by Cheree Alsop
Zanden’s voice came over Liora’s headset. “Remember. The fuel cells are good for two jumps; after that, you have to change them out. Senior Commandant Day’s engineers were hoping to have an alternate energy source solidified by now, but due to hiccups in the system, we are back to fuel cells. We’ll transport to Barnard’s Galaxy, then jump to the Triangulum Galaxy. At Triangulum, we’ll change the fuel cells and jump to Dryer Nebula Five Eighty-four. If anyone gets off on their jump, you know where the destination is.”
“I’m plugging in the coordinates now. Is that a one or a seven?” Creeden asked.
“A one,” Tanlia answered.
“Are you sure?” Creeden replied. “A seven would make a huge difference.”
“I cross my sevens,” Tanlia said with a hint of annoyance.
“I don’t understand that,” Gunsa said. “Do your sevens have an identity crisis where they think they might be t’s? Why the crosses?”
“So that you don’t mix them up with ones and accidentally jump to the wrong galaxy,” Tanlia answered with a huff.
Creeden sighed. “It would be easier if we could have the coordinates on the screen rather than in Tanlia’s paraok scratch.”
“That would work, except for the fact that the galaxy we’re heading to is so far out it’s not even in the log,” Kray shot back.
“If you enter a seven and end up at the other end of the Macrocosm, it’s your own fault,” Tanlia said. “I didn’t take into consideration that you couldn’t read.”
“I didn’t take into consideration that you are writing impaired,” Creeden retorted. “I should have brought a translator.”
“Transport in five,” Zanden said without acknowledging their argument.
“See you at Barnard’s,” Gunsa called out.
“That sounds promising,” Waylan said. “Think they’ll have a bar? I could use a drink. The pain-killers are wearing off.”
“I brought extras,” Tariq told him. “I figured it’d be better if I control your dosage.”
Liora double-checked the numbers she had entered into the console; a smile crossed her face at their bantering.
“Three,” Zanden said.
“Just listen to Creed,” Kray told him. “You’ll be out in no time.”
“Two.”
“I keep your lives interesting,” Creeden said. “That’s a fact you can’t dispute.”
“It’ll be interesting if you make it to the Dreyer Nebula,” Tanlia said. “Remember that’s a one.”
“One,” Zanden said.
“Exactly,” Tanlia repeated.
“Transport,” Zanden commanded.
Liora pressed the button. The cold sensation ran through her, then a piercing, throbbing light flooded the cockpit of her starship.
“Ah!” Creeden called out. “What is that?”
“I’m blind!” Gunsa said.
“Seriously, turn out the lights,” Kray echoed.
“We must have ended up inside a Cepheid variable star’s helium cloud,” Tanlia replied.
“Can you say that in actual words?” Creeden shot back.
“A pulsating star,” Zanden answered. “We’re inside the gas cloud. Enter the coordinates for the Triangulum Galaxy before you fly into the star. Even these starships won’t be able to withstand the heat.”
“Burning to death isn’t my idea of a good time,” Creeden said. “Entering coordinates now.”
“And remember to put one instead of seven,” Tanlia reminded them quickly.
“Transport,” Zanden said.
Liora hit the button and the bright light vanished. Another cold flood ran through her body. When it faded, she felt light-headed. She wondered if anyone had ever studied the effects of multiple transports within minutes of each other. It took her eyes a moment to focus. When they did, her heart slowed.
The three Nines that had reached the Triangulum Galaxy ahead of her were under attack. A Ketulan had latched onto the side of Zanden’s Black Arrow. Tariq shot it off. Four more took its place and several others attacked Tariq. The other ships appeared.
“Change your fuel cells,” Zanden commanded. “Transport before you’re torn to pieces!”
Liora ducked behind her chair and squeezed through the small space to the engine panel. She pulled it up and set it aside. The fuel cell was wedged in the middle. It took several precious seconds to wiggle it clear and shove the other one in its place. She could hear yelling from one of the other ships over the communications link. The voice was female. Either Kray or Tanlia were fighting for their lives. Other voices joined them.
