“You’ll stop when I tell you to,” said Jessie. “I want this collar off. I’m not going to be a plaything for the Fraken any longer.”
Thunde pressed a gentle kiss to Jessie’s cheek. “You really are something.”
“Stop stalling and blast me with that laser.” She grinned at Thunde, determined to hide her nerves from him. One slip of the laser in Thunde’s hand and that would be the end of her.
With a grunt, Thunde raised the laser. “Whatever you do, don’t move.”
“Distract me with a story,” said Jessie, as she saw Thunde’s finger on the laser pen.
“A story?”
“Tell me about one of the battles you’ve been in. Have you ever met the Olag? They were one of the first aliens to come to Earth.”
“I’ve met plenty of them,” said Thunde. “And they always went away with their horns twisted and bags empty of the stolen goods they enjoy collecting.”
“Tell me about them,” said Jessie. “A group of Olag tried to break into the archive. And your story will take my mind off what you’re doing.”
“Just so long as you hold still and stop talking.”
“I won’t breathe.”
Thunde pressed the laser to the metal around Jessie’s throat and activated it. “I was monitoring the Vortex when an unauthorized ship came out of the wormhole. It was the Olag. As is the usual protocol, we requested they return through the wormhole. They ignored our comms, so we insisted we board and search their vessel.”
Jessie took a tiny inhalation of air and Thunde glared at her, so she pressed her lips together and raised her eyebrows, wanting him to carry on with his story.
“There was still no response. So, I launched a fighter and took a half-dozen warriors with me to investigate whose ship it was and what they were doing traveling through the wormhole with no registered flight plan.”
Jessie opened her mouth, but Thunde pressed a finger against it and gave her a small smile.
“When we got to the docking bay, it was shut tight. We latched onto the outside of the ship and bored a hole through the hull. The Olag were waiting for us. They’d just attacked a vessel inside the wormhole while its crew were at a space port. They’d injured several crew members and taken valuable cargo. And they wanted to keep it.” Thunde paused, and the scent of hot metal drifted up Jessie’s nose.
She watched as he checked the settings on the laser and then continued.
“The Olag are cowards. If you stand up to their bullying ways, they back down. The second they saw a squad of Vorten coming through the hole in their hull, they raised their hands and dropped their weapons. But they were sneaky. Not only had they stolen cargo, the ship they were on was also stolen, taken in a previous raid. And it was rigged with explosives. The Olag set off a flare bomb and fled to an escape pod. Several got left behind, but a number abandoned ship before it blew.”
Jessie longed to ask more questions, but the collar around her neck grew uncomfortably warm and would almost be at melting point. This was the most dangerous part of its removal.
“We barely got off the ship with our lives,” said Thunde. “But I made sure the Olag paid for what they did. We tracked their pod through space and captured them, dragging them back to base and interrogating the crew. They gave us information about several stashes of stolen goods, and we were able to retrieve them and return them to their rightful owners.”
“Before you ask, they didn’t die, but they’re serving lengthy sentences for what they did. And when they get out, the best work they’ll be able to find is clean up duty on a deserted planet.”
Sweat ran down Jessie’s face as the collar heated to a painful level. She closed her eyes and took a shallow breath. Thunde’s words had been comforting and had taken her mind off what he was doing. But the pain was almost unbearable.
“You want me to go on?” Thunde’s voice was low by her ear. “Just say the word and I’ll stop. We can figure out how to get this collar off another way.”
“Keep going,” whispered Jessie.
“When you see my home planet, you’re going to love it,” said Thunde. “Several times in each cycle, we have this incredible light display. It shoots rivers of purple and gold through the air. People travel long distances to witness it. I would like to show you that.”
Jessie whimpered as the collar burned into her skin. It would only be a few more seconds before it would be soft enough for Thunde to pull off, but she was at risk of passing out.
Thunde’s hand wavered, and he shifted the laser pen away from the collar.
“Keep going,” she hissed through her teeth.
“And we have flame birds on our planet,” said Thunde. “They speed through the skies so quickly that they leave trails of dazzling light in their wake, as if their feathers are aflame.”
“Enough!” Tears ran down Jessie’s cheeks. She couldn’t take it anymore.
***
Thunde removed the laser, concern filling him as he saw the pain on Jessie’s face. “I should have stopped sooner and not listened to you.”
“The metal is so hot,” gasped out Jessie.
“Let me try to remove it.” Thunde grabbed the collar and gave it a hard yank, almost pulling Jessie off her feet as he did so. The hot metal bent and twisted and suddenly broke.
Thunde tossed the collar to the ground, the skin on his hands blistering from the heat. “You should have said it was so hot. I wouldn’t have continued.”
“I didn’t want you to stop,” said Jessie. “My neck already feels better now the collar’s gone. I knew it would get hot. No wonder you smacked me when I removed your collar.”
“I’d never have touched you if I’d been aware of what was happening.” Thunde glowered at her, the guilt of his actions still pressing down on him.
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” Jessie smiled at him but flinched as she touched her neck.
