10. Chapter 10

Ebel ambled back into the engine room after four full cycles of no contact.

Ava was overjoyed, her breath catching when she heard the engine hall’s ping. He walked in and Ava, looking up from her virtual card game, was happy she didn’t set up any pranks for him in the time he was gone.

He looks exhausted. She took in the droop of his antennas, and how all his convex eyes appeared dull instead of their usual bright shine.

He nodded to Ava and walked over slowly to sit on his beanbag, back legs draping over it as he worked the screens, bringing his video feeds back online.

Ava went up to him and touched his shoulder, her fingers sinking into his fuzzy fur.

“Hey Ava,” he said.

“I’m glad you’re back.”

Shaking himself, Ebel gave her a halfhearted fanged smile. “I see you’re in one piece as well.”

Ava smiled ruefully. She pushed off his shoulder. “Yes, and I think everything is going to be okay.”

Ebel cocked his head at her, one antenna raised in question.

“Yea, I didn’t tell you before because . . . well you weren’t here, but one of the Vorbax, Vox, could see through my disguise.” Before Ebel could look shocked Ava continued, “But it’s okay. They aren’t going to rat me out. I feel so bad for them, Ebel.” Ava struggled, trying to think of how to put into words the last few cycles and the connection that was growing between Vox and herself.

Ebel let out a tired click, “Careful, Ava.”

Ava rushed to explain, rubbing the back of her neck and trying to think of the right words. “No, Ebel. They are like me. They are fighting because they have no choice, not because they committed a crime or anything.” She sat back on the chair again, feeling it squeak under her weight. “I wish I could help them. All this shit is just so unfair. They’re going to go to that home planet of the Tuxa—whatever it is—”

“Torga,” Ebel supplied helpfully.

“Right, there. And just be ended because they fought back in whatever is happening between them and the Tuxa. I don’t believe they were the aggressors. And then we’ll just move on to the next transport like nothing happened.” We’ll move on like nothing matters. I’ll just keep working here forever. No change. Rage began to build inside her.

“Ava . . .” Ebel’s voice was tired and strained. He shook his head.

Ava pounded on her keyboard, then closed her hand into a fist and pounded on the metal table, feeling the pain in her hand. There was nothing she could do. Her blood pounded in her ears in anger.

Clarity came to her in that moment, making her breath catch in shock. She was, as Vox said, just as stuck as they were.

Who is really imprisoned here?

Ebel said nothing about her outburst, just stared at her sadly, wringing his hands together.

She reached forward and grabbed the bag of yavi fruit still sitting on her desk. The squishy red pieces stared back at her when she looked into the bag. She picked one up, roughly put it in her mouth, and started to chew. The lush flavor was at odds with her stormy mood. The only thing Vox had requested was some fruit. Well, she at least had some of that.

She bit into the fruit angrily as she glared at the feed on her computer. At the rate she was eating them she’d need to go get more. Now that Ebel was back and Ava was no longer preoccupied with concern for him, the anger building inside her took center stage in her mind.

Ebel turned back to his computer feed and was slowly tapping his keyboard to bring everything online. He didn’t seem to know what to do with Ava’s outburst as he avoided her gaze.

Ava left in a huff a minute later to go to her small alcove, wanting to be alone. She was exhausted from waiting for Ebel and being worried about him. Now that he was back, her nerves should settle enough for her to sleep.

It took a while, and she lay on her pallet bed, staring at the ceiling, wrapped in the patchwork blanket she had for years.

I’m mad. Why am I so mad? What has changed? The answer eluded her, but the feeling did not. Never did she feel so trapped before. She did breathing exercises like she learned to do as a child, relaxing until she fell asleep.

The next cycle, Ava suited up in record time now that the routine was down, hands sure as she put her costume on. She barely had to check in the mirror anymore if everything looked alright. Her brain and her hands moved as if they were on autopilot. Which was handy as the feeling of anger and being trapped still lingered this morning, making her unfocused.

Ebel and her didn’t talk about what she mentioned the cycle before. They let the unspoken words and anger hang in the air, both appearing overly preoccupied with the tasks they were doing.

Nuor was not available to chat in person about how everything was going, as she was needed in navigation full time right now due to the ship going through an asteroid belt the last two cycles. Nuor also didn’t want to talk much over coms since she was paranoid they were being monitored.

