by Rena Marks
Serepto watched his video screen, concentrating as Rush fought a guard in the hallway and Blade opened metal file drawers, collecting samples and cyborg pieces, dumping them onto a tarp on the middle of the floor.
Serepto cursed. “They’ll have no idea when the beam is set. What if they’re not touching it? We could be leaving behind a big pile of Cyborg pieces in the middle of the room when they’re all beamed. What’s going on with Orion?”
“He’s making his way through the rooms, looking for Ghost.”
“He hasn’t found him yet? Dammit.” He glanced at the timer, which showed how quickly the Zetans were tracking them. “We’re at sixty percent. They’re more than halfway to tracking us.”
“Orion will find Ghost and get back to them to warn them,” she said. “Don’t worry.” She hoped so. Her voice definitely sounded more confident than she was.
Orion entered the last room. On the bed was a form covered with a sheet. She watched as he approached, lifted the sheet, and stopped. He stared in shock.
“Did he find Ghost?” Serepto snapped, from next to her. “Blade and Rush just gathered all the bits and pieces and have flung themselves over the pile. I have to get them out of there before Zetans burst into the room while they’re defenseless.”
“Yes.” Orion had just laid himself over the form on the bed. “Something’s wrong. He stared at the Cyborg in shock. But he’s covered the body now. We’re safe to beam.”
“Let’s switch spots so I know when to send the signal,” Serepto said.
They traded areas, and Serepto flipped a switch.
“I tapped further into their system. You’ll have sound if you need it,” he said. “But remember to use it sparingly. Anything our guys can hear, the Zetans will hear also.”
Shala nodded. On his screen, she noticed a group of guards coming down the hallway, directly toward the unsuspecting Cyborgs. They would never see them, nor would she have from Rush’s view. “Rush. Blade. Incoming group of seven.”
They sprang up, bounding down the hall to keep the pieces all intact, wrapped in the tarp. It was good thinking, because if they had to beam after the fight, they might lose several if the fighting took place in the same room and scattered the bits.
The guards heard the announcement, looking at each other, wondering at the feminine voice that came over the speaker. But it was too late. With a roar, Blade and Rush descended round the corner.
Watching the Cyborgs in action was mesmerizing. They took down two each in record time, and then there were three left. Blade took another one, while Rush settled for the last two.
Then, out of Rush’s peripheral vision, Shala noticed a trick the Zetans liked to use. One of the first downed men slowly reached out for a gun on the body next to him. He was faking death. At this close range, he wouldn’t be able to miss. And Zetans usually shot in the back as the enemy walked away.
“One is armed and not dead,” Shala said quickly, making both men whirl around.
Rush saw the hand with the gun in it. Using his foot, he smashed the forearm. Next, the screaming man’s skull was crushed. This time, the death was real.
Rush gave a thumbs up, which looked odd from his view.
“It’s much harder to see from Rush’s eye than it in a stationary camera,” she said.
“Yet you saved them, babe,” Serepto said, pride in his tone. “You saved both Blade and Rush with your instructions. Tell them ten seconds.” He flipped the switch.
“Ten seconds left,” she repeated, and watched Blade’s back as they rushed toward the room. They descended onto the tarp of body parts, making sure they covered everything. Rush roved his eyes around the room, allowing her to see everything from his angle.
Tess began counting. “Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven…”
“I wonder what freaked Orion,” Shala said. “He paused for a while.”
“Six. Five. Four…”
“Hopefully they didn’t cut up the Cyborg,” Serepto said.
“Three. Two. One.”
The crew slowly shimmered in front of them, one by one. It was slow going, and Shala wasn’t aware she held her breath until the last person fully formed. Then she exhaled.
“They’re in,” Serepto barked into the overhead speaker, notifying Jax and Arian. With a whoosh, the ship zipped into space. Her stomach flipped, feeling as though it somersaulted through the air.
