by Lisa Jade
Nothing. My dress is shredded and bloodstained halfway to hell, but as I place a shaky hand on my stomach, there’s no pain. No open, oozing wound. Only a patch of skin that feels new and somewhat tender. Terri smiles.
“It’s okay. The wound’s healed perfectly. We’ve replaced the blood you lost, too.”
She points to the bag at my side, which is still connected to my arm. Before, the thought might have made me feel sick, but right now I don’t care. Other memories are coming back now, too. Luci crouched on the floor. Isaac facing down their father. I look around wildly.
“The others. Where are they?”
“Hey, now,” she coos, “don’t worry, they’re fine. They brought you here.”
Relief floods through me. They’re safe. Thank god they’re safe.
“Where are we?” I ask, unnerved by how weak my voice sounds.
“You’re in MedBay 7A. You’re lucky there was one nearby.”
“So you fixed me up? How…”
“I’ve been trained on these machines for years,” she explains, “when the others needed help, they got onto the Intercom and begged me to come here. We had to restrain a couple of crew doctors, but…”
She shakes her head.
“Oh, that doesn’t matter. The main thing is you’re alive. Lucky, too.”
“Huh?”
“When we got here, you’d nearly bled dry. If not for the tube, I don’t know what we’d have done. But it’s fine. You’re fine.”
She shoots me a wistful smile, but I can still sense her concern.
“What?” I ask, “what is it?”
“I… I’m just happy you didn’t die. I’d have never forgiven myself if I failed to save you - not when I still owed you my life.”
“You don’t owe…”
“I do,” she says simply, “I’d have died without you. You know, Sabina didn’t know if it was worth risking everything for me to come here. Helping the criminals, you know. But then Luci told us what had happened, and I told her I was coming. Whether she wanted me to or not.”
She takes several long breaths, as though to calm herself.
“Where are the others?” I ask.
“In the room next door. I told them to stay away while I treated you. It can be a bit of a nightmare scenario, watching the skin stitch itself back together like that.”
My hand finds my stomach again.
“This feels so weird.”
“It will feel strange for a while. Trust me, I know. But you’ll be on your feet again soon. Long before anyone realises where the lost prisoner is.”
She winks at that, then stands.
“If you’re up to entertaining visitors, I can let them in?”
I swing my legs over the side of the table, touching my now-bare feet to the cold floor. I take a quick inventory of my body. Aside from being covered in dried blood, I feel okay. The pounding in my head is gone. My stomach feels entirely normal. Terri fires a sympathetic look at me, then presses a towel into my hands.
“You might want to get rid of the bloodstains,” she says, “Luci might freak out if she sees you like this.”
I obey, rubbing at the congealed blood on my arms, legs and face. I hadn’t realised how much there was. It seems strange to be entirely unharmed while simultaneously smothered in my own blood.
The whole thing feels like a dream now. Like something imagined. All the pain, all the blood. The endless fear. They feel like echoes now, like a story Mom might have told me years ago.
Still, I suppose I should be happy. I’m alive, at least. That’s enough.
Terri heads over and taps on a nearby door.
“You can come in now.”
There’s a small pause, and then two sets of wide, frightened eyes peer from behind the door. I shuffle uncomfortably when I see them, unsure of what to do with my body.
“Hey,” I say quietly, half-hoping they haven’t seen me.
The door opens fully, and Luci envelops me in a tight embrace. She buries her face against my shoulder and lets out a long sigh of relief.
“Oh, thank god. You’re alive.”
I return the embrace immediately, revelling in the warmth of her skin on mine. I still feel a little cold, a little tired – and the energy that rolls off her in waves is almost contagious. Behind her, Isaac wipes the sweat from his brow.
“That’s it,” he breathes, “no more adventures for you. Not ever.”
“Are you two okay?” I ask, “did he hurt you?”
Luci pulls away, fixing me with a stern look.
“Are you crazy? You’re the one who got hurt!”
Isaac looks at Terri.
“Are you sure she’s alright?”
She shrugs.
“She’ll be fine. There’s no more healing to do now – just the confusion that comes after a big healing session. I’d prefer to survey her for a few minutes longer, mind you.”
His lips tighten.
“Do what you need to do. After what happened, I’m not taking any chances.”
Strange. His expression is hard. It’s not like him to remain so calm. He stands with his arms crossed firmly in front of him, his brow furrowed. He sees me looking and frowns.
“Do you feel alright?”
“I’m fine. A-are you okay?”
He simply looks away. He’s not okay. There’s something seething behind his eyes, something unnerving about his expression. Is he angry?
I look down at my feet, willing them to move. To stand. The motion is uneasy at first and Luci reaches out to steady me, but I wave her away. It takes a few attempts to walk, but when I do, it’s surprisingly easy. My body still understands me.
I walk up to Isaac, dragging the blood bag behind me, and gaze up at him. He watches me with cold eyes and for a long moment, I expect him to start shouting. I wouldn’t blame him. I swore I could change things, and I failed horribly. I nearly got myself killed in the process, too, putting paid to our big plan.
