Sanctity, page 7
When I turned my head, I caught the smirking gaze of the man with bleached hair and empty eyes. He gave me a tiny finger wave and continued to speak with a woman at the bar. They both laughed at a joke as he trailed a finger down her naked arm.
Zoagashta coughed discreetly and drew my attention back to them. “You alright?”
I blinked and shook my head clear. “Yes, of course. I think I might have to sit down for a minute. I feel a bit woozy.”
They gasped and immediately led me to an empty table. Many guests had left, so there were plenty of abandoned chairs and tables. Zoagashta cupped my jaw and gave me a thorough once-over. “Would you like some juice or water? I think the fruit buffet is out. I’ll get you a plate of that as well. Catch your breath. I’ll be right back.”
Zoagashta glided through the throngs of people, parting the crowd with their determination. People stepped over to give them space.
I sat at the table and dropped my head into my hands, taking deep breaths.
“Aww, it’s my little star engineer, all alone,” the smarmy voice wafted over.
I brought my head up to stare blindly. Everything I had just done to calm myself was wasted.
“Come with me for a second,” he said.
“I don’t think so.” I shook my head and searched for Zoagashta. They would be right back. I knew that for a fact. I knew Zoagashta was kind and intent on taking care of me. It was something they wanted to do, and I wanted it as well.
“Are you looking for that tall drink of water in the blue dress? Honey, she got stuck with a bit of a fashion malfunction. It may take a moment or two to solve. Gives us a chance to talk, become friends and all that.” The dead-eye stare was at odds with his jovial words.
I didn’t know what to do. I kept to my seat and resolved to keep my arms crossed and my mouth shut.
He pulled out a chair and twirled it around to sit on it backwards. He sat there, his elbows on the back support, and stared at me steadily. “You’re not what I expected.”
“That’s nice.” I surveyed the room, looking for Zoagashta or Thomas, deliberately ignoring him. It was a passive-aggressive move, so I knew I had a limited amount of time before he became irate with me.
“Listen, little engineer, you can look for your hero as much as you want. Everyone is liquored up past the point of any kind of help. You’re just going to have to sit here and listen as I tell you what’s gonna happen next.” His smile was harsh, and his sharpened teeth made my skin crawl. “I’m sure you’ve worked out something in your head as to who I am or whom I represent, and I wanna say you’re not wrong.”
“Nothing’s going to happen because you’re in a room with members of the Virgo Cluster Corporation. They are aware of who I am and will apprehend you if you even breathe on me funny,” I said quietly. I didn’t know if what I said was true, but I believed there was a very good chance it was.
He fell back in his seat, laughing outrageously loud. People stopped what they were doing and gave him disgusted looks. I scratched my head, confused at his behaviour.
“Oh, you were serious. I didn’t realize that. My bad,” he said.
I kept sliding my gaze to the bar, where Zoagashta had gone, hoping to see them as they returned. The man sitting in front of me had this predatory look on his face that had me staying as still as possible. He was a snake in the grass, and I was his dinner. “Why are you here?” I asked. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll try and get it.”
“What if I told you, I have exactly what I want right now?” he responded as he leaned closer to me. “But if I got what I wanted right now, we wouldn’t be able to have fun, and I really want to have fun. This fuckin’ station needs a bit of excitement and pizzazz. It’s so bland. Me and my pals have a teeny tiny plan as to when shit’s going to go down, and it’s gonna be fuckin’ amazin’. Like, we’re gonna create this light show with the power conduit, and it’s going to draw everyone’s attention. They won’t be able to stop watching it, and when it’s all over and everyone’s cleanin’ up the debris, me and my pals, along with you, are gonna be light years away.”
“I think you need to leave,” I said, struck by his words. He had threatened to kidnap me and destroy the station in one sickening go while I sat there. My mouth dried up as I catalogued everything I could about his appearance. From his threats, I knew I had to go to Sartris and the commodore and explain what was said.
