by Eden Ember
And where would I shelter from the shrapnel?
I looked around. Save for the shuffling noise of vermin crawling through the vents, the airlock was empty.
There had to be another option. I roared in frustration. This was wasting precious time. Diamond could be anywhere on board and if one of Kefiz’s missiles pierced this airlock’s outer door, I’d be sucked into oblivion.
“Curse these bastards!” I shouted.
The shuffling stopped.
“Hello?” A muffled voice sounded from above me.
“Hello?” I replied, but the sound of another missile roared its approach towards. I held my breath, if it hit this airlock, or even one close to us, it was over.
I grabbed onto a strut in the airlock and held my breath. But the impact didn’t come. I heard an explosion and then the ship shuddered. Derkhed’s antimissile weaponry was working.
The vents shuddered and shook, ripples of shock waves made everything tremble.
A high-pitched squeal came from above me. Then a thud.
“Son of a Purfizelian whore! That fucking hurt!”
I only knew one female who could swear like that.
“Diamond? Is that you?”
Chapter Eleven
Diamond
I couldn’t hold back the tears of relief when I heard his voice.
Elgan. He was here!
But, he was stuck in an airlock, just like me.
I shuffled along inside the vent quickly, but it was so small that I had to move along on my belly, pulling myself across the distance with my hands. It wasn’t easy, but if I distracted myself from the crawling feeling of claustrophobia and the fire directed at the ship, I could lower my anxiety levels just enough to breathe.
I had four options at the end of this section: left, right, down or shimmy backward to where I’d just been and there was no way in hell I was going back.
I peered down; it was a wider vent, but would still be a head first drop onto wire. Elgan peered up, his face partly visible through the thick grating.
He gave an uneasy smile - an obvious attempt to hide his worry, but the deep furrow of his brow meant he didn’t have to tell me exactly how bad the situation was.
“Kefiz doesn’t know we’re in here.” He apologized. “And my comms device is broken.”
“Elgan, I… I didn’t run… I’m sorry.” I started.
“I know.” His deep blue eyes found mine. “And I am sorry that I hadn’t been there to protect you.”
Another shudder rocked the vent and sent a cloud of dirt down, what didn’t land on the back of my head covered Elgan, plastering him in a film of gray dust.
“Shit!” I yelped, trying to find anywhere to hold on to in the smooth vents. The movement slowed. “That’s not important right now.” I said. “How do we get out of here?”
He growled. “I will not lie to my mate.” He raked his hands through his hair bringing his thick mane back to its original black color. Resolution formed on his face. “We do not get out of here. I would not fit through the vents as you do and I cannot blast open airlock’s inner door. Even if I had enough foam explosive, the power of the blast would kill us both.” He gave me a sweet smile. “But you must get out.”
He paused. I waited. He wasn’t saying...
“There are two maintenance boxes somewhere along the air vents, both will be close to a dead end. It is your only hope.” He walked out of view but returned within seconds and held a black cannister up to me.
“Use a tiny spray of this foam on the main power capacitor pod.” He rotated the can to show me a compartment at the bottom. “Then use the electrodes in here. Stick them into the foam and get as far away as you can. And be quick. Only a tiny spray of the foam, Diamond.” He warned.
“Just a little, otherwise blasting the capacitor and causing the system’s closure system to fail will count for nothing because you’ll have hurt yourself too.”
“Okay…” I drawled. “System closure failure - doesn’t that mean all the airlock doors will open?” Jules had taught me a few things, and the worst case failures were her biggest fear, and a closure failure was right at the top.
He nodded. “If you find the maintenance box that services the airlocks, yes. If you find the one that only services the air system, no, but either will be close enough to the inside of the ship that you’ll be able to crawl through the blast hole. That’s why you need to go now. Before Kefiz breaches the Updread’s shields.”
I didn’t understand. “But doesn’t that mean it’ll open that door too?”
“If you find the airlock maintenance box yes. It’ll open all the airlock doors, for a few seconds until the ship’s mother-system overrides the failure and closes them all again.” He tapped his fingers on the cannister.
“That’ll let you out too then!” I smiled. Simple.
He ignored my hope. “When Kefiz succeeds, the atmospheric shield around the Updread will crumble. Derkhed will open the rest of the airlocks all to decrease the pressure differential.” His mouth formed a grim line. “That’s what we’d do.” He pointed toward the locked door. “That will become the outside of the ship… and -”
“And we’re both on the wrong side.” I finished his sentence. “So I get to this maintenance box, blast the fuck out of it and it’ll open the doors for a moment, then the ship will reset and clamp them shut again?”
“Yes. He said, “There’s an 50-50 chance of you blasting the box that would open all the airlock doors, so we could both escape. But if you don’t blast though either before Kefiz breaches the Updread, we both die.”
He left the part out about what happened him if I didn’t find the airlock maintenance pod.
He gave me a lopsided smile. “And please don’t go searching for the second maintenance pod, the charge on the explosive foam only works once, no matter how much foam it expels. You can’t open both - not that you have time.”
