As Lee promised, the elevator takes us right up the several dozen levels of the ship with ease, and the first door to the right is unlocked and empty. There’s a table, and another door on the adjacent wall, but not a human in sight.
“Woah.” Anya plasters herself to the broad window along the opposite wall. It’s smaller than the one in the tiny mess hall where we were eating, but it’s pointed in the right direction to get a view.
It’s massive.
I’m not certain what category this star was, and I know it’s still relatively far away, but its slow-motion explosion is bigger than any planet I’ve ever visited. A deep red halo expands, blotting out all the pinpoints of other stars in the distance, creeping its fingers toward this ship at a much more rapid pace than it appears.
The whole ship goes dark with a click.
Both Zane and Lalia put their hands on their weapons, but I say, “It’s just the power shutting down. Everything gets turned off but the life support so the energy won’t mess with the electronics in the ship or bother the crystals.”
“I know,” Zane says, but still doesn’t take his hand off his gun. Can hardly blame him. Just because I’m comfortable with Lee doesn’t mean he needs to be. Or even should be.
Shadows sit in the corners of the room, the only light from the approaching fire, red as blood, crawling across the expanse of space. The window tints, the shields specifically for these circumstances firing to life. It doesn’t quite stop my eyes from glitching out with the approaching heat, but it isn’t so bad I have to look away.
“Will this hurt her eyes?” Yvonne whispers, nodding to Anya with her face still an inch from the glass.
“The windows are protective.”
“Oh.”
“Damn, that’s pretty,” Lalia murmurs.
It’s utterly quiet, only our breathing to break the silence. With the hum of the ship nearly gone save the life support, it’s quieter than it usually ever is, on a ship or on a planet. Bat sits on my shoulder, ears twitching every once in a while, but his breaths are slow and noiseless.
Yvonne sways, her shoulder brushing mine then resting against it. I freeze, expecting her to say something, but she doesn’t, just leans lightly against me, watching the star. Warmth seeps through her jacket and mine. It can’t be particularly comfortable. I have metal protruding in my shoulder and elbow and even in places on the fleshy part of my arm. I’m not exactly an easy person to cuddle, even if this is just the side of her arm leaning against the side of mine. But I’m not sure why she’s doing it. Happy her sister is happy? Most likely.
Still, I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond. I suppose just standing this way is the best thing to do. If I don’t really move, I can’t do anything incorrectly. Hopefully.
A soft knock makes me start. But Lee only pops his head in and joins us, hands in his pockets. Whole body lit by the red light, his beard catches the red in little shadows. His eyes go to Yvonne leaning against me, but to his credit, only his eyebrows go up in response. Him and me both.
Quietly, so I don’t break the atmosphere, I say, “I saw one of your men land a ship in the hangar a little while before you called me, is that someone I know?”
Lee cocks his head. “No one landed that I’m aware of. Must’ve gotten permission from Kel.”
I nod.
Lee is still frowning.
“What?” I ask.
“None of my crew is out of the ship.”
Zane looks over. The strange discomfort in my gut starts anew, though it’s ridiculous. Just because he doesn’t know who landed, doesn’t mean there’s a problem. If there is, the chance it has something to do with us is basically impossible.
“Huh,” Lee grunts, touching the comm behind his ear. “Kel, did we get an unauthorized ship landing today?”
My new ears pick up the faint sound of her voice in her ear. “Yeah, your favorite pet cyborg.”
Something about that would be funny if it was coming from anyone but her. As it is, I give Lee a disparaging look. Surprise flickers across his face, probably not expecting me to hear so well.
“Nothing else?”
“No.”
I look at Zane. His eyes catch mine. He didn’t see the ship landing in the hangar, but he believes me. Though he probably doesn’t hear the comm.
I mouth trouble and he stands a little straighter. Lalia’s eyes dart between all of us. Anya is still cluelessly unaware, bouncing in place as she watches the star.
We shouldn’t’ve come up here. Lee still looks clueless enough I don’t think he’s planning something. But there’s a problem. And I’ve had entirely too much trouble for one month to be dancing around the edge of a problem.
We can’t leave until the heat of the star passes, but we can go back and wall up in our ships.
I jut my chin toward the door, and Zane nods. Yvonne’s arm leaves mine as she wanders to her sister’s side. My side feels colder without her weight. I can analyze that stupid thought later.
Yvonne mumbles to Anya, and there’s a muffled why from the girl before she turns to give Lee a blank look, eyes flickering to mine.
“Come on,” I say as casually as I can force into my voice. “Let’s head back to the ship.”
Lee is still frowning, tapping his finger to his comm absently. But my words draw his attention. “Something wrong?”
I could lie. It would be easy. Put his mind at ease. And it wouldn’t anger him. But trusting him was a bad idea, if not because of him but because of the people under his command. He’s their captain, not some sort of god. And there’s guaranteed a dozen or so still here who hate my guts.
