'Sacmis' (formerly 'Alien Abduction')

Chapter 47: Gamble

Laura half sat, half lay on the bed in her quarters, staring out at empty space. There was nothing in their vicinity, no planets or moons, only the distant stars and the faint mist of even more distant nebulae. They might have been anywhere. They certainly weren’t where they should be - back on Earth, getting on with their lives.

Her thoughts turned to Kate and Matias. Were they lying dead on the surface of Mars? Had they made it back to their shuttle before their oxygen ran out? Had they been captured by the other ship and its Alien Ice Queen? And what next for herself and the other two women?

For a moment, before the sandstorm had engulfed Kate and Matias, before the other ship had arrived, it had begun to feel like a grand adventure: bizarre, unsettling but - all the same - exciting. Now it all seemed futile - and her resentment at their abduction returned in force.

 Then the rational side of her lawyer’s brain kicked in as she realised that the situation was bigger, much bigger than the plight of just four women. This was an alien race facing a crisis that had driven them to search for a planet just like Earth and take what they needed - women. It was pure accident that she and the other three women had been the first to be taken and they were fortunate - if it could be called that - that they had been abducted by aliens that appeared to follow some kind of moral code. But judging by the attitude of the alien female, the rest of their species had no such reservations. 

This train of thought took her to an inevitable conclusion: If other Earth women were to be spared a fate of abduction and sexual slavery, then Earth’s location must at all costs remain a secret. Which meant that the second alien ship must be destroyed. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a chirp from her wrist communicator. Teo’s odd-but-now-familiar face stared at her from the screen.

“It’s time,” he said. “You need to come back to the bridge.”

“I’ll be right there,” replied Laura, swinging her legs off the bed.

“I’ll walk you,” he said, “I’m right outside your quarters.”

Running a hand through her hair, Laura swiped the pad that opened the door. Teo stood a few paces away in the corridor.

“Hi,” she said, “let’s go.”

As she turned to walk away he placed a hand gently on her arm and stopped her. She felt the prickle of static spread out from where he touched her and was immediately sensitised to his mood. Feelings of regret and failure together with concern for her safety flowed into her.

“Whatever happens in the next few hours,” said Teo, “I want you to know that I would have done anything to avoid placing you in this situation. All I wanted was to spend time in your company, to get to know you properly, not watch invisibly from a distance. I - we - never planned to place you or any of the other women in danger.”

Laura said nothing. What could she say? But there was no doubting the sincerity of his words, as the deeper bond between them removed any possibility of lying or concealment. She also detected a powerful surge of aggression, his readiness to fight - for her.

Strangely moved, she raised herself on tiptoe and brushed her lips lightly across his.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to a fight,” she said. “Let’s hope we can rescue Kate and Matias and get away.”

Turning, she began to walk rapidly towards the bridge.

*  *  *  *  *

“Time to strap in," said Irvn, "if they followed they should be here imminently.”

“And if they don’t arrive…?” said Amisha.

“Then we go back anyway,” said Irvn.

“But if they’re still waiting there we’ll be captured or killed.”

“We’re not going back to precisely the same point,” said Irvn, “I plan to jump to the opposite side of the planet - the blind side - where they won’t be able to detect us. Then we’ll send in our other shuttle to rescue Matias and Kate. If we go in fast and low, we can be in and out before they can detect us or react.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Amisha.

“No sign of them yet,” said Cymon, turning away from his screen.

“Irvn, we can’t wait any longer,” said Teo anxiously.

“Prepare for hyperspace jump,” said Irvn.

Once again, they experienced the twin assaults of ear-splitting noise and enormous gravitational pressure, then the eery silence for minutes on end, then a repeat of the noise and pressure then, finally, normality as the red disk of Mars filled the screens.

“Cymon?” said Irvn urgently.

“No sign of them,” said Cymon, “if they’re still here then they’re still on the other side of the planet, where they were before.”

“You can all unbuckle now,” said Cymon getting up from his own seat. “I’m taking the shuttle down.”

“You’re not going alone?” said Amisha.

“No choice,” said Irvn, “We can just about handle the ship with two crew, but one would be impossible. If something should happen to Cymon, the rest of us can still escape.”

“This just gets worse and worse,” said Laura bitterly.

“I’m coming with you,” said Amisha abruptly.

“Out of the question,” said Cymon.

“Figure it out,” said Amisha, “What if they’re both injured? You might need a second pair of hands. What if we have to search for them? Two sets of eyes are better than one. And don’t forget - I’m a trained soldier.”

Cymon looked at Irvn and Teo who, after a short hesitation, nodded.

Laura stood and placed her hands on Amisha’s shoulders.

“Are you sure, Misha?” she said.

“Never surer,” said Amisha, “I joined the Army to see the world. I can hardly complain if if it’s taken me a little further.”

Laura and Gemma smiled.

“Let’s go,” said Cymon.

“We’ll come and help you suit up,” said Gemma.

© Adriana Nicolas 2014