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ragged. “We use these… at work!” She took a few seconds to catch her breath. “If we can trip it into admin mode, I should be able to bypass the user code.” She snapped her fingers. “Put one of your claws right here and lift up ever so slightly.” As Torsha did so, Eridani entered a specific numerical sequence. After a moment, a tiny LED flashed green. “Got it!”

The hatch hissed and popped open.

They hurried inside and sealed the hatch behind them.

“That was insane,” gasped Eridani, and she flopped onto her back amidst Bloodtusk’s luggage. “Thank you for rescuing me, but I have to ask—why did you save the backpack?”

“It’s got the extra food and water I packed,” said Torsha, and she settled into their cramped surroundings. “And I have no idea how long we’re going to be stuck in here.”

“Good thinking,” said Eridani. “I hope it’s not too long, because I really have to use the bathroom.” She fumbled in the darkness. “Is there a light in here?”

“Only when the hatch is open,” said Torsha. “Do you still have your phone?”

“I do,” said Eridani. “You?”

“Yeah.” Torsha took a deep breath. “I’ll let our parents know where we are.” She took out her phone, and it faintly lit the compartment as she composed a text message.

“Thanks,” said Eridani. Craning around, she took stock of the suitcases, the support struts, the vents, and emergency warning stickers. “There’s an emergency release handle here, in case we got trapped in here by accident.”

“Do not pull it,” said Torsha.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” said Eridani. “According to the label, it won’t work if the vehicle is in motion, anyway.”

Torsha glanced her way. “That doesn’t mean you need to test it.”

Eridani chuckled. “I really wasn’t planning on it.”

“Cool,” said Torsha, and her phone buzzed. She scanned Iona’s response and tapped an automatic reply. Shaking her head, Torsha’s nostrils flared slightly, and she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Hey,” she said with a sniff, and grief threatened to overwhelm her. “Thuraya didn’t make it.”

“No,” whispered Eridani. “No, she can’t be dead.” She began to shake, and agony twisted her face. “Thuraya…” She wept inconsolably, and Torsha surrendered to her sorrow.

Outside the shuttle, blue skies gave way to stars.

Chapter 28

The Woman Inside

Eridani and Torsha traveled within the Starwind’s luggage compartment. They discovered a large duffle bag with “Dark River” printed on its sides in large military font. Unzipping the bag, Torsha rummaged around, pulling out several sealed packs of food and water pouches. “Just MREs and water, so far.” She continued searching. “Sterile wipes… There’s a first aid kit… Yeah, that’s all I see in here. Well, these’ll be good to have on hand, in case we run out of our own food,” said Torsha.

“I hope we’re not stuck in here that long,” said Eridani.

“It could be a while,” said Torsha, and she opened Eridani’s backpack. She retrieved a meal bar, splitting in two. “Here.”

“I’m not really hungry,” said Eridani.

“I know, but you should eat,” said Torsha.

Eridani took her half of the meal bar and sat up slightly. “Just how long do you think we’ll be stuck in here?”

“I’m not sure, but one thing I’ve learned about space travel—everything takes about ten times longer than you think it will,” said Torsha. She opened a water bottle. “We should only sip for now, just enough so we don’t get parched. And we should turn off our phones unless we need them for light.”

Eridani nibbled at her food. “Okay.” Grief surged again, and she spent moments in tears before setting down her food and rolling on her side.

During the following day, they exhausted the water and meal bars Torsha had packed. On the third morning, they braved the tamer MREs—a rice and beans burrito bowl, and one marked as beef stew. They drank from Dark River’s water pouches.

Later that day, the impact of docking clamps rang throughout the shuttle. Torsha and Eridani moved quickly to re-pack the duffle bag, adding their own waste materials to its contents. Machinery droned, and the cargo ramp hissed as it settled against the deck. Eridani pulled her backpack close as Torsha zipped the duffle bag closed. Muted conversation reached them from outside the ship.

“Incinerate Dark River’s luggage,” said Bloodtusk. “All of it.”

“Aye-aye, Captain Veskatar,” said a woman’s voice.

“I’m headed up to the bridge,” said Bloodtusk. “Admiral Schurke’s been trying to reach me. Wait—you’re not on my bridge crew. Who are you again?”

“I am Eleski,” said the woman. “I am your—”

“I don’t care,” said Bloodtusk. “You two just clean things up, okay? Something stinks up in my lounge. Myeong, get Ostonk and Grostonk to meet me on the bridge. In fact, why don’t you go on ahead of me and kick everyone out, okay?”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” she said, and she hurried for the lift.

“What?” asked Bloodtusk.

“Nothing, sir,” said Eleski.

Bloodtusk snorted smugly. “Good. Nothing is exactly what I want to hear from you.” He stomped across the deck and exited through a door leading further into the starship.

Moments later, Torsha and Eridani heard footsteps approaching the luggage hatch from overhead. They quietly pressed themselves against the far bulkhead, pulling their knees tight against their chests. The hatch popped open a moment later.

“I detect the scent of waste,” said Eleski. Visible only for an instant, overhead lights glimmered against her platinum hair and alabaster skin. “The biological processing unit is in urgent need of repair, and the luggage compartment’s access panel exists once more in an unsecured state! It is entirely a matter of favorable happenstance that it even remains intact.” She reached into the hold and pulled up several suitcases.

“He cares little for the wellbeing of his own vessel,” said Katsinki from down on the deck.

Eleski sighed. “The state of his access panel supports your hypothesis.” She leaned into view again. Her gray-blue eyes twinkled, but her good cheer suddenly faded. “Someone has tampered with it.”

“I was unable to understand you due to a reduction in vocal amplitude,”