Paradise 21 (18 page)

Rising from the table, Striker rubbed his eyes. The processor was all he needed, so he grabbed his metal rod and prepared himself to fight anything standing in his way.

…

Warning lights flashed as Tiff angled the
Morphic Marauder
into the atmosphere of the ruddy orange planet. Out the main sight panel, she saw that parts of the ship’s skin that had taken asteroid hits were peeling off as they passed through the atmosphere.

“Computer, bring up the diagnostics on structural integrity.”

Several outer compartments were leaking pressure at an alarming rate.

“Everyone on deck,” she yelled through the speaker system. “Now.”

Reckon stumbled in, holding everything he owned in his arms. She gave him a questioning look, but he only shrugged. “I packed, just in case. Don’t want this stuff blasting off into space.”

“Some faith you have in my abilities.” Tiff jerked a lever and pulled a few switches down to close off the outer levels. “Where’s everyone else?”

He strapped his belongings to his seat. “Don’t know.”

She got back on the intercom. “Our ship is falling apart and collapsing under the pressure. Drifter, Loot, you need to get to the control room.”

As Reckon buckled himself into his seat, Loot came in with bags of supplies. “Heya, Tiff. I salvaged what I could before we lost the atmosphere in the kitchen.”

“Good thinking. Now help me check the levels of the engines. We’re falling at a staggering rate.”

“You bet.” Loot scooted into the chair next to her and switched on two more sight panels. A blur of orange-red gas filled the screen and his face blanched. “Will we make it?”

“We’ll make it in.” Tiff lowered her voice. “Getting out is another story. Looks like this landing might be the end of the
Morphic Marauder
.”

Loot’s jaw tightened and his eyes watered. “What will we do?”

Tiff bit down on her lip, feeling as though she’d failed him. She’d wanted to give him a better life and instead they were diving nose-first into a hellhole. “Haven’t thought that far ahead, yet. Right now I’m trying to get us on Sahara 354 alive. I’ll think of something, okay?”

“’Kay.” Loot gave her a reassuring nod.

As she looked back to the blazing inferno on the screen, her thoughts flashed to her brother and the crooked-toothed grin he’d given her before he’d left on his journey to find a paradise—a journey that had ended with an explosion in space so big, she’d seen it from the bubble of the space station. If she disintegrated this ship in the atmosphere, would she see him again? Would he be proud of what she’d become?

“Who’s flying this goddamn ship, a monkey?” Drifter jumped on deck with four sets of laser guns strapped to his body.

Tiff hardened her face. “You think you can do better?”

“It’s those asteroids.” He spat and sat behind her and Loot, buckling himself in. “They’ve damaged our hull. My ship’s not going to survive, is it?”

Tiff gritted her teeth, sensitive to the fact he called it his ship and not theirs. He really did mean to abandon her. “I can’t be sure. Maybe we can repair it once we’re on the ground.”

“A rat’s ass we can.” Drifter’s voice was a growl. “You’ve ruined my ship.”

Tiff squeezed her hands around the control stick. If Loot weren’t there, she wouldn’t mind crashing his precious ship to show him what a piece of junk it really was and how much he needed her. A warning siren echoed in her ear. She ignored it, releasing the second set of landing wings. Their descent slowed a bit, allowing her more control. Looking at the surface grid on her sight panel, she chose a patch of even sand.

“Everyone, hold on.”

The first time the ship hit the ground, it bounced back up, and she wondered how many pieces it left scattered behind it in the sand. Tiff knew they’d have to go back for anything missing, but it was a small price to pay to slow their speed. The second time they hit, she coasted along the sand as it tore at the bottom of the hull, until the edge of the ship rammed into a ridge. They jerked forward on impact, their seat belts holding them in place.

White silence filled her ears as the ship went dead. Dust settled around them.

Reckon broke the trance. “I almost had a heart attack.”

