What Happens in Orbit Pt. 21

Then, one of them held up a syringe.

Koramin turned to her. "I believe there is something terrible going on right under my nose." She pauses. "Did I use that right?"

Pulling her attention from the syringe-wielding technician, Cora nodded brightly. "You did great, your Majesty." She doesn't really have a nose.

"We're going to get a blood sample from you. We already had some fluid samples tested, but I want to be certain before I start flinging accusations around."

"Okay," she said, keeping her voice smooth. Her fear of bugs had embarrassed her enough earlier. "You can go ahead."

To her pleasant surprise, they swabbed the crook of her arm with something that quickly numbed the area.

All I have to do is look away. "So, your Majesty," Cora struggled for a second, realizing her English had grown stiff with disuse. "Can I ask what you think is going on?"

The queen was watching a screen intently as one of the others slid the syringe barrel into a waiting slot. She watched the technician impatiently as she typed something in, turning a few dials. The screen came to life, sporting a strange, blurry pattern. Koramin made a sharp click at the technician, who nodded furiously as she turned the dials further.

The image grew grainy, crowded with small shapes that made both technicians gasp.

Cora still had no idea what she was looking at. There's a lot of weird shit in my blood.

"It's worse than we thought." She turned to Cora. "We know that the Foshar made the substance that changed you." Without warning, she whipped around to the doorway. Her voice grew shrill as she called out to someone. Several of what Cora guessed were Sheevae officers stepped neatly into the room, falling in line. One of the lab technicians leaned down to rest her chin on Cora's shoulder.

"She is asking them for the locations of reported kidnappings. We found a substance in your blood that is only found in very young Sheevae children, like infants. We guessed that's what they used but she is very unhappy that our suspicions were confirmed."

Her tone was soft and pleasant, but her words turned Cora's stomach.

"Now, she's discussing the results of their investigation. It seems they've found who was taking the children. They have evidence. She's waiting until the intergalactic summit to make her move."

Koramin turned, eyes widening as she snapped at the technician. Quickly, she stood back from Cora, waving her hands. Is she in trouble?

"What did she tell you?"

"That what you've found in my blood is from kidnapped Sheevae children and you know who's taking them."

She visibly relaxed. "Oh. That is fine."

One of the officers gestured to Cora, gingerly asking a question. Before he finished asking the question, he took a small step back.

Koramin snapped back at him, raising her voice to shout, but she suddenly cut herself off. "That is- That is actually an interesting idea." Her eyes returned to glance over Cora.

I don't like the way she's looking at me.

"Cora! My dear, favorite human." Sinister with its fine points, her smile widened.

Cora failed to speak, making a faint, noncommittal noise. "Mm?"

"I have a favor to ask of you. I completely understand if you're not willing." Something told Cora that this was a lie. She watched as Koramin gestured at one of the officers. He pulled up a map and showed it to Cora before swiping through pictures of different Sheevae and Foshar, all taken from the side or behind.

"You're very strong and fast, Cora. Stronger and faster than any of us, surely. We have the location of this operation. By the time I'll be in meeting with the other leaders, you would be on Port Sixteen. I want you to break in, destroy any of their defenses, and disrupt their operation. Oh... and take Tai with you! I can't afford to let them get ahold of you."

Cora cringed. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Don't look so afraid, my dear. I saw footage of you rescuing the blue one from that Roshak prison. You're perfectly suited to this. Remember, they're hurting our children. They're the reason you're here. Kill them and destroy everything. They deserve it." At this point, her smile had faded, leaving her teeth bared.

Cora was suddenly reminded of her mother. Koramin knew Cora wouldn't say no. Not after everything she'd done for them. I'm expected to kill even more. Discontent crawled through her. She didn't even remember Della's name.

She sighed, keeping the defeat out of her voice. "Absolutely. We'll get it done."

"Wonderful, thank you! Go get your friend, you two should depart immediately."

As she walked along, Cora stewed. How much had actually changed since she left Earth? If she wasn't at the mercy of her mother, it was her landlord. If it wasn't her landlord, it was the boyfriend that she couldn't stand up to. Now, it was an interplanetary situation she'd been dragged into helping. It wasn't even that she hadn't asked for it; everyone simply assumed she'd take it all on, because she'd been the one there.

Ensuring the Queen was out of earshot, Cora took a deep breath, letting out a snarl.

An officer waited at the door, smiling pleasantly while opening it for her. Cora waited for it to shut before looking around. There were six pairs of eyes on her. Even Erie and Leo were there, visibly concerned at her expression. Cora took a moment, thinking about Loyma's accent, the way words were ordered in her dialect. She'd listened to it just enough to grasp it. The tones had a different shape, one that needed to be warmed up to. Cora coughed before testing out the first word.

Tai listened intently.

"We all need to talk. Where she can't hear us."

Tai looked at the others. For a moment, he only sat there, thinking hard about something.

Unsurprisingly, Leo had understood the situation, though he didn't understand what Cora said. He stood, quickly walking over and scooping Cora up in a hug. His lips grazed her neck just below her ear. "There's nowhere on the ship to safely talk above a certain volume."

