this.” Saaja screeched. “What of the alliance?”
Tyvelon chuckled. “Do you really think there could ever be a true alliance between our kind?”
The guards dragged them away, taking them to the detention center.
Across the ship, more guards gathered outside the trio’s guest compartment. They opened the hatch and attempted to round up Bailey. He snarled and growled at them. One of the guards lunged to grab him. Bailey bolted through the hatch. He raced down the corridor, disappearing in the labyrinth of passageways.
“Find that mutt!” the squad leader said with a scowl on his face.
23
Zoey
“ B rody ? Brody, do you copy?” Declan listened for a response over the comm line, but he heard nothing. Only static. “Where the hell is he?”
Zoey shrugged. It was pitch black in the captain’s quarters. Zoey’s helmet lights danced across Declan’s face as she looked at him.
“Mitch… Jaxon… do you copy?”
“Roger, boss,” Mitch replied. “What’s up?”
“Have you heard from Brody?”
“Yeah, he was griping about something a few minutes ago. If you ask me, I think he’s getting the willies.” Mitch chuckled.
“Violet, how are you doing?”
“Everything is in order up here, sir.” Her tinny voice filtered through the comm link. “So far the system checks out.”
“Keep me advised.”
“Will do.”
Declan discontinued transmission. “Let’s go see if we can find Brody.”
They exited the captain’s state room and headed aft down the corridor. Their helmet lights slashed through the darkness. Thunder rumbled.
“I’ll be glad when the lights come on,” 8-Ball said. “This place gives me the creeps.”
They crept through the passageways until they came to a hatch that was sealed shut. Declan mashed a button on the bulkhead, but it still wouldn’t open.
“We can cut across and go down a level,” Zoey said.
Declan followed her.
She climbed down the ladder and continued aft toward the reactor room.
Passing by the head sparked an urge in 8-Ball. “Shit, I gotta take a leak.”
“Go in the suit,” Declan said.
“I ain’t going in here. It’s bad enough I gotta smell my own farts in this thing.”
“That’s attractive,” Zoey snarked.
“Didn’t you put on an absorbency garment?” Declan asked.
“No. I didn’t see any diapers handy.”
Declan shook his head.
“Does this ship have atmosphere yet?” 8-Ball checked his HUD. “Hell, we’re at 19% oxygen. That’s close enough.”
Atmosphere on New Earth was 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen. It was virtually identical to Earth’s.
“We still don’t know what happened to the crew?” Zoey said. “What if there is a pathogen present that activates with oxidation?”
“A 25 year old germ? You want me to worry about germs? Have you seen my apartment?” 8-Ball unlatched his helmet and twisted it off. He breathed a deep breath of manufactured air. It was the closest thing to fresh air he was going to get.
Declan watched him for a moment. When he was satisfied it was safe, he unsealed Max’s transport compartment.
Max darted out of the cramped case. He was wide eyed at his new environment. He looked back at Declan for a moment.
“Don’t run off too far,” Declan said.
Max wasn’t about to listen to anyone. As far as he was concerned, the Revenant was part of his empire. He took off down the hallway, exploring.
8-Ball carried his helmet under his arm and pushed into the head. He let the helmet lights illuminate his path.
He set the helmet down on the sink and aimed the flashlights toward one of the urinals. He unlocked the upper torso assembly, and pulled it over his head and set it down on an adjacent sink.
The ship groaned and squealed.
Eddie walked over to the urinal and did his business. As he walked back to the sink, he noticed the stalls were peppered with bullet holes. He picked up his helmet and shined the light across the stalls, illuminating the string of holes. The beam of light just
Tyvelon chuckled. “Do you really think there could ever be a true alliance between our kind?”
The guards dragged them away, taking them to the detention center.
Across the ship, more guards gathered outside the trio’s guest compartment. They opened the hatch and attempted to round up Bailey. He snarled and growled at them. One of the guards lunged to grab him. Bailey bolted through the hatch. He raced down the corridor, disappearing in the labyrinth of passageways.
“Find that mutt!” the squad leader said with a scowl on his face.
23
Zoey
“ B rody ? Brody, do you copy?” Declan listened for a response over the comm line, but he heard nothing. Only static. “Where the hell is he?”
Zoey shrugged. It was pitch black in the captain’s quarters. Zoey’s helmet lights danced across Declan’s face as she looked at him.
“Mitch… Jaxon… do you copy?”
“Roger, boss,” Mitch replied. “What’s up?”
“Have you heard from Brody?”
“Yeah, he was griping about something a few minutes ago. If you ask me, I think he’s getting the willies.” Mitch chuckled.
“Violet, how are you doing?”
“Everything is in order up here, sir.” Her tinny voice filtered through the comm link. “So far the system checks out.”
“Keep me advised.”
“Will do.”
Declan discontinued transmission. “Let’s go see if we can find Brody.”
They exited the captain’s state room and headed aft down the corridor. Their helmet lights slashed through the darkness. Thunder rumbled.
“I’ll be glad when the lights come on,” 8-Ball said. “This place gives me the creeps.”
They crept through the passageways until they came to a hatch that was sealed shut. Declan mashed a button on the bulkhead, but it still wouldn’t open.
“We can cut across and go down a level,” Zoey said.
Declan followed her.
She climbed down the ladder and continued aft toward the reactor room.
Passing by the head sparked an urge in 8-Ball. “Shit, I gotta take a leak.”
“Go in the suit,” Declan said.
“I ain’t going in here. It’s bad enough I gotta smell my own farts in this thing.”
“That’s attractive,” Zoey snarked.
“Didn’t you put on an absorbency garment?” Declan asked.
“No. I didn’t see any diapers handy.”
Declan shook his head.
“Does this ship have atmosphere yet?” 8-Ball checked his HUD. “Hell, we’re at 19% oxygen. That’s close enough.”
Atmosphere on New Earth was 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen. It was virtually identical to Earth’s.
“We still don’t know what happened to the crew?” Zoey said. “What if there is a pathogen present that activates with oxidation?”
“A 25 year old germ? You want me to worry about germs? Have you seen my apartment?” 8-Ball unlatched his helmet and twisted it off. He breathed a deep breath of manufactured air. It was the closest thing to fresh air he was going to get.
Declan watched him for a moment. When he was satisfied it was safe, he unsealed Max’s transport compartment.
Max darted out of the cramped case. He was wide eyed at his new environment. He looked back at Declan for a moment.
“Don’t run off too far,” Declan said.
Max wasn’t about to listen to anyone. As far as he was concerned, the Revenant was part of his empire. He took off down the hallway, exploring.
8-Ball carried his helmet under his arm and pushed into the head. He let the helmet lights illuminate his path.
He set the helmet down on the sink and aimed the flashlights toward one of the urinals. He unlocked the upper torso assembly, and pulled it over his head and set it down on an adjacent sink.
The ship groaned and squealed.
Eddie walked over to the urinal and did his business. As he walked back to the sink, he noticed the stalls were peppered with bullet holes. He picked up his helmet and shined the light across the stalls, illuminating the string of holes. The beam of light just
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