Page 41 of My Alien Angel
“Right.” Panic surges. I’m not a particularly brave person and I’m way out of my depth here, but that doesn’t mean I won’t keep searching for a way to help Omni. I just have to be smart about it. “How would a human who just wants toadmire the sightssafely visit this station?”
My question gains me an appreciative nod. “They would have to hire someone to accompany them. Someone strong enough to protect them and reliable enough not to double-cross them.”
My hopes fall upon hearing the word “hire”. I was never wealthy on Earth and out here, I literally have only the clotheson my back. There’s no way I could hire a bodyguard, not to mention I have no way of determining who is trustworthy. “That sounds like an expensive venture,” I say. Perhaps Eldri will toss in some funds?
“It can be. Alternatively, someone might be willing to trade for safe passage and an opportunity to see the sights of Schloppe station. Maybe there could be a mutually beneficial deal made.” I’m about to argue that I absolutelywill notnot fuck some random alien in exchange for help because, somehow, that is the first thought that crosses my mind, when Eldri continues, “I would definitelynotrecommend approaching someone like the opportunistic scoundrel mercenary currently being held prisoner aboard this ship. He might be known to never engage in the slave trade and has a reputation for upholding any deals he makes, but he is still a ruthlessly uncouth smuggler who deserves to be locked up.”
Upholds his deals and never engages in the slave trade. That sounds exactly like the person I need. A real life alien Han Solo. He doesn’t even have to be handsome, since I already have a sexy alien I’m committed to, and I’m definitely not doing conjugal visits in an alien prison. “Such a dangerous criminal,” I go along with the act. “I’m sure there’s no way he can escape and endanger people aboard this ship, right?”
“Absolutely not. Unlike Omni, this male’s being held in the low-security cells, but only a security officer can open his cell. Unless he gets his hands on an all-access key card, but only a few people on board this ship have one of those, and there’s no way a locked-up mercenary could get one.”
But someone who isn’t locked up might. “That’s a relief.” Actual relief floods me when Eldri subtly places an inconspicuous card on his desk.
“Indeed,” he agrees. “If Null broke free, he could reclaim his ship from hangar 3 and fly practically anywhere.”
Null? What an odd name, though I suspect it might just be a glitch in the translation program.
“As I said, it’s a good thing he’s locked up. You must be tired, Miss Young,” Eldri says, standing up. “I will tell your case officer you wish to rest before they discuss your options with you.”
Swiping the card from the desk, I surge to my feet, a fresh wave of adrenaline urging me into instant action. There’s just one issue. I have no clue how to get to the cells. “Yes, I’m very tired. I will just head to my room and get some sleep. Could you give me directions to make sure I find the place where I need to be?”
White teeth gleam in Eldri’s face as he grins widely. Leaning down, he taps a claw on a device resembling a super thin tablet before handing it to me. “Just follow these instructions, Miss Young. They will guide you to the right place. Good luck with whichever choice you end up making.”
My choice is already made. I choose Omni.
Chapter 31
Fin
Thealientabletshowsa sectional diagram of the ship’s interior. Currently, the sector on the screen shows a triangle hovering inside a large room shaped rectangle, with a path highlighting the way to a cluster of smaller room shaped rectangles. I’m guessing those are the cells. If it weren’t for the whole alien spaceship factor, I’d swear I was using Google Maps, go figure. The tiger guard is missing from outside of Eldri’s office, so I guess I’m free to roam. It’s actually kind of a cool thought and I wish I had time to explore the place, but I only have a few hours before my “case worker” comes looking for me.I have to strike a deal with this Null guy, free him, and escape this ship before anyone notices either of us missing.
The few uniformed aliens I pass by look at me curiously but no one stops to ask what an unaccompanied primitive life form is doing crawling around their ship. I keep moving, occasionally glimpsing down at the tablet whenever there’s an intersection. I’ve gone down more flights of stairs than I can count. I assume a ship of this size must have elevators or another inner transportation system, but I’d have no clue how to use it. Stairs, while exhausting, are pretty straightforward. At least I haven’t had to climb upstairs. God, I hope I won’t have to climb back up.
