Page 15 of Argurma Monster

She paled, and a look of apprehension crossed her face. “Are you certain we have to go through it?”

“If we wish to remain clear of the sensors of the Argurma warship traveling through the sector and not lose lunars of travel time, the asteroid belt provides the best option for keeping us on the proper path to the space station for refueling.”

She eyed him with concern. “What’s the likelihood of running out of fuel if we reroute?”

Zoreth’s vibrissae twitched unhappily. “Thirty percent probability of fuel cell death.” He swallowed at the worried look on her face. “Sixty percent probability of depleting the replicator’s raw material supply.”

Beverly expelled a long breath and gave him a grim smile. “Well, damn. I guess the asteroid belt it is. Just how rocky is this going to get... and when are we due to hit it?”

The ship suddenly jerked and vibrated violently, making Beverly shriek and grab for the console in front of her as Zoreth widened his stance and braced his feet against the turbulence.

“Now,” he growled as he turned for the door, cursing under his breath. “It appears we have arrived.”

“What? Already?” she yelled, jumping to her feet just as Talech barreled through the door.

The male just barely avoided colliding with Zoreth in his haste to scoop the female up into the protection of his arms. She squeaked a little as she was lifted off the floor, and Zoreth hid a gratified smile as he rushed out the door. At least she would be as safe as she possibly could be with Talech cocooning her as the ship was hit by asteroids too small and fast to avoid.

“It seems that I miscalculated,” he rumbled in reply as he ran from the med unit and up the corridor toward the flight deck.

He would see them through this and get them safely home. Whether that home would be as safe and as welcoming to Talech remained to be seen, but it was an eventuality that he refused to calculate at the moment. For now, the asteroids and the distance that remained to be traveled posed a far greater obstacle than worrying about a malfunctioning male attached to a female that neither of them was willing to relinquish.

His cousin Larth, who malfunctioned with an abundance of inappropriate humor, would never stop laughing once they got through this.

Chapter 13

Beverly shrieked as she clung to Talech’s bulky frame, grateful for the metal limbs that were currently caging her in as he raced from the med unit to the safety of their quarters. Every jolt of the ship made him sway, and yet he was surefooted enough to not break stride as he raced for the security of the inner ship. The groan of the metal walls around them was terrifying, as if the ship were slowly dying all around them with every boom vibrating through its structure. Every shudder and moan from the ship made her pulse hammer with terror.

“We’re okay. Zoreth said that this would happen. It’s normal. Just baby asteroids,” Beverly whispered quietly to herself.

Talech rumbled and purred with agreement despite the tension in his large body as he bounded down the hall with her in his arms, his heavy footfall drowned out by the sounds of the ship.Garangasuddenly rocked violently with a loud blast that blew out a port as they passed in a burst of sparks. The ship weaved erratically, nearly sending Talech off his feet as he ducked through the door of their room. Hissing quietly, he began to grab every pillow and small cushion he could find and tucked them between Beverly and the metal frame of his arching limbs closed around her. Besides padding the unforgiving metal, they also pushed her firmly against his chest so that she could feel the rapid beat of his own heart as he dropped into the same chair they had occupied during takeoff. His head tipped up, and Beverly followed his gaze to the comm system as a rush of static came through, followed by the clipped voice ofGaranga’sAI.

“Warning. Overdrive systems have sustained critical damage. Fires have been contained in sections two, three, and seven. Sections have been locked down for repair. The engine compartment in section one has sustained critical damage andis locked down for repair. Steering failure is imminent. Massive system-wide failure is imminent. Life support failure is—”

Garanga’sAI cut off beneath a sharp growl from Zoreth on the overhead comms. “We are under attack and have sustained critical damage. An Argurma patrol ship was waiting just inside the belt that our sensors failed to pick up,” he growled with a vehement curse that didn’t translate. “We are nearly through the field, but we are going down. Prepare for an emergency landing. Talech, secure Beverlynow!”

With a forceful grunt, Talech initiated the straps of the chair and Beverly felt the familiar slither of the straps as they slid over her thighs, pinning her legs to his as other straps slipped between them, anchoring him fully to the chair. His mandibles flared, and she looked up as he raised an arm to his limbs and flicked a claw at a specific spot in each joint in his spinal limbs before curling his arms once more around her. Her heart stuttered as he met her eyes grimly.

“Beverly is secured,” he growled up to the comm. Drawing her closer, he pressed his brow against hers, his curved horns brushing the sides of her face as his voice dropped to a soft whisper in her ears. “I have you, anastha. No harm will come to you. Never.”

Blinking back tears, she nodded and held tightly to him as Zoreth’s voice hissed over them.

“Acknowledged.” He let out a breath that crackled in a hiss of static. “Sensors have located a habitable planet. Coordinates are set. We have just exited the asteroid field and are on course.” The static rose again, briefly drowning out his words before receding just enough to hear him again. “Systems are going down one by one. Prepare for impact. Comms will—”

His voice was lost in another rush of static before the comms cut out completely, leaving them in silence except for the angry groan ofGaranga.

That terrible sound seemed to last forever, the temperature within the cabin dropping by alarming degrees, until the groan became a roar of metal vibrating as if something were closing the ship within a tight fist. The temperature shot up, getting warmer and warmer as the ship continued to quake all around them. Beverly could feel the prick of Talech’s claws against her skin as he held her to him tightly, his heart galloping within his chest following the near bursting pace of hers. Her mouth opened and she screamed at the mounting pressure within the room, and then the entire ship seemed to blast apart with a terrible shriek of metal and a shock that sent her spiraling into darkness.

The darkness receded slowly. Beverly didn’t know how long she had been lost within its hold. It had felt like an eternity before she gradually became aware of the scent of hot metal, debris, and the cool, musky scent of something that smelled like soil after a rain. Talech’s heart continued to beat reassuringly beneath her cheek, but his arms were slack where they were wrapped around her despite the rigid hold of his spinal limbs still caging her in against him. Craning her head up, she peered at the relaxed lines of his face. Blood flowed freely from a cut on his cheek where something had grazed him, and she frowned at it. No doubt it was the reason he was still unconscious. For how long, she had no idea. She turned to take in as much of their surroundings as she could see within her limited view.

Their cabin had been completely destroyed. It made her heart ache to see it. Although none of them occupied the room to do anything other than sleep together in the same bed, it had still represented safety and a sense of belonging. All of that was gone as she noted the crumpled and torn metal walls. A large gap halfway up one wall revealed a dark purple sky pinkening with the rise of dawn. The light was faint, and the clear sky of the distant horizon rapidly gave way to a blanket of clouds that crept in their direction.

Water dropped on her face, and then again, making her angle her head toward the ceiling—a ceiling that was no longer there. There was nothing but dark clouds sprawling over them. Beverly shivered against Talech as she suddenly understood the implications of all that she was seeing. The cabins were in the center of the ship, the most protected spot in the entirety of the ship.Garangahad literally been ripped apart. That meant—

“Zoreth?” she croaked. Surely he was there somewhere in the wreckage—perhaps already looking for them. The flight deck would have even better protection... wouldn’t it? It had to. He had to be okay. He was out there, possibly searching for the wreckage of their cabin. When no response came, she screamed his name, feeling her voice shred painfully in her throat. “Zoreth!”

Beneath her, Talech hissed and groaned, and Beverly’s eyes snapped over to his face in relief as she reached up and smoothed her hands over his cheeks. Tears of relief streamed down her face as she felt the hesitant touch of his vibrissae against her fingers and the back of her hands.

“Talech?” His eyes fluttered, and she gasped a little with happiness. “That’s it. Wake up for me.”

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