Blastaway

by Melissa Landers

  Gone. That was the wrong word. A person can be gone and then come back.

  “If you, uh, want to talk about it…” Ky added.

  Hard pass. Talking about my parents was the last thing I wanted to do. I changed the subject to our escape plan. Well, his escape plan.

  “We’ll do it your way,” I said. “Again.”

  * * *

  Two hours and four bowls of chili later, nothing had changed in our cabin except for the smell of gas. The beans and onions had kicked in, so Kyler and I were burping a lot, and our tiny room stank like fart stew.

  Ky pounded his chest, releasing another belch. “Holy onions.”

  I didn’t answer him. It annoyed me that I still didn’t know what he was planning. Night had fallen—or rather bedtime, because there’s no day or night in space—and the Holyoakes were asleep in their cabins. I knew from the chorus of snores. We had been sitting in silence for so long that Kirk had gone into low-power mode outside our doorway, his eyes dim and his motor still.

  “Psst,” Ky whispered to me. He thumbed toward the Holyoakes’ cabins. “Are they heavy sleepers?”

  I nodded. Anyone who snored as loud as the Holyoakes would have to go into a virtual coma to sleep through all the noise.

  “Good,” Ky said, much louder. “Tell me about the ship rules.”

  At the sound of his voice, Kirk awakened with a hum.

  That seemed like an odd question, but then Ky winked at me, and I understood. It was time to follow his lead. “The usual kind of rules,” I told him. “No open flames, no running on the stairs, no horseplay, no tampering with—”

  “I’m more interested in the unusual stuff,” Ky interrupted. “Does the captain have any rules that are less about safety and more about his…uh, personal issues?”

  Without meaning to, I glanced at the outline of a storage drawer on the underside of Kirk’s belly. That was where Kirk had put my necklace after he’d stolen it from me. It had been my first experience with a level-two shock. Kirk had demanded I give up my “Earthly relic,” and I had refused. So he’d shocked me, ripped the chain off my neck, and stowed it in his drawer. I couldn’t help wondering if it was still in there. Probably the captain had burned it.

  “Yeah,” I told Kyler. “There are no artifacts from Earth allowed on the ship. The captain’s pretty militant about that one.”

  “Huh. You don’t say.” Kyler pulled something from his pants pocket. Small and silvery, it appeared to be a key fob. “An Earth-made artifact like this?”

  Now he had Kirk’s full attention. Pincers snapped as Kirk stood to full height and ordered, “Surrender your contraband, Skylar.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so.” Kyler stood from the lower bunk and held up his object for show. “This is too valuable. It’s an artifact replicator. It multiplies anything that was made on Earth. In five minutes, I could fill this ship from floor to ceiling with relics. In fact, I think I will!”

  “This is your final warning, Skylar.”

  I felt a wave of fear for Ky, who teasingly dangled the fob in front of Kirk before yanking it away and stuffing it back in his pocket. “You can’t have it. And for frick’s sake, my name is Kyler, not Sk—”

  A current of white-blue electricity shot out from Kirk’s left pincer and connected with Kyler’s torso. For a moment, Ky flopped on his feet like a fish out of water, then he collapsed onto the bunk mattress with a moan. Sympathy pains broke out along my spine. I knew how badly that shock hurt, and I looked at Kyler with respect.

  He had taken one for the team. Now it was my turn.

  Before Kirk could retrieve the fob, I said, “I have one, too,” and dug in my pocket for my Bubble Pop game. I made sure Kirk saw it before I stuffed it down my shirt. “The only way you’ll get it from me is if you shock it off my body.”

  He lurched back and forth as if he couldn’t decide what to do. Finally, he made a couple of grabs at me, which I easily dodged. That seemed to do the trick. After clicking his pincers twice, Kirk whirled around and skittered down the hall. Soon I heard the clinking of his legs as he descended the stairs into the loading bay, where I hoped he would settle onto his charging station for a couple of hours.

  I shook Ky’s shoulders. “Okay, he’s gone. Now what?”

  “Now I barf,” he said.

  And he did—a lot—the poor kid.

