Shadows of Mars (Broken Stars Book 1) I.O. Adler (read people like a book TXT) 📖

Her sister was awake and had managed to sit up. “I’m going with you.”

“We don’t know what we’re facing,” Carmen said. “Someone has to keep control of the harvester until I find Mom.”

“Is there any indication the Cordice have done anything to come take it back? It’s not going anywhere.” She paused. “What about Barrett?”

Carmen thought about it. “Our best bet is to take him with us. He might be useful. And while I’m sure we can keep him locked in here, if we get hung up it seems cruel to have him stuck inside a room he can’t get out of.” Carmen faced She Who Waits. “Your ship has water and facilities?”

“My ship can care for your physical needs.”

“How long will it take to travel to the Cordice home ship?”

“Several minutes. We can depart when you’re ready.”

Carmen helped Agent Barrett stand. He had fashioned a sling from his undershirt for his swollen hand. As they walked into the corridor he managed on his own after a moment of leaning heavy on her shoulder.

She filled him in on what they were about to do. “You’re not going to try to shoot anyone, are you? Do I need to search you for a backup weapon?”

“That was a mistake. And I don’t carry a backup piece.”

“You could have killed us, or her.” She nodded towards She Who Waits as the alien glided along ahead of them. “I understand if you’re freaked out. I am too. So is my sister. Promise me you won’t try anything crazy like that again.”

“I acted rashly. Hopefully we both understand what’s at stake. It’s hard for me to trust that this is going to end well. But right now it looks like we have no choice.”

“She Who Waits has nothing to gain by helping us. She’s here because it’s her job and the Cordice asked her. For all we know they could have sent a missile or found a way to steal their ship back and kill us. I don’t pretend to have answers for what’s about to happen. I just hope you’ll—” She almost said “play it cool” but stopped midsentence. “I hope you’ll help me get my mom back.”

He nodded. He appeared chastised. She didn’t imagine he had a spare weapon beneath his bulky suit, but anything was possible. For now she would have to trust him.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Once in the hold of the translator’s shuttle, they strapped into fixed chairs which self-assembled from the floor. But unlike the crash couches on board the harvester, Carmen’s felt rough and grainy like she was lying on sandpaper. It also wasn’t as well cushioned.

If She Who Waits’ shuttle pulled as many g’s as the sphere had during their journey to Mars, Carmen doubted they’d survive.

Jenna and Barrett settled in without comment. She Who Waits remained at the front of the compartment. The columns moved and merged with the wall. Besides the ever-present hovering red light, which Carmen guessed was part of the communication and translation system, the Dragoman X-ship had no control panel and no portholes.

They were moving. Gently at first, but soon the ship pressed them into their uncomfortable chairs. The g’s never amounted to anything worse than a roller coaster, and only for a few seconds.

Barrett let out a jittery laugh. “This whole trip makes us astronauts. And we’ve now got more flight miles under our belts than ninety-nine-point-nine-nine percent of anyone on Earth.”

Jenna kept her head pressed back and her eyes forward. “I wish there were windows.”

Carmen focused on breathing. It wasn’t just the flight. Her stomach was in knots. This might have been a dream to people like Barrett. NASA had boasted of having a million volunteers for its next Mars mission, which would have included room for an artist. But now she was going to have to negotiate not only for her family but her entire world, and as much as she wished she could hand off the responsibility, Barrett had proven himself unable to act like anything other than a shortsighted government tool.

She Who Waits flashed a dense pattern of glimmering diamonds like carbonation in a clear glass of soda.

Carmen propped herself on her elbows. “Is there anything else you can tell us about what we’re about to do? Since the Cordice requested your help, can we also rely on you to be sure our needs will be understood?”

“I will facilitate communication.”

The curt answer was hardly comforting.

“We’re going to be okay,” Jenna said. “We’re together on this.”

Carmen wished she could be so optimistic. She lay back and closed her eyes.

The ship rotated and began to slow. Carmen felt a moment of dizziness. A vibration rolled through the vessel. Something outside the hull shuddered. A series of clicks followed and then all was still.

She Who Waits moved silently past and stopped at a hatchway. “The atmosphere on board the Cordice ship is intact and compatible. There is a higher oxygen level, but not enough to cause anything but the slightest elevation to your metabolism. Long-term effects are negligible.”

Carmen struggled to climb from her chair and wanted to be first at the door in front of Barrett. He looked like he was about to say something but didn’t. Jenna queued up behind them.

“I can have protective suits fashioned but they won’t be necessary. It would also take some time.”

“If you say it’s safe for us, then let’s not wait any longer.”

A fresh set of nerves had Carmen clasp her hands then cross her arms. She settled for gripping the hem of her sweatshirt as she eyed the doorway. Why hadn’t she asked She Who Waits about what the Cordice would look like? Any manner of monstrosity might be waiting behind the hatchway. Were they bundles of tentacles behind a pillar of sand