Page 27 of Accidentally Abducted
"Every ship has escape pods. Those are our best bet," I said.
More guards were approaching. Shouts and alarms were getting louder. The other prisoners on our level were pounding against the glass furiously.
"How do you know where to find them? This ship is as big as a building?" Lola asked.
"Believe me, spend enough time in space and the layouts get predictable," I said.
Thanks to years of training, I knew this model of freighter had escape pods in the lower decks. It wasn't an ideal place for them, and newer models had changed that. But for us it was perfect.
A dozen guards came from a doorway behind us.
I dodged a laser blast, glancing around. I needed to slow these assholes down. Then I had an idea.
Just as we approached the teleportation tube, I saw a cell with a massive alien inside. He was probably twice my size and half as smart. A giant ball of muscle and rage -- perfect. I shot the electronic lock with the blaster and the door shattered under the beast's weight.
Screams rose from the guards, who were on the wrong side of the cell. The giant alien began ripping through them like toys.
I grabbed Lola and squeezed into the teleportation tube. It was a tight fit for both of us. "Computer!" I shouted. "Take us to the escape pods."
"Sub-floor 44B," the computer replied. It was slow to respond, as if it wasn't happy with being ordered around.
I knew that was impossible, but it pissed me off, anyway. "Hurry up," I growled.
Lola squealed and closed her eyes, turning from the carnage that the giant alien was causing down the corridor. More guards came, only to be ripped to shreds.
"Channel open. Sub-floor 44B. One moment."
With a fizz and a flash, we found ourselves on a dark lower floor. It was much colder down here and mercifully quiet.
The only thing I could hear was our labored breathing.
"We did it!" Lola said.
"So far, so good," I agreed.
The lower deck was dark and about as dirty as I thought it would be. We drifted through the corridor until we reached wide doors that opened into the main area. We were right at the bottom of the freighter, were a dusty hanger filled with escape pods waited in lines.
"These look ancient," Lola said, wiping the dust away with her finger.
"They haven't been used in a long time," I said with a nod. "But it's our best chance off this thing."
The pods were housed on a system of rails, where in the event of an emergency, they'd be popped out one by one out of the airlock. There was one escape pod ready in the airlock.
"Come on," I said, keeping my laser blaster ready in case we ran into any other aliens in the dark.
With a small amount of trouble, I figured out how to open and power up the escape pod. Most machines like this were pretty standard, even if I couldn't read the instructions or the buttons. It was a strange language that I hadn't seen before.
Lola was moving from one foot to another nervously. "What if they find us?" She whispered.
"I'm sure they will. We just need to be faster than them."
Lola pressed her lips together until they went white. That was not the response she wanted, but it was the truth.
The escape pod beeped as the engine powered on. There was enough room for about four people, the ring-shaped seating ensured everyone would face inward. The controls were at the centre of the pod.
"It's like a teacup ride," Lola said as she peered in.
I didn't bother asking what that was because red lights began flashing. Now was not the time for lessons on obscure Earth vehicles.
