“Showering?”
She nodded. “Over an hour ago.”
Magnus shrugged. “If I had the opportunity, I’d shower that long, too.”
“But the water stopped forty-five minutes ago.”
“He’s been through a lot. Maybe he needs time to cope.”
Sylvia gave a slight shrug. “I suppose.”
Carter opened the bathroom door and stepped out with the briefcase in hand. Steam billowed out behind him.
“Everything okay?” Magnus asked.
Carter nodded. “Yes. I’m tired. I need to get some sleep.”
“That’s a good idea,” Magnus replied.
“Yes,” Sylvia said. “We need to get to the mechanic shop before the guards change shifts. That means early.”
“Why’s that so important?” Carter asked.
“Because the night shift guards will be exhausted.”
“And if we don’t get some sleep, so will we,” Magnus said.
“You’re right,” Sylvia said. She stared at her full-size bed. “It will only hold Carter and I.”
Magnus smiled. “I don’t mind the floor at all. I’m so tired, I could sleep through almost anything.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, don’t be. It’s okay. We’ll sleep better once we’re on our way back to Earth. Actually, we can take one hell of a long nap then.”
Sylvia grinned.
Magnus stretched out on the cold floor and sighed. “Actually, I think the hard floor will help my aching back.”
She tossed him a thin blanket.
Carter sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. His eyes became distant again.
Sylvia wondered why he constantly seemed so deep in thought. What was going on in his mind? Seeing all the carnage on Deimos had to have been staggering. She hoped that more sleep would help him before morning, but PTSD from any situation never faded easily. Sometimes it never went away.
Carter snored loudly until Sylvia finally shook him awake the next morning.
“Huh? What is it?” He rubbed his eyes for a moment and then saw her smiling down at him. He frowned, looking around the room.
“We need to go,” she said.
“Hell,” Magnus said. “If I had known you’d sleep this long, I’d have taken a longer shower.”
Carter rolled and sat up on the edge of the bed. Grabbing his briefcase, he headed to the door where Magnus was already standing. Carter shook his head. His eyes were heavy and fatigued.
Carter said, “I don’t understand why I feel so drained.”
“Space lag,” Sylvia said. “It will be even worse by the time we reach Earth.”
Magnus nodded, taking in her information. “Never thought about that, but seven months . . . yeah, that’s gonna tax us pretty heavily.”
“We’ll sleep most of the way in Hyber-Sleep,” she said. “We should probably set our timers to sleep for a month at a time and then awaken for three or four days to exercise before inducing sleep again.”
“I have no recall of how I got here,” Magnus said, rubbing the back of his head. “I imagine there must have been some kind of transitional stages for the miners when they arrived. Surely, they don’t put them all to work immediately.”
Sylvia replied, “They do gradually exercise them for about two weeks before placing them into the mines, which probably isn’t enough. Not after seven months of Hyber-Sleep.”
“The muscular atrophy would be my concern. Any idea how the guards that traveled here cope with these trips?” Carter asked.
“There are exercise bikes and machine weights aboard the shuttles.”
“Ah, good, “ Magnus said. “That will help.”
“Yep, and the officers who fly here, they have to wait about eight months before they can take another shuttle back to Earth.”
“Really?” Magnus asked. “Why’s that?”
She nodded. “Something to do with bone density. From what I’ve read and heard, space travel causes a loss of one percent bone mass per month of space travel. Staying here for several months lessens one’s chance of osteoporosis.”
They stepped into the dark corridor. Magnus pulled down his helmet visor, as did Carter. The corridor was quiet.
“Hurry,” Sylvia said in a quivering nervous voice. “We need to get to the mechanic storage room.”
She marched between them, hoping that anyone watching from the overhead cameras would think that they were escorting her through the corridor. Since she was heading toward the landing bay approximately an hour ahead of her schedule, she needed to fool security into believing she had been requested for duty. Such requests occurred from time to time when a mechanic became sick or was too hung-over to work.
The corridor seemed colder than normal. Sylvia’s breath escaped her nose and mouth in little clouds. She hugged herself. Without even realizing it, the trio walked at a fast pace. Between the fear of being caught and their anticipation of stealing the shuttle, their adrenaline levels had spiked.
The closer they got to the landing bay, the brighter the corridor became. Under the fluorescent lights, the walls were magnificent to behold. The polished tunnel showed the brilliance of the small MarQuebes infused in the walls. The imbedded stones resembled an array of shiny ruby-red and blue twinkling stars.
“Remain calm if any of the other guards head toward us,” Sylvia said. “Don’t engage in conversation because it might give you away.”
Magnus nodded.
16
Carter didn’t acknowledge Sylvia’s words. He had the uncanny sensation that he was already being watched. Not by the overhead cameras or the guards, but by her. The female alien that had save his life. He sensed her, and she was close to his proximity.
His heart accelerated each time a shadow moved beneath the fluorescent lights. Had she somehow connected to his mind during sex? She had only spoken telepathically and never with audible words. She had healed him, and he hoped that the farther he got away from Deimos, the safer he became. Even though he didn’t see her, he felt her touch lingering upon his skin. She was intruding inside his mind, listening to his thoughts. How long would she pursue him? Was Earth far enough away that he’d be able to break their bond?
