Page 9 of A Monster’s Future

I hoped Grtirr had a conniption fit when he found out.

Realizing I was pacing a trench into the floor, I stepped out of my room to take a walk around the ship. This warship—built to move hundreds of warriors—was currently manned by just a few Kadrixans and carried only a handful of passengers, and that meant most of it would be empty. Silent.

Exactly what I needed.

Picking a direction, I started walking.

I found the mess hall easily; it was just around the corner from our rooms. It was empty right now since the kitchens were technically closed. There weren’t enough of us to actually cook during this trip. The plan was to use the food replicators, which lined one wall. I approached one of the machines to check whether they’d programmed any of our human favorites in for the trip, and was pleasantly surprised to see my chosen drinks.

It took me a moment to decide between the faux-faux-faux-vanilla latte or a mojito. Caffeine? Or alcohol?

Takeoff had been more than a tad puke-inducing, though I was proud I’d kept it in, despite hearing someone else—Annabel, I think—make loud retching sounds several frames away. I went for the latte, promising myself the mojito a little later when I had more food in me.

Minutes later, the pleasant and calming aroma of fake vanilla filled the air. I continued my exploration with a delicious drink in hand. I better not let Grtirr see me with this coffee; I bet he’d kick up a fuss about caffeine being bad for my weak kidneys or something. Knowing it’d probably piss him off made the drink even better.

I took another sip and savored it.

As I walked, I recognized the corridors; these led to the infirmary. The symbols were familiar. I’d learned because I spent so much time in the infirmary when I’d first arrived. The Kadrixan stronghold actually incorporated the six warships within its design, blending the ships so seamlessly into the mountain that I hadn’t realized it for months. I veered away from the medical wing just in case our friendly neighborhood medic was in there, and continued down the other hall instead.

I wondered which parts of the stronghold were missing because we took this ship. It wasn’t the large, flagship vessel in the main part of the stronghold, because we used that every day. Also, I’d walked through it to get to the valley this morning. And it wasn’t the one where we held our weekly reading club; this one had a different layout, and the corridors seemed narrower.

I didn’t realize how little of the stronghold I actually used in my day-to-day life. I wondered if this was where Grtirr had been hiding during all those ruts, not that I was looking for him or anything. I eventually found an open hatch with a ladder leading down. Huh, I’d never noticed those in the stronghold before either.

Curious, I started down the ladder, only to realize after my feet were already on the rungs that I needed both hands to make it down. I chugged the rest of the drink and put the cup against the wall. Then I headed down into the unknown.

Lights on the ladder lit up as I descended, illuminating my way. It deposited me in a dimly lit corridor, the air thick with the smells of oil and metal. The lighting strips on the floor and wall turned on with every step I took, just like they did on the upper level.

I passed by rows of unfamiliar machinery and weapons, most of them sleek and futuristic, a few bulky and looking like they were from a bygone era. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. No, what really drew me was the soft humming that sounded down the corridor. It was barely audible. I tiptoed toward the sound, glad that my socked feet didn’t announce my presence as I followed it through the maze of equipment.

The humming was suddenly interrupted by a very familiar grumble and a huff.

Grtirr? I had no idea the grumpy medic had such a beautiful humming voice.

There was the sound of metal against metal, and then the music started up again. I snuck in a little closer and peeked around the corner.

At the far end of the room, under several bright lights, was something that looked like an alien motorcycle. A hovercraft! I’d seen the Kadrixan hovercrafts before, but this one looked different. Was it an antique? Its frame was sleek, angular, and made of a dark material that absorbed the light. There were also the neon green details the Kadrixans loved so much.

But unlike the other personal all-terrain hover vehicles I’d seen before, this one had retro-looking angles and stripes painted on it.

Grtirr’s broad back was turned to me, his gloved hands working on something beneath the frame. He wore nothing but a thin tank top, the fabric clinging to his dark red skin, and a pair of worn leather pants that hugged his hips. A tool belt was slung low around his waist, the buckle glinting in the light.

I blinked and then swallowed hard.

Damn! He hid a perfect body under his ankle-length medic robes. I might just ignore how annoying he was if I could spend a few hours with him during the next rut.

And since when did the head medic moonlight as a mechanic? And why, oh why, did I end up finding him when I’d been trying to avoid him the whole time?

The thoughts had barely formed before he stiffened. He turned his head just enough to glance over his shoulder, his golden eyes locking onto me. For a second, neither of us moved. Then in one fluid motion, he straightened, wiped his hands on a rag, and turned fully toward me.

His gloves were smudged with grease, the leather dark and worn.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Why was I not surprised by his reaction? No, “how are you doing?” “Can I help you?” “Are you lost?” Nope. It was straight to “You shouldn’t be here” with him. I bristled at his disapproving tone.

“Why not? Since when is any part of the ship other than the bridge off-limits? And besides, you left the hatch open.”

“Julie.” He said my name like a warning.