

Liam stammered, at a loss for words.

"You're doing what you think is right for his well being," Taylor-06 said, squeezing his shoulder. "When he has a chance to calm down, he will understand that."

Liam sighed and nodded. He shook Ivory's hand.

"Look after this place while I'm gone."

"Yes, sir," Ivory said with a salute.

Liam cracked a smile. Neither of them had served in the EC military in years, but the habits they drill into you last forever.

"Look after each other too."

"You do the same, Liam."

Taylor-06 closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. Liam leaned into it, letting her warmth and the feel of her body settle into him. There was chemistry between them, but the two had agreed neither was ready for a relationship. They were close and for his part, Liam harbored strong feelings for her, but there was something standing in the way. Holding her close, arms wrapped around her waist, he couldn't remember what it was.

"Be safe," she said and kissed his cheek.

"You too."

The tips of ivory's fingers flashed again.

"This one's going on my blog too!"