Magnus gazed up at the lights as he walked. He focused on the cameras, hoping that Boony was watching. But his helmet transmitter remained silent. His mind and heart continued to ache because of her absence. He knew such feelings were premature because they had only spoken for an hour, but he missed her. The best thing he knew about her was her honesty. She hadn’t betrayed him, which she could easily have done. Nor had she turned them over to Jonas.
But then his skepticism overtook him.
“Yet.”
A whole team of security guards could be waiting to take them into custody once they arrived at the landing bay, or easier, they’d be shot down. He highly doubted the latter. Most likely, they’d all have Sleeper Chips implanted and be sent to the mines to live out their contracts as mindless slaves.
He refused to allow that to happen, even if it meant that he’d force the guards to kill him in order to spare Carter and Sylvia. After his two days of mining without the Sleeper Chip’s control, he didn’t want Sylvia or Carter’s life placed through years of the grueling torture that the other miners endured. Even if they weren’t aware of their labor, he didn’t want Grayson to earn one more dime from free labor.
The uneventful walk to the mechanic shop didn’t alleviate anyone’s apprehension. Sylvia nervously slid her key card through the scanner. The first time it didn’t scan. Her hand shook. With wide eyes she ran the card a second time and waited, holding her breath. It hesitated longer than normal, checking her status, but finally, the light turned green and the door unlocked. She sighed and pulled the lever. The door widened. Magnus looked over his shoulder while Sylvia and Carter stepped through.
He wanted to engage in conversation with Boony again, but he feared that someone else might be on the other end of the
line, and not her. Reluctantly he pulled the door closed behind him.
Sylvia motioned for Magnus and Carter to follow her. She slid Digger from her tool pouch on the front of her mechanic uniform. He curled over the bend of her elbow and sniffed the air.
“I’m not certain how we’re going to hide him,” she said.
“We only need a small box, but he should behave inside one of our suits long enough for us to get inside the shuttle. He likes that it’s warm and dark. Also, he tends to sleep more than he’s awake,” Magnus replied.
“Okay,” she said. “I hope so. The last thing we need is to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves.”
“Don’t I know it,” Magnus said.
Rows of toolboxes, various engine parts, and repair manuals covered one side of the room. An overhead rail system held a shuttle engine above a grid metal floor with oil traps beneath it. Parts of the engine were disassembled on the floor.
Sylvia slid open a narrow door. Inside the closet dozens of mechanic jumpsuits hung on a metal rack.
“In here,” she said, “find one that fits.”
Magnus squeezed past her and took several of the larger uniforms off the rack and held them against his chest. He shook his head. The uniforms were all too small. He kept moving down the rack until he found one near the end. This one was much wider than the others and longer. It was the reject of the uniforms, as he doubted any mechanic stationed on Mars was anywhere near his size. Quite possibly no other mechanic, guard, or prisoner equaled his mass.
Inside the small closet, he unzipped the tight guard uniform and shed it. He welcomed the sudden coolness of the room. The snug uniform was like a sauna sweat suit, trapping his heat against his body. The inside of the uniform was already soaked with his perspiration.
Magnus found a towel and wiped away the excess sweat beneath his armpits. He enjoyed the cooler air for several more minutes, letting the heat rise off his body. He wished they didn’t have to hurry because he’d love to completely cool down before swapping uniforms. Realizing he couldn’t delay any longer, he pulled on the red and silver jumpsuit and zipped it to his neck. He liked that he had more room inside to move around. This suit didn’t choke him and his movements were less restricted.
He grabbed the small guard helmet and fumbled around for several minutes with the transmitter. After he grabbed it between his thumb and index finger, he pried it loose. He kept its components without ripping apart any of the wires. He wasn’t certain that it still worked, but he hoped it did. He figured if Boony were to contact him, she’d probably connect to same transmitter as the night before.
Sylvia leaned inside the closet and rapped softly. “Hurry. Carter needs to find a suit and change. We don’t have much time.”
“Sure. I’m done.” He stepped past her and allowed Carter to enter.
Carter stared up at him with a blank expression on his face.
“You okay?” Magnus asked, looking at the briefcase and back to Carter. He placed a gentle hand on Carter’s shoulder in passing.
Carter replied with an agitated grunt and closed the door behind him.
“Something wrong?” Sylvia asked.
“Maybe he needs some coffee or something to eat.”
“Shit,” she whispered. “We do need breakfast. Wait here for a moment. Here, take Digger.”
“Where are you going?” Magnus asked.
She smiled. “Vending machines. Best use some of my earned cash before we steal our way back home and it becomes inaccessible.”
“True.”
“Please make certain Carter hurries.” She looked at his watch. “We have less than a half hour before the guards change shifts. I’ll be right back.”
Magnus watched her rush to the other end of the mechanic room and exit into an adjoining room. Gazing around at the supplies, tools, and other odds and ends, he noticed several large sacks of dry ferret food. The bags weighed fifty pounds each. He grinned. There wasn’t any way to carry an entire bag to the shuttle, but he should be able to hide ten to twenty pounds of it in a large toolbox.
