Raisa gasped, taking a step back as she bumped into his chest. Jackson wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her against him. There had been much he wanted to say to her during their stay in the room, but he had refrained. To act on his feelings for Raisa would have made Alexis uncomfortable, no matter that the woman said she didn’t mind. They had managed to steal one quick kiss in the corridor, but Jackson had stopped it. He was tortured enough just being around her, unable to touch her as he wanted, without adding the fuel of her kiss to his fire.
Tension rolled off Jackson as the soldier lifted a handheld scanning device and ran it over the wall. The image flickered and disappeared wherever the bulky unit hovered. Jackson stayed at the ready to shove the women behind him if the soldier made it inside.
“He knows we’re here,” Alexis came up against his side and grabbed his biceps. Jackson put his other arm around her and pulled her against him. He felt both women tremble and held them a little tighter. He had the same fear but was trained to push it deep inside. This was not the first time he’d been in danger, but it was the first time he’d felt the stakes were this high. If they found the crew hiding him, they would all pay.
The soldier frowned and hit the side of the handheld unit several times. The movement revealed the name on his uniform, “Lang.” He again appeared to be looking directly at them before scratching the back of his head and continuing on.
Jackson felt Raisa and Alexis release their captured breath in relief.
“That was too close,” Raisa said.
“He might still come back,” Jackson warned.
They huddled together in the corridor, watching as a blond soldier walked past, then one with a bald head, as the Federation searched the ship. Each wore the black uniform of a foot soldier. Jackson determined he could take them in a fight if he had to. At one point, a pair of soldiers pushed Rick down the hall as the pilot tripped in protest. His guards stood about an inch taller than him. One had a scar down the side of his face, and the other bright red hair that hardly looked natural. Jackson automatically looked down at their names, “Hydock” and “Berger.”
The pilot kept an easy smile, one that Jackson knew well and had been aggravated by often. Lang joined them, still carrying the scanner. Rick’s eyes briefly turned to the hidden door. As Lang began lifting the handheld to the wall, Rick leaned his head back and shouted. Jackson couldn’t hear his words, but it was apparently enough to earn him a beating.
Raisa inhaled sharply as the redheaded brute, Berger, punched Rick across the face. The scarred Hydock then aimed for Rick’s stomach. Not to be left out, Lang kicked Rick behind the knees so that he fell to the ground.
“We have to do something,” Raisa started to move forward to reach for the button to open the door, but hesitated. The corridor’s safety precautions wouldn’t let them out while people were in the hall.
Jackson knew Rick could fight back, but he took the hits, stumbling and taunting as he tried to lead the soldiers away from the door.
“We can’t let them know we’re in here,” Alexis whispered.
Rick’s head was slammed against the metal wall in front of the door. The screen showed it as detailed as if he’d smashed against a window. Raisa yelped and turned away. She pressed her face into Jackson’s chest.
Blood smeared the outside wall. Thankfully, the room didn’t recognize Rick’s blood and stayed closed. Rick crumpled to the ground. Hydock kicked him in the gut one last time before they left him on the corridor floor to continue their search. He could see them laughing at what they had done.
“Is it over?” Raisa lifted her head up to peek.
Rick weakly pushed himself up to sit against the wall. Blood trickled from his scalp and nose, trailing down the side of his face and covering his chin. He wouldn’t have been able to see out of his swollen left eye. He grabbed his stomach and grimaced.
Then, holding up his free hand, he gestured with his thumb in the air and gave them a pained smile.
“Blasted spaceholes, Rick,” Alexis swore under her breath. “You crazy bastard.”
Jackson knew Rick was the only reason the man with the scanner hadn’t found them. The pilot slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. More soldiers came by brandishing weapons. They stepped over Rick, not bothering to help him up.
Dev appeared carrying a large metal box. It seemed to be filled with pieces of silk, beads, and other treasures from the cargo hold. They were all obtained legally as gifts from the royal family on Lintian. The soldiers had no right to it. Still, they held Dev at laser point and forced him to carry their bounty toward the entry hatch.
