He grins at me and helps me to my feet just as the sergeant walks back into the room.
The sergeant stops and glances between Derek and me with a wary expression. He then holds out his hand to give me an ear comm. "We've let Delta Station know what we've found here, and the four survivors are heading back on the ship we came here in for medical treatment. Your dad wants to talk to you."
"Is the med team from Delta Station on their way?" I ask. They'll be able to help me process the bodies in the pods.
"Delta only sent two med team staff. The rest of my team will have to help with the bodies." He frowns and looks away.
I put the earpiece in and let my dad know how many bodies, what types of body bags and what equipment I'll need here. He asks me several times how I'm doing. I tell him I'm fine and that Derek and the sergeant are here with me.
I finish and hand the comm back to the sergeant.
"Wait, did you say there were fifty bodies?" The sergeant frowns.
"Technically four survivors, and forty six bodies."
"But if the whole crew was in there," he points to the pod door, "then how did they get the computer programmed to hide the fact that they didn't leave with the escape pods?"
I shake my head. "I'm not sure. Maybe once I've had time to process the scene we'll have more answers. But right now, we probably should get a little rest before the supplies get here. I'll need your help with," I point to the pod door, "them once the ship gets here." I look between Derek and the sergeant. "Will that be all right?"
They both solemnly nod. The sergeant then takes us up a few flights to the crew quarters. I don't feel comfortable using someone else's space, so I find a comfortable couch in the main living area to plop myself onto. I've just stretched out when I feel a weight settle into the couch by my feet. I open my eyes to see Derek looking down at me. My heart beats faster, but I don't say anything. Neither does Derek. He just scoots up toward me and lies down, pulling me against him. It doesn't take long before the exhaustion and Derek's warmth lull me into a deep sleep.
13
Bag and Tag
I wake up as the warmth enveloping me leaves and coldness creeps over me. I open my eyes to see Derek standing up, still looking sleepy, his face flushed. At the door is the sergeant, his hands on his hips looking disapprovingly at us. He doesn't say anything.
The tension in the room is thick. I don't know if telling the sergeant that nothing happened between Derek and I would help or hurt the situation, so I just get up and straighten my clothes. I grab my bag and leave without a word or another look at either of them, to find a bathroom.
Right off the main living area there are several bathrooms. I pick the cleanest one and freshen up. On my way back up to the bridge I peek into several open offices and research spaces. They all confirm the crewmembers were in a hurry to hide.
I find the sergeant pacing between the main console and the communication console. I drop my bag on the floor so he knows I’m here.
He stops and cuts whatever connection he was listening to in his earpiece.
"Are our supplies here yet?" I'm not sure if Derek got in trouble or not for last night. I stay by the door and don’t make eye contact.
"The ship should be docking in just a few minutes," comes the clipped answer. I look up to see the sergeant has stopped pacing and is staring at me.
"Good," I mumble. I stare out the view screen at the approaching ship.
"Look, Miss Teves, I—"
"Please call me Bren, Sergeant. I think after all we've gone through we can at least be on a first name basis." I take a few steps into the room and sink into a chair.
He clears his throat. "Okay, Bren, then you can call me Scott."
I look up and he's actually got a smile on his face. My shoulders relax somewhat. It doesn't look like he smiles often, but he's trying. I smile back as he continues.
"So, I just wanted to thank you for your maturity and expertise this week. I really, well we all really owe you a big debt. We missed those crewmen." He looks down, his smile gone, anger taking over his features. "If we'd had you with us when we first approached this ship, we might've had more survivors."
"Maybe. But I wonder if we'd found them sooner, if they all would've died anyway, and us as well too."
His head whips up. "What do you mean?"
I gaze at a spot past his head, trying to tie all my thoughts together. "I'm not sure exactly. But this crew was desperate enough to lock themselves into empty pod tubes with very little oxygen, not knowing when someone would be by to rescue them. It's possible that whomever they were hiding from could still be out here and waiting. And now that we've found survivors, they could be coming back to either finish them off, or get whatever they came for in the first place. Which puts not only the survivors, but all of us at risk." I focus back on the sergeant, hoping he takes me seriously.
His mouth gapes open, his face pale. "Do you know what they were after?"
I shrug. "No, I haven’t figured that out yet. I think if they'd found what they were after, they would've destroyed this ship. Maybe the survivors will be able to tell us."
The sergeant has a look of concern on his face, which he quickly smooths out. "They're on their way to Delta. We just put all of Delta in danger as well." He sits down at the comm station and calls the ship to warn them. I hear him order extra security personnel on Delta, and request a team to be ready to meet our supply ship when we return.
While Scott is talking to his crew, Derek walks in and stands next to me. Scott gets off the comm and rushes off the bridge without looking at either of us.
Derek looks at me and asks, "What the heck just happened?"
I update him on my theory and the possibilities that there could still be more danger ahead. Derek looks a bit queasy when I'm done.
"You all right, Derek?"
"I can't believe this is happening. How do we defend a whole space station?" He looks out the view screen at the stars.
