And as he stormed out of the conference room without another word to his chief, that was exactly what he planned to do.
He just had to figure out how to convince a pilot to join him on his reckless quest.
Chapter Two
Evie bid the rest of the group goodbye and left the city center to start the long walk home. No one in Zocrone used motorized vehicles for transportation, at least not here. There were some vehicles over in the industrial sector, but in the main areas of the city, where people lived and spent most of their time, vehicles weren’t allowed. This was in an attempt to preserve the beauty of Zocrone’s rainforest, but right now that beauty was fading quickly, despite the lack of vehicles.
Evie looked up at the thinning trees overhead. When she’d first moved to Zocrone, she’d been impressed with how lush the city could be inside this Dome when the planet outside was so inhospitable to life. The planet of Zocrone itself was a stormy wasteland. It never rained, and the temperatures and oxygen levels outside weren’t enough to sustain life in any form.
But the Zocronians were a hardy, innovative bunch of aliens. They had built a huge, climate-controlled dome on the planet, and all of the Zocronians lived inside that Dome. The Dome served as a giant greenhouse, and the city had boasted one of the most beautiful rainforests in the Seven Galaxies, despite the fact that none of the plants or animals inside the Dome were native to Zocrone, or would have had any hope of surviving outside.
Since rain never fell on Zocrone, and there were no naturally occurring lakes or rivers, the Zocronians relied on outside shipments of water to replenish their City Dome’s supply. The supply runs could not be made as frequently during the heavy stormy season, but ordinarily that was okay. The Zocronians had ample water reserves and sophisticated water preservation techniques.
But this year, for unknown reasons, the stormy season had come earlier than normal, and it had come on with a vengeance. Not only that, but it had lasted far longer than it usually did. The storms had been so unrelenting that no supply runs could be made, and with every day that passed, the Zocronians lost a little bit more hope that they and their city could be saved.
Evie paused in her walk and took a deep, shuddering breath. Had she been rescued from her crashed ship all those years ago only to die here of dehydration? That was looking like more of a possibility every day.
Part of her thought that perhaps Toryx was right. Perhaps something drastic should be attempted, even if lives were lost in the process. Wasn’t attempting to rescue the planet better than sitting around and waiting to die?
Evie rubbed her forehead, then glanced back through the trees. She could still see the city center in the distance behind her, and for one crazy moment she considered going back and telling Daxar that she agreed with Toryx.
But that moment passed quickly, and she turned to start walking home once again. She had no real clout here. She was known as a good pilot, yes. But Nova had married Daxar, the Chief. Maisie had married Jarmuk, and the two of them were heroes in Zocrone for their work in saving some miners that had been stranded outside the Dome on Zocrone’s hostile open planet. And of course, there were Kromin and Anya, who were also married and together were the two most prestigious doctors in the city. All three couples had kids now, the first Zocronian-Human hybrids known in the Seven Galaxies, which had brought them another level of fame.
And Evie?
I’m just a has-been. A washed up pilot who spends my days pacing inside this Dome like a caged animal.
“That’s an awfully big frown for someone who just got her way in a meeting with the Chief.”
Startled by the voice that was suddenly talking to her, Evie whirled around to try to see where it was coming from. How had someone snuck up on her? Her instincts were getting soft. Back in the old days, when she worked as an intergalactic smuggler, no one would have ever startled her. But here on Zocrone, she had little to fear, and so she had stopped paying attention to her surroundings like she used to.
“Over here,” the voice said with a chuckle.
Evie whirled to her left, realizing that she’d completely misjudged and thought the voice was coming from her right. She felt embarrassed, and that embarrassment only grew when she saw who the voice belonged to: Toryx Keizer.
The giant blue alien had barely stepped out of the shadows enough for Evie to see his face, but he had scars across his cheeks that were easily recognizable—traces of a vicious monkey attack he’d suffered nearly a full year ago. He could have had the scars fixed up with plastic surgery, but he preferred to leave them there, saying they reminded him of how lucky he was to be alive. Evie thought the scars made him look edgy and sexy, not that she ever would have told him that. His ego didn’t need any boosting, as far as she could tell.
