Lisa steeled herself and hacked at the blocking codes like she was wielding a machete. Each blow sent her reeling backward into darkness. Pulling herself out of the depths to renew her attack grew more and more difficult. She’d never been as good as Doug. Never would be, with or without the nanites. She wished for her brother, to know he was okay. Or at least tell him goodbye. Doug, I’m sorry. I wanted to find you.

Little Sis, is that you? The words froze her in place. They couldn’t be real. Could they?

Doug?

Lisa? Are you here? Unlike Qaiyaan’s rich, reverberant tones, this voice had a tinny quality, but it was Doug.

Thank God you’re alive! She projected, her nanites thrumming like live wires. Where are you?

Syndicorp told me you were dead. His uncertainty reminded her of their years in the slums, each day a question of survival.

It’s okay, Doug. Lisa reached through the connection for her twin, seeking to ground herself, to ground them both. The physical contact might not be there, but the mental one felt just as real. The ‘corp didn’t kill me, but the cartel is hot on my tail. We’re under attack by bounty hunters and I can’t remove the block on this ship’s systems. My nanites aren’t strong enough. Can you help fix them like you used to?

Cartel? How did they find you?

Doug, there’s no time to go into that. I need your help right now!

We’re communicating faster than you realize. Doug’s presence fluttered through her mind as if turning the pages of a book. The mind can process thousands of gigabytes per second, and memories are just data, after all. Your ship must be acting like an antenna between our nanites. In nanoseconds, he knew everything; Syndicorp’s betrayal, Mek’s work on her synapses, her newfound telepathy, and her growing love for a copper-skinned alien. In return, she sensed a series of bright lights and examination tables, advanced implants, escape attempts, and a heartbreaking sense of loss from her brother.

Doug, what have they done to you? This was her twin, the person she’d shared everything with since before birth. Yet he was somehow different. Something was really wrong.

Soon your body won't be your own anymore, Doug responded, heartbreak in his voice. The nanites will take over. You’ll be more machine than human. They’re nearing critical system deployment already.

Shock loosed her grip on him. What are you saying?

You need to get rid of them. The sooner the better. They’re changing you, and once they engage their core protocols, you won’t be able to live without them. Syndicorp will own you. As they do me.

No! Tell me where you are! Once we rescue you, we can come up with a plan to use our nanites against the ‘corp.

His presence slipped from her grasp like mist. It’s too dangerous. Don’t look for me. Stay far away.

Stop being overprotective. Qaiyaan and his crew have promised to help me. As soon as I wake up and get rid of these bounty hunters, we’re coming to find you. She stretched out and grabbed hold of him, this time refusing to let go. Have you tried to reprogram your own nanites? I’ve done it a little with mine, and you’re way better at this stuff than I am.

You think too much of me. His wry smile transferred through their connection as if she was looking at his face. Unfortunately, I can’t reprogram their core function. I’ve tried. The machines will conquer the biological part of you in the end. The only option is to get rid of them.

Dread chilled her to the bones. How am I supposed to get rid of them?

They are sensitive to certain ionic frequencies. With the right kind of electromagnetic pulse, they become inert. Of all things, it felt like Doug gave her a wicked grin. I believe your Denaidan friend may be able to help you with that.

What are you talking about? Lisa’s adrenaline was making her thoughts jumpy. I can’t even wake up right now, let alone find Qaiyaan, regain control of the ship, or defeat the rakwiji on board.

I can’t help you with the rakwiji, but I can reset your nanites for now and help you with the ship. With that, Doug grabbed hold of her nanites and twisted their programming at the same time he shattered the ship’s lockouts. As she reeled from the backlash of power, his presence receded into the abyss. Love you, Little Sis.

* * *

Qaiyaan slapped the airlock button, barely waiting for the door to open before squeezing himself inside. Lisa had done it. This could only mean she was alive. Lisa, you did it! I’m in!

No answer. Was she unconscious? Mek had said it was dangerous for her to use her nanites. Possibly even deadly. He had to get to her, quickly.

Inside the airlock, the interior seal stood ajar. The bounty hunters had re-engaged gravity, but not life support, which probably meant they were suited up. Wouldn’t they be surprised to discover the crew could resist vacuum? Most of the crew. The Denaidan ability to endure space wouldn’t help Lisa if the bounty hunters forced open the door. He had to get life support up and running.

