Page 18 of Star Defenders (My Alien Mates 2)

"What the absolute, everloving fuck?"

5

Slek frowned."Is that—"

"What?" Danec looked panicked.

"It…" I sucked in a deep breath. "It looks like a couple of nanobots."

"What—" Danec tried to sit up, but the scanner blocked the way. "You must be imagining it."

"I hope I am," I replied. "There's definitely something moving around in your bloodstream. Two. Three of them."

That would explain the slight silver sheen I had seen on his face. It was gone now, replaced by a paler version of his usual steel blue.

"It's…it's not a computer glitch, is it?" Danec's voice was soft with fear. "It might be them, trying to take over."

Slek took a step back. "No offence, buddy, but those things are contagious."

"Yes, stay back." I waved at him. "But I don't think they're powerful enough to take you over. It took dozens, hundreds even to make the rogues into Iritauri. I suspect three isn't enough."

"Until they make more of themselves," Danec said.

I reached for his hand and squeezed it. "We won't let them do that," I promised. "We'll get them out of you."

"What if you can't?" he asked.

I waited for Slek to suggest he'd be thrown out the airlock, but he didn't speak.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw his expression was almost as scared at Danec's.

"We will," I said to them both. "In the meantime, we should tell Zarex or J'avet." I didn't relish either conversation.

"I should be isolated," Danec said softly.

I hesitated, then nodded. "The infirmary has a room for patients with contagious viruses. It should keep them from spreading into the ship." It wouldn't stop them from cannibalising the metal around them until enough existed to claim Danec as their host. With any luck, it wouldn't get to that.

"Edie." Slek put a hand on my arm and drew me away. "I don't think those things are contagious. From what we've seen, they could eat their way out."

My eyes on Danec, I nodded. "I know, but what else can we do? We need to get them out of him. Until then, all we can do is isolate him until we're commanded to do otherwise."

Slek gave a quick nod. "I suppose so. It's just…"

"I know. You're vulnerable to those things too. For all we know, the whole ship is, if they're programmed to—"

He startled me by snapping his fingers. "That's it." He headed for the door and was gone before I could even ask what 'it' was.

I sighed and turned back to Danec. "I'll finish the scan. It might tell us something useful." I didn't add that something might not be good. I didn't need to, I saw it in Danec's expression.

"Go ahead." He turned his face to the ceiling and closed his eyes.

I restarted the scanner as the doctor approached.

A Garvian, the tentacles on her head stood almost straight up. She must have just started her shift. By the end, they would droop almost to her shoulders.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, her voice high but soft. If she shouted, she would be ear piercing.

I explained the situation as briefly as I could and hoped like hells she didn't panic.

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