Liora slid back into her seat in time to see three of the Nines transport.
“What if the ship falls apart?” Creeden protested. “They’ve cut into the hull!”
“Better to find out than stay here,” Kray replied, her voice tight.
Two more ships disappeared.
“They’ve cut my fuel and oxygen.”
Liora’s blood turned to ice at Tariq’s words. A glance over her shoulder showed Tariq’s ship brimming with Ketulans. Through their metal bodies, she could see holes torn into Tariq’s Nine.
“Eject in the escape pod,” Zanden commanded.
Liora shot at three Ketulans attempting to reach her ship. Two others landed on Zanden’s Nine. Their mechanical arms flashed in the light from Liora’s starship as they sliced into his hull.
“Zanden, you’ve got two on your back,” she said. “Angle to the right so I can get a shot.”
Zanden did as she instructed. She took careful aim and fired. Both Ketulans exploded. Several others rushed over and began piecing them back together.
Tariq’s escape pod blasted from the bottom of the Night Wind. Two Ketulans went after him. Zanden shot them down. Liora steered her ship to the other side of the small square pod. She could see Tariq through the window. The pod looked barely big enough to hold him.
“Zanden, there are half a dozen Ketulans on your tail,” Tariq said.
Liora maneuvered her ship so that she could see the Ketulans closing in on Zanden.
“Transport to the Dreyer Galaxy, Zanden,” she told him. “I’ll pick up Tariq and we’ll follow.”
“Are you sure?” Zanden asked.
“If you don’t, you’ll be Ketulan fodder,” Liora replied. “We have the coordinates. We’ll meet you there.”
A moment later, Zanden’s ship vanished. All of the Ketulans immediately turned their attention to Liora and Tariq.
“I don’t think that was a good idea,” Tariq pointed out.
“Worried about the odds?” Liora asked.
She carefully steered her ship to just above Tariq’s escape pod.
“They aren’t my favorite,” Tariq replied. His voice was tight.
Liora pictured him preparing the pod’s hatch so he could open it right when she was ready. The moment she hit her hatch release, he would make the jump from one escape pod to the other.
“As soon as the hatch sealed again, I’m hitting the transport control,” she said. “Ready?”
“Better hurry,” Tariq replied. “There are a few Ketulans that think the Day’s End looks pretty enticing.”
“Three, two, one,” Liora said. She pressed the button and the ship’s controls gave several low beeps to indicate that the hatch was open.
The sounds of a scuffle ensued.
“What’s going on?” Liora asked, her heart racing. She didn’t dare leave her seat because every second counted. If too many Ketulans got the Nine before she transported, the starship would be torn apart before they could make the jump. Her heart thundered in her chest. “Tariq?”
“They got in!” he shouted.
“Close the hatch,” Liora ordered.
Tariq gave a grunt of pain. As soon as the beeping stopped, Liora hit the transport button. The ship didn’t move. A dozen warnings flashed across the monitors. Liora could see Ketulans littering the sides of her Nine.
A sharp claw grabbed her shoulder. Liora trie
d to turn around, but she couldn’t maneuver in the tight space with the Ketulan pinning her. She grabbed her knife and slammed it into the machine’s side. It released its hold on her shoulder only to clamp onto her right forearm with both of its mechanical claws.
The atmosphere suit gave little protection against the steel claws. Liora turned the best that she could and stabbed her knife into its side again and again. The claws tightened. She let out a cry as the bones in her arm snapped beneath its relentless grip.
She could hear Tariq struggling in the escape hatch. An image of him being shredded by Ketulans filled her with rage. She gritted her teeth and brought her arm around, slamming the Ketulan against the window. Tears of pain ran down her cheeks at the movement. The power cell beneath the Ketulan was revealed. Liora drove her knife into it once, twice, three times. The Ketulan shuddered and then stilled.
