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“Yeah, give me a fucking minute.”Fiercedidn’t like how shaky his own voice sounded.He’dnever had such a close call while flying before and he needed a moment to collect himself.
Buthe didn’t have a moment.
“Warning,” the ship’s mechanical voice announced. “Lifesupport systems compromised.Oxygenleak detected.Fuelleak detected.”
“Fuck!”Fiercemuttered. “Estimatedlife support time remaining?” he bellowed at the ship to be heard above the alarm klaxon and the ominous hissing that was probably the oxygen leak.
“Thirtysolar minutes life support remaining,” the ship informed him calmly.
Fiercecursed again.
“Allright, that’s not good,” he toldHoldandCelia, who were both looking at him anxiously. “Butit should be enough to get us back to theMotherShipat least.”
Hebegan working with the controls, punching coordinates into theNavCom…but then the ship spoke up again.
“Warning—nonviable route entered.Atcurrent coordinates, the destination you have programmed with take three hundred thousand solar light years to reach.Alllife forms aboard will be deceased at that time.”
“Threehundred thousand light years?Thefuck are you talking about?”Fiercedemanded.Hewanted to pound the control panel in irritation, but he knew it wouldn’t help anything. “Howcould we be so far from theMotherShip?Whereare we, anyway?” he muttered.
Hewas mostly talking to himself, but the ship’s emergency actions had all been turned on so it heard him and answered.
“Currentlyin theDeltaQuadrantof theSpinningGlassGalaxy, approximately three hundred thousand light years from theKindredMotherShip,” it informed him helpfully.
“What?Fuck!”Fierceroared and this time hedidpound his fist on the instrument panel.
“Howcould this have happened?Howcould we have gone so off course?”Holdasked.
“Are…are we going to survive?”Celia’svoice was low and trembling.Despitebeing angry with her and both upset and frightened at their predicament,Fiercefelt himself wanting to comfort the curvy little female.Butthere was no time for comfort—not if they wanted to live.
“Idon’t fucking know.Thewormhole must have destabilized in the time we were onTranqPrime,” he said, answering his twin’s question first. “Andwe’re not going to die ifIcan help it,” he added, answeringCelia’s.
Heraised his voice again to address the ship’s emergency system.
“Ship—first, turn off the damn alarm!” he ordered.
Thewailing klaxon in the background abruptly shut off, leaving only the ominous hissing of the oxygen leak.Wellgood—at least now he could hear himself think.
“Ship,” he said again. “Sendlong-distance call to theKindredMotherShip.Requestimmediate assistance!”
“Negative,” came the calm reply. “Regretto inform you that long range communications system is completely non-functional at this time.”
“Fuck!”Fierceraked a hand through his hair. “Allright then…are there any inhabited planets nearby?Someplacewithin range of our life support capabilities where we can get repairs done?” he asked.
Heheld his breath as he waited to hear what the ship’s emergency voice would say.Ifthe destabilized wormhole had thrown them so far from their destination, it might have just dumped them into an uninhabited quadrant of space.Andif they only had thirty minutes of life support left, that meant they were most likely going to die.
Butafter a moment of computation and scanning, the voice answered,
“Oneinhabited planet detected in range of life support capabilities,” it announced.JoCostaTwelveis twenty-six solar minutes away.”
“Twenty-six?That’scutting it close!”Therewas an edge of fear inHold’svoice.
“Yeah, we might have to hold our breath for a few minutes but we’ll make it.”Fiercespoke with a confidence he didn’t feel. “Plotshortest course available toJoCostaTwelve,” he told the ship. “Andhurry!”
“Courseplotted,” the voice responded. “ProceedtoJoCostaTwelve.”
Whichwas easier said than done, since every damn system on the ship was damaged in some way.Itwas like the long range shuttle had been dumped into an enormous, industrial sized food grinder and nearly mashed to pieces,Fiercethought as he coaxed it to start moving in the right direction.Howthe fuck had the wormhole destabilized so quickly?
Maybeyou should have listened toCeliawhen she said it looked wrong,whispered a little voice in his head.Thecolors were off—you thought so too, but you were so angry you didn’t want to hear her!Thisis your fault,Fierce—if everyone dies trying to get toJoCostaTwelve, you’ll have to stand before theGoddessand admit your guilt!
