Chapter 6

She couldn't believe she hadn't been caught yet.

Inside the little room, she had a heat lamp, a mat with a blanket, and a small crate to put her things in. The room was heated like the rest of the place due to the steam vents and water below. She'd been given a pair of spare clothes with Draka's green star stitched onto the sleeve of the shirt. She was offered a new coat with the star on it as well, and she took it but didn't yet wear it. She needed to find a way to mask her scent first.

Along with the clothes was a new pack with a nicer canteen, a green bar that smelled like lemon which she figured was soap, a long metal tube with a switch that served as a lighter, a watch like the one she had lost, a few food bars, goggles, a new pair of gloves and scarf, some rope, and a rag.

They had kept her knife, Freys telling her that no one new got a weapon until cleared by both him and Draka. If they found a weapon on her before then, she'd enjoy the feel of being boiled alive.

"Gain our trust, do your part, and you'll earn the respect of carrying a blade," Freys said.

She didn't argue even though she hated not having something to defend herself. All she had for a door was a thick curtain. Thankfully, her room was near to the lab and away from many of the others, but that didn't make her safe. She might have better comforts here, but she'd put herself in a den of snakes—one wrong move and she'd get eaten alive.

And Draka would demand the first bite.

He still scared her. But there was something about the way he had talked to her when he didn't know it was her. His demeanor was less creepy and more civil, respectful.

Probably had something to do with him not seeing her as a piece of meat.

She curled up on the mat, back to the wall, eyes toward the curtain. She waited until the sound of footsteps faded before she took off her helmet. She shucked the coat off next and set both close to her in case she had to quickly put them back on. She took off the long-sleeved shirt, then unwrapped the scarf around her shoulder and torso. From her coat pocket, she took out a small flat jar. She unscrewed the cap and peeked at the contents, a green jelly-like substance, its scent stinging her nose. She hooked some in her fingers and started to spread it on the side of her burned wrist. She'd braced for pain and was relieved to feel a cool tingly sensation instead.

After her trial, Freys had taken her back to the lab. There he'd shown her exactly what they wanted her to make.

"Jaxis left his instructions in the journal," Freys explained. "You have all the materials you need including the compounds which you'll find in the cold storage."

She'd looked over the list. Some of the words she recognized right away. Moxathane, beramium, B3 kerosene, liquid hydrogen, and liquid metatrol.

She had to bite her tongue to keep from asking how the fuck they acquired all this. But she already knew. Stolen from machines or other sources within the factories and the mines.

The better question was why did they want her to make fuel?

And not just any fuel. Fuel usually made for transportation.

Freys didn't explain why, and she doubted he'd give her a clear answer. Still, she was too curious and asked, "What is the fuel for?"

He looked her straight in the eye and said, "Generators."

He didn't say more, and she felt if she pried it would make her look suspicious, so she held her tongue.

"Once you're done making a batch," he instructed, "put the fuel into one of the empty capsules. They will be collected every two days."

Two days. It took at least half a day just to siphon the beramium and mix it with the liquid metatrol.

"It will be difficult to work my shift and this with such a tight timeline," she said carefully.

The kyrwori laughed. "A little thick in the head, eh? Then again, you mentioned never being with a pack, so I guess you don't get how it works. You aren't working in the mines anymore. You're staying here and working specifically for us."

"What about the band?"

Freys looked down at her wrist. "Come with me."

He took her out of the lab and through the tunnelways, left, then right, then left, until he stopped at a wide door with the curtains drawn back.

Inside, a tall, lanky, snake-like alien with silver-blue scales and a black striped neck called a nilgani was stitching up the arm of an ashora sitting on a metal stool. Next to him was a table covered with several medical tools. The room looked similar to her lab, only smaller and with more cabinets for supplies. There was another room to one side with a bed and crate.

The nilgani looked their way, slitted eyes falling on her, then on Freys. "What is it?"