“Toryx? What are you doing out here?”
“Out where? In the dying woods, you mean? Where else should I be? At home, in my apartment that has no water? I’d prefer to at least spend my time outside while I waste away to a slow death.”
Evie sighed. “Daxar is doing the best he can, you know.”
“Bullshit.” Toryx stepped out of the forest and onto the path.
Evie almost laughed at the fact that he’d used the human expression of “bullshit.” The humans had been hanging out with the Zocronians long enough now that the aliens were starting to pick up some of their swear words. Of course, Evie had picked up some Zocronian expressions as well. She was much likelier these day to say “Oh sludge!” than “Oh fuck.” The realization made her both happy and a little bit sad. She had a home now, but was that what she wanted? She had never planned to settle down, and she was beginning to think that being settled and sitting in one place all the time was too boring for her.
Toryx stepped in front of her, blocking her way with his giant, muscular body. He was wearing a colorful green shirt and loose black pants. His dark hair was a bit of a mess, but it looked strangely alluring as it stuck out every which way. Evie could have admired him all day, if not for the fact that he could be so horribly obnoxious. Why did bad manners always seem to accompany good looks in men?
“What is Dax supposed to do? Send people to their deaths? I know you don’t agree with his decisions, but you can’t say he doesn’t have a point.”
Toryx rolled his eyes, then raised a rolled up Nivetta leaf to his mouth. The Nivetta leaf was smoking slightly, and Toryx took a big inhale before blowing a cloud of smoke out in Evie’s face. Evie made a conscious effort not to cough, choosing instead to glare at Toryx. She wasn’t going to show any weakness to him, especially not over a little Nivetta leaf smoke.
Truth be told, she wouldn’t mind smoking a bit of Nivetta leaf herself. The plant was a popular vice in Zocrone. Evie had smoked her fair share of things—both legal and illegal—and Nivetta leaf had proven to be one of her favorites. It was a mild relaxant that didn’t do too much damage to a user’s lungs. Evie could really use a little relaxation right now. The morning had been stressful, and Toryx seemed determined to make it even more stressful.
As if Toryx sensed what Evie was thinking, he grinned at her and handed the Nivetta leaf over. “Want a drag?”
For a split second, Evie considered declining. But then she shrugged and nodded. She did want a drag, and denying that wouldn’t prove anything to Toryx. Besides, at the end of the day they were both still on the same team. They both wanted to save Zocrone, even if they didn’t exactly agree on how to do that.
“Walk with me,” Toryx said, turning to head down the path.
Evie frowned, wanting to ask where he was going and why she should walk with him. But then she just shrugged and nodded again. She didn’t have much to do these days, since her job as a pilot was on indefinite hold until it was possible for spacecraft to fly outside the Dome once more. Why not walk with Toryx and kill some time? Especially if it meant she got to share his Nivetta leaf for free. That shit was expensive.
After they walked about a minute in silence, Toryx finally sp
oke. “Don’t you ever get tired of just sitting around?”
Evie raised an eyebrow at him. “I think everyone in Zocrone is tired of sitting around at this point.”
But Toryx shook his head. “I’m not asking about everyone. I’m asking about you. You went from part of this crazy intergalactic smuggling crew to sitting here on a planet drinking tea and whining about the weather. Doesn’t that bother you?”
Evie gave Toryx a sharp look that said she didn’t appreciate being relegated to some tea-drinking bore, but she didn’t actually say anything.
What could she say, really? He was right. She used to be part of smuggling operations that required her to face danger on a daily basis. She had to constantly be alert, and the thrill of getting away with dangerous missions had kept her in a constant state of high adrenaline. Now, the most exciting thing she did was get angry enough in a meeting to cross her arms and glare at someone. Toryx had a point.
