Sizing them up in comparison tohim.
Gunner was scarier than the guards. Enough so that she believed—hoped—that he would break loose, kill them both, destroy the android, and kill everyone on the ship besides her and her dad. That he’d set her free.
Wouldn’t that be a fantasy to last the ages?
He casually strolled from his cell.
He’s not afraid?
She moved closer.
One of the guards lifted a rod from his belt and slammed it into the back of Gunner’s knees. He fell forward with a thud. The moment he landed, the rod came down on him again.
And her wistful, impossible dream was struck from her mind as the blows continued to rain down upon him.
Elodie watched in horror as they beat the crap out of him, aiming their hits over his joints and non-vitals. Each agonizing thump beat to the racing of her heart, and she found herself clutching the bars closest to them with ghost-white knuckles.
She wanted to call out and beg them to stop but she didn’t. As the beating continued and Gunner made no move to defend himself—or any sound indicating his pain—Elodie regretted wishing he would be taken away. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to die.
Eventually, he slumped forward, unresponsive.
It was over as soon as it began and the guards both tried to lift him back up to his knees. They quickly gave up and let the android haul his body out of the brig. She didn’t know how long she stood clutching the bars, but eventually, it sank in that he was gone and the door had closed behind him long ago. The lights overhead dimmed further as she peeled her fingers back and returned to her safe place. Safe once again.
“That cell is cursed,” someone muttered, sending her eyes back to the empty space next to her.
He won’t be back.
Once again, she was alone. Over a whole cycle had gone by without her dad and she hadn’t realized until that moment. And as her stomach sucked at the empty air inside her belly, she couldn’t decide whether she missed Gunner as the temporary distraction he had been, or if she was relieved he was gone and her safe space had been returned to her.
Elodie rubbed the goosebumps from her arms, choosing to forget him and focus on surviving.
I can’t survive with the dead.Her eyes roamed over the other prisoners, settling briefly on Royce and his new jacket.I can’t survive if I’m an idiot.She quietly moved to the vent and did her business before curling up on her side.
It was hard to sleep, dangerous to sleep, but she couldn’t resist it any longer. Every muscle in her body ached, every fiber of her being hurt, and her nerves were so beyond frayed, there were times she thought she’d never be able to sleep again.
Until she forced herself to remain awake for days on end. She hadn’t slept since before her dad was taken.
Elodie pushed her hand under her head and bent her knees, leaving her other arm to drape heavily against her middle over her hollow stomach. The pressure gave the illusion of helping although it really didn’t. It let the pressure on her heart grow.
Elodie tried to picture her dad beside her but couldn’t. Instead, she only saw the man with gun tattoos in the space beyond.
When had they switched places?
Maybe she was finally going crazy.
I can’t survive without sleep.
It was the last thing she told herself before she let her body give in and give up.
***
AN ANDROID HAULED HIMfrom the brig, clutching his arm, shuffling him in an awkward way over the floor grates to keep its hold away from the electric shackles.
If he were human, it would’ve dislocated his shoulder, and so he dislocated it. He had to maintain appearances, after all. If they learned he was a weaponized Cyborg, he’d be shot, ejected out of the airlock, and shot again with the ship’s cannons. That’s if the pirates lived long enough to do so.
Gunner let the pain seep through his systems like a drug.
It wasn’t long before he was propped up into a chair and bound to it. The guards left him alone in the room with the android who’d moved to stand next to the open door, and Gunner’s ears filled with the sounds of receding footsteps. He was closer to the ships main systems in this room, and because of that, it was easier for him to connect. His infectious codes were working hard to break through.
