4. Chapter 4

How long do I need to wait?

Ava stretched out, already bored. She had looked out the grate into the cargo bay several times since arriving, but nothing was happening.

She felt gross.

Her suit clung to her, despite wearing the clothing underneath, from how much she’d sweated climbing up here. Her bare feet in particular stuck to the inside of the suit; they were sticky with sweat and she could feel the cold of the vents through the thin material.

Damn Ebel for sending me too early. Ava tapped her hands on the grate in front of her. Thankfully it was roomy up here, at the end of the filtration shaft in the cargo bay. In fact, there was enough room for her to sit almost comfortably while she waited. Endlessly waited.

She huffed and laid her head on the cool metal shaft then pinged on the vent with her fingertips, hearing it echo. It made different sounds depending on where she tapped.

This was the part she hated the most about being up here: the silence.

It was so quiet her mind began to slip, the neat box that contained memories from her past bleeding into her thoughts.

Ava swallowed heavily as anxiety bloomed. She grit her teeth, trying to force the images of her mother and sisters away. She needed to focus on something else. Anything else.

Thankfully, there was a supply of books that had been left over her many journeys up here. Ava sorted through them now.

The selection was still pretty slim. Most of the books were romance novels between two Tuxa, which were the aliens that had contracted the Phor ship for the transports that they’d been doing all cycle. She opened one, flipped through the pages, and put it back down, uninterested. The Tuxa’s appearance didn’t become any more attractive with familiarity. They were an ugly species, reptilian with beady eyes and a permanent scowl.

According to the data logs Ebel kept in the control room, the Tuxa had no romance to speak of, which was ironic seeing as all the books she had featuring them were romance novels. She strongly suspected the books were written by another species and featured the Tuxa, since doing so was a surefire way to get your book published by them. The Tuxa were, after all, the biggest manufacturing species out there. Ava seriously doubted the books were accurate about anything Tuxa related, including their mating rituals.

Putting the books aside, Ava leaned back to look out the grate hopefully. A still and silent cargo bay was all she could see. Again. Gray machinery and loading platforms with no one doing anything.

She tilted her head to try to see the sides of the room, but gave up when the grate started to hurt her cheek from the metal digging in. Not only was it empty, it also wasn’t interesting to look at. The Phor were technologically advanced but not very decorative. Everything was utilitarian and gray metal. If it had no function it did not belong.

Not even the preboarding checks are starting yet.Ava huffed, frustrated, and attempted to flip through the books again.

Without her com, Ava was losing track of time. The books were not appealing, so she resorted to drawing instead.

Her pencil scratched in the silence. The doodles turned into her drawing engine components, designs that could improve the efficiency using the biologics’ natural spin. Through sheer will, she challenged herself to come up with different designs, making her drawings overly complex to keep her brain too busy to think about anything else. She had so many ideas. Ava loved the engine and all the mechanics.

She eyed the work critically, putting one drawing in her bag to show to Ebel later. If only I was allowed to modify parts of the engine.

A beep made her look back down through the grate. Finally.

Wert walked in, his movement breaking the deafening silence.

Ava sighed in relief and put her finished picture aside before crumpling the half-finished ones.She shifted in the vent and leaned down to take a look, her belly pushing into the grate uncomfortably. Let’s get this over with.

Wert walked proudly across the engine hall. His yellow body didn’t slouch when he walked, but extended vertically with only his last pair of legs on the ground and the other two in the air available for tasks. Ava mentally contrasted Wert to Ebel, who usually hunched over so much he walked on two pairs of legs and only had his top available to work.

After opening the protective cover, Wert stood looking at the com screen attached to the wall for a moment, then began rapidly typing across it.

Ava couldn’t read the small writing from where she was, but she had seen it enough times to know the protocols of welcoming a foreign shipment on board.

The preparations would take awhile. Wert was meticulous, his face serious as he did the procedures.

She idly watched, waiting for R526, the ship’s name, to flash on the screen. She counted its appearances. Once it came on screen three times, the procedure would be done.

