The Alien's Tensions

by Ruth Anne Scott

  “Why?” Rain asked.

  “Because the energy that the emergency lights and emergency systems throughout the ship uses is not only very special but finite. There is enough of it to last for some time, but the goal is to use as little of it as possible so that it is available during true emergency situations.”

  “Why is it special?” Rain asked.

  “This ship was outfitted with experimental technology designed to help crews survive a wider range of dangerous situations. When the emergency lights are turned on, they not only illuminate the area, but give off nutrients and additional oxygen that can be absorbed through the skin so that it can sustain the crew even if they are running short on supplies.”

  “Does that actually work?” Rain asked, stunned by the description of the emergency system.

  “They did extensive studies and tests and they all showed positive results. This was the first live ship that was equipped with the lights, though. We had never attempted to use them.”

  “Then how do you know that there isn’t another light switch?” Rain asked.

  “It was part of our training and debriefing before getting on the ship for the first time. We were shown the control panels for each of the lights. They emphasized that there were no other means of turning the lights on or off so that we were aware of how to use them most efficiently.”

  “So how was I just able to turn that light on?”

  Heggs looked at the window again and shook his head.

  “I don’t know.”

  He stepped up to the window and reached under it again, running his fingers along the edge until it seemed that he had found the anomaly. Rain saw him crouch down to get better leverage and he dug his fingers under the edge. A few moments later he turned to her and held his palm out to her, showing her a small rectangular black object. She reached out to take it but hesitated. She didn’t know what it was or what it was capable of doing, and she didn’t know if touching it was a good idea.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  Heggs shook his head again.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Michael, do you know what this is? Does it look familiar at all?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder to where Elon was standing near the opposite wall.

  “No,” he said. “I have no idea what it is.”

  “Press it again,” Rain said as she looked back at Heggs.

  Heggs touched the object in his hand and Rain looked to the window, expecting to see the glow coming from underneath it again, but it remained dark. Instead, the object itself sent out beams of light from either side. As she stared at the light, Rain felt like her chest was crushing and her throat closing. As if he felt something as well, Heggs pressed it again to turn it off and looked up at Rain with fear in his eyes.

  “What is this thing?” he asked.

  Rain shook her head.

  “I don’t know, but we need to search for any others.”

  “I remember where all of the emergency lights are positioned,” Michael offered. “I can show you.”

  Rain nodded and they started out of the room, toward the next. She didn’t know why, but she knew that this small object had serious significance. They needed to check each of the emergency lights for more of these objects and get them off the ship, so they could try to figure out what they were and if the ship itself was safe for travel, or if their plans to return to Penthos, and the hopes of those who were already there, may be fading.

  Chapter Eleven

  Avery finished the last of the bread that he was eating as he approached the headquarters. The buzzing energy of the compound around him was getting to be too much and all he wanted to do was go to bed. All around him the different facets of the group were connecting, discovering each other, and reuniting. There were thrilled gasps and excited exclamations among those coming back together, but also shouted questions and tense fast-burning conflicts among those unprepared to see one another in the same context. Avery didn’t feel connected to any of it. Though he had committed himself to being a part of this, it didn’t change that he was coming into it far later than the rest and that he didn’t have the same emotional connection and understanding of all that was happening as those who were now mingling throughout the compound. He wanted to separate himself from it, to give them time to settle before he tried again to integrate into it all.

  From behind him, the pilot heard someone shouting his name. He stopped and turned toward the voice, looking at Maxim questioningly as the young man jogged toward him.

  “Is there something that I could do for you, Maxim?” he asked.

  “I need your help,” Maxim said, sounding both imploring and hesitant, as if he knew that Avery was the right person to ask for the assistance that he needed, but that he also didn’t want that to be the case.

  “What is it?” Avery asked.

  Maxim spoke quickly, his voice lowered slightly to prevent anyone who might pass their way from hearing what he was telling him. Avery listened as he described the group going back to the ship to rescue those who had waited there and learning of the pilot that they had chosen going through their belongings, claiming that there was someone aboard who was posing a serious threat to all of them. He felt uncomfortable when he heard that they had captured the man and put him into one of the containment units aboard, though he understood the action. More unnerving, however, was the revelation that Frederick was missing when they went back for him before leaving the ship. The thought that someone had been able to escape one of the containment units was unfathomable and Avery felt a shiver of dread at the implication. He was brought out of the thoughts, however, when Maxim asked him if he would go back to the ship with him to explore it further.

  “Why would you want me to go back with you?” he asked. “I wasn’t on the ship with them.”

  “I know,” Maxim said, “but you are the one among us who would be most familiar with the ships. Even though you weren’t on that specific one, you know the human ships like none of the rest of us do.”

