He waited, gripping the wall around the patch.
Only silence greeted him. The repair was holding.
Choking out a relieved laugh, he slipped to the floor and held his head.
He’d promised his crew a better life, a place where they wouldn’t be judged for their past crimes. He hadn’t intended on them running for their lives eighty percent of the time.
Nor had he ever expected to feed them all to a black hole.
Or to nearly suffocate them.
Right now, the only one he was reasonably certain was alive was Ethan. The engineer had moved right before Cal had run from the bridge.
Cal closed his eyes and shivered, remembering the odd angle of Doc’s head as he lay motionless on the ground…a brilliant mind, laid to waste.
A good friend.
Not to mention, he was the only one who may have been able to help the others if they were hurt.
Cal rubbed his face. What had he brought them all to? And for what?
He could have holed them all up on a hidden colony somewhere, and they could have lived long, happy lives on the spoils of a single good smuggling run. Instead, they’d followed Cal and his ridiculous delusions that one little smuggling ship could make a difference.
They certainly hadn’t changed anything, and now they were dead in space. Alone.
Maybe Cal should have let the prince grab them. At least he could have offered them a quick death. He lolled closer to the floor.
The light on the security camera in the corner blinked on. The lens scanned the room, stopping on him. Cal took a deep breath of, well, nothing.
“I’m almost out of air,” he told whoever was on the other end of the camera.
A vent on the far side of the room creaked. A hum filled the chamber.
Cal blinked. His chest ached. Sitting upright, talking, even thinking was too much. Hopefully, whoever was manipulating the camera could find enough supplies to survive. He had nothing left to give.
Closing his eyes, he slipped to the floor and gave in to the darkness.
37
Cal
The floor hummed beneath Cal’s cheek. A deep ache surged through his temples, changing to a vicious drumming. He pressed on the cold floor but couldn’t lift himself up.
“Cal!” Ty’s voice blasted through his brain like an assault on the pirate frontier. “Come on, Cal!” There was a scratching noise, like Ty had tapped the speaker. “Are you sure this thing is working?”
“Totally,” Ethan’s voice rang out. “Wait. I think he just moved.”
Cal glanced up at the camera still pointed at him, but the drumming behind his eyes forced him to close them again. He tried to say Ethan’s name, but it came out. “Etberrthaven.”
“What? Cal, are you there?”
Cal opened his lips. “Tyee-eterhaben-thhhh.”
He took in a deep breath, and his eyes bolted open. There was air!
He drew in another breath, and another. Tears dampened his cheeks.
“Awwww.” Ty’s voice again. “We’re super happy to see you too, boss.”
Cal tried to curse at him, but it came out “Fuuusssssttthoooo.”
There was some murmuring between the two of them, like someone held their hand over the microphone.
Cal sat up, coughing. He held his chest, taking in another long drag of the sweetest stagnant recycled air he’d ever smelled in his entire life. “Wh-What’s w-wrong?”
He couldn’t imagine it was any worse than being caught in a cosmic junkyard goodness-knew-where, with questionable polymer sealant plugging a hole in their ship.
A sigh hung heavy over the speaker. “Cal, you need to get up here,” Ty said. “Can you walk?”
Cal squinted up at the camera. He rubbed his temples before pulling himself to his feet. He blinked, taking a moment for his eyes to fully focus. “The airlocks are still shut.”
“Roger that. We’re still showing a hull breach, but the pressure reads fine. What did you do down there?”
Cal glanced at the makeshift repair. “I used the polymer in one of the cargo containers.”
A thin film shined around the edges of the patch. The polymer bubbled out in places, but it seemed to have fully hardened.
“Boss, that’s genius,” Ethan said. “I’m impressed.” There was a tapping, like he was checking readings on a panel. “As long as the pressure has stabilized, the doors should open.”
Cal looked at the patch again. “Will the polymer hold?”
“At least for a few hours. I’ll check it as soon as I can.”
Cal rubbed his forehead. “How about you check it now?”