Depressing the button to close both doors, he slipped between the gleaming, angular machinery that filled Tovik’s domain. The engineering control panel was near the ladder up to the main level. Where were the bounty hunters at this moment? It was too much to hope they’d come straight to engineering. They’d head for the control room, and Lisa’d said they carried pistols.

He looked around for a weapon, anything that might improve his chances against armed invaders. Next to the burn drive, Tovik’s messy tool cabinet hung open, spanners and spare parts strewn across the decking. A battered pulse pistol lay among the scattered items.

Qaiyaan snatched it up and tucked it into his waistband. These bounty hunters were going to regret boarding his ship. He reinitiated life support, knowing the hiss of air through the ducts would take away the element of surprise.

Pistol ready, he poked his head from the trap door. The corridor was empty. From the direction of the med bay, a grunt of pain broke through the thin air. He pulled himself clear of the hatch and launched himself toward the open door. Inside, the floor was littered with broken medical equipment. Two rakwiji, their scales rippling with excitement, held Mek trapped in one corner. He stood bracing himself against the cabinet with both arms, his shirt slashed and darkened with turquoise blood. Tovik and Noatak both lay unconscious on their beds.

The smaller rakwiji slashed out with a knife, adding to the cuts on Mek's chest. Mek flinched but had nowhere to go. The larger bounty hunter, who held a pulse pistol aimed at the doctor's head, removed its helmet, revealing a flared crest of scales as it lifted its muzzle toward the hissing life support duct.

“Hey!” Qaiyaan shouted, taking aim at the larger rakwiji and pulling the trigger.

Nothing happened.

Both rakwiji bared gleaming razor teeth and the big one swiveled its gun toward Qaiyaan.

Qaiyaan pulled the useless trigger again then flung the weapon at his attackers before ducking back into the corridor. Plasma from the rakwiji’s weapon impacted the corridor wall behind him, sending visible ripples of heat through the air. The smaller bounty hunter burst around the corner on the heels of the blast, still armed with the curved knife.

Typical rakwiji. They got off on playing with their prey. Qaiyaan obliged by stepping forward and ramming an ionically-powered fist into his attacker’s scaled solar plexus. The surge of power through his already tired system threatened to buckle his knees, and his knuckles flared in pain against the creature’s hard thorax. But the pressure sent the rakwiji flying halfway down the hall.

The bigger creature burst through the door and slammed into Qaiyaan, crashing him to the deck. Its cloyingly sweet yet sulfurous breath made Qaiyaan’s eyes water.

Bringing up a knee, Qaiyaan wedged it between their bodies, using his ionic power to hurl this attacker off. He rolled toward the med bay, reaching for the bounty hunter’s pulse pistol where it had fallen to the floor.

The big rakwiji lunged again, burying a necrotic claw into Qaiyaan’s calf. Leg flaring in agony, Qaiyaan twisted, snarling at his attacker. Yanking its claw free, the bounty hunter opened its toothy mouth, its words a throaty growl. “I will peel that shiny copper skin from your body before you die.”

Venom pulsed a fiery trail up Qaiyaan’s leg. He had only minutes until it reached his heart. He had to kill his attacker now, before it finished him and moved on to his crew and Lisa. Both hearts pounding furiously, he grabbed a scalpel from the scattered implements on the floor. He jackknifed toward his attacker, slashing the blade at its throat.

The scalpel skittered ineffectually across the rakwiji’s scaled hide.

The rakwiji laughed, tongue lolling between its spear-tipped grin. It opened its mouth wider and lunged as if to tear out Qaiyaan’s throat.

Qaiyaan thrust the scalpel forward again, aiming for the creature's mouth. Humid breath encircled his hand and wrist, razor-sharp teeth grazing his skin. The rakwiji stiffened, trying to halt, but there was too much momentum behind its attack. With every ounce of ionic power he had left, Qaiyaan drove the blade upward through the rakwiji's palette and into its brain.

The beast collapsed, teeth digging into Qaiyaan’s arm as it fell. From the doorway, the smaller rakwiji made a horrific screech as a pulse pistol blast cut the air above Qaiyaan’s head. The creature turned and fled.

Twisting to free himself from the death throes of the big rakwiji, Qaiyaan spotted Mek holding both pulse pistols in trembling hands. The doctor set the weapons aside and turned to fumble in his medical supply cabinet.

