Chapter Fourteen

Outer Reaches. Geonate New Time, Year 2402

“No!” Piotr lunged toward Ritter, grabbing him around the neck. Piotr seethed. “Tell me you’re lying. Tell me you’re here to fuck with our minds.”

Ritter slackened in Piotr’s grip. “I’m sorry.”

Piotr shoved the man away and swung around to Anna. Her face leached of all color. Even her new fire-banded eyes were pale, a sign of great emotional upset. He’d never recover if she came to harm. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being in pain, or in the grasp of that monster, Koschei. They needed to find out what was in the water.

Could this be how he had mated to a human? He didn’t care. She was his. His mind reached out for her.

Little bird.

Anna shook her head.

“Stop. Is this how I mated to you?” she boldly questioned.

Ritter’s head popped up from where he’d slumped against the nearest cage. He stared at Anna’s eyes, wonder dawning in his expression. Piotr’s anger churned in his belly. This man didn’t matter at all. Only Anna mattered.

“A virus? It has nothing to do with how we feel about each other, or any sort of mystical fate. Of course not. I’ve never believed in any of it anyway. It’s not practical to love, is it?” Anna took a step back.

“Why does it matter? We still belong to one another,” Piotr replied.

“If it’s a virus that linked us, it can be reversed.”

A hole opened in his chest, as if his entire torso missed a part of himself. She turned from him. “Find out what you can from him. I’m going to hail the bastard Koschei to find out what he wants.”

“Hell, no.” Piotr couldn’t keep the hard edge from the words bursting from the pit of his bitter stomach.

“Not your ship. Not your choice,” she snarled.

“I won’t let him have you. You’re mine.”

“I belong to no one. After this, not even myself.” Her voice broke a little at the end.

She left the cargo bay, leaving behind a miasma of turmoil that settled over him. He had to get out of her head. He couldn’t deal with his murderous rage and her thoughts of panic and betrayal. He couldn’t think straight. On his mind constantly in the hours since they’d joined, she had taken over completely.

Piotr stood menacingly over the engineered creature on the floor and resisted the urge to kick him for bringing the shattering news.

Maybe he’d kick him anyway, just a little.

He clenched his fists and spat on the floor at his feet, but the taste in his mouth remained acrid, bitter.

The creature closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall.

Piotr wouldn’t kick a Sirin maumauth while it was down. He wouldn’t abuse his prisoner, but he wouldn’t be gentle.

*

Anna stomped onto the bridge, plopped into her chair, and ignored the questioning looks from her crew. Taking a few moments to compose herself, she shoved aside Piotr’s continued nudges inside her mind. He wanted to talk to her, but she was able to compartmentalize, put him on the back burner. When she regained her composure, she raised her head, not realizing she had leaned onto the armrest, hand in hair, eyes closed.

She looked around the bridge to acclimate herself. It seemed months since she’d been herself, the ship running like clockwork, the crew secure. She was not as surprised as she should have been to see that not only was Len on deck—the woman seemed not to have slept since the ship had been stranded—but also Ivan and Gregory. For them to have shifted, put on their clothes, and made it to the bridge, she must have been sitting in her captain’s chair longer than she thought.

Cold gripped her heart. Between their ship being stranded, a supernova imploding, a maniac warmonger, and now an alien toxin coursing through their bodies, she’d had quite enough. She expected surprises and the occasional life-or-death situation, but this was a nightmare.

She had to find out what had happened to her crew, and she had to get them away from the madman threatening them. The Firewalker had defenses, and she’d be damned if she wouldn’t take advantage of that fact.

No question that Ritter had told the truth. Didn’t her physical appearance support it? Like it or not, her choice or not, she now threw her lot in with the phoenix. There was really no other choice.

“Len, how are we doing with self-propulsion?”

Ivan interjected, “Captain Voron, we gathered some resources from the Firewalker to get the engine back online. It’s at a major loss of efficiency, but it will limp along with the help of your remaining sails. Gregory and I helped finish the repairs last night.”

Len blushed hotly as she looked at Ivan. Anna’s brows rose. Ignoring it for the time being, she ordered, “Fix the position of the Firewalker, and let’s test the engines to a nanoparsec beyond her.”

“Right away,” Len replied.

“Hailey, get Koschei on comm. See if he’ll talk with me. Negotiate.”

“Negotiate, captain?”

Anna’s eyes stung, and anger for the danger put to her crew nearly strangled her. She took a breath and responded.

“Negotiate for our lives.”

*

Treena quaked where she stood.

