Page 16 of New World

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Mei stood over Grak’s body, watching dispassionately as green blood slowly pooled under him, and silently cursed. Her plan to remain undetected would be difficult to maintain with a missing crew member. There would be a search. Once the captain and first officer realized that Grak had been murdered, they were bound to notify someone. She needed to find a place to hide his body and hope they didn’t find it, or her, until they docked somewhere she could escape.

She was still contemplating what to do next when the door behind her softly hissed open and the warmer light of the corridor illuminated several feet into the storage unit. Her body tensed and she twisted to face the opening, poised to strike like the viper her mother had taught her to be. A low gasp of dismay slipped from her lips as she instantly recognized the shadowy figure in the doorway.

Tiv.

The insectoid alien stood in the doorway, his multi-jointed limbs motionless, his dark eyes wide with curiosity. Mei’s grip on her sword tightened.

Tiv’s mandibles clicked, slow and deliberate, as if he was trying to tell her something. Then—he lifted his hands and extended them slightly toward her. Not in fear. Not in defense. Reassurance.

Tiv stepped forward, crossing the threshold, and the doors slid shut behind him. Mei kept her stance firm as she watched Tiv step closer.

The insectoid’s multi-jointed limbs moved carefully, his sleek chitinous exoskeleton glinting under the dim emergency lights. His mandibles clicked softly, a rhythmic sound, as if he were choosing his words carefully.

Mei’s muscles coiled, ready to strike if needed. Tiv stopped a few feet away, lifted his uppermost set of hands, and spoke.

“Zhis’ska torin ka’resh vash’ti?”

The language was sharp, almost musical, filled with layered clicks and subtle vibrations that Mei’s ears weren’t trained to pick up. She gave a brief shake of her head. Her gaze warily followed the movement when Tiv’s lower set of hands reached up to a small metallic device around his neck. He adjusted it with delicate precision, twisting a dial.

A second later, a voice, smooth and rich, filled the air.

“Do you understand me?”

Mei’s eyes widened slightly, the unexpected sound catching her off guard. A translator. The voice was human-like, hesitant but clear—and feminine.

Mei nodded once. Tiv’s mandibles parted in what Mei now recognized as the alien species’ version of a smile.

“Good,” Tiv said, her voice softening. “I had hoped so.”

Mei lowered her blade slightly, but remained cautious. Her eyes narrowed as a realization dawned on her.

“You knew I was here.” It wasn’t a question.

Tiv tilted her head, her strange, luminous eyes narrowing in amusement. She lifted one of her hands, gesturing toward Mei’s face.

“My species… sees things that others cannot.”

Mei frowned. “What do you mean?”

Tiv tapped the side of her head, where the ridges along her skull pulsed faintly with shifting color.

“We see heat signatures. Energy trails. Movement in the dark. You are not as hidden as you believe, ancient one.”

Mei stilled. That meant Tiv had been aware of her for a long time. She would have to remember that in the future.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Tiv’s smile faded slightly and she shrugged her uppermost shoulders.

“Because I have no desire to make enemies where I don’t need them. And…” she glanced down at Grak’s crumpled form and let out a soft chittering laugh, “because I rather like the idea of him gone.”

Mei’s lips twitched, but she didn’t let the amusement fully surface.

“And your captain? Your first officer?”

Tiv shook her head, stepping closer, lowering her voice.

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