Page 8 of Zinnia and the Zombie
The landing ramp closed with a groan that matched the sinking feeling in Zinnia’s stomach and she shivered—they were actually going to attempt to escape in this dilapidated vessel.
It’s better than the alternative, she reminded herself, remembering the guard’s cruel hands.
Her zombie’s fingers moved across the control panel with reassuring confidence, and lights flickered on and off in response. The engines finally stuttered to life with a concerning wheeze, but at least they were running.
“Should we strap in or something?” she asked, glancing around for anything resembling a seat belt.
“Yes. Take a seat.” He gestured to the co-pilot seat. “There should be harnesses.”
She found the straps hanging limply from the sides of the chair and pulled them across her body, clipping them together with a satisfying click. The seat felt as if it might collapse beneath her at any moment, but at least she was secured to it.
The ship gave a sudden lurch and began moving towards a massive door at the far end of the repair bay. She held her breath, waiting for alarms to sound, for crew members to rush in and stop them.
“Won’t they notice us leaving?” she whispered as the door opened to reveal another set of doors behind it.
“Their systems will indicate that the outer door opened.” He shrugged. “They may or may not notice immediately. The Ithyians are not known for their discipline. Hopefully by the time they notice, we’ll be gone.”
The outer doors began to open, revealing the blackness of space beyond stars scattered across it like pinpoints of light. She’d always found the night sky beautiful, but she’d never appreciated just how large the universe was until this moment. She shivered again, suddenly wishing they’d stayed in the relative safety of the cargo hold.
“Will the ship make it?” she asked, forcing the words past the lump in her throat.
“Of course.”
His calm tone helped, but the engines were making an alarming clattering sound and the entire vessel was vibrating.
“What’s that noise?”
“Nothing to worry about. It’s just the engines.”
“It doesn’t sound like nothing. What’s wrong with them?”
“I don’t think there’s enough fuel in the system to power the thrusters. We should be fine once the propulsion drives kick in.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve driven something when the gas tank said it was empty,” she muttered.
“Hold on,” he warned.
The engines whined in protest as he accelerated, and the little craft shot forward through the opening. The sudden acceleration pressed her back into her seat.
“I can’t believe we made it,” she breathed as the vibrations eased.
“We’re not safe yet. They will pursue us if they notice our departure.”
As if summoned by his words, alarms began to blare from the control panel. He glanced at them and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“The navigation system is failing,” he said.
His golden skin shimmered in the dim light of the cockpit as he worked, pulling up a star chart on one of the few functioning screens. She watched him, still processing the fact that her statue—her zombie—was now a living, breathing being beside her.
“How did you… come alive?” she asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
His amethyst eyes flickered to her briefly. “I was never not alive. I was in stasis—a healing state for my species. Your presence… helped me break free.”
“You heard everything I said?”
“Yes. Every word.”
