Page 57 of Star Defenders (My Alien Mates 2)

"The Iritauri are all dead. It's safe to board."

Right, like anyone would buy that anyway.

"In here."

We darted into the darkened comms room. Slek skidded in behind us before J'avet closed the door.

"They're in chaos," he said gleefully. "They're trying to find a ship that isn't there."

"It is there," J'avet said. "Just not as close as they think."

"They may think it's a hoax when they really arrive," I said. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"In the meantime, hack away." Zarex waved at the computer screens. "I'm going to keep trying to find their signalHalcyon."

"I'll toy with the ship's internal sensors," J'avet said. "If I can, I'll have them fool the Iri into thinking we're somewhere else."

Zarex nodded. "Good idea."

"Can we remote control a pod?" I asked.

Zarex glanced at me, eyebrows raised. "Brinley?"

"I can try," she said. She slipped into a chair. "One escape pod with five life signs, coming up."

"I'll, um, watch the door," I said. I had no other particular skills to add.

"Edie." Slek waved toward another screen. "Can you access the medical database from here?"

"I would think so," I replied.

"Good. Access that and see what information they add after they've analysed our blood. Unless they send the information directly to the mother bot, then it'll be in there."

It's possible," I said doubtfully. If nothing else, I could see what Mazic had added, if she'd had time before Danec… I was glad to be seated in a corner, so no one could see the tears which trickled down my cheeks. Part of me wondered if all of this was to keep us all busy while we waited to die. We could spend our last hours telling jokes, or talking about our lives and deepest fears.

The other part of me had to believe we would get out of here alive. If I didn't hold onto that, I might give in to despair instead. That would help no one one.

Still, a small voice in the back of my head wondered if Danec was lost to me, even if I did make it out of this.

I bit back a sob and focused on the screen.

"They've tested the nanobots in every kind of blood," I said. They had been busy, but they didn't have answers.

Yet.

16

"This could be a problem,"Brinley said.

"What is?" Zarex asked.

"The ship has increased speed. I think they must know by now there's not another ship out there." Brinley toyed with her ponytail, but her eyes never left the screen.

"They probably suspect one is coming," Zarex said.

"I think I might have tweaked the scanners to show Iri as life signs," J'avet said.

"You think?" Zarex echoed. "I'd feel better if you were sure."

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