What if neither of them care?
Rune would care, right?
The thoughts frantically spiral around in my mind. Rune is the only way I can get off this ship. Who else is there here to help me?
I flounder against the walls, forcing my legs to move until I find what I need. It takes me a few long minutes of sheer blind terror before I do, but as soon as my fingertips feel the blunt edges of an uploading station jutting out of the wall, I slam my armored head right into it.
It starts playing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.
What the hell?
I start pressing buttons and lights flicker and dance across the viewfinder. Bohemian Rhapsody gets louder.
Pious’s minion wasn’t lying when he said the uploading docks weren’t working. This has got to be Rune’s doing. He’s got to be the one who is messing with everything.
I keep pushing buttons and shifting things until the tickertape on the bottom of my viewfinder becomes clear and the counter tells me I’m updating and will be at optimal health in less than five minutes.
Thank God these helmets are good for something.
While I wait, I sway to the music.
I can’t even remember the last time I heard a song or anything other than the buzz and hum of gears. I see a little silhouetto of a man…
UPDATE COMPLETEflashes in bright red letters in front of me and the music cuts. Dammit, it stopped right at my favorite part!
Cursing, I pull the armor off my face and quickly dart my eyes around the room, searching for Pious.
He’s not here, though. No one is.
I scramble out of the dock and run to every counter I see, looking for Claire. There’s got to be a hundred of them in here and I need to look in each one. I need to find her.
Up and down the rows as fast as I can, peering quickly into each one.
“Claire!” I call out idiotically, “Claire!” I don’t know if any of these women can hear me. From one to another to another, I lunge at all of them.
But I don’t see Claire at all.
Claire’s not here.
Rune did save her, didn’t he?My stomach twists painfully. My heart flutters quickly and drums desperately against my ribcage. Claire isn’t here. She’s on Earth, safe.
Hysterical giggles explode out of my throat.Pious. That fucker lied to me.
But these other women…
I rush back to the uploading area and grab the faceplate in my hands. Clenching it tightly in my fingers, I raise it up over my head and slam it down against the glass surface of one of the preservation units.
Once, twice, three times I smash the helmet down against the top to no avail. It won’t break. I try ripping and tugging at the long tubes that hang from the ceiling, but nothing gives.
Then, with a loud whoosh, the lab doors part open and four huge Caelum storm inside.
“Oh, fuck no,” I shout, throwing the faceplate at one of them and crouching down behind one of the counters. I have no damn clothes on. I don’t want those assholes looking at me naked!
They stomp toward me without emotion. “General Pious has asked for you to be retrieved.”
“Tell him he can kiss my ass! I’m not gettingretrievedby any of you jerks.”
Near the back corner I spot a piece of armor and run toward it, careening into the wall with a loud slap. I jump on it and snap it up in my hands. It’s an armguard! I slide it over my hand and wrist and instantly try to blast the morons with one of the weapons from inside the fingertips.