“Great.” Drifter’s face curved into a sardonic smile. “Just great. Now we’re marooned on this desert planet like Striker.”

“Hold your horses.” Tiff unclasped her seat belt. She tasted blood in her mouth from clamping her teeth on her tongue. Swallowing the metallic taste, she stood up. Although her knees wobbled, she forced herself to straighten. At least they were all alive. “Let’s check the damage. Reckon, get out your life scanner. See if you can find any trace of Striker. Loot, help me with the escape hatch.”

Drifter sneered. “What? Are you making yourself captain?”

“No. I’m filling in until the real captain gets his sense back.”

Drifter spat. “I never lost it. I’m telling the truth of the matter here. We’re stuck with a busted ship on a forsaken desert hell of a planet.”

“You don’t know that. You haven’t even checked the damage yet.” Tiff signaled to Loot to join her. Loot jumped out of his seat and followed her up the ladder leading to the escape hatch, probably eager to get out of their heated conversation. To her relief, the lever and the panel were intact. She overrode some codes and pulled the latch. The door popped open and pure sunlight streamed in. The touch of the sun on her skin lent her hope. If she could get them to this desert planet, then she could get them to Refuge just as well. All she needed was the coordinates and a working ship.

Drifter groaned on the deck beneath her as he climbed the ladder to take a look. “My head hurts like hell.”

“Quit complaining.” Tiff felt like she had two boys to take care of instead of one. “Reckon, you getting anything on the scanner?”

“Not yet, but I’ll pick up life better outside of these metal walls.”

“Get your butt up here.” A rush of adrenaline shot through her and her face flushed in the heat of the second sun. “We have a repo mission to do.”

Aries awoke to searing bright light. She closed her eyes and splotches burst on the back of her lids. Had she floated to heaven? No. She recognized the glint off the chrome walls of the
New Dawn
. She’d sunk to hell instead, her own personal hell, made by her blunders and poor choices.

Itching around the IV on her arm, she wondered what could be worse. What if they’d caught Striker as well? He’d be condemned to death on their ship for the crime of sheltering a runaway. They’d set him adrift in space in a small capsule with little food or water. Although no one spoke publically of such a thing, it had happened before.

She dangled her feet off the hospital bed and tried to calm her dizziness. The door melted away and a nurse appeared holding a needle. “My goodness, you’re awake.”

Aries didn’t recognize her. They’d probably chosen a stranger on purpose. If she had a nurse she’d known growing up, then her caretaker would be more likely to listen to her plight, maybe even give her a chance to run to the escape pods. In any case, she wasn’t going anywhere. Not this time.

“Listen, I need to know if another man was escorted onboard. A man not on the
New Dawn
to begin with.”

“You mean an Outlander? No, there’s no one like that here.”

“Never mind.” Aries couldn’t trust her. Even if the nurse was being honest, they wouldn’t tell a lowly nurse about other captives.

The nurse pushed the touchscreen on the wall, probably alerting the higher-ups of her patient’s status, then walked toward her with hesitant steps, holding the needle up as if in defense. Aries wondered what they’d told her and how much of the truth she knew.

“You need your rest, my dear.”

“Like hell I do.”

The nurse took a wary step back.

Aries wanted to overpower the woman and break free, but that would only lead to further imprisonment and a more confined cell. It was better to play along, for the moment. Aries offered her arm. “I’m sorry. I’ve had a bad day.”

“I bet you have, dear.” She inched toward the door. The last thing Aries wanted was a guard.

“No, I’m okay. I promise.”

The older woman eyed her suspiciously and stepped toward her, needle raised. Aries estimated how hard it would be to overtake her and turn the needle around.

A familiar voice came over the intercom. “Wait. Don’t give her that. I need her awake.”

Barliss.
Aries searched the corners of the room for a camera.

“Yes, Lieutenant.” The woman backed toward the door.

