“It’s an old Hungariz dialect,” Alexis explained. “From what I can tell, it’s pretty obscure. The people who used it disappeared from their settlements almost overnight. It’s quite the mystery. I think I was able to access enough of it to figure out what it’s saying though.”

“What kind of people were they?” Jackson walked around the medical chair. Raisa followed him.

“Peaceful from what I can tell. There was no mention of wars or galactic trouble. They were secretive, but that’s really nothing special in the universes. Many people choose to keep to themselves.” Alexis went to the floating panel by the medical chair.

“They were clearly educated and technologically advanced.” Raisa gestured around the room to prove her point.

Alexis glanced toward the exit. Raisa knew she was worried about her husband. Jackson placed a hand on her shoulder. Alexis nodded in silent understanding.

“This looks like a menu.” Alexis studied the hologram. “To unlock, we have to draw a circle on the screen three times. I think it’s to ensure that only people who read the language know how to get in.” She drew three circles, and a new list appeared. “Log. Food, maybe. Medical. Diagnostics. And I don’t know the last one.”

“Try log.” Jackson gestured that she should touch the screen.

Alexis reached up and pushed the button. They watched the screen. A strange sound came from behind and they turned to see the image of a holographic man sitting on a chair at the metal table. The sound was his voice, speaking in a rapid wave of tonal sounds. He was humanoid. His transparent image gave the impression of blue-tinted skin, not as deep as the woman in stasis, but close. Age had done its march across his wrinkled features. His hands looked emaciated. Light, thin hair pulled into a peak down his forehead.

“Can you translate it?” Jackson asked.

“Can you make him speak the star language?” Raisa stepped closer to study the man’s face.

“Shh.” Alexis waved her hand to get them to be quiet. She narrowed her eyes as she listened. “His town was attacked, most died, those who survived were sick. His wife survived. She was ill. He worked on a cure. Built this chamber. Made deal with Kintoks. Something about blood locks.”

“The door,” Raisa whispered. Jackson nodded.

“Intense hunger. Feeding tubes installed. Transfusion worked. Wife suspended in hypersleep. He can’t take care of her. Hopes someone will come along to wake her.” Alexis looked at them as the hologram stopped.

“What about Greg?” Raisa asked. “Any word on who he was and why he’s floating in dark goo?”

“He didn’t say,” Alexis answered. “That’s all I could understand. I’ll try to access more of the language, but I’ll need time.”

“So, we can wake her up?” Raisa assumed. “He said he left her so that someone could wake her. He looked old. Maybe he knew his time was limited.”

“Are there any more files?” Jackson turned to the screen and touched the log button. The same recording began.

“I think that’s it.” Alexis pushed the third button on the screen and began to read. She flicked her fingers several times to scroll through the data presented. Then, she went to the drawers of medicines. She tapped one to open up the inventory. “These are all medications. I think they’re for our friend in there. The computer analyzes what she needs and then gives it to her. It’s automated.”

“Unless you manually administer something,” Raisa inserted, remembering how she’d accidentally pushed a button for Grarf.

“Yes.” Alexis went back to the main screen. “The combination to wake her up is in here. All I’ll need to do is press the symbols. The system should do the rest and administer the right medicines.”

“So this chair is probably for her,” Raisa guessed. She placed her hand on the medical chair. Nothing happened. The cushioned padding felt better than anything else they had to sit on. “Is this safe?”

“I think so?” Alexis didn’t sound sure.

Raisa hopped up to sit on it. She waited to see if anything activated. It didn’t.

“Try diagnostics,” Jackson said.

Alexis pushed a button. Large diagrams of the room came up, spreading from the monitor parallel with the floor. “It’s a floor plan. Maybe the word meant schematics?”

“Why did the computer log us in when we called to it? That’s a star language command,” Raisa said.

“Could be voice tone, or the fact the word sounds close to the Hungariz word for archive.” Alexis pushed the map around in the air with her finger.

“Can you slide the map this way?” Raisa asked. Alexis lifted her hand and motioned toward Raisa. The diagram moved toward her.