Ava didn’t know if it was true or not but kept everything vague just the same. In her current frame of mind she wouldn’t put monitoring all communications past the Phor. It would be just another way they could control her.

Even so, Ava messaged her friend throughout the day, but didn’t talk too much about how everything was going other than to reassure her she was alright.

She didn’t want to burden Nuor anyway, not since Nuor already helped her out so much with the disguise. Nuor seemed like the only spot in her heart Ava didn’t feel a bitterness toward.

“How far away are we from Torga?” she asked Ebel, the first time speaking to him since entering the room.

Ava was dreading the end of this voyage and having to say goodbye to the Vorbax. It was crazy how much her sentiments had changed over the course of just a few cycles. Before they came she was mostly bored. Now she was . . . well, she was angry. About a lot of things. None of which she could share with Ebel freely.

She loaded the trays into the cart roughly, taking out some of her frustrations by hearing the trays clack together loudly.

Ebel, now recovered after a good night’s sleep and a video feed binge of all the sports highlights he missed, tapped on the screen to bring up the ship’s progress. He answered briskly, ignoring Ava’s mood. “We are roughly three-quarters the way there. We are going a bit slower because of this asteroid belt but we’re not that far outside the expected timeline.”

Ava nibbled the inside of her lip but stopped after biting too hard, tasting coppery blood. In her fantasies, when she tried to sleep, she dreamed of a Vorbax ship coming and rescuing the four of them in the cells. If her fantasies got really carried away, she went with them and lived, for good, in a place with sunshine and fresh air. This daydream felt so real she had a hard time focusing on the engine the last few cycles. Her heart was someplace else.

Thinking of her daydreams, she innocently asked, “Do the Vorbax have any ships?”

Ebel shrugged and returned to his video feed, uninterested.

Ava didn’t press but instead hatched a plan in her head as she prepared meals for her rotation. She shook her head to focus on her task instead of her thoughts.

She glanced guiltily at Ebel while he watched his video feed, knowing he wouldn’t approve of her changing loyalties. Maybe, just maybe, she could make a difference in both her life, and for Vox.

She grabbed a notepad to take with her when she was putting her tray together, growing excited as she fleshed out what she was going to say and do.

Thinking of Vox’s desire for fruit, she also slid a few of the yavi fruit she still had left into her bag, feeling them weigh it down. Again, she didn’t tell Ebel about her addition to the menu. She doubted he would approve. And if the Tuxa saw the fruit, they would be suspicious. It didn’t matter.

Ava felt reckless.

She wanted to do something, anything, to change her circumstances.

“Vox?” Ava said softly when she was in front of his cage.

He was already there, sitting on his cot, silent as she approached, his head angled toward her while he emitted a steady glow.

Ava quickly looked back to the room with the Tuxa and made sure she was alone. She was. They were really single-minded creatures when they got their food.

“Yes, Ava?” Vox asked in a rumbling tone. He walked up to the front where she stood.

Ava lost her courage briefly and fumbled in her bag before she brought out the yavi fruit for him. He took it from her slender hand, turning it over in examination.

“This was on the transport with us. Do I want to know how you got it?” he asked in an amused voice.

“Just eat it fast. I can’t let them know I have some. You said you wanted fresh fruit, and I just brought what I could.”

Vox put the yavi in his mouth and bit on it, not bothering to spit out the pit. “Thank you for this. I can sense there’s something else on your mind though.”

Ava’s fingers nervously twined for a second. Vox followed the twitch but didn’t say anything and waited for her to speak.

“Yes. I wish I could help you. Are there . . . any Vorbax ships that are nearby? Anything that can maybe help you out?”

Vox became deathly still, part of the fruit still held aloft in his hand. “You wish to help us?”

Ava flushed under her hologram, her nervousness picking up. She started sweating under her outfit. “I think so, yes. Yes, I do want to help. I know . . . I know what it feels like to be trapped. I don’t know what I can do with the communications down, but I know there’s ways to override it and I can probably send a signal. I could send out at least a beacon or something if you had any . . .”

“Ava.” Vox’s voice was like velvet. “There are no Vorbax ships nearby. We will face our fate like warriors. Do not worry about us.”

Ava shook her head, not deterred, and pulled out her notebook and a pencil. “Well, if you want, I can also carry a message. I can let your people know what happened after we finish the transport.”

She offered both to Vox, sliding them through the bars carefully.