“Oh, little star engineer, c’mere.” He leaned close to me, and like a puppet, I followed suit, hypnotized by the intensity of his eyes. He grabbed my jaw and squeezed hard. “You are so damn naive. It makes me almost sad.”
He twisted my head and licked a stripe up my face before kissing my mouth. His tongue was slimy and gave me chills. Then he smiled at me and shoved me away before standing up and leaving. With a jaunty two-finger salute, he melded back into the dance crowd and disappeared.
I touched my sticky slick cheek and shuddered. I was horrified at the liberties taken, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go back to my room. I had to find security and let them know about the threat to the station. And yet I remained sitting, shocked and stunned, unable to move.
“Who was that guy?” Zoagashta’s melodic voice caused me to shriek and flail as they came from behind me. Their face was concerned as they sat down in the same spot he had. “Trest? Are you okay?”
Their touch on my arm had me overreacting and almost flipping the chair backwards. I couldn’t… I couldn’t even stomach the thought of Zoagashta touching me, however innocent it might be. “I gotta go. I need to talk to someone. Gratch, I think. Shit.”
Zoagashta, in their pretty dress with their hair falling out of its intricate style, sighed and gazed at me carefully. They didn’t offer a hand to help me stand. “I wish you’d tell me what that man said to you. I can help, you know.”
Asking for help had always been a problem for me. I never asked for it while on the Padua. I kept everything close to my chest because I thought it was better if everyone saw me as capable of doing things on my own, and it snowballed from there. People started assuming I didn’t need help and stopped offering. Since the man threatened not just me but the people of StarStation 86, I had to seek help. I had to get others involved. If anyone got hurt because of my reticence, it would live on my conscience forever. “That man? I don’t trust him. He’s a threat to the station.”
The concerned look flattened out to a calculating stare as Zoagashta examined the dance floor. They shook their head and let out some pent-up air. “Come on. We shouldn’t talk here. Too many ears.”
CHAPTER 10
I followed along as Zoagashta weaved through the drunk dancers and the mingling guests until we were standing in the cool air of the lobby. They glanced around before hissing, then shook their head and pulled me along in their wake.
Eventually I found myself in the main reception area. The concierge’s desk was dark. The only thing giving light was the reflection of the blue giant. Zoagashta led me to a table and stared at me carefully.
“Would you like something to drink?” they asked gently. Their mercurial eyes were concerned as they studied me. “I think the water is still out.”
“I don’t know. It’s just so confusing, and that man… What are we going to do?” I asked, watching the fall of rainbow hair. I itched to touch it to see if it was silky. I gulped and dropped my gaze to the table. These emotions that filled me whenever Zoagashta came near confused me. Especially now. We had more important things to discuss. Not my conflicting emotions. At first I thought they were filling the void Padua left behind, but now I knew I wanted to be near Zoagashta because when I was with them, I could breathe finally.
They unlocked something within me I didn’t know existed. My emotions were overwhelming, and yet I was perfectly calm. The world had stopped spinning out of control, and there was a place for me. And StarGods, I was terrified.
“That was quite the bomb you dropped.” Zoagashta reached across the table, their palm up, asking for my hand. I slid my hand over, and they clasped it gently. “I’ll be right over there. Will you be okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I watched the quiet planet. Its atmosphere, swirling in a repetitive manner, allowed me to control my rapid breath. Zoagashta looked over as they poured a container full of water. They came back swiftly and handed it to me.
“Explain to me about the guy,” Zoagashta said when they returned. “He looked like bad news, and the emotions I could feel off him were disgusting.” Zoagashta leaned forward to meet my eyes earnestly. “What’s going on?”
“I feel bad for involving you. You could be in danger.”
They scratched their chin thoughtfully as they leaned back in their seat. My hand felt bereft without their touch. “First, I am a commander, so I do know how to defend myself. Second, this is my home. I think I should know what’s going on. Explain.”