Ava chuckled to herself, watching the seriousness that Wert displayed while documenting the weights and confirming details about the cargo. His ability to pretend to do everything aboveboard was amazing, seeing as he knew Ava was right above his head the entire time. Cameras were not allowed in here—a selling point the Phor stressed for confidentiality. Little did they know that the Phor weren’t as scrupulous as they acted.

Wert appeared to just let his gaze wander, glancing up to where Ava waited. The Phor’s convex eyes might look unfocused, but they had better eyesight than she did.

“Good to see you, Ava,” he chittered from below, walking to right under the grate where she lay.

Ava pressed her face against the grate and spoke loudly back. “You too Wert. Will it be much longer?”

“No, it’s almost time. The logs have been noted on our end. We are just waiting for them to sign off. This transport has been unusual in their communications. Keep your eyes open for us.”

When have I ever not? “I will.”Ava frowned, annoyed at his unnecessary reminder. She watched him nod before he moved back to the cargo door and started to unlatch the straps on the floor to begin receiving the shipment.

She bit her lip, thinking idly while watching him. Did the other Phor cargo ships have the same setup, with creatures like her doing the same thing across the entire fleet?

She had asked Ebel before what other Phor ships’ protocols were but he had no idea. Ebel had only been on this Phor ship, assigned to the engine, so he had no insight on how other ships were run. She did hear him say once before though that it had been such a success having Ava spy for them that they were looking into taking more Humans on board their other vessels. The only problem was finding other Humans. As far as Ebel knew, the breeding facility she grew up in was the only one and had been shut down a few years prior.

The red lights on the wall began blinking, signifying the doors were clear to open on the other end.

A reptilian-looking Tuxa, beady black eyes sweeping, moved into the ship’s cargo hold as Wert opened the gangway.

Ava wrinkled her nose at the Tuxa, comparing the real deal to the heavily airbrushed cover on her romance book. Both were ugly. The real deal decidedly more so.

Wert was done with his checks fast. The transports between two Tuxa planets were the perfect ones to mess around with if there was anything lucrative because they wouldn’t look too hard at their own species’ errors if something was missing. The only problem was that most of the stuff they transported was usually not worth the time or risk.

The Tuxa piled in around the perimeter of the cargo bay while Wert welcomed them on board, giving the universal sign of deference as they ambled in.

They looked bored and immovable once they all finally gathered on the cargo bay’s floor. The Tuxa would be the ones to actually handle the product as it was their cargo.

Ava sat and waited, mirroring their bored expressions. Nothing special about this transport so far.

At least it wasn’t quiet. She was no longer in danger of slipping into nostalgia when there was something happening.

Ava shifted slightly, thinking that she might be able to focus on one of the books now that there was some background noise. Their preparations could still take awhile.

Before she could crack it open though, Wert moved to the middle of the Tuxa grouping and began talking. “I have the measurements recorded,” Wert said in a clicking voice.

He always sounded less clear to Ava than Ebel; the translator she had made him sound garbled. She rubbed her ear as he spoke to see if that would help.

“If that is all, I will record it on the official logs.” Wert looked down at his com while talking, feet already turned toward the door to step away.

“A moment,” one of the Tuxa said abruptly, stopping Wert as he began to leave.

Ava did a double take. They were muscly reptilian creatures to begin with, but she suddenly realized they all were armed as well. Each Tuxa had a phaser in their beefy hands along with a knife strapped to each leg. She squinted and pushed against the grate to see better, her heart pounding madly.

Why do they need weapons? She’d never seen a phaser so blatantly displayed like that before. Fear raced down her spine, her earlier boredom forgotten. This was a transport ship. Bringing weapons on board was usually not allowed. It was, in fact, one of the stipulations the Phor insisted on when they hired contractors and took on trade deals.

Ava’s eyes tracked all the Tuxa as they moved, gulping nervously as she watched their phasers.

Wert turned his upper half back toward the Tuxa with one of his antennas raised questioningly. “Yes?” He looked at the weapons on their sides, frowning.

