Page 56 of Seven Oars
Rosamma managed a small smile.“Fear is just a reaction to danger.”
“It makes you act unreasonably. Like going to the Habitat and having a bag placed over your head.”
“Well, I went because I felt guilty.” Rosamma fidgeted with her braid.“I said something stupid, and they were going to make you suffer for it. I’m very sorry.”
Phex resumed his slow pacing.“Guilt’s bad, too. You have to stay sharp. Work on it. Work on your fear.”
His warrior mindset was admirable, if completely misplaced when applied to her.
“I will work on my fear, Phex,” Rosamma promised, knowing that for her, his level of mental strength was as unachievable as his physical power.
Later, the women got together for a huddle, dragging the reluctant Phex into their group.
Alyesha held court.“I’ve been thinking about what to do. We’ve got to have a plan. Something concrete. Something everyone can get behind and start working toward.”
Alyesha was right. Like Rosamma, the other women were unmoored, wondering if they had a future. It was eating away at their morale badly.
Phex shifted to find a more comfortable sitting position. His body was still stiff, but his facial swelling was subsiding, telling Rosamma that her precious energy had worked.
“The plan’s to send out a distress signal,” he said, short-tempered.“I told you that.”
“So you did. How are we going to do that?” Alyesha asked.
“I don’t know yet. The emergency beacon would be at the Command Center.”
“We can create a distraction!” Fawn exclaimed.“Lure the pirates away from the Command Center. We can start a fire!”
Phex shifted again.“I can name several problems with that plan.”
“No, listen, we have water in the filter tank,” Fawn said quickly, caught up in her idea.“We can put it out fast. It’s the perfect distraction! All the smoke…”
“Oh, shut up!” Alyesha rolled her eyes.
“…the smoke will trigger the fire alarm,” Gro pointed out,“long before they’d abandon their posts at the Command Center. Not to mention…”
“What?”
“How do you plan to start a fire?”
Fawn hadn’t thought that far ahead.“He can help, the defender,” she said sullenly.
Phex’s eyes were flat.
“You don’t want to involve us, do you?” Rosamma asked quietly.
“It’s not that I don’t…”
“You don’t trust us.”
He focused on the women.
“It’s not about trust. It’s about skills.”
He didn’t spell out which skills, but it was clear enough. Fighting skills.
Gro smiled wryly.“Don’t underestimate the motivation of desperate circumstances.”
But Phex wasn’t convinced.“I need real strength. Tactical thinking. Courage.”
