“Still trying to get comms back up, sir. There’s just a lot of interference and the system is on backup AI . . . saying it’s inadequate is putting it mildly.”
Caraval cursed. The Hev ship was coming back online, but she was in a poor shape. Most functions were iffy, and the most key were going to be a nightmare to control without the AI. And on top of it all, for some reason there was music coming from a speaker, and it definitely wasn’t a genre he liked.
The door opened to the room, and the Hev captain floated in, followed by the ambassador – and Pirra.
Caraval waved her over, and she saluted loosely as she approached. Her main suit was gone and she was simply in her undersuit – it lacked the heaviest protection and all additional equipment, but it would still provide some basic protection from radiation and vacuum.
“How bad?” he asked.
She shrugged and tapped her ear.
Reaching into his pocket, he took a kit and handed it over. Just a basic system that could at least hook up with hers – it helped using the same gear. Hev equipment was far too non-standardized for it to be an option for them.
“The suit couldn’t take it,” she finally answered, not meeting his eyes. He knew that Moth-Owls were even flightier about eye contact when nervous than humans.
“And you?” he asked.
“I want a check-up when we get back. But I don’t have any visible signs.”
She stared suddenly, off to the side, and Caraval followed her gaze, to Tred, who had frozen looking at them. The horror and shock on his face was likely what Pirra was feeling.
“Focus on the comms,” he ordered the man, and turned back to her. “Is it still spreading?”
“Yes, I don’t think it’s going to stop.”
“We need to amputate, then.” He sighed. “If this ship can handle surgery.” The way it was slapped together, he wasn’t sure.
“It’s contained – for now – to an external module. It was originally meant to be detachable, though I’m not sure it is now.”
“Human,” a new voice said.
Caraval looked over and saw the Hev Captain there. He seemed angry, but he wasn’t sure why. His system seemed to have come back on, so Caraval reasoned he’d been listening to their conversation.
“Yes, Captain? Good to be able to have proper introductions. I’m Lieutenant Commander Caraval. You know Pirra, of course.”
Pirra stared with cold eyes at the Captain and the Hev shot her back angry looks.
“I want her off my vessel,” the Hev hissed. “Contaminated! We save no others, but she comes out?” He gnashed his teeth.
It caught him off-guard, but he replied quickly.
“She has no signs of contamination, and she was not in there long. In the vast majority of secondary infections, it takes heavy contact or extended exposure to cause changes to biological beings. Pirra, did you have either?”
She shook her head.
The Captain snarled. “Not good enough!”
He leaned in, and suddenly his voice was quiet – so quiet that Caraval’s system barely even picked up the words.
“Mutiny. They will not abandon the trapped,” he hissed.
Caraval’s eyes wandered over the Captain’s shoulder – and across the room, he saw at least a dozen Hev huddled together. They had their arms around each other’s shoulders, heads close in. He’d seen that before in Hev groups. It was a psych-up before they prepared to face death.
Almost breathless, his eyes fixed upon the Hev, he whispered.
“Friendly channel only. Prepare for quick evac. May have internal strife.”
Pirra’s system wasn’t on that channel, he realized. He glanced over.
“Pirra, we should listen to the Captain,” he said, a little louder than normal. “Return to the ship and get in the isolation pod.”
She stared at him for a second in confusion – they didn’t have an isolation pod.
His eyes went from her to the Hev, and her eyes tracked it. Seeing the group, realization dawned on her. With a nod, she began to drift back towards their ship. While their rescue suits were as tough as high-grade military armor, her undersuit would stop little more than a primitive knife.
The group suddenly broke; the Hev moved quickly by human standards, and began to fan out, their eyes on their captain.
Panic appeared in Captain K’Raaiia’s eyes. His hands went for the holster at his side – but his sidearm was gone, still in the possession of the Ambassador.
“Captain!” one of the Hev snarled. Murder was in his eyes. “We know what you’re plotting! You will not sacrifice our crewmates so shamefully!”
Other Terrestrial 