Page 6 of Survivor
I adored the guys, but there was no denying the thrill of some actual me time.
I had three hours to explore.
My stomach fluttered as I reached for the exit release. It had been so long since I’d been outside.
The sun cut across my face, momentarily blinding me, and then heat caressed my skin and sweet air filled my lungs, making me light-headed. The combination of elements was designed to suit several species, all of which relied on oxygen to survive. But it wasn’t the same atmosphere as Earth, and it took a moment for my body to adjust. It didn’t help that Xavier had hooked up the inside of the ship to suit me perfectly.
Several seconds passed, and my head cleared. A metal walkway led to the dusty ground, and the rusting husks of old ships rose up around me.
I’d come this way once when we’d arrived in the dark. But my sense of direction was pretty good. I closed the door and headed down the walkway. The hub was twenty minutes on foot, but it wasn’t my destination. It was the Cogs I needed. Because if I’d learned anything from my time on Vesper, it was that dirty deals paid the most, and the best place to find those would be in the Cogs.
3
The hubbub of the spaceport closed in around me as I wove my way through the throngs of travelers eager to get to and from their destinations. My disguise made it hard to distinguish me as female, and no one looked my way with more than a passing glance.
Corona Nexus was a large port that catered to a variety of customers. It was home to many alternate species. The hub reminded me of a mall, with all its stalls and eateries and its fancy accommodations for those with credits. The docking bay was above us, and the bottom of large ships could be seen with elevators that defied gravity taking visitors up and down. But then there was another side to Corona. The working side, the metal and grind, and the cogs of it.
That’s where I was headed.
The Cogs.
It was only a matter of time before Marick or the Athion government came looking. There had to be something we’d missed. A way out the guys hadn’t seen because they’d been so focused on doing things the right way. I had no such qualms.
The walkway was bordered with signs and promotional billboards that flashed and twirled. I scanned it for a sign that pointed to the Cogs.
My time was ticking by. The trip here had eaten half an hour, and I’d already spent fifteen minutes searching for a route to the dark side.
I wanted to get back half an hour before the guys returned. I needed to change and fake having not been out. Lying sucked, but right now it was the only way to gather intel. Once I had something, I’d pull them in. But until then …
A shadow passed overhead, and I glanced up to see a huge silver ship docking. It was sleek like a bullet, all clean lines and glistening planes. Neat black symbols were inked onto its side, but not anything I could understand. I wasn’t the only one stopping to stare. The buzz and hustle slowed to watch the magnificent ship pull in and engage with the docking station.
Something knocked my knees, and I jolted as a small figure dashed across my path. A small figure on a hoverboard. He swerved between the creatures populating the hub and paused briefly to slap something onto the wall of a blue and yellow stall before whizzing off.
It was a poster, gray and black with red lettering. The words50,000 creditsglared at me. More than enough to buy a ship. I cut through the throng and plucked the poster off the wall to study it closely.
There was a large symbol, a trident in a circle, and one sentence written in a language I didn’t understand. But the figure was everything.
I needed to find the creature who’d posted it. I pushed through the crowd, following the line of posters. There, up ahead. His blue coat flapped behind him as he swerved and vanished between two stores.
I broke into a jog, dodging the tourists until I was at the mouth of the alley.
He was parked up, slicking a poster to the wall.
“Hey!” I ran toward him.
He looked up, slanted black eyes round in shock, flat, wide mouth parted. He said something in an unknown tongue, kicked off, and shot off on his board.
Like hell was he getting away. I needed info. I broke into a sprint down the alley, leaping the chain link fence into the network of streets beyond. Buildings rose up on either side, colorful structures with too many levels linked by metal stairways and walkways. Where was he?
A flash of blue to my left. Yes, I had him. I ducked between two buildings and clambered up a flight of stairs before barreling down a walkway to intercept him. He was below me now, and I was ahead of him. I grabbed the railing on the walkway and vaulted it. The world rushed by as I fell. I landed neatly, ignoring the jarring sensation that swept up my legs and settled in my teeth, and stood in time to grab the back of his jacket as he flew past. He snagged in the air, pin-wheeling for a moment, and then slammed back into me, taking me down with him. We lay in a heap on the ground, both stunned for a moment, and then he began to fight me.
Guttural sounds fell from his lips. The angry tone and panic told me all I needed to know. He was pissed. He was scared.
“Hey. It’s okay.” I kept my tone soothing while holding on to him. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just need your help. Please.” Shit, he was strong. I gripped him tighter. “Calm down.”
He stilled his thrashing and looked up at me. “Help? You need help.”
Shit, he spoke English. “You can speak my language?”
