Mothership (Invasion Survivor Book 4)

by Hayley Lawson

  His eyes lit up as if he was a kid in a candy store. “Thank you,” he blurted out, snatching the tablet she offered from her hands.

  Instantly, he searched for his brother's name. There were a lot of names to go through, and he scanned through meticulously.

  Davis, Davis, come on, come on, he chanted.

  He found his name first and wanted to curse. He continued to look, refusing to lose hope.

  “Here he is!” he exclaimed, and Gretchen jumped a little, startled by his sudden outburst.

  Dave pointed at the name as if worried he’d hallucinated it and needed a witness to make it true. Then he frowned. There were three letters beside his name.

  “What does UAG mean?” he asked.

  Gretchen looked slightly uncomfortable as she answered. “Underage Green,” she said.

  What? That meant nothing to him.

  “What's a Green?” Dave prompted, feeling like an idiot he had to ask about a freaking color.

  “A stowaway,” Gretchen provided while her discomfort level rose.

  Dave couldn't care less about that. He didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but he’d finally found Peter. Nothing else mattered to him.

  “Take me to him,” he commanded, refusing to waste any more time on unnecessary chit-chat.

  “Certainly, Mr. Davis,” Gretchen said while nodding. “If you would follow me.”

  Yes, I would, he thought almost cheerfully, but he only nodded in return.

  After a strange elevator ride—in which he was certain they’d gone sideways for a bit before going up—they reached what Gretchen called the ground level.

  That somehow sounded idiotic to Dave since the ground no longer existed, but he wasn't about to point that out. Dave was shocked and impressed to see the massive open space in front of him once they passed through the right door.

  “This is our ‘common room.’” She gave air quotes and rightfully so. There was nothing common about it. The sheer size of it demanded a more impressive word than ‘room.’

  Holy hell. Dave whistled.

  It resembled a mall with the grandiose hall and surrounding floors. He couldn't help but wonder what was up there.

  Maybe later, Peter and I can do a little sightseeing, he mused.

  They walked through diagonally, reaching another door on the other side. Dave noticed a few curious glances thrown his way, but he ignored them.

  After they went through the door, they ended up in a long hallway with a slight curve to it at the end. They were in a round spacecraft, so the design made sense. Along the corridor, there appeared to be an unlimited number of doors which startled him slightly.

  This is how I imagine hell, Dave thought to himself dryly.

  Dave silently followed Gretchen, having faith she knew where they were going. Eventually, she stopped outside a door and opened it without knocking. He was surprised to see they’d ended up in a classroom.

  Yup, just like hell.

  He always hated school, and as it turned out, he couldn't escape one even in freaking space.

  Inside was a woman wearing a blue suit and a bunch of kids in green uniforms. She rose from her seat and came to greet them.

  “Maria, this is Mr. Davis,” Gretchen addressed the other woman. “He is looking for his brother.”

  The kids all looked his way, but they didn't look particularly happy.

  And who would? It would be the worst to attend school in the middle of the mothership with so many cool, interesting things around.

  “His name is Peter,” Dave interjected.

  Maria looked startled, gaping at him like a fish with her mouth slightly opened. Dave wished she would snap out of it and help.

  Maybe I should look for him myself, he thought.

  He entered deeper into the room. “Peter?” he called out to his little brother.

  No one replied or came forward. None of those kids was his brother.

  Where is he? Dave tried hard not to panic as his stomach tied itself into knots.

  “Where is my brother?” he demanded as he turned toward the women.

  “Well...” Maria spoke but then went silent again.

  Dave instantly got frustrated to no end.

  “According to the list,” Gretchen said, “he should be here.”

  “Yet, he clearly isn't,” Dave snapped back, losing patience.

  “He’s not here,” Maria finally choked out.

  Thank you for stating the obvious!

  “So, where is he?” Dave asked again.

  Someone must know where my brother is on this freaking ship.

  “I don't know. He just disappeared,” Maria finally confessed.

  Dave balled both his hands into fists. “And you didn't bother to go look for him?” Alert someone?

  “He's just a stowaway,” she said.

  She just as easily could have said he’s just a piece of garbage.

  Meaning, who cares?

  Instantly, Dave saw red. “He is my brother, not just a stowaway and certainly not a color,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,” Maria stumbled over her words. “Please don't float me out,” she pleaded.

  Dave didn't have the faintest idea what that meant, yet he hoped it was something nasty.

  “I want my brother found, and now,” he said to her. “Or so help me God, getting floated out will be the least of your problems.” With that, he turned and stormed out.

  Chapter Nine

  Paige felt jittery as they rode in silence. There were plenty of reasons for her to be nervous, but she couldn’t pin down only a single reason for hers.

  The elevator was so quiet, and the ride was smooth. Paige barely felt it moving until the door opened.

  “This is me,” Lilly announced, and the four of them stepped out to look around.

  It looked the same as the rest of the spaceship—all done in white. They were in a corridor, but a lot of markers on the wall provided directions for various departments, maintenance, laundry, and so on.

