SPACESHIP ZOMBIE CRUISE

FILE ENTRY 29.0

Bella Starr

Ahead of me, the hallway opens up into the dining room. My pace slows to a crawl, skirting around a buffet line as Halo flanks to my side, the side open to the seating area. Behind us, Astra clutches the screwdriver with her wounded arm, draping her good arm around Adrianna's shoulder. And trailing us all, Draco nudges Lo along, putting her assistant between herself and danger.

A muffled scream makes its way to my ears.

My eyes follow the beam of the flashlight along the front of the curved buffet line, around the corner to a swinging door. The door has a narrow window at eye level.

"There's the kitchen," I say to Halo. "You might find another weapon in there."

Halo crouches next to my hunched over form. "Sounded like the scream came from that direction. I'd say an infected has someone trapped in there."

"But they're not screaming anymore," Astra says.

"The kitchen isn't our mission," Draco says. "There's a stairwell between the two buffet lines, leads back down to the far end of the Atlantic Deck where there's a discreet passage to the bridge."

I shine the flashlight to the far side of the cafe's dining room. Sure enough, there's another buffet line identical to the one we're crouched beside, and between the two lines is a wide gap or passage that leads to a hallway. That wide gap is the passage Draco is talking about, perhaps leading to the stairwell. I scoot around the end of the buffet and direct my beam to the stainless steel kitchen door. Everything is quiet, other than the memory of the muffled scream. When I redirect the light, I see a slight reddish glare on the door.

"I see something," I say. "I need to check it out. Everyone wait here."

"Keep your head on a swivel," Halo replies.

"I've got this." I attempt to reassure him with a smile. It comes out flat, so I just show him the wrench and go.

As I move out in front of the door, my heart thump-thumps in my chest, and I'm not so sure that I've got this anymore. I glimpse the source of the red glow that I saw...coming from a holographic sign. I hustle over to the rectangle frame that stands about four feet off the floor. Keeping low, I kneel beside the three dimensional image and stare in amazement.

"What is it?" Halo asks.

"You'll never believe our luck," I reply. "Get over here and I'll show you."

Everyone hurries over to where I kneel. Halo looks at the hologram and says, "How does a midnight Japanese sushi buffet help us? I'm not exactly hungry at the moment."

The image on the hologram changes to a pair of familiar objects we'd seen earlier that night in the Imperial Dining Room. I aim the flashlight beam toward a glass display case standing several feet away in the middle of the dining hall.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Halo says.

"Afraid not."

In the center of the cafe's dining room, the Japanese katana swords are locked inside the glass case. Apparently, after dinner ended, the ship's staff relocated the weapons display to the cafe for a late night buffet of sushi. But then came the outbreak, and the swords must have been forgotten in the confusion. I doubt they would have left them out over night under normal circumstances.

As I stare at the swords, I begin to contemplate something terrible, but it's an idea that might actually work.

Behind me, Astra moans in distress, loses her balance and collapses. She pushes up but drops to the floor again. Glances up at me. "All the sudden, I got dizzy and weak."

Adrianna touches Astra on the shoulder, a kind gesture.

"She's infected," Draco says. "It's only a matter of time until she—"

"Shut up," I say. I shake the wrench at Draco. "Don't say it."

Lo glides in between us, a flash of his steak knife catching my eye. "Back off, or I'll be forced to use this."

"She's right," Astra says. "I don't feel right. My head's pounding and my stomach is swirling like I ate something bad. If only we found the swords sooner. You could've amputated my arm. It might have worked." After the words fall from her mouth, she melts to the floor.

The terrible thought I had moments before...that was it. Cutting Astra's arm off. It makes me queasy thinking about it now. I ease over and feel of her forehead. "You're warm."

"A fever," she says weakly. "Wow, that was fast."

A thought races across my mind. I remember Caprica locked inside the bathroom in her stateroom. Somehow my blue haired friend had locked herself inside before the infection set in and before she turned.

I allow my gaze to drift to the kitchen door. "I have an idea."

I jerk my head up to look at Cygnus Lo. "You. Help Halo carry her to the kitchen."

"I'm not touching her, she's infected."

I bolt to my feet and rear back with the big wrench. Lo stumbles backward into Draco, his knife hand lowering from its offensive position.

"Help him take her to the kitchen," I say.

Halo is the first to Astra's side, attempting to lift her from the floor. Lo grits his teeth but yields to my demand. Seconds later, they have Astra draped over their shoulders and guiding her toward the kitchen.

"What's your plan? Halo says.

"Isolation." I crack open the swinging door and peer inside. It's dark and quiet. The owner of the muffled scream is nowhere to be seen. Maybe the person left through another exit, whoever it was, infected or not? "Over there," I say. "The back wall."

Lo and Halo follow the direction of the flashlight. Adrianna keeps close to my side seeing she doesn't have Astra to lean on anymore, and Draco isn't far behind.

"The freezer," I say. "This is a kitchen. The cold might lower the fever and slow down the virus until we can get help."

Halo nods. "Not a bad idea, but in her weakened state, the cold might finish her off. Wish my father was here, he'd know what to do."

"Got any other ideas?"

"Not really."

"Neither to I." I whip open the freezer door to a gust of frosty air. As Halo and Lo carries Astra inside, sits her down, and props her against the back wall, I add, "Best case scenario, we come back with help and maybe she's still alive. Worst case, she's locked up where she can't hurt anyone."

I feel of Astra's forehead one more time. She's burning up.

The realization of what's happening before my eyes, steals my breath. I've never heard of any sickness that progresses so fast. I gnaw on my lower lip. I have serious doubts whether anything will save my friend. As I close the freezer door and leave Astra behind, wounded and sick on the inside, my heart feels trapped with her. And the only thing that takes my mind off losing one of my best friends is getting my hands on one of the katana swords...maybe then I can extract some revenge on the sickness that's consuming this ship.