Page 50 of Her Alien Cyborgs
CHAPTER 19
Even with theinertial dampeners on, Kalan found himself staggering as he fought to keep his balance when theGambitaccelerated.
He tried to spread his wings, but they were clamped to his back by the EVA suit he wore.
He’d almost forgotten about that while he was moving along the hull of the ship. Being out in the void, with nothing but blackness in every direction, was almost like flying.
Once the ship’s acceleration smoothed out, he unlatched his helmet and removed it. Zero-G was fun, but having his head crammed inside a helmet with a limited field of vision and stale-tasting air hadn’t been enjoyable.
“What was it like?” Fyr’enth asked once he had his own helmet off.
“The sims were mostly accurate. The views are better, though. Open sky in all directions instead of one. It was more disorienting than I had expected. It felt like I was falling much of the time, and I couldn’t use my wings.”
“I felt the same thing every time I looked out the hatch. We’ll have to find out what adaptations the Vardarians use for theirsuits. No doubt we’ll learn more than we want once we reach Haven.”
They’d talked via their internal link the whole time Kalan was outside the ship and had agreed that the colony was the obvious choice. That made things problematic too. Even if the plan worked and they could stop the tracker from sending a signal, the ones chasing them would have to come to the same conclusion. If they left messages before leaving this system, it was possible, even likely, that the IAF would beat them to the colony. In fact, they probably had ships on their way there already.
It meant they’d be flying into a dangerous situation.
He grinned as he began freeing himself from the EVA suit. Danger had been their constant companion since they’d met theirmahaya. He wasn’t worried about himself or his brother. And if he won the argument he knew was coming, he would be less concerned about Hezza, too.
By the time they’d stowed their gear, Hezza had announced they’d made the transition to hyperspace. “We’re clear for now, but there’s not a snowball’s chance in a supernova that they’re not following us.”
“Did they fire on us?” Fyr’enth asked.
If they had, Kalan hadn’t detected any indication the shots had actually hit the ship.
“They did, but I’ve been dodging weapons fire longer than that crew has been alive. Their gunner used the same standard firing patterns every gunner learns during their first year of training.” She sounded pleased and relieved, but he didn’t miss the note of strain still in her voice. Their escape hadn’t been as easy as she claimed.
“When you’re ready, meet me in the galley. We’ve got cinnamon bites to eat and plans to discuss.”
“We’ll be there shortly,” Kalan said. Then he turned to his brother and spoke via their internal comms.“We’re still in agreement about ourzana?”
“We are.”
“Then I’ll grab what we need on the way to the galley.”
“See you there.”
He walked into the galley with a small bag slung over his shoulder. Inside were the items they needed, though there was still some question of whether Hezza would be agreeable.
If she argued, they had a plan for how to convince her to change her mind. It involved sweet talk and orgasms.
“Are you contributing to the stack of snacks?” Hezza asked. A bowl full of the sugar-dusted morsels they’d brought back to the ship sat in front of her along with three mugs of his new favorite beverage—hot cocoa topped with marshmallows.
“This?” He patted the bag before setting it down on the floor near his stool and taking a seat. “Contains a gift for you, but I am afraid it’s not food.”
“Then I’ll have to have another one of these.” Hezza picked up one of the cinnamon bites. “Grab one before they’re gone.”
Fyr’enth offered him the bowl. “Take two. They’re delicious. Hezza told me that the version our food dispenser makes is not half as good.”
“We need to get a better model. One that can make pizza, too,” Kalan said before popping one into his mouth.
“It’s not the model that’s the problem. It’s the ingredients. I don’t know how he does it, but Flek always sources the best of everything for his food, and it’s fresh. That’s not easy to do on a ship.”
“Then why don’t we get our supplies from Flek?” Fyr’enth asked.
Kalan wanted to know the answer, too, but he was too busy enjoying this new taste experience to ask.
