Page 5 of Golden Darkness

She watched the timer and kept her breathing relaxed. Hyperventilating wasn’t going to help.

The bathroom and the fabricator were in the same large alcove, and when she got the item from the unit, she pressed the sticky edge to the walls, and she found a box to stand on to seal the top. It wasn’t a great seal, but it didn’t feel like the ship was trying to kill her anymore.

She curled up next to the warmth of the dispenser and tried to remain calm.

He would come for her. Something inside her was certain.

Chapter Two

Kethen grinned at the maintenance panel as he turned the oxygen lower than the Vel-ech could manage. The surviving Terrans were in their shipping container, so they wouldn’t be affected. His people were used to minimal oxygen, so they would have no problem at all.

He headed to the bridge and smiled at the relieved and teary faces. He used the claws on his wings to snap the collars and wrist bands on each of his crew.

His captain smiled. “Overlord Kethen, we thought you were hibernating.”

“They provided me with a consort, so I have recovered, Neebath.”

“What is the situation, Overlord?”

“I have cut the oxygen below the Vel-ech tolerances. They should all be unconscious by now.”

The crew was moving back to their stations and running diagnostics.

“We will send sweep teams to collect the Vel-ech and put them into a tanker unit.”

Crewmen Tethel snorted. “That is ballsy.”

Kethen looked at the life signals over the ship on the large display. “What is ballsy?”

“There is a weak life sign where you were being held. It isn’t one of the new species, but it isn’t Vel-ech.”

Kethen’s spine was chilled. “Can you oxygenate the area she’s in?”

“Not without waking the Vel-ech in the area.”

Kethen bared his teeth. “Wake the area then. They won’t be able to breathe without throats. I will be back.”

He charged toward the maintenance chute and wrapped his wings around him, dropping several levels and stopping near the hold. The Vel-ech on the floor were all facing the cell he had shared with his pet for the last week.

Kethen paused. He smelled blood. He moved quickly to the cell and saw the damaged emitters. He must have blown them out when he pushed through the barrier. “Fuck.”

His blood ran cold when he saw a Vel-ech face-down on the floor.

There was no sign of his pet. He lifted his head and sniffed for her. Her scent was weak, but it led to the back of the cell where the dispenser and the necessary were. He stared at the barrier that hadn’t been there when he left.

“Pet? Are you in there?”

There was a soft grunt. “Hmrain? Someone turned off the oxygen.”

“Can I come in?”

She chuckled softly. “Points for asking. Go ahead. I can’t really stand up.”

He peeled the membrane back, and his precious pet was leaning against the dispenser with a one-shot blaster in her hand. The empty was next to her.

Kethen chuckled and crouched next to her. “You are surprising, pet. Shall we go to a more comfortable space?”

“Can I get an oxygen mask? I could get the dispenser to give me the blasters, but there was no safety gear.”

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