Into the Void (Beyond Humanity Book 1)

by Kellie Sheridan

  With only a few commands, the computer screen imbedded in the wall outside the canteen offered him a rundown of where he could find everyone else. Sprocket and Torque were already down in the engine room. Gwynn too. And Safa? Okay, everyone was down there except him.

  Was that the kind of thing he should be concerned about. "Safa," he said, turning on his ship-board communication system. "Everything okay down there?"

  The answer came back right away. "Yes. And good morning!"

  Okay, so they weren't being held hostage by an invading alien crew, and they probably weren't planning a mutiny. Probably, he joked to himself.

  Maybe he should head down there and see what they were up to, just in case? Curiosity would kill him before any aliens got the chance if he didn't.

  The sound of laughter met him before anyone else did.

  "Look who's up," Gwynn said, sounding eerily good natured, as soon as he entered the room. She was seated at the one desk in the room but had the chair swiveled outward to face everyone else. A few of the others looked up as she spoke and offered similar greetings, before returning to their conversations or projects.

  "What did I miss?" he asked, stepping toward Gwynn's makeshift workstation.

  "Nothing really. I think we were just all a little anxious to get on with things, so for one reason or another, we were all up early. We kind of figured that if you could sleep in, then we should let you. At least one of us should be thinking straight.

  Probably not overthinking any of this as much as Oliver was, Gwynn turned back to the computer she'd set up nearby, popping headphones back over her ears. In the nearly two days since they'd fled from the attack on Torque's home vessel, his crew—new and old alike—had started to function well together. Even the new additions had fallen into the rhythm of those on board who had known each other for years, changing the dynamic, but making it work. All around him, the crew continued to work and talk like they'd all known each other forever.

  Gwynn gave a quick wave as she and Lincoln continued to sign slowly with Linna, showing her items on their portascreens then the corresponding words. She had probably learned more of Lincoln's native language in the last couple of days than Sprocket or Gwynn had in years since they usually relied on computers to do the talking for Lincoln.

  Sprocket was working with the furry creature he'd called Knack to repair what looked like some of the circuitry in a nearby wall panel, talking to Torque who sat nearby with one of the computers that had come from his ship. Evie sat beside him, taking notes on one of the ship's portascreens. It wasn't a perfect system, but they were on their way to answers if not solutions.

  Sprocket hadn't bothered looking up when Oliver came in, and there was a very good chance that hadn't been a coincidence. The two of them hadn't spoken more than a word to one another since they'd almost been blown apart by aliens together, and not for lack of effort on Oliver's part.

  Only Gwynn worked alone, always needing to focus only on the code in front of her if she had any chance of getting work done. He wasn't even sure what it was she was working on, but at this point it was too late to ask if he didn't want to feel her wrath for the rest of the day.

  The circumstances weren't great, but this was working.

  Since everyone else seemed busy, and someone needed to actually fly the ship, it may as well have been the Lexiconis' captain.

  In theory, he could have stayed down below in the engine room and found a project to throw himself into, but sometimes a captain needed to be separate from his crew.

  When he made it up to the top level of the ship, Oliver locked the door to the bridge manually, giving himself some guaranteed alone time to try to gather his thoughts and come up with a plan. The ship's repairs were coming along quickly, but like the food supply situation, there was only so far they could get with what they had.

  And still there were no neon signs out in the void pointing the way to the nearest supply depot.

  Oliver flipped on one of the bridge's many currently blank screens and loaded up a program from his personal collection—an episode of Star Brigade, a classic science-fiction television show from when people on Earth had thought their future would be full of things like teleporters, replicators, and clones.

  What Oliver needed now was inspiration, or at least some optimism.

  Gwynn: Keeping busy, boss?

  The message popped up on screen almost right away, forcing a smile from Oliver.

  Your Fearless Leader: Get back to work.

  Gwynn: Aye, aye.

  The episode was one of his favorites. Captain Nightzone—because of course that was his name—had gotten his crew trapped on board an alien ship that essentially functioned as a traveling zoo, moving from system to system and showing off some of the galaxies strangest creatures, most of whom were being kept against their will.

  All seemed lost, the entire crew was only minutes away from death or capture. There was no way they were going to get out of this one. Until of course they did. At the last possible second, Captain Nightzone could trick the leader of the alien force into opening all the cages on board at once, freeing all the creatures they'd once held captive and giving him an army to work with.

  They got back to their ship and continued on to their next adventure like they always did, using only their wits and whatever they happened to have nearby to work with at the time.

  And what did Oliver have to work with? A barely functioning ship that was outclassed even by most of the wrecks they'd seen. The best crew he could put together. A billionaire's daughter. Two aliens who knew more about what was possible in the universe than he ever would.

  And a whole lot of empty space.

  The plan had been to move on to another ship and go through the same motions that they had on Torque's, taking what they could use from aliens who couldn't use anything anymore.

  But none of the ships they'd passed since had offered nearly as much. There hadn't been enough left of any one of them to form a room, let alone actually board the ship and look around.

