The Entanglement

4

"This is stupid," Cira croaks.

Gun sighs. "I know."

"Shouldn't you be driving this thing?"

"I delegated."

"Brakes?"

"Alive enough to complain." A long silence. "He's sorry for earlier. Didn't say it, but I can tell."

She watches the white tarp sag over her face as the air pressure increases. "I fried him so guess we're even."

That gets a raspy laugh. Neither of them are in the best shape. She tries to ignore the pain and the slow strained-through-skin feeling as Thread retreats. None of its streamers have poked through the tarp.

"You said something before. Puppets that don't talk." She takes another breath and it's easier this time. "Are there more people like me?"

"Plenty like that other guy. Parts threaded up. But not like you."

"No survivors?"

"Uh-uh."

"What...?" She clears the lump in her throat. "What happened?"

"Shit if I know. I thought Grenadier was a ghost story."

"I thought a reactor breach. Solar flare. Something normal."

"Normal?" Gun's helmet casts a shadow over the tarp as he looks down at her. "We found you hanging upside down like a bat."

She actually laughs. It helps loosens up the grief sitting tight in her chest. "So...aliens."

"Aliens."

"Weird."

"Preach it, el-tee."

The invocation of rank is comforting. Cira quashes all the warm bubblies, but the offer of camaraderie hangs between them. "What's with that thing you're always pointing at me?"

"It's for scanning a reactor shield, but it picks up threads just as well."

"You can't see them?"

"No, can you?" Gun half-turns towards her. "What do they look like?"

"Lightning bolts. Sometimes they do this." She lifts her hand from under the tarp and mimics the flicking motion. "Makes a radiation spike and throws off these weird sparks."

"Must mean something."

"It means everyone on this can needs to get their thyroids checked."

A quiet hiss marks the end of the airlock's repressurization cycle. Gun guides her into the ship like a white tarp will make her invisible, but it's so ridiculous no one would expect it. They walk down hallway after hallway. What's left of her adrenaline is steadily fizzling out. She pauses and leans against the wall. It's much easier to breathe than when she first came onboard, but if she doesn't lay down soon, she's going to drop.

"We can't stop," Gun whispers.

"I know." She gulps a few deep breaths and pushes forward. "I better get a shitload of back pay for this."

"From United Sol military? Good fucking luck."

"I didn't think you served."

"Long time ago."

They finally stop walking. She squints through the tarp, but can't see much of anything. It's only when the a door slides open that she realizes they've finally reached their destination. She walks inside and nearly runs into Gun. The silence is different in here. Charged. They're not alone.