Through the Never

by J. A. Culican

  “I don’t understand why they call it the funny bone. There’s nothing funny about it,” she muttered.

  “Funny bone?” he asked, as he pulled her bag from her other arm.

  Allie lifted her head, a brow arched in question. “Funny bone?” The Lock stared at her with a blank expression. “My elbow…” she said slowly.

  Who didn’t know it was called a funny bone?

  “Riiight,” he said, as he deftly reached out and secured the straps across her chest. She clutched the straps and tugged at them. He’d secured her straps like she was a child. Her eyes flew to his. “I can’t get out.”

  He smiled and dropped her bag into her trembling hands. “It’s been an adventure, Ms. Sai. Enjoy your flight.”

  He’d trapped her.

  Her mama taught her that revenge was wrong, and to never hold a grudge. But today felt like an exception. She memorized his face. Never would she forget his part in her capture and imprisonment. She wouldn’t seek revenge, revenge was petty. No, Allie would seek vengeance for what he’d stolen from her. She relaxed in her seat and smiled at him so sweetly it would make your teeth ache.

  “Watch your back, Lock.”

  Gasps erupted around her. No one threatened a Lock.

  A glint entered his eyes, one that was calculating and dangerous.

  What was she thinking? Surely flying to a different planet was better than being dead.

  She stiffened when a predatory smile graced his face. “Always do,” he whispered as he tweaked her nose. Then, he turned his back on her and strode from the room with all the grace and dignity of a king.

  Bastard.

  A smile graced her mouth despite the fear knotting her stomach. Her family brewed moonshine whiskey. It was a practice that went back to her ancestors in the twenty-first century. Her family’s whiskey was famous for all its recreational and medicinal properties. What most people didn’t know was that if improperly brewed, the whiskey was poisonous.

  Despite how her stomach rolled with nerves, her smile sharpened. Her failed attempts at making whiskey were legendary, as were her poisons. That Lock had better watch his cups, or he would find himself in the bathroom for the rest of the trip.

  She leaned back in her chair and tipped her head back. She could get through this. Starting from a hundred, Allie began counting down.

  She’d poison him as soon as her heart stopped trying to beat out of her chest.

  Anxiety and booze don’t mix

  She’d counted from a hundred twenty times and it wasn’t working. Allie pulled deep breaths, but she was still dizzy.

  “You okay?” a smoky voice asked.

  Allie twisted her neck to stare at the woman next to her. She squinted at her flaming crimson hair that just about blinded her. She blinked repeatedly, meeting the woman’s twinkling blue eyes.

  Quick, say something.

  “It’s like you escaped out of a cartoon,” she blurted. Allie wanted to bang her head against the wall.

  The woman arched a red brow as she cocked her head. “I’ve heard worse things.” She scanned Allie head to toe. “You don’t look so good.”

  She waved a trembling hand at the woman. “Just afraid of flying.”

  The redhead blinked once slowly, then burst out laughing. Allie stared at her until the woman sputtered to a cough.

  “I’m s-sorry. You’re serious.” A pause. “It’s just that…”

  Allie groaned. She hated this part. “I know, I know, it’s terrible. If I could have choosen my fears, I would have picked spiders.”

  The redhead just stared. Allie stretched her hand out to the woman. “Allie Sai.”

  “Jer Blake.” Jer clasped her hand, then settled into the seat next to her.

  “Jer Blake. Unusual.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “Aren’t those boys’ names?” Allie asked, her tone apologetic.

  A wry smile touched Jer’s mouth. “My father wanted boys and all he got was me.”

  Allie snorted. That sounded like something her father would do. “Men…”

  “Men,” Jer echoed as she picked up one strap.

  She eyed the strap like it was a snake. “Beware the secure straps. Once you’re clicked in, there’s no getting out.”

  Jer’s eyes rounded. “Why?”

  “Who knows?” Allie waved a hand.

  “It’s bad enough they drafted us, but now they’re shackling us to the ship?”