She watched the crew blur into motion, doing their jobs with efficiency and complete attention. They didn’t notice her standing in the shadows near the door she’d entered moments before. Long moments ago.

Time had stood still for Treena as soon as she’d heard the voice. The man threatening their ship was the same man who’d given her the serum. The serum she’d put in the water they all drank. The serum the prisoner said spread a virus.

What was she to do?

She couldn’t keep silent anymore. The man who’d talked her into putting that damn concoction in the water was dangerous. Possibly a madman. Could she put the life of her brother before an entire crew?

The details of that night played over and over in her head as she worked herself up to confess.

She’d been so much younger, only a few short weeks ago. Innocent.

Closing her eyes, she couldn’t stop from reliving the past.

Before she’d boarded the Venture for the first mission, Treena had found a bar, ready to celebrate, so excited she couldn’t stop grinning. She’d finally found a job. She’d be able to get off this hunk of junk she was assured was a space station. It was more of a trash barge. She’d never been off the bucket-of-bolts the entire eighteen years of her life.

“Give me a cold one, Louie.”

“Does your brother know you’re spending his money on ale again? He cut you off his tab, so I can’t help you.”

“Not that it’s your business, but I have my own money. I got a gig.”

“Sorry sweetheart, I need to see the credits first.”

Treena pouted, and then stuck out her tongue. “Where’s the love, Louie? Where’s the love?”

“Hey! I love you kiddo. You know that. I just love the credits more.” Louie affected a wounded expression belied by the greedy glint in his eyes as he pawed the credit chip.

He turned to grab a frosty glass, filling it with ale, until it sloshed over the side.

“Damn.” He said. “Gotta get that thing fixed, can’t afford the waste.”

She grabbed the mug as soon as it hit the bar and sought her usual corner booth. It was dark, secluded. Just the way she liked it. The place was dead tonight.

Approaching the table, she recognized the shadowy form sitting there. She hesitated.

“Come, sit. You got the job. I’ll help you celebrate.”

“How did you know?”

“I know all about you, Treena. I even know that you bribed your way into winning the lottery for the next junket position, which happened to be onboard the Venture. You know how I know that, don’t you?”

Of course she did. And of course he knew. He’d lent her the money. Fear snaked up her spine. He was here to collect.

“I picked you for a reason,” he murmured.

Her fear escalated. What had she done?

“It’s nothing really. Just take this.” He pulled out a vial, clear and innocuous. “Pour it into the water supply of your new ship.”

“Are you crazy?” She shrank back, immediately regretting her outburst. This man was always surrounded by large goons. All over six and a half feet tall. Where were they now?

“Some say I’m demented. That’s neither here nor there. This won’t hurt you, or the crew. It just might save your brother’s life.”

“What are you talking about? My brother is fine.”

“He’s in my hospital, infected with a virus. This is the answer to his survival. That’s why I picked you. I need to expose you and the rest of the crew for a period of time. Then, I’ll have the answer to the virus.”

 

Once again, Treena reconstructed the meeting in her mind, as she’d done many times a day since she’d reached across the table to grab the vial. His explanation had been sparse, but she’d latched on to the hope he wouldn’t hurt them.

She hoped he’d told her the truth.

Heart in her throat, Treena approached the captain, who’d been fair with her so far, a good captain. But she didn’t think the woman would take this news well. She couldn’t blame her. After all, her eyes were rimmed in red. How else had she changed?

The captain turned to look at Treena with a knowing expression. How could she possibly know? The captain’s tense and angry expression melted to one of calm acceptance and censure. The strong woman’s shoulders slumped from their usual upright carriage. “Treena, walk with me to my office.”

Treena fell in with the captain. Everyone had been so nice, now the guilt crushed her, making it difficult to walk on her jelly legs. It’d be easier if everyone had been horrible, sniping bitches or something.

Damn! This was her problem. She thought in circles. Unreliable. She couldn’t even keep on-task in her mind, and look where it’d gotten her, in a hell of a lot of trouble. At least, she didn’t care what the serum had done to her, she deserved it, but these women didn’t. Her brother didn’t.

*

They walked off the bridge and into the lift. Anna’s thoughts circled, and her body temp seesawed in dramatic waves, like her enviro suit had been ripped and her PCU couldn’t control the life support. One moment frigid, barely able to conceal her shaking, and the next, angry, hot spikes of righteousness straightened Anna’s spine.