  As Lilly had said, many jobs were considered low-level, yet, they were essential in any society for it to function. The mothership was no different.

  “This is my floor as well. I work in the kitchen,” Angela said.

  “Just you?” Lilly sounded surprised.

  “Yeah, Paige and I are on floors three and four,” AJ explained.

  Lilly looked at Paige and AJ as if she didn't understand how something like that was possible. Paige didn't feel the need to explain it to her.

  She was grateful for the information, but that didn't make them friends yet, and they needed to stay low.

  “All right then,” Lilly said eventually. “I can show you the way to the kitchens,” she offered to Angela.

  “That would be lovely, Lilly. Thank you,” Angela replied politely. “But could you give me a second with my family?”

  “Certainly,” Lilly said with a smile, taking a few steps away.

  Paige was certain the other woman couldn't hear them, but she whispered, anyway. “What are we going to do now—just go to work?” Paige asked. She hoped Angela and AJ both understood the full weight of her question. She wanted to know if they would still go after the radio.

  “I have a suggestion,” AJ said. “Let’s go to our assigned levels and try to find out about the pilot’s station if we can. We’ll meet in the Green sleeping quarters in one hour, okay?” he whispered in one breath.

  “I agree with AJ,” Paige said immediately. “Exploring for an hour at our assigned levels sounds like a good idea.”

  “I don’t like the idea of splitting up,” Angela said. “But we need to. Besides, I want to pack some food for us in case we need to leave this place quickly.”

  It was obvious her mother thought out loud, and that made Paige pause. What is she up to? she wondered.

  “Okay, so we all agree; explore for one hour, then return to the sleeping quarters to compare notes,” Paige prompted, and they all no
dded.

  “One hour sounds too long,” Angela argued.

  “Oh, come on, Mom. We’ll be fine. No one will eat us,” Paige said, rolling her eyes.

  “Fine,” Angela agreed reluctantly.

  “Oh, wait. What if they ask us to start work right away?” AJ asked.

  “Find a way to sneak out?” Paige replied, but even she wasn’t so sure about the right course of action there.

  “Okay,” AJ said, unconvinced.

  “Find a way to return in an hour no matter what.” Angela was adamant, and they all nodded.

  “Let’s go. We’ll meet in one hour, Mom. Don’t forget. In the Green sleeping quarters,” Paige repeated, and it was her mother’s turn to roll her eyes disapprovingly.

  “Oh, all right.”

  Sometimes, Angela was easily distracted, so repetition was the key to success when dealing with her.

  And with that settled, their mission officially started.

  They broke apart, and Angela turned to Lilly. “I’m ready to go,” she told her.

  The other woman nodded. “Follow me.”

  Angela waved to AJ and Paige, and they did the same. As Paige and AJ were about to step back into the elevator, her mother turned back to look at them. There was a strange glint in her eyes, and that could mean only one thing.

  She is definitely up to something, Paige thought to herself. Only time would tell what would come of it. Paige would be ready to back her up no matter what.

  It was smart of her to fill out her test to get her the kitchen job.

  Who knows? Maybe in the kitchen, she can find out where is the pilot's cabin is way before us. If it was anything like Paige’s school kitchen, then she would find out about all the major gossips in the first ten minutes.

  Paige looked at AJ as he pressed his level next.

  “Here we go,” he murmured while they descended to level three. “Paige, be careful and on high alert, please,” AJ pleaded, and she nodded, taking a deep breath. He took her hand, smiled, and leaned in to kiss her cheek softly.

  She leaned into it, giving herself one fleeting moment of contentment.

  “You, too,” she replied.

  “See you in an hour,” he added before stepping out.

  Paige smiled and waved like an idiot, watching him get out of the elevator and disappear around the corner. She had only a few seconds to see that the layout of this level was pretty much the same as the previous one. She stashed that knowledge for later use.

  The third floor looked exactly like the first one but with different information and markings on the wall. It was all very organized and functional.

  Maybe I won't get lost in here, after all, Paige realized with glee.

  Lastly, Paige pressed the button for the fourth floor. When it stopped, she tentatively stepped out and looked around.

  To say she felt slightly nervous while not knowing what to expect would be an understatement, but she shouldered on.

  Finding a way to speak to her family was the only thing that mattered. Even though she was nervous, she was a little excited as well. Paige was on the fourth level; a level Greens weren't usually allowed on. That filled her with curiosity about what might happen next.

  I wonder what they want me to do. There's only one way to find out, she told herself. She straightened and made sure her uniform wasn't wrinkled.

  First impressions matter.

  Checking this level out, Paige immediately saw how it looked different from the others she’d seen so far.

  It was slightly smaller than the other levels. Trying to picture how the mothership looked from the outside, it made sense.

  There were no random corridors taking her this way or that. There was only one way through one set of doors.

  Ready or not, here I come!

  Not wanting to waste any time, she immediately stepped into a large circular room with computer screens in the middle all lined up side by side. They formed a circle with flat black stools in front of each one. Paige was taken aback by all the commotion.

  Holy hell. Paige gawked. What is this place?