I touch his shoulder, feeling the strong muscles ripple underneath his uniform. "Probably the best chance they have is for us to figure out who did this and why, and to stop them before they can get to the station."
He continues to stare out the view screen.
"The ship with our supplies should be docked. You ready?"
He looks at me, slowly coming back from whatever chain of thought he was lost in. "Yes, of course." He smiles and grasps my hand. This surprises me, but I don't say anything. And I don’t take my hand back.
We leave the bridge and take the lift down to the pod level. Standing next to him as we wait for the lift to stop, I find his touch warm and his hands strong, and as he smiles at me a tingle goes up my spine. I squeeze his hand. I'm amazed at the range of events and emotions I've gone through in the past week. From being a loner and the muerta to my classmates, to heading a major recovery project and feeling Derek's body pressing up next to me as we slept last night. Even as I smile to myself, somewhere in the back of my mind a small voice warns me to be cautious.
The lift door opens and we're assaulted by noise and activity. We separate and help carry boxes and supplies into the Tempest that we'll need for dealing with the deceased crewmembers.
For the next hour, we stage body bags and stretchers in each pod. Several guards volunteer to help, but others that look a little queasy I send back up to the bridge to help Scott. Once I have the bodies safely in bags and on stretchers, they can help take them to the supply ship. There I've had them lower the temperature to near freezing in the storage bay where we'll keep the bodies.
Derek and two other crewmembers volunteer to help me. We start in pod 4. I've already taken pictures and documented both pods. I begin to untangle the bodies, and carefully process each one before the guys help me wrap them each in a bag. I catalogue everything I find on them, and around them, taking pictures as well. Anything could be a clue to what happened here. I also take notes and pictures of what I find in the tube before and after we take e
ach body out. It takes almost the whole day, but we finally get the last body on a stretcher and out of pod 4.
We still need to do pod 5.
Exhausted, I'm standing inside the tube facing toward the open door, watching Derek and the medics roll the stretchers out to the corridor. My gaze catches on something just inside the door hatch. When I lean in to see what caught my eye, my breath catches. I touch the end of the loose wire and trace it visually up over my head, to find one end wedged into the crack of the door. I make sure it’s all recorded on vid before hurrying out to find Derek to tell him about what I found.
I turn the corner and find him talking quietly to another tan-shirted security guard in the corridor. I recognize him from several of my classes. They break apart when they see me coming. Derek hurries toward me, not looking back at the other guard who turns and heads down in the other direction.
"What’s up?" Derek asks. His smile seems strained.
I look around him at the retreating form. "Isn't he from our class?"
Derek stiffens. "Yes. He came in on the supply ship." His eyes flick down the corridor and then back to me.
I bite the inside of my cheek. I'm not sure why this scene bothers me.
"Is everything all right, Derek?"
He nods curtly. "Was there something you needed?"
I hesitate. "Yes. I need to find Scott. I think I've found something." I paste on a smile, not sure why I didn't share my discovery just now.
"I think he went back to the ship to eat." He points to pod 4. "Are you done for now? Should we go eat as well?"
“Yes, I guess so.” I turn toward the lift. We stand in silence, not touching. If Derek wasn't feeling guilty about whatever just happened in the corridor, wouldn't he be treating me the same way as before? The last lift we were in he held my hand. Now he won't even stand near me. I chew on the inside of my cheek as we exit the lift and head toward the other ship.
The new security ship they’ve sent has a small dining hall, but there’s only a handful of us onboard, so we all sit at one table. Derek is quiet throughout the meal. I'm wondering how we're going to get through working together with another pod of bodies with this much tension. If Derek is distracted somehow, or maybe not dealing well with everything he's seen so far, I'm hesitant to use his help again.
I watch him as he eats. He answers Scott and the other guards when they ask him a question, but he doesn't join in on the jokes or offer any conversation. He looks at me briefly, his face a mask of confusion. I stay quiet.
We finish and clean up the dining area, and most head up to the crew quarters to sleep. The few that volunteered to help me with pod 5 linger around the doorway.
I smile at them feeling very tired mentally and physically. "You guys should get a few hours of sleep first and then you can meet me down there." I pull my pack up higher on my shoulder. "I'm used to the long hours in the cold. And besides I have prep work to do before I'll need your help." A small white lie, but I really don't want to talk to anyone right now. Again, I'd just rather deal with the dead.
They smile gratefully and head up to their rooms.
Derek hangs back, looking uncertain.
"I need to talk to you." I gesture to the empty dining tables.
I'm darkly amused that Derek sits on the opposite side of the table from me. I'm exhausted and have a lot of work to do, so I come straight to the point. "Has something happened between us since this morning, Derek? You seem distant and, well, different, compared to last night." I feel a faint warmth creep up my neck as I remember falling asleep in his arms on the couch.
He stares at me for a second then turns away, wiping his hand down his face. "It's just been a long day, Bren."
"I understand it has been, for all of us. But you were doing fine, and then suddenly you were—"
Derek suddenly gets up. "I'm going to go get some rest. Let me know when you need us."
My mouth gapes as I watch him stalk out of the room and disappear down the corridor. What the frozen stars just happened? I can feel hot tears pooling in my eyes.
