“There’s no voice anymore. There had been a voice before.”
The ship rumbled, howling anew and Gunner led her back out from the smoke. Explosive surges of energy flushed through him. He focused on it.
Suddenly, a static voice appeared from the beacon and several of the other prisoners joined at their sides.
“Sta... own... stan... d...”
“What’s it saying?”
“Stand down. They’re telling us to stand down.”
“Stand down? Do you think it’s coming from the bridge?” Elodie asked. The same words repeated over and over again from the beacon. Chesnik came forward and took the contraption from his daughter, upping the volume and changing the signal. The static cleared slightly until the voice on the other side was easily discernible.
Gunner turned on his heel and stormed back to the elevator shaft, now no more than a black hole in the wall. Elodie’s footsteps sounded behind him.
“I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere.”
“I won’t... Gunner? If it’s not from the bridge then who is it from?”
The ship trembled again, this time louder and more violent than before and the echoes of things falling apart rang all around them. He found Ely’s pipe, picked it up and handed it back to her.
“We’re being attacked.” And he had an ideawhowas attacking them. Gunner cupped her face and pressed his lips heavily to her temple before pulling away. “Stay here, Elodie, don’t fucking leave this spot. I’ll be back soon.”
Worry scrunched her features but there was no more time for comfort. He had a fucking pirate ship to save.
***
GUNNER PEERED UP INTOthe blown-out elevator shaft and climbed in. Even with his humanoid muscles partially melted off on his back, he pulled himself up. He used the friction on the rubber soles of his boots as leverage to propel him faster.
The process was grueling but he made it.
Explosions continued to hit the ship, and each passing second it seemed to grow worse. Numerous blasts of energy cascaded over and through him and he siphoned what he could from each surge. Despite the rocking blasts, he knew he couldn’t stop to regroup because he could physically and mentally feel the ship’s systems dying around him. His fingers punctured the shaft wall and he gritted his teeth against another eruption.
Time to bring the shit show to a close.He hefted himself up.
Blood pooled in rivulets down his back to collect and soak into his pants but he could already feel his wounds closing, his skin rebuilding, and his flesh weaving back together.
The closed doors to the top deck came into sight and renewed his vigor. With one hand he rammed his fingers between the crease at the door and the wall and forced it open. He dropped back, expecting an immediate assault, but nothing happened.
A quiet hallway devoid of life came into view as he swung back to the ledge. It was the last thing he expected. Gunner lifted himself up until he stood in the empty, pristine corridor. The walls were clean and white and so unlike the hell that had taken over the levels below. He sucked in a heavy breath as his snout pulled away from his face. The smells up here were no less unpleasant. The air was thick with hatred and frenzy.
He encountered several androids that had been forcibly turned off on either side of him. Gunner powered them on and forced them forward, expecting another trap.
He watched through their eyes as they scouted the hallways to find emptiness beyond.
His hand shot out to brace against the wall as another bomb hit the ship. The explosion rocked the ship harder this time; he could feel the inertial stabilizers struggling, and that could only mean one thing...
The ship’s shields were down.
Gunner shot forward into a sprint. He fell upon the pirate crew just as he sensed them and joined them in their chaos. The androids had a few of them held up against the walls. The rest startled back at his appearance and some raised their weapons but when he didn’t attack, they slowly backed off. Gunner recognized one of the men. One of the two he had let go after losing Ballsy.
His weapon was still half raised and sweat drenched his clothes. “We’re being attacked,” the man said.
Gunner started past him and continued on to the bridge. “I know.”
“Can you get into the bridge? Juke is going to bring the ship down if someone doesn’t stop him!”
Rage filled his veins and he twisted back to grab the man by his neck, thrusting him against the wall. “Who put the fucking bomb in the elevator?” The man’s eyes clouded over in fear.