“Your first mate is lying to you,” I say, evenly, without a hint of anger, and walk around the table.
I expect him to argue with me, to be angry, to not believe me at the very least. I don’t expect him to speak to me again politely.
But he says, “You’re sure you saw a ship land in the hangar.”
I pause. He believes me? “Yes.”
“What markings?”
“None. Just a newer generation, single or double person craft. Couldn’t see the person. They landed near the hangar wall and went in one of the doors. Looked like they knew where they were going.”
“Not Amerov?” Lalia says tightly.
The thought had crossed my mind. “If it was, it sure didn’t look like Amerov.”
Lee waves his hand. “There would be no reason for someone from Amerov to visit. We don’t like them here almost as much as you don’t. Half the people here are scared of cyborgs, the other half just dislike enhanced bounty hunters taking our jobs.”
Which puts me in both categories. “Might not have anything to do with us, Lee, but I’d rather be safe in my own ship.”
He nods. “That’s fair. I’ll go with you. Let’s see this ship. Everything’s shut down so they couldn’t have left.”
Well, he definitely believes me. Or he’s planning something and wants to be there to see it go down. I’m not sure he’s that good an actor. I really need to get a grip. Either be suspicious or don’t. I’d really hate for the only human who was nice to me when I was a young man to be scheming against me. It’s clouding my judgment, I’m certain.
Anya is still looking sadly out the window, wanting to watch the star. She can find a star to watch explode when she’s older. Plenty of people do. Right now, I need all the humans and Bat safe in my ship. Me as well. But I feel like a parent wrangling children.
Zane still has his hand resting on his gun, and I can tell Lee is watching him. He doesn’t seem insulted. He was a small-time bounty hunter same as me in the beginning. He knows suspicion and what it must be like for a few humans to be trapped in a literal nest of vipers. Everyone here would love to take them in.
“Let’s just go,” I say softly to Zane, putting a hand on his back to guide him out the door before he starts mouthing off at Lee. His expression seriously says he might.
At least he goes, kicking the door open more aggressively than necessary while the rest of the humans follow. Anya casts a last glance at the red light-filled room before slouching back to the hallway. Zane punches the elevator button and glowers at the wall. Lee is going through something on his tablet, muttering to himself, but I only see lists of ship logs. He’s trying to find the mystery vessel.
The elevator sighs open, and a pair of metal and glass eyes stare back at me.
As Lee promised, the elevator takes us right up the several dozen levels of the ship with ease, and the first door to the right is unlocked and empty. There’s a table, and another door on the adjacent wall, but not a human in sight.
“Woah.” Anya plasters herself to the broad window along the opposite wall. It’s smaller than the one in the tiny mess hall where we were eating, but it’s pointed in the right direction to get a view.
It’s massive.
I’m not certain what category this star was, and I know it’s still relatively far away, but its slow-motion explosion is bigger than any planet I’ve ever visited. A deep red halo expands, blotting out all the pinpoints of other stars in the distance, creeping its fingers toward this ship at a much more rapid pace than it appears.
The whole ship goes dark with a click.
Both Zane and Lalia put their hands on their weapons, but I say, “It’s just the power shutting down. Everything gets turned off but the life support so the energy won’t mess with the electronics in the ship or bother the crystals.”
“I know,” Zane says, but still doesn’t take his hand off his gun. Can hardly blame him. Just because I’m comfortable with Lee doesn’t mean he needs to be. Or even should be.
Shadows sit in the corners of the room, the only light from the approaching fire, red as blood, crawling across the expanse of space. The window tints, the shields specifically for these circumstances firing to life. It doesn’t quite stop my eyes from glitching out with the approaching heat, but it isn’t so bad I have to look away.
“Will this hurt her eyes?” Yvonne whispers, nodding to Anya with her face still an inch from the glass.
“The windows are protective.”
“Oh.”
“Damn, that’s pretty,” Lalia murmurs.
It’s utterly quiet, only our breathing to break the silence. With the hum of the ship nearly gone save the life support, it’s quieter than it usually ever is, on a ship or on a planet. Bat sits on my shoulder, ears twitching every once in a while, but his breaths are slow and noiseless.
Yvonne sways, her shoulder brushing mine then resting against it. I freeze, expecting her to say something, but she doesn’t, just leans lightly against me, watching the star. Warmth seeps through her jacket and mine. It can’t be particularly comfortable. I have metal protruding in my shoulder and elbow and even in places on the fleshy part of my arm. I’m not exactly an easy person to cuddle, even if this is just the side of her arm leaning against the side of mine. But I’m not sure why she’s doing it. Happy her sister is happy? Most likely.
Still, I don’t know how I’m supposed to respond. I suppose just standing this way is the best thing to do. If I don’t really move, I can’t do anything incorrectly. Hopefully.