The chrome slipped away and Barliss appeared, dressed as if he’d come to pick her up for a date. Instead of a military uniform, he wore a civilian suit, pressed perfectly, and his fedora tilted at just the right angle over his right eye. Underneath the hat, he’d gelled his hair so much it reminded her of wet plastic. Aries’ insides shriveled up just looking at him.

“Leave us,” he said to the nurse.

“Yes, sir.” The older woman bowed slightly and Aries wondered how powerful Barliss had become while she’d been on safari in the desert.

After the woman left, he turned to her and Aries wilted under his gaze. So many emotions lurked there: betrayal, hatred, suspicion. They were all justified. His words were stilted. “Are you well?”

“As much as possible.”

She moved to stand, but with a gesture of his hand, he indicated she should remain sitting on the side of the bed. He chose to sit on the chair by the door. He took off his fedora and cleared his throat, running his fingers gingerly along the rim.

Aries knew that nothing Barliss did was tentative. This was all an act. She braced herself for the real reason he’d come.

“At first, when you ran away, I thought you’d deceived me during the entire courtship, making me look like a fool. I have to admit, I hated you for it. The doctors say you suffer from a condition in which you blur fantasy with reality. They reassure me with the correct medication you can—”

“No.” Aries surprised herself with the amount of venom in her voice. Now was the time to come clean, to voice the emotions she should have spoken long ago. “They’re telling you what you want to hear, Barliss. I’m sorry. I should have told you in the first place I never wanted to marry you. Even if it’s never been done before, I should have tried.” Her words fell out and a wave of relief spread through her, as if her declaration removed all the obligations clinging to her chest.

He sat there with his mouth half open, and Aries took advantage of his stunned silence. “I want my own life, my own choices.” She stressed her next words. “I want off this ship.”

Barliss shook his head. “That’s impossible. There’s nowhere for you to go. You’re destined to be here, to be my mate. It was chosen by the Guide.”

“What have you done with Striker?”

Barliss scowled. “That man is not of your concern. You’ll never see him again, so put him out of your head. You need to think about your place here, beside me.” He spoke as if he were correcting a child’s insolence.

Aries’ frustration boiled inside her. As always, he wasn’t listening to her. “I’d rather die than marry you.”

Barliss stood abruptly and raised his hand to strike her. With a lift of her chin, she dared him to come at her. She had a few blows saved up for him as well.

The moment hung, sizzling in the air.

Barliss looked away as if he couldn’t bear to stand the sight of her. “Then I’ll have you put on suicide watch. You’re very sick, my dear Aries. I’ll see to it you get better, even if I have to administer your medication myself, every day of our lives. I can tell you this: until you do, I’ll make sure you don’t leave this cell. You have a mighty fine life here. All of your needs are cared for. You have all the possessions you could desire. There’s a price everyone pays, most of us happily, in grateful celebration of our mission. In return for all the
New Dawn
has done for you, we need your genetic code.”

He stood up, placing his fedora back on his head. “Someday, you’ll come to your senses and then you’ll have to make it up to me. Whether that comes sooner or later, it’s up to you. I have my whole life to wait.”

Aries wanted to hit him with her balled fists until he hurt as much as her sore heart, but she stood mute and frozen as he left her cell, and the chrome wall solidified back in place.

…

The heat could drive any sane person delirious.

The sun beat down on Tiff, slowly microwaving the top of her head. When she ran a hand through her hair, it singed her fingers. With enough time in the sun, the blond spikes would bleach to white again, like they had five years ago. Tiff sipped from her water bottle and trekked ahead, following the coordinates on Reckon’s life scanner, her boots slogging through loose sand.

She glanced behind her to check on the others. Loot dragged the packs of food and water behind him, making a winding trail in the dunes. Drifter followed the boy, keeping his laser cocked and ready to fire. He’d already fired at a few moving sand mounds to scare away whatever came at them. They were all armed. Her gun bumped hard against her pelvis as she walked, but she felt safer with the extra weight.