  “They’re watching us, too,” she added.

  The redhead chuckled. “That’s not anything new.”

  Allie raised a brow in question.

  “My father is part of the military. They’ve been monitoring us for centuries. The Bermuda Triangle? A hoax to keep people out. It hosts the biggest surveillance operation in the world.”

  “Should you be telling me this?” Allie whispered, her eyes darting around the room to the other passengers.

  Jer waved a hand at her. “We’re not a concern to them anymore. They’re sending us away. By the time we reach Sars, everyone we know will be dead.”

  A lump rose in her throat. She’d never see her family again, her mama, papa, or sisters. The back of her eyes began to burn. Allie blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay. Once she started crying, she didn’t think she would stop.

  “Shoot, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

  Allie shook her head and rubbed her eyes, before peering at the wild-looking woman next to her. “It’s just … today’s been a lot to handle.”

  Jer’s blue eyes softened as she reached a hand out and placed it on hers. “No one’s prepared for this, even the ones who volunteered, like myself.”

  She gasped, stunned. “You volunteered?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I did.”

  “Why?”

  A shrug. “Nothing here for me.”

  That about broke Allie’s heart. No one should feel that way. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. When one door closes, another opens.”

  She absently nodded and glanced at the door as a flight automaton gracefully stepped through the door. That was one way to think of it.

  The silver-limbed automaton, or AM, walked along the row of chairs, double-checking all the straps, and paused in front of Jer. “Please, fasten your seatbelt.”

  Jer scowled at the AM as she clicked the straps in. “You happy?”

  The AM stared at the redhead blankly through opaque orbs. “Thank you,” it said, then moved on.

  Jer shuddered next to her, rubbing at her arms. “Creepy things.”

  Allie’s lips pulled into a smile.

  The redhead rolled her eyes and pointed a finger at her. “I don’t like them. They know too much.”

  Both of her brows raised. “They’re not real.”

  “Exactly. Automatons are stronger than humans, have access to anything connected to the net, and are run by humans. That makes them superhuman. It’s not natural.”

  “They’re just machines.”

  “So is this ship,” Jer retorted.

  “Touché,” Allie said.

  The floor beneath their feet rumbled and panic fluttered in her chest as it vibrated through her body. “Oh God, we’re all going to die.”

  “No we’re not.”

  Yes, she was.

  “Please, make sure your seatbelt is fastened and that all luggage is stored beneath your seat. We will depart immediately,” the AM recited.

  The ship tilted, making Allie’s stomach cartwheel. There’s no way she would survive this. “This isn’t right,” she cried out as the ship lurched.

  “You’ll be fine, I promise,” Jer said. “Each alien airship prototype is tested over and over again. One in a million malfunction.”

  That didn’t help her. With her luck, they’d be the millionth one. The ship banked, making her body shift in the seat and press against the safety straps, until she was suspended horizontally, staring at the other passengers. “Oh, God.”

  “He’s n
ot here right now,” Jer joked.

  Allie clutched the straps of her bag until her fingers turned white. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  The passenger below her glared. “Don’t you dare,” the man yelled.

  Her stomach rolled again. “I can’t.”

  “HOLD. IT. IN,” he threatened.

  She swallowed, trying to keep the bile where it belonged. The man below her blew out his breath when the ship settled and he was no longer below her. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked.

  “She’s afraid of flying,” Jer answered, while she sucked in big lungfuls of air.

  Flying. She was flying. Little black spots dotted her vision as a dull ringing filled her ears. Even the air seemed thinner, like she couldn’t get a proper breath.

  “Does she need a medic?”

  “I don’t know.” A hand touched her shoulder. “The medics can sedate you,” Jer offered.

  Allie slammed back into her chair. “No!” At least this way she knew what was happening. If they put her under, she would be vulnerable. “No,” she wheezed.

  Jer eyed her with doubt. “You need to calm down. You’re about to give me a heart attack, and if you get too agitated, the AM will have you sedated. Is there anything you can think about to calm you down? Or anything you can take to take the edge off?”

