“Where were you?” Captain asked.
“Just uh, checking out the station,” Liza answered. Dom was still grinning at her. Captain nodded and turned his gaze from her.
“We’re leaving soon, so unless you want to stay here, make sure you’re on the ship,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
Dom broke away from the Captain and stood in front of her. “Look at you,” he commented.
“I’ve been living under Moon rocks my entire life,” Liza said dryly. Dom chuckled.
“Looks good,” he said. Behind Dom, Liza could see that the Captain was closing the hull of the ship. Dom noticed, too. “Better get back on the ship.” Liza nodded and left him there, jogging to the gangway that led into the ship.
In her room, Liza sat on her bed and shifted through her new clothes and other new items. It felt strange to own something other than rags for clothes. And if she obeyed Captain Warwick, she might live longer than she originally anticipated. She could even form some new kind of life that she’d never imagined for herself before.
The ship’s engines started up, rattling everything in the room for a moment, until it smoothed out. Liza could feel the shifting of the ship as it pulled away from the Rad Station. Captain hadn’t ordered everyone to strap in for this take off; he said it’d be slow and steady. After Liza stored her belongings, she stretched out on her bed and dozed off.
Becce was standing over Liza, shaking her shoulder, when Liza opened her eyes. She felt groggy and disoriented. Becce was grinning.
“Wake up! Captain called a meeting,” she said. As Liza pushed herself up into a sitting position, Becce covered a finger with the sleeve of her shirt and wiped around Liza’s eyes. “I like the new look, but you gotta be careful when you sleep.” Liza raised her eyebrows. “You’re all smudgy.” Through her sleepy mind, Liza had no idea what she was talking about. She rolled from the bed and stumbled after Becce.
On the bridge, the crew had already gathered around the table. Becce and Liza were the last to join, but the Captain didn’t seem all that upset. Once they were seated, he rose.
“We’ve been summoned,” he began. Everyone began to murmur. “And this time, it’s not for a giant drunk-fest,” he added pointedly, and a few people groaned. Liza glanced around, confused, but no one was looking at her. “Dominik and I will be attending the meeting, and I’m telling you all right now to stay out of trouble. Due to the nature of this meeting, it is our best interest to behave.”
“Why?” Liza asked, not realizing she spoke out loud. Eyes turned to her. She pressed her lips closed, feeling her face burn.
“You’ll find out later. And actually, Liza,” Captain said, looking straight at her. “We’ll be passing by the Moon. Because you did so well at our last raid, I’m willing to stop there, and let you find your sister, provided she can contribute to our crew.” Liza’s eyes grew wide, and she nodded rapidly.
“Yes!” she cried. “She’s smart!” The Captain gave her a bemused grin.
“Good. Also, Liza,” She forced herself to calm her excitement. “When we arrive at the Cove, I have someone you’ll be meeting, to help you with that little quirk of yours.” The crew around the table chuckled. Liza smiled, and glanced around. Zimir wasn’t laughing. He was staring her down with an intense gaze, like he was… hungry. Liza quickly averted her eyes from him.
Liza didn’t hear the rest of the meeting. Her mind was warring between excitement to find Vely and take her off the Moon, and the unsettling feeling that taunted her from meeting Zimir’s gaze. When the Captain dismissed the crew, Liza left quickly, taking the shortest route she knew to her room.
16
Cedrick remained still, his hands up. Vely glared at him, the knife blade pressed against his neck. “What are you doing?” he asked, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple.
“You weren’t born on the Moon, were you?” Vely asked through gritted teeth. Against the knife, Cedrick’s head shook.
“I was born on Sun Station Beta. I was sent here when I was eighteen,” he said, his voice strained. Vely frowned.
“Sent here?”
“My parents… my mother was an Augur. They were both killed when Enforcers came to take her away for testing,” Cedrick explained. Vely stared hard at him for a moment longer, then withdrew the knife. Cedrick rubbed at his neck, though no mark showed.
“Then why were you sent here?”