“Can they do this?” asked Raisa.
“They can do whatever they want, and they know it,” Alexis answered.
“Maybe we can open the door and grab Rick before anyone sees,” Raisa suggested.
“No. They’ll notice he’s missing and he’ll have taken that beating for nothing.” Jackson hated seeing him injured, but the wounds did not appear to be serious.
“Lochlann will make sure he gets treatment,” Alexis said, though he heard the fear in her voice. She worried for her husband.
None of them moved as they watched the screen. Only the sound of their breathing filled the small space. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dev returned. He glanced over his shoulder, before holding up both hands and pressing them down and forward to signal to Jackson to stay put. Then, going to Rick, he lifted the man into his arms and carried him away.
“I hate not knowing what’s happening out there,” Alexis whispered.
“Lochlann knows how to take care of himself,” Jackson assured her. Alexis pushed away from his side and he released his hold. Raisa was slower to pull back. “What we can do is figure out what these monitors are saying.” He turned Raisa toward the inner door and touched it so that it would let them in. “The biggest help we can be is to fix the power on this ship.”
“And save that poor woman,” Raisa added.
“Yes, and save the woman,” Jackson agreed. He appreciated Raisa’s compassion for the sleeping stranger. No one wanted to pull the plug on the stasis chamber, but if this ship became powerless in the middle of deep space, it would not only kill the crew, it would kill the woman as well. Tough decisions would have to be made.
17
“It’s an old Hungariz dialect,” Alexis explained. “From what I can tell, it’s pretty obscure. The people who used it disappeared from their settlements almost overnight. It’s quite the mystery. I think I was able to access enough of it to figure out what it’s saying though.”
“What kind of people were they?” Jackson walked around the medical chair. Raisa followed him.
“Peaceful from what I can tell. There was no mention of wars or galactic trouble. They were secretive, but that’s really nothing special in the universes. Many people choose to keep to themselves.” Alexis went to the floating panel by the medical chair.
“They were clearly educated and technologically advanced.” Raisa gestured around the room to prove her point.
Alexis glanced toward the exit. Raisa knew she was worried about her husband. Jackson placed a hand on her shoulder. Alexis nodded in silent understanding.
“This looks like a menu.” Alexis studied the hologram. “To unlock, we have to draw a circle on the screen three times. I think it’s to ensure that only people who read the language know how to get in.” She drew three circles, and a new list appeared. “Log. Food, maybe. Medical. Diagnostics. And I don’t know the last one.”
“Try log.” Jackson gestured that she should touch the screen.
Alexis reached up and pushed the button. They watched the screen. A strange sound came from behind and they turned to see the image of a holographic man sitting on a chair at the metal table. The sound was his voice, speaking in a rapid wave of tonal sounds. He was humanoid. His transparent image gave the impression of blue-tinted skin, not as deep as the woman in stasis, but close. Age had done its march ac
ross his wrinkled features. His hands looked emaciated. Light, thin hair pulled into a peak down his forehead.
“Can you translate it?” Jackson asked.
“Can you make him speak the star language?” Raisa stepped closer to study the man’s face.
“Shh.” Alexis waved her hand to get them to be quiet. She narrowed her eyes as she listened. “His town was attacked, most died, those who survived were sick. His wife survived. She was ill. He worked on a cure. Built this chamber. Made deal with Kintoks. Something about blood locks.”
“The door,” Raisa whispered. Jackson nodded.
“Intense hunger. Feeding tubes installed. Transfusion worked. Wife suspended in hypersleep. He can’t take care of her. Hopes someone will come along to wake her.” Alexis looked at them as the hologram stopped.
“What about Greg?” Raisa asked. “Any word on who he was and why he’s floating in dark goo?”
“He didn’t say,” Alexis answered. “That’s all I could understand. I’ll try to access more of the language, but I’ll need time.”