  Many people in Blue Coats sat in the chairs and worked on the computers. She made a small surprised sound, and they glanced up for a moment. Once they looked her over, each of them seemingly unimpressed, they quickly returned to their work.

  They were all completely engrossed in their work, and judging by all the computers, it was the hub of the mothership.

  This is so cool, Paige thought to herself. Maybe I’m more likely to find something out in a place like this, she continued to muse.

  It would be interesting to see who would gather the most information. Paige was highly competitive and liked to turn everything into a competition.

  Getting closer, she saw a huge screen in the center of the room. It somehow hovered mid-air, showing all that happened inside and outside the ship. Immediately, Paige was drawn to it.

  This is the coolest thing ever! she squeaked inside her head, barely able to contain her excitement. She’d chastised herself for not rigging the test as Angela and AJ did, but not anymore. She was destined to be there; she was sure of that.

  She didn’t know the mothership had so many cameras all throughout, but that was one more thing they could use to their advantage.

  The screen was divided into many sections, each one showing a different location. Paige couldn’t understand everything on the screen, but she saw a lot of things happening around the ship.

  She was surprised to see a few people out in space. They were busy fixing certain parts, and that made Paige gulp. She realized everything around here had to run as smooth as possible so they could all stay alive. Knowing something was very different from seeing it in action.

  Moving on from her glum thoughts, she continued to survey the screen and watched people move around, going about their business. She watched people on the docks working hard. Most of them wore the green uniforms, but more people gathered in the central common area they’d just left.

  Are they aware they’re constantly watched? she silently asked. Probably not.

  Paige could even see the Viper. It comforted her to see it parked in the docking area. They had an exit strategy if the mothership turned out to be a disaster.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something that made her flinch. Focusing solely on one of the screens, Paige noticed a room that housed pods.

  What in God's name are those for? Paige wondered, shocked.

  She refused to make a comparison with the pod she was once inside on the alien spaceship, but she needed to know more. She took another step forward and could see there were people in them. At first glance, they looked as if they were sleeping.

  “No way,” Paige murmured under her breath, surprised to see that she recognized a girl in one.

  She was a kid from Rosehill College, a rich one. She had a blue bracelet on her arm, and as Paige continued to study her appearance inside the pod, Paige noticed she wasn’t sleeping at all.

  Instead, she appeared to be frozen—and so did everyone else.

  Kwan was right, Paige thought to herself.

  Are all those frozen people infected with the virus? Paige wondered. Did they freeze them until they could find a cure? Could River be here among them? Paige’s mind raced with questions, sudden excitement, and dread.

  Still, she couldn't dwell on all that. Paige had to focus on finding anything that could point her toward the pilot's cabin and a way to reach it. She shifted her gaze to another portion of the big screen, settling on the classroom she, her mother, and AJ were forced into shortly after they arrived.

  New people sat in their old seats as they took the same test that she did. It would assess each of them for the jobs they were best suited to have.

  Paige believed she recognized some folks from the Genesis.

  She couldn’t help but shake her head at that.

  Way to make people feel welcome on board after everything they’ve been through, she thought. She fel
t pissed off and saddened at the same time.

  As she studied the screen, Paige noticed the only areas without video surveillance were the sleeping quarters. That comforted her.

  Just because it isn’t on display doesn't mean those areas aren’t closely monitored as well, she reminded herself.

  Suddenly, a woman in a Red Coat came towards her.

  Another sour grape, Paige observed while looking at the woman’s expression.

  “Green,” she said, as she tapped something on her tablet without even properly looking at her. Apparently, she wasn’t too happy to see Paige, but she had grown used to that. “There’s a computer over there.” She motioned toward it without looking up. “Go sit and get to work. There’s a lot to do.”

  In that instant, Paige knew she disliked that woman wholeheartedly.

  What's with all this feudal mindset? Paige fumed. The last time she checked, they lived in a democracy. That couldn't change because they lost a planet. Can it? Paige wavered.

  “Hello, my name is Paige, not Green,” Paige replied, trying hard to hold back the anger and annoyance she felt.

  The other woman was indifferent. She didn’t seem to hear Paige, or maybe it was more that she didn’t care about what Paige had said in the first place. That in turn only pissed off Paige even more.

  Someone should teach this witch some manners!

  Paige was a human being, not a color.

  “Green,” the woman repeated, once more referring to Paige.

  Paige felt like yelling at her, but she bit her tongue instead. This isn’t the time for causing a scene! Paige reminded herself.

  “Because of your kind, there’s an increase in workload. So, don’t just stand there like a log. Go work.”

  What a bitch!

  Nodding, Paige turned towards the station the woman directed her to. She finally looked up at Paige—probably for the first time since she was so taken aback.

  “Hey, wait,” she snapped. The annoyed tone in her voice doubled, which Paige didn't believe was humanly possible to achieve.

  Paige wondered what she did to deserve it. Did she breathe too loudly? Anything was possible with this crowd.

  “You’re far too young to work in this department. You being a Green doesn’t help matters,” she spat as if Paige’s age was somehow her fault as well.