Cedrick’s face twisted in anger. “This is where orphans are sent. It’s their idea of a cruel joke.” Vely frowned deeply. “No one on the Sun Stations can be bothered to care for anyone else’s child.” Her anger ebbed. Vely tossed the knife on the table. Cedrick spread his hands out in front of him. “I promise, I would never hurt you,” he said. It was strange to see someone look so sincere. It wasn’t a common look on anyone’s face who lived on the Moon. She nodded her head once.
“I’m sorry for attacking you,” she said. Cedrick gave her a half smile.
“It’s nothing.” He turned and began to pull food from the sacks. Vely stared, her mouth hanging open. He had bread. And fruits and vegetables
“How did you…?” Vely asked, picking up a brilliant red apple and cradling it in her hands.
“Incidentally, the Sun Station currency is very valuable here on the Moon, if you know who to talk to,” he said. Vely opened her mouth to ask who those people might be but thought better of it. Cedrick looked up at her. “Eat that.”
Vely turned the apple in her hands, admiring the color, before she lifted it to her mouth and took a deep bite. The sweetness of the apple made her teeth hurt, but she ignored it, allowing the juice to trickle down her chin. Vely closed her eyes as she chewed, savoring the taste.
“I do have bad news,” he said after Vely had finished the apple, biting off as much flesh around the core as possible. She tossed the core in bag he used for garbage and sat down at the table, the sweet taste of the apple lingering on her tongue.
“What?”
“I got this food for cheap. I talked to the traveling vendors. They’re getting off the Moon as soon as possible, and they’re trying to get rid of cargo. It’s tense out there between the Enforcers and the colonists. They’re all divided between catching you and protecting you.”
Vely pressed her fingers to her forehead, already feeling an ache develop behind her eyes. She didn’t want to regret the riot she started, because it was time for change on the Moon, but she hadn’t been able to stay inconspicuous. By stirring up the colonists, she’d taken the weight of the Moon onto her shoulders. She felt Cedrick’s hand rest on her shoulder instead.
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out, okay?” Vely glanced up at him through her fingers and smiled.
“Vely, wake up.”
Vely sat up, startled, blinking her eyes rapidly to clear away the sleep. Cedrick was shaking her shoulder, a bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes were wide, darting around from Vely to the door.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, rubbing her face with the sleeves of her shirt.
“It’s time to go,” Cedrick said, now tugging on her arm to pull her from the bed. Vely stumbled onto her feet. He released her and began to hand her clothes. “They’re gassing the colonies.”
Vely froze.
“What?” But Cedrick was already out in the main room. Vely looked around, randomly picking up items and stuffing them into her bag.
“We don’t have much time,” an unfamiliar voice said from the main room. Vely finished packing her items in her bag, slung the strap over her shoulder, and stepped out of the bedroom.
A young man she’d never seen before stood by the door, looking out the window. He wore knee high leather boots, dark pants, and a shiny faux leather jacket. From the outside, people were running and screaming. In her chest, her heart began to race in fear, and the hairs on her body stood on end. Cedrick rushed into the room, handing Vely several bags.
“Carry these.”
“What is happening?” Vely dema
nded. The young man turned his head and looked at her.
“Your oh-so-wonderful leaders have decided that it would be easier to eradicate everyone who lives here. They’re releasing poisonous gas through the ventilation system, effectively killing anyone who breathes it,” he said, his voice lilting in a way Vely had never heard from a man.
But the knowledge sank in. They were killing everyone.
“So, we’re going to die?” she shrieked. The young man shook his head.
“Not if we hurry.”
Cedrick reappeared again, took one look around, and nodded his head.
“Let’s go.” He handed strips of cloth to Vely and the young man. “Tie these over your nose and mouths, just in case.” Vely followed his instructions, wrapping the cloth around her head and tying it in the back. Cedrick pulled the door open and stepped out into the chaos. Vely and the young man followed. Cedrick grabbed her hand and pulled her along, breaking into a run. The young man in black ran beside them, moving people out of the way.