14
More Questions
Stunned by Derek's abrupt departure, I stare blindly at the empty doorway, not even realizing a few minutes later that someone has walked in.
"Bren."
I blink a few times to clear the tears and bring myself back. I see my dad standing in the doorway, and my breath catches in my throat.
"Dad." I'm so numb I can't move.
He closes the distance and scoops me up in his arms like I'm a little kid again. I sink into his warmth and find my tears spilling out.
He cautiously lets me go, waiting until I'm steady on my feet. I scrub away the tears with the back of my hand, smiling up at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a meeting?"
He puts his warm hands on either side of my face and kisses my forehead. "With the heightened security threat to you and this ship, I couldn't stay on the station. I had to come here to be with you." He squeezes me in a hug again.
I smile into his broad chest. I didn't realize how much I needed him right now. "I'm glad you're here."
"I've heard you've done an exceptional job here, Bren. And that you're the one who figured out the danger to Delta."
I pull back to see there are deep worry lines between his eyes.
"I haven't figured out all of it yet, though. There's still something we're missing." I suddenly remember the pictures I was going to show Scott and Derek. "But I might have found something. I'll show you when we get down there." I look around him. "Are you ready or do you need to get your bags?"
His smile returns and he turns me toward the door. "I already have my bags and equipment down there."
Efficient. I give him a small smile. I'm still bothered by Derek's quick change in attitude, but I'm happy my dad is here to keep me focused on the task at hand.
"Where is everyone?" Dad asks.
"Sleeping. I had them go get some rest. I'll call them when we're ready for them."
He looks down at me, frowning. "You were going to do this by yourself?"
I grab my pack and throw it over my shoulder. "No, just the prep work. You'll see what I mean when we get down there. Among the bodies there's a lot of metal pieces and miscellaneous machinery parts. I think they were using it as camouflage in case anyone was able to get the first set of inner doors opened."
We enter the lift and head down to the pod level. As I stare at the digital numbers counting down the floors, I feel like I've been on this ship for weeks, even though it's only been a little over a day. The lift and the familiar corridor to the pods seem comforting in a routine kind of way. In a situation where nothing is normal or pleasant, it's good to have some sort of routine, and something to focus on that's positive. Although Derek was part of that positive focus yesterday, right now I'm not so sure anymore. I frown to myself as we exit the lift.
"I'm really glad you came, Dad." We stop at pod 4 and I look at the bio scanner next to the door and wonder if it's going to open for me. I shrug and place my hand on it, and enter the code that I saw Derek put in. The scanner turns green and the door slides open.
With a sigh of relief, I step inside the waiting area for pod 4. "I'll show you the first scene and what I found." I step to the inner console and enter the codes for the tube door. It slides open and the smell of decomp wafts out, although not as strong as the first time.
Dad carefully scans the floors and walls before he enters. "You took pictures of everything?"
"Yes, before and after removal."
He puts his rubber gloves on and gingerly picks up some of the metal pieces lying on the floor. "I wonder where the metal came from. They must've been in a hurry, so it had to be from something nearby."
"They could be extra pod pieces. Scott told me that since they were launching empty pods, they could strip whatever they needed and it wouldn't make a difference."
Dad lifts his eyebrows. "Scott?"
I shrug. "We figured after what
we went through that we should dispense with formalities."
"I'm glad you got along with the sergeant." He looks around at the dark stains on the walls and floor. "Although this isn't exactly the place I hoped you'd be making friends."
I step over to the wires I found earlier. "Scott and I aren't exactly friends. I think I've wounded his pride by figuring out what his crew couldn't. At least the security team doesn't call me muerta anymore. At least not to my face."
Dad grimaces. "Of course you must've made at least one friend, since it was your classmate that requested you for this investigation."
I narrow my eyes at him. Sometimes I can't tell if he really knows more or if he's just good at fishing for information. "Yes, Derek Paz. We were getting along pretty well, until this evening. Then it's like something just switched off." I shake my head. "I don't have time to try to figure it out though. We've still got the other pod to take care of." I point to the wall between the two pods.
He stares down at me like he wants to say something, but he stays quiet.
"Here’s what I wanted you to see." I show him the wire, and where it enters and exits the pod. "This isn't supposed to be here, and nothing like it is in the other pod. Do you have any idea what it’s for?"
Since he's taller than I am, he's able to trace his finger along the wire across the ceiling of the pod. When he gets to where it exits out the door, he tugs on it. He then goes outside of the tube and studies where it comes out. He's got that glazed over look that I know very well, so I stay quiet and watch him go in and out of the pod, staring at the wire.
"You took pictures of where the wire starts and ends?"
"Yes."
"Well then we'll have to think about that some more. I've never seen anything like this. It might have something to do with how they locked themselves in here. But for now, let's go see what we have in the other pod."
I close each door of pod 4 and open pod 5. Once in the waiting area of pod 5 we double check our supplies already stacked there before we put on gloves and protective smocks.
Delta Fringe Series Boxset: Books 1-3 Page 7
