Spaced Out

Torture Who You Have To

A figure dropped before the scraper's observation shield. The sudden appearance broke Vlex's trance. The commander uttered a belching hiss.

"There you are, agent Vortrand." He tended to the light arrangements in the control alcove.

The knot of worry in Lily's chest loosened. The Vortrand lived. Crouched on the scraper's central beak, his upper lip curled back. White fangs gleamed under the manta's lustules. Milky blood oozed from a significant tear on the side of his barriersuit. Cloudy trails of the stuff ran down his torso and left leg. He shouted into his talk-round while he stared murder at Vlex.

Popping static erupted from Lily's 'round. She jumped. Vortrand's voice blared over the white noise.

"—phozone burst in m-layer."

An enormous, pale hand grasped Lily's. Vlex crouched before her and eavesdropped on the captain's orders.

"I want you to hit them with it if Abadie manages to direct the manta," Vortrand said.

"Oh, really," Vlex growled under his breath. "Well, we best beat them to it." The commander wedged a bracing arm behind Lily's back and helped her up. He took most of her weight onto himself when her legs bowed beneath it and toted her to the control alcove. Reesa was responding to the order. Most of it was too garbled to make out.

"—too much damage at the claustra's primary port fissure—we'll irrevocably—"

When he saw Lily in Vlex's arms Vortrand's eyes narrowed. His transmission came through loud and clear.

"We'll seal the claustra off from the rest of the ship. If they enter m-layer, hit them with the phozone burst." A pained expression darkened the lines in the captain's face. He clutched his wound and dropped off the front of the scraper. Vlex squeezed Lily's shoulder.

"I hate to push you after all you've been through, but I must." Vlex brought Lily in front of himself and braced her against his chest. "If you can command the manta you must do it before the lieutenant-technician redirects the necessary phozone levels to our sector of m-layer. I was caught in the last phozone burst which damaged that port fissure. It was not a pleasant experience."

Lips tightened. Lily folded her arms and canted up her chin.

"Lily?" Vlex nudged her gently with his body.

"No."

"Did you lie about your control over the ship?"

"No, but you were wrong."

"About?"

"Vortrand. He could have handed me over to Luthe like you said he would but he didn't." The catch in Lily's throat prevented her from speaking for a cezin. "He killed Luthe to save me."