  They'd had a treasure trove on board Torque's ship and had let themselves be chased away. Okay, that wasn't altogether true. They'd left to make sure they'd live to see the next day. But had that been a mistake? They could have seen more alien ships coming on sensors. It was possible they could have used more time to get more from the computers, or more food supplies from the homes of the dead.

  If nothing else he should have sent more people out at once to cover more ground and bring more back to the ship during each shift.

  If his impromptu mission had been the pilot episode to a television adventure show, he'd have been cancelled before the first commercial break.

  But there was still time to turn things around. He hadn't gotten anyone killed, and his crew was still the first ever to encounter aliens. And they still knew exactly where to find a massive collection of everything they needed to get their ship back up to its top form, maybe with a few alien enchantments, restocking the pantry at the same time.

  They'd been headed in the wrong direction for too long already. They had to go back to the wreckage where they'd first found Torque, Linna, and Knack and make the most of it.

  The aliens had probably lost interest in that wreck already, so even if they'd returned to find out what had happened to the team they'd left behind, they would have found nothing at all. And hopefully they'd returned to wherever their home base was to better pick on the next ship who was unlucky enough to land themselves here.

  There were no guarantees, but it made sense. And at least it was a plan, something he could take action on now rather than hoping the ship was pointed at an even more elegant solution. Space was big, and the void felt bigger still, they were far more likely to find only more of the same.

  With the flip of a switch, Oliver shut off the auto-pilot Lincoln had engaged, taking control of his own ship for the first time in almost a year. Flying had never been his favorite part of space travel, but he was decent enough. And the
re was something symbolic in being the one to guide the Lexiconis into the void.

  Gwynn: Are we going somewhere?

  Oliver: Potentially, to Torque's ship. It's the only place where we at least have a chance of finding what we need. We'll take a slightly different route in hopes of running into something else beforehand, but if we don't at least find a salvageable ship within the next day, we're going back.

  Gwynn: Bold move. And what is it exactly that we need? Besides an escape route.

  Oliver: I'm winging it here. But I figure there are about a million things we need, and we're not going to find any of them in the void.

  Gwynn: Anything we can do to help?

  Oliver: Everyone needs to finish up what they're doing, then grab some food. We're going to need some unconventional weapons since ours did nothing, and a way to interact directly with their computers would go a long way. Once we get there, we'll act fast then head out in the other direction.

  Gwynn: On it.

  Chapter Seventeen – Evie

  Everything hurt. Evie's entire body was turning into one massive cramped muscle as she sat on the floor of the engine room, legs folded beneath her as they ached in protest. Each of her fingers was getting to the point of needing their own hot bath if they ever had any hope of being useful again. But Torque kept reading off his screen, so Evie continued to type onto hers.

  It was a job anyone could do, but everyone else had something else to work on and none of Evie's skills were terribly helpful, so here she was, acting as stenographer for a surprisingly friendly alien.

  "That is all of this file," Torque said at last. "I will need to sort through more to find what else might be connected or helpful. I'll have Sprocket or Lincoln show you which parts we need. Thank you for your help."

  "No problem," Evie said, stretching her legs out in front of her with a happy groan. "I'm just glad to be of help, you know?" Torque stood, taking Evie's tablet from her before offering his own hand to help her up. She took it with only the briefest hesitation. She hadn't known Torque for long and it was almost surprising at how quickly she'd gotten used to his appearance.

  There was no getting around the fact that he wasn't human, but his furred face and long ears were actually nicer to look at than so many of the alien races she'd imagined as a kid. Evie had been raised to believe that anything was possible, even life beyond the species that had come from their system. And while seeing that childhood wish made reality had been a shock to the system, now Torque and Linna had become people to her in their own right.

  It was still weird, but extremely cool.

  "Very much. I was a businessman back home. I brokered major business deals and was well-respected in my field. But none of my skills are useful anymore. Now all I am good for is reading so that others may try to understand."

  "I'm sure that's not true. The people here know their way around this ship, sure, but none of us knew any of this," she extended her arms wide in front of her, encompassing the whole universe in one gesture, "existed before they got here. We're all trying to get up to speed and stay alive at the same time. We'd probably be dead already if we hadn't met you."

  "Not true, I'm sure. You are very resourceful as a species."

  "Them maybe, not me. My family was in business of sorts as well. I grew up very lucky, very privileged. I went to school to learn languages because I could afford not to worry about how I would eat every day. Even once I graduated, there was no rush to get a job. I didn't need it. Nothing I learned at school could be helpful now. Or at all. What help could being good with languages be when with only one chip you can speak with anyone."

  "Speak with, yes. Understand is not always the case. There is value placed on those who do not rely on technology, instead learning the language of those they wish to communicate with. You will learn more about a new species that way, of their culture and beliefs. Then the words you say carry much more meaning. The Haphzha chips are not perfect. They cannot communicate the idiosyncrasies of each race they encounter, adapting it for the race of the listener. If you are talented in learning new languages and understanding their connections to others, your skill is very useful indeed. Many who work near the Central Federation hub make a point of learning languages. My wife knew fourteen. I have only practiced with eight. It has been interesting to listen to how you all use English."

