18. Astrid

18

ASTRID

Zyrus was working another shift when the message buzzed on my communicator. The picture that came through almost made me throw the device across the room.

Alice. Tied up. Bruised. Her vibrant face marred with dark splotches and fear.

And a message: Sector J. Level nine. Come alone.

The words burned into my retinas, a sinister demand.

If Zyrus were with me, I would have said something. But alone, raw panic surged through me like an electric current. I threw on the first clothes I could grab, not caring if they matched or were even clean. My hands shook as I fumbled with the fastenings, and I ran out the door without pausing to plan or even catch my breath. The corridors of Nebula Outpost blurred around me as I sprinted.

Alice was hurt, and probably because of me. The guilt gnawed at my insides. I should have insisted that someone watch her, that if one of us was in danger, we both were. Now, as I raced towards an unknown threat, I cursed my own shortsightedness. The weight of responsibility pressed down on me, spurring me forward even as fear threatened to paralyze me.

Was this Yoree's doing? Mercy had been the only option I could stomach at the time; now I worried that I had sacrificed Alice to save that worthless piece of garbage.

I was halfway there when I realized I hadn't left any sort of message for Zyrus. My heart stuttered as the realization hit me. It was one thing to run off into danger alone, but it was beyond stupid not to leave a lifeline asking for backup. The cold metal walls of the station seemed to close in on me as I pushed forward, my breath coming in short gasps. I could have asked any of the other Detyens or their mates for help, but my feet carried me farther and farther away from where we all lived, the familiar corridors giving way to less traveled areas.

There hadn't been a time limit on that message, but the implication had been clear enough. The longer I waited, the more Alice would pay for it. The thought made my stomach churn with dread. I could almost hear a clock ticking in my head, each second another potential moment of pain for Alice. The weight of my decision pressed down on me, making each step feel heavier than the last. But I couldn't turn back now, not when Alice's life hung in the balance.

I darted around people going about their daily lives with no idea my friend was being held hostage on the ship. I even nearly bowled over a woman in a station security uniform, and only managed to swerve around her at the last moment with a muttered apology.

Who had Alice? Why? And did this have anything to do with why my people were still stuck down on Nebula?

The thoughts were all a jumble in my head, none of them clear enough for me to follow the thread, especially not while I made for Sector J, level nine at a dead sprint. My lungs burned with each gasping breath, and the pounding of my feet on the metal floor echoed in my ears. Everything blurred together, each turn bringing me closer to an unknown threat and, hopefully, to Alice.

As I ran, my senses were on high alert. The acrid smell of industrial cleaner stung my nostrils, and the harsh fluorescent lights cast eerie shadows that seemed to dance at the edges of my vision. My muscles screamed in protest, but I pushed on, driven by a mixture of fear and determination. Time was slipping away, and with each passing moment, the danger to Alice—and possibly to my people on Nebula—grew more imminent.

It was clear why this was the sector Alice's attacker had chosen the second I crossed into it. The place was deserted, plastic tarps covering some of the walls, dust all over the floor. Heavy construction was underway here, and it wasn't fit for anyone.

At first, I had no idea where to go. I was on level nine and in Sector J. Then I spotted the red spots on the floor in front of me, and the smudges in the dust. Drag marks.

I had a trail to follow.

I really should have told someone I was going down there. I didn't want to die.

The sound of heavy breathing echoed down the hallway, and I slowed. How was I supposed to approach this? I didn't have a blaster with me to go in ready to shoot everyone and take no prisoners. I couldn't even escape a simple hold without falling into bed with Zyrus. That wasn't going to work now.

I just had to face this and hope for the best.

I never should have come alone.

But any chance of turning around was quashed when a large man in a station security uniform appeared behind me, cutting off my exit. He grabbed onto my arm, hard enough to bruise, and tugged me forward.

Alice was in a heap in the middle of an atrium. Her chest rose and fell, but one of her eyes was nearly swollen shut, and her clothes were torn and blood-spattered. They'd had her for some time, and they'd used that time to make her pay.

Two other hulking men flanked her, wearing dark clothes, but not station security uniforms. I didn't know if they worked on the station or if they'd been brought in by the boss.

The boss was obviously the short guy wearing an expensive suit and standing off to the side, looking down at his communicator and scrolling through messages as if he hadn't ordered the brutalization of an innocent woman. The guard holding me cleared his throat, and the guy in the suit looked up.

"Thank you for joining us, Astrid. I was worried you wouldn't make it." He slid his communicator into his pocket with a smooth, practiced motion. The device disappeared into the folds of his expensive suit, leaving no visible trace. "My name is Vastrien Roqhart."