  “I am familiar with the ship that I piloted,” Avery said, hoping to emphasize that he only knew the technology and characteristics of the vessel that he had been assigned so that he could feel confident Maxim understood his capacity to help him would be greatly limited, even though he was willing to give whatever help he could. “The one that the rest of the group brought from Earth is different. It’s newer, more complex technology that I haven’t learned completely yet. If I see it, though, I might be able to figure some of it out. I can at least give you some insight into its structure and some of the hidden features. I don’t know how helpful it will be, but I will do my best to give you any answers that I can.”

  “Now that those who were in the ship have come here, it should be easier to do a more thorough investigation of the entire ship. I want to know everything that I can about it. How it’s laid out, the emergency protocols and features, anything that he might have been able to use to escape the containment unit.”

  “I don’t know how much of that I’ll be able to help you with,” Avery admitted, wishing that there was more than he could offer. He knew that Maxim was just starting to accept him and see him not as a nuisance but as someone who could make a positive impact and he didn’t want to compromise what little progress he had made. “Those containment units were specifically designed to prevent any opportunity for escape. That is the whole point. They were made for the most dangerous and threatening of people that crews could encounter, from those who go rogue within the ship itself to criminals they might encounter during their mission.”

  “But there has to be a way,” Maxim said. “Frederick got out, and that means that there is something about that ship that allowed him to. We have to find it. We have no idea who this man is and what he was doing, or where he might have gone after he escaped. Wherever he went, we could be in serious danger until we find him.”

  “Or he might be.”

  Avery noticed Maxim pause, his
expression shifting slightly. It was as if he hadn’t fully processed what he had said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You assume that he escaped and that he is planning on doing something that is threatening to our group. What if what he was saying was true, and that the danger wasn’t coming from him, but someone else on the ship? You said that the door to the containment unit couldn’t open from the inside, so he couldn’t let himself out of the unit, but that doesn’t mean that he escaped. What if someone opened the door and took him out? He could be the one who’s at risk.”

  The full meaning of what Avery had suggested seemed to sink in and he saw Maxim’s eyes darken.

  “We need to go back as soon as we can,” Maxim said.

  “We’ll leave in the morning,” Avery said.

  Avery walked away from Maxim, entering the headquarters building and immediately going toward the back room that was still the personal space that he had set aside for himself. Though the other people in the compound had spread out in their time there and taken over other buildings to create temporary homes for themselves, particularly those who were in the compound with their mates, Avery didn’t have the compulsion to feel that he was settling in, even in a temporary way. This was not his home. This was the furthest thing from home that he had ever experienced. The small corner of space that he had established the first time that he went to sleep in the compound was the only space that he would claim while he was there. Anything more would be admitting that this was his reality and that it might linger on. He didn’t regret offering his service and assistance to Maxim, but Avery had to constantly remind himself that he was here among them only by chance and that when it was over, so was any link that they might have formed.

  He was questioning that concept somewhat as he went into his space and sat on the pallet he had crafted out of blankets. Maxim had come to him for help, seeking him out specifically in acknowledgment of the knowledge that he had and the value that he could contribute to their efforts. With the tremendous tension that had existed between them at the beginning, this seemed like massive progress, and Avery hoped that he could live up to the expectations that Maxim had of him.

  Avery reached for the bag that he had brought with him from the ship and brought it onto his lap. Flipping the front flap open, he removed the small stack of clothing that he kept there and then reached deeper until his hand found the small, flat box he was seeking. He withdrew the box carefully and held it in one hand as he lowered his bag to the floor again. This was the only object that he had brought with him into the panic room when the Valdicians infiltrated the ship and the crew followed the still-new protocols to secure themselves rather than attempting to confront the risk. The official word was that this was for their safety and for the integrity of the ship’s security programs, but to Avery, it just felt like they were hiding.

  Despite its small size, the box felt heavy in his palm. He held it without opening it for several moments and then carefully eased the thick paper lid from the box and set it aside. He tilted the box to drop a black velvet case into his palm. Setting the box aside with the top, he held the case and gingerly slid the tiny latch on the front to the side so that he could open the case. Avery moved aside the black silk that was folded in the case to reveal the object protected within. His fingertips touched the intricately knotted metal and then ran across the narrow plaque across the front, feeling the deep engraving across it.

  Avery heard the door to the headquarters close and Elise and Azra’s voices coming into the space, and Avery quickly folded the silk over again, placed the case back into the box, and tucked it safely away in his bag, grabbing up fresh clothes so he could change before going to bed.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I suppose this isn’t much of a honeymoon.”

  Samira laughed and shook her head as they walked across the compound toward the furthest building.

  “Not really,” she said. “But I’m proud of you for remembering that we still need one.”

  “Of course,” he said. “How could I forget all the plans that we made on our luxurious wedding night?”

  Samira laughed again, remembering cuddling together in the storage room of the basement. Though it had been a horrible situation, filled with fear and the unknown, seeking any humor that they could find helped to alleviate the pressure that they had been under. The time that she had spent on the ship away from her husband had been some of the most difficult days of her life and now she wanted to enjoy being with him again. Though she knew that there was so much more ahead of them, in these moments she needed any moments of brightness, any light that they could find.