Vely wanted to keep asking questions, but she couldn’t while she ran. Even though she wore the strip of cloth over her mouth and nose, she could taste the gas in her mouth, and could feel it burning down her throat and into her lungs. Her heart pounded hard in her ears, and her lungs struggled to keep up with running and breathing the toxic air. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, where she saw Colonists stumbling over themselves trying to run towards the spaceport. Following them were screams of pain and terror. Some of the voices sounded like children.
Cedrick jerked her arm, drawing her gaze back to the front. “Keep going,” he shouted. Vely looked around and saw that they were heading for the docking area for ships. The young man took the lead and motioned for Vely and Cedrick to follow him. Vely watched as they passed other ships, where citizens were begging for passage, though most were being rejected. Vely wanted to stop and help them, but the moment she slowed, Cedrick gave her another tug.
They approached a sleek black ship with the word Dragonfly painted across the side. The young man stopped at the gangway and waved Vely and Cedrick aboard. Their boots rattled on the ramp, until they were inside, and Cedrick released her hand. Vely dropped against the wall and sank down to the ground, her chest heaving. The man stepped back onto the ship and pressed a button on the wall; the door closed with a snap, and he spun and disappeared down a hall. Even through the walls of the ship, Vely could hear the continued screams. She pulled herself to her feet and stumbled to a window. Outside, ships were taking off from the Moon colony. Colonists dropped to the ground, grabbing at their throats. Vely’s own throat tightened in response, and tears began to well in her eyes. Her fellow colonists were dying right in front of her eyes.
Arms pulled her away from the window. She was turned around gently, and Cedrick held her against his chest. Vely exhaled a shaky breath, and released the tears she’d been holding back, returning the hug with force, as if she were clinging to life.
17
After Liza left the meeting, she shut herself in her room and jumped up and down, clapping her hands in joy like a child. And her body grew warm, almost too warm, and her fingers began to crackle with the same electric feeling she’d felt on the merchant ship. Liza stopped moving and looked down at her hands, frowning deeply.
Do something, she thought to herself. She jumped when her hands turned white, and little orange and yellow arcs bounced from finger to finger. She held her hand out in front of her, and the streaks darted out from her fingers and flew to her bed, where they landed, causing the blankets and pillows to fly up into the air and land in disarray all around the room. Liza cried out and pulled her hands to her chest, willing for her hands to go back to normal. But they wouldn’t. Liza began to panic, but that only made her hands grow brighter and brighter. That wasn’t the way to do it. She slowed her breathing and tried to calm down, and slowly, the white grew dimmer and the streaks stopped moving around, but despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop whatever was happening to her hands.
But no one else noticed. When she was called out for a meal, she tried to hide her hands, but she had to use her hands to eat. She drew her hands out from the folds of her clothes, but no one said anything. No one paid her any particular attention. She felt a little better, and continued to eat, until someone laughed loudly, startling her. A yellow arc jumped from her hand and knocked over a cup. No one said a thing.
She confided in Becce, who took Liza to see Dr. D in the medical bay. He considered the problem for several minutes. He wandered into the adjoining room and returned carrying a pair of black faux leather gloves. Liza slipped them on over her hands.
“Psychogens need their hands to be bare to direct their power. No one has been able to figure out why that is. It could be as much a mental barrier as a physical barrier,” he explained while Liza stared at her hands. She could feel the crackling power in her skin, but the gloves appeared to keep it contained. She thanked Dr. D, feeling that for now, the problem was under control.
After he gave her the gloves, Dr. D gave her an examination and declared that she was ‘all clear.’ Her weight was up, and her strength was building from eating regular meals. Liza knew she was getting better; in fact, she’d never felt so good in her life. Her diet on the Moon always kept her feeling weak and sick. Even her mind felt clearer and sharper, which was helpful for processing all the strange information she was learning.
Captain Warwick assigned Liza to help Corbin in the galley. For now, she was stuck washing dishes, helping prep the meals, and cleaning. But still, she was grateful that she had a spot on the crew and wasn’t jettisoned from the ship in the middle of space.
