26. Chapter 26

Ava was sore all over. She had been hunched over in the vents now for several hours. Communications were spotty with Vox. She couldn’t find the reason for the difference from when the com worked and didn’t. Just a bit farther. She chanted to herself every step forward she lurched. Every so often a brief message would come through, giving her basic directions or information.

Now, near where the Vorbax females were, the com stopped working again. Ava hit it haphazardly, hoping it would light up, before closing it in frustration. She was almost right on top of them according to Vox’s last communication. That would have to be enough.

She was in a main area that was different from the many barracks and food areas she had seen before. No telltale signs of manufacturing happening here either. Instead, there were guards in front of various segments that were sectioned off within the dome. It was the first time she saw something being actively protected in her entire time crossing these domes. This had to be something.

Logistically, it was going to be difficult to find out what was in the smaller rooms. She needed to move out of the main overhead ventilation network and into the shafts that splintered downward. She eyed the narrow passages uneasily, unsure she could fit. In the ship, she was able to get nearly everywhere, but the vents were overly large all over there. It would be foolish to assume the vents here were as accommodating, and there wouldn’t be an easy rescue if she got stuck.

Her magnetic bracers were already around her wrist, though they were starting to fray at the ends from her gripping them so hard. At the first junction that went down she went down with it, moving the bracers slowly to make the least amount of noise possible. The suit stuck to her, sweat in between the seams.

A vast expanse of gleaming metal and hologram parts sat stored neatly in the room. You knew it wouldn’t be that easy to find them on the first try, Ava. It was a room full of technology that Ava would have loved to get her hands on at any other point in time. A pang went through her, thinking of how Ebel would have reacted to such a trove before she hooked her bracers on the wall and hoisted herself up. She let herself take a break once at the top, resigned to the fact that she would have to inspect every room one by one.

She hit her mark in the third room, sliding down on arms that were shaking from the fatigue of holding her up. Ava felt a flush of relief, slowly smiling as she looked down and counted the five Vorbax females in front of her. I got them. They were even more beautiful in person, despite the despondent looks in their eyes and lethargic demeanor.

Circling the room, she came to a horizontal duct with a grate just above their heads. She stopped a minute, trying to catch her breath. Ava sat there and watched them, noting the differences between them and the males. And with herself. We do look similar. The women did not have hair like she did. Instead, they had frills around their head the way the males did, only smaller and less flamboyant. They were around the same height and had a slender body frame similar to Ava’s from what she could see. Their clothing was ripped and stained, adding to the grimy appearance of where they were being held. The atmosphere in the room was dejected and worn.

Vox explained that the females lacked the ability to control others using telepathy. They could communicate, but were defenseless beyond that. It was time to put that to the test and see if they could hear her. Vox was unsure if it would work.

Ava slid down to flatten her body and projected her thoughts, pushing her face against the metal vent opening into the room from the ceiling. “Can you hear me?”

No one responded. Not even a look. They continued staring ahead, gazing at a nature feed that was projected on the wall.

Cursing, she moved positions, traveling along until she reached a grate at the end of the portion of the vent structure that she could fit in. She was still around ten feet above their heads on the side. The room inside stank from a pile of rotten food in the corner. Ava took off her oxygen mask and winced as she breathed in the foul air.

Ava put her parched lips together and tried to whistle, unsuccessfully, before wetting them and doing it again.

One of the females looked up at the sound, turning her elegant head to try to locate it. Ava saw a face remarkably similar to her own, only tinted blue.

She whistled again, followed by a soft, “Up here.”

Ava stuck her pinky finger through the vent, not wanting to reveal any more. She didn’t know if they were under video surveillance.

The woman kept looking around until she saw Ava’s finger, then nudged the others in the room with her. They all began lighting up and communicating. Ava just waited, thinking hard toward the women, attempting to say hello. She never had to try to do this with Vox; he was able to pluck every thought right out of her head.

