“Benefactors?”
“Yeah. There are a lot of rich people on this ship. I’m sure quite a few of them are here because they funded the scientific expedition. Rich people love feeling like they are a part of progress and stuff like that.”
“Do you really think they will just tell you who their major contributors are and how heavily they contributed?”
She sighed.
“Yes, Shadow Man. I do think they will. I know it’s been a while since you’ve lived in the world of the sighted, but do you remember ever seeing a handsome scientist covered in women?”
“Not that I can recall, but I’m sure handsome scientists exist.”
“I’m sure they do too, but this lot is not in that category. A little flirting will go a long way.”
I faced her incredulously.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that. It’s harmless, and it’s not like I’m going to bed them. Honestly, one night together and you are so protective.”
I leaned against a nearby wall to stay out of the flow of human traffic while Salem sidled over to the unsuspecting scientists. The odds they knew anything were slim. They were probably just a group of lab techs that knew nothing about benefactors.
Footsteps give away a lot about a person. I can listen to your footsteps and tell if you are heavy or thin. Often times, I can tell if you are male or female. Men have a tendency to stomp more. Then there’s your intent. It’s a bit trickier to judge accurately, but I can often tell what your purpose is when you approach me. If the steps are heavy and fast, you probably need to tell me something important. If you approach and stand a few feet away with jerky steps, you probably are looking for a fight.
A boy approached with what he thought were silent footsteps. They were light and spaced far apart, which meant he was taking his time to try to sneak up to me. I waited until he was within an arm’s reach before I grabbed his shirt at the chest and slammed him against the wall I was leaning on. He gasped with the suddenness of it. Judging by his height and weight, he was either twelve years old or a very underdeveloped thirteen-year-old.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” he sputtered.
“Why are you sneaking up on me? Are you trying to steal from me?”
“No, sir!”
He was frightened. My hand was still on his chest, and I could feel his heart thrum under it like a hummingbird.
“Then why?”
“It was a dare.”
“What was a dare?”
“Some kids. They dared me to sneak up on you.”
“They did, huh? Where are they now?”
“They took off when you grabbed me.”
I smiled and took my hand off of his chest and placed it on his shoulder.
“I bet they did. What’s your name, kid?”
“Trevor.”
“Okay, Trevor. You are going to do me a favor to pay me back for this.”
“What sort of favor?”
His voice trembled with fear. It was obvious he knew who I was.
“It won’t hurt, I assure you.”
“Okay,” he said, unconvinced.
“See that dark-haired girl over there talking to the scientists?”
He nodded.
“I’m blind, Trevor. I can’t always tell when you’re nodding. You have to speak up.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, I want you to describe her to me.”
“What?”
“I am talking perfectly loud enough, boy. What does she look like?”
“Um… she’s pretty.”
I sighed.
“I need more information than that, Trevor.”
He paused while he looked Salem over.
“She has really long, black hair. It goes down to the middle of her back.”
“Is it dark brown or is it black?”
“It’s black, and she is thin. She is wearing silver leggings with a black skirt over them that has slits up each side. She has on a silver tank top and black boots that go up to her calf.”
“Good. What color is her skin?”
I felt the boy’s skin go hot under my hand, and I figured he was blushing.
“It’s pale. She has light skin.”
“And her eyes? What color are those?”
“Blue.”
“What kind of blue? Are they dark blue or light blue?”
“They are light blue, like almost grey blue.”
“Good. Anything else about her you can tell me?”
“Um, she has a tattoo.”
He was sounding eager to give me information now.
“She does?”
“Yeah, it’s a green dragon tattoo. It goes up her leg around that scar. The dragon’s tail wraps around her knee and it goes all the way up her leg.”
I paused for a second and faced the boy.
“I thought you said she was wearing silver leggings. How can you see her tattoo if she is wearing leggings?”
Trevor’s skin grew hot again, and he started sweating a little. His heart rate picked up, and I could tell I caught him with something.
“Trevor, you need to answer.”
“I-I-I saw her before.”
“You saw her before? You mean you watched her before?”
“Y-yes. I saw her once when she bent over to fix her boot. She didn’t have leggings on, and I saw her tattoo.”
“You were peeping at her?”
He nodded solemnly, but I didn’t have the heart to correct him. It would be like kicking a puppy. And really, what twelve-year-old boy wasn’t a peeping tom?
“Give me your hand, Trevor.”
His skin turned clammy and I could tell he was afraid.
“Give me your hand now.”
He slowly held out his hand to me, and I took it. I grabbed his forearm, leaving his wrist and hand to dangle in the air. I paused for dramatic effect, knowing full well Trevor was trembling and holding his breath. In one swift movement, I slapped his hand with the other hand in a playful manner and released the hand back to him. I smiled and imagined the bewildered look on his face.
“Is that it?”
“You want more?”
“No!”
I reached into my pouch and pulled out a coin. I flipped it to Trevor and he caught it.
“Payment for your services, Trevor.”