Evie let out her breath in a long, tired sigh. “What do you want from me, Toryx? I’m not going to try to pressure the Chief into ordering people off on a suicide missions, and if you’re trying to get me to do that, you’re wasting your time.”
Toryx laughed, grabbing the Nivetta leaf from her and taking a long drag before handing it back to her. “Calm down, human. I’m not trying to get you to change Daxar’s mind. I’m trying to change your mind.”
Evie frowned at him in confusion. “I’m not following you.”
He stopped walking and turned to face her, his fog gray eyes suddenly serious, and his deep blue forehead furrowing into a thoughtful, earnest expression. “Do a supply run with me.”
Evie choked mid-puff, her lungs filling with too much Nivetta leaf smoke all at once. After a few coughs to catch her breath, she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t have a death wish.”
She’d always liked Toryx, but the drought seemed to be making him lose his marbles a bit. How many times did he have to be told that a supply run would mean certain death for whoever attempted it?
But when Toryx stopped walking and turned to look at her, he didn’t look like a man who had gone crazy. He looked like a man who had made a serious decision after thinking long and hard about it. His expression was earnest, and his long blue tail flicked back and forth behind him with its spikes sticking out. He was in full-on survival mode, ready to fight for himself and his people.
For a moment, Evie could only think about how sexy he looked in that moment. She had always been a sucker for the strong, defiant type, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen anyone look as strong and defiant as Toryx looked right then.
But the moment passed quickly. Toryx was admittedly one of the best looking aliens Evie had ever seen. In fact he was probably the best looking alien Evie had ever seen, with his sexy appearance only made better by his scars. But Evie wasn’t looking for a man right now. Not when simple survival and making it through this deadly stormy season was top priority.
Besides, even if she had been looking for a man, she would have preferred to find a guy who wasn’t constantly insisting on bucking the Chief’s orders to fly into a deathtrap of a storm.
Toryx, however, didn’t look like he had plans to back down.
“It’s not that I have a death wish,” the big blue alien said. “It’s that I have a wish to live. It’s like I told Dax in the meeting. We can sit around and die slowly, doing nothing. Or we can attempt a brave flight out. I’d rather die trying to save the planet than sitting around. And I think, if you really stop and think about this, you’d feel the same.”
Evie laughed and rolled her eyes, then turned on her heel to start walking again. “Yeah. Okay. Whatever.”
But before she’d taken more than a few steps, Toryx’s strong blue hand had reached out to grab her forearm and stop her.
“Evie, who have you become? You were an intergalactic smuggler. You thrived on adventure. You lived for adrenaline rushes. Have you really become so domesticated that you’re content to sit back and let life happen to you instead of rushing bravely into danger?”
Evie frowned and said nothing. Toryx had struck a nerve, and he apparently knew it, because he pressed forward with his little speech.
“Look, you’re the best damn pilot in Zocrone. Sludge it, you might be the best pilot in the Seven Galaxies.”
Evie rolled her eyes. “Okay, now you’re exaggerating.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve seen you flying. You have this instinctive ability to get a ship safely through a storm. If anyone can get out in the middle of these crazy storms, it’s you.”
“No one can get out in these storms. Not even me.”
“You won’t know until you try. Let’s try. I’ll go with you and be your copilot.”
“You’ll die!”
Toryx shrugged. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take. But I honestly don’t think I would die. Not with you as pilot.”
Evie hesitated, unsure of what to say. She had to admit that it felt good to know that Toryx thought so highly of her piloting abilities. It was a nice ego boost. But that ego boost wasn’t enough to make her want to risk her life.
“It’s a suicide mission,” she repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. “And besides, even if I did want to go, Daxar would never approve it. He’s not going to want to lose two of his closest friends on Zocrone.”
“So we don’t ask for permission. We just leave.”
“Do you have clearance to override the lockdown? Because I don’t. Every exit out of the City Dome is sealed, guarded, and alarmed.”