  Eight. Toroque'que had been trying to make Evie feel better, and yet she felt smaller still. She was only fluent in three languages other than English, and had picked up bits and pieces of a few others during different trips around the system.

  Eight languages. Unreal.

  "Maybe I have a future in galactic interpretation after all." Evie made her face, doing her best to show she was kidding before Torques befuddled expression reminded her she was speaking with someone who was very new to interpreting human facial expressions. "For now, is there anything else you need? Everyone has gone into hyperdrive since Captain Briggs decided we were going back to your ship, but I'm not sure what I can do to help."

  "No, I am good for now. These files are dull, but they keep my mind busy, then I do not need to focus on where we are going."

  "You don’t want to go back there?"

  "If it were my choice, I would never return there. That life is done, gone. But I am not the captain, and as my life was saved when I thought for sure it was lost, I shall do as I am asked."

  Evie's mouth pressed into a tight line as she failed to come up with a response. She couldn't imagine the losses Torque had suffered, or the nightmare their destination represented for him. "Alright then. If you need anything let me know."

  Making a quick exit from the engine room, Evie mumbled her goodbyes even though no one so much as looked up as she passed. The crew had been trickling in and out all day, everyone having their own thing to focus on. Everyone but Evie.

  But hiding out in her room and hoping no one noticed she wasn't contributing wasn't an option. Her father had always believed that each member of a team was vital. She could remember more than a few occasions where he'd come home from work, excited to tell them about how his team had worked through a problem that day, and how the biggest idea often came from the person he least expected.

  Evie didn't know how to help, but she could at least make herself available. And if there was one room besides her own that Evie had become comfortable with during her first week on the Lexiconis, it was the canteen. It was also a safe bet for a place to station herself where she could eventually run into someone who could use an extra pair of hands.

  Back when she'd first come on board, everyone had insisted she could help herself to any of the food. And they'd had more than enough so she'd happily taken them up on the offer. Now, despite being surrounded by food, she resisted the urge to snack.

  It was the first time she'd ever really had to consider where her next meal would come from, or if she'd always have enough to eat.

  The food supply was shrinking quickly. But there was enough for now, and maybe for today at least, this was a way she could pull her own weight that might genuinely be appreciated. Because Evie wasn't the only one who had been avoiding eating, skipping meals, or eating less. She hadn't seen anyone so much as taking a drink of water all day, and they had to eat sometime.

  While Evie's father has been the brains of the family, everyone who know the Casseract's personally knew that it was Jaenelle Casseract who kept Allen going, supporting him however he needed. And more often than not, that was by making his meals when he was too distracted or busy to feed himself, or by baking his favorites to help take the edge off after a rough day.

  There wasn't anything in the canteen that Evie could attempt to turn into cookies or brownies, but she could manage sandwiches with little trouble at all.

  Relieved by her good idea, Evie set about going through the motions of making as many sandwiches as she could, letting her mind relax with the repetitive motion. She only stopped when the plate she'd chosen literally couldn't carry any more,
then making one extra and eating it on the spot.

  There. She'd done good.

  Except one glance at the computer console embedded in the wall nearby showed that only a quarter of an hour had passed since she'd left the engine room. Fifteen minutes. How was that possible?

  Another week stuck in this place was going to feel like an eternity. Watching the rest of her life crawl by in the void was too bleak to think about.

  She had to keep moving, to keep doing. It was the only way she'd survive today, let alone whatever came for her next.

  "Captain Briggs?" Evie called not ten minutes later. She'd already brought lunch to every other member of the crew. Some of them had offered an enthusiastic thank you, other hadn't even looked up. But they'd eaten what she'd brought them all the same.

  But no one had seen the captain since he'd first stopped by the engine room that morning, or heard from him since the announcement that he was turning the ship around.

  And now the hatch to the bridge was locked. Clearly, he wanted to be left alone.

  Evie stooped to drop her last remaining plate on the top step, hoping the captain would find it before he stepped in it.

  "Evie?" the captain's voice answered in surprise as the hatch slid open.

  Evie blinked awkwardly, staring up at the Lexiconis' captain from the awkward angle. "I brought lunch."

  There was no denying that the captain looked a little rough. He was wearing the same clothes today that he'd fallen asleep in the night before, and it didn't look like he'd shaved since the ship had first arrived in the void. But at the mention of food, his eyes lit up, bringing a new life to his face. "Lunch! That's amazing. Come on up!"

  Oh. With Captain Briggs having barricaded himself in the bridge all day, Evie hadn't been expecting an invite. She'd planned to go back downstairs to see if Lincoln or Sprocket needed anything, maybe even check in with Gwynn if things got desperate. But Captain Briggs had already disappeared again, leaving the hatch open behind him.