Attack on Phoenix

by Megg Jensen

  "We'll get all the answers we need, Torsten. I promise." Rell reached out, touching his hand with her fingertips.

  Torsten looked up at her, his eyes soft. "Sure you want to do that?"

  Rell smiled. "We're in this together." With every moment that passed, she knew deep in her heart Torsten was her reward. She was sent to stop him from finding the Key, and she had. Now, if she could just convince him her gods were real, they had a chance to be together. Like her parents once were. Like his.

  "Fortina," Torsten said, looking up.

  Rell had forgotten the woman was still there watching over them.

  "Can we have a tour of the ship? Perhaps meet others?" Torsten asked.

  "You are permitted a brief tour," Fortina said. "Come, if you're done eating." She stared at Rell's bread.

  Not wanting to appear ungrateful for the unexpected food, Rell tore another strip off the loaf and stuck it in her mouth. A few moments later, she swallowed, her stomach content. "I'm ready now. Thank you, Fortina."

  Together, they left the room. Maybe now Torsten would see evidence of the gods, and he could begin to place his trust in them just like Rell did.

  Chapter Seventeen

  After a long, exhausting, and completely unproductive tour of the ship, Torsten’s list of concerns had doubled.

  Every time he asked Fortina a question about how he and Rell arrived on the ship, or where the dragzhi were, or when he could see his mother again, or if his father was alive, or if they were allowed to talk to anyone else, Fortina changed the conversation or abruptly lead them out of the room. Her uncanny resemblance to Mellok’s mother wasn’t lost on him. Torsten had seen the faces of his comrade’s parents in their bios. He’d attempted to memorize them. But, surely his memory was playing tricks on him. And yet… his mother was on the ship. Fortina could be Mellok’s mother. Something strange was going on, and it didn’t make any sense.

  Torsten tried to engage Rell, but she only stood there with a stupid smile on her face, soaking in everything Fortina said as if it were her gods speaking directly to her. For all he knew, Rell did think Fortina was some kind of supernatural mouthpiece.

  Torsten trailed behind Rell and Fortina as they made their way back to their room. Rell's pink hair hung perfectly, not a strand out of place. She walked as if she was a queen, confident and secure. Back on Phoenix, she'd seemed a little unsure, perhaps even afraid. Now, she seemed to have it all under control.

  Torsten held in a sigh. He felt completely the opposite. Nervous and confused didn't even begin to describe the unease pumping in his veins. Nothing in this ship made sense.

  "I hope you enjoyed your day. Food has been left in your room. Please partake and then sleep. Lights will be out soon." Fortina held out an arm.

  Rell eagerly rushed into the room, obviously relieved at the loaf of bread on the small table. A bowl sat next to it. Probably more krullers. Torsten wouldn't complain. Krullers were an acquired taste. The first time he had it, he threw up all over his sister, while Leila gleefully sucked on the skinny worms. Torsten forced himself to like it, just like he'd forced himself to wake up and move every day since his parents' murder.

  And now, knowing his mother was alive, Torsten felt a wide range of emotions. Plenty of anger, yes. But the sadness was quickly crowding out the rest. If the tiny bit of information he'd gotten from his mother was true, then they had left Phoenix with a purpose. Their murders had been faked. Yet, Torsten remembered them dying. He'd seen it, and those were memories he'd never been able to suppress.

  Torsten reluctantly followed Rell into the room, the door closing behind him. He grabbed the bowl of krullers.

  "Do you want some bread?" Rell asked, holding the loaf out to him.

  "Do you want some krullers?" Torsten couldn't help himself, waving the bowl under her nose.

  "No! Get that away from me." Rell faked a gagging noise.

  At least Torsten hoped it was fake.

  "I mean it. Do you want some bread?" she asked.

  Torsten shook his head. "No, thanks. You should eat it. I don't want you to go hungry."

  "I'll have to thank your mother again tomorrow. I think Fortina wants to watch me eat krullers and get sick all over myself. She's horrible." Rell tore off a chunk of bread with her teeth.