“I don’t know how much you know about what occurred on the Padua. The Siwu attempted to kidnap our ship’s mechanique and failed in that mission.”
“Okay, I’m with you so far, and let me tell you, I am not surprised at this information. Why does this involve you?” Zoagashta leaned in closer, and I could smell a hint of eucalyptus, and it distracted me. “Trest? Why you?”
“There is a slight chance… I bonded with the ship’s heart when Lieutenant Collins went off ship.”
“You’re not a mechanique,” Zoagashta said curiously, their head cocked to the side as they thought it through.
“No, no I am not. But somehow it happened, and now… they know.” I gestured helplessly. “That guy wants to shut down the station and take me with him. He and his pals are going to do something to the power conduit and in the confusion take me.”
“Well, that’s not gonna happen.”
“I need to tell Captain Sartris and the chief of security, Commander Gratch. They understand the Siwu threat better than I do.” I spoke softly and quickly, planning as I went along. Zoagashta made noises as I spoke, agreeing, and that pleased me. I liked knowing I was on the right track.
“Okay, the service transporter can get us to their quarters quickly.” This was a different side of Zoagashta. They were all business and completely serious. But they hadn’t touched me since I told him about the pirate, and I admitted I missed it. Their touch gave me comfort, knowing their kind ways.
We went around to the far side of the lobby to a door marked Employees Only.
As we headed toward Gratch and Wild’s room, the hallway was empty, but I could hear laughter filtering from different rooms. And my anxiety increased. First, we had to warn everyone about the danger. But then I’d have to explain in more details about the bond with Padua. And that apprehension had my nerves on edge. Terrans never had any psychic capabilities at all, and to be the first one to bond with an already bonded ship’s heart had me more stressed out than hopefully the situation warranted.
“What’s wrong? I thought these were your friends?” Zoagashta leaned against the wall and examined me.
I could feel the prickles of their empathic abilities dancing over my emotions. It was disorienting, and I knew I had to block it out, like I did with the remains of Padua’s tether. My nerves were too frazzled to focus on anything but what I was going to say.
“Trest, you have to relax. Let go of your fears and trust your friends to stick by you, okay? I’ve got your back.”
I swallowed and nodded but didn’t start walking again. I would have loved it if Zoagashta was touching me in some manner. I could have used the support they had offered me, but they were so… distant now.
“We don’t need to do this. We don’t need to involve your friends right now. How about we go straight to security. They know this place like the back of their hand,” Zoagashta suggested, and I found myself agreeing with their idea.
It made sense to go to a place that had everything and knew how best to protect the people of the station. I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“And you won’t have to tell them the other secret,” Zoagashta said knowingly.
I rolled my eyes and glared.
“Come on, let’s alert the guards. Then maybe later we can relax and have fun. I have this idea where I can take you. We have so many secrets in this station, you’re just going to die at the awesomeness.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” I said as they led us back to the elevator banks. Zoagashta just laughed gaily, and I shook my head, trying to hide the smile. Obviously they were trying to keep me from dwelling on the terrible situation we faced, and maybe it worked. My stomach stopped churning, and my head stopped its anxious buzzing.
I followed Zoagashta without protest. My mind was slowing down, and I could feel exhaustion creeping into my bones. The day had been long and emotional. Having Zoagashta lead us to the security floor was best. The working portion of the station was labyrinthine, and I knew I’d get turned around if I had to do this on my own. I could read schematics with the best of them, but Zoagashta’s speed didn’t give me enough time to process the different paths we took.
They didn’t talk to me, but the touch of their fingers against my own sent waves of longing and possibilities through me, and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I knew I couldn’t encourage more because I wasn’t here for the long-term, and secondly, it wasn’t in my nature. I wanted to be in Zoagashta’s presence, and that was it. My thoughts kept racing, as we paused outside a set of doors leading to another hallway.
