“What did that machine do to her?” Jackson rocked Raisa on his lap, holding her tighter. She mumbled incoherently, and her eyelids drifted closed. Blood marred his hands. It stained her face and neck. “We need to get her out of here. She needs a medical booth.”

“We have to turn off the power to this room.” Alexis lifted her arms, helplessly. “Which means we have to decide what to do about Blue. Do we wake her or kill her?”

Jackson knew it was on his shoulders to make a decision. He had seen so much death during his service. He didn’t want to kill again, not unless he had reason. The blue woman had given them no reason.

“Her husband said she was cured?” Jackson asked for confirmation, his words rushed.

“He said the transfusion worked,” Alexis corrected. “You could interpret that as she is cured. But another way to look at it would be that this place, as advanced as it is, was set up a long time ago. Medical booths have come so far, more diseases categorized. We could put her in it when she wakes up and run a diagnostic on her.”

Raisa convulsed in his arms.

“We don’t have time to debate. Wake Blue up and shut this room down.” Jackson lifted Raisa in his arms. “This crew has never condemned anyone to death without cause, and we won’t do so now.”

“We don’t know if it’s clear from the Federation out there.” Alexis turned to the monitor and took a deep breath. Blood covered the medical chair.

“I’m not losing her, Alexis.” Jackson held Raisa against him, adjusting her weight in his arms.

Alexis nodded, not offering any more warnings. “Get Raisa by the exit.”

Jackson carried Raisa toward the small corridor. She hung limp in his arms.

“I’m waking Blue up.” Alexis pushed a series of buttons. “As soon as I finish this sequence, I’ll pull the fuse. This room will run on reserve power until that runs out.”

Jackson waited impatiently, holding the door open for Alexis. “Hurry.”

A hiss sounded by Blue. Needles reached toward her from all directions. Her body bounced as electricity shot from the sides of the unit. Her coloring had changed, not as deep blue as before. Tinges of pink had started appearing around her nose and eyes.

“Is it working?” Alexis called.

“Something is happening.” Jackson wasn’t sure how this stasis chamber worked but had to assume it was doing what it was supposed to.

“Is the corridor clear?” she asked.

Jackson let the door close and the corridor image came up, showing no one was outside. He again opened the door to Alexis. “Let’s go.”

“Pulling the power fuse,” Alexis said. The sound of kicking was followed by a loud grunt of exertion. The power flickered for a few seconds but came back on as it switched over to the reserve. “Got it!”

“Come on,” Jackson ordered.

Alexis hurried to him. She dropped the fuse on the floor. “Let’s go.”

Jackson glanced at the woman in the chamber. The syringes still injected into her. Steam misted over Blue from above, obscuring her.

“We’ll come back to check on her. This process might take a while.” Alexis let the door shut and as soon as the corridor image appeared, she pushed the blinking button to open it. To the woman, she said, “Good luck, Blue.”

Jackson looked out of the corridor. The lights were flickering, but brighter than before. The power diversion seemed to be working just like Raisa said it would. He listened for footsteps. Not hearing any, he ran as lightly as he could toward the medical booth. Raisa didn’t move in his arms. She didn’t moan or indicate she knew what happened around her.

Jackson felt as if he couldn’t breathe. He paused at a corner to listen.

Alexis grabbed his arm. “Let me lead.”

He nodded. She stepped around the corner and motioned him to follow. She ran ahead of him, leading him down another corridor. She stopped at the small room holding the ship’s medical booth. The lights turned on at her presence. “Get her inside.”

Alexis stood guard at the door as Jackson placed Raisa in the medical booth and closed the lid to lock her in so she didn’t slide down from the angled, upright position of the booth. Her head was exposed so he could watch her for movement.

Jackson went to the console and activated the device. It automatically tried to focus on her healing ribs, but he overrode the directive. Instead he made it analyze her blood.

“Someone is in the corridors,” Alexis whispered. “I hear footsteps.”

Jackson alternated between staring at Raisa’s motionless face and the console. The results appeared, and he kept his voice quiet as he said, “It injected her with some kind of enzyme.”

Alexis stepped back into the room. Her voice soft, she said, “Medical booth protocol. Relevant to situation. Humanoid. Circulatory system. Blood additives. Clean.” She blinked several times, coming out of her trance as she hurried to the booth. She began pushing buttons at a rapid rate as she programmed the unit to override the automatic functions. Lasers lit over Raisa’s body, illuminating her face with a green light.

Jackson hurried to the door and peeked out. He too heard footsteps in the corridor. They didn’t appear to be moving quickly, but they did appear to be approaching. He concentrated on the pattern of the steps “Someone is coming. It doesn’t sound like one of us.”

“It’s working,” Alexis said. “The second it’s done, get her out of there and hide.”

