18. CHAPTER 18

This Valisian woman swore she wouldn't hurt me. She claimed she just needed Lorvian's aid and knew he wouldn't give it to her without using me to get it. I hated this, hated being a weakness for someone. It reminded me of my dad and how he died protecting me during the accident.

In the movies, someone is always being saved; it fills you with a warm feeling knowing that someone loves you so much they will go through hell and back just for your sake. I guess it was supposed to make me happy, happy that he cared enough to come all the way here to rescue me, glad that he couldn't let me go so easily. But it filled my heart with dread. If he lost his life because of me, then that would make two who have died for my sake, and I didn't think I was worth it.

Who was I? A nobody, not even good enough to be chosen to come here. I had no special skills except for the art of lying and pretending to be something I wasn't. Maybe I would have enjoyed going back to school. Maybe found a profession I care for, worked hard, met someone, a nice, normal guy, and settled down with our first home together.

Would I have been happy with that? I was always the risk taker, and that's why it was easy to drop out of school with no plan. Maybe I stopped caring about myself. I needed to get it together because I was sure as hell not in Kansas anymore—or North Carolina, if I were to be literal.

Right now, I was on this sleek-looking ship that seemed straight out of some sci-fi vid while the man I've shared almost every part of myself with was fighting for his life and mine. Useless doesn't begin to describe me, just as I was useless when my father took it upon himself to endanger his own life for me.

I watched in horror as that massive airship broke apart; knowing Lorvian was onboard, I lost myself and screamed in horror.

"Hello, Elvira." The crude alien voice came on the comms.

"Feion! You bastard!" Elvira spat at the equipment broadcasting the other. "I won't give up until I see my brother's body, you slaat worm!"

"I knew you had something in store, but I didn't expect this. You are more formidable than I could have ever imagined. However, your actions have doomed your brother and your prince."

"No!" She slammed her fists on the console, leaving a crack in the protective glass. She slunk down, giving in to her anger and grief.

"I need a fucking evac at the sub-level right now!" I heard Lorvian yell on the other end. "Elvira!"

"Lorvian," I muttered as I ran to the comms and pressed the button to talk. "Lorvian!" I exclaimed, so relieved to hear his voice. "We're on our way! Just hang on!"

"That's what we're doing already!"

I took my hand off the console and grabbed at the woman, I didn't care if she was twice my height, I would drag her to that pilot's chair no matter what! "Listen! Lorvian is alive! And he said nothing about your brother being doomed!" I repeated the word doomed in a mocking tone of that other alien. "He said, "We"re hanging on!" That means they both are alive and need our help! I won't sit here and cry while he needs me! We have a ship of our own, so let's use it!"

She wiped her eyes, pushed me off, and stood. "Yeah, you're right, I don't know... I just lost it a little." She marched to the pilot's chair. "Prepare for evasive maneuvers!"

Before I could so much as brace myself, I had lost my footing from the rattle of the ship and the force at which we took off. She was heading straight for the ship. The other ship Lorvian arrived on was fending off the drones, in its frenzy, it flew right in front of us just missing us which meant we also garnered their attention.

"Get on that damn turret!" She ordered.

She couldn't have been speaking to anyone else but me, considering we were the only two on board... okay. I struggled to my feet. "Where?"

"Down the center of the hall!"

I ran to the ladder and climbed up into the comfy seat, but nothing was happening. This wasn't like the old sci-fi vids at all! I noticed the comm system and at least knew how to operate it. "I have no idea what I'm doing!"

"Look above you! There are three large switches: one to power on, the other to prime the weapons systems, and the other to make them hot. Happy shooting!"

She cut off communication, which was for the best. The last thing she needed was me pestering her while we were fighting for our lives. I did as instructed and quickly strapped myself in once the chair moved. Okay, this was no different from some games I've played. No, it was very different, but the overall goal was aiming and firing, and I knew how to aim and press buttons.

I found a target and allowed the system to lock on, and I fired, blasting the drone to bits. "Yes! Oh my fucking God!" I cheered before finding another and another! "Welcome to the real Call of Duty, bitch!" I yelled after taking out the last of these spider-looking machines. Happy freaking shooting, indeed!

I saw him through the small window in the turret station. Lorvian was dangling almost outside the twisted metal. I turned the three switches off, not knowing if I had done it right at all, and rushed from the machine to the airlock and opened it, not even thinking if it would suck me out or not; what an idiot I was, a lucky idiot as nothing happened but a lot of wind getting inside.

Lorvian tossed the dirty smelly man inside and then moved to leap over when a massive gust of wind pulled him back inside that structure, something rushed from the darkness wrapping around his throat and pulled him through the metal into the half of the ship that remained afloat.

"Lorvian!" I yelled and leaped across the ship"s platform.

Elvira called out to me but my mind was made up, I was going in whether I was thinking straight or not. This was perhaps the dumbest thing I could ever do. What could I do to help him? But it was better than sitting on my ass feeling sorry for myself.

Vertigo hit me until I passed the first round of bent, blackened metal to enter the ship. The second half of the ship had fallen into the abyss, and I prayed that this one didn't follow. I followed the metal carnage, keeping myself steady and willing away the urge to vomit.

Just relax, I told myself to calm my shaky nerves. This place was dark and dank, and I almost wished for the light of the torn walls, but it was between this and looking down into cloudy nothingness. I ducked into a nearby room once a violent bout of sickness took over.

This air was damn near unbreathable. What little of it this planet gave me.

"Wear this." A stiff voice spoke. I gazed up at the figure of a human male. Lean-bodied, hair perfectly combed, perfect bone structure, and pale skinned. It was an android, one of ours. Or he wore the uniform of one. I took hold of the small mask, and he helped me strap it to my head with a quick MacGyver move. The pure oxygen flowed into my body, slowly but surely dissipating nausea, though the headache remained. "You must be very careful, RA 88603. This atmosphere is comprised mostly of carbon dioxide. Deadly for human consumption."

I tried to think of his model for a moment but couldn't quite figure it out. "Model number?"

"That does not matter," he replied, much to my surprise. "Call me Connor."

"Ah, the Connor model." Now, his reply made sense. In an effort to make them more human, they made them a bit quirky.

"I am happy to see a human." He said, helping me to my feet.

"Thanks. I'm oddly happy to see you, too." I sighed, looking him over. He seemed fine and put together. "Why are you here?"

"The real question is how do we escape? I've performed a self-diagnosis and self-sweep and found forty-two viruses in my system. Some of my sub-systems are offline."

"Is that your way of saying you're sick and incapable of getting off this ship?"

"Affirmative. All systems are minimal."

"Fuck it, I still need you, we can put our heads together and think of something."

"That would be painful for you."

"Not literally! Come on!" I stood feeling better.

We left the room and trekked down the hall, following what was left behind; I saw small droplets of liquid. Valisians blood is black, I remember it from Lorvian. This must be his.

Connor kneeled, and a small probing tube emerged from his finger and sucked the drop inside. "For analysis."

"Can't you remember at all how you got here?"

"A human approached me and told me to come with him, so I obeyed."

"A human. Why?"

"We boarded a small ship piloted by an alien species known as Valisian. Here, they attempted to access my hardware. This trail will take us to level thirteen." He said, cutting himself off.

"Let's go then," I said, saving this conversation for later.

"We will have to go down." He stretched out his arm, stopping me from taking another step. I looked down and noticed that the carnage dropped to the floor, creating a multileveled gap.

"Shit!"

He lifted me off the ground in one fell swoop and fucking jumped!

My stomach felt like something pushed into my throat as I screamed. But he landed, and the force felt like it rattled my brain.