Page 71 of Ava Greasemonkey

Her magnetic bracers were already around her wrist, though they were starting to fray at the ends from her gripping them so hard. At the first junction that went down she went down with it, moving the bracers slowly to make the least amount of noise possible. The suit stuck to her, sweat in between the seams.

A vast expanse of gleaming metal and hologram parts sat stored neatly in the room.You knew it wouldn’t be that easy to find them on the first try, Ava.It was a room full of technology that Ava would have loved to get her hands on at any other point in time. A pang went through her, thinking of how Ebel would have reacted to such a trove before she hooked her bracers on the wall and hoisted herself up. She let herself take a break once at the top, resigned to the fact that she would have to inspect every room one by one.

She hit her mark in the third room, sliding down on arms that were shaking from the fatigue of holding her up. Ava felt a flush of relief, slowly smiling as she looked down and counted the five Vorbax females in front of her.I got them.They were even more beautiful in person, despite the despondent looks in their eyes and lethargic demeanor.

Circling the room, she came to a horizontal duct with a grate just above their heads. She stopped a minute, trying to catch her breath. Ava sat there and watched them, noting the differencesbetween them and the males. And with herself.We do look similar.The women did not have hair like she did. Instead, they had frills around their head the way the males did, only smaller and less flamboyant. They were around the same height and had a slender body frame similar to Ava’s from what she could see. Their clothing was ripped and stained, adding to the grimy appearance of where they were being held. The atmosphere in the room was dejected and worn.

Vox explained that the females lacked the ability to control others using telepathy. They could communicate, but were defenseless beyond that. It was time to put that to the test and see if they could hear her. Vox was unsure if it would work.

Ava slid down to flatten her body and projected her thoughts, pushing her face against the metal vent opening into the room from the ceiling.“Can you hear me?”

No one responded. Not even a look. They continued staring ahead, gazing at a nature feed that was projected on the wall.

Cursing, she moved positions, traveling along until she reached a grate at the end of the portion of the vent structure that she could fit in. She was still around ten feet above their heads on the side. The room inside stank from a pile of rotten food in the corner. Ava took off her oxygen mask and winced as she breathed in the foul air.

Ava put her parched lips together and tried to whistle, unsuccessfully, before wetting them and doing it again.

One of the females looked up at the sound, turning her elegant head to try to locate it. Ava saw a face remarkably similar to her own, only tinted blue.

She whistled again, followed by a soft, “Up here.”

Ava stuck her pinky finger through the vent, not wanting to reveal any more. She didn’t know if they were under video surveillance.

The woman kept looking around until she saw Ava’s finger, then nudged the others in the room with her. They all began lighting up and communicating. Ava just waited, thinking hard toward the women, attempting to say hello. She never had to try to do this with Vox; he was able to pluck every thought right out of her head.

A few of them looked right at her, glowing. Ava could feel something faintly in the back of her head. She tried to focus on it but it didn’t come through clearly. She caught snippets. It felt like concern and curiosity.

“I can’t hear you,” she said softly, shifting her legs where they were aching to sit easier.

As a unit, the five women looked away, still glowing. Ava waited while one came by the vent she was crouched in, her walk elegant and unhurried. She sat, back to the wall, near Ava. The other four began humming, making noise.

“Are there cameras?” Ava whispered, watching the others make distracting noises and chanting in the middle of the floor.

“Yes. They watch. What are you?” She looked forward, toward the other women, not at Ava, hand covering her mouth as she spoke.

Ava cleared her throat and spoke softly. “I am a Human. I am with other Vorbax. Vox, Rhutg, Erox, Lirell. They are coming to free you. I’m here to help.”

The Vorbax sat straighter, light coming in her eyes as she shone, communicating with the others.

The entire energy in the room changed. Ava felt it. She still couldn’t understand the words they were projecting but she did pick up on the feelings of relief and joy. It was overwhelming. Ava began to cry, feeding on their emotions from where she sat in the vent. Their chanting took on an upbeat tone.

“When?”

Ava answered, wiping her tears away, “In less than half a cycle. They sent me first to help prepare. I have . . . weapons.”

The Vorbax’s demeanors changed. Jubilance was still projected, but underneath it was an undertone of rage. The Vorbax nearest to her let out a feral grin, reminding her of Vox when he initially took over the ship.

Ava moved back in the vent, startled, letting out a small ping as she shifted around. That was a definite difference between the Vorbax females and herself. Ava would never be able to make such a bloodthirsty expression.

“Good,” the Vorbax hissed, turning and catching Ava’s eye before resuming her crouch on the floor with her knees bent in front of her. “I am Orla. We are ready.”

Orla. The name stuck to Ava’s mind before she shook her head. It was familiar. The Vorbax in question was already gesturing in front of her, naming the others. Ava half listened, trying to remember, before it came to her. Orla was Vox’s intended. She quickly shook her head again to avoid the thought, and instead noted that the name Rhutg gave her of his mate was missing from Orla’s list of who was in the room with her.

“Violie?” Ava asked, remembering what Rhutg had called her.

Orla looked down, sadness radiating. “No, Violie . . . she fought too hard. They killed her because she wouldn’t submit when we were captured. She refused to move.” Orla glanced back at her four other companions huddled together. “A few others did not make it either. We are it.”

Ava looked at her, her heart sinking. She couldn’t respond. Rhutg would be devastated. Beyond devastated.

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