Academy of Secrets (original version)

Planet Eugoria (Part 2)

 We fell through open air until we slammed on top of another beam. I gripped either side of me for dear life. TJ landed not too far away from me on his back. He kept looking around like a trapped animal. Selveena popped up on the radio. She actually sounded a little freaked out.

“Allison, TJ are you two alright?”

“We’re fine! We landed on a beam somewhere below,” I said.

“That was an incredibly stupid thing to do there, sweetie. Lenards would’ve had my head if anything happened to either of you two. Get on more sturdy ground then meet us at the central computer room. I’m sending you the map. Be careful, understand?”

“Yes…ma’am.”

Something about calling Selveena “ma’am” made me feel a bit uncomfortable. She didn’t seem like any kind of “ma’am” to me. I shrugged away the thought and tried to make my way towards TJ.

“TJ, can you move?”

“I think I sprained something.”

I tried crawling towards him. We seemed to have landed near some kind of air duct. A longer strip of the station sat below us. Maybe we were more towards the middle of the station. We fell far, but I was willing to bet if we had fallen any farther, we’d be dead, even with armor on. TJ managed to roll himself over on all fours. I made an attempt to stand. My arms shook with the effort and my legs kept wobbling. After a mini-heart attack when I almost fell off the beam, I steadied myself. TJ made slow progress. He went on a knee and staggered up.

“Points for not killing us both I guess,” he said.

He rubbed the back of his neck. I took a cautious peek over the edge of the beam again and cursed to myself. We were towards the middle of the station, which meant we still had ways to go until we could reach any Hyrion. TJ must’ve been thinking the same thing, because then he folded his arms at me.

“So, ‘sweetie’ any ideas on how to get to the bottom without dying?”

His mocking tone of voice made me want to punch him again. I clapped my hands once and pointed at him.

“Well ‘sweet pea’ now it’s your turn. Your expertise in bitching-at-Ali will most definitely find us some Hyrion.”

TJ snorted.

“Try rephrasing that to ‘Ali is a bitch’ and then you got it.”

“Don’t forget the part where ‘TJ is an asshole’. Cut the crap. What the hell’s your problem with me? I talk shit, but I talk shit to everyone. What makes you so special?”

TJ wheeled around.

“Nothing! Nothing good anyway.”

“It’s not even me, is it? There’s something else.”

“Elevators.”

“You keep—elevators? What—”

“We came down here in an elevator, right? I don’t think the Kethians just run up and down around to get where they’re going. We could find an elevator to take us down.”

I chewed my lip.

“Yeah…that could work. Lead the way.”

“You know this isn’t the time or place to talk about this. Let’s go.”

TJ took off across the beam towards the room it was connected to. I narrowed my eyes, but didn’t say more. If he wanted to be like that, fine. We stood on top of the room, scanning around for any kind of opening. Writing littered the area, but I couldn’t understand any of it. We had to take careful steps. Any wrong footing could send us flying off the edge of the room. TJ hopped down next to a hatch. He waved me over and told me to help him move it. We grabbed a handle on either side of it. After one powerful yank, the hatch hissed open.