The Tuxa stepped forward, crowding Wert’s space. Wert leaned the top part of his segmented body farther back on his legs, away from them. “This transport will need new stipulations to the arrangement. We will require use of the prisoner cells as well as someone to care for what is coming on board. We captured four Vorbax warriors at our outpost on our last sun cycle. They will be brought to the tribunal on our home planet with the regular goods we are currently bringing on board per our regular contract. The current goods are standard protocol and of no special concern, but the Vorbax will need daily tending to, as well as food. We will provide their security.” The Tuxa raised his phaser in time with saying the word security. His green jumpsuit stretched as he did, showcasing his strong upper arms as he flexed. His suit had a purple ring around the arm, different from the others.

That one must be the one in charge. Ava tracked his movements carefully. He certainly was talking like the one who was leading.

Vorbax? Ava wracked her brain in vain. She couldn’t remember hearing that term before. Not even from the book of intergalactic species Ebel had in the engine room. She wrote it down in her notebook next to the engine doodles to remember, phonetically spelling it in Common. I’ll need to look again in the book and logs when I get back.

Wert’s antennas flattened, a sign of distress.

Ava felt uneasy as well. Ebel also probably wasn’t going to like this when she told him about all the weapons. In fact, she knew he wouldn’t.

Wert fully turned to address the Tuxa head-on, stretching his body up to match their height. “Why were we not informed until the last minute of this? We could have prepared beyond cleaning the cages. We . . . they are not true prisoner cells either. We are a transport ship. We only . . . they’re more like animal cages for exotic pet species transfers.” He began to shake his head. “I do not know of any cell that can keep a Vorbax contained for long.”

The Tuxa grunted and slashed his phaser to the side for emphasis, cutting off Wert’s stammer. “We have captured them and have been holding them for two weeks now at this outpost. We are stronger than them; they pose no threat. They also have been bound with silga strings as a precaution.”

Wert’s antennas remained flattened, obviously not reassured. “This vessel was not contracted to transport dangerous personnel. Nor do we allow weapons on board. We will need to discuss our contract. Also, our current queen is very close to her egg—” Wert was shaking his head frantically now, composure rattled.

“The rate was sent to the mother queen collective on your home planet for approval this morning. The collective signed off half a cycle ago.”

The Tuxa reached behind him and grabbed a tablet, showing Wert something on it.

Ava couldn’t see what it was from where she was perched but Wert’s antennas drooped even farther looking at it. His reaction rattled her.

“Here’s your authorization. We will be loading the Vorbax after our other cargo. Please prepare quarters for an additional ten Tuxa to remain on board as extra security.” The Tuxa stared at Wert, who remained stationary after being dismissed.

When Wert didn’t move, the Tuxa leaned down into his face and growled out, fangs extended, “Go and prepare now or we will inform your collective of your hesitation.”

Wert let out a startled click, fuzzy yellow body shaking, before he moved to the door. He exited fast, already on his com watch, most likely pinging everyone on board immediately of their new guests and protocols. The doors whooshed shut behind him, leaving just the Tuxa in the cargo hold, and Ava watching, unseen, from above.

He’s so nervous about what’s happening. Ava didn’t know what to make of Wert’s distress. She fidgeted nervously watching the Tuxa below, wanting to just forget this transport and return to the safety of the engine room.

She talked herself down, forcing deep breaths into her lungs. I’m fine up here. I can always leave if something dangerous happens.I’m not trapped. Besides, Wert was always more easily rattled than Ebel. As the current head Phor he seemed permanently petrified that he would do something wrong to lose his favored position with their queen. He could just be overreacting like he usually did, with how serious he took everything.

Ava shrugged, feeling more steady, and resumed watching the Tuxa milling about on the floor, adjusting their phasers. I can leave if I need to. No point in being stressed until I see for myself.

The Tuxa waited a minute and then took out a scanner to probe the area for any anomalies and camera feeds. He clicked it on and a green laser rotated around the room.

