I rubbed my eyes, as if I could clear the fog from my brain as easily as it cleared away the sleep.It worked; everything came rushing back.
Fortuna.The men chasing me.Dax taking me to med bay.
“Lights, 50 percent.”My voice trembled, as the dream became memory.
The lights rose, illuminating the sparse room.Yeah, this definitely wasn’t my ship.I’d put my stamp on every single one of the crew cabins onMako.
The simple furniture was similar to what was onMako, but there were no homey touches.No rugs, no pictures.Probably not even soft towels in the bathroom.Everything was probably just as it had been as it rolled off the shipbuilder’s station, only a little older.It was sad to see the bare spots that had once held pictures and other decorations.Like echoes of crews past.
That fit with what I’d already discovered, that the ship’s codes were factory defaults, too.I’d already used that to my advantage.That was another one of Dad’s lessons: factory defaults meant your own ship could be used against you.
Slightly afraid, I rolled my shoulder a few times and exhaled in relief when it moved without pain.The nanos and pain meds had worked.Without them, I could have been laid up for weeks, unable to work if I couldn’t use my arm.There wasn’t a lot of demand out there for one-armed mechanics.
Of course, I was pretty much out of work right now anyway.I had rushed ontoFortunato buy time.Beyond that...I thought about it.Nope, no plan.
After the four-day quarantine for the imaginary coolant leak was over, I could—probably—go back to Elegium Station.Mechanics were always in demand and I was damn good at my job.And until today, I’d been a model employee.On time, efficient.There was a good chance I could get my job back.
But Dax—Captain Cooper—put a crimp in those plans.He was the true unknown in the situation.He could dump me planetside.Or space me, but I’d put up a damn good fight before I let that happen.
“Nothing’s going to happen if you stay in this room, Lacy,” I muttered then pushed off the bed.My mouth felt gross, morning breath and the lingering nastiness from the pain pills, so I crossed to the tiny bathroom.After I took care of my most pressing needs, I got the first look at myself in the mirror.
My eyes widened in horror.Sleeping in the sling had left an impression on my neck and across my chest.But that wasn’t the worst part.My braid was half undone and my hair was thoroughly tangled.Smudges of dirt were streaked across my cheek and chin.And my coveralls, what I could see of them, were dirty and ripped at the knees.In fact, the cleanest thing about me was my white tank, because it had beenunderthe rest of my clothes.I needed a shower and I needed itnow.
When I’d left work yesterday, I’d already been sweaty and gross from a day working in the engine room.Even when the ship was docked, those roomsalwaysran hot.My plan had been to shower after I ate, but no, the assholes who broke into my apartment had ruined that.
Jumping out the window had left me even grimier.And I didn’t even want to think about the stress sweat.Or that Dax had seen me—had carried me!—while I was so dirty.
Ugh.
I stared at the small shower cubicle and sighed.The captain’s quarters, at least onMako, had a much bigger shower.This one wasn’t luxurious, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Grabbing the bottom of my tank top, I started to pull it off, then stopped.“Fuck,” I said to my reflection.I’d been wearing the same clothes for more than a day and I didn’t have any clean ones to change into.
No way in hell was I putting on yesterday’s underwear.Or—ew!— going commando in my coveralls.
Nope.No way.
Maybe one of the ship’s previous occupants had left behind something useful.I stomped back into the small bedroom and pulled open the drawers and checked the closet.
My search turned up nothing but a small stack of towels.Dammit.
My gaze drifted around the room as I considered my options.The ship should have a clothes refresher.Makodid.On my ship, it had been located at the end of the corridor, just before the steps that took you down to the cargo hold.Fortunawas so like my previous ship, I assumed hers would be in the same location.
Since I refused to wear these clothes again until they were laundered, that was my best option.
My clothes would be a small load, so it shouldn’t take too long in the waterless refresher.
Pulling the top sheet off my bunk, I draped it over my shoulder.No running naked down the corridor while I waited.Plan in place, I crossed to the door and pressed my palm to the access panel.It flashed red.
Locked.
“Well, that’s annoying.”Though not surprising.Dax was obviously ex-military, so he must have done a threat assessment.A smile broke across my face.He saw me as a threat, which was pretty cool.
But it was delaying my shower andthatwas unacceptable.
The master override code had gotten me into the ship’s systems.Unless Dax had realized what was happening and changed it, it would get me out of this room too.If it didn’t work...
I studied the door and the frame closely.Well, there were probably less elegant ways out of my situation.But they’d be a lot easier if I had my tool bag.It wasn’t in plain sight and I hadn’t seen it on the closet.Apparently, Dax hadn’t trusted me enough to leave it with me.