Raisa lay back on the chair to look up at it. The cushioned seat was surprisingly comfortable, and she felt foolish for not trying it before. It was the most relief her sore hips and back had felt in days. They’d been so cautious about activating anything. “Now this I understand.” She reached up, motioning her hand to get the diagram to turn. She pointed to a square outlined behind the wall beneath the orb. “That looks like the power reserve. If we push the tile, it should open up and we can plug in to it if we find the right adaptor.” She traced the wires around the room, zooming in as she figured out how the system was set up. Seeing a small rectangle with a zigzag pattern on it, she said, “And that would be where we find access to the second grid to stop it from syphoning power from the rest of the ship. If I disconnect that, Viktor will have the energy he needs and then some. Looks like we pull a fuse and yank a wire.”

“That’s great news,” Alexis said.

Raisa continued examining the plans. The medicine drawers were connected to both the stasis chamber and the tank. “Any idea what kind of alien Greg is?”

“Sea creature of some kind?” Alexis touched the monitor and the diagram disappeared. After a while of searching, she shook her head. “I can’t find anything. Unless this button doesn’t say ‘Food,’ like I first thought.”

Raisa pushed up from the chair. “Can I see the diagram again?”

Alexis obliged.

Raisa lay back down and looked at the chambers. “It’s almost like they’re connected to each other. Maybe Greg was part of the cure?”

“Try the food button.” Jackson crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the monitor. Alexis pushed the button. The diagram went away, and they waited for a new screen to appear.

Raisa felt something move by her ankles. She braced her hands and pushed up. Jerking her leg, she realized it was locked into place. Movement by her wrists pulled her arms down and locked them on the bed.

Raisa released a high-pitched sound of fear as she was forced to lay flat. “Jackson!”

Something clamped her waist, and the bed lifted up from the floor closer to the ceiling. She thrashed, trying to free herself. Jackson leapt up, grabbing hold of her arm and the bed as he tried to free her.

“Stop it!” Jackson yelled.

“I’m trying,” Alexis replied.

Raisa screamed, trying to jerk all her limbs at once. The ceiling opened. Jackson lost his hold and fell back. Several large injectors came down, aiming for her thighs and neck. Tears streamed down her temples. “Oh, please help me, Jackson…” She screamed. Two injectors stopped moving and hovered over her, but the third needle pierced her thigh. Clicks sounded. Fluid came down a tube and she felt a burning sensation in her leg.

Jackson leapt up, grabbed hold of the bed by her waist, and pulled his body weight up until he could brace his knees by her legs. He grabbed the injector and pulled. His muscles strained, and he cried out as he tried to remove it from her. The injector filled with red as it drew blood from the same injection site.

Alexis yelled commands from below, but Raisa couldn’t hear them as she cried out in pain. Liquid fire spread over her body, carried in her bloodstream.

He paused, punching the side of his hand against one of the hovering injectors, breaking it off, only to resume pulling. He then hit the injector by her neck. It took a couple strikes with the side of his arm before the needle receptacle bent to the side. His blood dripped on her cheek from the effort. He stood, his neck hitting the ceiling. Raisa watched him move over her. Her vision swam and she felt lightheaded.

“Cut the tube,” Alexis yelled.

Jackson let go of the injector arm and jerked the tubing leading to it. After several hard tugs, it came free. Blood sprayed over her, the ceiling, and Jackson. A grinding sound came from above and the needle finally retracted from her leg.

“Sacre,” Alexis swore. “What was that?”

Jackson pressed his hands to Raisa’s wound. “Get these restraints off her.” The bed started to lower. “Whatever you’re doing is working.”

“I’m not doing that,” Alexis said. “The computer locked me out.”

Raisa felt the restraints release. She reached for Jackson, grabbing his shirt. “Get me off this.”

Jackson hopped from the bed and pulled her into his arms. He carried her across the room to the crates and sat on the floor, still holding her close. She didn’t fight his embrace. A chill settled over her, causing her to shake. Her head was light, and she found a small comfort, resting against his chest.