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"That can't be right," I said. "The Chimera's crew—" A couple of hundred people of various species should be on board. And my guys.
"—should number higher," Vaw finished for me. "Are you certain, Lieutenant?"
"That's what my screen says, sir," Karji said.
"Can you tell who?" I asked.
"No," she replied simply. "Chimera looks to have taken some damage."
I peered at the screen which showed her closer than the window would have. My stomach twisted tighter. The small ship showed a scorch mark down one side. Beside that was a huge dent. What the hells caused that? Road rage incident? Well, space rage. It seemed unlikely the Chimera hit a tree.
"Nurse, you should make your way to the docking area," Captain Vaw said gently. "Whoever is aboard might need your help."
"Sir, should they be allowed to dock?" Karji asked. "It might be a nanobot trick."
I held back an angry response.
Vaw spoke instead. "You implemented the new life sign search which can detect Iritauri?"
Slek had developed it. Apparently he'd had time to pass it on before he left to chase the nanobot hosts. Called Iritauri, or Iri, they were usually Freytaurians who were invaded by bots, their minds taken over against their wills. They turned silver and often walked around with glazed expressions and blasters.
"Yes sir," Karji said without inflection. "It detected no Iritauri, or nanobots."
"Then we will take the risk," the captain concluded. He nodded toward me. "However, if the scanner doesn't work, Nurse Wright is the best person to send, since the bots don't like human bodies."
There was no accounting for taste. In this case, it worked in my favour. The nanobots might now be modified so I could become a host, but the last time we met, my blood made them dormant. I could only assume that was still the case. And hope like hells.
I nodded. "On my way." I headed toward the door, then stopped. "Can you ask Pilot Brinley Grant to meet me there, please?"
Brinley should have gone on to the study facility at Agus, but like me, she refused. She spent time in the station's pods and on the bridge of every passing ship which would let her. Right now, only a few ships were docked at the station, so I knew she could spare the time. Even if she couldn't, she would drop everything for this. The guys were her family as much as they were mine.
Vaw nodded. "I'll see to it," he said. His smile suggested he didn't mind me bossing him around, just this once.
I flashed a smile and hurried out the door.
Undapan Station was huge. At least twice the size of Moon Station. Maybe bigger than Dendra Station.
My boots clicked on the floor as I trotted toward the docking area. I kept an eye out for a transport cart, but none passed. Like a golf cart or a forklift, they carried people and supplies all over the station. It would save the walk, but hunting for one would use time I couldn't waste.
I puffed lightly as I drew to a stop outside the docking bay doors. They stood about twice my height and several times wider. Big enough to fit a lot of things through at the same time, but not enough for a pod or ship, if they were off course that badly. Of course if a ship collided with the station, the door wouldn't save us.
Hoping I hadn't just jinxed the place, I pressed my hand against the palm pad beside the door. After a moment, the pad flashed green and the doors slid open.
"Thank you," I told them as I stepped through. Just because the doors weren't alive didn't mean I shouldn't be polite. Or maybe I was a little stir crazy after the long wait for this day to arrive. Waiting for my guys.
Until I saw the Chimera, and looked inside, I wouldn't accept that they weren't on board. Something weird was up, for sure. Hells, something always was. I hoped it wasn't something sinister as well.
"Hey." Brinley trotted to catch up and slipped her hand into mine. "They're finally back?"
I told her what the lieutenant said. She stopped walking and frowned.
"One life sign? That's odd." Her English accent was stronger when she was worried.
"That's one word for it," I said. "Fucked up being another."
She smiled. "That too. I'm sure it's a mistake."
"I'm worried that if it is a mistake, it's because the ship is swarming with Iri," I said. "They might have figured out how to counteract Slek's Iri-finder."