Unfortunately, its claws were still locked around her arm. Every movement sent a rush of pain up Liora’s mangled limb. She worked her knife into the gap between the first claw, and with a grunt of agony, managed to pry the claw open. She did the same with the second. As soon as the Ketulan was free, she kicked it away from her, cradling her arm against her chest.
“What’s going on?” Tariq asked over the headset. Liora could tell by the tightness of his voice that he was also in pain. “Why aren’t we out of here?”
“They’ve cut into the system,” Liora replied. “I don’t have control.”
She pressed several buttons, but the Nine didn’t respond.
Tariq cursed and something slammed into the side of the ship.
“I have an idea,” he said after a moment.
“That’s good, because I’m not sure what to do,” Liora replied.
“Send out the pulse.”
“The EMP?” Liora replied. “Are you sure?”
“It’ll affect the Ketulans.”
“It’ll disable the ship,” Liora pointed out.
Tariq paused, then said in a taut voice, “The Ketulans are destroying this thing from the inside and out. If we wait too long, there won’t be a ship, or us, for that matter. Zanden will be back to pick us up when we don’t appear at the Dreyer Galaxy. It’d be nice if something was left of us.”
Liora brought up the weapons system. She selected the electromagnetic pulse missile and set it to explode immediately. She could feel the scraping along the hull right outside where she sat. They were nearly through. The memory of what Gunsa had said about pilots being torn apart with their ships sent a shudder down her spine. Liora hit the button.
The nearly silent explosion occurred as soon as the missile left the hatch. The fine hairs along Liora’s arms stood up as silence filled the starship. She realized that all sounds had vanished completely. The electronic whir of the Ketulans, the hum of the Nine, even the barely audible hum of her atmosphere suit had stopped.
Fear brushed Liora’s senses. Of course the EMP would have knocked out her atmosphere suit along with everything else electronic. The thought made her breathe quickly even though she knew that in doing so, she was depleting what remained of her oxygen in the suit.
Something touched her arm and Liora jumped; adrenaline flooded her body until she realized it was Tariq trying to catch her attention. Tariq took her good arm and worked quickly on the control panel along the sleeve. He ejected a small fuse, slid another inside, and snapped it shut. The atmosphere suit gave a beep and Liora could breathe again.
Tariq’s mouth moved, but Liora couldn’t hear what he was saying. He paused and tapped his helmet. Liora hit the communicator button.
“That’s better,” Tariq said. He gave her a ragged smile. Blood colored the side of his face and he moved gingerly as if there were other wounds she couldn’t see. “Good to see you.”
“You, too,” she replied. Relief that they had survived another encounter with Ketulans filled her. “Can we change out some type of fuse on this Nine like you did with my atmosphere suit?” she asked hopefully.
Tariq shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. The damage to the ship is far greater than an overload of our suits’ circuits. We’ll have to wait for Zanden to swing back and pick us up.”
“What if more Ketulans appear?” Liora asked.
Tariq glanced out of the ship’s window with a worried expression. “We’ll be easy to pick off.”
“We won’t go without a fight,” Liora told him.
He smiled at her. “I pity the Ketulan that tries to take you down.”
“Us down,” she corrected.
He nodded. “I pity the Ketulan that tries to take us down. It would have quite the fight.” He gently touched the arm she held to her chest. “Let me see,” he coaxed.
Liora couldn’t hide a wince at the feeling of the bones grinding against each other. Tariq checked them carefully.
“We need to get you to a medical bay,” he said with concern in his gaze.
“When we see one, I’ll let you know,” she replied, forcing her tone to remain light.
She knew how quickly untreated injuries could go septic. By the pallor of Tariq’s face, he could use a medical bay as much as she.
Liora saw him shiver.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
A closer look revealed a tear across Tariq’s chest. Blood colored the uniform he wore beneath. She set her good hand on the tear. The drops of blood that clung to the fabric were frozen.
“The Ketulans maneuver surprisingly well in tight spaces,” Tariq told her. “This one got off a lucky swipe before I ended it. My suit’s having a hard time maintaining a steady temperature.”
