by Jamie Zakian
“I hope you’re right.” Sabrina backed away, as if to step clear of the responsibility zone.
Sally nodded, turned around, and tugged on the lab coat of her assistant. “I need 50ccs of nanobots.”
“Fifty?” he asked, looking over his shoulder to gawk at Sally.
“Yep!” Sally picked up the skin regeneration wand and leaned over Winslow. “I want to hit him hard, get this done fast.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
Sabrina continued to slink backward, bumping into a firm chest. She spun around, hand balled into a fist, only to gaze into a young man’s shocked stare.
“Is it true? My father’s here?” he called out, hurrying to Winslow’s bedside.
“Chuck!” Sally jumped up from her chair, rushing to stop the boy. “No, you shouldn’t see this.”
“That’s my father,” Chuck shouted, pushing Sally’s hands off his chest.
Sabrina joined the commotion, inserting herself between the pair. “Why don’t we let Dr. Boone cover up your father’s wounds?” She glanced at Sally, who backed away with a nod. “Then, Chuck, you can see your father.”
She reached for the boy’s shaky fingers, and he pulled away.
“Thank you, Captain,” he muttered, his eyes on the floor.
Chuck huddled in a corner, Sally glided a blue laser over Winslow’s cuts, and Sabrina settled into a chair. Her gaze drifted to Reyes. Sun-scorched bodies, bombed churches—she’d seen horrors in her fifteen years of service. Yet for some reason, this man’s injuries haunted her, and she didn’t particularly like it.
***
A wild shiver rocked Joey’s spine, pulling her from a deep sleep. She sat up in bed, and Kami’s arm slid from her side. Without moving a muscle, she listened. Someone had screamed. She could have sworn the terror-filled shriek was real, but now she didn’t know.
The low creak of a spaceship’s hull was the only sound in the room. She leaned closer to Kami while gazing into the dark. It felt as though a million eyes watched her, stirring in the shadows. Chills crept up the back of her neck and leeched into her bones to lock them stiff.
She grabbed the arm that rested against her side and shook. “Kami, wake up,” she whispered.
Kami’s limp hand flailed in her grasp, and Joey’s tight throat clamped shut. Her fingers unclasped, and Kami’s arm flopped to the bed.
“Kami?”
Above the pound of her heart, which decided to throb at a mile a minute, she heard nothing. Not a groan, a grumble, or even a sigh peeped from the still body beside her. Dread seized her muscles, turning them to stone. The remote for the lights rested on the nightstand, just beside her, but her arm wouldn’t budge. Fright had control of her limbs now.
“Jesse,” she quavered, her voice but a meek whisper. Then it hit her; they really were in danger. Her brother could be in danger at this very moment, without her.
Joey held her breath and reached for the nightstand. She fumbled until her fingers hit hard plastic. A whimper seeped from her mouth as she pounded buttons. Light flooded the room, stinging her eyes. She drew back a tightly coiled fist, glancing around. Nothing. Just a blissfully empty room with a roommate who wouldn’t wake up.
Turning, she clasped onto Kami’s shoulders and shook. “Wake up, wake up,” she yelled, unable to elicit a single response. She dropped her head onto Kami’s chest, hearing a slow faint heartbeat. Her hand flew to her own chest, the pounding much stronger. “This isn’t right. You’re not okay.”
A tangle of fluffy blankets tripped Joey’s steps as she jumped out of bed. Her hip slammed against the wall, right beside the keypad. She hit the door button, twice, three times. An irate buzz followed by a blinking red light greeted her every attempt.
“No! Open, stupid door.”
She banged against the solid slab that blocked her escape. “Help, help me! Somebody please!”
Her head clunk the door as she laid her ear against it, listening for the shuffle of feet. No sound echoed from within the hall, only the clank of a spaceship’s body flexing under the weight of warp speed. She jumped back onto the bed, lifting Kami by her shirt. Her hand raised, a cringe scrunched her forehead, and she slapped Kami across the face.
“Kami!”
Eyelids fluttered and a low mumble trickled from Kami’s lips.