The name hung in the air, heavy with unspoken significance. Fear was acrid on my tongue, but I forced myself to speak.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" I sneered, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. Instantly, I regretted my bravado. My eyes darted to Alice's crumpled form on the floor, and my stomach clenched with dread. She was right there , vulnerable and already battered. I knew with sickening certainty that she'd pay for my sins, for every careless word that left my mouth. The weight of my mistake pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe in the tense, oppressive atmosphere of the atrium.

But Vastrien smiled, and it sent a chill down my spine. "No, I suppose it's difficult to keep track of every assistant and junior executive when you're busy on the ground. I work for Intergalactic Minerals. Does that ring a bell? Or the Nebula Mining Conglomerate?"

Those were names I knew. Names me and everyone down on Nebula had cursed for a decade.

"Ah, yes, now you're getting it. You and this one here are trying to cause trouble for us." He nodded at the man who was still clutching my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. With a rough shove, I was propelled towards a nearby bench.

I stumbled, my heart racing as I fought to keep my balance. My hands caught the edge of the cold metal seat just in time, and I managed to right myself before I could topple over. The sudden movement sent a jolt of pain through my still-healing injuries. Anger bubbled up inside me, hot and fierce.

"Trouble?" I spat, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. "You assholes left us on Nebula to die! We survived for ten years in that hellhole because of you!"

One of the men in black took a threatening step towards Alice, his massive frame looming over her battered body. The sound of his heavy boots on the floor echoed ominously in the atrium. My stomach lurched, and I clamped my mouth shut, the taste of fear bitter on my tongue. The weight of my words hung in the air, and I silently prayed they wouldn't cost Alice any more pain.

"An unfortunate … misunderstanding," Vastrien said, searching for that last word for a moment. "We do not stand for insurrection."

"Insurrection? What?" Was he still talking about the mine? Or something else? "Are you saying the explosion was sabotage?" I'd rebuffed ten years of conspiracy theories from people with nothing better to do than think. And now this stranger was telling me they might have been right?

"Quarterly earnings reports suggest a lot of things, Astrid. And it's been a decade. People have forgotten about that unfortunate accident, and my superiors are not eager for people to remember. So, you see why I have a problem."

"I just want my people off Nebula. No one gives a shit about Intergalactic Minerals." Sure, we'd done our fair share of cursing the company while we were trapped, but now wasn't the time to mention that.

Vastrien pulled out his communicator and began reading off the screen. "Ideas to make Intergalactic Minerals get off their asses and do something. One: sue them. Two: find a reporter and get the story out. Three: release rats into their headquarters. Four: find even more reporters. Five ... shall I go on? Or do you understand now?"

"Understand what?" I really should have left a note. Or waited for Zyrus. Or done anything except walk into this trap.

"This message was sent to you by Alice over there two days ago. You've been plotting to take us down. And in conjunction with both of your activities on this station, interfering with security and sending messages to media officials in the Oscavian Empire …"

"What? I never even read that message! How did you get that? Are you monitoring our comms?" I vaguely remembered Alice sending me something, but I'd been caught up with Zyrus and everything else. Besides, I hadn't done that—or at least not all of it.

"Cadence Carper, a junior executive at a small Oscavian news network," Vastrien said, his voice dripping with disdain. "The messages may be encrypted, but we know Alice was in communication with her. Our intelligence is quite thorough."

On the ground, Alice made a sound of protest, a strangled mix of pain and defiance. Without warning, one of the brutes kicked her in the stomach, the sickening thud of his boot connecting with her flesh echoing through the atrium. I flinched, my own body tensing in sympathetic pain as Alice curled into herself, gasping for air.

"Get her out of here," Vastrien snarled, his face contorting with disgust. "I won't deal with both of them at once. It's too much of a headache." He waved his hand dismissively, as if Alice were nothing more than an annoying insect.

At his command, two of the brutes scooped Alice up, their meaty hands gripping her arms with bruising force. They dragged her away, her feet scraping against the floor as she weakly tried to resist. I watched helplessly as they disappeared around a corner, leaving just me, Vastrien, and the station security guard hovering over me. The sudden absence of Alice made the space feel colder, more threatening. I swallowed hard, my throat dry with fear, as I realized I was now alone with these men who seemed to hold my fate in their hands.

"All we want is to get our people safely off of Nebula. That's what I've been trying to do for weeks. And Alice wants off the station altogether. She has a family." But I didn't tell him that her wife was Cadence. What if that put the woman in more danger? My heart raced, the weight of Alice's secret pressing down on me like a physical force. I could almost taste the metallic tang of fear in my mouth as I struggled to keep my expression neutral.

"And all I want is to clean up this mess and never see this sector again. I hope you understand, it's nothing personal." He nodded towards the station security guard behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I heard the subtle shift of the guard's stance. My muscles tensed, ready to react, though I knew any attempt to flee would be futile. The air in the room seemed to thicken, making it harder to breathe as I waited for whatever was coming next.

I felt a prick in my arm, and everything went black.