Page 34 of Lorran
“The shuttle is in position. Connecting the bridge,” Mylomon said.
The shuttle gave a slight lurch as the bridge clamped onto the derelict ship. Wyn stumbled, and Lorran reached out to stabilize her.
With the bridge in position, Mylomon stood at the shuttle’s door. “You may join me when I give the all clear,” he said, before activating his own face plate.
With a hiss of equalizing air pressure, the door closed behind him.
Lorran watched Mylomon’s progress through the camera. The male was across the bridge and attempted to open the ship at a hatch. He pressed a square device to the hatch’s control panel.
“The ship’s computer is not responding,” Mylomon said through the comm channel.
“Have you asked it nicely?”
“I do not ask for entry.” The male pressed a hand to the hatch, then shifted his body to block the view of the camera. The image on the screen rippled, as if some distortion interfered with the camera.
The hatch slid open.
“I am going in. Be ready.”
The screen switched to Mylomon’s helmet cam, giving his point of view as he made his way through the darkened ship. The occasional electrical fire provided illumination down the corridors. Panels swung precariously from the ceiling, ready to crash down. Scorch marks marred the walls.
“What happened?” Wyn asked.
“It is a research vessel with a small crew. Basic functions are performed by bots and drones. The ship was not meant for combat, but this territory is within the safe zone. We will know more when we retrieve the logs.” Anything could have befallen the crew, raiders or an encounter with smugglers, but he knew the signs of Suhlik attack: brutal and no survivors.
Mylomon slowly made his way through the empty ship. Eventually he arrived where the escape pods were stored.
A body sprawled across the floor. Lorran recognized the male but did not know him well. He had been in the clan but left when the previous warlord, Omas, grew unstable. So many good warriors had left the clan.
“Ulrik,” Mylomon said, identifying the male.
The camera feed switched off.
“I will go to Engineering and see about getting power back. Go to the helm and access the logs. Determine the path of the escape pod. This may still be a rescue mission,” Mylomon said.
“Understood.” Lorran checked his equipment and Wyn’s suit once more. He handed her a portable light source, then another as a precaution. “One for each hand. Are you ready?”
She hesitated at the door. “I’m not thrilled about exploring the ghost ship, to be honest, but I sure as hell don’t want to be on my own.”
“All will be well. The ship is empty, and I am excited for our first date,” Lorran announced.
Chapter 8
Wyn
A date?
“I can’t believe you’re trying to pass off a haunted ghost ship as a date.” There was a body, and everything was pitch black. Whatever attacked the ship and killed that man could still be on board. She’d stick as close to Lorran as possible because the best Wyn could do would be to throw a flashlight at the attacker and scream.
“It is not ideal, but I do not want you to be alone.” The curve of the faceplate distorted his expression, but his voice came in loud and clear in her ear.
“Yeah. Big agree from me.”
The door to the shuttle opened and Lorran steered her onto the connecting bridge. The door sealed shut behind them, and then she was standing on the thinnest of material, almost as transparent as the high-tech glass on her helmet. Her boots adhered to the bridge. Stepping forward was not as simple as lifting her foot. Rolling forward on to the balls of her feet broke her free from the magnetic grip, but each step still took twice as much effort as normal.
The bridge itself was a web of silver threads that stretched from the shuttle to the ghost ship. Starlight filtered in through the gaps in the webbing.
She stood on a spiderweb bridge.
