“Are you replenished enough to begin our escape?”
“Sensos?” She took her focus off the bot mere inches from her face. “How about you? Are you ready to hide me as well as create a decoy so they won’t know I’m gone?”
Toni sat up, looping her hair behind her ears. It was kinda nice to wake up and not have to do the usual morning body stuff since wearing the alien suit covered that. Still, what she wouldn’t give for a hot cup of coffee right about now. Or, better yet, a Korean latte. Yeah, her mouth watered at the thought of themisugarumultigrain powder with a dash of honey in her coffee. That would do the trick.Oh well, first things first.Escape, then hunt down a magical cup of brewski.
Yes,Sensos replied.While you were in the dream state with the male, JR14 and I obstructed the sensors in this room to run on a continuous loop. Because I’ve completed that, the Krystalii will have no reason to suspect your absence. Be prepared, I will encase your head now.
Toni shivered as Sensos covered her. When she looked around, there was the slightest waver, letting her know her head was shielded.
As she moved, the spider-bot buzzed away and hovered a couple of feet in front of her.
“JR14, can you lead us to Azazel?”
“Affirmative.”
Nice.She had no trouble hearing the bot reply.
JR14 tilted his bulbous head. “Advice: stay within eyesight of me.”
“Yeah, no kidding, metallic macho,” she muttered.
Without another word, JR14 buzzed to the door.
It opened without hesitation, allowing the bot to whiz through.
She followed close behind, sliding her back against the crystalline walls in the corridor, afraid someone might see her sneaking around. The creepy tremor vibrating beneath her feet made her imagine she walked in the belly of an enormous slumbering whale. But… good golly, Miss Molly… Moby Dick had nothing on this place. All around her, prismatic lights refracted off the walls and created fragmented rainbows that danced and shimmered, bending and twisting like an old seventies roller rink with a huge disco ball spinning overhead.
She avoided looking at her mirrored image on the walls and floor since just one glance made her dizzy. Telling herself not to do something was easier said than done. Her eyes kept sliding to the distorted version of her reflection that followed her like a ghost.
“Left at the next intersection, Antonia.” JR14's voice remained calm, clinical, and precise as he landed on her left shoulder. “Then proceed twenty-four meters to the access junction.”
Toni exhaled, nodding even though she wasn’t sure the spider-like AI perched on her shoulder could see her gesture.
Sensos’s non-gendered smooth voice whispered through her thoughts.
Steady your breathing. Your heart rate is elevated. The Krystalii may not see us, but I advise maintaining composure. Their resonance fields respond to fluctuations in the ship’s vibrational patterns.
“Right,” Toni muttered under her breath. She had no illusions about her ability to fight these creatures if something went wrong. Her advantage was stealth—the illusion maintained by Sensos, so she didn’t have the option to mess it up.
Edging down the hallway, she followed JR14’s whispered directions. She winced at the sound of her walking. Even with Sensos help, she imagined the Krystalii heard every step she took. How could they not hear her shuffling along like a tromping, clumsy elephant?
Tension coiled inside her chest, making it hard to breathe. Unbidden, her mother’s chastising voice rang in her head. ‘Uri ttal! Daughter, what are you doing right now? Get a grip and focus.’
Toni bit her bottom lip. Okay,eomma. She scolded herself. Trust the memory of her mother’s persistent voice to steady her. Her jaw clenched. When she was done with this shit-show, the first thing she’d do was to apologize to her mother for giving her a hard time. Teenage years notwithstanding.
There, ahead, was another narrow corridor.
“Is this the right way?”
“Yes,” JR14 said.
“Down this hallway.”
Pressing her lips together, she followed his instructions. The farther she went, the more the light faded. Shadows stretched around her, making her squint to see through the growing gloom.
Then the walkway widened, opening into a balcony with a transparent railing.
Toni sucked in a breath and froze.