He hadn’t given much thought to what the ferret would eat once they were in flight, but he guessed canned tuna could be found in the shuttle’s rations. He was hopeful though that the ship was equipped to house and feed ferrets.
Sylvia hurried to the break room. She slid her badge through the machine’s reader. She bought a dozen different types of cakes, chips, and nuts. The shuttle had enough food and drinks to supply more than two-dozen people, so they’d be okay on their journey to Earth. However, they needed to eat before they boarded because she wasn’t certain how long it’d take them to get aboard.
For her to successfully fly the shuttle out of the landing bay . . . that was another factor altogether. And now that she thought about what she needed to do, her anxiety rose.
She hoped the guards were exhausted from working their long night shift. Someone stealing a shuttle was the last thing they’d ever expect. The element of surprise was their greatest asset.
Sylvia scooped the snacks into her arms and headed back to where Magnus and Carter were.
As she walked, she thought about Carter. She had slept beside him during the night while Magnus slept on the floor. Carter was handsome, and she had really wanted to get more intimate with him, but he fell asleep without even talking to her. During the night, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his warmth and his heartbeat next to hers, but he slept, unmindful of her embrace. He hadn’t seemed interested in her, which disappointed her. If he failed to express any interest soon, the trip home was going to be extremely long and lonesome.
Carter hadn’t slept well. He mumbled and tossed a lot in his sleep, which was probably part of why he seemed so aggravated this morning.
Sylvia returned to where Magnus stood.
“Pick something,” she said with a smile.
“Sugar rush, eh?”
“It’s the best I could find. Sorry.” She cringed, scrunching her freckled nose.
“Not a problem.” He shrugged and grabbed a chocolate muffin.
“He’s still in there?” she asked.
Magnus nodded while unwrapping the treat.
She shook her head. “Does it take men that long to change clothes?”
“It didn’t me, and I’ve got a lot more area to cover.”
“He took an extremely long time in the shower last night. Not actually showering, either. Why would any man stay so long in the bathroom?”
“No comment,” Magnus said.
“You don’t think—”
“I don’t know, don’t care, and don’t want to discuss it.” He shoved half of the cupcake into his mouth to back his statement.
“Oh, God! I wasn’t referring . . . I didn’t . . . mean that.” Her face flushed bright red and she shook her head. “Dammit, I really embarrassed myself.”
Magnus chewed the mouthful of cupcake with puffed cheeks, trying not to grin, but he failed. Pieces of the cupcake and icing spilled out. Magnus cupped a hand beneath his chin and caught it. Finally, he got the rest of the cupcake down and released a long loud laugh. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes.
“I really didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” she said, still bright red.
“It’s okay.”
“No. I meant that since every person he knew on Deimos had died, that maybe he was . . . crying?”
The smile drained from his face. He became solemn. “That’s possible, Sylvia. Carter kind of comes and goes. I’ve noticed that myself.”
She sighed. “Do you think he’ll ever open up to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve given him blatant hints that I like him, but he never reacts to me in the way that I had hoped he would.”
Magnus patted her shoulder. “It’s like you said. He’s the only survivor from Deimos. He watched everyone he knew die. That has to weigh heavy on his soul. Perhaps, he’s afraid to get close to you because he’s lost so much, and if you two hit
it off, maybe he’s afraid you might not be around for long either.”
She grimaced and her eyes saddened. “That’s understandable. Maybe I am rushing things too quickly.”
“The journey home gives you time to get to know one another.”
“We’ll either hit it off or hate one another by the time we get there.”
Magnus grinned. “There you go. At least it’s a good sized shuttle.”
“For the three of us, it is.”
17
Carter set the briefcase down and looked through the coveralls. He was apprehensive about heading back to Earth. He thought about the deadly virus inside the case. He almost wanted to shove the briefcase into a corner and forget about it. Taking the virus to Earth meant he had to kill Grayson. He hated that his colleagues on Deimos had died. Yes, Grayson needed to answer for their deaths. But, he didn’t think he could commit murder.
He took a small pair of coveralls and wrapped the briefcase tightly. He tucked it under a bench.
“Dr. Carter, what are you doing?”
Carter gasped. He looked around, but he didn’t see her. He recognized the alien’s voice, but how was she able to reach his mind from this distance?
“Where are you?” he asked.
“Don’t let that concern you. Do what you promised me you would.”
He closed his eyes and held his breath.
“Do it,” she said. “Or there will be repercussions. Don’t forget. You’re only alive because of me.”
“I know.”
Carter swallowed hard. His mouth was pasty. His heartbeat increased. He grabbed the briefcase and unwrapped it.
Someone rapped at the door.
Carter almost screamed. He jumped and turned toward the door.
“Yes?” Carter asked.
“You need to hurry,” Sylvia said. “Before the new guards replace last night’s shift.”
“Okay,” he replied. “I’m almost finished.”
Carter found a suit his size and quickly exchanged one uniform for the other. He hurried to the door and glanced back at the rack of uniforms. He half expected to see a shadow move, or something emerge, but nothing happened.
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