Predator: Survivor

Chapter 15

"Ship battery full," the computer's voice rang out.

One second, Izara's whole world was a peaceful nothingness. Her awareness nothing but a state of black as her mind and body rested and in the next second she was sitting upright like a tripped trap.

Ignoring the pain in her body from sleeping on the hard metal floor for her sixth night in a row, Izara looked groggily around the small ship. Her eyes stopping on the yautja standing next to the terminal.

"Did that just say what I think it said?"

Bor didn't bother taking his eyes off the monitor, he simply made a deep growling sound of affirmation.

Excitement shot through her like a dose of pure caffeine as she scrambled to her feet to meet him at the terminal.

"By all the dead stars let this be it," she practically begged as she looked at the new notification box hovering on the screen.

Activate sustainability mode?

Gingerly, she pressed the yes button.

Around them the ship began to whir and move.

Izara jumped in surprise even as an excited little sound spilled from her mouth. The floor beneath them shifted outward like an aperture. Like magic, the octagonal pod enlarged all around them. The viewing panel on the wall shifted as the walls extended out breaking the panels into numerous ones that surrounded the pod until they were surrounded by windows. Above them the round roof of the pod opened letting in the outside light and air until sealing off again with more diaminium windows. Sunlight flooded into the once darkened space allowing Izara to see the exact transformations the pod was undertaking. The terminal in the middle was now against one of the curving walls leaving the middle of the round room free and open. Near the medpod was a new station with all sorts of tools and devices while the area across the room from that produced a wall of bunk beds.

Izara's sore back nearly cried at the sight of the cushioned bedding. But nothing made her want to weep more than the sight of the small room that formed near the workstation--a bathroom.

Izara heard a gruff chuffing sound to her right and she quickly wiped the stray tear that had fallen as she caught Bor's unmoved gaze staring at her.

Izara stiffened. "Don't judge me! You try having a vagina while wearing a onesie jump suit. I practically have to get all the way naked and pop the deepest of squats in the woods with bugs and who knows what else out here on this alien planet!"

Izara could've sworn she saw a hint of amusement color his tiny eyes before he turned away.

"Wait. Where're you going?" she called out as he headed to the door.

Bor didn't pause as he lifted a hand to the door's sensor. Bright sunlight and humid tropical air whooshed inside as he stepped out. "To the other island."

"Now?" She didn't think he would leave so soon. Following him out the door she glanced back at the pod and marveled at it's changed appearance. It was now triple its size. Looking back to the hunter, she cursed under her breath at the sight of broad back nearly at the opening in the cove's wall. "Wait," she called out. "Don't you want to explore all the changes in the pod or at least eat something first?"

Even as she said the words she felt foolish. Why did she sound like one of those desperate wife character's on one of those dramas that she used to watch in her room late at night on the base station. As if she was some sort of homemaker mom desperate not to be left alone and needing attention. Although, she admitted as she trudged through the sand following the silent hunter, she couldn't lie to herself and say she was all too thrilled with him leaving her alone.