He pushed them gently back to her, humming and glowing.

“The calming feeling I have comes from you, doesn’t it?” she said, feeling it strongly now.

Vox nodded, amplifying it. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she put the notepad back in her bag.

“I want to help, Vox,” she said gently, feeling calmer despite her anxiety. “I can do something to help.”

Vox ate the fruit the rest of the way and didn’t answer, watching her raptly while he ate.

She took out another fruit, not knowing what to do with his silence. “Here, I have more.” He took it from her and ate it whole again, glowing and not breaking eye contact.

“Go back and sleep, Ava. Everything will be fine. After you rest, everything will be clearer.”

“How can it be fine? You’re stuck in here!” Ava hissed, frustration swirling inside of her. Vox didn’t answer.

Ava put her head down, feeling like she’d overstepped in trying to help. This wasn’t how she expected the conversation to go. She backed up, embarrassed and avoiding Vox’s gaze.

She stepped away to exchange the trays with Lirell and Erox next and offered them both a fruit, which was accepted.

Rhutg was not feigning sleep this visit. When she moved in front of his cell, she reached forward to offer a fruit to him. It was the first time she had ever seen him awake, sitting up on the pallet bed. She quickly withdrew her hand after he stared at her coolly, his eyes not holding any of the warmth Vox’s did when they met hers.

“You are taking too long. Hurry up.” One of the Tuxa came into the area where she was still lingering.

Ava still had the fruit aloft in her hands through Rhutg’s cell bars. The Tuxa’s eyes narrowed on it. She put the fruit behind her back, hoping he didn’t see. There was no such luck, and the Tuxa started storming forward, a glare on his ugly face.

“Where did you get this?” he hissed, reaching for the fruit Ava had hurriedly put into her robes.

Ava startled before she put her arm over her chest deferentially, not wanting him to probe her further.

The Tuxa reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling it roughly. “What are you doing here with the prisoners?”

Ava gasped as he shook her before throwing her down to the floor. Her hologram became dislodged from her face. Her knees and side rang with pain from the fall. She covered her face with her hands and curled into the fetal position.

She heard a clatter behind her. “You Tuxa scum. We will not rest until all your corpses litter your planet.” Vox snarled. He picked up his food tray and threw it through the bars, sideways, at the Tuxa. It clattered by Ava’s feet.

Lirell also threw his out of his bars as well, yelling.

The Tuxa stopped from where he was towering over Ava to turn to look at Vox, cruelty playing on his ugly snout.

Ava used the opportunity to readjust the hologram, sighing in relief as it clicked back on, her hands shaking.

Vox looked from her to where the Tuxa stood. The Tuxa was fingering the control switch to the silga string Vox still had in place around his back.

“Go,” Vox said. When she didn’t move, he said it louder. “Go!” He began shining.

Ava ran for the door, dragging her cart quickly. She was grateful it was only the one Tuxa that came into the prison cells and that the noise didn’t carry to the main room. The rest of the Tuxa in the other room were still glued to their feeds, unaware of the close call she just had. Ava forced her trembling limbs to go slower and breathe normally as she walked past them out of the room, not wanting their attention from looking out of place. She skipped the cleaning she usually did and hoped they wouldn”t notice.

Once out of their sight, Ava hurried back to the engine hall and sobbed. She didn’t know how she would do the next rotation.

“It is a bit sooner than I would have wanted.” Erox sighed, tapping the wall. “We will need to keep prisoners longer to keep up the ruse.”

Vox tore the silga string off his body. “I cannot tolerate it anymore.”

His calm was shaken at seeing Ava tossed to the floor. There would not be another incident like that, not if he could help it. Rage flooded his insides, boiling his blood. He replayed her terrified reaction in his mind.

Lirell was also shaken. Vox felt his determination as they moved the timeline of their plans forward.

“Do not let that female dictate our plans,” Erox cautioned, but he was already taking the silga string off his body as well. He snapped the circuits like they were butter. His mental strain was evident, and even though he did not physically react to Ava being threatened by the guard, he was not as indifferent as he pretended to be.

The Tuxa that had threatened Ava now stood silent. He was their first broken husk, staring at the wall in front of their cells.

“Rhutg?” Vox questioned.

The answer was slow to come, but Vox heard the strings snapping on his body as well. “I am ready to kill them whenever.”