Page 36 of Star Claimed Omega
Vern’s face swam back into view.
‘Enough incentive for you, or have you forgotten what you’re fighting for?’
‘I haven’t forgotten,’ Soleil spat, her heart hammering with rage at the sight of a soul trussed up and violated.
‘Good,’ it purred, the fangs flashing again. ‘Then tell me, how goes our little plan?’
Her gaze flicked to the floor, to the scattered maps and blueprints, some hand-sketched, others pulled from stolen archives.
‘It’s going,’ she gritted.
Hiseyes narrowed. ‘It’s taking too long. You’re our secret weapon. If you don’t start hustling and sending us data we can actually use, my people might have to help you along.’
Dread scalded her spine.
Soleil swallowed. ‘I’m working as fast as I can. I already sent you the diagrams and codes you wanted. It’s all I found in the maintenance office.’
‘They’re old. We require more up-to-date schematics so we can work smarter,’ it snapped. ‘If your approach isn’t effective, find another way. Charm, poison, a blade, whatever you need. If you want to keepheralive, you’ll do as I say.’
‘I don’t operate -.’
‘Think like your father,’ the man snarled. ‘Not some floozie bimbo!’
Just then, a screech pierced the air.
Soleil whirled around as Lilla burst into the room, hair wild, eyes frenzied.
She took one look at the flickering glow of the holo and screeched like a banshee.
‘I TOLD YOU!’ she wailed. ‘They’re in the vents! You’ve let them in!’
The face in the projection leaned forward, glitching as it laughed, ‘Boo!’
Lilla jumped and screamed as the holo winked out and the nanites of the cuff device melted back into Soleil’s wrist, under the skin.
‘You, you’re one of them,’ Lilla shrieked, backing away, then grabbing a broom from the kitchenette and swinging.
‘Lilla, wait!’
It was no use.
Lilla lunged, screaming incoherently, the broom whooshing past Soleil’s head.
Soleil ducked, stumbling over the couch, arms raised.
‘It’s not what you think,’ she tried to explain.
‘You’re talking to the ghosts! To the demons!’ Lilla yelled. ‘They live in the plumbing! You’re infected!’
She swung again. Soleil grabbed her wrist, trying not to hurt her, attempting to restrain the crazed woman without fighting back.
Lilla slammed her elbow into Soleil’s ribs.
‘OUT!’ Lilla bellowed. ‘GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!’
Soleil reeled back, her breath knocked out.
She recognized the madness in her roommate’s eyes. There would be no reasoning, no mercy.