  Ky groaned and wiped his mouth. “Chili doesn’t taste so good when it’s coming back up.”

  It didn’t smell so good, either, but I chose not to mention it. We had more important things to worry about. “Please tell me you have a plan.”

  “I have a plan,” he said.

  “And…”

  “And I’ll tell you in the engine room.” He panted. “Too tired to talk right now. Or move.”

  “Put your arm around my neck,” I told him. “I’ll help you.”

  I gripped his waist and half dragged him to the lower level.

  As I predicted, Kirk was in the corner hovered above his charger, his red eyes sightless and pulsing. We passed him as quietly as we could. Kyler seemed to regain some of his strength by then, because his clumsy footsteps had improved to a stagger, but he still needed to sit down and rest when we reached the engine room door.

  Kyler slumped against the wall and raised a weak finger toward the keypad. “Might as well try it, just in case they lied about locking it.”

  I pressed a palm to the keypad. Nothing happened.

  “It’s all right,” Kyler said. “I can tell you how to override the lock. But first I should probably ask if you know what a core processor looks like. Because I have no idea.”

  “I do,” I said. “I learned from watching your engine on the Whirlwind.”

  “Okay, good. Let’s steal one.” He nodded at the keypad. “The first step is to pry that panel off the wall. But do it gently. You don’t want to rip the wires on the other side.”

  I grabbed a flathead screwdriver from a nearby toolbox and worked it around the edges of the keypad. It only took a few minutes until I pried it loose and pulled it about six inches from the wall. That was as far as it would reach. A tangle of colorful wires held it in place from the back.

  “Now find the red and blue wires,” Ky told me. “You’re going to unplug them from the keypad and touch the ends together.”

  I did as he said. The instant the metal tips of the red and blue wires met, a hiss sounded, and the engine room door slid open. I grinned. “I can’t believe it. That was too easy.”

  “Tell me about it,” Ky said, not sounding pleased. “I learned that trick from my twin brothers. They have no respect for privacy.”

  I found the light switch and focused on the engine room, which, luckily for me, had the same layout as the Whirlwind. Because I knew exactly where to look, I found the core processor easily. But pulling it out was another matter. Rectangular and the size of a shoebox, the processor was built like an antique battery cell, with tiny metal plates that matched receptors in the wall. There were no wires to disconnect, but the cell was really wedged in there. It took three tries and all my strength to wriggle it loose. Finally, it broke free.

  At once, all motion stopped as the engine went dead. The lights went out, too. I had to feel my way out of the small room and into the loading bay.

  Kyler was standing up and prepared with a flashlight, which he shone at the boxy tech in my hands. “That’s it? I thought it would be bigger.”

  “It’s small but mighty,” I told him. I cast a glance toward the corner to check on Kirk, but I didn’t see his red eyes glowing. The power outage must have interrupted his charging cycle. It gave me an idea. “Hey, do you think you can carry the processor to the Whirlwind? There’s something I want to do before we leave.”

  Kyler tested his limbs. “I think so.”

  “I’ll be right behind you,” I promised, and handed him the core processor. “You don’t need to suit up. There’s an airlock chamber that connects the loading bay to the Whirlwind. Just wait f
or me inside and be ready to motor when I get there.”

  “What’re you going to do?” Ky asked.

  I held out my hand for his flashlight. “I’m gonna take back something that belongs to me.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” he said, but he gave me the flashlight and shuffled to the airlock chamber.

  After making sure Kyler was strong enough to open the airlock door, I turned around and aimed the flashlight at Kirk’s charging station, where he was crouched motionless. A distant creaking sound prompted me to turn an ear toward the upper level. When a few beats passed and I didn’t hear the sound again, I continued to the corner.

  I crept close to Kirk, close enough to wave a hand in front of the motion sensor on his chest. He remained still. I rested one hand on his shell and felt more warmth than I expected. That told me he’d absorbed a lot of power during his short charge. The crew must have upgraded his battery. But that didn’t concern me. He seemed to have gone into sleep mode.

