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“I believe you.” She did. Brassi had a lot of both, and he hadn’t hid them from her since they’d met. The Veslors weren’t an emotionally detached race.
He smiled. “We’ll talk of this more later.” His gaze traveled down her body again. “I’m very eager to learn everything about you, Vivian.”
She reached up and clicked on her earpiece again. “I look forward to that, too.”
“To what? You have got to tell me later what was said!”
Vivian ignored Abby as she watched Brassi put on his gloves and his helmet. He closed the shield over his face. He lifted his weapon last, and then motioned her toward where his men had gone.
Vivian walked in front of him. She was learning the Veslors liked to keep someone at her back. It might be an alien thing they did to everyone, or perhaps it was just females. A protective thing.
The males all stood leaning against the walls just around the bend. She blushed, wondering if they’d been able to hear what was said. It wasn’t as if she could see their expressions to take a guess.
Vassi straightened first from his relaxed stance and nodded at them. “We’re ready when you are. What’s next?”
“The bridge,” Vivian answered. “I just don’t know how to get the Ke’ters to come out. It’s pretty secure. We can’t override the doors there.”
“It’s a design flaw, in my opinion,” Abby muttered. “I told my parents that there should be an override code added for the bridge doors when we created the security systems, but my father and the decision-makers said no.”
“Just take it off lockdown from our side and maybe they’ll open up if we make some racket at the doors,” Vivian suggested. “We’ll figure it out when we get there.”
Brassi touched her shoulder.
She stared at his helmet. “I was talking to Abby. The bridge doors are locked from both sides. We can release the locks on the exterior side, but they need to open them from the inside to come out. Otherwise, they could remain sealed inside until they run out of food and water. That could take weeks.”
He remained silent for several long moments. Then asked, “Can you remove the air in there?”
Vivian wasn’t sure. “Abby? Do you know?”
“No such luck,” the woman responded.
Vivian shook her head. “We can’t do that.”
“Get us there, and we’ll think up something.” Brassi sounded certain.
“Let’s return to the lift. We’re going all the way up to Deck Ten. That’s where the bridge is located.”
Chapter Five
Vivian stopped their group before they reached the bridge doors. “Once we round that bend up there, the Ke’ters will be able to see us on the monitor near the doors.”
“You’re certain?” Brassi remained close to her.
“I’ve been up there dozens of times, so yes, I’m sure.” Vivian thought about it. “They can see the corridor on a large screen. It’s a security measure when changing shifts. The doors won’t open until someone inside views and confirms any visitor. No surprises that way.”
“How did the Ke’ters gain entry, then?”
She looked at Vassi to answer him. “I wish I knew. I’m guessing maybe the commander ordered someone to give them a tour of the bridge, and they attacked once inside. That’s pretty much the only time anyone who doesn’t work there officially gains access.”
“Unless they bribed someone with a shit ton of money to betray us and let them in,” Abby added.
Vivian didn’t want to mention that option to the Veslors. It didn’t matter anyway, since every crew member currently on the bridge had been eaten. Whoever let them in had already paid for their crime, if that was the case. “My dad mentioned once that there’s an option to backtrack footage to review what happened anywhere a camera is recording, but I didn’t have access to do that. All I could see was the live feed. The control centers have access to two cameras inside the bridge in case of a catastrophic event.”
“Catastrophic event?” Brassi questioned.
“You know, if a bomb went off or the bridge stopped responding for whatever reason.” She paused. “There’s no sound, of course. The cameras are positioned in places that don’t pose a security risk in the case of hackers. But there are views inside to check on the condition of the crew if shit goes wrong.”
“Only an admiral can open those doors.” Abby paused. “DNA verification. We’re screwed if the Ke’ters don’t open up, since I checked the crew and passenger manifest. We’ve got no admirals onboard. Commander Alderson won’t even have access, or I’d suggest getting him. Do you want me to release the lockdown from your side?”