Serepto grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap with a heavy arm. “Hang on, sweetness,” he growled. “Here comes a black hole.”
Her ears popped, yet she couldn’t hear. Things seemed to slow down, but that was the slight gravitational change. The ship couldn’t hold the level of gravity it was in constantly, not without blowing the engines.
The AI who’d just beamed in all anchored themselves, holding onto chairs to brace themselves. Those who couldn’t reach anything formed human chains. Blade and Rush anchored their cargo, holding the tarp closed. Orion huddled over Ghost’s covered form.
“Almost through it, guys,” Serepto gritted. ”Hold on.”
There was a sharp pull, and the gravity equaled.
“Don’t move yet. Tess,” he called out. “Where’s the next wormhole?”
“There are two. One is approximately one light year away—the other, which is closing, is the opposite way. It is only forty thousand astrological units away.”
“So it’s closer, but may close before we reach it. And is in the opposite direction.”
“Correct.”
“Engine status?”
“Arian and Jax are making minor engine repairs. They may be finished within five minutes if we travel with minimum gravitation.”
“Do it. Plot our course for the disappearing wormhole. Warp speed.”
Everyone buckled down as the air grew denser and the ship zoomed again. A whine began to whir in Shala’s ears. It would be nice to have Orion at the controls checking to see what the sound was, but he didn’t seem to be worried about the odd noise. Instead, he protected the Cyborg body underneath him.
“Zetan ships spotted near the mouth of the Grenach wormhole, which we just left. By the time they exit, we should be through the Vista wormhole and it will be closed, rendering us undetectable.”
“Providing we can slip in before closure,” Serepto growled. He veered on one of the handles, steering the ship further left. From her angle, Shala could see the distance they traveled to the hole.
“We’re almost there,” she said. “We’re going to make it.”
Serepto cursed. “It’s growing smaller.”
“Still big enough for us to fit through,” she assured him, patting his thigh. “We got this. Don’t slow down.”
With a zip, instant silence reigned again, and she knew they were inside. There was cheering from the AI, though they still hung onto their posts.
“Tess, how long ‘til we’re out?” Serepto asked.
“Approximately fifteen minutes.”
“Any idea where it will deposit us?”
“None. This is a more unstable wormhole.”
“Release our shields. Cut the engines to conserve power and allow Arian and Jax to catch up. We’ll float out of the exit. Immediately upon release, scan the vicinity for threats. If there are any other ships, calculate the distance from us.”
“Affirmative.”
Serepto went silent, and in the reflection of the control screen, Shala saw the blue glow in his eyes. He communicated with someone, probably Jax.
Eventually, his voice was unemotional when he spoke again. “Shala, are you well?”
“I’m fine.”
“We can relax in a few minutes. Hold on.”
Traveling through wormholes was difficult on the body. The organs felt compressed, making one nauseous. It felt hard to breathe, as if the lungs couldn’t suck in enough oxygen. She had to force herself to relax, to slow her panicked heartbeat.
“It’s okay. You’re fine,” he assured her. “Tess is monitoring our vitals.”
Shala leaned back, relaxing her back against his chest. She curled one hand onto his arm, where it was outstretched onto the control panel. With the other, she patted his thigh, feeling the muscles bunch under her hand.
The temperature began to grow hotter.
“Seventy-nine degrees,” Tess said.
“How much longer?” Serepto asked.
“Three minutes longer. Eighty-three degrees.”
He cursed. “It’s rising fast, but we don’t have high humidity, so it’s survivable. Just uncomfortable. Tess, sound an alarm when we reach one hundred and twenty degrees.”
“Two minutes. Ninety-nine degrees.”
“Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear.
“I’m fine,” she said, turning her head. His face was still near hers, and so she kissed him quickly.
She was fine. Yes, it was hot. Uncomfortable. Sweat trickled between her breasts, but they were alive and an immeasurable distance from Zeta.