A few of them looked right at her, glowing. Ava could feel something faintly in the back of her head. She tried to focus on it but it didn’t come through clearly. She caught snippets. It felt like concern and curiosity.

“I can’t hear you,” she said softly, shifting her legs where they were aching to sit easier.

As a unit, the five women looked away, still glowing. Ava waited while one came by the vent she was crouched in, her walk elegant and unhurried. She sat, back to the wall, near Ava. The other four began humming, making noise.

“Are there cameras?” Ava whispered, watching the others make distracting noises and chanting in the middle of the floor.

“Yes. They watch. What are you?” She looked forward, toward the other women, not at Ava, hand covering her mouth as she spoke.

Ava cleared her throat and spoke softly. “I am a Human. I am with other Vorbax. Vox, Rhutg, Erox, Lirell. They are coming to free you. I’m here to help.”

The Vorbax sat straighter, light coming in her eyes as she shone, communicating with the others.

The entire energy in the room changed. Ava felt it. She still couldn’t understand the words they were projecting but she did pick up on the feelings of relief and joy. It was overwhelming. Ava began to cry, feeding on their emotions from where she sat in the vent. Their chanting took on an upbeat tone.

“When?”

Ava answered, wiping her tears away, “In less than half a cycle. They sent me first to help prepare. I have . . . weapons.”

The Vorbax’s demeanors changed. Jubilance was still projected, but underneath it was an undertone of rage. The Vorbax nearest to her let out a feral grin, reminding her of Vox when he initially took over the ship.

Ava moved back in the vent, startled, letting out a small ping as she shifted around. That was a definite difference between the Vorbax females and herself. Ava would never be able to make such a bloodthirsty expression.

“Good,” the Vorbax hissed, turning and catching Ava’s eye before resuming her crouch on the floor with her knees bent in front of her. “I am Orla. We are ready.”

Orla. The name stuck to Ava’s mind before she shook her head. It was familiar. The Vorbax in question was already gesturing in front of her, naming the others. Ava half listened, trying to remember, before it came to her. Orla was Vox’s intended. She quickly shook her head again to avoid the thought, and instead noted that the name Rhutg gave her of his mate was missing from Orla’s list of who was in the room with her.

“Violie?” Ava asked, remembering what Rhutg had called her.

Orla looked down, sadness radiating. “No, Violie . . . she fought too hard. They killed her because she wouldn’t submit when we were captured. She refused to move.” Orla glanced back at her four other companions huddled together. “A few others did not make it either. We are it.”

Ava looked at her, her heart sinking. She couldn’t respond. Rhutg would be devastated. Beyond devastated.

Another Vorbax approached. “Sai,” Orla told Ava softly as the woman came and stood next to Orla on the wall.

“This is really happening?” Sai asked out loud, squinting her eyes to peer at Ava closer before sinking next to Orla. She began rocking back and forth with her legs tucked under her. Her relief was evident in her open-eyed expression.

Ava nodded, even though they couldn’t see her. Already when they talked amongst themselves the emotions were coming through stronger, an undertone in the back of her mind. She was sure that through experience, she could learn to hear them as well as she did the males.

The Vorbax sat in silence, Orla and Sai lighting like fireflies in a conversation Ava couldn’t quite reach.

Alone with her thoughts, an intense surge of bitterness coursed through her as her mind went back to thinking about Orla being Vox’s intended.

“What is causing such mental disturbance?” Orla’s gentle voice softly floated up to her.

Ava tamped down her feelings, forcing herself to think of the task at hand. Clearly they could feel some things from her as well. “It was nothing. Just thinking about Rhutg and Violie.” A soft hum came from the two women below, along with a wave of sadness. Ava shifted in the vent, trying to get more comfortable. It was impossible to stretch properly in the cramped quarters.

“How long until the males are here?” Sai whispered to Ava while standing and pretending to stretch.

