Page 23 of Guiding Reason

Their suite felt suddenly cramped even though it was empty, apart from Yamara, the petite Conduit with the black hair with strands dyed blue and yellow. He sat on the sunken couch, having watched the screen, but when they came in, he shifted to watching them instead.

Right. He’s on the team now. Temporarily? I’ll have to figure that out once we get back home.

“Conduit Yamara,” Col said as a greeting.

Yamara stood. “Your office AI finalized the requisition papers, and your mission lead signed them.” He sounded almost defensive.

Col blinked, not sure how to respond.

Vin strode past Col and Hyran. “Col just wanted to say hello. How have you been?”

Yamara shrugged. “I can channel you if you want to. News streams are calling all of you heroes, but especially Orrey and the Guardian. My former team are violent Guardian insurrectionists who murdered people.”

“Doesn’t mean you are,” Vin said.

Yamara didn’t say anything, and Col decided to leave it at that. Vin was clearly going to manage this particular loose end for the time being.

“You have him here and then Hospitality Guide Lapatea, is that right?” Hyran asked, looking around as if he were watching for a possible attack.

Taros snorted, looking at the pile of packages that were once more piling on the side table on the left. “Plus you, Guardian Hyran.”

“I need coffee,” Col said. “Butler bot?”

“And breakfast too,” Hyran said. “And then maybe you could lie down for a bit. If you want information collected about which AI is running what and what isn’t being run, I can do that. I’m decent at compiling data.”

“That is so kind of you, Guardian Hyran,” Taros said with a fake smile. He sharpened the tiny blades all around his mouth.

Col took a step toward the dining table and pulled out a chair, or tried to. Hyran was faster, his speed blurring his arm and upper body and once more making Col jump. Taros cackled.

Hyran rested his palm on Col’s back. “Sorry. I’m sorry, Col. Please sit.”

Col sighed. “It’s fine. I swear I’ll get used to it. Bot! Where’s that coffee! And I want pancakes, sweet ones.” He dropped into the chair, turned it slightly so he could see Vin and Yamara too.

Vin had taken a seat on one side of the couch while Yamara remained on the other, his back resting against a pillow in such a way that he had both Vin and the screen in his line of sight.

I’m seriously leaving that one to Vin.

“What is all of that?” Hyran asked, indicating the packages on the other table.

The butler bot hovered toward them, a tray laden with a large pot of coffee and mugs. “Those were sent over in acknowledgement of your deeds here, Guardian Hyran. The building AI has changed delivery policy since yesterday and now requires a security bot to check everything before it’s brought up. All of these were checked. Will you be staying with us as well?”

“Yes,” Hyran said and sat down next to Col. Once he’d taken a chair, Taros followed suit.

Col nodded. “Can you maybe ask your mother to bring you some of your things, clothes and such? The seventh rank. I’m sorry, I don’t remember her name right now.”

Hyran huffed out his amusement. “Protector Niyada Mana. And she’s probably busy. I don’t think she’d carry my clothes after me even if she weren’t. That reminds me, where is that first rank my other mom sent along?”

Taros leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and chuckled.

Back on the couch, Vin hummed. “I think I sent her to collect all our things from the hospital before we left to get Col’s scan done.”

Col groaned. “You’re saying there is a protector, eagerly hunting down my torn dress and the shoes I puked on, and if she finds those, she has to hunt us down?”

Vin shrugged. “I figured it was crowded here. Don’t need a protector on top of everyone else.”

The butler bot’s eyes blinked, and Col turned to it. “What?”

“Protector first rank Motono contacted the building AI to see if you were here approximately seven minutes ago.”