  She could see the end of the collection of buildings ahead of her and Ty turned toward one of them. He had told her that he had chosen this particular building for them to call their home while they were on Penthos because it was far from everyone else, providing them with some of the isolation and privacy that they craved in the early days of their marriage. What was meant to be some of the happiest times in their lives had had a rough beginning and she knew that the dreams that she had for them would have to wait, but any moments that they could have together away from the rest of the world were treasured and gave her hope for what they would someday enjoy.

  They were far enough away from the rest of the compound that Samira could barely hear the voices. She pretended they were the tumble of waves against the sand, a sound of peace and beauty that she had hoped that she would be able to share with Ty. Visits to the beach had been one of the few luxuries that she had been able to enjoy when she was younger. Though they became far less frequent as she got older, she cherished the memories that she had of the time that she got to spend with her mother, feeling the sand and listening to the waves. When they were at the beach it was like they could pretend that Randall wasn’t there, that he wasn’t a part of their lives.

  He delighted in telling people that he was bringing them on vacation to the beach and allowing those looking into their home life from the outside think that he was wonderful for creating these memories with them. In reality, nearly as soon as they arrived at the hotel he would disappear into the bar and remain hidden beneath an endless supply of liquor and beer until the very end of the trip when he would dry up just enough to take a picture of them together on the sand. This was the one time that Samira wouldn’t pull away from his touch. She knew that Randall relied heavily on the belief of those around him that he was a good husband to Valerie and a good father-figure to her, and that this picture on the sand was an element of that, a critical piece of a tenuous little structure that he built, and if it wasn’t convincing enough, he would see no purpose in continuing the trips and would stop them. So, Samira went along with the picture, even leaning in toward Randall and allowing him to wrap his arm around her so they could create the image of a happy family. Though those were some of her most hated moments of her life, she reminded herself that with every one that she suffered, she earned more time listening to the waves.

  It hadn’t been enough. Their trips to the beach had ended a few years before and she had longed to be back there. When she and Ty discussed their honeymoon and the lives that they would share after their wedding, she always knew that she would bring him to the beach. He had never seen an ocean and she could think of no better way to further erase the thoughts of Randall than to replace them with those of being in Ty’s arms on the sand.

  They stepped into the small building and Ty settled the torch he carried into the holder on the wall, filling the small front room with light. Samira noticed one door leading off the front room and walked through it, finding a bed carefully made in the center of the room. It wasn’t as large or as comfortable-looking as the bed that they shared when on Uoria, but just because of the fact that Ty was there with her meant that it was the most wonderful bedroom she could have had. She dropped the bags she had brought from the ship to the floor and crossed to the bed, falling forward to lay across it.

  Samira felt Ty�
��s hands came to her ankles and the thrill of feeling the warmth of his skin against hers again rocked through her. Her husband’s touch moved slowly up to her calves and he wrapped his hands around them, easing them apart before continuing up to move her skirt out of the way and position her legs further apart. Finally, he reached her thighs and paused so that he could trace his fingers along the outside of each thigh from her knee to her hip and then down to her knee again. The feathery touch made Samira tremble with anticipation.

  Ty’s hands glided back up her thighs and over her hips until they settled on the small of her back. Samira gasped slightly as he flipped her over onto her back and pulled her forward so that her thighs settled on either side of his waist as he knelt on the bed between her legs. She sat up to bring them face-to-face and Samira felt Ty’s breath brush across her eyes and lips, then trail down her neck and onto her chest. He drew his hands out from behind her and cupped them on the sides of her face, so he held her jaw in his palms. He stroked his thumbs along her lips and traced the outline of the bow and the bottom curve as if rediscovering something that he had missed so desperately. Samira opened her mouth slightly and Ty dipped the pad of his thumb between her lips.

  Samira’s eyes drifted closed as she tasted his skin with the tip of her tongue. A moment later his thumb moved away from her mouth and he replaced the touch with his lips. She sighed into the delicious pressure of his mouth on hers and eagerly offered herself to the coaxing of his tongue by parting her lips to welcome it. There was nothing rushed or urgent in the kiss, though it sent shivers through her body. Instead, they savored each other, more aware now than ever of just how precious the other was and the value of every moment and every touch. Samira placed her hands on the sides of Ty’s ribcage then slid them up and over his shoulders so that they could rest at the back of his neck. His long strands of silky white hair tangled around her fingers and she combed through them, realizing just how much she had missed this. Usually, the warriors wore their hair in tall mohawks, but in the time that they had been away from Uoria they had started to wear their hair down more frequently. Though Ty was the baker of the clan and not technically a warrior, he identified with them and often wore his hair the way that they did. She loved to see him with his hair down. It gave him a look that was sexy and free rather than the tight control of the mohawk.