gotten along, but a demotion? She couldn’t get off this
fucking ship fast enough.
“Adios,” she said to the Commander’s door, giving an
exaggerated salute. She turned on her heel and stalked off.
Up looked up and smiled as the door opened and Ty
Tripp ran in, waving a colourful picture above his head, his
mother and sister behind him. “Hey there, little Ranger!” he
said, picking up the little boy and setting him on his lap.
“What’s that you’ve got there?”
“I made it for you, Up!” Ty exclaimed. “See? There’s
you, and there’s your new starship, and there’s all the dead
goddamn robots you’re going to kill!”
“Ty!” said Rosie, bending to give Up a friendly kiss.
Little Ree reached out for him, and he settled her on his
other knee. “Where are you learning language like that?”
Up had the grace to look sheepish.
“So how are you feeling about your new assignment?”
Rosie said, settling herself in a chair and pulling off her
shoes, wincing as she rubbed her feet.
Up frowned. “Well, I won’t be killing any robots,” he
said, tickling Ty. “It’s a peaceful mission. We’ve got to find
someplace for all us humans to live now that -” Now that
we’ve effectively destroyed our own planet with all these
blasted wars.
Rosie watched him thoughtfully. “But how are you really
feeling, Up?”
“Well, I can tell you I can’t wait to get out of here,” he
said. “Two years cooped up in a hospital would drive
anyone to madness.”
“Good, and I’ll try not to take offence to that,” said
Rosie, smiling. “I know you’ll be fine. Dr. Renley tells me
you’ve been doing really well in your therapy sessions.”
A therapy session was one thing, though. Being back out