Page 72 of Ava Greasemonkey

Another Vorbax approached. “Sai,” Orla told Ava softly as the woman came and stood next to Orla on the wall.

“This is really happening?” Sai asked out loud, squinting her eyes to peer at Ava closer before sinking next to Orla. She beganrocking back and forth with her legs tucked under her. Her relief was evident in her open-eyed expression.

Ava nodded, even though they couldn’t see her. Already when they talked amongst themselves the emotions were coming through stronger, an undertone in the back of her mind. She was sure that through experience, she could learn to hear them as well as she did the males.

The Vorbax sat in silence, Orla and Sai lighting like fireflies in a conversation Ava couldn’t quite reach.

Alone with her thoughts, an intense surge of bitterness coursed through her as her mind went back to thinking about Orla being Vox’s intended.

“What is causing such mental disturbance?” Orla’s gentle voice softly floated up to her.

Ava tamped down her feelings, forcing herself to think of the task at hand. Clearly they could feel some things from her as well. “It was nothing. Just thinking about Rhutg and Violie.” A soft hum came from the two women below, along with a wave of sadness. Ava shifted in the vent, trying to get more comfortable. It was impossible to stretch properly in the cramped quarters.

“How long until the males are here?” Sai whispered to Ava while standing and pretending to stretch.

Ava answered, “Not long. I don’t think I can pass anything to you easily with the cameras on.” She moved over and slapped her com again. It was still static, displaying no signal. She set it to reboot and sent a message that she’d found the women in case there was a signal at some point, though she didn’t mention Violie not being there. She would tell Rhutg that directly. Selfishly, she didn’t want to disrupt his mental state until after they were all rescued.

Orla answered, “The Tuxa have been distracted lately . . . sometimes they forget to check on us at all.” Her eyes became hooded. “I don’t think they have enjoyed having Vorbax brides.”

Ava shifted, wanting to know more but also afraid to pry and cause them additional distress. Curiosity won out. “Why is that?”

Sai answered by glowing bright a second later, looking directly at Ava. Ava fell over completely in the vent, a loud thud accompanying the movement, as she was overwhelmed by the horror projected by Sai’s gaze. Her entire body seized up, trembling uncontrollably.

Immediately Sai turned it off, leaving Ava to gasp, lying on her side. “Sorry, you’re more sensitive to us than the Tuxa. They didn’t have a strong a reaction like that, just general unpleasantness.”

Orla muttered a second after, “If only we learned how to affect them like that before they took us.”

Ava rubbed her chest, feeling her heart pound, more wary of the females now. She sat back in the vent, away from the grate to catch her breath. Reaching in to her pack, she brought out some water and drank it, shakily. She felt a touch in her head, soothing and calm. It was a contrast to the horror before. She sat and let it lull her a minute, feeling a note of apology underneath it.“Sorry.”The word whispered in her mind.

Ava moved back to the outlet to peer at Sai and Orla still sitting there. “I can hear you. Faintly.”

“We can too. Faintly,” Orla answered, crossing her elegant legs in front of her, outstretched on the floor.

Ava felt the pressure of time now. It wouldn’t be long until Vox landed. She needed to get them armed and ready. She shook off the vague uneasiness she still felt from the fear a minute ago, desperate to try to prepare.

She pressed up against the grate and whispered, “The males were worried about what would happen when they came. That you would be hurt in the fighting. They thought you were completely defenseless.”

“What we did to you only works on a small scale. Otherwise we could have overpowered the Tuxa and escaped.” A third Vorbax had slid to the side, joining Sai and Orla. “I’m Wyrl.” She gestured behind her at the other two Vorbax women, who remained huddled on the nest. “They are Ixxi and Bria.” Neither moved at their introduction, heads staying down, despondent.

Wyrl looked older than the other four. Wrinkles were on her face, similar to what Ava had seen on other animals that were aged. She remembered seeing them on her own mother the last time she saw her.

Ava took inventory of the room. It was utilitarian and sparse, other than the never-ending nature feed projected on the walls. The dirty trays were piled in the corner. In the center there were many bed pallets scooped in a pile. The women must have been sleeping next to each other, comforting each other.

How was she going to get them these weapons to stash?

Wyrl answered for her, “Cut a small hole and we will bring them out one by one.”

“You can understand me?”Ava thought.

Wyrl, staring ahead, nodded. “You are not that different from us, are you?”

“No,”Ava thought. Wyrl glowed, trying to respond that way, but Ava still couldn’t catch all of it.

“Relax. Don’t try so hard. It worked earlier when you were distracted and not focused on trying to hear.”

She was right. When Ava was recovering from the fear she did hear them, quietly. Ava relaxed her mind, thinking of something else, and was able to hear Wyrl softly. It sounded like she was a long distance away, as if she was on the other side of the engine hall back on the ship.

“There you go.”Wyrl let out a small smile from below. “My, your mind is fascinating.”

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