Ava shifted over, pressing into the metal ductwork as it passed by. Even though Ava had all her original parts except her translator implant, this part always made her nervous. The translator implant ran off her own brain’s electricity instead of needing an extra power source, so it theoretically should not trip any alarms looking for electricity sources. She pulled the gauze covering across her face too for good measure. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest as she waited for the all clear.

Ava sighed in relief when he put the laser down without it going off. All done. Another victory in going undetected for her. That laser could detect most species’ electrical signatures, but Humans were still so novel that it was not updated to detect her composition. It probably thought she was part of the engine wall if it could penetrate the metal, which was just fine by her.

“Clear,” the Tuxa with the purple armband grunted. He pounded on the pinpad next to the door. Ava winced as she saw how unnecessarily hard he slammed the liquid screen. The connecting doors between the two vessels opened again, showing the gray interior of one of the Tuxa surface transport ships they used as a basic shuttle.

Ava resettled herself in the vent, scratching her nose absently. This, at least, was normal as she watched the Tuxa begin to open the hatches in the cargo bay for the items to be brought in.

She pulled her notepad and pencil back out and watched with rapt attention to begin taking notes. She was stretched out with her arms over her head and writing with her head still pressed against the grate to see as best she could.

The Tuxa were taking items from the large transport drum outside to bring them in and properly secure them in the hold. Some of the items stored needed to be in areas that remained temperature controlled and at a stable pressure. Those were placed in several rooms to one side of the hull that remained locked down the entire flight. That’s also usually where they put the good stuff, and where Ava could get into during the journey. The vents in the climate-controlled rooms were particularly large and low to the ground, allowing Ava to maneuver in and out with goods. It was so convenient Ava wondered sometimes if the Phor planned it that way when building the ships, rather than as an afterthought after she came on board and earned their trust. After the supplies were loaded, the entire cargo hold would be locked and encrypted. No one would be allowed in here until docking through the main doors. At least, that’s what was on the contracts that were signed. And it was true, in a sense. Ava wouldn’t be entering through the encrypted locked entrances.

Ava’s hand whisked across her notepad as she recorded where everything went in each hold and her best guesses for what everything was.

“Three large crates that look like they contain a chemical. It’s in gallon drums at least. Maybe biofuel? Three more that contain another liquid. This one looks like it has an upside down triangle on the side and is in more packaging.”She quickly drew a picture of the triangle symbol to show to Ebel when she got back and looked again at the first cargo for any symbols. She saw something on the side of the crate she couldn’t read. Her translator didn’t extend to the written word, but she copied the lettering as best she could, though it wrapped around the side of the metal crate. “Five more flat panel boxes like the previous shipment that had the holograms in it. And two more large boxes that have various gear parts and spools of some material.”

The Tuxa then started bringing on several trees. Ava’s hand hesitated when she saw them; it was unusual, as this outpost had no organic life of its own. The trees must have been here as a stopover themselves on the outpost, waiting for the Phor to come collect them from another colony. There were large water bags attached to them to sustain them through the long flight, and each had its own floating light that gave off extra sunshine. The lights followed the trees as they were carefully stored in one of the side hulls that did not get depressurized during flight.

Ava resolved to go in there and try one of the fruits hanging from a branch if she discovered they were edible. She drew a picture of the fruit to ask Ebel about when she got back.

After the trees were stored, that was it for the side panels Ava would be able to visit later during the journey.

The Tuxa started carrying in the rest of the endless crates of engine supplies that they made at this outpost location. They stacked them in a grid format, using the straps and buckles attached to the bay’s floor to keep them secure. The cargo bay very quickly became full.

Complete junk. She didn’t bother writing those parts down; she wouldn’t be able to get to them anyway with the hull being depressurized and the only exit grates being up in the ceiling. Instead, she just watched them struggle to get everything they brought in strapped down properly. The engine supplies apparently sold well in the markets, but that was only if she could get to them.

All in all it was not a large shipment of things that would interest the Phor’s collective hive mind.

