Page 39 of Ava Greasemonkey

Ava let go of Nuor and hugged him harder. He clicked and hugged her back, fuzzy body shaking. Nuor looked shaken, but not to the same degree Ebel did. She didn’t lose anyone she lovedlike he had. Friends among the contractors and Phor, maybe, but no close connections.

Ava knew that the death of the queen, on some level, must have destroyed a large part of Ebel. Even bigger than Wert, which made grief swim inside her. Ava pushed the feelings aside, breathing hard until she got control over herself. Grieving would need to happen later. Alone. Right now she needed to focus on her friends and her next steps toward getting them to safety. Could she get them to safety? She at least needed to try. The Vorbax listened to her and had bargained with her once already, so maybe she could figure out a way to have it happen again.

“It seems you’re in a different category than us, Ava,” Nuor said softly, voice trilling after Ava let go of Ebel and stood back to look at her sadly. “You’re not imprisoned down here like us. Unless you’re coming to stay?”

Ava glanced back to Lirell who stood stone-still, watching her talk with her friends. He was not even pretending to give them any privacy as he leaned against a side panel eating a yavi fruit. Captor or friend? He was fulfilling both roles at once.

“No, I don’t think I am. I don’t really understand any of it. They gave me a room by navigation and are sort of just leaving me alone.”

“Hmmm.” Nuor’s eyes narrowed. “What do they want with you?”

Ava hesitated before answering, “I think I remind them of the females they have on their planet. They want to run some tests on me. I said they could if they let me come see you.”

Nuor went quiet, obviously thinking. Ebel turned his head to Ava, antennas still low, his fangs sweating a diluted acid from the stress. “Don’t trust them. Look at what they did to Wert and the others,” he spat out, convex eyes straying toward Lirell, who took another bite of fruit.

Ava nodded absently. She knew he was right to feel the way he did, even though she had mixed feelings herself. But she didn’t contradict Ebel, not wanting to argue. She for sure didn’t want to share with him that a part of her had hope that this might lead to something better for her. That hope was in contrast with the pain she felt for Wert. Her thoughts were so jumbled.

She continued to pat his back while her own mind spun. She was so confused by her conflicting emotions. She felt emotional pain for Wert being gone, and Ebel’s distress, but it felt muted.

Why don’t I feel more?She questioned herself, seeing Ebel’s devastated reaction.Is there something wrong with me?Ava was not devastated as much as she felt unhinged. It was almost like she was viewing the scene as an outsider rather than directly involved, with a sense of detachment. Guilt flooded through her at her own reaction. Maybe this was normal for Humans too. She remembered her mother becoming detached sometimes, not responding. Back then, Ava truly did not understand or know what was happening since she was still a child.

Frowning, Ava turned to Nuor. “Have they said what they want with you?”Did they mention they would release you?

Nuor shook her head, feathers rustling. “We have not been down here long. That one,” she said, motioning to Lirell. “He brought us some rations soon after putting us here. We’ve then been left alone until you came in. No one has told us anything about their intentions or what is going on.”

“They are on a mission to rescue their females,” Ava shared, happy she was able to clear something up for them while changing the topic. “The Tuxa have stolen a group of them and they are planning to get them back. Us and our ship are just . . . the way they’re doing that.”

“So they are still going to Torga? Only now it’s going to be a battle when we get there?” Nuor asked. Ebel listened but didn’t say anything, antennas plastered to his head.

Ava breathed out heavily. “I don’t know. They haven’t shared any of their plans beyond that. I think we’re it . . . of the crew alive.”

Nuor sat back and hummed a low melodic tone. She looked pale under the fluorescent lighting. Ava could see the stress on her face.

What can I do to help them?Maybe if they wanted the medical tests badly enough, Ava could arrange some sort of escape for her friends and herself. Ava ran through what else she could offer or bargain with. Maybe Phor technology knowledge? Ava avoided Ebel’s eyes a moment, guilt flooding her with that thought. It felt traitorous to think that, especially right now in front of Ebel, but if it got them out alive . . .

What am I even thinking?The way these creatures could read minds, they probably knew everything worthwhile already. She needed to learn more about how they read minds.Could they just access any memory at will, or did she have to be actively thinking of something? Like earlier, when she thought of the Human women and Lirell saw them in her head. Maybe if she just didn’t think about any of her plans or anything she wanted to keep hidden around them . . . but that would be exhausting.

She turned back and saw Lirell picking up a few more yavi fruits to eat, for once not shining. Ava resolved to ask him some questions when he walked her back to the med bay.

Ava looked at her friends and at the other four Phor still alive. They all looked just as dejected and lost as Ebel. The Vorbax might have a noble cause, but they had harmed innocent bystanders for their plan. Ava couldn’t reconcile the violent actions with the same Vorbax who were so polite and kind to her as she served them when they were pretending to be prisoners. They still treated her cordially, even now, as if she was an equal.

Ava revised her musings.Well, not all of them.She absolutely could see Rhutg capable of all the violence remembering histreatment of her in the vents. Vox she even considered a friend, or something potentially more than that at times. She felt an attraction toward him that almost made her feel ashamed. How could she feel that way toward them and then stand here and see the Phor suffering firsthand? It was . . . everything was . . . exhausting.

She took Nuor’s and Ebel’s hands in hers. “I will do what I can.” Ava looked at them both with sincerity. She’d help them. That much at least was clear to her.

Nuor gave Ava a brief hug again. “I know you will. Just be smart up there with them.”

Ebel didn’t answer; he just gave her hand an extra squeeze.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Lirell was not rushing her, but she did not think it would be wise to linger down here much longer. Ava gave Ebel one more side-armed hug and then went back to Lirell, who followed her back out of the cargo bay, locking it after they left.

Chapter 13

Lirell began to lead her back to the medical bay, offering her a yavi fruit on the way.

Ava refused, even though her stomach was hollow. Seeing the others and hearing about Wert made the thought of food turn her stomach. If she really had free rein of the ship, she should be able to go to the mess hall later once she had a chance to settle.

Ava fingered the sedative patch in her pocket, hoping that after whatever medical test they wanted to do was over she could rest. Her feet felt leaden walking there, the halls haunted from recent events.It doesn’t feel right.

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