Olivia turned as he was set down just inside the door of the bridge, and his dad was set down right next to him.
"How the hell did you know I was here?" asked Dustin, rushing towards her and giving her a hug. To his surprise she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.
Pulling back after a moment, she gave him a wide grin. "Granny figured out what was wrong with me, and had her mom fix it."
Dustin glanced at the audience around them, wondering if there were Gooblens in his room, and if he could get her there if there weren't then threw the idea out for consideration later.
"They had no idea we were here," said his father, leaning against the door jamb, now that it had closed and the only Gooblens in the room were Granny and Old Motha.
"You're an ass," said Granny, glaring at him. "Pretending to be dead all this time!"
"It was going to work, until you lost the kid! When I found out, I was tempted to join the manhunt that was going on for you."
"Don't even try to say that crap! We both know it's a load of shit. You've always been a pansy, afraid of that damn computer program."
"The kid was supposed to get rid of it, when he figured out how, but you went and lost him to those damn humans," he turned his head as if he had said something bad, "cockroaches!"
"Maybe if the two of you stop yammering, we can figure out what's going on?" suggested Old Motha, just loudly enough for everyone to hear her.
"What do you mean that they didn't know we were here?" asked Dustin, choosing to focus on one thing at a time.
"I know that the program doesn't like a lot of the minerals that this asteroid belt has in it, because it blocks all electrical signals, which is why your ship's computer probably brought you here, to get away from the AI, right?" he asked.
"That was a factor in my motivations," confirmed the computer.
"Wait, you can't tell me that you went to rescue Dustin from the AI yourself?" asked Granny incredulously.
"Of course, I did! I couldn't let that damn program get him!"
Granny shook her head in disbelief.
"I had managed to escape the thugs who grabbed me, but the AI was about to grab me out of space, until he showed up," confirmed Dustin.
"See!?" cried his dad, waving at Dustin as if that proved he wasn't a pansy.
"So, what are we going to do about the AI?" asked Old Motha.
"I figured that I would dive into the system, start taking it over, but I need an external distraction, to keep the program from noticing me, and taking actions against me. I also am going to need some major computing power to pull it off."
Olivia looked at him, then shook her head. "The hivemind has been infiltrated by the AI. The nanobots would tear into you, and hold you until the AI arrived to take you prisoner."
Dustin was quiet for a moment thinking, then nodded. "Good."
"What?" cried everyone in the room.
"We need an external distraction, that sounds perfect. The AI will be so intent on trying to take me prisoner, that it won't notice when I try to take it over from inside."
"But the nanobots!" said Olivia, touching her arm, where the PED used to be.
Dustin smiled. "You still have nanobots inside of you. If I say too much, it will know everything."
His dad nodded, glancing at the computer console. The moment they had made themselves known, the hiding virus in the system had notified the AI where they were. Dustin had no doubts that the surrounding asteroids causing interference were the only reason the AI ship hadn't shown up yet. He didn't want to tell them that there was a virus spying on them, though, because they would all freak out.
"Do we have enough fuel to jump home?" Dustin asked, sliding into the captain's chair and pulling up the schematics for the jump.
"Yes, but the ship's fuel will be completely exhausted and unable to jump again until refueling," cautioned the computer.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Granny. "That program isn't something to underestimate!"
Dustin grinned as he typed in a few things into the computer, then turned to her. "Once we're done with this thing, I'll get you guys a good planet for a home. I have one in mind that should be perfect."
"If my Gooblens survive," grumbled Old Motha.
Initiating the jump, Dustin looked over the planet he had brought to this solar system for a moment. His child, and most all of his people were on that planet, living their lives as best as they could. Orbiting the planet, sat the hivemind that controlled all of the nanobots that lived among the people in a fashion. With determination in his movements, he moved towards the door.
"When the AI ship arrives, you guys have to do everything you can to keep it from attacking and killing me or the hivemind. I really don't think it will be able to harm the planet, but try to keep it from doing that, too."
As the door opened, he faced the wall of Gooblens and let them grab him. No one said a thing behind him as he was taken to the airlock. Thoughts rushed through his mind, about the things his father and Granny had been arguing about. Regardless of any other secrets or misinformation, he had a job to do, and that was taking out the AI. He refused to hide for the rest of his life, and he definitely wasn't about to let the AI kill his people while he was still alive.
Slapping the button to open the airlock, he began his change into the flying space dragon with six wings, that his father had shared with him. No sooner was he away from the ship, then a swarm of nanobots rushed towards him.