Ava answered, “Not long. I don’t think I can pass anything to you easily with the cameras on.” She moved over and slapped her com again. It was still static, displaying no signal. She set it to reboot and sent a message that she’d found the women in case there was a signal at some point, though she didn’t mention Violie not being there. She would tell Rhutg that directly. Selfishly, she didn’t want to disrupt his mental state until after they were all rescued.

Orla answered, “The Tuxa have been distracted lately . . . sometimes they forget to check on us at all.” Her eyes became hooded. “I don’t think they have enjoyed having Vorbax brides.”

Ava shifted, wanting to know more but also afraid to pry and cause them additional distress. Curiosity won out. “Why is that?”

Sai answered by glowing bright a second later, looking directly at Ava. Ava fell over completely in the vent, a loud thud accompanying the movement, as she was overwhelmed by the horror projected by Sai’s gaze. Her entire body seized up, trembling uncontrollably.

Immediately Sai turned it off, leaving Ava to gasp, lying on her side. “Sorry, you’re more sensitive to us than the Tuxa. They didn’t have a strong a reaction like that, just general unpleasantness.”

Orla muttered a second after, “If only we learned how to affect them like that before they took us.”

Ava rubbed her chest, feeling her heart pound, more wary of the females now. She sat back in the vent, away from the grate to catch her breath. Reaching in to her pack, she brought out some water and drank it, shakily. She felt a touch in her head, soothing and calm. It was a contrast to the horror before. She sat and let it lull her a minute, feeling a note of apology underneath it. “Sorry.” The word whispered in her mind.

Ava moved back to the outlet to peer at Sai and Orla still sitting there. “I can hear you. Faintly.”

“We can too. Faintly,” Orla answered, crossing her elegant legs in front of her, outstretched on the floor.

Ava felt the pressure of time now. It wouldn’t be long until Vox landed. She needed to get them armed and ready. She shook off the vague uneasiness she still felt from the fear a minute ago, desperate to try to prepare.

She pressed up against the grate and whispered, “The males were worried about what would happen when they came. That you would be hurt in the fighting. They thought you were completely defenseless.”

“What we did to you only works on a small scale. Otherwise we could have overpowered the Tuxa and escaped.” A third Vorbax had slid to the side, joining Sai and Orla. “I’m Wyrl.” She gestured behind her at the other two Vorbax women, who remained huddled on the nest. “They are Ixxi and Bria.” Neither moved at their introduction, heads staying down, despondent.

Wyrl looked older than the other four. Wrinkles were on her face, similar to what Ava had seen on other animals that were aged. She remembered seeing them on her own mother the last time she saw her.

Ava took inventory of the room. It was utilitarian and sparse, other than the never-ending nature feed projected on the walls. The dirty trays were piled in the corner. In the center there were many bed pallets scooped in a pile. The women must have been sleeping next to each other, comforting each other.

How was she going to get them these weapons to stash?

Wyrl answered for her, “Cut a small hole and we will bring them out one by one.”

“You can understand me?” Ava thought.

Wyrl, staring ahead, nodded. “You are not that different from us, are you?”

“No,” Ava thought. Wyrl glowed, trying to respond that way, but Ava still couldn’t catch all of it.

“Relax. Don’t try so hard. It worked earlier when you were distracted and not focused on trying to hear.”

She was right. When Ava was recovering from the fear she did hear them, quietly. Ava relaxed her mind, thinking of something else, and was able to hear Wyrl softly. It sounded like she was a long distance away, as if she was on the other side of the engine hall back on the ship.

“There you go.” Wyrl let out a small smile from below. “My, your mind is fascinating.”

Ava involuntarily thought of Vox saying something similar to her so many cycles ago.

“Hmm . . .”Wyrl said, inspecting those thoughts. Ava looked to Orla, seeing her eyes narrow.

Ava changed her mindset, picturing the weapons she’d brought in her head instead. She wasn’t ready to address what her and Vox were with the others yet. That would be best done when he was present in person. She shifted in the vent, checking her silent com once again. Come quickly.Hurry, Vox.