“What are you going to do?” Jackson asked, not liking the look on Alexis’ face.

“What I’m programmed to.” She took a deep breath, changed her posture, and stepped into the corridor. Jackson watched her, torn between pulling her back into the room, and protecting Raisa. He trusted Alexis knew what she was doing.

“Hello. Welcome.” The docile tone of Alexis’ voice sounded odd, and a little too high pitched. She moved with a deliberate stiffness as she turned out of his eye line. “I am Alexis, pleasure droid companion model nine-point-seven.”

“Whoa, check that thing out,” a deep voice said. “Honar, come here.”

A second set of footfalls sounded. “Arte, this better be something. This place is a hellhole.”

Jackson willed the unit to hurry. He could hide Raisa behind the booth where she couldn’t be seen from the outside hall and then help Alexis.

“Look,” Arte said. “They got one of those pleasure dolls.”

“How in the galaxies do a bunch of drifters afford something like that? They can’t even keep their lights from flickering in this tin can,” Honar said. “Hey, you, who is your controller.”

“Her name is Alexis,” Arte inserted.

“I belong to the captain.” Alexis managed to keep her voice calm. “Please, it is my duty as hostess to offer refreshments. Let me escort you.”

Jackson stayed as quiet as he could, as Alexis tried to lure the soldiers away.

“Alexis, lift your shirt for me,” Arte ordered.

Jackson’s eyes narrowed, and his fists tightened.

“What are you doing?” Honar asked.

“I want to see how real she is,” Arte answered.

“Warning,” Alexis said, her tone changing. “I belong to Captain Lochlann, of the ship Bound Virgin. Any attempts to remove me from the ship or tamper with my program directives will result in a self-destruct that will harm those within my immediate vicinity.”

“Leave it alone,” Honar said. “I heard they can blow a man’s penis off if you mess with a doll that’s not yours.”

“That’s just an old ship tale,” Arte dismissed.

Raisa moaned softly, her head turning. The medical booth was working.

“Shh,” Jackson whispered into her ear. She blinked, not seeming to focus her vision as she looked around in confusion.

“Unhand me.” Alexis’ tone changed.

“She feels real,” Arte said.

Jackson sprang into action. He came out of the medical booth room. “You heard her.”

“Blast, it’s him!” Honar cried.

Arte had Alexis pressed up against a wall, his hand on her shirt. He tossed her at Jackson and reached for a blaster on his waist.

Jackson caught Alexis and pushed her into the room with Raisa, and out of harm’s way.

“We’re going to get a stripe for this one,” Honar said in excitement, also pulling a blaster pistol.

“I will give you one chance to leave,” Jackson said, hoping they’d take the opportunity yet knowing they wouldn’t.

“The Federation doesn’t enlist cowards,” Arte denied.

Jackson frowned. “Do you even know who you are chasing?”

“Pirate scum,” Honar blustered.

Jackson stood ready to defend himself. He glanced to the side. Alexis was pulling Raisa from the booth. She looked dazed, but alive.

When he glanced back, he tensed in surprise.

Blue stood in the corridor. Her shimmering gown hung around her thin body. Her long brown hair framed her beautiful face as it fell to her waist. She tilted her head one direction and then the other, as if trying to assess what was happening. Her movements were jerky and strange. He willed her to hide.

Before Jackson could disarm his captors, Blue lurched her body forward. She ran barefoot toward the soldiers. At the sound, the men turned.

Her yell sounded half human, half screech. She slashed her hand, cutting Honar’s neck, before she latched her teeth into Arte’s throat. Blood sprayed over the corridor, staining her gown and pooling on the floor.

Arte thrashed about in shock. Yelling as he tried to throw the surprisingly agile woman off him.

Alexis appeared in the doorway. Raisa swayed groggily behind her. Jackson backed away from Blue and motioned that they should get behind him. Arte fell to his knees, no longer screaming.

“Run,” he ordered the women quietly.

Raisa grabbed hold of his arm and he met her eyes briefly. She looked like she had a hard time standing. Alexis pulled on her arm. They weren’t moving fast enough.

Blue’s eyes lifted as she unlatched her mouth. They swam with the color of blood. Her features had filled out, as if the blood gave her health.

Jackson turned and rushed a few steps to catch up with the women. He lifted Raisa over his shoulder like the first day they’d met and ran with her down the corridor. He heard bare feet chasing them, recognizing the dull slap of skin to metal. For a woman who just woke from a deep sleep, she moved with surprising dexterity.

Alexis led the way into the captain’s quarter and slammed her hand against the door scanner, instructing the door to lock.

“Computer, show security footage from outside this room,” Jackson ordered, as he lowered Raisa to her feet.

“Yes, Grumpy Warrior,” the computer answered. Alexis went to the viewing area behind the cage.