“Cal…” The sound of Ty’s voice chilled him more than losing pressure and atmospheric control.
Cal grabbed the wall. “What is it?”
When Cal had run from the bridge, Alanna had been slumped over her panel. Doc had been twisted in a heap on the floor…
Ty’s voice broke. “Boss, you need to get up here.”
Cal’s chest burned more than when there’d been no air. He sprinted for the door, and his legs gave out. He stumbled, tripping over some of the broken containers.
He glanced up at the camera. Why wasn’t Doc yelling at him, telling him to take it slow and explaining all the possible bad effects of nearly freezing and suffocating to death?
He knew why, but he’d hoped he’d been wrong. His chest seized and he coughed, stumbling forward.
He had to be wrong. Doc was fine. So was Alanna. He’d make them dinner tonight. Their favorites. And a cake. Doc loved cake.
By the time he got to the door, Cal’s eyes burned. He opened the panel and engaged the controls. The system blinked twice, checking the pressure, before it beeped and slid open a few inches.
Cal stared at the door, then looked back to the camera. “It didn’t open.”
“We barely have enough power for air circulation at this point,” Ethan said. “Once you get up here, we can shut off the cargo bays. I’ve already shut down areas six and two.”
Area two…where the medical bay was. Why would he shut that down?
Cal grabbed the edges of the doors and growled, pulling them apart. His muscles trembled, and he grunted before they finally opened just enough for him to get through.
Each stomp of his boots echoed as he sprinted down the hall. The way before him blurred, but he ignored it.
Whatever this was messing Cal up—space sickness, oxygen deprivation—it didn’t matter. Doc could fix it. He could fix anything.
Sweat stung his eyes as he hauled himself up the service ladder to the upper decks. They just needed to get through this latest snafu. Then he and his crew would glue this ship together using tape if they needed to, and Alanna could jump them out of there.
They’d be fine.
Like they always were.
He stopped at the entrance to the bridge. Whatever he found inside, he had to deal with it. He was the captain. He needed to be strong, no matter what.
He placed his hand on the control button and the doors slid open.
Ty and Ethan jumped to their feet, their faces pale and drawn. The throbbing in Cal’s head grew louder.
Someone sniffed.
Alanna—thank the stars!
She knelt on the floor, her head lowered. She clung to Doc, holding his head against her chest, rocking him.
“You’re going to be okay,” she whispered. “Everything is just fine. You’ll see.”
Cal tried to take a step, but he couldn’t. Doc’s hand lay limp beside Alanna’s hip, his skin pale.
Ty gulped, then turned away. Ethan met Cal’s gaze, then looked at the floor.
Now Cal knew why the medical bay had been shut down. They wouldn’t be needing it anymore.
Alanna sniffed. “Remember when we were on Kirato and Amelia was trying to get you to try her sand crab stew?” She smoothed back Doc’s hair. “You promised you’d eat some next time.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “You can’t let Mel down like
that. She’ll never forgive you.” Alanna pulled him closer. “Come on, Peter. Please don’t do this.”
Cal flinched. He hadn’t heard anyone on this ship call Doc ‘Peter’ in ages.
He glanced back at Ty, but his first mate just shook his head.
Ty’s eyes reddened. He grimaced before he spun his entire body and looked out the window, folding his arms around himself.
The pounding in Cal’s head increased. His vision skewed.
He was supposed to protect these people. They were his responsibility, his family. How could he have let this happen?
The yellow light on Ty’s panel started flashing again.
Cal snapped. “Shut that damn thing off!”
Ty blinked, looking at the light and then at Cal. “I think there’s actually something out there.”
Ethan turned to the panel on the wall, the one Doc normally used. He looked relieved to have something to do. “He’s right.” He tapped a few buttons. “There’s… There’s a carbon signature, and life signs.”
Cal squinted, holding his head. “Life signs?”
Bursts of light exploded in front of Cal’s eyes. No one else reacted, so he tried to blink them away.