Vivian glanced around at the armor-wearing Veslors. “Abby wants to know if she should unseal the doors on this side. It means they can come out if they want.”
The men growled at each other, discussing options. At least she assumed that’s what they were doing. She hated that they weren’t talking in English, and wondered why. It was in her nature at times to be suspicious, but she’d been given no reason not to trust them so far.
Brassi viciously snarled, stepping closer and putting his hand on her shoulder. He seemed angry at one of his men, in particular.
“What are you saying?” She stared up at him.
He stopped snarling, took a deep breath, and blew it out. “Kavs suggested we use you as bait. I told him no.”
Vivian thought about it. “It’s not such a bad idea, actually.”
Brassi released her shoulder and opened his face plate. She shivered at the way he glared at her. “No. You will not be put at risk, female.”
Vivian held up a finger. “Abby?”
“You’re not seriously considering it, are you?”
“I have a plan.”
“No,” Brassi insisted.
“Fuck no!” Abby hissed in her ear.
“Hear me out. The Ke’ters attacked us…what? Eighteen, nineteen hours ago? They killed and fed off the bridge crew. I figure they would probably love to grab me.” She waved her hand down her body. “Fresh meat.”
“Are you insane?”
“What are you thinking, female?”
Vivian flinched from being yelled at by both Abby and Brassi at the same time.
“Abby can distract them by closing the engine vents. They’ll see the engines coming back online. She could then open them again right away, so they can’t move the ship, but while they’re busy, I’ll run up to the door, push the button to let them know someone wants access to the bridge, and then run out of sight. They’ll see me, since there’s a good seventy feet of corridor in their view. I’m betting they’ll come after me. Again…fresh meat.” She kept her gaze locked on Brassi. “You and your men will be waiting for them right here.”
“No!” Brassi snarled, still looking pissed. “They move quickly, faster than you do.”
“You want to play ding-dong ditch with the Ke’ters? I’m with the big hot alien on this. It’s nuts,” Abby muttered. “It also won’t gain us access to the bridge if all of them come after you. We’ll still be locked out.”
“You’re right, but it also means they can’t fly us anywhere. We can bring engines back online, and with it, full power to life support. We’ll have plenty of time for our people to arrive. Including an admiral who can get in there with his precious DNA match.”
Abby sighed. “Fuck. If it works, it would be great for us…but you could die. What if a Ke’ter gets ahold of you?”
“What is the other female saying?” Brassi asked.
“You can see inside the bridge, Abby. Is a Ke’ter anywhere close to the door?”
Abby paused. “No. Maybe ten feet from it.”
“What are you talking about with the other female?” Brassi demanded, gripping her shoulders.
“Abby can see inside the bridge. They don’t have someone near the door. She can warn me if that changes.”
“We’ll storm the doors and challenge them,” Brassi said. “Ke’ters hate us as
much as we hate them. I told you they have attacked our colonies. We’ve slaughtered all who’ve tried. Their pride will demand they fight us. We’ll take off our armor to look less threatening.”
It was Vivian’s turn to get mad. “No! I brought you here, asked for your help, and I’m not risking you or your men that way. Your armor stays on. I’ve seen what their weapons can do. I shot one of the assholes with his own gun. It made fist-sized holes.” She shook her head. “Nope. We’ll go with my plan.”
“Shit,” Abby muttered.
“No.” Brassi glowered at her with those golden eyes of his.
She appreciated that he didn’t want anything to happen to her. It certainly proved he cared. “It’s a good, solid plan. You seem to know more about Ke’ters than I do. They killed the bridge crew right away. Will they want fresh meat if they think they can grab me? Be honest.”
Brassi’s eyes narrowed, but he finally gave her a sharp nod. “Yes. One could feed off a body for days, but the fresher the kill, the better tasting…or so we’ve estimated from their past behavior.”
