Page 34 of Time Traveling Space Bastards

I didn’t mind the extra help, but cyborgs were tricky. Their flesh was just as realistic as anyone else’s but it was lab grown and they didn’t have the ability to sweat. I couldn’t scent them like I could anyone else. They were just as capable of deception, especially if they’d been put up to it.

The only reason I let him anywhere near my Zovea was because I’d spent so much time around Enix. The Devouring Mother was a prophet to most of our planet, but she was a god to the cyborgs. A lot of it didn’t make sense that Ghol would have gone along with if he thought this whole thing was to kill Baxter.

The Enix were expensive and generally passed down through families. Some people did abuse theirs, but a lot of people didn’t because it was easy to forget they were cyborgs because they were so lifelike. Our Enix wasn’t the first to decide they didn’t like something and refuse to do it. He wouldn’t be the last, either, even if Baxter didn’t get involved.

Ghol would have found himself in that situation if Valtens hadn’t powered him off in a fit of rage. Right now, we had an awful royal running around unchecked near Baxter with a lot of money unless he spent it all. It set me on edge.

I was only able to relax right now because she was safe at home, and I adored watching her eat. Watching Enix enjoy food also contented me. Maybe I was getting the slightest bit of satisfaction watching Baxter torment Ghol with a taco because he’d really been an ass to Enix before we left.

He explained why, but I didn’t accept that. He’d been programmed to be a warrior like me. It was weak and beneath a fighter to bully someone to appear stronger. Your morals and your fists should speak for themselves. Valtens was going to treat him like shit whether he bullied Enix or not and Ghol always would have been able to kill Valtens with one punch.

“I’m trying to track Valtens down. I can’t worry about food!”

“Ah, but we can eat and scan data at the same time. Totally separate processes.”

Enix was enjoying this. He was built like a warrior and would have made an amazing fighter. He was fine learning how to defend himself if he needed it, but he was a lover, not a fighter. Or at least, he’d enjoy being a lover now that he’d met Baxter.

He wasn’t a doormat, though, so he was going to enjoy a little revenge.

Ghol eyed the taco like it was going to jump up and murder him. Earth tacos were quite different from ours. The only reason we knew what they were was because that was the closest English word to our well-loved food. The spices, the meat, the filling, and the shell were all not the same, but it was still good.

Ghol was probably uncomfortable as fuck as we all stared at him wanting him to shove that taco in his mouth, but honestly, he’d been a dick, and he had it coming.

But, before Ghol could pick it up and try it, Enix yelled and his eyes started rapidly scanning. It wasn’t painful because Kuka and I asked him. That was his excited yell that we rarely heard. He’d found something. He’d tell us when he was done.

“I know we haven’t known each other long, but that sounded like a good noise,” Baxter said.

“It is. Come here and let me feed you while we wait.”

Was that strange to humans? I knew she was independent, and I didn’t want to take that from her, but I also needed to care for her and make sure she wanted for nothing.

“I think I masturbated to a really hot dude feeding me tacos once,” she said, plopping in my lap.

If that pleased her sexually, I’d hand feed her tacos for the rest of her life once I got her home. Enix was pleasantly humming and shoving chips and salsa in his face while he scanned the data. Salsa wasn’t something we had back home, but it was quite good. I was also very fond of guacamole.

I hoped Ghol got a good look at this and learned from it because he was capable of doing the same thing. I was still going to give him shit until we all felt better about how he treated Enix or Enix asked us to stop, but I didn’t want him to suffer forever.

“I found a lot” Enix said. “The corruption went deep, but I think we can find an answer with it.”

Kuka was in the zone. He loved a good info dump. He’d pick it apart until he formulated a theory. Omi liked them, too, but they were both much smarter than I was.

“Here, try this,” Baxter said, pressing something to my lips.

I preened that she was feeding me back. I didn’t even know what it was and if it was terrible, I had every intention of lying to her about it. There was an explosion of sweetness and some kind of spice. I wanted more, so I sucked the crumbs off her fingers. Her pupils dilated and I could scent she was aroused.

Later.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Magic. It’s called a churro. This is big, so I need sugar. Tell us what you found, Enix.”

I wasn’t as smart as Kuka or Omi, but I was going to find a way to save her life.