Ethan nodded. “Yeah, I got a heartbeat. I mean, it’s barely there, but…” He held his palm out to the panel. “There you have it.”
Ty whispered under his breath. The banging in Cal’s head covered most of it, but it sounded like holy ducks and spit. Cal doubted that was what he’d said.
“Boss?”
Cal clawed at his temples. “Yeah, what?”
Ty turned toward him. “I think it’s…Dania.”
Alanna screamed. They all turned to her.
She stared back at them, wide-eyed. “He moved!” She leaned Doc down, wiping the hair from his forehead. “Peter?”
“Honey.” Ty walked toward her. “He’s gone.”
“No!” She shoved Ty back. “I’m telling you, he moved!” Her eyes glistened.
Cal lowered his hands. “Alanna…”
“No!” She pulled Doc back onto her lap. “Screw you! I know what I felt.”
Cal lowered his chin to his chest. Alanna had been lucky enough not to have to see too many people die.
Bodies evacuated all their waste. They relaxed, barely looking human at times, and they also twitched. She needed to understand that death pangs were a thing.
Cal knelt beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Alanna, listen to me.”
She glared at him, and his chest tightened.
Of everyone in this crew, Alanna was the one who always kept emotion at bay. She was the optimist, but also the realist. Cal needed to remind her of that. Now was the worst possible time for her to hang on to what could never be.
Doc’s body jolted. His eyes sprung open. Both of his hands rose like he was clutching something, and his mouth opened in a soundless scream.
Cal fell back.
“What’s happening?” Alanna held her head.
Doc drew in a huge, loud breath, then started to scream.
Land mines started exploding in Cal’s head. He crawled to the side and vomited.
Dammit! His crew needed him, and all he could do was…
The blast of a weapon discharge rocked the bridge, the sound reverberating in Cal’s skull. Struggling against this new, deeper assault, Cal blinked and looked up.
Ethan stood a few steps away, holding a gun pointed at Doc.
And Doc wasn’t moving anymore.
38
Cal
Alanna screamed, holding her head.
Cal brought himself to one knee. “Wh-What did you do?”
Ethan sidled back and dropped the gun. “I-I stunned him. I saw Doc do that once when someone was freaking out like that on Kemper Station.” He drew his fingers through his hair. “Geez, did I kill him? Please tell me I didn’t kill him!”
Cal dragged himself over to them. Doc’s chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.
“He’s breathing.” Cal guffawed, holding his head. “Holy cats, he’s breathing!”
Alanna leaned down and kissed Doc’s forehead.
Another wave of nausea rolled over Cal. He ignored it. Doc was alive!
“Umm, guys?” Ty pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “If that really is Dania out there, she doesn’t have much time. I mean, I’m thrilled Doc is okay, too, but…”
“Dania?” Alanna jumped to her station. “Is it possible?”
“She must have gotten sucked into the black hole just like we did.”
Alanna’s fingers fluttered over her console. “Life signs?”
“Slight heartbeat.” Ty turned and started pushing buttons.
Ethan fiddled with Doc’s console, sniffing and wiping his nose. “I think this says she’s hibernating. Is that a thing? Can enforcers do that?”
Cal held back a smile. Even after all they’d been through today, they still jumped to action like a solidified unit, ignoring the tears still wet on their cheeks.
One problem solved, and they moved on to the next one.
Cal looked back to Doc. He probably needed medical care. The thing was, none of them had a stinking clue how to help him.
Doc was breathing, though. That was a first step. Cal supposed there wasn’t much more they could do until he woke up again.
“I think I can grab her if you can get us close enough,” Alanna said.
Ty fiddled with the controls. “I’ve plucked smaller cargo out of space. We can totally do this.”
Cal leaned against the wall, trying to keep upright. “I thought we didn’t have any power.”
“Oh, we have power,” Ethan said. “We’re just sending it all to life support.”
“You are not shutting off life support.”