Joey propped the droopy body against the wall. Her hands clasped Kami’s cheeks, one much warmer than the other.
“The door’s locked. How do I hack my way out? Kami, can you hear me?”
“Shor … shor …”
“What?” Joey screeched.
The tad of strength in Kami’s body faded beneath Joey’s fingertips, and she hopped to her feet. “Ah. Think, Joey, think!”
If only she had a talent, a special skill. Her frantic pace stopped, and her eyes grew wide. There was one thing she’d always been good at—breaking stuff. That solid door trapping her inside this room would be no exception.
She seized the desk lamp from the nightstand and yanked, stumbling when finding no cord. Her groan all but carried her to the keypad. Fire pulsed within her veins, and she slammed the bottom of the lamp onto the electronic board.
White sparks showered in her face. She staggered back, her brain switching from panic to rage mode. A tiny growl scraped past her throat and she surged forward, crashing the lamp back onto the keypad.
“Let.” A hard smash sent sparks flying into the air. “Me.” Another wallop and the display flickered. “Out!”
With a final whack, glass and circuit boards fell to her feet. The lock clicked, and she dropped the lamp. Her palms landed flat on the door, a misty circle forming from her breath. She pulled. The squeal of her fingers, slipping along the door’s smooth surface, stung her will more than her ears.
“Open!”
Slowly, the heavy slab inched away from its threshold. A thin beam of light sliced through; then the door banged shut.
A rush of defeat took her to the floor, tears cutting a path down her hot cheeks. Quakes spread like wildfire throughout her body. She had to get out, help Kami, and get to her brother. Her fists pounded the floor as she pushed herself up.
“There has to be something.”
She ran across the room and flung open the storage cabinet, tossing silver cases over her shoulder. “Nothing!” She dropped to her knees, gripped the leg of the desk, and pulled. The disappointment came in waves. Something inside her had actually expected the solid, bolted pole to fly free in her grasp.
“Just give me something.” She hopped to her feet and hurried around the desk. Her toes tangled with the strap of a canvas bag, and she went down.
The world flashed to black when her face struck floor. Air fled her lungs, leaving a whistling gasp in its place. As blood trickled from her nose, she rolled her head to the side. Each breath scraped like sandpaper, but she choked them down. The universe was a jerk, space sucked, and she was a weakling for staying on the floor.
Metal gleamed from within the bathroom, reflecting a beam of light into her eyes. Its shine provided a trace of hope, sparked just enough vigor to keep fighting. Her shaky hands clawed the carpet, pulling her closer to the shimmer. She pushed the bathroom door open and her hazy eyes focused on a wide strip of metal, which outlined the shower’s stall.
The thin steel, with its edge popped out, rekindled the blaze in her gut. She wiped the blood from her upper lip, pushing herself off the floor. Determination ignited inside her chest, pulsing as it crawled beneath her skin. When the blustery sensation hit her feet, she charged toward the shower.
Her fingertips snagged the steel lining, and she dropped to her knees while pulling. The edge raised as she yanked. Screws popped from their hollows, and she tugged harder. In a snap, the casing came loose and her head whacked against the sink.
All sound fell under a sharp buzz. She blinked back the throb in her head, rose on wobbly legs, and marched toward the door. A savage cry burst from her lips as sh
e jammed the sliver of metal into the door’s crevice. It sank deep into the crack, and the door lurched open an inch. The more she pushed, the farther the slab separated from its threshold. Her arms trembled, but she was so close.
With all her weight, she shoved against the metal. Her sweaty hands slipped, sliding down the flat strip of steel. The jagged end sliced into her palm, ripping open her skin. She cried out, though not from pain. Blood gushed between her fingers, a searing burn radiated from her palm, yet all she felt was anger.
She picked the metal strip off the carpet and rammed it back between the door and the threshold.
“You’re gonna open!” she yelled, bearing down against the bar with the tatters of power left in her body.
A crunch and a grind answered her declaration, giving her the strength for one final push. Cracks and pops flinched her muscles, but she didn’t waver. The door folded onto itself, crumpling against its frame, and she toppled into the hallway.