“Uh, thanks?”
Suddenly, the peace of the ship shattered with a volley of sirens. Ear piercing, mechanical screams wailed all around us. We stood at attention, our hearts in our throats, as the Metal Heads sprang into action, directing people back to their quarters. Fear overtook everyone.
“Emergency. Emergency. Code 5-1-2 in progress. All personnel to their stations,” stated a mechanical female voice over the din of sirens.
I turned to Trevor and pushed him toward the corridor.
“You had better go. Find some place safe.”
He left in a hurry right as Salem came running up to me. She wrapped her arm around mine and squeezed.
“What’s going on?” she asked in a voice laced with fear.
“I don’t know.”
Chapter Fourteen
People raced past us as with the hurried footfalls of a panicked mob as the sirens continued to reverberate through the corridors. Slowly, the softer steps of the passengers were replaced with the loud clanging of the Metal Heads’ boots on the grated floor. The echoes were everywhere, and it made me feel disoriented. Salem and I hugged the walls to keep from being trampled. She squeezed my arm and leaned in close.
“Shouldn’t we be running back to our quarters?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’m not big on blind trust, Shadow Man. Please don’t be vague.”
I took a deep breath and let it out.
“If something is about to happen, I’d rather be where all the people with big guns are.”
“Clear enough.”
The corridor was getting more and more crowded. We really had to squeeze against the wa
ll in order to not get in the way. One flustered Metal Head shouted at us to move, and Salem pulled me into a recession in the wall that protected some pipes. Thankfully, this kept us out of the way and reasonably out of sight.
“What’s happening?” I asked her.
“I can’t really tell. Looks like all the Metal heads are headed for the Sector Three air lock.”
“How can you tell?”
“Well, we are pretty close to it. Plus, they all keep running down that hallway, and I think that’s the only real destination down that way.”
“Let’s follow them.”
“Are you nuts?”
“No. I don’t hear anymore coming. Let’s follow them and see what is going on.”
She puffed air at me.
“You are nuts. I wish I could just blow this off as your idea of a bad joke, but I really don’t think you joke.”
“Not if I can help it. Now come on, let’s go.”
I followed the sound of receding footsteps through the corridor with Salem right behind me. She stepped so lightly I occasionally lost where her position was. Her breath was rapid and quiet. I could barely read her at all, which meant she was afraid, like a small animal in a dangerous maze. One false move might draw the dogs down on her.
Me, I felt nothing but curiosity. My vitals acted the same. I may have been a little more aware of things when I felt danger, but when you are trained to be an assassin, your body is on red alert most of the time. You get used to it.
We rounded a corner and nearly ran into the backs of about fifty Metal Heads. I felt them before she saw them. As soon as we turned the corner, the air got thicker and filled with the condensed breath of humans confined in metal. I grabbed Salem just before she stumbled into a helmeted woman. We flung ourselves around the corner and hid before anyone noticed us. They were all too preoccupied.
The sirens were loudest here. It was obvious we were at the air lock door in Sector Three, and whatever was on the other side was the cause for the panic. There was a lot of mumbling and shuffling of feet. I’m sure if the sirens were not blaring, I would have been able to hear the collective thrumming of their nervous hearts.
“Make room! Move out of the way, you cretins! I mean it. Disperse!”
The sirens had died with a whoosh I assumed was the air lock door closing. The voice yelling at the soldiers was so familiar I knew who he was right away. The chilly voice of Dr. Mellar filled the air. He seemed to have some sort of influence on the Metal Heads around him because I could hear frantic shuffling throughout the room. There was the sound of clicking heavy locks, and the sudden sense of another soul filled the air. This soul was definitely not the good doctor’s.
“Someone new is there,” I breathed into Salem’s ear.
“I’ll try to get a look.”
She didn’t have a chance. I grabbed her shoulder and yanked her back to me just as a group of Metal Heads came stomping around the corner. Most walked in formation, but I could tell a few were working together to carry a burden, causing their footfalls to be uneven. We shrank against the wall in an effort to go unnoticed.
“Hey, you two!”
A gruff voice to the left of me shouted at us. Apparently, we had been spotted.
“What are you doing here?”
“So sorry, Sergeant is it? We are horribly lost. Which way is the galley from here?” chimed Salem in a flirty way.
I tried my best to look blind and helpless. It might have worked had Dr. Mellar not spotted us shortly after.
“Well, if it isn’t you two. It seems you are everywhere.”
“We are simply lost, sir,” said Salem in a tiny voice.
“Spare me, girl. You aren’t fooling anyone. What are you doing here?”
The Metal Heads had stopped their progress when they noticed the doctor had stopped to talk to us. I listened intently to hear any noises coming from the bundle they held, but the reverberation in that sector was profound. Even the doctor’s steely voice ricocheted off of everything.
Salem leaned in close.
“It’s a woman in a survival suit.”
Dr. Mellar heard her.
“Ah, I figured that was why you were really here. Curious to see the survivor?”
