Page 32 of A Monster’s Future

He turned right immediately, his strides long and purposeful as he led us down the winding path. The maze was a labyrinth of greenery, the hedges tall enough to hide us completely from view, even if we didn’t have the cloak. My heart pounded in my chest as we hurried along the path. At the end of it was a locked gate. He tapped the stolen keycard against the panel, and with a soft click, the gate swung open.

We slipped through the gate, and it creaked shut behind us.

The unmistakable sound of a drone filled the station sky. Back on Nova Vita, they used drones to watch and control the masses. If these were anything like the ones back at the colony I used to call home, then they had heat sensors too. No wonder we couldn’t just use the cloak.

I wondered if these had tranquilizer darts meant to subdue their target. The thought had me walking a little faster, not wanting to chance it. We had to get to safety inside the workers’ tunnels before they detected us.

The path here was narrower, the hedges pressing in on either side, but it led straight to the back of the maze. There, with its metal standing out against the green, was a door that reminded me of the one leading to the storage closet, except this one was much larger.

“Hey! You can’t fly that in here. Station-sanctioned drones only,” yelled an authoritative voice from somewhere outside of the maze.

What wonderful luck!

We didn’t stay to see how it panned out. Another tap of the keycard against the sensor, and the door hissed open, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. The air that rushed out was cool, damp, and more than a little stale.

The tunnels were nothing like the beautiful front-facing part of the station. Old, with peeling paint, and a little grimy, it was comparatively depressing. And I take that back about the air being cool—it wasn’t. It was downright freezing. So that was how they saved on fuel; they only heated the parts of the station they had to.

I shivered, and Grtirr pulled me tighter to his body.

“We should move from here before they come in to check.”

Grtirr started moving in the pitch black, and I stumbled to stay with him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I… I can’t see. I don’t think the sensors are picking us up with the cloak.”

“I forgot humans have inferior night vision. I will be your eyes. Hold onto me.” His hand found mine in the dark, his fingers warm and callused as they wrapped around my wrist and guided me to his arm.

I did just that, latching onto his arm with both hands and a grip tight enough to leave marks. If it did, he didn’t complain.

Then we were moving into the tunnel. And there was nothing for me to rely on but my alien warrior.

Chapter 17: Grtirr

We moved through the tunnels together. Julie’s fingers dug into my arm, her grip tight and unyielding, like she was afraid I might vanish if she let go. I loved the way she clung to me like I was the only thing she’d ever need.

The tunnels were bare and utilitarian, and clearly meant only to be seen by those working to keep everything running at the station. Time had left its mark, and the floor underfoot was worn and well-trodden. There was the metallic tang of rust in the air. Pipes and conduits snaked along the ceiling, humming softly.

“How are they tracking us through our devices?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I do not know. But they found Sergio and Trsak shortly after they sent out messages. The timing was suspicious, and it is better to be safe, especially if we are supposed to not cause trouble and keep a low profile while we are on the station.”

If it weren’t for those rules, the ones following us would’ve already been a smear on the ground. By all accounts, it was clear that they were the ones who attacked us first, and we simply fled. I doubted that hunting them down and ripping them limb from limb would be viewed as self-defense, especially with the way so many of the humans already looked upon me at the station.

The sound of voices cut through the silence, and Julie froze, her fingers tightening even more around my arm. Tension radiated off her, and I wanted to cradle her to me and tell her all would be well.

Down the corridor lights flickered to life, illuminating two figures as they approached. Their footsteps echoed off the walls, and one of the wheels on the cart they pushed squeaked with every rotation.

I reacted instantly, pulling Julie into a narrow alcove, pressing us both against the cold wall. The cloak shimmered around us, and I made sure every inch of us was covered. Julie didn’t let go of me, her grip almost desperate as she pressed herself closer, her breath warm against my chest.

The two workers passed by our hiding spot completely oblivious to our presence.

“Did you hear, some idiots attacked the group from Vokira?” asked a female pushing a cart full of dirty laundry.

“You mean the ones with the scary demon guards? Who the hell is stupid enough to attack them? I heard each of those dudes is the equivalent of a human army. They’ve got that super soldier with them too.”

Demons. To these humans, we were like the demons of their legends and myths. I’d heard it often back on Vokira, but this past day on the station, it had been nearly impossible to avoid. My keen hearing meant I heard it whispered everywhere we went. No wonder Chris had wanted us to come along. It was for the intimidation factor.