Page 37 of My Alien Bughead
Peering into the shaft after Cricket crawls through, I nod to myself at the sight of five faintly glowing lumps of crylonite. Cricket did a perfect job spacing it out. “It looks great. Now, just step out of the way. I’m not sure how big of a bang this will be. Just go back into the other tunnel, okay?”
There’s some chirping and skittering from the other tunnel, which quickly fades away. Hopefully, the Serramorphs are keeping their distance. I’d hate for anyone to get hurt because of me.
With utmost care, I extract the ion sphere from D’Aakh’s flashlight. The cloud of plasma swirls inside violently, held back by the magnetic field maintained by the metal casing. Once that’s gone, the sphere will vanish in a small but powerful explosion.
“This better work.”
Crouching down by D’Aakh’s side, I run my free hand over his clammy forehead. He’s stopped convulsing but I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not. Instead of burning hot, he’s alarmingly cold now, and he isn’t reacting to my presence or touch.
“Just hang in there a little longer, please,” I whisper. “Please. I want you to keep annoying me while we work on your ship. I want to see how far I can push you before you’re theone throwing stuff at me,” I beg, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “Don’t die, please.”
I’m tearing up again and I absolutely don’t have time for a crying fit. Wiping away the tears to clear my vision once more, I announce, “Alright. Let’s do this.”
After double checking that D’Aakh is out of the firing line and, hopefully, in a stable section of tunnel, I approach the air shaft. Sending a prayer to whoever might be listening, I remove the casing from the ion sphere.
“FIRE IN THE HOLE!” I yell, before tossing it into the air shaft and running away. I said it mostly because that’s what they always shout in the movies when something is about to explode and I thought it would be funny. It’s not.
My heart is in my throat as I throw myself over D’Aakh, ready to shield him with my own body in case the tunnel comes crashing down upon us.
Chapter 22
Lucía
The explosion sounds likea deafening roar in my ears, bringing with it a wave of hot air and flames, consuming all of the available oxygen everywhere it goes. My lungs protest loudly as I breathe in large amounts of smoke, soot and dust. My lungs can shut the fuck up for all I care. We’re alive and that’s all that matters.
Since the plume of dust makes it nearly impossible to see, I slowly rise up and feel my way along the tunnel wall until I come across some obvious cracks in the wall’s structure. Large, widecracks followed by a hole. Its edges are sharp and jagged, but it’s wide. Wide enough for me to crawl into.
Chirps greet me, and even though I know it’s the Serramorphs, the sounds of skittering from the darkness in front of me has me shuddering involuntarily. Then, familiar shapes emerge from the dust cloud. “Chewie! Tink! Oh, thank god. You’re okay. And you’re through, so that means the shaft is wide enough now?”
Tink lets out a sound I assume is a yes, and tugs on my hand. “No, wait,” I stop her from pulling me any further. “We need to get D’Aakh. He’s unconscious. We’ll have to carry him out somehow.”
The Serramorphs don’t hesitate. They pour into the tunnel and, after a minute of shuffling, return carrying a prostrate D’Aakh on their backs, like ants carrying a dead worm back to their home. Great, now I’m going to be haunted by that imagery.
Shaking off the inappropriate thoughts, I focus on the present. “Is there a way out?”
Tink chirps yes, tugging on my hand again. This time, I do follow. The males drag D’Aakh through the newly widened shaft. He’ll no doubt have a ton of cuts and bruises from the jagged rocks, but hopefully, he’ll be alive to complain about it.
Once we’re in the other tunnel, Tink takes off. I follow, not questioning her choice of direction.
It feels like we’re running forever. The tunnel forks several times, but Tink never hesitates, leading us on an upward slope back to the station. With only my flashlight to illuminate the way, I stumble and fall several times, scraping my hands and knees each time. Every time it happens, I spring right back to my feet and continue. On and on. My breathing comes in wheezing gasps and my thighs are burning. By the time we finally reach the station’s corridors, black spots are dancing in front of my eyes.
Once we’re under functioning lights again, I check on D’Aakh, my breath catching in my throat. He looks like he’s gone already, only the softest glow of his antennae letting me know that it’s hopefully not all lost yet.
Taking the lead, I rush through the station toward the residential area. D’Aakh needs a doctor. Now. But there’s no one around.
The marketplace is uncharacteristically quiet; the corridors surrounding it abandoned.
“Shit! Where the fuck is everyone?!”
Tink squeaks as she indicates the hallway leading to the docks.
“Oh, fuck. Please don’t tell me there’s a fight going on.”
I hurry after Tink as fast as my aching legs can carry me, grateful I don’t have to drag D’Aakh along. I might be strong, but I’d have struggled even getting him through the blown-up air shaft, let alone up through all of the subsequent tunnels. I make a mental note to buy the Serramorphs a drink. If they even drink.
There’s shouting accompanied by angry roars of agreement from the opening ahead that makes me pick up the pace. A crowd of station employees and their family members surround the entrance to the Supernova andDios mío, they’re holding weapons. Not actual weapons, but power tools and plasma cutters and other tools that can do a lot of damage when wielded by desperate people.
An engine roars to the side of me and my eyes nearly pop out of my head as I take in the massive ore harvester primed and ready to tear into the ship’s hull. How the fuck did they even get that up here?!