  She shook her head, and then froze when a thought entered her mind. A brilliant one. Her parents had sent her with some of their moonshine so she could continue the family business on Sars.

  Allie slipped a shaking hand into her bag and rummaged around until she clasped one of the cool glass vials. Carefully, she pulled it out of her bag and lifted her hand to inspect the whiskey. Amber, just what she wanted.

  The amber liquid moved like it was alive. She’d watched her parents make it, so she understood nothing actually lived in the moonshine, but it still creeped her out. As a child, her father told her scary tales of the moonshine refusing to run down someone’s throat, instead crawling out. Allie shuddered and squeezed her hand around the vial. This would take the edge off.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Jer drawled.

  Allie glanced at her. “Yeah.”

  Her family were well-known moonshine whiskey brewers. Everyone wanted vials of the amber liquid. It was prized, and it was expensive.

  “How did you get a hold of that?”

  “My family makes it.”

  Jer’s blue eyes lit up. “No way. I’m friends with one of the moonshine royals?”

  That damn nickname. It was ridiculous. One night her father had tested too much himself and declared their family the royals of moonshine. It stuck.

  “Well, that will help you calm down.”

  Allie’s eyes dropped back to the vial in her hand. Her parents had never let her sample this proof before. It had hallucinogenic properties and tended to kill people if they weren’t careful—or more like, people drank too much and ended up dying. But it also soothed and relieved pain. At this point, she would probably die on this damn ship. She might as well go happy.

  Her hand trembled as she uncorked the glass. She lifted the vial to her nose and sniffed the moonshine’s familiar white oak scent, mixed with something nutty. A sip or two would help. With care, Allie place the tube to her lips and let the liquid slip into her mouth and down her throat. Dark chocolate burst across her taste buds, making her eyes roll back into her head. The best thing about her family’s whiskey was that when you drank it, it tasted like your favorite sweet. That’s why it was in such high demand. No one else could do that.

  It burned down her throat and her body loosened, warmth infusing her limbs and belly. Allie held it up and eyed the amber liquid.

  It was magical. With a capital M.

  No wonder her parents never let her test it. The stuff was potent. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if she drank more than a couple sips. Hell, why was it even legal? Allie squinted at what was left. There’s no way she would drink anymore. She held the vial toward Jer, wiggling it in front of the redhead’s nose. “You want some?”

  Jer’s smile was all teeth. “Don’t mind if I do.”

  Her new acquaintance took the tube from her hand and threw back the moonshine, a happy sigh escaping her. “I love this stuff.”

  Allie blinked, trying to see the redhead clearly, but her eyes wouldn’t focus. That wasn’t good. A giggle escaped her. No fears. Just peace. Her parents should have introduced her to this stuff a long time ago. She settled back in her chair and closed her eyes, floating in a lake of clouds in pure, utter bliss.

  Sleep. She’d sleep through the trip. Sleep, the answer to everything.

  Stun guns, pirates, and puke, oh my

  “Allie…”

  She groaned and snuggled back into her seat.

  “Allie…”

  “Go away,” she grumbled.

  “Allie!”

  She pried open her eyes to slits and glared at the annoying redhead interrupting her wonderful nap. “What?” she barked. All she wanted was to go back to her happy dreams.

  “We’re under attack.”

  Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand the words coming from Jer’s lips. Eh, thoughts for another time. Her eyes slowly closed as she tried to delve back into her slumber. A sharp pinch on her arm had her jerking and cursing. Allie growled, rubbing her arm.

  “What the heck, Jer?”

  “You need to wake up. Now!” Jer commanded.

  “I’m tired. I need to sleep.” Even now, the siren song of slumber called to her. Her eyelids were so heavy.

  Jer reached over and grabbed Allie’s chin. “Look at me.”

  Allie opened her eyes as wide as she could.

  “Good lord, seriously?” The redhead shook her head. “You’re still influenced. How?”