"Hi to you too, Serbril," Freys answered. "New guy needs his band deactivated."

The snake hissed. "Can't it wait till morning?"

"No."

The nilgani hissed. He finished up with the ashora, then beckoned Ria over to the stool.

Cautiously, she went to him and sat down. Her gloved hands clenched into fists on her lap as he pulled out a box and flipped it open.

"Pull up your sleeve, the side with the band," Serbril ordered. Carefully, she rolled up the sleeve just a little above the wrist, glad she'd thought to burn herself on the same side. Serbril eyed the burn but didn't make any comment about the oddness of it or the coloring around the skin.

The nilgani took out a needle and syringe filled with a liquid black substance like oil. If he gave her an irritated look for only showing so little skin, she couldn't tell. He grabbed her arm in a tight grip then brought the needle down.

Before she could ask what he was doing, he jabbed her and pushed the oily liquid into her veins. Then he set the syringe aside and held on to her wrist. She could see the black substance flowing up her wrist, disappearing past the sleeve.

"Freys, you might want to hold him so he doesn't fall off the chair," Serbril said.

She looked to Freys as he came around behind her. "Why would I fall off?" she said.

"Because you're going to pass out," Serbril answered.

"Why?" she said, panic starting to rise.

"Because your heart is going to stop beating." He took out some sort of timer. "For about thirty seconds."

Thirty seconds. What the fuck. If she didn't die here, they'd take the helmet off her while she was passed out. She tried to stand up and Freys forced her back down.

Before she could struggle or scream, she was out. She felt her head drop, felt Freys gripping her tight and Serbril keeping hold of her arm before all thoughts ceased. There was darkness, then a sliver of light above. She thought she heard voices echo somewhere in the distance. She felt like she was floating. Floating down into an endless dark.

Before she sank deeper, light exploded around her in a kaleidoscope of colors. She rushed back to the surface, feeling like she was strapped to a rocket.

She opened her eyes, then jolted out of her seat, gasping for air. She moved out of Freys' grasp, backing up into a cabinet. Confused, she brought a hand up to her face—and felt cool metal. She sighed with relief and looked down to see she still had her clothes on too.

"It's been deactivated," Serbril said smoothly, closing up the little box.

She looked down at the band. The light that was usually glowing softly around the rim was now gone.

"Neat trick, huh?" Freys said. "Programming deactivates and shuts off the band if it considers you dead. You're no good to them as a corpse, so they no longer monitor your shifts. Loss for them, win for us."

Shit. So that explained why she never saw his pack work a single shift. And she suspected the guards weren't monitoring that sort of thing either, expecting the program to keep track of them.

"Now that that nasty business is over"—Freys smiled—"let's get you to your room. Ah, but before that, you got any salve, Serbril?"

Serbril went into another cabinet and took out a small, flat jar and handed it to her. "For your burn, I assume."

"Burns. Guy nearly boiled himself alive." Freys laughed.

She took it gladly. She tried to ignore the nilgani's eyes on her back as they left.

Now she sat quietly in her room spreading the salve on her burn before examining her shoulder. She didn't have a mirror but from the dim yellow light she could see it was covered in dry blood. She took the rag, water from the canteen, and soap to wash it off and saw the skin was still red and a little swollen while also painful to the touch. Not a good sign. If it got infected, she was a goner for sure.

She dabbed the salve on the cuts, then took the new scarf she'd been given and wrapped it around her. She lay down after but not to sleep. She doubted she'd get any at all.

She'd risen early and got to work in the lab. She counted herself lucky that she recognized the formula needed to make the fuel even if it wasn't the kind she was used to creating. She put all her focus into getting the first batch going. Thankfully, everything was still set up from the previous chemist they had who had some moxathane already cooked in the tank and ready to be mixed.

She started the burners and got the other compounds ready, shifting from one side of the lab to the other.