  "I thought you liked her," Torsten said. "You seemed happy on the tour."

  Rell sighed, sitting on the bed. She held the bread over the floor, trying to keep the crumbs from settling on the sheets. "I wanted to like her. I really did. I kept hoping she would take us to a room of worship, or tell us something about the gods. Instead, the whole tour consisted only of boring things like where other people sleep. Where other people eat. Where other people work."

  "And, still, we haven't seen anyone other than Fortina or my mother," Torsten said. He grabbed the last bit of krullers, swallowing it without chewing. He hoped that would be the last of it for a while. Perhaps tomorrow they'd allow them two loaves of bread.

  "It's almost as if we're on a ghost ship," Rell said. "There must be more people than this. I just don't know why we're being kept from them. I don't think we need to prove our worthiness. After all, we did arrive through the portal of the gods." Rell slapped a hand over her mouth.

  Torsten set the bowl down and chuckled. "It's okay, Rell. I'm sorry I was so harsh with you earlier. Your faith is a big part of who you are. I shouldn't force you to deny it just because I'm angry about the situation. Respect my beliefs, and I'll respect yours."

  He looked into her brown eyes. They widened only for a moment. Then Rell looked down.

  "Can I tell you a bit about my faith?" she asked quietly. "I don't expect to change your mind, but maybe it would help you understand me a bit more."

  Torsten sat next to her on the bed, careful to give Rell the space she needed. Yes, she'd rested her fingers on him at breakfast, but he didn't take that as an open invitation to touch her.

  "I'd like that.” Torsten wasn't sure he actually wanted to know more about the Menelewen Dored. What he really wanted was to listen to Rell speak. Her voice lilted, as if she were singing a melody rather than telling him a story.

  "When our people crash landed, some of them wanted to stay on Phoenix. They felt it was their destiny to roam the galaxy until they found a new home. Unlike the rest, their priority lay in learning to survive, rather than escape. After Max Hamdal found the tablets buried in the sand—”

  “The mysterious Hamdal tablets,” Torsten said. “I’ve studied those files. A group eventually translated them. That’s where they learned about the Menelewen Dored.”

  Rell nodded. “Those people explored Phoenix, particularly the caves leading to the tunnels."

  Torsten raised an eyebrow. "I thought the worshippers built the tunnels."

  "The tunnels were always there, Torsten." She scooted, leaning her back against the wall. "I know you grounders like to think we burrowed underground like frightened voles, but it's not true. The tunnels were there. They called to us. Only a few heeded their call."

  The lights began to dim until Torsten and Rell were shrouded in darkness.

  "I guess we're supposed to sleep now," Torsten said.

  "No." Rell's hand found its way to Torsten's shoulder. "I want to continue, if that is okay with you."

  For so long, Torsten had faced rejection from women. Once they began to notice him, he pulled away, refusing to let himself be hurt. Now Rell was in his life. She wouldn't want him either. Not because he wasn't attractive enough, but because her religion forbade it. And while he didn't believe in her faith, he knew it was a real wedge between them. Yet every time Rell touched him, even in the smallest way, Torsten felt a lump form in his throat. It was possible she would change her mind. There could be a chance.

  "Yes," he said quietly. "Please continue."

  "When they descended deeper, they began to find compelling evidence they were not the first to traverse the tunnels. Perhaps they were more than a natural occurrence." Rell's voic
e hung in the darkness.

  "Animals?" Torsten asked, intrigued.

  "No. The Menelewen Dored. They blessed the land, preparing it for us. They created the food for us to eat. The animals to provide us with food. The water to nourish our bodies and souls. They made it all for us, Torsten. And for that, we are grateful." Rell was sure of what she was saying. No doubts.

  Torsten couldn't help himself though. He had to question the story. "How did the buried know all of this? We have the Hamdal tablets, but the rest is speculation. It's amazing to think there are beings out there who so cared for us they gave our people everything they needed to survive after we crashed. Without proof, it's just a story. One that gives, comfort, yes, but how can you know it's real?"

