No Technology Is Invincible (The Death Prophecies-Book Four 4) by Saxon Andrew Read Free Book Online Page B

he should focus on; never worry about things you can’t control. He worried about his ability to be an effective leader and he didn’t have enough information to know what was required. He needed to worry about getting through the black hole as quickly as possible to gather intelligence about the Builder Civilization. He nodded to himself and activated the thrusters. He felt better. Now he had a direction and he was always good with accomplishing his goals.
    • • •
    Gabe walked back into the hangar and headed toward the Eyes. He approached the entry port and an engineer looked up and said, “Your Weapon’s Officer is on board.”
    Gabe stopped and looked at him, “I don’t have a weapon’s officer.”
    “Well, your Science Officer is on board then.”
    Gabe’s eyes went to the port and he rolled them. This was just great! He was in no mood to be in the same space with Captain Bartoli. He lowered his head, sighed, and fought the urge to walk out of the hangar. The engineer watched him and said, “I think I’d want to leave as well, Sir.” Gabe looked at him with raised eyebrows and the engineer shrugged, “She has a way of ticking people off with the way she asks questions.”
    “Then why are you still here instead of going somewhere else?”
    “I have to finish this circuit before I can leave. Trust me, I’d be gone but for this.”
    Gabe stared at him and realized that he had a job to do as well and avoiding this woman was not going to get it done. He turned and entered the port. He walked on the bridge and found Captain Bartoli already saluting and standing at attention. “At ease, Captain. As you were.”
    Gabby sat down and turned to her panel as she said, “That Engineer doesn’t like me, does he?” Gabe looked at her and she looked up from her panel, “I’m working with the scanner system and I heard what he said.”
    Gabe kept his face neutral as he said, “You’re not asking the real question you have in your mind.”
    “You mean about whether or not you dislike me as well?”
    “Yes, that one.”
    “Well, do you?”
    Gabe went to his chair and sat down. He turned it to face her and said, “Does anyone you know like you, Captain?” The question caused Gabby’s head to go back and her eyebrows came together. She stared at him in silence and Gabe said, “Answer the question.”
    “I’m thinking about it.”
    Gabe blew out a breath, “Well, until you can think of someone other than your parents and relatives that does, I’m going to assume the answer is no.”
    Gabby’s lips pursed and she said, “Actually, my parents don’t like me, either.” Gabe stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?!” Gabe laughed harder and she sat back in her chair and waited for him to gather his composure.
    He finally did and took a deep breath. Gabby looked at him with her right eyebrow raised. “I would have thought that you would take my question as a personal insult.”
    “It was a question, Sir.”
    “And you didn’t attach it to your sense of self-worth, did you?”
    She looked at him with no emotion and said, “Why would I?”
    “How many people do you know that no one likes to be around?”
    “Other than me, none.”
    “Do you take pride in people avoiding you?”
    Gabby took her glasses off and put them back on, “Not really. It just…just…isn’t important.”
    Gabe tilted his head, “What did you just do?”
    “I answered your question.”
    “No, I mean taking off your glasses.”
    “I can think better without them.”
    “And you came up with an answer that quickly?”
    Gabby shrugged, “I think better without them.”
    “Captain, does it really matter to you whether or not I like you?”
    “I’ve been thinking about that since I was given my orders to report to this ship under your command. It seems to me that under normal circumstances, people who don’t like being around me or people I don’t like being around can solve that