“So, we can wake her up?” Raisa assumed. “He said he left her so that someone could wake her. He looked old. Maybe he knew his time was limited.”
“Are there any more files?” Jackson turned to the screen and touched the log button. The same recording began.
“I think that’s it.” Alexis pushed the third button on the screen and began to read. She flicked her fingers several times to scroll through the data presented. Then, she went to the drawers of medicines. She tapped one to open up the inventory. “These are all medications. I think they’re for our friend in there. The computer analyzes what she needs and then gives it to her. It’s automated.”
“Unless you manually administer something,” Raisa inserted, remembering how she’d accidentally pushed a button for Grarf.
“Yes.” Alexis went back to the main screen. “The combination to wake her up is in here. All I’ll need to do is press the symbols. The system should do the rest and administer the right medicines.”
“So this chair is probably for her,” Raisa guessed. She placed her hand on the medical chair. Nothing happened. The cushioned padding felt better than anything else they had to sit on. “Is this safe?”
“I think so?” Alexis didn’t sound sure.
Raisa hopped up to sit on it. She waited to see if anything activated. It didn’t.
“Try diagnostics,” Jackson said.
Alexis pushed a button. Large diagrams of the room came up, spreading from the monitor parallel with the floor. “It’s a floor plan. Maybe the word meant schematics?”
“Why did the computer log us in when we called to it? That’s a star language command,” Raisa said.
“Could be voice tone, or the fact the word sounds close to the Hungariz word for archive.” Alexis pushed the map around in the air with her finger.
“Can you slide the map this way?” Raisa asked. Alexis lifted her hand and motioned toward Raisa. The diagram moved toward her.
Raisa lay back on the chair to look up at it. The cushioned seat was surprisingly comfortable, and she felt foolish for not trying it before. It was the most relief her sore hips and back had felt in days. They’d been so cautious about activating anything. “Now this I understand.” She reached up, motioning her hand to get the diagram to turn. She pointed to a square outlined behind the wall beneath the orb. “That looks like the power reserve. If we push the tile, it should open up and we can plug in to it if we find the right adaptor.” She traced the wires around the room, zooming in as she figured out how the system was set up. Seeing a small rectangle with a zigzag pattern on it, she said, “And that would be where we find access to the second grid to stop it from syphoning power from the rest of the ship. If I disconnect that, Viktor will have the energy he needs and then some. Looks like we pull a fuse and yank a wire.”
“That’s great news,” Alexis said.
Raisa continued examining the plans. The medicine drawers were connected to both the stasis chamber and the tank. “Any idea what kind of alien Greg is?”
“Sea creature of some kind?” Alexis touched the monitor and the diagram disappeared. After a while of searching, she shook her head. “I can’t find anything. Unless this button doesn’t say ‘Food,’ like I first thought.”
Raisa pushed up from the chair. “Can I see the diagram again?”
Alexis obliged.
Raisa lay back down and looked at the chambers. “It’s almost like they’re connected to each other. Maybe Greg was part of the cure?”
“Try the food button.” Jackson crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the monitor. Alexis pushed the button. The diagram went away, and they waited for a new screen to appear.
Raisa felt something move by her ankles. She braced her hands and pushed up. Jerking her leg, she realized it was locked into place. Movement by her wrists pulled her arms down and locked them on the bed.
Raisa released a high-pitched sound of fear as she was forced to lay flat. “Jackson!”
Something clamped her waist, and the bed lifted up from the floor closer to the ceiling. She thrashed, trying to free herself. Jackson leapt up, grabbing hold of her arm and the bed as he tried to free her.
“Stop it!” Jackson yelled.
“I’m trying,” Alexis replied.
Raisa screamed, trying to jerk all her limbs at once. The ceiling opened. Jackson lost his hold and fell back. Several large injectors came down, aiming for her thighs and neck. Tears streamed down her temples. “Oh, please help me, Jackson…” She screamed. Two injectors stopped moving and hovered over her, but the third needle pierced her thigh. Clicks sounded. Fluid came down a tube and she felt a burning sensation in her leg.