“Ha!” She scrambled back to her feet, dashing to the door across the way. “Hello!” she yelled, banging her fists. “Help! I need help!”
She ran down the hall while pounding on doors, the silence mocking her. Warm streaks dripped off her fingertips, the ache left by her cut now spreading up her arm.
“Nobody’s coming,” she said in a whisper.
Her legs quaked as she staggered backward down the hall. Jesse’s face popped into her mind, clouded by the image of Kami’s lifeless body. She rushed back to her room. The world swayed under her steps, and she dropped beside the bed.
“I’m gonna get you help, Kami. Just hold on.”
Joey drew Kami’s back tight against her chest. She lugged Kami off the bed, falling under what felt like a sack of bricks.
“God, you weigh a ton,” she grumbled, squirming out from beneath Kami.
It wasn’t easy—people are a lot heavier then they look—but she dragged Kami into the hall. The rub of feet on carpet echoed down the hallway, eclipsed only by her gasps for breath. Once she glimpsed the reflective number on Jesse’s door, she released her clutch on Kami. As Kami thumped to the floor, she ran across the landing.
“Jesse! Rai!” She pounded on their door, her bloody fist staining its gray surface. The deafening hush took her into a slump, and she collapsed to the floor. She looked at the empty hallway beyond the landing. Rescue should be here any minute now.
The halls remained bare, a steady creak the only sound. Her stare wandered to Kami, sprawled out across the floor. No one was coming, no one friendly at least.
In a half-crawl/half-limp, she made her way back to Kami and heaved. She trudged down one hall, then another, calling out for help above the drag of Kami’s feet. Her vision blurred; every limb shuddered. For some reason, her right hand kept slipping off Kami’s sticky skin.
A sharp ache clutched her chest, and she crumbled to the floor. Wet silky fabric grazed her fingertips, and she tugged, pulling Kami to her side. When she looked at Kami, a gasp interrupted her frantic gulps for air. The girl was covered in blood. It smeared along her arms, covered her beautiful pajamas. She reached out, and red droplets cascaded from her hand, slapping Kami’s skin.
“Kami,” she said in a whimper. Energy fled her body, and her head dropped onto Kami’s chest. “I can’t go anymore. I’m sorry.”
She fell into the rise and fall of Kami’s breaths. Her eyelids drifted to a close with the patter of a heart’s beat, which grew stronger in her ear.
“Joey,” Kami said in a garble, her hand flopping against the floor.
The tiny call pried Joey’s eyes open. A numb prickle had claimed her entire body, but a smile crept across her lips. She pushed off Kami, rolling to her back. The air around her seemed so cold. Her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering, but none of that mattered now. Kami, Jesse, Rai.
A surge of heat shattered the icy clutch on Joey’s body, and she used those precious seconds of warmth to belt out a high-pitched scream.
Chapter Eighteen
Sabrina pretended to ignore Sally, turning toward a painting on the wall. The mural possessed the deepest shades of blue and green; an ocean, something she barely remembered seeing in real life.
Her eyes wandered to Chuck, whose head rested on the pillow beside his father. The boy’s body was crooked at an odd angle, yet he slept while holding Winslow’s hand. Then she saw it again. Sally’s third sideways leer.
“Is something bothering you, Doctor?”
Sally spun in her chair, facing Sabrina. “Reyes really will be fine.”
“I’m not worried about Reyes,” Sabrina said, much quicker and in a higher tone than she intended.
“Oh.” Sally turned back to her desk. “It’s just” —she waved the stylus in her hand toward Sabrina— “I thought since you’ve been tapping your foot for the last forty-five minutes that you were concerned.”
Sabrina looked down at her boot, which drummed the white tile. Her brain said stop, and the tap thumped faster. She propped her leg on her knee, but that damn foot still bobbed. Aside from whacking her insubordinate appendage, the only thing she could do was grab her ankle. She peered up at Sally, catching a smirk on the woman’s lips.
“It’s a … nervous tick.”
Sally snickered. “You don’t strike me as one of those gals who fret over an injured companion in the midst of a crisis.”
