“He must be pretty deep into it then,” Selene remarked.
“Yep,” Ivy agreed. She set down a box of parts beside Rem, who flinched at the loud bang, but didn’t look away from his screens. Ivy sighed. “They won’t let us do much anyway except run them parts and gear.”
“Where is Flik?” Selene asked.
“In the engine room assessing the damage, and fixing it… I think.” Ivy’s eyebrows furrowed. “Honestly, it’s kind of hard to tell what these two are doing.”
Selene smiled. “Don’t I know that feeling?”
“If I were you, I’d help Darius and the others. They’re going to head back to Bakura for another run soon, so it’d help if they could unload faster,” Ivy explained.
Selene nodded. Damn they came up with a plan quick. She’d only been gone for maybe two hours and they’d already begun work and started stocking for the journey. “All right, I’ll head out there.”
Ivy raised an eyebrow at Rikkard. “Him too.”
Rikkard looked between them. “Me?”
“You might as well help lug all that crap in,” Ivy said.
Selene chuckled. Rikkard was not one to be told what to do. “Come on.” She took his arm and led him back out of the ship and out of the bunker.
They passed a few Icarus, and Darius again on their way, receiving a few pained smiles from the Icarus, but only got a load of humorous teeth from Darius. This was child’s play for him. When they’d first met all those years ago she’d learned he used to be an illegal cage fighter in Bakura before management switched over to animal fights. He’d been undefeated for several years running, and stayed even though it didn’t pay well. He liked the fame, the envy, and the groupies that came with the gig.
They reached the first cruiser a few moments later. Most of the remaining boxes were rations; enough that Selene thought they might last a few years. At least that’d give them time to figure out where the hell they were going and what they were going to do in space. Smuggling would probably translate as a universal gig, but they knew so little about space that she wasn’t sure they’d have any laws to break, or if they did, what they’d be. Were other aliens nicer like the Zahkx? Or were they all blood thirsty like the Darri?
She shook her head and made a mental note to grill Flik later.
A few hours later, the cruisers were unloaded and off to get more gear while the repairs continued and Selene paced the control room. Rem had long ago disappeared to help Flik, leaving her with nothing to do and no information to go on.
Her heart raced as she moved from one side of the room to the other. It took exactly fifteen paces to get from one end to the other if she stayed on the lower part, and a couple more if she went to the upper level with the captain’s chair. She’d walked the room for so long she ran out of things to obsess about. Until Rem and Flik filled her in, she was in the dark.
The door whooshed open and Selene halted midstep. She looked up with wide eyes, her heart pounding. Was there finally news?
Rem and Flik stepped inside. The little genius stared at the floor, and Flik’s eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them. Her pounding heart picked up speed as she watched them. Shit. Whatever they were about to say, it wasn’t good.
“What’s going on?” she asked carefully. Dread swelled in her stomach, making her nauseous. They exchanged a sorrowful look, and Selene knew everything had gone to hell. “How screwed are we?”
“Pretty fucked,” Flik said quietly.
“It’s nothing we can fix?” Rikkard stood. He’d been sitting in the captain’s chair on the upper deck watching her pace. They hadn’t spoken in at least an hour.
Rem shook his head. “The thrusters were obliterated in the crash. Though the Dominion seems to have fixed a lot of other issues with the ship, the thrusters need to be completely replaced. We wouldn’t even be able to get off the ground let alone into space in the condition they’re in.”
Selene’s heart sank as she sat down hard in the nearest swivel chair. Her pulse pounded in her ears and her blood ran cold as she stared at the floor. “That’s it then.”
Rikkard grunted something she didn’t hear before he took up pacing. “So plan A is out, that’s fine,” he said, more to himself than the rest of them. “I have a few backup plans in mind. First, we need to reconnect with the pirates and see what they want to do. We might still be able to get out of this together.”