“One minute left. It’s one hundred thirteen degrees. We will hit one hundred and twenty before we exit.”
“It’s fine. We’ll be okay for a minute and can release the air conditioning after we exit and check the engines.”
His eyes flashed, communicating with Jax again.
Suddenly everything equalized, and Arian knew they had exited.
“Status report,” Serepto said.
“No immediate ships in the vicinity.”
“Engine check?”
“Stabilized. Initializing air con.”
Blessed cool air ejected from the floor. Shala was aware of how wet the hair curling at the nape of her neck was.
“The exit of the wormhole has disappeared,” Serepto said. “We’re safe. Untraceable.”
The AI cheered, and began to rise.
Shala hugged Serepto briefly. “Good job.” She kissed the area near his ear, then bounded quickly off his lap.
Rush had risen, and held out a hand to help Blade up. Shala made her way to Orion. He hadn’t moved from the Cyborg.
“Orion?” She asked. “Do you need help?”
“Ghost has been injured.” Orion’s large, black eyes glittered up at her. It showed his emotional state.
“Do you need the medic bag?”
“Please.”
Serepto grabbed it. She was barely aware of him coming behind her. Echo took his place at the controls. The door opened, Jax and Arian came bursting in.
“Everyone all right?” Arian asked, and then noticed Orion still huddled on the floor. He riffled through the medic bag.
A small, high-pitched moan came from Ghost.
Shala gasped. “Ghost is a girl?”
“I was surprised, too,” Orion said. He pulled down the sheet, exposing white blond hair, and even whiter skin. From what you could see of it. Half her skin was ripped from her, exposing metal skeleton and a mechanical eye eerily sitting in the socket. Her blood was darker than normal, mixed with the Cyborg “oil” that lubricated their mechanical parts. In fact, her hair was probably the most colorful thing on her, but of course, the creature was suffering, whimpering softly. He pressed an injector into her shoulder, and her whimpering ceased instantly.
Blade and Rush peered over his shoulder. Orion stood. “Let’s get her and the tarp of bodies to sick bay.”
They placed a portable backboard underneath her, while Orion held two parts of the plastic sheeting together over her.
Shala’s stomach turned. The Zetans kept her in a plastic sheet to keep blood from spilling out. The hull was cooling quickly, especially as four AI left also, carrying the rest of the Cyborg parts.
“Echo, are you okay at the helm?” Serepto asked.
“I am fine. Rune will relieve me after he cleans up.”
“We’re heading to the showers, too,” Serepto said. Shala slipped her hand into his.
He looked surprised, then pleased. She said nothing, and together they walked down the hall.
“That was intense,” she said.
“Would you like to lie down?”
“If you rest with me.” She wouldn’t be a wimp when everyone else was hustling and bustling.
“It’s been a long day,” he said, indicating the lighting. To simulate nighttime, the ship automatically dimmed the lights, enabling the circadian rhythm for travelers who were too long in space. “We won’t be the only ones heading to bed.”
She nodded. She and Serepto usually worked daytime hours.
When they entered their quarters, she sat to remove her shoes. “Shower or bath?” he asked.
“Shower, I think,” she said, removing her left sandal.
“Would you like to go first?”
“No, go ahead,” she waved. “We’ll share.”
He paused, but then turned and headed for the shower. By the time she got there, he was already stripped and in the water spray, soaping his body. His clothes were on the floor. She picked them up and placed them in the laundry sterilizer for dark clothes. Her own clothes, she placed in the drawer for light colored. They’d wash and dry automatically by morning. His back was to her when she rounded the corner and joined him. She stepped into the spray, closing her eyes to the water, and missed his reaction.
“Shala?” he whispered.
“Hmm?”
“This is how we used to be. Open with each other. Did you perhaps…remember?”
She turned to face him. “No. I’m sorry. I don’t remember you. But it doesn’t mean there isn’t something there. I want a relationship with you, Serepto. Whether I can remember you or not, I—I like you. More than that. I respect you. I admire you. And I trust you.”
