Chapter 22

KAMEER

In a narrow corridor on Deck Five, I frown at the environmental control panel. Annoyance burns through me. Just yesterday, my team spent half the day fixing a similar issue, and it bothers me that we might’ve missed something.

The Darrvason guards who’ve been following me everywhere stand in a group further down the hall, conversing amongst themselves, though I feel their eyes on me. They aren’t shirking their duty to protect me. I’m certain if another soul ventures down the corridor, the guards will stop them in their tracks.

I sigh as I consider the current problem. My crew is scattered amongst the lowest decks of the Jansonna as we attempt to discern the cause of the most recent disruption, and all signs point to sabotage.

I growl as I notice scratch marks on the outside of the panel, which is supposed to remain locked. I also discover evidence of tampering in the network that connects the systems of all twenty-two decks on the human worldship.

A virus, I realize as I interpret the readings. A Tretonnlian virus to be exact. Undoubtedly acquired at an outpost long ago but not inserted in the ship’s systems until recently. But why?

I transmit a message to my crew, informing them of the find, and we get to work on the eradication of the virus, which will soon affect the upper decks if we aren’t successful.

As I work, I send a quick message to Captain Warren about the virus, and I also request a meeting as soon as possible, though I don’t indicate the true purpose for my request. I’ll let him assume the topic is ship security and sabotage, though I have every intention of forcing him to drop the charges against Mandy’s father.

A short while later, the captain sends a reply, agreeing to meet in two days. I snort with amusement, wondering if his precious nose will be fixed by then.

I ponder how I might best convince him to have the charges against Mandy’s father dropped. He’s likely eager to make an example of Carl Benton, particularly given the recent unrest on the Jansonna . Without my involvement, I fear the human male might be sentenced to ten years or longer.

Just as I start to formulate a plan, I detect a current of power coming from the control panel where there should be none. Frowning, I take a few steps back.

Boom! A small but mighty explosion sends me hurtling backward down the corridor.

I land with a groan and all the air whooshes from my chest.

Fluxx . What is happening?

My wrist comm suddenly buzzes and beeps. I turn on my side, choking on the dust from the explosion as I try to catch my breath. As the guards surround me, I remove an air filtration mask from my work belt and secure it to my face. Within moments, I’m able to breathe more easily.

Finally, I glance at my wrist comm, only to find a message waiting from an encrypted comm number. I open it.

Bleed bleed bleed.

Die die die.

A growl rips from my throat. Fluxx .

It would seem my would-be assassin has managed to follow me to the Jansonna . Or perhaps he has an accomplice.

There’s a swarm of activity as human security officers reach the scene. They douse the fire, clear the air of dust using an emergency ventilation shaft, and start asking questions. Allowing my guards to fill them in, I stand up and take stock of my body. I also remove the mask.

A few burn marks mar my arms, but I’m otherwise unharmed. The burns would likely be faded come morning without any medical intervention, though I accept a dermal regenerator from Officer Bantokk. I don’t want Mandy to see the burns.

Officer Gorrsum appears with several members from our crew. Relief crosses his face when he sees I’m unharmed. An old friend, he’s the only member of the crew who’s aware of the attempts on my life. I plan to keep it that way. Especially now that I’m suspicious of every other Darrvason who’s currently aboard the Jansonna or has visited recently.

I peer at the faces of my crew. Are one of them responsible for the attempts on my life? Or did the individual who wants me dead hire a member of my crew to finish the job? Paranoia swarms me like a sickness I cannot escape.

“So glad your pretty face wasn’t melted,” Officer Gorrsum says.

I glower at him as I pass the dermal regenerator to a guard. “A new control panel will need to be installed overnight. Until it’s active, this deck will need to be evacuated.”

Ensign Harrek steps forward. “With your permission, Chief Kameer, I would like to lead the overnight crew in the installation of the new panel.”

I gaze at the youngest member of my crew, a male who happens to be one of the youngest Darrvason males alive. He was born shortly after the war against the Yelltzins. His mother was one of the few females who were off planet during the attack on our homeworld.

But is Ensign Harrek a comrade or a foe? Could he be behind the explosion?

“Very well, Ensign Harrek,” I finally reply, deciding that if he is my enemy, it’s probably best to keep him close. “However, before you begin, we must finish eradicating the virus.”

We relocate to Deck Six to complete the task of purging the Tretonnlian virus from all ship-wide systems. It’s tedious work, but I know exactly where to insert the codes that will corner and expel the alien computer virus that should’ve never made it aboard the Jansonna in the first place.

As we work, a team of human security officers hovers behind us, asking questions as they investigate the attack. I’m not surprised when I learn the security footage from Deck Five is missing. Whoever tampered with the panel covered their tracks.

The members of my crew who remained on Decks Two, Three, and Four soon discover small explosive devices wedged within the environmental control panels, but they manage to diffuse the bombs before tragedy can strike. Not surprisingly, recent security footage from Decks Two, Three, and Four are missing as well.

Did my unknown adversary know which deck I was working on? Is that why Deck Five’s explosive device deployed but not the others?

Gorrsum passes me a tablet containing a detailed incident report, which he plans to send to Officer Brute as well as Emperor Radakk and Admiral Tornn. I approve the report and thank him for his quick thinking.

Before I can take my next breath, a text message from Admiral Tornn comes through on my wrist comm. I suppress a growl at the contents of his message.

For your safety, report to the Haxxal immediately. Your security team has been notified and will accompany you. Yes, you may bring your mate. You will be housed in the royal corridors.