  Careful not to stir him, I skimmed my palm along his midsection, feeling for the spot that would release his storage drawer. I recalled it had a spring latch, the kind you press to open. I found a small, round dip in his metal shell, and I paused. Then, holding my breath, I pushed the spot as gently as I could. The latch released with a faint click, and his storage drawer slid out ever so slightly, just enough for me to work a finger inside it. Now I could pull the drawer all the way free.

  I still hadn’t exhaled. I didn’t know what scared me more: that I might wake up Kirk, or that my necklace might not be inside him. I paused to take a long, deep breath and told myself the drawer was probably empty. I shouldn’t get my hopes up. But that didn’t stop my pulse from racing when I pulled the drawer open.

  My eyes searched at once—scanning past bolts, gadgets, small toys, antique watches, and a bunch of other junk—for my necklace. My spirits dipped. I didn’t see it. But then a glimmer of red caught my eye from beneath a tangle of wires, and the next thing I knew, I was digging wildly for it. I recognized my pendant by touch, from all the times I had rubbed the ruby between my thumb and index finger. I untangled the silver chain while my heart soared. The chain’s clasp was broken, but that was all right.

  I’d gotten a piece of myself back.

  But my eagerness must have made me clumsy. Because no sooner had I shut Kirk’s storage drawer than his eyes glowed red hot, and he fired a bolt of electricity at me that knocked the wind from my lungs. My body flew backward, and I lost hold of my necklace. I landed hard and inhaled just in time to release a scream when he shocked me again. The second jolt wasn’t as powerful, but it still hurt like the devil. At that point, he must have run out of juice, because he threateningly held one pointed leg above me and commanded, “Stay down, Figerella.”

  Then I heard the clamor of boots upstairs.

  “Fig!” Ky shouted, his head poking out of the airlock chamber.

  “Go!” I told him. “The crew is coming. Take the processor and run!”

  To my surprise, Ky disappeared inside the airlock chamber. I hadn’t expected him to leave me so quickly, and I felt a surge of dread. I wanted Ky to save himself, but deep down, I had also wanted him to save me. I was terrified to face the Holyoakes alone. They would turn me in to the Council for sure.

  Fear clogged my throat as I looked up the stairs and saw the first pair of boots run into view. I’d just clamped my lips together to trap a sob when a distant voice echoed, “MORTAL DANGER! WEIRDO IS IN MORTAL DANGER!”

  I whipped my head around in time to watch Cabe wheel like a maniac out of the airlock chamber and into the loading bay, his ropy arms waving in panic. He didn’t miss a beat, and he didn’t give any warnings. Instantly, he pivoted toward Kirk and fired a length of cable so fast it struck Kirk like a bullet. His crablike body skidded across the floor and landed upside down, his legs skittering uselessly in the air. Cabe secured Kirk to the floor with another section of rope and then turned his face toward the stairs, where the captain and his family stood, watching in horror.

  Cabe yelled at them, “YOU WILL NOT PASS!”

  The majesty in his voice gave me chills. He reminded me of Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings books. But instead of a magical staff, Cabe used his metal ropes to block the steps, trapping the Holyoakes at the top.

  “Crew member Weirdo,” Cabe said to me. “Are you free from mortal danger?”

  I couldn’t talk right away, so I stood up and I hugged him. Part of me knew it was dumb, but I didn’t care that Cabe was made of metal and wires and that he couldn’t sense my arms around his barrel chest. The hug was more for me than for him. He made me feel something I hadn’t felt in years—safe.

  I picked up my necklace and tucked it in my pocket. No one would ever take it from me again. To make sure the Holyoakes knew it, I faced them full-on and flicked one thumb off my front teeth—the Wanderer version of the middle finger.

  “I’m okay now,” I said to Cabe. “Thanks to you.”

  He chirped happily, and my heart melted.

  “You’re pretty awesome,” I said as we hurried into the airlock chamber to join Kyler. “You know that?”

  “For a robot?” Cabe asked.

  “No,” I told him. “You’re just plain awesome.”

  I waved to the Holyoakes when I left them behind. I didn’t know if they could see me from inside their darkened ship, but I knew they couldn’t follow me—at least not until they bought another core processor—and that put a smile on my face.