Zoagashta placed their hands on my shoulders and examined me carefully. They were so serious and quiet, it made me shift uneasily. “You’re a good man, Trest.” They kissed my forehead and pulled me into a full-body hug. “Let’s go tell security there’s been a breach.”
I nodded and turned to open the door, but I heard a thunk and Zoagashta cry out. Confused, I twisted to see what had happened and saw a pair of black-clad men pulling Zoagashta away. Panicked, I kicked out and nailed the kidnapper hard in a sensitive place. Freeing myself, I ran in the opposite direction down the corridor from where we’d come in and aimed for the emergency stairs. I didn’t know where they led or if they would take me to a locked corridor in the middle of the station. This was all secondary to the need to escape these people. I hated leaving Zoagashta and hoped they were alright, but I couldn’t help anyone if I was caught.
Shit was apparently going down now.
CHAPTER 11
I slid my way down the stairs, my feet barely catching the risers as I scrambled downward. I could hear people yelling above me, but I didn’t dare stop my momentum. I didn’t know how this wing of the arcology worked. Everything was now guesswork, and I had to keep moving. Usually I would have had the place mapped out in my head and know exactly where to go and who to talk to. But my brain was in such a state, I hadn’t followed through on my normal routine when visiting a new place. I could only rely on spatial awareness and vague ideas from various pictures I had glanced at.
Once at the bottom, I crashed into the exit door, expecting it to be difficult or locked, only to find it wasn’t. I fell unceremoniously into a service corridor. Pipes ran along the walls, and the floor was made of easy-to-clean tiles. I stopped to catch my breath and take a moment to report what had happened to me and Zoagashta.
When I tapped my ear to initiate the communications link, I felt nothing. The earpiece wasn’t there. I frantically checked my pockets and my collar, hoping it might have fallen in the struggle. Nothing.
Standing in the middle of some “bland could be anywhere” hallway with no way to contact anyone should have sent me into a panic. That was the old me. The new me, the one who had been peripherally part of some coup, could handle the chasing and almost kidnapping with aplomb. That is to say, I tested every door quickly until I could slip into one and hide before the people chasing me could find me. I sidled away from the door and sat on the ground. Catching my breath was my first priority, followed by a plan to contact security. I needed to remember everything about the men and my wild flight downward.
The door from the stairwell crashed open, and I jumped, then froze as I listened to the voices echoing in the barren hallway. Judging by the voices, only two men had followed my rapid descent. I couldn’t hear the exact words, but I assumed they needed me and were in big shit if they didn’t get me to their boss. I surveyed the room, trying to posit where I was in the station and how I could use its location to my advantage.
And judging by the thirty or so chairs and tables lined up in rows, I must have entered a cafeteria of sorts. Why hadn’t I looked at anything other than the crew levels and the retreat levels? I was out of my depth right now, and I could feel the panic begin to take over. Ducking low, I crept to the front of the room and began searching in every drawer and cupboard for something that would help me. I would have given my soul for comms, but a well-laid-out map would work just as well.
I paused occasionally to listen and see if my pursuers were still around or if anyone else had joined them. I snooped around the room, hoping for something of use and snarled when I found nothing. I quietly moved to the door in hopes an evacuation plan would be posted, and there it was. The map had minimal information on it, enough to know where the meeting points were and other safety features.
Breathing slowly, I knew I had to get my heart rate down so I could focus on my task. I had to think rationally about approximate pirate numbers, their location, and possible objectives—based on Bleached Hair’s earlier threats. In normal times, I would be doing this from the comfort of my chair with someone else doing the running around.
I was an engineer, dammit. I could read schematics like nobody’s business, so why were my hands shaking, and why couldn’t I think of anything other than people hurting Zoagashta and trying to kidnap me? I had to find a way to security and warn them.
Memorizing the information on the posted evacuation map, I tiptoed to the door and cracked it open an inch. The hallway was silent. No noise of any kind. I had to take my chance and get down two more levels and move inward toward the power conduit. Easy enough task to accomplish. I had a goal.
