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And helovedme.
Just as I loved him.
The realization sizzled through me, lighting up my entire being and energizing me in a way that only anger had done in the past. But this was better—somuch better!
My fingers tightened around the blaster grip. These gray aliens thought they could separate us? Oh, hell no! I’d show them the error of their ways.
“Wrin.” I flattened my palm against the door, wishing I could touch him. “I’m going to scout ahead while you work on a way to get this blast door open.”
“No! Wait for us to get through.”
“We don’t know how long that’s going to take, and the sooner we get out of here, the safer for all of us.”
“She’s got a point,” Gravin said.
Cara added, “I agree.”
“I’m going,” I said, trying to pour all my love through the bond. “This is what’s best for everyone.” I didn’t lie—the sooner we got out of here, the better.
I trotted for the opposite end of the corridor, where a regular door stood.
“Does my phone have the hacking program?” I waved it in front of the control panel, but nothing happened.
“Yes, but you have to start it manually,” Cara said. Then she walked me through how to access it.
When the door finally slid open, I braced myself, expecting one of the building-sized gray aliens like the others had told me about. I hurried into the room, and…
“There’s nothing here, or I mean, there’s noonehere.” I spun in a slow circle, making sure I hadn’t missed anything. “It’s not one of the big superminds. It’s just equipment.”
Huge copper coils taller than me snaked from the floor to the ceiling. A strange hum more felt than heard filled the air, making my teeth ache.
Once I’d described them in detail, Raxnor grunted. “That sounds like a larger version of the telepathy field emitters they’ve stationed around the border.”
“Those still require a supermind,” Gravin said.
“Kirel detected a signal coming from the planet to here,” Wrin said. “The supermind must be on the surface.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Raxnor said. “We destroy the emitters by destroying the coils, and the coils are here.”
I walked up to a coil and tapped my finger against it, almost expecting an electrical zap. Instead, a feeling like ants crawling inside my skull shivered through me. I jerked my hand away with a shudder.
Come on, Viv. You’ve got to!
Gritting my teeth against the sensation to come, I punched the coil. Pain flared through my knuckles, but the coil wasn’t even dented. Next, I kicked it. My boot absorbed the impact this time instead of my foot, but I still didn’t hurt the coil at all.
“Yeah, I’m not going to be able to destroy these. Not without a crowbar or something to swing at them.” And maybe not even then. I was strong for my size, but I wasn’t delusional about my strength.
Now Wrin? Wrin could do some damage.
“How’s the door coming?”
A series of “freks” provided all the answer I needed. Time to look for another way.
These coils might be part of the emitter, but all of this had to be run by a computer. I edged by way around the room, making one whole circuit without seeing anything obvious, including other doors.
What the hell had I missed? These fuckers were smart and had some unique technology, but they still used computers and electricity and freaking doors!
I went around again, slower this time, tapping on wall panels. There! A hollow thud.
