Page 72 of The Protector


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“The seats are adjustable,” I said dryly. “They probably are in your drones too; you’ve just never needed that function since you didn’t have to fly them.” I showed her where to find the button and watched her position her seat just right.

“Now what?” she asked.

“Now you turn on the engine and we get going.”

“All right.” With a look of concentration, she followed my directions and pushed the accelerator gently. Still the drone jerked with uneven movements that made me hold on to my seat.

“I’m sorry,” she said and stopped. “Since it’s a hybrid; couldn’t you teach me to make it go automatically? That’s probably for the best.”

“I could,” I said and paused, “but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Why not?”

My brows dropped. “Think, Christina!”

“What?” she asked with that sweet innocence of hers.

“What happens if someone steals a drone in Momsiland?”

“Why would anyone steal a drone?” she asked with an open expression.

I rolled my eyes. “Because they need a quick ride or saw a cool drone.”

Christina blinked in confusion. “But who would they steal it from? No one owns the drones, they’re public transportation.”

I wrinkled my nose up. “No one owns them?”

“No, of course not.”

“So it’s true then?” I couldn’t hide my disdain when I crossed my arms. “It’s all fucking communism.”

“Communism?” Christina raised her voice a tiny bit. “Hardly.”

I snorted. “Sounds like communism to me. I couldn’t live in a place where I couldn’t own my land, my house, my drones.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Capitalist, but you clearly haven’t the faintest idea of the fairness principle that we live by.”

“The fairness principle? Oh, please, just the name makes my throat burn – I think I’m going to vomit.”

Her cheeks flamed red and she turned her head to look straight ahead. It was time to get back on track.

“The reason you can’t put the hybrid on automatic is that flying it manually is the only way to make sure it can’t be overruled by others.”

“What do you mean when you say overruled?”

“Let me break it down for you, Christina,” I said patiently. “First, I create a distraction, then you and Athena take off; and soon after, Finn is going to find out she’s missing. Never mind that Khan will fucking kill Finn for losing sight of her, but the whole mansion will be a beehive of frantic men. The minute they realize my hybrid is missing, they’re going to ask me to redirect it to come back.” I tapped at my wristband.

Her eyes expanded in understanding. “Ahh, you can override the vehicles computer from your end.”

“I can,” I said with a rhythmic nodding. “Unless it’s being flown manually.”

“I see.”

“Good, then you better try again – and this time go easy on the accelerator until you get the touch of it.”

Christina eventually did get the touch but she flew slow and was clearly nervous about navigating.

I gave her directions and steered her toward my home, flying across water and vast areas of forest.