SIREN

Chapter Two

'Good morning, Doctor Tommy Fletcher.' Cooed a robotic female voice. 'Your BPM suggests that you may be slightly stressed, is this true?'

'Nothing to worry about, Matron,' I said, slipping through the gap. I righted my body and flew down the corridor. A blue strip of paint on the floor led me towards The Eye. Thin screens displaying statistics and figures littered the walls. I would stop occasionally to read their measurements.

'If you're sure, Doctor Fletcher,' Matron said, 'but remember, I can give you a tablet to ease any anxiety.'

'I'm okay, thank you,' I passed two wide grey doors and heard a series of bangs coming from behind them. I smiled to myself, knowing exactly who was in the workshop. 'Can you give me an update on things?'

'Certainly. The United Nations Vessel Pangaea is in excellent shape. Engines are, and have been, operating at a sufficient level. The hull is intact and has suffered no major damage. The Eye is operational and--'

'Give me a reading on Hoshi Hori.' I stopped by a large pane of glass. A moment after my order, a diagram of Hoshi's body appeared on the screen with lines pointing to her brain and lungs.

'As Doctor White told you earlier, Hoshi Hori has—'

'Yeah, I know. I want to know how she is right now. Show me that.'

'Miss Hori is conscious and stable,' Matron told me, 'but her heart rate is elevated. Interesting. I will contact her shortly and suggest taking a tablet.'

'You and your bloody pills,' I muttered, turning off the screen. 'How's Olga? Busy?'

'Captain Olga Maximova was first to awaken. She has remained calm ever since. She is currently in The Eye, talking to various personnel.'

I pressed my palm against the ceiling and cocked an eye at the nearest speaker. 'Calm?'

'Yes, Doctor Fletcher, my readings indicate that Captain Maximova's heart rate has never reached anything higher than eighty beats per minute.'

I scoffed and pushed my body along the blue line. 'You might want to double-check that. The Olga I've spent the last seven years with is never calm.'

I bobbed along the cylindrical corridors for a few more minutes. Matron kept me updated with oxygen levels in the air and the fuel used so far, but I was far too focused on Hoshi to worry about those things.

I came to the end of the blue line and shook my wrist at the oval doorway. With a clunk and a whoosh, the door opened and I flew inside.