“I’m not.” Her foot hit the ground, keeping still this time, and she leaned forward. “I should be out there, hunting down the freak show who tried to boil me alive. But … I don’t know.” She looked at Sally, as if seeking an answer. “I just want to, talk to Reyes real quick. Say thank you, in case I …”
“Oh, boy!” Sally diverted her wide eyes back to her computer.
“What?”
“You’ve got it bad.”
“I don’t even know the man,” Sabrina said, gesturing to Reyes but refusing to look his way.
“Real bad.” Sally smiled. She glanced at the doorway, her grin fading. “Did you hear that?”
“No,” Sabrina pointed to her ears. “All I hear is ringing from the steam blast.”
“I think I heard a scream.”
Sabrina jumped to her feet, then rushed out the open door. She slid to a stop in the hall, looking both ways. Over the static that plagued her ears, a faint cry resonated and she ran toward it.
Three identical corridors, all empty, slowed her sprint. A yell echoed from her left, drawing her down the passage that led to the sleeping quarters. The call for help grew louder. She rounded a corner, and the sight of two bodies on the floor sent a jolt through her spine. Blood-tipped fingers reached out to her, shaking in the air. She dropped to a crouch, staring down at Joey’s blood-smeared face.
“Joey! What happened?” She placed her fingers on Kami’s neck, feeling a strong pulse. “Were you attacked?” she asked, trying to find a wound on Kami’s drenched body.
“It’s mine, the blood,” Joey stammered, dropping her hand on Sabrina’s boot.
A deep gash pumped blood, adding to the bright red puddle beneath the girls. Sabrina peeled off her shirt, which already had a burn hole in the side thanks to a scorching hot metal latch. “It’s impossible to keep clothes on around here.” She wrapped Joey’s hand tight before lifting her off the ground. Joey’s head fell against her collarbone, and she hurried through the halls, making her way back to medical.
“The doors were locked,” Joey muttered without moving a muscle. “Nobody will wake up.”
Joey let out a low cry, and her sticky hand landed on the side of Sabrina’s neck. “Please. You have to save my brother. A-1,” she moaned before her body went limp.
***
Deep rumbles of maniacal laughter wafted down the tight corridor. His fingers glided along sleek walls, arms outstretched, as he strolled along.
“They’re dead, all dead.”
Another wave of cackles erupted from his mouth, and he turned a corner. He stopped, his smile
wide, and pulled a handheld from his pocket. “I did my part. Now you do yours,” he said while typing a message.
He moseyed to the window across the hall, staring out. The swirl of stars, traveling by at millions of miles per hour, snared his gaze. In the soft glow, his reflection shone in the glass. He saw the crinkle of his upturned lips, the gleam in his smiling eyes.
“Sinful,” he yelled, punching the thick glass. He backed away while yanking at the roots of his short hair. A swell of warmth surged beneath his flesh. His arms and legs tingled, and he turned to face the wall.
“Forgive me, Father.” He bashed his head against the hard surface. “Forgive me.” Again and again, his head struck metal. A stream of blood ran along his forehead, dripping off the bridge of his nose. He grinned, resting his cheek against the cool wall.
“You’re right, my Father,” he croaked, raspy and harsh. “Your work is never done. Two hundred and fifty-eight young souls, pure souls, entombed within this vessel of steel and wires.”
His hands settled on the wall before him, his forehead rolling on its cool steel. The fresh cut on his brow stung, and he pressed harder.
“I will make sure your people return to your kingdom; then you can sort them out. As it’s spoken, it shall be done.”
He pushed off the wall with his knuckles and turned. First, he saw a fist barrel toward him. Then a white flash, before … nothing.
***
Sabrina burst into medical, laying Joey on a cot.
“Oh my!” Sally jumped to her feet. Her chair slammed against the desk as she dashed forward. “What happened?”
“She’s bleeding from her right hand … I don’t know where else.” Sabrina spun on her heels, hurrying toward the door.
“Captain Stone,” Sally called out and Chuck popped his head up from the pillow it rested on.