Ethan waved his hand in the air. “Only for a minute or two.”
The booming inside Cal’s head intensified, and he squinted against the harsh light. “Definitely not. It might not come back on.”
They all stared at him, and then Ethan and Alanna looked at Ty.
“Will you be able to get life support back on?” Ty asked.
Ethan rubbed his chin. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Ty asked.
Ethan straightened. “Yes. I’m ninety-five percent positive.” He glanced at the buttons on the wall panel. “Maybe eighty-five percent.”
Alanna turned from her station. “Ty, Dania saved us from that royal cruiser. We can’t abandon her.”
Ty tapped on his control pad. “I have no intention of leaving her out there. Let’s snatch ourselves an enforcer.”
Dammit, Ty!
Ethan whooped, pressing buttons on the wall. “Let’s do this!”
Each flash of the bright buttons sliced into Cal’s brain. He held his head, breathing deeply as another wave of nausea hit.
Cal tried to stand, but he slid back to the floor. “Ethan. Do not turn off life support. I forbid it.”
All three of them stared at him again. Why did they keep doing that?
Ty held up a hand. “All those in favor of deeming the captain unfit for duty say aye.”
They all said aye.
“You can’t do that.” Cal winced, clutching his gut.
Ty smiled. “I’m pretty sure there’s a rule book somewhere that says if the doctor is incapacitated, then the first mate can relieve the captain from duty for medical reasons.”
Cal tried to straighten. “I’m fine.”
Ty flipped a button on the panel and an alarm blared through the room. Cal dropped to his knee as the room spun around him. He held his hands over his ears, trying to keep his brain inside his head, where it belonged. His stomach roiled, and he vomited on the deck again.
He stared at the puke as it spread across the floor. They were right. He wasn’t okay. But that didn’t mean they should shut down life support.
He looked up. “You’ll be risking all our lives to save one person.”
Ty pointed out the window. “If it was me out
there, or Doc, or Alanna, you’d do it.”
Cal balked. He was right. Cal wasn’t about to admit that, though.
Ethan cocked his head. “Or me, right?”
Ty raised a brow at him.
“He’d save me, too right?” Ethan asked.
Everyone turned back to their stations.
Ethan’s lips twisted. “Gee, thanks, guys.”
Ty sat at the controls. “Give me power, Ethan.”
The engineer moved to his own station. “Sure. ‘Give me power, Ethan.’ ‘Make sure life support comes back online, Ethan.’ ‘Save the day as always, but if you’re floating in space, sorry, Ethan, you’re screwed.’”
Alanna snickered. “I’d think about saving you.”
A smile burst across Ethan’s face. “That’s because I’m so irresistible, baby.”
She rolled her eyes and returned to work as Cal leaned against the lower maintenance plate. He pressed a button over his head, and a circular sanitation unit slid out of a panel near the floor, cleaned up the mess, then returned to its cubby in the wall.
The last thing he needed was one of them slipping in his puke and hitting their heads. Two incapacitated crew members were more than enough.
Ty brought up the main control panel. “How do Dania’s readings look?”
Ethan switched to Doc’s station. “Weaker than before. We need to stop screwing around.”
“Don’t rush it,” Cal croaked. “Don’t put the crew in jeopardy.” He rubbed his sore throat.
“Noted.” Ty didn’t even look in Cal’s direction. “Now shut up and get over whatever the hell is wrong with you. I’m really looking forward to your lecture on how reckless I’ve been lately.” He turned to the others. “Shut down the life support, and stay alert. We might only get one chance at this.”
The lights flickered. Cal’s hands tensed on the deck below him. He’d just been in a room without life support. He’d lived through the cold. Just barely. His hands and feet throbbed almost worse than his head.
What if Ethan couldn’t get the air back on?
“Power transferred to the engines and the grappling hooks,” Ethan said.
Ty pulled on the controls and the ship banked right. “Let’s go get our girl.”
Renegade Magic (Star Renegades Book 1) Page 26