“Wait there.” He stalked away and returned a second later with a large handful of snow, which he packed around Jessie’s neck. “This will provide some relief.”
“I’m almost glad the Fraken are trying to freeze us to death.” Jessie gasped as the icy cold touched her neck. “Thank you.”
“You’re the one who figured out how to get these collars off,” said Thunde. “Every warrior in the games will be happy with you for that.”
“And now, the Fraken won’t know where we are, and they can’t control you by shocking you.”
Thunde removed his hands from Jessie’s neck, the snow already melting and dripping onto her clothes. He pulled her into a gentle embrace, his gaze roving over the burns on her skin as he did so. He kept hurting her. No matter how careful he was, she kept getting damaged. He’d never felt so unworthy of anyone before. She needed to stay away from him. But the idea of Jessie leaving made his heart clench. This was a new experience for him, and he couldn’t deny that he loved being around Jessie and wanted her to be with him always.
“What now?” asked Jessie.
“The Fraken will come into the game,” said Thunde. “They will need to make sure we’re dead. This could get messy.”
“We can take them,” said Jessie.
Thunde peered down at her. “You must stay safe until I figure out the problem with accessing the comms post and getting word through to Axen.”
“I can help with that,” said Jessie. “You don’t have to do it alone. We can work on this together. Look at what I just did with the laser pen. I might be able to get word to Axen.”
“But without the code, I don’t see how we can get through,” said Thunde. “And we need to activate a comms post, anyway. Only the Fraken can do that from outside the game. Right now, unless you can find me a ship to fly us out in, we’re trapped.”
Chapter 20
“Tell me more about this code you need.” Jessie refused to be beaten. She could see from the slump of Thunde’s shoulders that he was convinced they wouldn’t get out, convinced she wouldn’t be able to help him.
“Do you still have the micro-screen?”
“No, I destroyed it after I had the code in my head. Too much of a risk to keep it. I have to access a side panel on the comms post and send it through to him. That way, he knows our location in the game and can break through the barrier.”
“You can’t remember a single number or letter in this code?”
Thunde ground his fist into the dirt. “Nothing. Not a single one.”
“Don’t give up just yet; your memory could return. But, just in case it doesn’t, we need a Plan B.” Jessie tapped her fingers against her leg as Thunde gathered more snow to apply to the burns on their necks. “What about the ship idea?”
Thunde sighed. “The games don’t allow any ships other than Fraken vessels in. There’s a barrier shielding the game. Any ship that comes through without authorization will be blown up.”
“So, all you need to do is bring down that barrier, and we can fly out of here?”
“And get our hands on a spacecraft,” said Thunde. “The Fraken don’t leave those lying around.”
“But if we did have one, you’d be able to get us out in it?” asked Jessie. “You said you knew how to fly almost everything.”
“I have no problems with piloting a Fraken vessel,” said Thunde. “I’ve flown several and have completed successful simulations using Fraken technology.”
“So that’s our Plan B,” said Jessie. “When the Fraken come in to get us, we steal their ship.”
Thunde paced backwards and forwards in front of her. “If only I could remember the code, we wouldn’t need such a far-fetched plan.”
“I still think I can break into the Fraken system and get a message to Axen.” Jessie watched Thunde’s pacing with concern. “You need to let me try.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Thunde thumped the wall with the side of his fist. “Time is running out. And in case you haven’t noticed, the snow is still falling. The Fraken must have their suspicions we’re still alive; otherwise, the weather would have changed. They’ll bury us alive in the stuff before long.”
Jessie stood and blocked Thunde’s path, forcing him to stop moving. “I know this is difficult for you. Going against the Fraken must be hard when you’ve been a part of these games for so long.”
“I have no problem disobeying them,” said Thunde. “But it’s more than that.”
“What else?” Jessie placed a hand on Thunde’s arm.
“Our Elders decree this,” said Thunde. “I trust Axen, and I know he means well by what he’s attempting, but unless the Elders agree to this violation, we’re going against their orders. I have never done that before.”
Jessie licked her lips. “Have you thought that maybe your Elders aren’t perfect in their decision making?”
“Never.”
“It’s just that, well, it’s not just the Fraken systems I’ve hacked.”
Thunde stared down at Jessie. “You’ve broken into our systems, as well?”
“I might have.” Jessie glanced away. “And what I saw when I was inside your systems, it concerned me.”
“What did you see?”
“Confusing orders from your Elders,” said Jessie. “At least, it looked like it was coming from your Elders.”
“Where else would the orders come from?”
“Other hackers,” said Jessie. “What’s to say your Elders even know what’s going on in these games?”
“Because they told us to get involved.” Thunde tried to side-step Jessie, but she matched his pace, determined he should hear what she had to say.
“Your Elders go into periods of seclusion to consider new laws and important matters. They might not see these games as important or even know they’re going on.”
“You’re being ridiculous,” snapped Thunde. “They would know if they’re sending their best warriors into these games.”
“But why would they agree to such a thing?”
“Because we owe the Fraken.” Thunde sighed heavily. “They helped us with an outbreak of disease we encountered on an early space mission. They gave us the cure, and it saved the population. As much as I hate to admit it, without the Fraken stepping in at that crucial point, we would have been wiped out. We would be nothing more than a note in one of your books in an archive.”