Qaiyaan tried to rise to his feet, but the poison was taking hold of his muscle control. The skin showing through the tear in his pants was no longer copper, but a gnarled and lumpy web of black as the poison leached into his bloodstream. He flopped awkwardly against the deck. “I need to get to Lisa.”

“We need to reverse the poison or you’ll be dead within minutes. Ellam Cua, I know I have a vial of antidote here somewhere. Aha!” Mek turned, holding an inoculation gun and a handful of vials. “Hold on, captain. This’ll take a minute to work.”

Qaiyaan’s tongue had grown too thick to speak. While Mek cut away his pants, Qaiyaan stared at the door where the alien had disappeared. Lisa, can you hear me? They’re coming!

* * *

Lisa opened her eyes, her head pounding. The control panel still scrolled its diagnostics, all systems green. He’d done it! Thank God! Doug are you still there? No response. Qaiyaan, can you hear me? She received a garbled blast of pain instead of words. Qaiyaan!

Leaning forward to look at the camera images, she clutched the arms of the chair. A huge rakwiji had a claw buried in Qaiyaan’s leg. “No!”

She lurched upright, but the chair’s gravity restraints held her down. Fumbling with the buckles, she followed the struggle on the monitor. Qaiyaan! She wriggled loose and started for the door, then paused. A weapon. She needed a weapon. She scoured the small control room. How could these men call themselves pirates when they didn’t even keep weapons in here?

Her gaze lit upon the small holocube of Noatak’s family. It wouldn’t be much of a threat as a missile, but the dozens of small beams it used to form the holo-image could be focused to create a low-level torch. Better than nothing. Muttering a quick apology to Noatak, she grabbed the cube and cracked open the casing. Weapon in hand, she cycled open the airlock door.

A rakwiji stood in the corridor clutching a curved knife.

It growled, spittle flying from its teeth and head crest flaring. Lisa swung her makeshift laser toward its face, squeezing the power cell. Her aim was off. The modified beam danced ineffectually across the rakwiji’s shoulder.

A wide row of pointed teeth slowly appeared on its face. “The little human tries to poke me with a pin light? Do you think I am a Xeimir worm, afraid of the sun?”

Lisa’s heart hammered. The rakwiji was so close, she could smell its sulfurous breath. The lasers might not be able to pierce its scaled hide, but that didn’t mean her weapon was worthless. Taking aim again, she slashed the light across the bridge of the creature’s muzzle, pointing it directly into its eyes.

The rakwiji dropped the knife, roaring and pressing both hands over its face. Unfortunately, it also remained blocking the doorway.

Praying the blindness lasted, Lisa crouched to retrieve the knife from beneath its feet.

The rakwiji slashed the air where she’d stood only moments before.

Blade in hand, Lisa squirmed backward, keeping the navigator seat between her and the yowling rakwiji. The blade would be useless against its scales, but it still felt better to be holding a weapon.

“You will be my final trophy.” The rakwiji’s eyes wept tears, and the entire room stank from its breath. “My mate and I will rut over your pain throughout eternity.”

Lisa searched for a way out, but the rakwiji’s bulk left no room to slip past. Sooner or later, its claws would find her. She shrank against the control panel, palm slick around the knife handle. The rakwiji took another shuffling step forward, still cursing, its legs wide as it sought her out.

Her gaze fell on the one place a rakwiji didn’t have scales—its crotch. Dropping to her hands and knees, Lisa squeezed under the edge of the navigator’s chair. She only had one chance. Once she let the creature know where she was, it would bury its claws into her. Pulling back her arm, she coiled every ounce of her strength.

The rakwiji stepped forward.

She drove the weapon into its genitals.

The knife sank to the hilt, sending hot blood pouring over Lisa’s fingers. The rakwiji’s expletives cut off mid-insult.

Yanking the knife free, Lisa somersaulted forward. She reached the door and chanced a look over her shoulder.

The bounty hunter was on its knees, clawed hands between its legs. A geyser of blood pulsed from between its fingers. “Rrhuk’ni carry me into the afterlife where I may rut in the blood of my enemies for all eternity.”

Lisa curled her lips in disgust. “Have fun trying to enjoy your afterlife without any junk, you asshole.”

She then fled toward the medical bay.