I bite my lip. He doesn’t seem injured, but I saw him face down his father. I saw the gun in his hand. Isaac doesn’t have it in him to pull the trigger. What happened after I passed out?
I look into Isaac’s face, and looking back at me is all the exhaustion of the past two months. All the stress, all the worry, all the fear we’ve felt is etched on his youthful face, marring the confidence that usually fills it. Sadness wells in my chest and I step forward, resting my forehead against his chest. A moment later my arms move too, slipping around him and hugging him tightly.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, “I know I let you down.”
A hand finds the back of my head.
“Don’t be stupid.”
“But… you seem angry.”
He sighs.
“I am. Not at you, though.”
He cups my face in a long-fingered hand, and finally his expression softens. His thumb gently rubs at my cheek, and a small smile finally forms. How could I have forgotten how handsome he is when he smiles?
“I was terrified, Quinn,” he says, “I was so angry with my father. I fully intended to put a bullet in his head and have that be the end of it. It would have solved all our problems.”
“Did you do it?” I ask in a horrified whisper.
“No. I was going to, but then Luci started screaming that you were dying.”
He lets out a bitter laugh.
“After that, keeping you alive was kind of a priority. So I cuffed my old man and forced him into hiding. We’d already got Finn and Sabina to help arrange the meeting in the ballroom, so luckily, Terri was nearby. I carried you here and by some miracle, she was able to save you.”
The hand on my face shivers, betraying the sudden serenity on his face.
“I should have protected you better,” he says, “I promised I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you and then…”
Oh. He’s not mad at me. He’s mad at himself. I pull away, shaking my head hard.
“No. Don’t you dare take the blame on this one. I w
anted to beat him by myself.”
Terri cocks her head.
“Wait, you thought you could bring down the Captain on your own? The guy is a tank.”
“I know,” I say, “but I had to get him to concede somehow. Outwit him, outfight him, it didn’t matter. I wanted to prove that he’s not so scary.”
I look back at Isaac.
“I know how much he terrifies you. Both of you. I thought that if I could overpower him, despite my obvious disadvantage, then maybe you’d have faith that you could do it, too. Maybe he’d lose his power over you.”
Behind me, Luci sighs.
“Quinn… you may have had noble intentions, but that is probably the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard you say. How many times do I have to tell you? It’s just the way things are.”
I open my mouth to respond, but Isaac beats me to it.
“It worked, though. I wasn’t afraid of him when I grabbed that gun. I didn’t care that he was bigger than me or any of that nonsense.”
His hand tightens on my shoulder.
“I had other things to care about.”
Heat fills my cheeks, and I’m suddenly gripped by a desire to kiss him. It seems appropriate, given all we’ve been through – but as I lean in, I reconsider. No doubt there’s still traces of dried blood on my face, even in my mouth. I wouldn’t want to kiss that. I pull back and lower my head.
“What now?” I ask, “we’ve lost any advantage we had.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I didn’t get him to say it. He figured out the trick straight away. Without the Captain’s confession, nobody is going to believe us about Orithyia. Maybe…”
I bite my lip.
“…Maybe we should just grab one of the shuttles. Go back.”
“Back?”
“To Pyre. Maybe we can do something from there instead.”
This isn’t like me. I don’t normally give up quite so easily; but my body is drained of all energy, and my mind is still hazy, and I feel like I could sleep for a week and still wake up drowsy. I cup my head in my hands to calm the sudden dizziness, and a pair of strong hands find my back.
“Quinn,” Isaac coos, “we’re not going anywhere.”
“Why not? There’s nothing we can do. I just want this to be over, Isaac. We’re… I’m not strong enough.”
He fixes me with a kindly look.
“You don’t have to be. Your part in this is over.”
“Huh?”
Luci steps up to my other side, excitement suddenly playing on her face.
“What you see as a disadvantage is actually a good thing,” she says, “we’ve only been gone an hour, maybe less. Everyone should still be in the ballroom with Sabina and Finn.”
“There’s no way they’d wait around for nothing.”
“They know something’s going on. The intercom was still on when your plan went wrong.”
I wince. Great. The whole damn ship heard me screaming. Heard me tell the Captain to fuck off. Luci’s smile widens.
“It’s alright. From the audio, it’s pretty clear you were the victim. Nobody’s mad at you. Not even for your… um… colourful language.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologise,” Isaac says, “I’ve been waiting half my goddamn life to hear someone tell my father where to stick it. I have half a mind to tell him myself. When we get him out of hiding, of course.”
“I still can’t believe you managed to cuff him.”
“Neither can I. I guess it makes sense, though. I am his son, as much as I may hate to say it. It only follows that I’d inherit at least some of his physical prowess. Even so, it felt… weird. To overwhelm someone like that. The power of it. I can see why he gets off on it.”
His eyes glaze over for a moment, but then he snaps back to reality.
“Anyway. The point is, the plan’s still on.”
“But how?” I ask, “without the Captain confessing, nobody is going to believe us. Hell, even if they do, nobody would fight back after hearing what he did to me.”
Luci beams.
“That’s the thing. We don’t need to trick him.”
“I don’t follow.”