  I nestled into the pilot’s seat and set a new course to Earth, taking a longer but less traveled route to avoid the Galaxy Guard’s no-fly zone. I could have set the autopilot, but I didn’t want to. Kyler was taking a nap in his parents’ cabin, and I was enjoying the feel of the Whirlwind under my command. Besides, I needed to brainstorm my next move, and something about the act of flying always helped me think.

  I should probably call Corpse and Cadaver. We hadn’t talked since the Fasti Sun Festival, a couple of days ago. Even though they’d told me to go to Earth and wait for more instructions, I wanted more information on what I was supposed to do. I figured they were the ones who’d stolen the Fasti star, but I didn’t understand when or where I should blast it.

  And a nagging part of me kept asking why? Why blow up a star?

  Something about this job didn’t add up.

  And because getting the truth from pirates was about as likely as getting blood from a turnip, I decided to try the microphone hack Kyler had taught me and listen in on Corpse and Cadaver after our call ended. With any luck, they would be feeling extra-chatty today. I set the autopilot and moved to the next seat, in front of the transmission station. After prying loose the cover on the control panel, I linked the yellow and purple wires and hoped for the best.

  I tapped the transmission screen and unlocked the main directory. But I had just begun to input Corpse and Cadaver’s number when I stopped and deleted it. There was someone else I wanted to contact first.

  Centaurus residence, Earth, I typed in the search bar. The results populated, and I scrolled through a page of images until I recognized Kyler’s mom from the recording she’d left him, and I knew I had found the right family. I selected her transmission number and typed a message on the touch screen.

  Dear Mom and Dad,

  Hi. It’s me, Kyler.

  First of all, I’m safe and sound, and I’m not alone anymore. I found a nice person to help take care of me, so you don’t need to worry. I’m sorry I’ve been such a selfish jerk and that I ignored your calls. I’m on my way back to Earth now, so I plan to be home in a few days. I shouldn’t have made you stress. That was really awful of me, and I hope you ground me for a long time. Like, for years. Because I deserve it. Also from now on, I’m going to stop being an annoying know-it-all who thinks I’m the only person with good ideas and a working brain.

  Love, your idiot son,

  Kyler

  I tapped the TRANSMIT button and deleted the call hi
story before I had a chance to think too hard about why I had sent the message in the first place. I had never met Kyler’s parents. They didn’t even know I existed. But his mother’s image had stuck in my mind, haunting me like a ghost, all red-eyed and frazzled and reminding me of lavender face cream. I had to get rid of her somehow.

  Maybe now I could focus on my real job.

  I typed Corpse and Cadaver’s number into the comm screen and checked over my shoulder to make sure I was still alone. For good measure, I lowered the volume setting and leaned in close to the screen. The call beeped ten times before Cadaver answered, and when his image finally appeared, I lurched back at the sight of his holographic skull mask.

  “Ugh,” I said. I would never get used to that.

  He snapped his fingers and made the skull illusion disappear. It was a lot easier looking at his pretty face than at a mask of bones. “Sorry, kid. I didn’t recognize your call number. How come you’re not using the comm link I gave you?”

  “The battery died. I haven’t had a chance to charge it yet.”

  “You almost to Earth?”

  “Not exactly,” I said. “There’s been a small delay. I’m back on course now.” I glanced behind him to get a feel for his surroundings. The dim artificial lighting told me he was on a ship. No surprise there. The real clue came when I spotted a logo painted on the wall in the background. It was a bold letter F with a Saturn-like ring around it, the logo for the Fasti Corporation. Cadaver was on board the hijacked star barge. “Well, that answers my first question. You’re the ones who stole the sun.”

  His proud smile confirmed it. “Easy as knifing a puppy.”

  I wrinkled my nose in disgust at his words. There was something seriously wrong with this guy. I guess I needed a reminder that his personality didn’t match his looks, because his angel face kept throwing me off.

  “We have a man on the inside,” he added before seeming to catch himself. “Oops. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned that.”