Page 55 of Alien's Challenge
As the tour continued, Alice said little. He was proud of the ship but grew nervous. Did his mate not approve? He should have vowed to remove the stasis pod. The less she said, the more he was determined to drop the pod off the mountainside.
He explained the security upgrades he made and the efforts it took to restore power to the ship. Abandoned for years, snow and ice had done considerable damage to the electrical system.
Finally, they came to his quarters.
“If it does not meet your approval, I can change it,” he said.
The door opened, and the lights flickered to life. Two cabins had been combined to create a larger space, but it was stark. Functional but not much more. Pillows and bedlinens were mismatched and worn, but clean. A single potted plant sat on a table, the leaves dropping from dehydration.
Alice took in the room, a smile on her soft lips. “I like it. I mean, it’s rather barebones here, but the bones are good.”
“There are no bones. There was an infestation of small rodents, but they were eradicated long ago.”
She lightly batted at his arm. “Gross. I mean I like the space, but right now I’m interested in bed.”
She stroked along his neck, stimulating the ragged remains of his frills. They had not had an opportunity to be alone since Falsespire.
“That is relevant to my interests,” he said with a purr.
An alarm sounded.
Chapter 16
Alice
Alarms.
Faris raced to the helm. The last few days at the Hub had been peaceful. Alice had immersed herself in the old reference books and navigation charts, searching for a mention of Earth or anything Earth-like. She almost forgot what heart-stopping panic was like.
On the monitor, a man wearing a makeshift mask held a gun to Perrigaul. Behind them, a familiar figure sauntered up. No mask. No attempt to obscure his identity.
Randevere.
In the distance, vehicles approached. This was not good.
“So much for your secret volcano lair,” she said.
Faris’ quills went flat. “This is a mountain, not a volcano, and it is hardly a secret.”
Aliens didn’t understand a quality spy joke, but perhaps this wasn’t the time for a joke. Right. Read the room, Serrano.
“Rand,” Faris growled. He leaned forward, planting his hands on the control panel. “I failed to check the perimeter. This is my fault.”
Randevere waved, the figure tiny on the monitor.
“What’s that in his hand?” Alice asked.
The image zoomed in. He held a rectangular device.
“That is a detonation device,” Faris said.
Explosives.
Panic tightened her chest.
“What does he want?” she asked, knowing the answer.
Faris said nothing. He flicked a switch. “Rand,” he growled.
