21. Alice
CHAPTER 21
ALICE
T he metal floor bites into my knees as I kneel, hands bound behind my back. My heart pounds against my ribs while three pirates circle me like vultures. Their leader, a scarred Thoraxian with cybernetic implants dotting his face, crouches in front of me.
"Your boyfriend's got quite the cargo manifest. Tried to hide it behind one hell of a firewall, but nothing gets past old Kraz here" he says, tapping a data pad. "Makes me wonder if he told you what he's hauling."
I keep my mouth shut, but my mind races. What could Davrik be carrying that's worth all this?
"Nothing to say? That's fine." He stands, stretching his mechanical arm. "We've got time to kill while we wait for lover boy to make his choice."
"What choice?" The words slip out before I can stop them.
A female pirate with tribal markings laughs. "The choice between you and his precious cargo. Though I wouldn't get my hopes up, sweetheart."
"Davrik will-" I start, but the leader cuts me off.
"Will what? Risk losing merchandise worth more credits than you'll see in ten lifetimes? For some human scientist he's known for a few weeks?"
The third pirate, a hulking creature whose species I can't identify, grunts. "Boss, should we tell her what's in those crates?"
"Nah." The leader grins, showing metal-capped teeth. "Let her imagination run wild. Though I will say this - anyone with half a brain would kill to get their hands on what he's carrying. Literally."
My stomach drops. I think of the crates I almost opened, how Davrik stopped me. The way he dodged my questions about his work.
"He's not coming for you," the female pirate says, almost gentle. "Smart courier like that? He'll cut his losses, find another route. That's business."
I stare at the floor, trying to keep my expression neutral even as doubt creeps in. Would Davrik really choose cargo over me? After everything we've shared?
The leader pats my cheek. "Don't worry. It's all talk princess, just to make you squirm. We wouldn't have gone through all the trouble if we didn't think this would work. Come on, we've got a message to record."
The pirates' footsteps fade down the corridor, and I test my restraints. Sloppy work - the kind of overconfident knots you'd expect from someone who thinks a botanist isn't worth worrying about.
I twist my wrists, feeling the synthetic rope loosen. My hands are small, perfect for delicate work with plant specimens - and apparently perfect for slipping out of bindings. The rope falls away.
"Thanks for the self-defense lessons, Davrik," I mutter, rubbing my wrists.
The cargo hold is dimly lit, but my eyes have adjusted. Crates and containers line the walls, stacked haphazardly. A maintenance panel hangs open, tools scattered beneath it. These pirates are messy - which works in my favor.
I pick through the tools until I find a metal pipe, testing its weight. Heavy enough to do damage, light enough to swing quickly. Just like Davrik showed me.
A row of cleaning supplies catches my eye. I scan the labels until - there. Sodium hydroxide powder. My mind races through chemical reactions. Mixed with water, it creates an exothermic reaction. Translation: burns like hell.
I grab a container and stuff it in my pocket, then grip the pipe tight. One more thing gets my attention: an oxygen mask. Probably for the one human on board who needs it.
I grab it too, just in case.
The cargo hold door isn't even locked - more sloppy work. Beyond it, voices echo from somewhere above.
"Get the camera set up. Make it dramatic," the leader's voice carries down. "Our courier friend needs proper motivation."
My heart pounds, but my hands are steady. I've survived alone on a dangerous alien world for months. I've faced predators and poisonous plants. These pirates think I'm just some helpless scientist.
Time to show them how wrong they are.
I ease the door open, pipe ready. The corridor stretches ahead, curved like a spine. Somewhere up there, three pirates are about to learn that underestimating me was their biggest mistake.
I creep down the corridor, keeping to the shadows. My boots barely whisper against the metal floor - all those hours stalking rare specimens paying off. A door slides open ahead and the one they called Kraz steps out, fiddling with something in his mechanical hand.
"Hey!" His cybernetic eye flashes red as he spots me. He lunges, fingers grasping.
I duck under his reach and spit directly into his organic eye. He recoils, giving me the opening I need. My hand plunges into my pocket, coming up with the sodium hydroxide.
"What the-"
I fling the powder across his face. The reaction is instant - his skin bubbles and he screams, clawing at his face. He drops to his knees, cybernetic components sparking.
"Burns, doesn't it?" I sprint past him, rounding the corner straight into the female pirate.
"You little-" She swings a fist at my head.
I sidestep, just like Davrik taught me. The momentum carries her forward and I bring the pipe up hard into her stomach. She doubles over, gasping.
"That's for calling me princess." I grab her arm, twisting it behind her back the way Davrik showed me during our training sessions. She struggles but I've got leverage on my side. One sharp strike to the back of her head with the pipe and she crumples.
I pause to catch my breath, heart hammering. Two down, at least one more to go. The corridor opens into what must be the mess hall ahead. I grip the pipe tighter, its weight reassuring in my hands.
A burst of static makes me jump. "Kraz! Where are you? The human's loose!" The leader's voice crackles through the ship's comm system.
I duck into the mess hall, scanning the industrial kitchen setup. My eyes lock onto the cleaning supplies under the sink. Bleach, ammonia - perfect. Basic chemistry was part of my training, and these pirates are about to get a harsh lesson in it.
The oxygen mask sits snug against my face as I dump the cleaning agents into a bucket, the chemical reaction already starting. The fumes rise, toxic and deadly.
"There she is!" Heavy footsteps thunder down the corridor.
I spin around to see the hulking alien and the leader charging in. With a grunt, I kick the bucket, sending it sliding across the floor. The mixture sloshes, releasing clouds of poisonous gas.
"What the-" The leader starts coughing first. "Can't... breathe..."
The larger alien stumbles, gasping. "Boss, we need to-"
"Get out!" They scramble backward, choking and retching.
Through the mess hall's viewport, I watch them stumble down the ship's exit ramp, still hacking up their lungs. The gas is spreading fast - I need to move.
A maintenance shaft catches my eye, its access panel hanging loose. I yank it open and climb inside, pulling myself through the narrow space. The metal walls press close, but I've crawled through tighter spots collecting samples.
"Computer, where's the prisoner?" The leader's voice echoes through the ship's systems, interrupted by violent coughing.
I pause, holding my breath despite the mask. The shaft branches left and right ahead of me.
"Unable to locate. Internal sensors compromised by atmospheric contamination."
I smile beneath the mask. Sometimes it pays to be underestimated.
It's not long before my boots hit the sweet, sweet soil again. Behind me I hear a cacophony of shrieks and screams. Pleased with myself, I take off into the jungle. This is my domain, and there's no way the pirates will take me again out here.
I climb up into a nearby tree to get a better view of my surroundings, and hopefully a way home. But when I reach the top, I get an eyeful of something even better.