Selene shook her head. Her fingers trembled with cold. What the hell was the point? They’d already wasted hours on the Saegon. Hours they could have used preparing another ship, stealing another ship, or coming up with some way to stay on Earth and survive the years of fallout.
“We might even be able to leave on their ship.” Rikkard’s pacing stopped. “From what I’ve seen it’s airtight like most. If they don’t have an oxygen regulator, we can get one. They seem to have a lot of supplies already, but we might be able to get our hands on a food synthesizer.”
Selene snorted a laugh. A food synthesizer? Now he was dreaming. Those were worth more than an entire country. They were made from a very rare metal only found off world. The aliens happened to have had some on their ship when they arrived and were able to recreate about a dozen of them. She had no idea where the dozen were, but she couldn’t imagine they’d be left anywhere the smugglers could break into in the next few hours.
Rikkard sighed. His boots clanged against the floor until he stood in front of her. He gripped the armrests of her seat and leaned down close enough that his warm breath brushed her cheeks, and she had to sit back.
“Selene,” he said, surprisingly gentle for the stiff set of his shoulders. She had a feeling he was frustrated with more than the situation. “We’re going to get out of here alive, all right?”
She met his cold blue gaze. “But how long will it last? We aren’t built to survive space.”
Rikkard frowned. “You don’t think I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you live out the life of this clone of yours?”
Her cheeks heated. She hadn’t even thought of that yet, but from the smouldering look he was giving her, he certainly had. “I’m sure you’ll try.”
His lips quirked to one side. “You know me better than that.”
He was right. Rikkard had always been as stubborn, if not more stubborn than her. If he had to lock her inside a closet for the next ten years to make sure she lived through this next leg of their journey, he’d damn well do it.
Selene grinned and brushed her fingers across the stubble along his jaw. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Rikkard smiled, the rare one that made her stomach flutter. He took her hand and yanked her out of the chair before turning to face Rem and Flik, who looked about as awkward as she expected.
“All right, first things first.” Rikkard took charge, his smile dropping and his commanding captain-of-the-smugglers voice back. “We need to send a message to Erock, and to the cruiser at Bakura to all meet back at the pirate ship. Then we’ll get all of our supplies back onboard and meet them there.”
Selene nodded, as did Rem and Flik. This was the Rikkard she needed. The take no prisoners, get shit done man she was surprised she fell in love with.
“Flik, tell the others. Rem, get whatever shit you have left on this hunk of junk and get it on our cruiser,” Rikkard continued.
“Aye, aye captain!” Rem flashed a grin, did a mock salute, and then spun on his heel and took off into the ship.
“You got it.” Flik followed.
Rikkard turned back to Selene. “Let’s help them get everything stowed.”
Selene nodded in agreement, and together they weaved through the halls back to the stack of crates outside the Saegon.
When they arrived back at the cargo bay of the pirate ship, the entire crew was already in a flurry of chaos. Selene walked down the ramp alongside Rikkard, but paused to peer out at all the bustle before she got run over.
Pirates and Icarus ran back and forth, unloadin
g packages from the other cruisers in the hangar.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Selene grabbed Michelle as she ran by.
The woman stopped abruptly, a startled look on her face like she hadn’t even seen them there. “We’re getting the ship ready for space.”
So Erock was making plans without them now that the Saegon had fallen through. Selene sighed and nodded, releasing Michelle. “Where’s Erock?”
“The captain is in his office,” she said.
“Thanks.”
Michelle took off, and Selene turned back to the others. “Looks like we need to play catch up with the captain.”
Rikkard nodded grimly, and the others followed down the ramp and out into the maze of halls. They arrived back at Erock’s office, which he occupied with only Andreas and Eria.
Selene’s eyebrows rose in surprise. She’d hardly seen the woman in the last few days, and she’d nearly forgotten the former Captain of the Smugglers Legion was still onboard.
“You’re back,” Eria said.
Erock looked up, and his shoulders stiffened. He probably assumed they were going to yell at him for not informing them of their plans sooner, but Selene couldn’t blame him for wanting to take care of his crew first, even if it did annoy the shit out of her.