Jackson leapt up, grabbed hold of the bed by her waist, and pulled his body weight up until he could brace his knees by her legs. He grabbed the injector and pulled. His muscles strained, and he cried out as he tried to remove it from her. The injector filled with red as it drew blood from the same injection site.
Alexis yelled commands from below, but Raisa couldn’t hear them as she cried out in pain. Liquid fire spread over her body, carried in her bloodstream.
He paused, punching the side of his hand against one of the hovering injectors, breaking it off, only to resume pulling. He then hit the injector by her neck. It took a couple strikes with the side of his arm before the needle receptacle bent to the side. His blood dripped on her cheek from the effort. He stood, his neck hitting the ceiling. Raisa watched him move over her. Her vision swam and she felt lightheaded.
“Cut the tube,” Alexis yelled.
Jackson let go of the injector arm and jerked the tubing leading to it. After several hard tugs, it came free. Blood sprayed over her, the ceiling, and Jackson. A grinding sound came from above and the needle finally retracted from her leg.
“Sacre,” Alexis swore. “What was that?”
Jackson pressed his hands to Raisa’s wound. “Get these restraints off her.” The bed started to lower. “Whatever you’re doing is working.”
“I’m not doing that,” Alexis said. “The computer locked me out.”
Raisa felt the restraints release. She reached for Jackson, grabbing his shirt. “Get me off this.”
Jackson hopped from the bed and pulled her into his arms. He carried her across the room to the crates and sat on the floor, still holding her close. She didn’t fight his embrace. A chill settled over her, causing her to shake. Her head was light, and she found a small comfort, resting against his chest.
18
“What did that machine do to her?” Jackson rocked Raisa on his lap, holding her tighter. She mumbled incoherently, and her eyelids drifted closed. Blood marred his hands. It stained her face and neck. “We need to get her out of here. She needs a medical booth.”
“We have to turn off the power to this room.” Alexis lifted her arms, helplessly. “Which means we have to decide what to do about Blue. Do we wake her or kill her?”
/> Jackson knew it was on his shoulders to make a decision. He had seen so much death during his service. He didn’t want to kill again, not unless he had reason. The blue woman had given them no reason.
“Her husband said she was cured?” Jackson asked for confirmation, his words rushed.
“He said the transfusion worked,” Alexis corrected. “You could interpret that as she is cured. But another way to look at it would be that this place, as advanced as it is, was set up a long time ago. Medical booths have come so far, more diseases categorized. We could put her in it when she wakes up and run a diagnostic on her.”
Raisa convulsed in his arms.
“We don’t have time to debate. Wake Blue up and shut this room down.” Jackson lifted Raisa in his arms. “This crew has never condemned anyone to death without cause, and we won’t do so now.”
“We don’t know if it’s clear from the Federation out there.” Alexis turned to the monitor and took a deep breath. Blood covered the medical chair.
“I’m not losing her, Alexis.” Jackson held Raisa against him, adjusting her weight in his arms.
Alexis nodded, not offering any more warnings. “Get Raisa by the exit.”
Jackson carried Raisa toward the small corridor. She hung limp in his arms.
“I’m waking Blue up.” Alexis pushed a series of buttons. “As soon as I finish this sequence, I’ll pull the fuse. This room will run on reserve power until that runs out.”
Jackson waited impatiently, holding the door open for Alexis. “Hurry.”
A hiss sounded by Blue. Needles reached toward her from all directions. Her body bounced as electricity shot from the sides of the unit. Her coloring had changed, not as deep blue as before. Tinges of pink had started appearing around her nose and eyes.
“Is it working?” Alexis called.
“Something is happening.” Jackson wasn’t sure how this stasis chamber worked but had to assume it was doing what it was supposed to.
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