Anna concentrated on the woman walking next to her. Treena’s legs seemed to weaken, nearly give out, as she occasionally stumbled next to Anna. Treena had to be overwhelmed, but it remained to be seen if the concern was more for herself or the crew she’d apparently betrayed. Never having needed to be a harsh disciplinarian with her crew, Anna did not look forward to this interview.

Walking through the crew lounge, Anna met the curious stares of a few off-duty personnel, sitting in the serviceable chairs around the metal table bolted to the decking. Her anger roiled to the surface again, but she managed to give out one of her usual razzings.

“Ladies. Enjoy the game of cards, but I’ve been seeing too many of the same faces pulling dish duty. Be sure to mix up the shifts and duties in the betting pool.”

Hearing sighs, grumbles, and laughter behind her, she led the silent Treena toward the outer room of her quarters, to her office.

“Do you ever play cards with them?” she asked Treena.

“No, ma’am. I guess I don’t have any duties for currency, yet. Maybe after I’m trained I’ll at least be able to bargain with shift rotation, and they’ll invite me to play.”

“Watch yourself, some of those gals are pure sharks. They tend to go after anything that can get them more dock leave.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Anna thanked the stars for the innocence of youth. Treena’s days were numbered on this ship, but if she didn’t realize that, Anna had her own cards to be played.

They walked into the office, and Anna sat at her small meeting table. The sparse room had once been pleasant to Anna, but now it reeked of loneliness. The damp, chilled seat of her chair seeped into her body. The moisture in the air must mean the environmental controls were still off kilter. She longed for everything to get back to normal, back to the empty, boring life of before.

She sighed.

“Just a moment,” Anna directed Treena to sit next to her. She used her comm, “Len, are the enviros having trouble with humidity and temps?”

“We’re still having surges through the systems. I’ve given more power to the essential systems. The other controls are having fluctuations.”

“We’re not going to lose the grid again, are we?”

“No. We do have a baseline of steady power,” Len answered.

“Estimate on full repair completion?”

“Won’t happen until we dock for repair.”

“The Firewalker?” Anna queried, though she knew the answer.

“They’ll help stabilize us, but they don’t have a new Casimir Engine,” Len said.

Anna heard Ivan in the background and frowned. The conversation sounded intimate, and Len’s voice was soft, a tone not in her repertoire.

Len added, “Ivan’s helping coordinate with the Firewalker to see if they can help us amp our power output.”

“Keep me informed.”

Next to her Treena listened intently, small in her chair, shoulders hunched. Treena’s guilt was as apparent as if she’d nanotatted “traitor” on her forehead.

“Let’s cut to the chase.” Anna kept her voice as gentle as possible, but she could still see Treena tense to brace herself. Anna’s shoulders tightened like a tension coupler. “Koschei convinced you to work for him?”

Though she’d obviously expected the accusation, Treena visibly jumped in the seat. She didn’t respond, so Anna prodded further. “Treena, I need you to tell me everything you know. My crew’s lives depend on it. Your life depends on it.”

The girl started weeping, but managed to splurt out her story between huge gasps of air. She told about her brother’s kidnapping, of Koschei’s bribe, of meeting the man and taking possession of the serum. Her newest crewmember told her all she knew and hid nothing. Despite her knowledge of Treena’s lack of menace toward the crew, Anna had to let her go at the next port. Disappointed she’d lose someone, and desperate she hadn’t learned more, Anna had no plan to get them out of this mess.

“Treena, have you ever been on station during a med lockdown?”

“Yes.” If possible, Treena looked even more terrified. “The officials locked down the station and isolated everyone from a ship contaminated with bacteria they’d brought from a new colony. Last I heard, they’d shipped everyone back to the colony and closed it off. Everybody on station had to go through screening, and we were cut off. Nobody was allowed to come or go for two weeks.”

“What do you think they’ll do with us?” Anna’s voice shook. Geonate guidelines clearly called for her to inform them of their status, and they’d be quarantined at the least.

Here she’d been avoiding letting Treena know that Anna planned to let her go, when all along she should have realized the Venture may never run another cargo shipment. In the space of a second, Anna’s life dreams came to an abrupt halt.

“It looks like you’re in the same boat with us, Treena. I’m going to have to inform the crew, and they’re not going to be happy about it. They’ll likely give you hell, but I can’t leave you at the next dock. We’re all contaminated. All we can do now is find out what we have and if it can be spread. You’re dismissed.”

The girl left the room, shoulders slumped, and Anna was at a loss. They’d escaped a supernova, but now, even if they got the ship repaired, and if they escaped this burgeoning showdown between Koschei and the phoenix, then they still had no kind of future.

They had no home. They were truly adrift in space.