He jumped up, grabbing the grate was between us, pulling down on it. The vent swayed, but the grating didn’t come away.
It took three attempts until Elgan had pulled and twisted the metal enough to peel the grate back enough that his arm would reach up.
He must have held himself up by clinging to the vent with one arm, the other held the cannister high. I stretched as a reached down to grab it. My fingertips touched the can and with a grunt he thrust the can higher so I could hold it.
“Go, my fearless mate, have courage.” He said, his eyes locking with mine. “Hurry! Head towards the auxiliary docking bay, the Varbox is programmed to recognize your DNA. Use the comms device in the ship to update Kefiz and tell him to remote drive the Varbox to bring it back to the Torq Runner.”
“I’ll get you out.” I promised.
“No!” He scolded me, his breath labored as he held himself close to the vent. I wanted to be closer too. I reached to touch his hand.
Our fingertips brushed gently before the ship shuddered again and he lost his grip and fell to the floor.
“Go, Diamond. Save yourself, that is my only wish.” He held a hand over his heart. “You take my heart with you and know you have had it with you since I first saw you.” He brought his hand to his lips, kissed it and gestured it towards me. “There is much I would have done differently, but know that I have loved you from the very start.”
I tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come, not without tears.
“Now, go!” He urged.
Chapter Twelve
Elgan
I should have said the words. I should have told her I loved her. I replayed our last moments together in my mind.
But what difference did saying the word change? She knew everything she needed to escape and survive.
That should be enough.
Two more shock waves rumbled through the airlock and I hadn’t heard Diamond detonating the foam explosive. What if the maintenance pods were at the other end of the vent system? I sent urgent prayers to Decators. There was much to pray for: to d
irect Diamond to the pod; that she’d use just enough foam and not blow herself to pieces in the detonation; for the explosion came before Kefiz breeched the Updread; so Diamond would reach the Varbox undetected.
There was one certainty - the Varbox would cross the distance to the Torq Runner. Gandrox would throw all his might to protect the Varbox’s safe return.
Nothing else mattered now.
I paced, back and forth between the two ports. From one I peered into the rest of the ship and the other I could see the Torq Runner in the distance.
A small “whfff” of an explosion caused me to hold my breath. Diamond had found a maintenance pod. A plume of dust scooted out of the vent where I’d last seen Diamond.
Then the airlock door opened. I followed the high pitched “Yes!” Surely I wasn’t the only one to hear her. My feet pounded as I ran towards her.
I intercepted three guards, running to directly in the same direction as me. None made a sound before falling to the floor, dead.
I heard a squeal, then a shot, before I rounded a corner to watch as a Diamond struggled with a guard. I grabbed the bastard and threw him off her, ready to fight him and surprised to find a hole where part of his face should have been.
“Fucker fell forwards,” she said, her nose turned up in disgust.
Her expression softened, “It worked!” Her curls bounced as she did a victory wiggle.
The sight of her hips swaying made me want to claim her right there. I wished we could steal a few minutes. She put her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
I held her, enjoying how warm and soft her skin felt under my touch.
“You’re naked.” I hadn’t known earlier. I’d only seen her face from the vent. My cock twitched in appreciation.
“They took my clothes.” I felt the warmth drain from her embrace.
“Did they…”
“No!” But her words came too quickly. Did she think I would love her less if they had have used her?
She stood back, cowering away from me, trying to hide her naked body, but not well enough for me to miss that her bruises and how gaunt she looked. Even her wrists and ankles bore red welts. What had they done to her?
Disgust filled me - I came here to bring her freedom and my first thought was of claiming her body as belonging to me. Was I any better than the whoremonger?
She pulled the tunic free from the guard, pulling it around her as best as she could. Her jaw jutted in defiance, but her eyes avoided meeting my gaze. My Diamond was still proud - defiant to admit they’d hurt her at all, but I couldn’t miss shuddering breath she took.
Get out of here, then we can figure out what happened and help her heal. I told myself.
The missiles came heavy and Diamond translated the tannoy announcement. Ship shields were at 22%.
I hated the silvery translator that invaded her ear, but without it, we would have not known how dire our situation was. At 20% all ramps between decks would be clamped shut.
Half a dozen more guards surged towards us as we made our way to the auxiliary loading bay.
“21%” Diamond urged. “What if we don’t get there?”
“We’ll get there.” I promised. “Let’s get off this fucking ship.”
We heard the tannoy warning that the locking systems were coming online without a second to waste. We ran down the ramp as the doors started their closing sequence. Too slow. I grabbed Diamond, throwing her over my shoulder as I powered faster to the next level down.
We reached the end of the corridor, towards the back of the ship. If the bay was on this level, we’d find it. Two corners later and we rushed into the right bay. Boxes and small mechanical equipment had moved since I’d been here last but right where I’d left it, the Varbox was standing ready.
“Help me unclip the ties!” I shouted, shuffling to the tie closest to the blast hole I’d made earlier. Debris surrounded it, where more equipment had become lodged as it had been sucked towards the hole. I’d blast through it.
