Desperate to think of something--anything--else, Jace continued, Maybe they were scanning us a lot earlier than I realized.
I would have known! Gehenna sounded affronted.
He supposed for an AI missing something like this would be like failing at a 101 course or something.
Or, Hell, even if they didn’t have anything to do with us coming back and it was the Osiris--
You know what I think! The Osiris did this! On purpose! For its stupid mission! Gehenna’ voice was full of angry suspicion. But she didn’t like the Osiris very much.
Yeah, I know, Jace said, wondering how he felt about that. On the one hand, if it was the Osiris then, hopefully, the ship was keeping his parents from losing it. Except nothing the Osiris said would likely comfort anyone. Let’s say it was the Osiris that sent us here that would make the Khul way suspicious, too. Like this ship is a Trojan Horse, which… well, it is!
But that’s a human story. They might not have an analogous story to look upon for inspiration, Gehenna pointed out.
Oh, I have a feeling in war that it’s pretty common, he said, then found that he couldn’t even speak mentally then.
Both Omull were right in front of them. His heart rate rose even higher. His breathing hissed through his teeth. Could they hear that? They were only guessing that over the hum of the ship’s machinery and all the life signs of the human cargo, that two more heartbeats and respiration wouldn’t give them away. Not to mention the wall. It was only a few inches thick, but still!
What if we are wrong?
Gehenna was piping in the video from the ship’s own cameras and one of them was almost directly facing out at the Omull. So it appeared on his screen that the two Khul were leaning right towards his face. Jace held his breath.
There were long, long moments where Jace’s heartbeat thundered in his ears and his lung started to ache from not breathing. But he held himself completely still. Finally, the two Omull pulled back and started off into other parts of the ship. As soon as they left, Jace gulped up air. Cold, clean, glorious air!
Now, they would just have to wait until the Cetixes off-loaded the humans--and his heart ached that these people would have to go through whatever came next--and the hangar was empty again before they made their move to go to the--
There was a hissing sound from behind them. Jace froze, even though he really wasn’t moving before, as light suddenly appeared by his and Khoth’s feet. A section of the outer hull was opening! Jace immediately thought of the Cetixes with the hoses on their backs. They didn’t suck out the humans from the front of the pods, but from the backs. Khoth and his asses were literally going to be hanging out in front of the Cetixes in moments.
Gehenna! Jace shouted.
I know! I know! She sounded strangled. I wondered what those--
GEHENNA?!
The Omull are up above you! Get into the ship! Then you can head out the gangway, she rattled out. I’ll tell you when it’s safe!
Jace grabbed Khoth’s hand and sent two words, Follow me.
Khoth gave a nod. He, too, had seen the growing light. The two of them slid along the inner and outer sections of wall until they came to one of the openings between two of the pods. Jace popped through followed by Khoth. The Commander moved as silently as a cat. Jace was pretty quiet too.
Hide? Khoth sent.
No. Wait, Jace answered as he crouch-walked towards the gangway then pressed his back to the wall.
Khoth followed after him and copied his stance on the other side of the gangway.
Gehenna, I can see… Jace’s visor shifted to heat vision. Oh, man! I can see them!
It shocked him, but it was exactly what he needed to see. He could see the heat signature of a Cetix scuttling outside on the hangar bay’s floor. He could see the other five, the caterpillar-like creatures crawled up to the openings into the ship and were attaching the hoses. He made the mistake of looking at the nearest pod where a Cetix attached a hose to the top back of the pod. His eyes naturally went to the faceplate. He recognized the person inside. It was Mrs. Lo, the sweet, elderly lady who had run the laundry. Her dumpling face was scrunched in pain. Her eyes though sought his. He remembered her shop. There had been a long smear of blood. He had wondered if he would ever see her again. Now… now he wished he hadn’t. The larvae streaked her face like black lines painted on. Her lips parted in agony just before she was sucked out of the pod like a tapioca ball. As her feet disappeared out of view, Jace just stared.
Jace?
Jace?
Jace?
Something hit his arm and he whirled around, ready to strike, but it was Khoth. The Commander’s face showed concern, alarm, and more concern. Jace was breathing hard. He realized he’d drawn his rahir and yet didn’t recall doing so. He blinked.
“Jace?” Khoth’s voice was low, but hearing his name said in that now familiar accent calmed him.