The first locked door I come across throws me for a loop. I stare blankly at the unforgiving wall of metal for a moment until I remember that I’m literally headed into a prison area. Locked doors make sense. Crossing my fingers, I awkwardly wave Eldri’s card in front of the small panel beside the door. The squiggles on the panel change shape and turn red, which sets my heartbeat racing for a few seconds until I finally hear a soft click, and the door opens. “Whoosh.” I still can’t get over how cool that sound is. A door that just goes “whoosh” and disappears into a wall or a ceiling, just like in my favorite sci-fi movies and TV shows. I have to bite back an excited squeal every time it happens.
God, it’s no wonder aliens consider us primitive.
The arrow on my tablet points right, but there are also voices coming from that direction. Guards? While no one has bothered me so far, I’m fairly certain I’m not supposed to be behind these locked doors. I’m pretty sure that from here on out, my presence will not be ignored. It’s time to be stealthy.
I suppress a snort at the ridiculous thought of me being sneaky. My sneakiness level is a big, fat assed zero.
Consulting the map, I turn left instead of right, intent on avoiding the guards. The arrow on my map is now blinkingorange and I get the distinct feeling that if this was back on Earth, the annoying GPS would be telling me, “At the next opportunity, make a U-turn”. It finally stops flashing when I turn right down a narrow corridor. The recalculated route guides me past several empty cells, which are just open spaces with basic amenities. The wall facing the corridor is missing entirely. I assume some kind of fancy force field activates once the cell is occupied, though it’s strange to be passing through a prison and not see a single bar or lock.
My new route takes me past an abandoned guard station. It seems a little peculiar to be abandoned when there are clearly prisoners down here since I’m on my way to break one out. Pausing at the sound of talking nearby, I overhear a conversation between two guards. Apparently, there has been a mandatory staff meeting called by someone high ranking and all non-essential personnel have been ordered to attend.
The corners of my mouth twitch upwards slightly as I send a silent thank you to Eldri. He’s going above and beyond to ensure I succeed in getting help for Omni that I simply cannot afford to mess this up. I don’t want to disappoint the old Godzilla guy.
The cell I pass by is occupied by an angry male from the same species as the tiger guard. I startle at his sudden shouting, thinking he’s shouting at me, but relax when I realize he isn’t. It doesn’t appear as though he can see me. There’s definitely a force field of some kind blocking the entrance to his cell. It’s humming and shimmering and, while it’s completely transparent from my side, it’s clear that the alien inside doesn’t know I’m here. Passing by as quietly as possible, just in case the field isn’t soundproof, I pray to whoever is listening that Null won’t be as angry or aggressive as this guy.
Several cells later, some of which are occupied by a vast array of aliens of various genders and species, the arrow on my tablet finally blinks a few times before morphing into acircle. “You have arrived at your destination,” I quietly mimic the GPS woman in a vain attempt to bring some normalcy to the situation. As if anything could be considered normal about sneaking around an alien prison with the intent of jailbreaking a prisoner. Something I should have probably considered sooner occurs to me—doing this will officially make me a criminal. My whacked brain finds that funny. Infinity Young, infamous galactic criminal. Jesus fucking Christ. What have I gotten myself into?
The cell I’m standing in front of is dark, but I can just make out an indistinct form lying on the corner cot. Great. I have to wake the guy up. That will surely win me brownie points with him. Not.
“Hey,” I whisper-yell. “Hey! You. Null?”
No reaction. The figure doesn’t even move. The force field probably does act like a soundproof barrier, too. It’s unfortunate because I hoped to talk to the man before setting him free. Eldri’s card is my only bargaining chip and if Null gets his hands on it—or me—before we’ve struck a deal, I’m toast. “Hey!” I yell this time. It’s a risk, but I haven’t heard any guards in the area for a while, so I think it’s safe to be loud for now. There must be cameras or other forms of surveillance in action, but the fact that no one has rushed over to arrest me yet suggests that Eldri has taken care of that issue as well. For how long, though, I don’t know, so I’ll have to move my ass into higher gear. This alien’s ass, too.
“Stupid fucking aliens,” I mutter, angrily slamming my fist against the barely visible barrier before I can stop myself. Instead of zapping me or knocking me out, like a proper energy field should, the field ripples, and the lights around the cell entrance that presumably project it change color. An annoyed grunt comes from inside of the cell. “Fuck off.”
