Instead of dropping, Brook turned in the direction of his pointing and screamed.
A six-foot tall red block of jelly was quivering at the end of the walkway, blocking the exit. Without warning, a tendril of red shot out from the being.
She was barely able to drop before it hit her, the hot beam instead sailing over her head.
There was a bright flash, and Brook rolled over, realizing that Ontarii had shot a bolt of energy at the creature. The bolt ripped through the tentacle and it fell, over the railing and into the engine.
The block of red jelly was surprisingly quick as it rolled out the exit door and started closing it before Ontarii could get another shot.
Brook jumped to her feet and ran to the door but couldn’t reach it before it whooshed shut. A noise on the other side resembled something being smashed, and she beat her hand against the button to open the door.
Nothing happened. The door was sealed with them on the other side.
“That thing, is that a Hareema?” Her voice was high, her breathing choppy. Fear sat on her like never before.
Ontarii nodded. “Now do you see why we are so vigilant?”
“Yes.” Brook looked over the railing of the walkway again, her voice pinched. “It killed Alvarez.”
“And it will kill again if it suits its purpose.” The alien’s face was grim. “It’s taking a new shape as we speak. But what shape will it be?”
Brook looked at Ontarii, her eyes wide. He was right. It could take any shape. Alvarez. Weitz. Chao.
Herself.
Ontarii.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” he said, heading to the door and putting his weight against it.
“That won’t work. The controls are jammed.”
“Every second we spend trapped in here is a second the Hareema can use to take control of the ship.”
Brook nodded. Something had to be done.
At this moment the Hareema could be donning her shape and ordering her crew to do God knew what. Here she was, stuck in the engine room with an angry Zantharian who already thought she was incompetent.
“There has to be a way out.” She glanced around and tried to swallow back down the bile that rose up and burned her throat, to no avail.
“Right, well, as you’ve pointed out a million times… it’s your ship, so find it.” His voice was low and ominous. Was he already Hareema?
