Page 25 of Bonded

“Don’t bother her,” Vryek said. “If all goes well, we will be there and back before she even wakes from her rest.”

I couldn’t wait for that. The more awake she was, the more she could interact with us, and then she would love us and want to bond with us. I was certain of it.

I let one other take the helm, even though I was the better shuttle pilot. I was too giddy and restless, and I was afraid that my focus wouldn’t be there, especially when we docked in the smaller ports that the space stations had.

The Honi Trader space station was one of the worst in the sector. However, this was the only place the Kaza twins operated, and they were the ones we had contracted to get some of the vital supplies that both the colony and the ship needed.

“I will, of course, let you do the talking, Vryek, but if you need anything—”

“I know.” Vryek looked around. “You know what? Let me grab the other shuttle and follow along after you. That way, we will have more space and possibly not have to make multiple trips.”

Fewer trips meant a quicker return and more time with Priya. “Perfect, we’ll leave in ten minutes?”

“Go on ahead and locate a landing dock for us. I’ll be right behind you.”

That was where our link was handy. Not that we really needed it before. We had worked well as a team when Earth 4040 was still our prison. We always had each other’s backs.

Easy in, easy out. We could load up the supplies and then get back to a well-rested Priya. One who might want to be regaled with tales of adventure. Maybe I could even find something pretty for her there.

PRIYA

The others left me so I could rest. However, I felt too wired to sleep. I felt more refreshed than I’ve had in a long time. Even while I was still in the colony, I was relatively sickly. There was always a cold or a virus or an epidemic we had to be locked down for.

As someone who had little resources, having the state mandated rounds of vaccines and meds was routine enough.

However, as an adult, I never got over it. I was always sickly. If anyone ever felt under the weather, I would be out for two weeks without fail.

When the ship told me it helped to ease the terminal illness, I didn’t think about how much more my general health had improved in just a matter of days. Hours really.

“Are you finished resting, Pilot-Priya?”

Was I finished resting? “Yes. I feel fine, actually.” Better than I have felt in a long time. Possibly, in my entire life.

In fact, I was downright energized.

And with that came a resolve. Whenever I closed my eyes, more and more of my ordeal bubbled up in my subconscious. It was as if that was the only way my mind allowed me to remember anything of what happened.

I still didn’t remember all, but I remembered friends. Familiar faces that repeated in my dreams and memories. Zahra, who spoke little but had the softest voice and kindest temperament. Ryne, who was passionate and full of fire. Even in the small spaces of our conversation, I knew she had more steel than I ever had.

And then, of course, there were the faces of countless others, women whose names I didn’t even know.

“Ship, is there a way for me to look up to see if there were any mentions of a downed starcraft anywhere recently?”

“Do you want me to scan for life forms?”

“I suppose.” Scanning for life forms seemed like a huge undertaking. I thought of a different tack. “How did you find me? You said you found me in debris?”

“Yes, there was debris in the area that showed there might have been a ship under attack. In finding you, I felt a faint biosignature that resonated with my programming.”

As the ship said it, a frisson rushed over my body. I understood that to mean that was how the ship felt when it was in proximity with me.

“Would you be able to know what happened to the ship I was on? Would the debris fall to the planet you mentioned? Earth 4040?”

“No, since Earth 4040 no longer exists.”

I smacked my hand against my forehead. Not this again. “Ship, how can your home base be your home base but also not exist?”

“When it is no longer on the galactic maps or in my primary records.”

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