They exited into a narrow pathway that extended down what Evie guessed was the entire length of the Lexiconis. "The engine room is down here too, and a bit of storage space, but nothing you need to worry about."
Rather than heading up in an elevator into the belly of the ship, Evie found herself following Captain Briggs up a stairwell. "The third level is mostly empty quarters, a couple offices and random things that we keep telling ourselves we'll find uses for, and the main computer system for the ship. Second level is where my office is, the gym, Gwynn's quarters." The captain paused, took a breath, and opened the door in front of him. "And this is our stop. Level one." Yet another hallway stood in front of Evie and her host. At least the layout of the Lexiconis would be easy to remember. "Most of us sleep here but there are still a few empty rooms. There's a bathroom on either side of the hall. You'll be sharing one with Safa on the right side. Showers, toilets. Everything else you'll need will be in your quarters. Our water system is pretty good, so long as you aren't spending whole days in the shower you should be fine on timing."
Evie blinked, trying to take it all in. "I think I've got it."
"Great. I have a few more things I should really be getting done before everyone else gets back. These two rooms," he indicated two doors on the right side of the hall, "are unoccupied and essentially identical. Take your pick, settle in. I'll try and check back in before we leave the station, and there is intercom access in your room if you need it."
And just like that, the captain was gone, down the other side of the hall before he disappeared through a glass door that looked like it led to a ladder, though Evie couldn't make out anything more than that.
As promised, the two rooms Evie had been offered were both set up in the same way. Each set of quarters was divided into two halves, split by a couch. One side held a bed and dresser, the other a desk and food processing system embedded into the wall. It wasn't much, but it was more than she'd been expecting.
Dumping her bag on the bed, Evie took a few minutes to explore more thoroughly. She found the intercom system built into the wall beside the door, though it wasn't a model she recognized. Still, she knew her way around technology and was confident she'd be able to figure it out without trouble.
Absently, she played with the ring on her left index finger, reminding herself of why it was there. The thing was brand new, and far more than it looked. This was going to be as good a time as any to let it work its magic.
It didn’t take long to find its docking station in her purse, placing both it and the ring near a power strip. As soon as the two items made contact, the dock lit up bright green. Data transfer in progress.
Which left the question of what to do next? All Captain Briggs had really mentioned were all of the places she wouldn't need to go. He hadn't gotten into if she'd have any freedom on board during their journey. She couldn't imagine they'd confine her to quarters for two weeks, but she didn't want to make any assumptions either.
For the time being, she was content to play it safe and take advantage of her final hour being connected to the central information network. She had one more person she needed to reach out to.
Pulling out her portascreen, Evie opened the Centuri Station message network, scrolling down through her contacts until she found the person she was looking for. She’d known Orin for as long as she could remember, the son of one of her father’s old friends. And while he’d always been fun to go on adventures with as a child, it was his ability to hack through even the toughest systems that made him an invaluable ally as an adult.
“Hey, Orin,” she said, doing her best to smile for the camera. “I made it onto the Lexiconis and I think I’m all set. I’m getting the latest backup of Mason’s system now since I’ll have some time before we get there to try and figure out what my family is up to. Thanks again for everything. Two more weeks and then we see how all of this plays out. I owe you one. Or two. Even if this all turns out to be nothing, you took a huge risk to help me.”
Before Evie even had a chance to close the program, a text message pinged back.
No problem. It was fun. Be safe.
Putting the screen away, Evie pulled her bag up beside her and started to unpack, settling in for the long haul. Time to kill had never been her strong suit.
It was only as Evie put away the last of her chosen travel outfits that the faintest smell of burning trickled into her room.
Want to keep reading? Click here to get your copy now!
Magic in my Bones (Lesser Magicks Book 1) Page 21
