Its mouth started to move, and Kat had to strain to hear what it said.
“It’s too late. There are more of us than you could ever imagine.”
Kat recoiled, almost losing her hold on her bioelectricity.
“What did he say to you?” Jeffrey asked, pulling himself to his feet beside her.
“He said there were more of them.”
“More,” Jeffrey said, standing as close as he could to the creature without getting shocked. “Here on the ship?”
The Hareema laughed, the sound coming out more like a sick gurgle. “On the ship. On her world. On yours.”
Jeffrey frowned. “Who are they?”
The creature just laughed again, then doubled over, collapsing under the constant current. It seemed the time for talking was over.
“I won’t be able to hold this forever,” she warned her human companion. “I wasted some of my reserves when I zapped you.”
“It’s okay,” Jeffrey said, putting a hand to his side, no doubt at a tinge from one of the many bruises hidden by his flight suit. “Just hold it long enough for reinforcement to come.”
He limped over to the console. “Tell me what buttons to push to call your soldiers.”
Kat gave him instructions as she struggled to keep her energy focused on the Hareema. Jeffrey cursed over the console but at last a Zantharian face appeared.
“Get your asses down here,” he shouted. “We’re under Hareema attack!”
“What are you doing, prisoner?” the officer asked. “Where is Lieutenant Kat’Chinna?”
“She’s keeping the goddamn Hareema occupied while I get help. So order your men down here immediately.”
It didn’t seem as if the Zantharian officer was impressed. She could hear Jeffrey sputtering at him, but the officer still delayed.
“Chief, send a team down here on the double,” she yelled, hoping he would hear her voice and respond. “We don’t have long before the Hareema escapes. Hurry!”
“Fuck!” Jeffrey shouted.
“What?” she said, unable to turn away from the prisoner to find out what was happening at the console.
“The fucking screen went black,” he swore, slumping over the powered-down console.
Kat frowned. Would they send men in time? She hoped so. Then a dark thought entered her mind. What if another Hareema had answered the call? There could be more than the major’s replacement on the ship. Would the enemy send reinforcements in place of her own men?
“We don’t have much time,” she groaned, using all of her power to keep the current flowing through the prisoner.
The Hareema continued to vibrate, the melting form of Major Ontarii showing signs of restabilizing. The creature began to smile, and she knew it would soon be too late.
“You can do it.”
Jeffrey had pulled himself over to her, and he held his hand out, about to touch her.
“Don’t!” she shouted. If he touched her, he would deflect some of her current into himself, draining it off of the major and perhaps allowing the Hareema to escape.
Jeffrey recoiled as if slapped, hurt apparent in his face. She opened her mouth to explain, hoping to wipe that look away, when the sound of the membrane opening drew her attention.
“Get back!” One of the Zantharians was powering up, aiming at the human, assuming he was a danger to her.
“Stop!” she shouted. “He’s not a threat. Get over here now!”