Jackson studied Raisa’s face. She blinked slowly and he could tell she was fighting to stay upright. “Is she going to be all right?”

“Yes, the booth cleaned the enzyme from her blood, but she’ll be weak from the blood loss,” Alexis answered.

“I’m fine,” Raisa insisted.

Jackson pulled her close. The fear of what had almost happened hitting him. “I can’t lose you.”

“Then let go of me and let’s see what this blood-drinking banshee is doing,” Raisa answered, pushing at his chest. “You can hold me after we save the ship and then say all the sweet things I want to hear.”

He couldn’t help the half smile that twitched the sides of his lips. “It’s a promise.”

“What in all the galaxies did we wake up?” Alexis asked.

They joined her behind the couches to look at the screen. Blue stood close to the door, her head moving slowly back and forth like a predator trying to smell through the metal barrier. Her hand lifted, and she silently pet the frame with her long nails.

“I’m starting to rethink my stance on waking Blue from hypersleep,” Raisa mumbled. “Alexis, do you know what kind of alien that is?”

“The doctor’s recording didn’t say anything about his wife being a psycho blood hunter.” Alexis took a deep breath.

“We should get on the comms and try to warn the rest of the crew,” said Raisa. “If they’re on board, they need to hide. If they’re not, they need to stay off and lock the hatches. She can’t be allowed onto the fueling dock.”

“I have no idea how we’re going to explain the two dead soldiers in the corridor,” Alexa said.

“What is she doing?” Jackson frowned at the screen as Blue walked her fingers slowly upward before turning to look at the camera. She appeared more intelligent than a mindless creature searching for food. “Raisa’s right. We need to warn the others.”

“Computer, locate the members of the crew,” Alexis ordered.

“Yes, Captain’s Boss,” the computer answered. “Locating. Life signs are detected in the cargo hold—Crewmember Angry Pants, Captain Please-let-us-go-to-the-Galaxy-Playmates-show, Crewmember Beautiful, with unknown entities. Life signs detected in the cockpit—Pilot Rocket Boy with unknown entity. Life signs detected in the engine room—Crewmember Lady’s Magnet, Crewmember Victorious Lord. Life signs detected in the corridor—unknown entity.”

If they made it out of this, Jackson was going to have words with Viktor and Lucien about their programming jokes. Angry Pants had to be Dev. So Dev, Lochlann, and Violette were in the cargo hold. Rick was in the cockpit with soldiers. Lucien and Viktor were in the engine room.

Raisa counted out the names on her fingers. “They’re all on the ship.” She grabbed hold of his arm.

“And they’re not alone. It’s only a matter of time before the Federation soldiers stumble across the dead bodies,” Jackson added.

“Or worse, her.” Raisa let go of his arm. “Computer, contact Rick.”

“Please state your identity,” the computer answered.

“Computer, input Raisa. Full command.”

“Yes, Captain’s Boss.”

Computers were useful, but sometimes they were a pain in the backside. They had no sense of urgency.

“Computer, connect me to Rick,” Raisa said. Lower, to Jackson, she added, “We need to see if he’s all right after that beating.”

“This is handsome Commander Rick of the Bound Virgin, standing with Space Cadet One and Black Hole Two,” Rick’s voice answered, the connection filled with static. He sounded as if he had no care in the galaxies. Jackson suspected that wasn’t the case.

“Rick,” she answered. “You need to lock yourself in the cockpit.”

“What’s that, baby cakes?” Rick asked. “I’m sorry, I can’t play games with you right now. I’m entertaining guests.”

“We have a visitor, and she’s not looking for a date,” Alexis interrupted.

“Rick, stasis lady is up and she’s drinking blood. Get your ass to safety,” Jackson ordered. They didn’t have time to try to send coded messages. Ship safety had always been his concern, and right now the Federation might help. “Computer, connect us to Lochlann.”

“This is the captain,” Lochlann sounded hesitant. “I think there has been an error in the computer coding. No one unaccounted for is on the ship. Computer, reset your system.”

“No!” Jackson and Alexis yelled at the same time.

“Lochlann, danger, ru—” Alexis yelled through the computer comm system at her husband.

“Attention crew. All systems reset. Goodbye.” The computer cut her off.

Blue smiled at the camera. It would have been a pretty look if blood didn’t stain her chin. Suddenly, her head whipped to the side and she stared down the corridor. Seconds later, she pushed away from the door and ran. The viewing screen went dark as the computer reset its functions.

“Computer, connect me to Lochlann,” Alexis demanded. The computer didn’t respond. “Computer!”

“Stay here,” Jackson ordered. “I’ll find the others. Figure out what in the blazes that thing is and how we stop it.” He unlocked the door and waited as it slid open. “Lock this behind me.”

“Remember your promise.” Raisa lifted her hand, shutting the door behind him.