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Sloane slowed and caught hold of his arm. “Something’s wrong.”
Dallin tugged off one ear defender, just as a scream echoed along the corridor. A few seconds later, the group of hen party aliens raced past, and their screams didn’t sound like the drunken hoots they’d been making earlier. They were tinged with terror.
“What’s wrong with them?” Sloane said. “Don’t tell me they’ve seen another hot alien they want to molest.”
Dallin tensed as he inhaled the stench of rot and fresh blood. He grabbed Sloane and pushed her behind him. “You need to run. Now!”
“Why? What’s going on?”
Dallin had his weapon out just as two mutant beasts appeared at the end of the corridor.
***
Sloane didn’t moveas her gaze flashed to the monsters. She’d heard reports about these mutant beasts from other crew members, and she’d even seen a body they’d brought back for examination. But up close like this, they were terrifying.
They looked like horror story wolves, with matted fur and enormous fangs. Their eyes glowed white, and every step they took toward them made the floor tremble.
“Sloane, you must go.” Dallin’s voice vibrated with tension. “I’ll deal with these.”
“We’ll deal with them together,” she said.
“Where’s your gun?” He nodded at her empty holster.
“I’ve brought something much better than that.” She shrugged off her backpack and pulled out three small silver aero-bots. She’d been tinkering with these in her spare time and had modified them so they could be used for much more than aerial surveillance.
“How will they help?” Dallin growled at the giant mutant wolves as they edged nearer. “They’re for surveillance, not attack.”
“These things come with firepower and a few surprises. Just watch my babies fly.” Sloane set them on the floor, then launched them at the mutant wolves.
Dallin’s mouth dropped open as the aero-bots shot over the wolves’ heads at speed and a trail of gas shot out.
One of the aero-bots swept past and dropped a net, entangling one beast in it.
Sloane grinned up at Dallin from her crouched position. “I keep telling you, I’m not just a pretty face.”
Dallin fired at the second wolf beast as it staggered about, seeming disoriented. “What’s in that gas?”
“It has a sedating effect. Don’t get too close or you’ll feel it too. Give me a second to clear it.” She zoomed one of the aero-bots around and sucked up the remaining gas so it wouldn’t affect him.
He downed the beast tangled in the net and then focused on the next creature.
The wolf charged just as he fired. It was dead by the time it hit the floor.
Sloane landed the aero-bots and stored them away, before hurrying over, her hand held up for a victory high-five. “I didn’t think we’d see any Siblet creatures while we were here.”
Dallin stared at her raised hand, his expression unreadable thanks to his dark shades. “What are you doing?”
“Congratulating you. We did a good job. We brought down the beasts, and neither of us got hurt.”
He pressed her hand down and shook his head.
She raised it again. “Give me a high-five. We did a great job. Don’t pretend you don’t want to be in with the cool kids.”
“I don’t. We need to tell the station security about these creatures. Maybe the Siblet just released them, or they’ve been lying in wait, waiting for an opportunity to strike. There could be more.” He walked away a few steps and gestured for her to keep up, his weapon still out as if he expected more mutant wolves to appear.
“Wait up, Mr. Grumpy.” Sloane hurried along behind him. “And you’re wonky. Let me fix that for you.”
“Wonky?”