Jessie frowned and scrubbed the end of her nose. “Doesn’t it seem convenient that the Fraken just happened to have a cure for this disease?”
Thunde opened his mouth and then shut it. “It does. But we were grateful to them. That’s why our Elders support Fraken requests.”
“Did anyone do tests on this disease to see where it originated?”
“We attempted to find our own cure,” said Thunde. “And I believe tests were done on disease carriers. But medicine is not our speciality, and we had limited time available to find a cure.”
Jessie thumped Thunde on the chest. “So the whole thing could have been set up by the Fraken. You could be in here because the Fraken have cheated the Vorten as well. And the Fraken could be infiltrating your systems and posting false messages and orders.”
Thunde shook his head. “There’s no evidence of that. You’re talking in wild theories, and it’s doing nothing to help us get out of this game.”
Disappointment traced through Jessie’s veins. “Maybe I made a mistake. I didn’t get to see everything and didn’t want to stay inside a hacked system for long, in case I was spotted. I didn’t want a scary band of Vortens knocking on my door and asking me what I was doing snooping around their system.”
“No, that’s never a good idea,” said Thunde. “But I cannot consider our Elders are wrong in this instance. They always do what’s best for us.”
Jessie nodded. She didn’t agree with Thunde, but could see from the set of his jaw there was no point arguing with him.
“We need to leave,” said Thunde. “We’ve stayed here for too long. If we move every dozen clics, it will make it harder for us to be located.”
“When the Fraken find this cave and see the dead bear, they’ll know we’re alive,” said Jessie.
“All the more reason for us to find somewhere else to shelter.” Thunde grabbed their bags, stuffed their remaining kit in it, and walked to the opening. “Are you coming?”
Jessie gave a slow nod. “Lead the way.” She wished he’d listen to her about his Elders and be more willing to question things. She knew how loyal he was to them and how loyal he was to his warrior brother, Axen, but what if she was right? What if the Vorten were under a debt to the Fraken for no reason, and they didn't need to be in these games? She kicked a large snow drift she walked past. It wasn’t her place to say, but it still stung that Thunde didn’t believe her about this or believe in her enough to help him with getting them out of the game.
She pushed aside the sense of defeat she felt and stuffed her hands deep into her pockets. The cold was biting as she hurried to keep up with Thunde. But she liked that sensation, it kept her senses sharp and drove away some of the tiredness she felt.
“You need to keep up,” said Thunde, not looking back at her.
“I’m trying,” said Jessie. “Your legs are longer than mine, and you’re almost jogging.”
“Then run,” said Thunde.
“Why don’t you slow down?”
“Because we’re being hunted.”
“Then find a cave for us to hide in,” said Jessie.
“We need to get farther away from our previous cave,” said Thunde.
Jessie shook her head and wrinkled her nose. The closeness and affection she felt for Thunde couldn’t be trusted, and she regretted getting so hopeful about his words and tricked by his gentle touch. Their trysts had been fueled by fear and desperation. How could he want her? He clearly didn’t trust her enough to help them get out. He’d just shown that by rejecting her offer and making her feel stupid when sh
e revealed what she knew. She was sure, if she could get her hands on a comms post and study it, she’d be able to work out how to get a message through. Thunde was wrong to make her feel so small and worthless.
Needles of doubt speared into Jessie’s stomach. Maybe Thunde saw something in her that she didn’t. Perhaps he could see she wasn’t good enough and was lacking, and that she would fail if she tried to access sophisticated alien technology.
“You must go faster,” said Thunde.
Jessie’s exasperation with Thunde tipped over the edge, and she scooped a handful of snow, balled it up, and threw it at him, splattering it against his back.
He pivoted on his heel and glared at her. “What are you doing?”
“Making you slow down,” said Jessie. “And stop ordering me about.”
“I’m not ordering you to do anything,” said Thunde. “I’m trying to keep you safe.”
“I can keep myself safe,” said Jessie. “I handled that bear back in the cave on my own. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead by now.”
“And I appreciate that,” said Thunde, eyeing the snowball in Jessie’s hand. “What’s wrong?”
“All of this is wrong.” Jessie gestured around the game, her fingers numb as the snow began to melt in her hand. “This game, the fact I’m trapped, the way you don’t trust me to do anything properly. I’m offering my help, and you’re dismissing it. Dismissing me.”
“I don’t mean to,” said Thunde. “But I have my orders, and I’m going to follow them. I want to get you out of this game alive. I will remember the code.”
“But what if you don’t?” asked Jessie. “What if this code doesn’t magically flash into your brain? What if it’s fried, the memory gone for good? What will you do then? Fight every Fraken beast that gets sent into the game? Chase away army upon army of Fraken who come to finish us off? It’s impossible. If you do that, then we’ll definitely fail and all because you’re too stubborn to let me try to help. I can get us out of here, but you don’t believe I can.”
Thunde blinked at her. “I never said that.”
Thunde Page 15
