Angling my body toward the door, I entered the access code.The hatch opened with a faint whisper and a puff of air.Every muscle tensed and ready to run, I stood to the side of the entrance, waiting for someone on the ship to come investigate.
No one appeared.
I exhaled slowly.
Now or never.
Stepping through the hatch, I held my bag close to my body and pressed the inner latch to close the door.
Dim lighting illuminated the corridor.The ship was probably set to station standard time, which changed the interior lighting with the time of day.
If I followed this corridor to the rear of the ship, I’d pass the crew cabins, then the cargo hold, and shuttle bay.The engine room was down a level.The bridge was forward.I went that direction.
As I walked, I kept my steps light and my body loose.What would I do if I encountered any ofFortuna’screw?
My best chance would be a version of the truth: I’d been attacked and was looking for a safe place.I saw the open hatch and ran in here for safety.
Certainly, my clothes would support that.They were ripped and covered with dirt and grime from my window exit.That was on top of the grease and grime from a day spent in the engine room.Believable.Except for the last bit.I tried not to think about how my dad would respond to a stowaway.He’d either keep them as crew or drop them at the next habitable planet.Usually.
The corridor was empty as I approached the bridge, so I didn’t have to test my story.The lights flickered as I neared my destination, reminding me of every haunted derelict ship movie I’d ever seen.I shuddered.Dammit, that was the last thing I needed to think about.
The bridge stood open and empty.I stepped inside and another pang of longing swept over me.It looked so much like my belovedMako.And yet...it didn’t.
The stations were tidy, while the equipment showed signs of wear.Nothing drastic, just the wear that came from regular use.Nothing indicated that the ship hadn’t been well taken care of.Taken care of, but not loved.There were no tchotchkes placed lovingly on the dash, like my bobblehead shark or the air freshener my sister had stuck to the console as a joke.
I moved closer and studied the setup.None of the standard equipment—radar, comms, and holo table—was missing, but I didn’t see any of the fancy add-ons I’d expect if the ship had seen better, more prosperous days.The captain’s chair was the most modern piece of equipment in the small space.
I smiled.The military-standard seats had been so uncomfortable, I’d upgradedMako’s pilot chair within a week of receiving her.
Turning slowly, I scanned the rest of the bridge.A quartet of small video screens near the auxiliary pilot station caught my attention.I drifted closer to get a better look.“Tricky tricky,” I murmured.Each screen captured a wide angle of the space around the ship, one for each direction.Including the main hatch.
The ship had to be empty because my entrance surely had been captured on the video feeds.If the captain or a crew member wasn’t on the bridge, where were they?
Movement on one of the screens caught my eye and I leaned closer.Another group of spacers, wobblier than the pack I’d attached myself to, made their way down the docks.I released a ragged breath when they turned in the opposite direction ofFortuna.
As I was about to leave the bridge, more movement onscreen caught my eye.Two figures staggered around the dock, though without the boneless grace too much alcohol gave you.I peered closer.Were those my pursuers?
Crap.The only way I’d know for sure would be to come face-to-face with them again.No way in hell was I risking that by leaving the ship.
My heartbeat quickened and the not-quite-formed bruises from my window exit begged me not to get in another fight.
If fight was out, what about flight?I bit my lip and looked at the console in front of me, then at the captain’s chair.Everything was the same as myMako.
I considered my options.
The ship was empty.
I knew how to fly it.
Ignoring the tiny voice that warned that doing this would make me just like my father, I placed my bag on the navigator’s seat.Pliers in hand, I sank to my knees and wriggled beneath the master console.
Seconds later, it opened, revealing the mechanical heart of the bridge.Motor memory guided my hands as I bypassed the security and initiated engine start.
After I closed up the system I’d just performed delicate surgery on, I dropped into the captain’s chair and called up the command screen.
I took a deep breath and flipped the communications switch.
“Elegium stationmaster, this isFortuna.Requesting immediate clearance for liftoff.”