A soft knock makes me start. But Lee only pops his head in and joins us, hands in his pockets. Whole body lit by the red light, his beard catches the red in little shadows. His eyes go to Yvonne leaning against me, but to his credit, only his eyebrows go up in response. Him and me both.
Quietly, so I don’t break the atmosphere, I say, “I saw one of your men land a ship in the hangar a little while before you called me, is that someone I know?”
Lee cocks his head. “No one landed that I’m aware of. Must’ve gotten permission from Kel.”
I nod.
Lee is still frowning.
“What?” I ask.
“None of my crew is out of the ship.”
Zane looks over. The strange discomfort in my gut starts anew, though it’s ridiculous. Just because he doesn’t know who landed, doesn’t mean there’s a problem. If there is, the chance it has something to do with us is basically impossible.
“Huh,” Lee grunts, touching the comm behind his ear. “Kel, did we get an unauthorized ship landing today?”
My new ears pick up the faint sound of her voice in her ear. “Yeah, your favorite pet cyborg.”
Something about that would be funny if it was coming from anyone but her. As it is, I give Lee a disparaging look. Surprise flickers across his face, probably not expecting me to hear so well.
“Nothing else?”
“No.”
I look at Zane. His eyes catch mine. He didn’t see the ship landing in the hangar, but he believes me. Though he probably doesn’t hear the comm.
I mouth trouble and he stands a little straighter. Lalia’s eyes dart between all of us. Anya is still cluelessly unaware, bouncing in place as she watches the star.
We shouldn’t’ve come up here. Lee still looks clueless enough I don’t think he’s planning something. But there’s a problem. And I’ve had entirely too much trouble for one month to be dancing around the edge of a problem.
We can’t leave until the heat of the star passes, but we can go back and wall up in our ships.
I jut my chin toward the door, and Zane nods. Yvonne’s arm leaves mine as she wanders to her sister’s side. My side feels colder without her weight. I can analyze that stupid thought later.
Yvonne mumbles to Anya, and there’s a muffled why from the girl before she turns to give Lee a blank look, eyes flickering to mine.
“Come on,” I say as casually as I can force into my voice. “Let’s head back to the ship.”
Lee is still frowning, tapping his finger to his comm absently. But my words draw his attention. “Something wrong?”
I could lie. It would be easy. Put his mind at ease. And it wouldn’t anger him. But trusting him was a bad idea, if not because of him but because of the people under his command. He’s their captain, not some sort of god. And there’s guaranteed a dozen or so still here who hate my guts.
“Your first mate is lying to you,” I say, evenly, without a hint of anger, and walk around the table.
I expect him to argue with me, to be angry, to not believe me at the very least. I don’t expect him to speak to me again politely.
But he says, “You’re sure you saw a ship land in the hangar.”
I pause. He believes me? “Yes.”
“What markings?”
“None. Just a newer generation, single or double person craft. Couldn’t see the person. They landed near the hangar wall and went in one of the doors. Looked like they knew where they were going.”
“Not Amerov?” Lalia says tightly.
The thought had crossed my mind. “If it was, it sure didn’t look like Amerov.”
Lee waves his hand. “There would be no reason for someone from Amerov to visit. We don’t like them here almost as much as you don’t. Half the people here are scared of cyborgs, the other half just dislike enhanced bounty hunters taking our jobs.”
Which puts me in both categories. “Might not have anything to do with us, Lee, but I’d rather be safe in my own ship.”
He nods. “That’s fair. I’ll go with you. Let’s see this ship. Everything’s shut down so they couldn’t have left.”
Well, he definitely believes me. Or he’s planning something and wants to be there to see it go down. I’m not sure he’s that good an actor. I really need to get a grip. Either be suspicious or don’t. I’d really hate for the only human who was nice to me when I was a young man to be scheming against me. It’s clouding my judgment, I’m certain.
Anya is still looking sadly out the window, wanting to watch the star. She can find a star to watch explode when she’s older. Plenty of people do. Right now, I need all the humans and Bat safe in my ship. Me as well. But I feel like a parent wrangling children.
Zane still has his hand resting on his gun, and I can tell Lee is watching him. He doesn’t seem insulted. He was a small-time bounty hunter same as me in the beginning. He knows suspicion and what it must be like for a few humans to be trapped in a literal nest of vipers. Everyone here would love to take them in.
“Let’s just go,” I say softly to Zane, putting a hand on his back to guide him out the door before he starts mouthing off at Lee. His expression seriously says he might.
At least he goes, kicking the door open more aggressively than necessary while the rest of the humans follow. Anya casts a last glance at the red light-filled room before slouching back to the hallway. Zane punches the elevator button and glowers at the wall. Lee is going through something on his tablet, muttering to himself, but I only see lists of ship logs. He’s trying to find the mystery vessel.
The elevator sighs open, and a pair of metal and glass eyes stare back at me.