“I don’t have clearance,” Toryx admitted. “But I’m sure I could figure out a way to get it. I’m well-known enough that I could probably concoct some official-sounding story of why I should have it. As soon as I convince one of the tech guys to give me clearance, you can pilot your ship out of here before Daxar realizes what’s going on. It’s not like anyone is going to chase us into the storm. And if we do make it back with water and supplies, I’m sure everyone will forgive us for taking off without permission. Even Daxar.”
Evie stared at Toryx in disbelief. He was serious. She’d always thought he was the most easygoing of Daxar’s group of advisors, but these days he was proving to be the feistiest.
“Toryx, really…” she started to say. But before she could finish her thought, her e-assistant started beeping with an urgent message alarm. Toryx frowned and pulled his e-assistant out of his pocket, and Evie realized that his was beeping as well.
Evie’s nerves were suddenly on edge. The urgent message alarm was used to contact her when emergency assistance was needed, but she couldn’t imagine what her assistance would be needed for right now. She’d often been called on to fly emergency rescue missions out onto Zocrone’s surface when Zocronians got stuck out there, but no one was outside the City Dome right now. There was nowhere for her to fly. So why was she being summoned?
With her heart pounding wildly in her chest, she swiped to unlock the e-assistant with her fingerprints, and quickly scanned the message.
Emergency alert for all high-level Dome Techs: The outside Dome in Sector 2.75 has been compromised by storm debris. All Dome Techs are requested to respond immediately to assist in repairing the damage before it becomes catastrophic. Repeat: all Dome Techs requested to report immediately to Sector 2.75.
Evie frowned and looked up at Toryx. “Did you just get the same message as I did, calling for the Dome Techs?”
Toryx nodded, and started to shove his e-assistant back in his pocket. “Come on. Let’s go report.”
Evie hesitated, feeling confused. “Are you a Dome Tech? I’m not, so I don’t know why I got this message. And I didn’t think you were either.”
“I’m not,” Toryx confirmed. “It looks like they mistakenly sent the message out to everyone, but I’m still glad they sent it. Come on. Let’s go.”
Evie was more confused than ever now. “Why would we go report if we aren’t Dome Techs? We’re just going to get in the way.”
Toryx was already moving forward, and he grabbed Evie’s hand to drag her along with him. “We’re not going to get in the way. We’re just going to request exit clearance to ‘help’ with the Dome repairs.”
Suddenly, Toryx’s intentions became clear. In the confusion of the Dome repairs, Evie and Toryx could probably show that they’d received the urgent message and convince those in charge of the Dome’s exit codes to give them clearance so they could help with the repairs. With that clearance, Evie and Toryx would be able to escape out into the storm and attempt an unauthorized supply run.
Evie pulled her arm away from Toryx and stopped. “No. No way. I’m not going behind Daxar’s back. Besides, we don’t have a ship.”
Toryx stopped as well, and turned back to look at her. “I thought the Starburst was still running.”
“Well, yes. But that’s not my ship. Technically it belongs to Nova. And she’ll kill me if I ruin it.”
Toryx rolled his eyes upward. “Really, Evie. Are you that slow of a learner? Nova can’t kill you if you’re already dead from crashing in the storm. And if you don’t crash, that would mean you made it back with supplies. No one is going to kill you then.”
Evie still hesitated, but her resolve was starting to waver.
She was starting to have the crazy thought that maybe she should do this.
After all, what was she really living for here on Zocrone? Toryx was right. She was basically sitting around waiting to die. She had a chance to try to save herself. To try to save the whole population of Zocrone. To try to save the people who mattered most to her in the world—her smuggling crew. True, they weren’t really a crew anymore. They didn’t go on smuggling missions anymore.
But in Evie’s heart, Nova, Maisie, and Anya would always be her crew. How could she pass up this last-ditch effort to help them? Toryx was right. She was the best pilot around. If anyone could do this, it was her. She had to try. And as much as Toryx got on her nerves sometimes, she knew he was the only one crazy enough to go on this mission with her.
The Alphas of the Seven Galaxies Page 45