Page 36 of The Stolen Tribute
“The trash?” I asked.
The Zexian nodded. “Yeah. But there are always a few escape pods for the crew in case there’s an issue. Normally never enough for everyone on board.” He opened the door to reveal a small hanger with two pill-shaped escape pods. They would save maybe six souls each, depending on the size of the alien who used it.
“So, what do we need these for?” I asked.
“Not the pods themselves, but the other stuff,” Jaxir said. He began rummaging through the supply cabinets.
Inside, there were space suits, flight gear, helmets, lights, and, most importantly, weapons and tools.
“Jackpot!” Jaxir cheered. His face lit up with glee.
I grabbed a bag and began filling it with as much as I could carry.
Jaxir did the same, looking like a kid in a candy store.
Suddenly, the entire ship shuddered. An alarm started blasting through the intercom system, and red lights started flashing.
Reconnecting … reconnecting … intruder alert … reconnecting … please stand by…
“Shit, the AI!” Jaxir shouted. He shouldered the bag. “Come on,” He grabbed my hand just as the door closed. A metal sound grated on our ears as the door locked from the outside, trapping us in the escape hangar.
“What’s going on?” I gasped.
The intercom crackled, and the computerized voice faded away.
“Hello, Jaxir. I believe you have something of mine aboard that garbage ship. Now, you will return her to me, or die.”
It was Dal.
