Page 45 of Stealing the Star Stone
“To be expected of an expedition shuttle.”He looped his hand through a ceiling-mounted strap.
“We don’t have a choice.I have to figure this out.I suspect, the moment I start up the engines, Orien might be notified.”She tapped a few keys but nothing happened.“Why won’t it— Oh, yes.”She grabbed the lever with her hands and flicked a button on it.“Extra safety feature.Okay, here goes.”
A steady thrum burst into life, sending a tickling vibration up Eli’s feet.
“Docking bay opening,” a computer intoned in a feminine voice.“All personnel evacuate for your safety.”
Eli leaned forward, hoping to catch no glimpses of Frederik putting himself in danger.
“He’s gone.Seems he must have charmedLaurus’pilot.”Nova swiveled the shuttle, bringing the gaping mouth of the bay door into line of sight.“Only two ways to open that door: pilot or emergency button.And since Frederik’s nowhere to be seen…”
Out they shot, exploding into the black vacuum of space.Never had Eli felt freer, like a weight had been stripped from his shoulders.Excitement merged into a waterfall of butterflies, from his chest to the pit of his stomach.They could do this.Find a stone.Swap bodies.
With his free hand, he squeezed Nova’s shoulder, grateful to have been stuck with her.Sure, he could try and pilot this thing, but he’d learned on a chaser, not something designed as a mobile lab.
“Do you think anyone’s noticed our escape?”
She flashed him a smile.“Besides the pilot and Frederik, no.But this thing has no tracking on it as far as I can tell.Even if the galactic armada was on our ass, we wouldn’t know.”
“Destination Lethara is in two hours, twenty-seven minutes, and fourteen seconds,” the computer said.
Eli chuckled.“Feels surreal.Pinch me.”
“I know, right?”She hitched a thumb behind her.“Check the stocks.See what he prepared for us.”
“Good idea.”Eli released the strap and started opening-closing panels.“Dry foods, water, some mining gear too new to touch.Oh, these are nice.”He pulled out leather coats, lined and with hoodies.
She laughed.“Any weapons?”
“Getting there,” he said, trying on the coats, then holding up a few to measure the width of her shoulders.Tossing one over her lap and shoving his into the bag, he said, “Sorted.Next.”Tap-tap went the panels as he searched.“Nothing yet, except for a few devices of unknown purpose.”
“Weapons, a fire starter, a space blanket or two.If we’re trapped in a cave overnight, I don’t want to freeze to death.”She spun the shuttle, checking behind them, before resuming course.
“We have hours to sort through this thing.”He pointed to the console.“Isn’t it on automatic pilot?”
“Yes, but if we’re chased, I don’t want to be on the other side of the compartment.”
He ran his hand along an unmarked panel, not expecting it to pop open when it didn’t resemble the others.A light flashed on, illuminating a toilet, basin, and a tight shower.“Oh, they have a mini-bathroom.”Which meant water stores were on board.
She bolted out of the seat, striding past him, then snapped the door shut in his face.
He grinned and moved onto the next cupboard closest to the shuttle’s main door.The panel was taller—that looked promising.Sure enough, laser rifles, blasters, machetes, and daggers were clipped in place.“Found the weapons,” he hollered.
“Great,” she said, striding out while zipping up.“I miss bladder control.Yours is like my gramma’s.”
“Y’know, I’ve never considered it, but you’re right.I’ll pee though, just in case.”
There was a slight pressure building, but he somehow knew, he was in no hurry.He didn’t bother to shut the door when she’d returned to the seat.And as confined as the bathroom was, for his petite stature, it was quite spacious.He washed his hands, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.The shock of seeing himself through her amber-colored eyes had dwindled.Now, he noticed his messy hair and a little sleep at the corner of one eye.
He was becoming too comfortable in her body.Gone was the initial shock or the excitement to know aspects of her he’d never have gotten the chance to.If they did stay this way, it would sadden him to say goodbye to his body.But being stuck in hers wasn’t so bad.
“Water?”he called, going through the panels to find the one holding bottles upon bottles of purified water—and the brand he liked, too.“For now.Pretty sure there’s a coffee station somewhere in this shuttle.”
“That would be too good to be true.Coffee, tea, something hot.”She uncapped the water and sipped.
“On it,” he said, giving her a salute.“Gotta feed the addictions.”
Silence settled around them.The swell of hope filled the space with simmering excitement.Beside the console was the final panel, and when he opened it, the sight of a hot-water pot summoned a smile.All good so far.He dug out her box of tea and ordered a coffee for himself.The aromas were an added comfort as if their escape had been blessed by the tea/coffee gods.