She'd had a lot to think about while she'd lain staring up at the ceiling. About how long she might last before they caught her, how she might have to take the viluum after all. Maybe if she was lucky, she could ride it out long enough that she could eventually steal a few more things before sneaking out and leaving for good, taking her ass as far from the mountain as she could. That train of thought lasted for maybe a few minutes before she realized it was likely futile now. She'd have eyes on her for a long time and by then it might be too late.

By the end of the night, she had another crazy epiphany. She got it into her head that if she really dedicated herself to the work, showed she wanted to help, maybe Draka would spare her.

That idea somehow stuck.

She was confident she could get a fresh batch done on time, maybe even earlier if she didn't take too many breaks. Once she got into an effective routine, she'd have a solid flow of fuel made for…whatever it was they needed it for. She didn't dwell too much on it, letting her curiosity stay at the back of her mind for now until she felt safe enough to worry about anything other than staying alive and hidden.

Only one day at a time, Ria, she thought, carefully pouring the beramium into a large flask.

An hour went by and then another. Freys checked on her once and never returned. She siphoned the beramium and went to work cooking more moxathane. No one came to bother her, and she was just fine with that. More than fine. She didn't stop. Didn't want to.

Once the beramium was properly mixed with the liquid metatrol, she started to place it on the burner. As she turned to check on the moxathane, someone caught her eye at the door.

She froze as she locked eyes with Draka standing there.

She tried not to shudder at those dark eyes, how unnerving they were as they studied her. She had no idea how long he had been watching her. He had snow on his boots and coat which told her he had just gotten back from being outside again.

He looked tired and, dare she say, disheartened. Something told her he had been out hunting again, and still failing to find his prey. She would know.

"Freys told me you got to work early," he said. He moved toward her, and she stiffened, forcing herself not to back away. He looked over the compounds mixing in the large pot and around to tanks where the moxathane was cooking. "You're a quick learner, aren't you?" He turned and eyed her curiously. "Or you've made this sort of fuel before."

She realized she was gripping the end of the table and released it, keeping her hands at her sides. She could see he was expecting her to respond. She licked her lips and said, "I worked in shipyards before coming here."

He walked along the tables, past beakers, tubes, and pots. "You got mechanical skills then?"

"Not much. My skills are mainly in chemical engineering."

He hummed. "It's almost like you were fated to come here then." He smiled at her and she shivered.

He came around to stand close to her again. He was so big she had to lift her head back to meet his gaze. "Did Serbril give you something for your burns?" he asked.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Good. You'll have that helmet off in no time then, eh?" He took off his coat and placed it on an empty table. "Let's get this fuel going."

She stared at him. "Are you…"

"Helping? Yes."

She stood there watching him uncertainly as he moved toward one of the cabinets. "You really don't need to. I can make it on my own. You must have more important things to do."

"Yes. But we're behind on stock since Jaxis died. I want to catch up. And I need you for another task before night falls."

If she fought him, he might get suspicious. Better to let him, even if his closeness put her on edge.

"Do you know chemistry?" she couldn't help asking. If he didn't know what the hell he was doing, he could blow a new hole in the side of the mountain.

"Not much." He grinned, showing off those shiny silver fangs. "But I am confident you will guide me."

It took her a moment to get comfortable with the idea of ordering him around. She told him which materials were needed and how to set up the first solution. He did as she ordered, only asking a few questions. They worked mostly in silence as they prepared a new batch while she finished the first, Draka becoming as focused on his work as she.

Eventually her watch beeped, signaling the sun was beginning to set. Her first batch was in its last phase. She placed the solution into the pressure tank to let it cook overnight. In the morning, if all went to plan, she'd find the solution turned into the fuel they wanted and all she'd have to do was transfer it into one of the empty capsules.

The second batch obviously needed more time, but Draka appeared pleased with the work so far. She set away the chemical solutions, ready for tomorrow, and checked the moxathane in its tank, satisfied it would be cooked properly by morning.

