Page 14 of Her Alien Cyborgs
If they were still alive and in the clear after this, she’d have to make some changes to the ship’s layout.
A little voice piped up from the back of her mind, reminding her that the size of the chairs was the least of her problems. Adjusting the ship was easy. Accepting that she might have just experienced the alien version of a shotgun wedding? That was going to take some work… and a cargo crate full of chocolate.
The launch protocols were almost complete when she got the call. Phylomenia’s face filled the monitor, an easy smile on her lips.
“You ready?”
“We’re all settled in and ready to launch. Barrios sent over instructions on where he wants us. It shouldn’t be a problem.” The entire conversation was a performance, but they both played their roles. It was meant to give Phylomenia and her group cover and make it look like they had no idea what was about to happen.
“We’ll talk once we’re underway. Just wanted you to know we’re ready when you are.”
Hezza nodded. “Then I’ll get out of your way. Enjoy your time on theArrow. I’ll keep you updated.”
The screen went black, and two seconds later her comm chimed.
Every message sent this way was heavily encrypted and undetectable over short distances like this.
“Hello again,” she greeted her friend.
“Scott’s ready. The effect should hit every vessel in the vicinity, but he’s not sure for how long. You’ll have to be fast.”
“We’ll manage. Thank you for everything. The invitation to come on this mission, and for well, everything. Same goes for your men. They’re not bad for a couple of military types.”
“Take care of yourself and your new mates. We’ll make sure the other cyborgs are safely delivered to Haven. Barrios is a biased, wrong-thinking idiot, but I don’t think he’s working for the Shadows. Even if he is? We’ll see this through.”
“We will,” she agreed, ignoring the part of her mind screaming in panic about the easy way Phylomenia called them hermates. “When you get to the colony, tell Anya the first round of drinks is on me.”
Phylomenia laughed at that. “Your daughter will be the one who needs a drink when I tell her what’s going on.”
“True, but it’s her bar. I’m not paying forherdrinks. She can buy her own.”
Archer said something off screen, and Phylomenia’s expression turned serious. “It’s showtime.” She raised a hand in a gesture of farewell. “Fly faster than your troubles, my friend.”
Hezza mirrored the gesture as she completed the old smuggler’s refrain. “May good fortune be your copilot.”
She secured her comm and flexed her fingers over the controls.
“We’re out of here,” she said without looking back. “Welcome to freedom, you two. Brace yourselves; this next bit is going to be fun.”
CHAPTER 6
Fyr’enth wasn’tsure what to expect now that they were ready to depart. His only experience with space travel had been in combat simulations and training to familiarize them with troop transports and dropships.
At first, it all seemed the same. The engine noise increased in volume, the deck beneath his feet started to vibrate, and then the ship rose off the hangar deck. If anything, it was smoother than the virtual experience.
Hezza was obviously an experienced pilot because she made it look easy to maneuver in the relatively tight space. He stared at the viewscreen as the massive doors slowly opened, revealing the unending expanse outside.
A shimmer of energy pulsed across the gap.
“What is that?” he asked and pointed at the viewscreen.
“A force field. It allows the hangar bay to stay pressurized even when ships are entering or leaving the area. It takes a lot of power to maintain, so most stations only activate them when the doors are open.
That made sense, though it made his scales tighten to think about the cold and deadly void beyond those doors. It was a clear reminder that freedom came with new dangers.
The three of them stayed silent as they passed through the energy field. Then Kalan exhaled sharply as if he’d been holding his breath. “We’re free,” he said in a voice tinged with awe. “We’re actually free.”
“Hold off on the celebration for a bit longer,” Hezza said. She was focused on her instruments, her jaw set and eyes narrowed.
