Page 117 of Seven Oars
Phex snorted.“He shouldn’t be, right? But this place is never straight. Thilza switched sides in the middle of their fight, and the two of them slapped the others around. Nothing makes sense here. Nothing.”
Rosamma refused to admit it was relief she felt at his words.
If it was, she only felt it because she trusted the Striker more than the others to keep the station functional and the rabid ones marginally in check. That was the only reason for the easing in her chest.Better the devil you know kind of thing.
Once more, she pondered their current situation.
“Phex,” she leaned close, whispering in a rush,“it’s a perfect moment.The pirates are resting.It’s our chance to escape!”
They were face-to-face, and she saw his multiple pupils trained on her face.
“We already tried that.” His voice was flat.
“No, we tried to send a distress signal. I’m talking real escape!”
“How?” He sounded curiously detached.
“Well, first, we have to free you.” Her mind spun with ideas.“And then we have to free one of the pods. You can fly one, can’t you?”
“I could,” he said slowly and without enthusiasm.“But I won’t.”
She sat back.“What?”
“It’s not doable, Rosamma,” he explained to her as if she were a toddler.“You can’t release a pod without a code. And you can’t fly one without provisions, protection, fuel. They might be broke for all I know!”
He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, to find excuses why it couldn’t be done.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
She searched his face, looking for strength there, for his usual glow.
She found nothing but a blank mask.
“We can do nothing,” he said.“Let it run its course. Let the heat peak and take us all. Damn them.”
This heat must’ve gotten to him.
She touched him, fast, pulsing a burst of energy into his hand. There. Maybe that would help clear his head.
Then she rose.
Her head swam a little. The burst of energy cost her precious reserves.
She shook it off.
It was such an incredibly opportune moment, this heat situation.
“How would you access the codes?” she asked.“From the Command Center?”
Phex rolled his head to loosen his neck.“Most likely from the Service Block.”
“Great! That’s where I’ll go. What should I search for?”
“This place is an antiquated heap, and not even Rix in origin.”
He swept his hand around, indicating the ugly monstrosity that was their station.
“It’s been patched up ten times over by its different occupants. I’ve no idea what to look for,” he said sourly.