  "Because there is proof." For the first time, Rell's voice was hesitant. Almost afraid.

  "What kind of proof?" Torsten knew he should wait, let her tell the story on her own terms. But he couldn't tamp down his curiosity. He needed facts.

  "The Hamdal tablets told us about the Key." It was barely above a whisper. "It exists, Torsten. I know it’s more beautiful, more dangerous, than you could ever imagine. Only those who have reached the highest levels of our faith know exactly what it is. I am not there yet, but this," she held out her arms, “tells me I’m close to learning.”

  "Is it a weapon?" Mythology told of a powerful entity who controlled its immense power. No one had ever seen it, or even seen proof it existed, so it fell into the realm of the unknown. Yet there were some who clung to the myths, believing one day, someone would find the Key and control it. They could only hope it was someone pure, and not someone bent upon evil.

  That was why Commander Bartok had told Hadar she was sending the defenders to search for the Key. It was a final effort to rally the people in the face of destruction by the dragzhi. It would stave off sheer panic if the people knew the military had a lead on its whereabouts.

  "Gods..." Torsten said. “My mother is here. She's alive. My father is probably alive. They left Hadar looking for the Key. They must have ended up here the same way we did." Torsten leaned down on his knees, tears slipping down his cheeks.

  It had taken him too long to figure it out. His parents were Menelewen Dored sympathizers. They had rejected their own children on the hunt for an artifact that didn't exist...

  A hand rubbed his back. Rell's hand. She stroked up and down his spine, circling around at his shoulder and down to his waist, before rising up again. He tamped down all of the feelings bubbling to the surface. He really liked this girl.

  "The Menelewen Dored are tasked with protecting the Key from those who would use it for their own purposes, Torsten. It isn't a weapon. It is the ultimate power. It can be used for good or for evil." She leaned closer.

  Torsten could feel her breasts on his arm and her lips close to his cheek. Didn't she know she was torturing him? He focused on his anger at his parents, trying to ignore the woman who was so close, but wouldn’t allow him to touch her.

  "If your parents were looking for it, and they ended up here on this ship, just like us, then they haven't found it. The Key is underground, Torsten. We could find it together, but..."

  "But what?" he asked in a strangled voice. It was getting to him. His parents. Mythology. Rell. Especially Rell.

  "Only believers can approach the Key. Unbelievers can't." She rested her head on his shoulder.

  Torsten tensed up, pretending his body had turned to stone. If he let himself relax for even one moment, he would take Rell in his arms again. He couldn't do it. Not until she gave permission.

  "If you can let yourself believe, maybe you can find the Key with me." She snuggled closer. "If you do, then we..."

  "What?"

  "If you believe, it proves the gods put us together for a reason. I’ve never had feelings toward another person like this before. There’s something about you. It pulls me in. It makes me want to jump into your arms. Perhaps even touch your lips again."

  He could feel her breath on his cheek. All he had to do was turn his head. Then he could kiss her properly, with her blessing. Despite the darkness, Torsten squeezed his eyes shut.

  If he needed to believe before seeing the Key, he would never see it. He couldn't have the same kind of faith she did. No matter how much he wanted her, Torsten wouldn't pretend to believe in order to win her affections.

  If Rell was going to be his, and he was going to be hers, they would do it with everything out in the open. True honesty.

  "Rell, I can’t. I don’t believe, and I won’t lie to you just because I might have the chance to…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. Saying it out loud would make her even harder to resist. “I think I should sleep on the floor." Torsten slid off the bed, resting on the hard metal. His cheek absorbed the coolness of the floor, letting it flow through him, shutting down the desire he felt for the woman who was only an arm's length away.

  The same women who didn't respond. The woman whose breathing eventually fell into a pattern so regular Torsten knew she'd fallen asleep. It was only then he allowed himself the same release.

  Chapter Eighteen

  A loud crash ripped Torsten from his sleep. He opened his eyes, but couldn't see anything because the room was draped in darkness. He reached out, his hand landing on Rell’s arm. He shook her. "Wake up."