“Survivor?”
“Yes. The girl is a survivor. We are taking her to med lab now.”
“May we escort you?” I asked.
“What?”
“These halls are dangerous. I can offer protection for you like I did last time.”
Salem snickered and a few of the Metal Heads huffed. Tension caused everyone to go silent. The thick air muffled all of the sounds, and I was able to detect a sound from the woman they were holding. She was breathing steadily, like a child sleeping. It didn’t sound like she was in danger of expiring any time soon, so our delay wasn’t going to hurt her chances of survival.
“Alright. Come along then,” said Dr. Mellar after contemplating the real meaning behind my offer. “But don’t expect to make this a habit. I will give you no more preferential treatment for saving my life.”
Chapter Fifteen
Med lab smelled the way they always did, like disinfectants and bedpans. There was always something extraordinarily uncomfortable to me about the smell of urine and cleaner. Luckily, the lab was relatively empty when we arrived, and Salem and I were given a bed to sit on to be out of the way of the doctors and nurses. They fluttered about like an excited ant colony that had just been kicked over. I leaned over to Salem.
“What do we have?”
“Lots of chaos. Everyone’s in a panic.”
“What about the woman?”
“Still has her helmet on. No, wait. They just removed it. Sheesh, something about that helmet has them in an uproar.”
“Can you tell what?”
“No, I can see her now though. The girl is Asian. She’s got white hair. How odd. She has white hair that stands out about six inches all over her head. Oh, they are pulling her out of the survival suit. She’s a small thing, but man, has she got some muscles.”
“Military do you think?”
“The survival suit looks military. With arms like that, I’m guessing so.”
Suddenly, there was a loud scream. The woman shrieked at the top of her lungs and started thrashing about, throwing one of the well-meaning doctors to the floor. I heard him grunt as he hit the ground.
“Sedative! Now!”
There was more scrambling and grunting as Metal Heads ran to hold her down. The woman was still shrieking while the medics tried to inject her with the tranquilizer.
“You don’t know! Turn back! I have seen it, and you don’t know!”
“Hold her now!”
There were more sounds of struggle, and I heard the loud smack of one of her feet kicking a Metal Head in his chest plate.
“None of you know. None of you!”
“I got her!” shouted one of the nurses as she injected the sedative directly in the woman’s veins.
“No! No! You don’t understand!”
Suddenly, there was a sliding noise of body on metal. Then, there was silence. An eerie stillness entered the room. Even the nurses were holding their breaths, and for some reason, I felt like everyone was looking at me.
“What’s happening?”
“She’s… uh… looking at you.”
“She’s what?”
“She’s laying there with her back arched, looking straight at you upside down. Actually, everyone is looking at you now.”
“He does,” the woman said, now almost whispering. “He knows. No, he doesn’t, but he will. He will know.”
I heard her move again but not like a she had before. The spasms were now slower, and she shifted unbound on the metal examining table. Slowly, her body gave into the medicine, and her movements silenced. I imagined her curled into a ball like a kitten.
“Well, what was that all about?” asked Dr. Mellar as he walked us to us.
“We were hoping you’d tell us.�
��
“Don’t be cute. Do you know this girl?”
“I know lots of people, doctor. But, as you can see, I’m a bit impaired when it comes to a visual identification. Can you tell me her name?”
He huffed at me.
“We pulled this ID card off of her. It says her name is Private Tio Crass, and she was stationed on the Icarus. That’s another one of our ships. It was monitoring the dragons for us. Only marines and scientists on that ship.”
“That doesn’t ring a bell.”
“She seems to know you.”
“Well, she’s been living in a survival suit for how long in the vacuum of space? People often need some time to adjust after a thing like that. She must be mistaken. How long would you say she was out there?”
“It looks like she was in the suit for two or three days. She’s dehydrated and hungry, but I think she will be alright.”
“Any word from the Icarus?
“We are hailing them now. Nothing yet.”
That bit of information was not lost on anyone there. It floated through the air, absorbing all of the attention in the room.
“And if we find something bad has happened to the Icarus?”
“We will continue on our course and see what assistance they might need. Either way, we are getting to the dragons. We have been planning this for months. We will do what we must for those people and this woman, but nothing is going to keep us from those beings.”
“Understood.”
I think he was expecting opposition from us. At least, he was expecting judgment from me. He wasn’t going to find any. Unlike most people, I know what I can and cannot affect. This was beyond me, and outwardly judging his call would counteract my goals on this ship. He would not confide in me the way I wished unless I was cold and uncaring around him. Like a gravestone poised to hear any confession, I’d hear him out without judgment.
“And the helmet?”
“The helmet?”
“Yes, there was something strange about her helmet, wasn’t there?”
“How did you know that?”
“We noticed when you removed her helmet, there was a ruckus.”
“Yes, well, that was… odd.”
“What was odd?”
“The helmet must have malfunctioned.”
“How so? She seemed to be fine.”
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