“Abby, go into the maintenance controls I gave you access to. Get ready to close those vents to flood the engine compartments with oxygen. Once they come online, reopen the vents to shut them back down, but not until you tell me how the Ke’ters react.”
“Shit! I’m officially stating for the record that I hate this plan. But I’m doing it. It’s going to take a few minutes. I’ll let you know when the vents close.”
“Keep me apprised of any Ke’ters going near that exit door, too.”
“You don’t even have to mention that part. It’s insanity, Vivian. I hope to hell those short legs of yours can run faster than mine. It’s why I never joined our military or fleet. I couldn’t pass the physicals.”
“I don’t like this plan.”
Vivian kept her gaze locked with Brassi. “I’m doing it. Prepare your men. When Abby says it’s time, I’ll run to the bridge doors, push the button to let them know I’m there, and then haul ass back to you and your team.”
“Haul ass?”
“Run as fast as I can. Don’t worry. I’m motivated to be faster than the Ke’ters.”
He growled, turning to his men, issuing snarls their way. They began to unholster their rifles, taking positions along the walls, making a path between them for her to run through. She made a mental note to try to avoid slamming into their big bodies when she rounded the corner on her way back.
“You keep running,” Brassi ordered. “Beyond us, to that point.” He turned, gesturing to the other curve in the corridor. “Vassi will shield you in case any get past us.”
“Got it.” She felt relieved he wasn’t arguing with her anymore.
“Why are there so many turns?”
She glanced back at Vassi. “In the corridors?”
“Yes.”
“I have no clue.”
“They’re designed to give the crew a feeling of the ship being smaller than it really is, and cozier,” Abby said in her ear. “Imagine a straight corridor a few playing fields long, and how intimidating that would be. They weave the corridors to prevent people from realizing just how far they need to walk around to reach various sections.”
“Good to know,” Vivian muttered.
“What?” Brassi asked.
She smiled. “Just Abby keeping me updated. She’s almost ready to close those vents. The bridge will get notification through the computer when the engines begin to come back online, which the Ke’ters should be able to see or hear.”
“They will,” Abby confirmed.
Vivian started to stretch her body, preparing to run. The Veslors all seemed to be watching, judging by the way their helmets turned her way. She ignored them. They probably thought humans were pretty strange, if Veslors didn’t have to warm up before a jog. It was okay if they found her confusing. She just wanted to make sure she didn’t get a muscle cramp. That would be seriously bad while sprinting for her life.
“Alright.” Abby cleared her throat. “You ready? I just have to hit one more key and the vents will close. The enemy should get notice of that within seconds, once I do.”
“Tell me everything that’s happening inside the bridge. Every detail.” Vivian motioned to the Veslors. “Game time.”
Brassi snarled. “If anything goes wrong, lie flat. We’ll fight our way to you.”
Play dead. She nodded. “Do it, Abby.”
“Closing the vents now.” Abby paused. “They’re responding and closing.” She paused again. “There’s action on the bridge. The Ke’ters must be getting some kind of alarm. They’re all rushing toward the front panel. I don’t know what system that is, but I’m guessing it’s something to do with the engines. The one by the door, too. He’s a good thirty feet from it now.”
Vivian lunged, running as fast as she could down the corridor once she rounded the curve. Two huge double doors were down there, but her focus was on the access panel.
She reached it and pressed the button, panting.
“They’re turning!” Abby yelled in her ear. “RUN!”
Vivian needed no further urging. She spun and ran for her life. She heard the doors hiss open a second later but didn’t look back. The corridor hadn’t looked that long until that very second. She heard noises behind her and guessed the Ke’ters were hot on her ass.
A blast hit the wall, and she almost stumbled, but the Ke’ters missed her.
“Halt!” a computerized voice yelled.
She ignored it, made the curve, and kept to the center of the corridor, successfully avoiding the bulky armored bodies of the Veslors when she ran past. Weapons fire opened behind her again but she kept going, making it to the next curve.
