“And if they alter their current speed and trajectory?”
“I cannot provide an accurate estimate at this time.”
“But more than two months?”
“It is possible.”
“Will this pod keep me alive longer than two months if I slow my breathing and ration food and water?”
“Affirmative.”
“Then take me to that ship.”
“Setting course for the Gathendien warship now.”
Simone stared out the window, willing the time to pass quickly.
She would make those bastards pay.
She’d make them pay for every life they had taken.
CHAPTER ONE
A chime sounded in the distance, repeating every few moments—each trill louder than the previous—until the noise seemed to pound through Simone’s head. “What the hell?” she growled with a grimace.
The chime ceased. “I am awakening you as per your instructions,” Evie stated calmly, as if she hadn’t just assaulted Simone’s eardrums with the most annoying sound ever. “You asked me to rouse you when we approached the Gathendien warship.”
“Right. Thank you.” Groaning, she sat up and pressed a button on the armrest to transform her narrow bed back into a seat. “How close are we?”
“We should be able to hail them within one Alliance hour.”
“Can they see us?”
“Negative.”
“What about radar? Can they see us on their radar or whatever they use to detect craft from long distances?”
“Negative.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Jaw cracking in a wide yawn, Simone rose and headed into the tiny bathroom or lav the pod boasted. There wasn’t much to it, just a weird space toilet and cabinets stocked with towels, cleansing cloths, a first aid kit, and wosuur liquid.
She quickly doffed her black hunting garb and dropped it into the clothing sanitizer. A low hum sounded. After utilizing the space toilet, she rinsed her mouth with wosuur liquid, which cleaned teeth more efficiently than brushing and flossing, and used the cleansing cloths to take the pod’s version of a shower.
“Damn, I miss soap and hot water,” she grumbled.
Simone still had a plentiful supply of pretty much everything. One of the perks she enjoyed as an Immortal Guardian was the ability to slow her metabolism and sleep whenever or however long she wanted to. Unfortunately, she also needed frequent blood transfusions to maintain her preternatural speed and strength. Yet she had no ready blood supply.
Unwilling to take on the Gathendiens while weak as a kitten, she had therefore spent most of the trip in a deep healing sleep.
A very long, deep healing sleep.
The clothing sanitizer dinged.
Opening it, she drew out her now-clean black T-shirt and cargo pants. Socks, a bra, and matching bikini underwear, too. Thank goodness this thing could sanitize clothing. Unlike the gifted ones she had helped into escape pods, she didn’t have a handy go bag full of clothes and other essentials. Valok barely had time to shove her in here before the ship exploded.
Sadness pierced her once more at the thought of him. Guilt did, too. Perhaps if she hadn’t thrown him by letting him feel emotion, he would’ve left her to her own devices and made it into one of the fighter craft in time to escape death.
She kept seeing his face as he’d thanked her for letting him feel.
Her stomach growled.
Giving her head a shake, she retrieved three of the pod’s MREs and set them in the food prep thing that rehydrated and heated them. When her stomach again rumbled impatiently, she grabbed a nutrition bar, peeled off the wrapper, and took a big bite.
Immortal Guardians burned numerous calories when they moved and fought with preternatural speed. She was going to need a hell of a lot of carbs to fuel the fight she intended to take to the Gathendiens.
She’d just downed the last of the nutrition bar when the food prep thing dinged.
Steam and a mouthwateringly delicious aroma spilled out when she opened the door.
Simone didn’t even sit down. She just grabbed a utensil that resembled a spork, drew out the first tray, and dug in.
“Mmmmm,” she voiced around a heady mouthful, “this is so good.” She wouldn’t have thought an escape pod would boast such tasty food. Clearly, the Lasarans liked to travel in comfort, even when the trip was unexpected enough to warrant a jaunt in an escape pod.
She was well into her third meal when Evie spoke.
“I believe the Gathendiens have spotted us.”
It had taken Simone multiple tries to get Evie to say us instead of you. Being stranded in space was much more tolerable when one could pretend the pod’s computer was a friend and didn’t feel so alone. “What makes you say that?”
“I detected the brush of their radar. And the ship appears to be turning in our direction.”
Simone grunted. “Do you think they know we’re in a Lasaran escape pod?”
“Uncertain.”
Belly full, she set the last empty tray aside. “Well, let’s make sure they do.” Rounding the seat in the center of the pod, she sat down and eyed the command screen in front of her.
“What is your intent?” Evie inquired placidly.
“I intend to contact them and play the helpless young thing in a red hood who’s too green to realize she’s talking to the big bad wolf.”
“I am unable to glean your meaning. Please repeat using alternate terms.”
A dark smile curled Simone’s lips. “I intend to deceive them. Can you limit our contact to audio and keep them from seeing me?”
“Affirmative.”
“Perfect. Once you open communications with them, don’t interrupt, contradict, or correct me.”
“Affirmative. Do you wish me to hail them now?”
“Yes, please.”
A moment passed. “Begin communication,” Evie instructed.
“Hello?” Simone called, pitching her voice higher than usual and filling it with what she considered an excellent combination of desperation and hope. “Hello? Is anyone there? Please, answer me.” For added effect, she whispered, “Please, let them answer.”
“Identify yourself,” a gruff voice responded.
“Oh, thank goodness!” she gushed. “My name is Simone. I was a passenger on the Kandovar. We were on our way to Lasara and… I don’t know what happened. I think the ship was attacked, or maybe it malfunctioned or—“
“You are Lasaran?”
“What? No. I was just a passenger.” She added a tremor to her voice. “One of the Yona pushed me into this pod and launched it. Then there was a big explosion and a loud grinding noise and…” She faked a sob. “I don’t know where I am. I’ve just been floating out here alone for weeks and haven’t been able to contact anyone.”
“You are not Lasaran?” he pressed.
“No.” She added a sniffle. “I’m from Earth. This is my first time in space. I don’t know how anything works. And my supplies are starting to run out. Can you please help me?”
“We will come to your aid.”
Simone could be wrong, but she was pretty sure even a helpless young thing would’ve had second thoughts after hearing his less than friendly, growled responses. Nevertheless, she infused her voice with hope. “You will?”