“On One, we’re constantly told that we’re above everyone else. People like you and the other Companions are dehumanised at every turn, and as people grow, they become disconnected. They stop thinking of Companions as people, so they don’t care what happens to them. But not us. We’re still of the age where we do see you as people. They haven’t broken us yet. And there’s not a soul on board this ship who wants to see their new friends torn away from them. The passengers are the ones with the power, not the crew. The passengers are the ones who can change everything.”
She steps back, her chest swelling with pride. Upon our first meeting, I could never have imagined I’d grow to care for her so much. Despite my misgivings, just standing beside her fills me with confidence. A sly smile crosses her face.
“We have the Captain in cuffs. He’s the big power on board, and we have him on his knees. If we can show everyone that, it’ll undermine his authority. They won’t be scared anymore.”
“It sounds amazing. But it’s a bit of a long shot…”
“Worth a try, right?”
For a moment, I feel light. It might still be okay. There might still be some way of salvaging this. But then doubt creeps in again, and I grimace.
“Say this works. We still have over a year of travelling left to go, and a whole ship to run. I know the Companions each have special skill sets, but we can’t run a damn ship. We need the crew.”
“I’ve already thought about that,” Isaac says, “we’ll ask the crew to join us. Those that do will be permitted to stay. They’ll run the ship and get us safely to Orithyia, where we can negotiate our safe release and return.”
“And those that don’t?”
“Any crew members who refuse will be placed into a shuttle, along with dear old Dad. We’ll send them back to Earth. It shouldn’t take long for them to get back, and then they’ll be too far away to cause us any trouble.”
I gape. They’ve really thought this through.
“So,” he smiles, “what do you reckon? Can we still save this?”
Damn it. His smile is infectious.
“Worth a shot.”
Twenty-Seven
Luci and I slip into the ballroom first. It’s absolutely packed with people - more people than I’ve ever seen in one place. They sit in small groups, exchanging worried glances and muttered words. Several wear the same glittering gowns they would have donned for a party.
“There are so many people,” I mutter, “how did you get them all here?”
“It wasn’t me. Sabina and Finn are, apparently, pretty damn popular.”
As we walk through the room, eyes settle on us. I feel their collective gaze glide up and down my body, taking in the bloodstains, the burn on my arm, the determination in my face. Instantly, the topic of conversation changes.
“How did she get out?”
“Covered in blood…”
“What do we do?”
Before, I’d have hung my head and slunk behind Luci, eager to remain hidden from curious eyes and judging tongues. Not this time. There’s something enjoyable about it; raising my chin, pulling my shoulders back as I stride purposefully through the room.
Crew members blend into the crowd, looking for all the world like lost, confused children. One spots me and freezes, his hand sinking to the gun on his waistband.
“H-hey, you…”
I shoot him a look and he falls silent. Amazing. I’ve never been this powerful before. There’s never been a time when people have watched me with fascination and intrigue, their breath held as they wait for me to make my move. There’s never been a time when I’ve silenced someone with a look. The mixture of fear and respect is almost intoxicating.
Finn and Sabina stand at the far end of the room, trying desperately to calm those around t
hem. They seem to have become the target for all concern and complaints after that worrying exchange over the intercom.
Finn spots Luci and darts over, wiping the sweat from his face. He looks mildly panicked as he sweeps both her hands into his own.
“Luci. Please say you got to her in time!”
She beams.
“Quinn? Someone’s asking after you.”
Finn glances behind her, finally seeing me, and lets out a small cheer. But then he looks me up and down, and his face falls.
“Jesus. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“It sure didn’t sound like it. You were really screaming…”
“Please,” I beg, “don’t. I’ve had enough stress today to last a lifetime, without having to relive it.”
“Sorry. I’m glad you’re okay, though.”
“Me too.”
He looks at Luci.
“Where’s Isaac? He’s not hurt, is he?”
She shakes her head.
“No, he’s coming. He’s bringing our guest with him.”
“Guest?”
She doesn’t answer his question; simply gives a wry smile and saunters over to Sabina. The redhead is watching me closely, her teeth sunk into her lower lip. Her gaze lingers on my arm and I feel a flicker of discomfort. She still doesn’t trust me. Of course she doesn’t. She’s just learned that I’m a stowaway, a criminal, and a supposed ‘killer’ - all in one day. I’d be cautious, too.
Finn fires a nervous look my way.
“For real. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re drenched in blood.”
“I’m fine,” I insist, “thanks to our friends. They really saved my ass.”
“I thought as much. They came through in the end, huh? Always figured they would. People can only take so much abuse before they snap.”
I nod. It’s the same as when I stood on the ledge near the shaft, clutching Cherise’s hand. In that moment, I’d been done with the whole thing. So fed up of being angry, and getting trodden on, and feeling alone and abandoned. It had been therapeutic to throw something back, after so many years of being the target for others. I don’t blame Isaac for feeling the same. There was an undeniable sliver of pleasure in his eyes when he’d talked about his own strength – but it was a different pleasure than his father’s. The joy was at his own ability, the chance to decide for himself – the power he’d uncovered rather than the power he’d exerted over others.