1
RUBY
Ihear the drones before I hear the shots being fired. The colony’s soldiers have finally come after us, the way I knew they would. The knot I have been working on loosening ever since the aliens tied us up slips free.
Mia and Bridget are both alert and listening.
As much as I want to reassure them, that we’re about to be rescued. I won’t believe it until I’m armed and tying up the aliens.
I know Sabine has a soft spot for one of them, but since the alien warriors saved us from the screamer, I’ve had a knife thrown at me and been knocked unconscious by a jolt of electricity. So I’m not sure I’d call these guys friendly.
The alien guarding us is distracted by the noise of the fight. He walks a few yards away and tilts his head. Sometimes they don’t use words to communicate. It’s like they have built in comms or something. I ease the rope off my wrists. If I were tying up prisoners, I’d have done a much better job.
Sabine doesn’t think we are prisoners. We are to be their mates or something.
Fuck that.The colony has already assigned me one, not that I need to procreate until one of the leaders taps me on the shoulder and tells me it’s my turn.
I hope it never happens. I don’t want kids.
While I was raised in the safety of a ship, this place is something else. Terrifying.
I’ve been beyond the colony boundary more than most, acting as security for the scientists and engineers trying to make our piece of dirt habitable, if not safe.
Mia and Bridget are talking—yeah, they don’t want to be seen as being too friendly with me because I have been resisting the aliens’ demands. They’re too compliant.
A drone explodes over the trees in a shower of sparks.
With everyone distracted, I shed the rope and run. Not toward the fight, as that’s a sure way to get taken out by a friendly bullet. First, I need distance from the alien guarding us.
For that, I plough into the forest. I leap over fallen logs, and duck under branches. I’m making too much noise, but I never learned how to move silently through vegetation on the ship.
When I think I’ve covered enough ground, I sweep around. I glance up at the drones to keep my bearings. I should hit the trail the aliens led us on and end up behind the colony soldiers. Then I can get a weapon and help rescue the others.
That’s my plan.
And it’s a good one. Until the last drone falls from the sky.
Shit.
Now I have nothing to guide me. Around me, the forest is silent. No sounds of a fight. It’s all over.
If the humans had won, I’d be hearing them. They’d be calling my name.
My pulse thumps in my ears.
I’m tempted to call out, but only the aliens will hear me.
The forest begins to chirp and rustle as the things that had gone into hiding return to their nighttime business, which probably includes hunting me. I reach down and check my boot. My little knife is still there.
I take a quick assessment of my predicament that extends beyond noting how fucked I am. My day has gotten steadily more fucked since the screamer incident.
However, I’m now free and I have a knife which are both positives.
But I have no water.
No food.
No way to contact the base.