He pulled her against him, bare skin to skin, and just rested there, his chin on the top of her head. They stood silently for a few moments.
Finally he moved away and reached for the soap spray, lathering them both. He rubbed it into her skin, leaving her tingling with something…anticipation? He worked the lather into her fingers, her hand, up her arm, her shoulder, her back. Slowly she turned, halfway wondering what he’d do. He didn’t miss a beat, lathering her breasts lovingly. He moved to her waist, and even dipped his hand down to wash between her legs.
It dawned on her this was familiar between them. She raised her arms…like she used to, and he washed underneath. She lifted a leg, and he had better access. He worshipped her—by taking care of her.
He switched the spray back to rinse, and then bundled her into a towel. Normally he just flipped on the dry cycle, which was a heated laser beam of light that ran over the body, instantly drying it. But he seemed to like to wipe her himself.
When they were dry, they went into the bedroom. He turned down the bed, and motioned for her to get in. Then he crawled in behind her, tucked her against the warmth of his body, and held her against him.
Sometime during the night, she woke to feel a thick ridge, like an iron bar, pressed against her backside. He woke slightly, pressing it into her, and groaned softly.
He was gone when she woke come morning. Her nipples were hard, and her body tingled. Now it was her turn to groan. She missed him. She needed him.
She showered, brushed her teeth and braided her hair. She’d just dressed when Serepto entered.
“Good morning. Sleep well?” He carried a tray of food, setting it on a small desktop that folded down from the wall.
“I did.”
The man was beautiful. Tall, built, with shoulder-length hair he kept tied back in a pony tail. Today he wore thick, dark stubble lining his jaw. His walk was graceful, which wasn’t expected with the sheer size of him. His biceps and thickly muscled thighs seemed so wide, grace had to have been an impossible feat. But it wasn’t, not for Serepto. He glided like a dancer. The tips of his fingers were calloused, probably because he always had a hand in repairing things around the ship, or even down on the planet where they lived most of the time…wait. How did she know that?
“Are you okay?” he asked softly. “You went awfully pale for a second.”
“I’m fine. I just thought of something, but it’s gone.” She sat down, pretending to study the pancakes.
Serepto pulled another chair from the wall and sat, watching her eat. “I have a surprise for you.”
A surprise. A sense of déjà vu washed over her, but she blinked it away, taking in a deep breath. He looked at her quizzically.
“What is it? I don’t like surprises.”
He grinned. “I know. It’s a program I made for the virtual reality room. Finish eating and I’ll take you to it. Then maybe you can go meet Ghost. She’s out of surgery.”
Chapter Ten
The doors to the virtual reality room opened, as if expecting them. Shala thought the room would be the sterile white space it normally was without programming.
Or at the very least, the program Serepto had used of the uninhabited place of Apleadian again.
This world was completely different.
Gone were the lush green vegetation. This was a modern world of sleek black and gray metals, tempered with luxurious whites. The sky was bright, a yellow shade instead of the blue of their planet. The clouds were a brilliant orange, fluffy and large. She wondered what shade the sunset would be. But the hoverway, the ground portion where people walked, glittered gold.
As if he read her mind, Serepto answered. “The sunsets are a glorious, magical green.”
“What is this?” she asked softly.
“This was our world. The Sirian galaxy, specifically our own planet. Sirius B.”
People walked the surface of the planet, many talking to themselves. They were a diverse people, some looked humanoid with two eyes, yet others had only one. Giant screens decorated the city, showing commercial information that everyone mostly ignored. Overhead, cruising vehicles floated overhead.
“That is public transportation,” Serepto said. “Sirians do not waste energy and pollution on individual transport. But do you see how they talk to themselves? People are implanted with a cell phone microphone. They no longer have to carry a physical phone.”
“How do they dial?”