Vassi grabbed her, and she was slammed into a wall, pinned there by his big, hard-shelled bulk. Vivian panted, her heart pounding. Shouts sounded, along with booms.
“Fuck!” Abby yelled in her ear.
“What?”
Abby didn’t respond.
Vivian tried to catch her breath, listening to the fight. More weapons fire sounded, along with high-pitched screams she now identified with the Ke’ters.
Abby yelled in her ear, “All the Ke’ters left the bridge, but one of them must have realized the doors auto-close, because he spun and tried to get back in. He was too slow. He’s partially trapped in the door, but alive. He’s struggling, trying to wiggle back inside. They’re fighting hand to hand, but nobody sees him since they’re in the corridor between where you are and the bridge.”
“No safeties?” That stunned Vivian. Most doors on the ship refused to close if a body blocked them. It was an auto-safety feature to avoid injuries.
“Not with the bridge doors. They close, period. Shit! That bastard is going to wiggle in, Vivian.”
“Vassi!” She pushed against him. “There’s a Ke’ter trapped in the doors to the bridge. Shoot him before he gets back in there!”
The big male paused, then he snarled. “Don’t move.” He rushed around the corner, where the fighting was taking place.
Vivian grabbed the handle of her father’s tactical knife, ripped it free of the strap, and backed up. If anyone not wearing armor came around that corner, she’d have to fight. She took a defensive stance, using both hands to grip the handle. No way did she want to become Ke’ter food. A shudder ran down her spine.
“God,” Abby breathed. “The guy who left you is shoving his way through the fighting and…” She paused. “He made it. He’s running toward the trapped Ke’ter. Shooting now… Yes! He hit the bastard but he’s still moving. He’s still going to get in!”
“No.” Vivian knew they’d never get the alien to come out again, now that it was clear they’d laid a trap. They’d still have to worry about whether or not he knew how to fly the Gorison Traveler when they brought the engines back online, after the backup power depleted.
“He shot him again… Fuck! The Ke’ter’s inside. Wait…”
“Wait for what?”
/> “It’s hurt. It staggered, now it’s on its knees. It took two hits. One to the back and one to the side of the throat.”
Vivian hoped it was enough to kill the Ke’ter.
Time seemed to stretch into forever in those seconds while she waited for another update from Abby.
A big body suddenly lurched around the curve in the corridor.
It wasn’t covered in black armor.
Vivian gasped, momentarily frozen at the sight of the Ke’ter that rushed toward her.
Then she reacted. Those bastards had killed her father and brother.
Instead of running away, she lunged forward.
The alien stood too tall for her to easily attack his throat. Instead, she aimed lower. Basic anatomy on many aliens was the same. She dropped to her knees to make a smaller target when it swiped a hand at her with those sharp claws, and she drove the knife blade upward, nailing it in the groin.
The alien screamed.
Something suddenly hit it hard from above, and she rolled to the side, slamming into the floor and wall. The Ke’ter was down—with an armored body on top of it. One of the Veslors had tackled it from behind. The Veslor didn’t have his rifle anymore, and instead, she saw him use his hands to go for the neck of the Ke’ter.
Green blood flew, splattering her. She jerk her head away and threw up her hands, attempting to shield her eyes.
A loud snarl sounded as the scream cut off, and she finally lowered her hands, turning her head.
The armored body stood but the Ke’ter remained on the floor, unmoving.
“Are you hurt?”
She stared up at the armored Veslor and nodded. “I’m great, Brassi. Thanks for the save.”
“I’m going to beat Vassi for leaving you!” He stepped closer and offered her a hand. She noticed there were tears in the tips of his glove, and it was covered in lots of green blood. It didn’t matter much, since she’d already been sprayed with it. She gripped his hand and let him haul her easily to her feet.
“I asked him to. Please don’t be mad.”
“The Ke’ter has collapsed on his side,” Abby updated her. “I think it’s still alive but it’s really hurt. I can see green goo spreading on the floor around it.”