Fluxx . I show the order to Officer Gorrsum. “Guess you’re in charge now, old friend. Good luck.” I lower my voice. “Keep a close watch on Ensign Harrek. He’s so eager to move up the ranks to officer that I fear he might make a mistake.”

“I will take care of everything, Chief Kameer,” he replies in a hushed voice as we move away from the others. “I only hope there’s a resolution to the… problem you’ve been facing. It doesn’t bode well that an incident occurred on the Jansonna .” He glances over his shoulder at the crew of which he’s now in command, and I’m confident he’ll be quietly watching for clues after my departure.

Clues that there’s a traitor among us.

In the company of my guards, I hasten to my quarters on Deck Twenty-One, eager to reach Mandy. Will she protest leaving the human worldship? I’m taking her away from her own people sooner than she anticipated. She’s expecting to dine with her mother and sister in two nights, an event that must now be canceled.

Guilt settles over me. I haven’t yet told her about the attempts on my life. I’d hoped the perpetrator would be captured during my time on the Jansonna . I never expected the danger to follow me.

But it’s a relief to know we’ll be housed in the royal corridors of the Haxxal . There’s no safer place in the Darrvason fleet.

I burst into my Deck Twenty-One quarters to find Mandy standing near an info screen, a worried look on her face. She glances up and rushes to me.

“I just saw the notice that Deck Five has been evacuated. I-I was so worried.” She wraps her arms around me, and I think it’s perhaps the first time she’s initiated an embrace between us. I savor the intimacy of it as I run my hands up and down her back while my ancestral markings tingle. “I’m glad you’re unharmed,” she says in a tone that resonates with honesty. I also sense her relief through the bond.

“I am fine, pretty human. Please do not fret.”

“What happened?”

I withdraw slightly from the embrace to peer down at her, and I instantly become lost in the depths of her eyes. My mate. My female. I must keep her safe.

“Someone inserted a Tretonnlian virus in Jansonna’s systems, and someone, probably the same someone, planted small explosive devices in the environmental control panels on the lower decks. The device in the panel I just happened to be working on exploded.” I pause and draw in a long breath while she stares at me in shock. “Someone wants me dead. Today officially marks the fifth attempt on my life in as many moon cycles.”

“What?” She steps back but keeps a firm grip on my hand.

“I’m afraid it’s true, though I have no idea who the culprit might be. Officer Brute, a cousin of Admiral Tornn, is leading the investigation into the matter, but thus far there have been no leads. We all mistakenly believed I would be safer on the Jansonna where my talents could also be put to use, but now that the threats have followed me, the admiral has ordered me to relocate to the Haxxal immediately. You’re coming too.”

Her eyes go wider, and I sense her reluctance to leave the only home she’s ever known. “We’re leaving the Jansonna ?”

“Yes.” I guide her to the bedroom. “We must pack our belongings and meet the security team in the corridor.” I glance at an update on my wrist comm. “A Darrvason shuttle is awaiting our arrival in the docking bay.”

I retrieve two large bags from the closet. Mandy is strangely quiet as we pack. I’d expected her to argue and plead to remain on the Jansonna , but she doesn’t.

I can’t be certain, but I think I detect occasional waves of guilt from her, but I’m unable to sense the reason for the emotion. Perhaps she feels guilty because we’re about to depart the worldship in a rush without saying goodbye to her family.

“We will be perfectly safe on the Haxxal ,” I say, hoping to alleviate some of her worry. I pray I’m speaking the truth. “Admiral Tornn has ordered us to be housed in the royal corridors, and there’s no location in the fleet kept better guarded. We’ll be staying a few doors away from Emperor Radakk himself.”

She tosses her clothing and shoes into a bag, as well as a few other items, then turns to face me. “Is there a way to get a message to my mother and sister? If they show up for dinner in two nights only to find I’m gone, they’re going to worry. Especially with my father still in the brig.”

I consider the situation and wish we weren’t leaving in such haste. I wish I could allow her to bid farewell to her family, but I cannot risk her safety. “I will instruct a human security officer to let them know about our earlier-than-planned departure. I will also ask one of my comrades to install a video comm in your family’s quarters. That way you may speak with them whenever you like.” Not long after the first wave of human females were handed over to my people, video comms were installed in Jansonna’s recreation rooms to facilitate communication between the worldship and the Darrvason ships, but I suspect all three females would prefer the privacy of personal video comms.

“Thank you.” She casts a slow look around the bedroom, and once again, I sense her reluctance to depart the worldship.

Her increasing anxiety reaches me through the bond, and though I’m not certain it will work, I endeavor to send her a comforting wave of warmth. To my relief, her worry fades somewhat, albeit gradually. A short time later, I sense her gratitude.

“Thank you, Kameer. Thank you for trying to help me feel better.” She tosses a few more items in her bag. “I-I’ve never set foot off the Jansonna before, and I expected you’d be stationed on the worldship until we reached 58-Z. I thought I had about two weeks to mentally prepare myself to leave. Even though I’ve spent my whole life dreaming about leaving, I’m still a bit nervous.”

“You’ve never visited an outpost before?”

“No. Sometimes when the Jansonna docked at an outpost, a lottery was held to determine which citizens would get to visit. My name never got picked, though Tasha’s did. Considering that she got sick not long after she visited the Fressnn Outpost, it’s probably a good thing I was never chosen.”

We finish packing, and I arrange both bags in one hand and grasp Mandy’s hand in my other, wanting to keep her close. “The Haxxal is a fine ship, pretty human. If the heartbond forms between us before we reach 58-Z, I will give you a tour.” Time to go , I tell her through the bond. Do not be afraid. I am with you.