Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. “Oh well, in that case, I’ve got nothing to worry ‘bout.” She tapped her forefinger against her chin. “I’ll just ignore the fact that I’m trapped in an alien ship with a guy who talks like he stepped out ofThe Epic of Gilgamesh. What does that word even mean?”
For a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched, but he suppressed the wide grin that threatened to burst free. “It translates to ‘Lady of the Skies.’ I am impressed you know your ancient Babylonian history.” While he wasn’t from that civilization, it amused him when he discovered how much that culture had taken from the alien Akurns.
“Yeah, well, watchingAncient Alienshas its perks.” She gestured to the rows of pods. “Let’s talk about these things, okay? Are they going to... hatch or something?”
“Unlikely,” JR14 interjected. “Current energy readings show dormancy. Activation requires specific external stimuli.”
Azazel exhaled. Back to the key problem, getting out of here. They needed to reach either the rendezvous point or, if lucky, the shipping dock to grab a spaceship. “Let’s not take a chance that we do something to wake them up. If we move quickly, they won’t become a problem.”
Trusting Toni would follow him, he turned and walked ahead of her. He heard the silence as she hesitated, but soon her footsteps echoed against the crystalline floor behind him. It was easy to sense her eyes on him, as if she was trying to decipher whether he was her savior or her doom. Her unspoken doubt weighed on him. He swallowed a sigh.
JR14 clicked his limbs, his voice cutting through the tense silence. “Alert: Proximity sensors detect movement within 30 meters. Suggest evasive maneuvers.”
Azazel spun and scanned the chamber, searching through the low light.
The faint shadows of the pods shifted, the hum of the ship growing louder.
His grip on the katana hilt tightened as he turned to Toni. “Stay close behind me,” he ordered, his voice low.
“No argument from me,” she muttered, stepping closer. Her tension radiated off her in sharp waves, like static before a storm.
The sound of crystalline footsteps echoed through the chamber, growing louder with each passing second.
Azazel’s senses sharpened, his mind calculating their next move. They couldn’t afford to fight here—not surrounded by dormant Krystalii pods. One wrong move, and the entire room could come awake. “JR14,” he said, his tone clipped. “Options.”
“Recommendation: Proceed to the ventilation shaft located five meters ahead. It provides a direct route to an unmonitored sector.”
Azazel glanced at the far wall, where a faint outline of a vent was visible. “Can you open it?”
“Affirmative.” The AI’s iridescent wings fluttered out as he zipped forward with mechanical precision.
Toni grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin. “What happens if we don’t fit in it?”
He met her gaze, his expression calm despite the tension crackling around them. “We will.”
Her lips parted as if to argue, but before she could, a sharp, metallic clang echoed behind them.
Azazel turned sharply, his katana raised as the first shadowy, Elites appeared at the chamber’s entrance. “Go!” he barked in a harsh whisper, pushing her toward the vent JR14 was connected to.
Toni scrambled toward the bot, her movements clumsy, but didn’t hesitate.
Azazel followed close behind, his blade glinting in the dim light as he kept his body between her and the advancing Elites. “JR14, hurry!” he snapped as he reached the vent.
The AI’s eyes flickered from their orange color to pale blue. “Access complete. Proceed.”
Azazel shoved Toni through the opening before sliding in after her. The narrow space was just wide enough for his shoulders, but he hurried, the sound of the Elites’ pursuit echoing behind them.
JR14 buzzed ahead as the cover closed with a click behind them. “Keep moving,” he said to Toni. “I’m right behind you.”
Her breath came in sharp gasps as her hands scraped against the smooth walls of the shaft. “No worries. But I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
Azazel’s lips pressed into a thin line. “So do I.”
Behind them, the sound of pursuit faded.
Still, Azazel’s tension didn’t ease until they reached an end that opened to a dimly lit corridor. At least it was away from the incubation room. Avoiding the Elites wouldn’t last long. They’d soon trace the shaft and discover where it led.
“Let’s go through there to find another way.” He scooted around Toni to kick the crystal mesh off the opening, and they dropped to the floor inside. He went first, then caught her as she fell in after him.