  Allie tried to smile, but it was like her lips weren’t doing what they were supposed to. “This is my first time.”

  Jer’s big blue eyes widened. “No, Allie. Please tell me you’re kidding.”

  “Nope,” she said popping her p.

  Jer dropped Allie’s chin and rubbed her hand over her mouth. “We’re in big trouble. This is so screwed up. What are the chances?”

  That’s about the time the ship shuddered and screeched. The surrounding passengers screamed, making her ears ring. She pulled her gaze from Jer and scanned the room. A neon green light flashed on and off above the hull door, casting an odd glow across the room. Varying degrees of green faces met her even regard in different states of panic. Why was everyone panicking? She didn’t feel a thing.

  The ship rolled, slamming her against her strap and pulling her bag from her grasp. Allie raised her hands and whooped like she was in a carnival simulation. She’d never done it for real.

  “This is great,” she cackled. The metal frame of the ship shuddered and everything stopped. Even the screams and whimpers around her. Odd.

  Well, I’ll be darned, she thought. Something isn’t right.

  Glancing to the side, Allie eyed Jer, who looked completely calm except for her wild red hair tangled around her head.

  “Well, that was fun,” she said.

  Jer slowly turned to her, a glint of fear in her eyes despite her calm facade. “Allie, we’re about to be boarded.”

  Mentally, she knew she should be afraid, but all she felt was warm and a little tingly.

  “Okay.”

  The redhead clasped both sides of her face so she couldn’t glance away. “I have no idea what race has attacked us, or why. But my best guess is for cargo.”

  “Cargo?”

  “Yes, cargo. Do you know what this ship holds?”

  “No clue,” Allie answered.

  “Supplies for colonization, and people.”

  “People?” Something soured inside of her.

  “Yes, Allie. People like you and me.”

  Something was definitely not right. Her mind said that was bad, really bad, but she felt no fear. Her pulse was steady and her stomach c
alm. “What can we do?”

  Jer blew out a breath, pulling her red hair into a bun. “Nothing for now. We wait.”

  “We should attack them before they have a chance to get to us,” a man interjected from the opposite side of the ship.

  “And pray tell, how are we to escape our straps?” Jer snarked. “Do you see any weapons? We don’t even know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Don’t bite my head off. I was just trying to help,” the man growled.

  “Well, think before you speak. Don’t rile all the people up. You’ll get someone killed.”

  “That was rude,” Allie whispered.

  Jer glanced at her. “What?”

  “That was rude. He’s scared, and just trying to come up with good ideas.”

  “Ideas that will get us killed or worse.”

  “What’s worse than being killed?” she asked curiously.

  “Being taken.”

  Allie blinked. One of the first things her mama taught her as a girl was that if someone tried to take her, she fought. You never let them take you to another location. The redhead watched the emotions play on her face. “Alright, that’s worse. I—”

  The metal screeched; the door groaned. Allie slowly turned her head and watched in horror as a crack appeared in the door. “Stars above,” she whispered. “They’re coming straight through the door.”

  “That’s a good thing,” Jer commented over her shoulder. “It means they don’t have a lot of time. Someone must have tripped the alert. Someone’s coming for us. We need to stall.”

  Allie watched with fascination as the door bowed, crying out in protest. “Wow, they really want in here.”

  “Yep. They’re not interested in the other cargo.”

  “Wow,” she breathed, as the hull door buckled and cracked down the middle, leaving a large gap. The surrounding passengers cried out, but she just stared as bright green eyes peeked through the crack and then disappeared. “Did you see that?” she murmured to Jer.

  “Uh huh.”

  Everyone went silent, trying to hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

  Boom.

  The door cracked wide open, little shards of metal flying outward into the hull. A woman wailed next to her as she was struck in the shoulder by a little shard of metal. Allie’s ears rang as something hit her in the head, but she didn’t tear her eyes away from the doorway. Five big men, if you could call them that, stood in the doorway scanning the room.