Ari picked up the utensils and cut a piece of the meat and took a bite, barely paying attention to the savory goodness as it melted on his tongue. Instead of taking his time to enjoy his food, he watched Morgan turn her back on him and create her own culinary choice. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of isolation with each absent-minded bite. Even while he chewed, his jaw clenched at the impersonal way she acted toward him. Was she indifferent to him, or was there something deeper at play here?
He might not know much, but the quickened beat of his heart and the way his thoughts kept drifting back to her made it clear. Indifference on his part wasn’t on the menu. The more time he spent with her, the more irresistible she became. She drew him in with every glance and gesture. But as far as he could tell, she didn’t give him a second thought. More of a nuisance than anything else. He took another bite, and this time the food was tasteless as he chewed. The ache of this newfound solitude gnawed in his gut. Maybe he didn’t want her to help him find out who he really was.
With his luck, it’d only make him more invisible.
Morgan sighed with a silly grin. Her taste buds and tummy sang satisfied tunes for the first time in a long time. After being kidnapped from theStarChance, the only thing she had to eat were dusty, dry, tasteless protein cubes. That is, when anyone remembered to feed her. Once she “joined” theNebula Viper, getting something to eat was a dicey proposition. Since the Ozevroc were a hierarchical species with a harsh chain of command, as a female and a lowly alien slave, the only thing she got was leftovers… if she was lucky enough when someone remembered her. Or if they wanted her to fix something. She lived on the stale cubes she’d found in a crate in a forgotten chamber when she’d been scrounging for engine parts.
She licked her lips, savoring the lingering taste of the marinated coconut-and-ginger crab soup she missed from Aethralis. Paired with that were light-as-air buttery biscuits. Now, all was well in the universe. It’d been hard, but she avoided creating a succulent glass of white wine to go with her food. Instead, she did the practical thing and opted for a flask of ice-cold water. Which she made for Ari as well. The guy had to be parched by now.
Taking a chance, Morgan snuck a quick glance at him. No doubt about it, he was one good-looking man. From his messy, sexy, thick blond hair to the masculine boots on his large feet, he was a definite eye-turner. Too bad he couldn’t remember anything. Well, if nothing else, he’d be useful for moving the heavy stuff. Those muscles looked fine. She coughed. Okay, more than fine.
Morgan, quit ogling the strange man and get down to business.
“So, Ari.” Morgan swiped her hands over the thighs of her overalls. “Are you ready to go into that ship now? Maybe we’ll get lucky and something there will trigger your memory.” Fingers crossed, seeing a familiar place might cure him. And, if luck was with them, he’d know how to fix that ship so they could leave sooner than she’d hoped.
Even though the Ozevroc had stripped the ship of anything they could carry, she wondered if he knew about the little secret weapon she’d found tucked into a corner. She was pretty sure she could fix that on her own. But if going onto that ship gave him any insights, all the better.
Ari rubbed his scruffy chin. “I guess so.” He lifted his clean plate. “What do I do with this?”
She thumbed over her shoulder. “Just toss it into that open barrel over there. We’ll dump it into the incinerator later. Come on, this way.”
Ari gave her a nervous smile with a slight shrug. “Okay, you da boss.”
Morgan sniffed at him with a frown, then headed to the dark side of the hangar, expecting him to follow. Thankfully, he did. She stopped in front ofElemi’ssleek form. As she touched the soft surface, the ship reminded her of a predatory creature resting. Its smooth hull had subtle colors that shifted, allowing the vessel to blend into the surrounding shadows. When she stood next to it, the air was noticeably heavier, with a bio-synthetic scent along with a faint floral fragrance.
Morgan went to the place where an open door had originally appeared after the Ozevroc used their tractor beams to bring it in, placing her palm on the surface. There it was, a gentle pulse beneath her hand, as if the ship was breathing and had a faint heartbeat. At her touch, a section next to her rippled and parted like the petals of an exotic flower. Inside was a soft, welcoming glow that came from the leftover bio-luminescent tendrils lining the walls. As the entrance opened wider, a gentle breeze brushed against her face.
Morgan glanced at Ari, hoping to see some spark of recognition.
He hesitated, keeping his eyes on the ship before entering first.
Taking a deep breath, she followed.
Inside, limp tendrils hung from the ceiling like veins devoid of blood. The walls, stripped of their once lush, organic coverings, now exposed the raw, skeletal framework beneath. Shredded membranes and frayed edges were a testament of the Ozevroc’s violence as they stripped the ship of anything they could. The floor, once a soft, cushioned surface, was now hard and cold.
Morgan’s heart ached at the sight. She turned her focus on Ari.
He moved with careful steps as his fingers brushed the bare walls, his eyes scanning the wreckage.
She watched him, hoping the remnants of the ship might stir some memory. Surely, the soft hum of the ship healing itself had to feel like a forgotten melody to him. A possible lullaby lost but not completely forgotten. “Anything?” she dared to ask.
His slack, blank expression said it all. “No, I don’t think so.” He crouched and fingered a loose wire and brought it up to study as he twirled it. “What happened here?”
“Once the Ozevroc stripped this ship of everything they could carry, it ended up like this.” Morgan gestured to the surrounding mess. “I did my best to stop them as much as I could. But, as you can see, I wasn’t much help.” It’d been like watching a mob attack an already wounded, defenseless person.
“No one can blame you for what they did.” Ari spoke in a soft tone, as if lost in his own thoughts. He frowned as he went from one section to another. He caressed an exposed counter. “I’m afraid none of this looks familiar, but it makes me want to punch that alien ass in his pie-hole.”
Morgan nodded. “I was afraid of this. I’m sure it doesn’t help that this doesn’t look anything like it did before.” She snapped her fingers. “Hey, wait. Look at this.” She pulled out her multicorder and browsed through the pictures she’d taken before the Ozevroc destroyed the interior. “Look at these. Do they help?”
He took her handheld and swiped through the vids she’d displayed. After a few moments, he shook his head. “Nope, ’fraid not.” He handed it back to her. His face reddened with a scowl. “Damn it! I wish I’d recognize something!”
The entire ship shook, making Morgan pinwheel to stay upright before it abruptly ended. She teetered and looked around. Did the High Chieftain make some kind of unscheduled move with theNebula Viper? She rushed to the open doorway and skidded to a stop. Nothing moved or was out of place. Even the loose parts and tools she had scattered on several counters were where she’d left them.What the hey…?
Glancing behind her, she looked for Ari. He must have stayed inside. Once more she double-checked the outside, just to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Nope, nothing had moved from that violent shake, so she went back inside.
Ari was kneeling on the floor next to an open portal.
Morgan’s heart raced. Did he find it?
