Page 42 of Bound to the Alien King
An unexplainable pang shot through my heart, and I couldn’t even begin to define it.I didn’t have the time either, because seconds later, the ship heaved violently, spilling me against a wall.Then the power went out and plunged us into darkness.
“Rain?”A note of panic and accusation pitched my voice higher.
“It wasn’t me.I can scan the ship if you want.”
“Do it.”Some of the auxiliary power must’ve kicked on because the green light on the same wall intercom she’d used earlier shone like a beacon.“Everyone all right?”
The sound of someone flipping switches filtered between a string of impressive curses from Darc.“We have life support and we’re still flying with auxiliary power, but why the lights are still out, I have no idea.”
“Captain, did you forget to pay the electric bill again?”Mosely asked.
“You found me out.Is everyone still on the bridge?”
“Everyone except for Major,” Doc said.“Either he took a pee break, or this is all part of his master plan to kill us all.Hard to say, really.”
“Captain,” Philip said, “I tried contacting the cruise ship to see if they’re all right, but they haven’t answered.”
Shit.Shit.Were they in worse shape than we were due to their size?My nerves pinched with worry.
“Okay, keep trying.Stay put for now.I’ll find out what’s going on and get back to you.”
“Roger that, Captain,” Philip said.
When the intercom beeped off, a shiver crawled up my back.Rain was still behind me.Her presence was as big and limitless as a black hole.Had she been lying when she said this wasn’t her doing?Was she about to kill me right this second?
Holding my breath, I sank my eyes shut.The impenetrable darkness closed in, shrink-wrapping to my skin and suffocating me, the same as it had for many years.Nighttime didn’t bother me since it was lit with the moon and stars, but dark, enclosed spaces where monsters lurked, where the boogeymen reached clawed fingers toward your back, where blood-covered Faid watched you in the confines of your living room before you flipped on the lamp…
“Anything, Rain?”I choked out, forcing myself to turn around.
“The power surge came from outside the ship,” she said simply, still positioned in the middle of the room.“It affected the cruise ship as well.”
My breaths snagged in my lungs as they thickened into stone.“Are they all right?”
“As far as I can tell, the airlocks are still connected, but the other ship’s engines are out, and the passengers’ vitals are elevated.”
“Shit.I’m going to go see if I can help.”I started for the direction of the door by feel alone.
“Nera, we are close to Klio-3.”
I stopped at the door, the weight of her words dragging at my legs.“You think it’s Earth Space Fleet sending us a warning or some shit?”
“Yes.Or some shit.Anything to slow us down and make us stay away.I analyzed the energy source from theOdessa’sstill-operational cameras, of which there is only one.The energy source’s wavelength, frequency, and modulation patterns have the distinct signature of Earth Space Fleet weaponry.I downloaded those patterns onto this data drive for proof, if you want it.I’m holding it out to you now.”
“Well, you own the planet that they’re on,” I reminded her.
“Yes, but I don’t ownthem.”
“But youownthe planet they’re on, Rain.Send them a warning right back.”
“I can’t.I used to be able to, but not anymore.Klio-3 took on a life of its own, as planets tend to do.”
Yeah, I didn’t even know what that meant.Heaving a frustrated sigh, I closed in on her and the data drive, blindly searching the darkness for her hand while my pulse karate-chopped against my flesh.Gently, her hand grasped mine and pressed the drive into my palm.I pulled away quickly and backed away once more toward the door.
“For the sake of argument,” Rain said, “what did you have in mind for Klio-3?”
“A huge distraction.Something to take their minds off of searching for us in the sky.A giant wave of fake Faid.How about that?”
A pause, then, “I am glad I am on your good side, Nera.”