"A good start," Draka said as he slipped his coat back on. "You've proven yourself pretty useful so far, assuming you don't blow this place sky high." He laughed low. "Come, follow me."

She did as he commanded. They left the lab and made their way through passages until they came out through the doorway leading outside into the area enclosed by rock where she had done her trial. As they walked across the flat smooth rock, it occurred to her that it was probably some sort of landing bay, used when the base had been in operation. They came to the other end and slipped into the tunnelway opposite. She was forced to keep a fast pace with Draka's long strides as they weaved their way through the mountain.

They passed more rooms, one that looked like a mess hall, another a gathering space, and a few storage rooms. They went down a flight of stairs and into a room similar to the one at the entrance to the base, with the scraps of metal and machine parts. Only here it was mostly empty except for a row of troughs filled with water. As they walked past, below the surface she saw creatures moving.

When they came to an entrance not quite as big as the one at the front but the same thick sheet of metal, Draka made for a small door beside the entrance and walked out. She followed suit, bracing herself for the cold wind flaked with snow to hit her.

The first thing she noticed was the roar of water. From the doorway, she saw to the left a waterfall flowing down one side along the rocks and pooling into a deep bed that poured over into another waterfall, which then fell all the way down to the base of the mountain. There was a path going down toward the pool where it came to a flattened section of earth beside the water. Flat-sided rocks were scattered around the circumference almost like seats around a stage. There she saw a large group of Draka's pack sitting and crouching on the rocks as if waiting. Careful where she stepped lest she slip, she followed him downward. As they got closer, she saw the group circled around three others. One was Freys, another a large ashora, the third was an uugari with yellow scales kneeling between them, hands tied behind their back.

Some distance away, she saw a tower by a rocky hillside, one that looked off to the east of the city, toward the mines. She only glanced at it before her focus set on the three near to the water. When she stepped onto the flat ground, Draka gestured to a rock nearby. "Take a seat, Oza."

She did, sitting away from the others.

Draka moved toward the three, stopping a few feet from them. He looked down at the uugari. "Agar," he said. "You look well. Considering you've been in a hole in the ground for—how long now? Seven, eight nights?"

The uugari scowled at him, a low hiss escaping him but nothing more.

Freys and the ashora lifted him up, keeping hold of his hands. Draka got closer and the uugari cowered.

"You broke trust with me and this pack. Don't deny it now. You lied your way in here and spied on us for Margrul's benefit, but look where it got you. Look where it got the members of your pack." He pointed a sharp claw down the hillside. Ria followed his hand down the rocky incline where more corpses were staked. "You're lucky you didn't join in that fate. Too bad your luck has run out."

Freys and the ashora turned the uugari around toward the waterfall. Draka took out his blade.

"You lied to me and you hurt this pack. You killed one member and allowed Margrul's men to infiltrate the tower. I know you already know all this, but I wanted to make sure you heard it out loud so when you're drowning, these will be the last words you hear. Start walking."

Freys and the ashora shoved the uugari toward the waterfall. The uugari hesitated then took a few steps. He froze at the edge and turned back to them. She could see the fear in his eyes. She sat perfectly still, knowing there was nothing she could do but watch.

The other prisoners barked and hollered at him. The uugari snarled back and went to charge them, perhaps thinking to use those last minutes of his life to fight. Freys got in his way and kicked him over the edge.

The uugari barked in surprise as he stumbled and fell. Whatever other cries he might have made were drowned out as he fell into the pool and was taken by the waterfall.

Some of the prisoners laughed. "Goodbye, Agar, you scum," she heard one behind her. "Hope you break your skull on the way down."

"That was for Higgs," another spat.

Ria felt a sharp pain in her legs and realized she'd dug her fingers into her thighs. Draka turned and they locked eyes. He smiled at her as he walked back toward her.

"Now that that's done," he said, standing in front of her, "let's keep going."

She got up slowly, hoping he couldn't see her body shaking. He turned away down the hillside and she forced her feet to follow.