Liza was alone in the galley, cleaning up after breakfast. As she loaded the dishes into the microwave washer, she stopped, her body suddenly going cold. A shiver crawled from her head to her toes. Liza looked over her shoulder and saw Zimir standing in the doorway to the galley. A grin rested on his lips; his hands clasped behind his back. Liza turned away and resumed her task, despite the stiffness in her joints.
“Miss Strange…” Zimir said, and he entered the galley, his boots clipping on the floor. “I would like to have a word with you.”
“No thanks,” Liza replied, keeping her eyes on her task.
“Ah, don’t be that way,” he said. She could feel his presence behind her. His hand, with long fingers, gripped her shoulder and turned her around to face him. His sharp, angled features were inches from her own face, and she could smell whatever he used on his beard and hair. It was masculine and musky and burned the inside of her nose. A stray thought in her mind considered the fact that Dom smelled better. Liza pushed it away.
Liza brushed his hand from her shoulder. “You smell worse than Moon colonists,” she said, trying to back away from him, wrinkling her nose. The counter behind her kept her from moving more than a few centimeters away. Zimir’s face hardened, and his eyes flashed.
“Cute,” he commented, and stepped back, drawing himself up to his full height. “I’ve been intrigued by your recently revealed power,” he continued. “Can you show me?” Liza pressed her lips into a thin line, glaring him down.
“No.” Liza tried to step to the side, but Zimir slammed his hands on either side of the counter, trapping her. His lips peeled back from his teeth in an ugly snarl.
“Listen to me, little girl,” Zimir said, his eyes narrowing. “I know all about your power. And I know you will mess up, and when you mess up, you’ll be destroyed.” Liza frowned.
“Fuck off.” Zimir moved quickly, his hands grasping the side of her head, his long sharp nails pricking into her skin, and squeezed. Liza growled and struggled and felt a warm trickle of blood on her temple. She closed her eyes, trying to control herself. She heard Zimir draw in a long breath through his nose.
“Zimir!” Liza’s eyes popped open, and she saw Zimir go flying across the room, landing on his back on the ground. Corbin was standing over him, his round face red with fury. Zimir picked himself up
off the ground and brushed off his clothes. “Get out,” Corbin said. Zimir threw one last look at Liza, then left the galley in a huff.
Liza relaxed. Corbin stomped over to her and looked her over, then pressed a towel to her temple. “He cut you,” Corbin said, and Liza nodded. “What did he want?”
“He wanted me to show him my power,” Liza growled. “He says he knows all about it.” Corbin looked over his shoulder, glaring at the door.
“Stay here. I’m having a word with Captain.”
Neither Zimir nor Captain came to dinner. Liza ate slowly, and when she was done, Corbin dismissed her from her post-dinner duties. She was about to head towards her room when Dom appeared behind her and stopped her. He led her towards his own quarters, which were larger than her own. Once the door was closed, Dom turned to her.
“Tell me what happened.”
Liza wasn’t in the mood to argue, so she told him everything. Dom looked angry during her story, but she wasn’t sure who he was angry at. When she finished telling him what happened, Dom began to pace.
“What’s wrong?” Liza asked him, taking a seat on the edge of his desk.
“I’ve been watching Zimir for some time. He’s up to something,” Dom replied. “But he’s hard to get any intel on because he’s so private, and he’s in the Captain’s confidence.” Liza frowned, watching Dom turn and pace across to the other side of the room.
“What does he want with me?” Liza asked.
“That’s the thing,” Dom said, shaking a finger as he spoke. “I don’t think it was an accident that he lured you to the ship.”
“What?”
“I think he knew something about you. We hardly ever stop on the Moon.” Dom stopped pacing and stared at Liza. “But I’m at a loss,” he said, and his face changed into one of sadness. “I wish I knew more so I could help you.”
Psychogen (Galactic Syndicate Cycle Book 1) Page 11