  "Torsten?" Another crash tore through the silence. Rell bolted up, his hand falling away. "What was that?"

  "I don't know. I can't see a thing in here."

  Rell mumbled a few words, and a light sprang to life. It floated just above her palm, warm and comforting. "Is that better?"

  "Can you make it bigger, or brighter?" Torsten sprang off the floor, waving his hands over the walls.

  "No, I can't. You'll have to make do." Her tone was frosty, but anxious.

  Later they would have to deal with what had happened, or hadn’t happened, the night before.

  Torsten turned toward her. "Thank you. I appreciate it. If we get out of here, it's because of you." He went back to the walls, waving his hands over them, looking for a way out.

  Instead of waiting for Torsten to find the trigger for the door, Rell made fists and banged on the wall. "Get us out of here! Hello? Anyone?" She slammed her fists against the wall over and over again.

  Finally, the door opened. A woman ran past the doorway, a man on her heels.

  "Wait for us!" Torsten called out to them. He grabbed Rell's hand, pulling her out of the room just before the door closed again.

  They raced down the hall after the strangers, but the couple only pulled farther ahead until they disappeared around a corner. When he and Rell finally turned that same corner, the others were gone. Torsten lost track of them.

  Another boom rocked the ship. It sounded as if the entire ship were imploding. Rell held tight to his hand. He could run faster than she could, and she probably didn't want to be left behind.

  Torsten’s breath came in sharp, ragged bursts, burning his throat. He pushed harder, forcing himself to keep going despite growing fatigue. He didn't even know whether it was morning or still night.

  "Where are we going?" Rell asked Torsten, forcing out the staggered words.

  "I don't know. We lost the other two. I haven’t seen anyone else." Torsten came to an abrupt stop in the middle of an intersection, dropping her hand. "Rell, after we find my mother, can you work your magic to get us back to the planet? We're not safe here."

  Rell looked down at her black boots. The toes were scuffed after only one day of use. "I can't, Torsten. I don't even know how we got here, really. The gods, they—"

  "Stop." Torsten held up a hand. "No more talk of the Menelewen Dored. They aren't real. They didn't bring us here, and they sure don't seem to be doing anything to save us right now."

  "Save us from what?" Rell stomped a foot, looking and sounding like a child. "No one else is out here. No one else appears afraid.”

  "Unless they've already left us behind to die." Torsten's jaw was set.

>   "You don't know that."

  "You're right, I don't. But until we find someone else, I don't know what else to think. So which way should we go?"

  Torsten studied the three hallways. They all looked the same. Silver walls, dark blue floor. There weren't any visible doorways. No signs of life.

  "Good morning. May I help you?" a voice asked.

  Rell and Torsten whirled around. No one was there.

  "Good morning. May I help you?" The voice was tinny, inhuman.

  "What is the source of the explosion?" Torsten demanded.

  "This ship is under attack. Please evacuate through the nearest portal."

  "Where is the nearest portal?" Torsten asked, his heart racing.

  "In the nartax."

  "Nartax?" Rell asked him, her eyes wide with fear.

  He shrugged. "Where is my mother? Where is Yasmin Vikker?"

  "Yasmin Vikker is not on this ship."

  Torsten drew back a fist and punched the wall, leaving a small dent in the otherwise perfect metal.

  "Torsten, we need to leave, too. I'm sorry about your mother, I really am, but we need to escape. We need to find the nartax, whatever that is. Let's go that way." Rell pointed down the hall to her right.

  "Why?"

  "Because I don't hear any crashes coming from that direction." Rell took off running. Torsten's boots pounded behind hers.

  "Have a nice day." The tinny voice rang out behind them.

  Torsten ran and ran, ignoring the stabbing pain in his side. He cursed all the fitness sessions where he’d slacked off. The hallway seemed to go on forever, slightly curving without a doorway in sight. Perhaps Rell had dragged him down the wrong corridor. It was possible no matter where they ran, they would die.

  Torsten gritted his teeth. No. He refused to let it end like this.