Ava let her interest wander as she sorted the notes she already took, cataloging what went into which side compartment so she could revisit them easier later.

The queen would be happy with more holograms at least. Ava could probably take two or three without even needing to compensate for the weight difference beyond a few handfuls of packing fluff. The holograms were paper thin, folded well, and were easily carried. She might even be able to keep one down in the engine room for Nuor to trade for some more books for her, if she could get Ebel to agree.

She watched idly as the Tuxa crew finished bringing cargo on and began rearranging things for it all to properly fit. Ava made one more inventory check of where the lucrative items were being put before putting her notebook back in her pack, securing it carefully. Not a bad haul for such a little outpost.

She glanced at her fingers as she tied the pack up. They were filthy from the dirt in the vents and crawling through a few stale pom dropping piles. She started picking at the grease and grime under her nails as she waited for them to be done, trying to distract herself. Coming next should be the prisoners they talked about.

There was a final clatter from the side storage rooms that reverberated around the metal hull; it was the sound the straps made from being clipped in and the doors finally sealing.

Now what’s going to happen? She pressed herself back against the grate after hearing the buckles engage on the side doors.

The Tuxa resumed their prior positions, stretching as they walked back. The one with the purple band on his sleeve waited until they all had gathered in the middle of the floor before addressing his crew. “Guard stays up at all times. These bastards need to get to Torga to pay, no mistakes!” Behind him, toward the hold door, he shouted, “Bring them in!”

For a moment, nothing happened.

Ava’s interest picked up, boredom left behind. This was the part she had been waiting for. Ava pressed herself harder against the grate to see around the corner, her curiosity piqued and her face aching from the metal biting into it.

Finally a party of eight Tuxa walked in, one on either side of a blue creature in a rough-made brown jumpsuit.

Ava’s eyes riveted to them, drinking in their appearance.

The four blue creatures stood much like she did, on two legs, but their legs looked hunched forward, ready to spring with muscles much bigger than hers. The Tuxa looked brawnier next to them, but Ava could tell that was deceptive due to the difference in height that made the Tuxa look stronger for their short stature. The Vorbax’s body lines were sleek, but with enough definition to show there was power there. They walked effortlessly across the threshold, a far cry from the subdued gait of defeated prisoners.

How did the Tuxa managed to capture them in the first place?The entire scenario looked off to Ava, her gut swirling as she watched.

One of the Vorbax looked around, his finlike protrusions flowing behind him on his head. She saw him scanning the room while the others steadily looked ahead.

Watching him raptly, she could see that his eyes were placed like hers, but bigger and without any white around the pupil. He also had a similar nose and similar mouth to hers. On his head, around the fins, there looked to be a small area of vestigial scales that were not present on the rest of their sleek bodies.

She could see a silga string winding around the side of his neck and down his spine. Ava had never seen the silga strings used before, but had read about them. The string wound itself into pressure points to serve as a kill switch into the nervous system, incapacitating the wearer when triggered.

Looking at the Tuxa next to them, she saw that they each carried a small device, which she figured was the control to each of the strings.

Ava watched as the Vorbax and their Tuxa guard moved into the cargo bay and walked across the bay floor. They apparently weren’t waiting for a Phor escort to move into the ship.

Wert is going to hate this. Ava wondered if they even knew the way. She stayed there as the Tuxa with the Vorbax left, the hull now feeling empty after so much action.

The rest of the Tuxa still in the cargo bay finalized the disembark procedures for their transport before leaving the ship themselves. The bay doors closed with a squeal from the gears. The cargo bay was quiet once again.

Ava sat still in the vent, replaying what she had seen and thinking speculatively, biting her lip while she was deep in thought. The Vorbax were new, and she didn’t know a thing about them. Her body was tense, sitting there in the dark, thinking it all over. Her brain buzzed too much to even notice the silence now.

A loud beep startled her into movement.

She grabbed her knapsack and moved quickly to vacate the area before it became depressurized again, leaving the romance books there for next time.

The vents at the top closed a few moments after she left, sealing the area off.