Liora stared at him. “You could freeze to death before Zanden comes back for us.”
Tariq lifted one shoulder. “I’m harder to kill than that.”
Liora gave him a straight look. “Tariq, the Nine is down and your suit is torn. There’s no way you can survive the negative temperatures for very long. We need to come up with a plan.” Liora looked around. “This hull is too big to keep heated. We need to use the escape pod.”
Tariq followed her with a skeptical expression. She climbed into the small pod. At her motion, he squeezed in beside her. She shut the hatch above them manually.
“We’ll use both of the suits to keep the pod as warm as possible,” she said.
She tried to take off her helmet with one hand.
When Tariq realized what she intended to do, he stopped her. “Liora, your suit works. Don’t mess with it. I’ll hold out for as long as I can.” His teeth chattered as he spoke. He forced a smile and wrapped his arms across his chest. “I’m t-tougher than I look.”
Liora shook her head. “I’m not about to sit here and watch you freeze to death while I’m warm in my suit. Here, look.” Before he could stop her, she managed to turn the helmet and free it from its catch. Her breath fogged in the bone-chilling cold that bit at her exposed skin. She could feel the heat escaping her suit into the small space around them.
“Put your helmet back on,” Tariq insisted. He tried to take it from her to place it back on her head, but she deflected his hands.
“My suit will keep working to warm the air,” Liora told him. “It’s the best chance we’ve got.”
Tariq gritted his teeth and pulled off his helmet as well. He grimaced at the rush of cold.
“I think this is a t-t-terrible idea,” he said.
Liora nodded. “P-probably.” Her teeth chattered together. She was amazed how quickly the chill was getting to her. “B-but together, we might have a chance.”
“Liora,” Tariq protested.
Liora shook her head. “We’re t-together in this, remember?”
Tariq hesitated, his mouth open as if he wanted to argue. He shut it and sat back with a huff that colored the air white.
“We could both f-freeze to death in here,” he pointed out.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” she shot back.
A million reasons why she didn’t want to die rushed to Liora’s thoughts. It
felt strange to have so many. She had once been a lone girl wandering the desert of Ralian until she was picked up by slavers. She hadn’t cared whether she lived or died. If anyone had asked, she would have told them to kill her. Now, though, the thought of death was painful. She had too much left to do. Brandis needed to be rescued, she hadn’t even begun a true relationship with her real father, she wanted to know if Mrs. Metis and Kiari were happy and settled in, and she needed to see the wedding between Shathryn and Tramareaus.
“That would be a t-terrible t-t-thing,” Tariq told her.
He pulled her close in the tight space, his arms wrapped around her, his hands rubbing her arms in an effort to keep her warm. The humming of the suits filled the tiny area as the temperature modulators fought to warm the space. To Liora, it felt too little to make much of a difference. The cold became a piercing pain to every part of her body. She couldn’t stop shivering and she felt Tariq shaking as he held her, his chin resting on her head and his arms wrapped around hers.
“T-they should be h-here any m-minute,” Tariq said, his teeth clicking together with each word.
“A-any m-m-minute,” Liora replied. She kept her eyes shut, afraid that they would freeze in the extreme cold.
“I-I’m giving him a p-piece of my mind,” Tariq said.
Liora tried to laugh, but the effort was too great. She merely nodded. She felt Tariq’s head settle heavily on her shoulder. She leaned her head to the side and wished she could smell his warm, masculine scent; with the cold, it was impossible for even her sense of smell to work.
The thought that she was sad she couldn’t smell him made her wish she could laugh. She tried to open her mouth to tell him, but her jaw was locked against the cold and refused to work. Liora wanted to slip her gloved fingers though his, but her fingers wouldn’t respond. At least she could no longer feel the pain in her crushed arm.
“Tariq?” Liora said.
There was no reply.
Liora maneuvered within his tight hold until she could just barely glimpse his face out of the corner of her eye. His eyes were closed and his cheeks were deathly pale. No breath colored the air in front of his nose and mouth.