“We’ve got bad news,” Flik said. He crossed the room and stood by the captain’s desk. “The Saegon is unusable.”
They hadn’t quite filled everyone in on the details in their message, but Erock must have assumed the worst.
“I figured as much,” Erock grumbled. “What are your plans?” He asked the question slowly, and Selene was sure he was hoping they were going to go their own way. Taking care of his crew was one thing. Taking care of her team and the Icarus on top of that was another.
“Why don’t you tell us yours first?” Selene narrowed her eyes.
Erock chuckled darkly. “I’m taking my ship and whatever we can salvage up to space. We’re getting off this rock as soon as we can… while we still can, and I suggest you do the same.” His nostrils flared.
It was easy to read between the lines. He wanted them to do the same, but not with them.
“You wouldn’t help us try to save the people of Earth, or at least escort as many off world as you can?” Selene crossed her arms. She wasn’t even sure why she asked. She already knew the answer. Erock was a pirate, and the pirates were only out for themselves.
“You know me better than that, pretty.”
Selene worked her jaw. Rikkard had said nearly the same thing only an hour ago. They were both right in their own ways. She knew them both well enough to know what they would do, and she wasn’t sure why she suspected anything different.
“Fine,” Selene said after a long pause. “Save yourselves, but I won’t be leaving until I’ve helped everyone I can.” She didn’t just direct her guilt-trip at Erock, but the rest of them too. She wasn’t leaving, and they should know her well enough to know when she’d made her mind up.
Erock shook his head. “Not a smart move, pretty, but you’re a good girl, I’ll give you that.”
“Girl?” Selene snapped. He made her sound like a child.
Erock flashed her a grin and stood. “Might as well say our goodbyes now, pretty. I want the lot of you off my ship within the hour.”
Selene narrowed her eyes. “Rude.”
The captain laughed and came around the side of the table, forcing Flik and Eria to step back. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, pretty. Don’t go dying for the sake of the pathetic humans left on this planet.” His hand cupped her cheek, and Selene’s eyes flashed wide as she realized what he was about to do.
He dipped down to kiss her, but Selene was faster, and whipped her hand up between her face and his. He planted a kiss on the center of her palm. “It hasn’t been that nice knowing you!”
Erock rumbled with laughter, and stepped away, but not before grabbing her hand and planting another kiss on her knuckles. Her face was beet red by the time he’d circled around the group of them.
“See you around.” Erock was still chuckling as he left the office, leaving them alone to an awkward silence. Andreas was the first to shift away, following after his boss.
When the door slid closed for the second time, it seemed to break them all from their stupor.
“We should get going,” Flik said.
“Damn pirates,” Rikkard muttered.
“Right, we’ve got some planning to do,” Ivy said.
Selene shook her head and turned back to the door, ready to get off this ship and find their own way.
“I should say goodbye too,” Eria said.
Selene paused and looked back over her shoulder.
Eria stood with a hand on her hip, her weight shifted to one side. Her lips were pressed in a firm line, and her eyes were dark.
“What do you mean?” Rikkard snapped.
“I mean… Jensen offered to let me stay with the pirates,” Eria said. Her tattooed eyebrows rose in annoyance. “So I’m staying.”
Selene bit her lip to keep from laughing at the casual use of Erock’s first name. She doubted any of the others knew it, or who she was talking about. Come to think of it, the two had been fairly close since they met. She shouldn’t be surprised that Eria wanted to stay. The pirates were probably a lot more like the Smugglers Legion than the rest of them were.
Rikkard paused for a long time, and Selene could see a million thoughts flying through his head. After a solid minute or two he finally sighed and shook his head. “That’s your decision.”
Eria scoffed. “Damn right it is.” She flicked her mane of black hair over her shoulder and sauntered around them. “Good luck, kids.” The door whooshed closed behind her, cutting off whatever other snide comment she might make.