A new warning echoed in the tannoy system.
I looked to Diamond for the translation.
She gasped. “They’re going into hyper-speed.”
“Impossible.” I said. “The ship isn’t strong enough to withstand it.” But I recognized the unmistakable whirring noise as the engines prepared to haul the Updread away.
“Get in!” I shouted over the noise, urging Diamond into the cargo section and commanding the Varbox into life.
“Elgan, thank the stars!” Kefiz’s voice came through the Varbox’s comms.
“I have Diamond, we’re leaving before they go into hyper-speed. Prepare to cover us.”
We’d need to get out quickly.
“We’re leaving?!” She whimpered.
“Yes.”
“But is that possible?”
“It needs to be.” I said, concentrating on the Varbox’s oxygen supplies. “I don’t want you anywhere near this ship when it’s in hyper-speed.”
If we didn’t move now then the vortex currents from the Updread would rip the Varbox to shreds.
The Varbox’s blasters beeped that they were now online. I needed to slow the Updread’s departure and did the only thing I could, I blasted the biggest hole I could into the side of the ship as I hurled the Varbox towards the Torq Runner.
Sensors and alarms everywhere reacted, their urgent warnings filling the space.
I could feel Diamond moving behind me. “I can’t see the Updread. They’ve gone without us! We’re safe!” She squealed, but the mirth disappeared from her voice when she moved again, trying to look past me and into the distance beyond our front view. “But I can’t see the Torq Runner either.”
I searched the frequencies on the Varbox’s comms, each filled with static where Kefiz’s voice should be. The navigation systems showed nothing - they could be beside us, or a million light years away, we were blind.
“Navigation systems recalibrating.” The Varbox’s system informed me. “Communication systems recalibrating.” It continued. “Nuclear thrusters recalibrating… Ventilation system recalibrating.”
It would take a few minutes for everything to come back online, then we’d figure out how to get back to the Torq Runner. I was alone in the vast emptiness of space with Diamond.
It was a squeeze, but I turned the seat around to face her. Two wet lines made a path through the dirt on her face. “You’re safe now. I will never let you come to harm ever again.”
She gave a weak nod.
“I mean it.” I continued. “Whatever happens… between us.”
I’d wanted her to know that despite myself, I would bear the pain of it. If she rejected me as a mate, I would still keep her safe.
Her lip trembled as another tear followed the path down her cheek. She said nothing but her expression… was that disappointment? Fear?
She pulled the guard’s shirt tighter around herself as her body shivered. Did I terrify her that much?
“Thank you, Elgan.” She whispered. “I understand.” Her bloodshot eyes looked directly into mine before staring at her hands. “Whatever happens between us, I’ll always be thankful for what you’ve just done.”
“Don’t be too thankful just yet - we need to hope the Torq Runner hasn’t followed him into hyper-speed, otherwise this will be home for a while.” I placed my hand on her shoulder and felt her cool skin beneath the thin fabric as it shook.
I reached above her, retrieving container holding the survival kit’s furs and sat the container between our laps and wrapped the first fur gently around her shoulders. Then the second one. I bundled the rest up before placing the empty container back in its spot. Then I placed the furs over her legs, letting them fall around her.
Of course she was cold, she was almost naked, in a Varbox that was cooling by the second without its climate system, and I was certain she was going into what the Terran books explained as shock.
“Is that better?” I asked softly, putting my hand to her face and stroking the
tear stains away from her cheek.
She stiffened, before tentatively allowing herself to relax into my touch. Maybe she’d never forgive me for not finding her sooner. “Yes. Thank you.”
“I would have been there sooner, except Gandrox wouldn’t break through the elevator dock’s shield and then jailed me after I punched him because he decided to leave without you. Then it took Rendrall too long to track the Updread’s path, but once he did, Jules’ fuel system got get us here as fast as it could.”
Her eyebrows sat high, as she spoke. “You did all that, for me?”
“Of course.”
“Even after everything that happened?”
“Always, Diamond.”
She threw her arms around me, even in such a confined space, it was beginning to feel like I couldn’t get close enough to her. My lips found hers and what started as a chaste kiss deepened.
Chapter Thirteen
Diamond
It was the Torq Runner who connected to us first, we’d been too busy reconnecting to each other to notice when the Varbox’s systems had come back online.
As glad as I was to hear from them, we would have enjoyed the privacy for a little longer.
Elgan’s touch had allowed me to dare to believe that he still wanted me, even after everything. Despite everything that had happened: my past, how things had started between us, what happened on the Updread.
Watching him wrap me in furs gave me the courage to believe how he felt was all true. I wouldn’t have believed it possible for a warrior with such powerful hands to move with such gentleness. The emotions were too strong to resist. I threw my arms around him.
I needed to kiss him, to touch him. I wanted him to know that I loved him.
He’d said nothing of it, but I knew he’d seen the bruises over my body. What they had done to me. So it didn’t come as a surprise that his kiss had been gentle too, he was a warrior with honor and I would have expected nothing less from him than to worry that he might hurt me too.
