Khar could not save her.
She would have to save herself.
Horos had left her alive for a reason. When she was writhing on the floor, he could have killed her easily. Instead, he came prepared with restraints.
That meant something.
First, she tore the suite apart.
The search ended quickly.
Large objects were locked to the floor by gravity anchors. The bed, couch, and chairs were buried in soft fabrics. Useless.
The stasis pantry held only foods safe for most species. No allergic sabotage there.
The bathroom yielded her only success.
In the guest grooming kit, she found a few sharp implements. She hid them by pressing them into the space beneath her wrist restraints, concealed by her sleeve.
She would use them.
She also found a waxy compound suitable for ear protection. She shaped two small pellets and placed them on the nightstand, hidden by the lamp, ready to grab the moment Horos appeared.
After that, there was nothing left to do but wait.
Waiting was agony.
She replayed every interaction she had ever had with Horos, searching for meaning, but most of the time she had been too lost in her own thoughts to notice anything useful.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
She showered, letting the hot water calm her trembling body, and finally allowed herself to cry. When the tears ran dry, she dressed again and sat cross-legged on the bed, waiting.
She would not attack physically first.
Horos would expect that.
No. First, she would make him talk.
She was almost certain he was running. She did not know what had happened with Vegrun, but Vitro was worth more than most beings earned in a lifetime. Even selling it for a fraction would make Horos unimaginably rich.
And he could do it.
Horos was a full administrator in Vitromium. Above him stood only Vegrun as superadmin. Khar and Lily held only limited administrative rights. Horos could erase them from the system entirely.
Only Vegrun could erase Horos.
Which meant Horos could assign new limited administrators to anyone willing to ignore legality.
So the question remained.
What did he want with her?
She knew Herion systems. She did not know alien psychology.
She began to drift into a light, restless sleep, waking at every sound.
When she woke again, she scanned the room instantly. Nothing had changed. She felt slightly stronger.