“We should follow suit,” Flik suggested. “We’ve got to figure out how we’re getting off this rock.”
Selene agreed, and they all piled out of Erock’s office and back toward the cargo bay to discuss a new plan for how they were going to survive the apocalypse.
With the rest of the Icarus on board, and their simian friend Kong, the smugglers left the pirate ship behind and flew out over the desert. They gathered in the control room, Rem flying while Rikkard took up the captain’s chair she’d sat in previously.
“We need a plan,” Flik said.
“No shit,” Sav deadpanned.
Flik narrowed his eyes. “Someone had to start the conversation.”
“Come on boys, simmer.” Selene flashed an amused smile.
“He’s right,” Rikkard said. “We do need a plan, and a ship.”
“What options do we have?” Ivy asked.
“Well, this small thing won’t work,” Darius grumbled. He looked around to assess the inside of the control room. It wasn’t a bad sized cruiser, but Darius was right. It was definitely too small to get them far.
“Could we hunt down another ship like the Saegon?” Selene asked.
Flik sighed. “We could try, but it feels like a wild goose chase.”
“What about just a regular ship then?” Steven inquired.
“We’d need something big enough to fit, feed, and house us all for an extended period of time,” Rikkard said, thinking out loud.
Selene perked up, sitting ramrod straight in her chair. “Why didn’t we think of it before?” They all looked at her with confusion. Her heart raced and she grinned her excitement. “We can get our old cargo ship back. It used to be a space freighter, right? It might not have speed, but it definitely has the space!”
Darius grinned from ear to ear, and even Rem swivelled in his seat to flash a smile. “I could have my old kitchen back!”
“And our old rooms!” Rem added.
Selene laughed. “Our old everything.”
Rikkard opened his mouth to speak, and dread turned her stomach. Knowing his history, he was about to shoot their idea down none-too gently. “That could work.”
“Excuse me, what?” Selen
e gasped.
Rikkard’s lips twitched. “It could work. The cargo ship has an oxygen regulator, CO2 scrubbers, a water filtration system, and we already have tons of supplies.”
Selene was still far too shocked to answer.
“You seriously think it could work?” Sav’s eyebrows pulled together doubtfully.
“Definitely.” Selene’s heart raced. She never thought she’d see the day they returned to their old ship.
“I think you’re all forgetting one big problem… the Dominion took your ship months ago,” Flik said.
“Semantics,” Rem scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I’ve had the ship’s location for months.”
“You have?” Rikkard actually sounded surprised.
“Of course,” Rem said. “I figured we’d make some sort of daring rescue for it eventually.”
Selene grinned and crossed the control room before wrapping her arm around his neck and ruffling his hair. “You perfect little genius! I knew we could count on you.”
Rem struggled in her grip, trying to push her away while simultaneously removing her arm. Eventually she let him go, and he patted his hair down while the rest of them laughed.
“Where is it?” Darius asked.
“A Dominion hangar on the edge of New Manhattan.” Rem grumbled something under his breath, gave up on fixing his hair and let his arms fall to his sides. “It’s where they keep a lot of impounded vehicles.”
Selene raised her eyebrows. “So we might get lucky and be able to steal an extra couple of ships while we’re there?”
“Maybe,” Rem grunted.
“Hold up,” Flik said. “Who’s to say they haven’t taken all of your equipment off the ship already?”
Rem’s face twisted with shock. “Excuse me?”
Selene laughed as Rem took offense.
“Who do you think I am?” Rem growled. She’d never seen him so angry.
Flik looked back and forth at them before shrugging.
“Our security was top notch. They might have been able to get on the ship, but there’s no way they got into any of our rooms, the storage lockers, even the damn kitchen. Everything is run on DNA sensors. They wouldn’t even be able to get in the dining hall without being given access by me!” Rem crossed his arms over his chest. He really took offense to people underestimating him.
The Darri Commission: A Sci-Fi Dystopian Adventure (Dominion Rising Book 3) Page 22