Knowing there was likely a camera on her, Cora smiled, burying her face in his neck. "We need to get everyone out of here. She's sending me and Tai on a mission. If you can, come up with something to get us all off this ship and out of her debt."

"Get off of her," Tor scowled, waving a hand.

Forcibly looking sheepish, Cora stepped back. "The Queen is sending me and Tai on an errand. It shouldn't be too dangerous."

Tor looked at Leo, narrowing his eyes. He'd got it, too.

"When do we leave?" Tai stood, brushing at his clothes and turning to find his belongings.

"Whenever she's got the ship ready. Probably in the next few marks. She knew I'd say yes." Though Cora kept her tone cheerful, her bitterness was obvious to her mates.

Cora sat in the copilot's seat, watching the radar while Tai focused on navigation. "So," she started slowly. "Are we sneaking in somehow, or do you have a different plan?"

He kept his gaze focused on the curved display, speaking softly. "I have some semblance of an idea, but I'm going to send you in to get a grasp of the situation. You're small and quiet enough."

She nodded. "I like that idea better. What am I looking for specifically?"

He stayed quiet for a beat longer than she expected. There's something he can't say. "Find out what kind of weapons they have, get a vague idea of how many we'll be dealing with." Tai put an odd amount of emphasis on what kind.

Cora tilted her head back and forth gently, as if she were listening to music. It would help her keep her face neutral as she thought. What kind. I'm looking for what kind of weapons and technology they have, maybe who's giving them- but we already know, it's the Foshar. Something occurred to her, making her heart skip a beat. Unless he thinks it's not just the Foshar, or not them at all. That's why he won't be more specific.

She smiled forcibly to herself, the song in her mind picking up the pace. I get it now.

Tai was right. Cora was holding herself above a ceiling grate, keeping her weight even, breathing gently. There were Foshar below her, but they weren't holding the classic Foshar rifle.

She would have been shocked if it were even shocking that Koramin lied. Sighing internally, Cora moved along, creeping to a silent rhythm. It was easier to go unnoticed if she made evenly timed noises that matched the whirring of the machinery above and below her.

She passed over a thick wall. The metal echoed less here, the space below much quieter. This had to be a small room. Light filtered into view from a wide grate. Cora peered into the space below.

There was a lone Roshak, muttering quietly to himself as he entered data into a computer. She gasped quietly.

It was Ray, his hair considerably longer. But that wasn't what made her gasp. Nearby, along a wall, were human babies asleep in a row in what looked like hospital incubators.

She prayed they were just asleep.

Cora gathered her thoughts and emotions, taking stock of the situation as if it were a video game. She had to separate herself from the scene below her. From Ray, surrounded by medical equipment, and the too-still babies. She squinted. They might not even have been human, not that it mattered what kind of defenseless baby they were.

He was working here, visibly at ease in his environment. The technology was distinctly Sheevae, the metal obnoxiously reflective.

He knew what was going on. Ray was no idiot. Here goes.

Cora fiddled with the grate, turning the bolts from her end and removing them. She poked her head into the room, fixing her face with an excited smile. "Ray," she whispered, like she'd known he was there.

He jumped, knocking something over. "Cora! What are you doing here?"

She eyed the locked door, lowering herself into the room. "The Queen sent me to make sure that everything is in place."

Ray nodded eagerly. "We already evacuated all the live subjects, all personnel are aware. Everything is rigged and ready to go! I'd like to get out of here soon."

Cora nodded brightly, trying not to stiffen. Rigged? That was a distinct Roshak word pertaining to explosives. Koramin hadn't said anything about explosives. Now she doesn't know that I know, either.

"She's really a genius," Ray continued, rambling in his usual fashion. "This'll get the Yarlott on our side for sure. It'll be nice to have a home again. Without the Foshar breathing down our necks."

"I'm ready to see it. Tai says there's a heavy guard presence nearby, so why don't you go out and get some fresh air?" Cora had a feeling she would soon be making an enemy of Koramin, but saving a member of the Roshak royal family would benefit them in the long run.

After sneaking back out of the building, Cora found Tai sitting in a nearby alley.

"What did you find?"

Her fists were curled tightly, her nails cutting crescent wounds in her palms. Purple dripped on the ground. "Give me a moment."

Tai waited patiently, watching as Cora gathered herself again.

"You were right. But... the building is already rigged with explosives. Ray was inside. He's in on it, but-"

His eyes widened. "It's a setup. It's a setup for all of us." He shot up, rifling through his bag. "We have to get back. They're-"

"Tai, she's at the meeting now. I don't think she'll make any moves until she sees smoke."

He looked up at the time dial in the port's sky. "What do you think we should do?"

"When I talked to the emperor, he mentioned having some kind of connection with all his kind. If we could find even one," she paused, gesturing at him. "Let's start walking. We find one or more of them, tell them the truth. We haul ass back to the operation- Right! We get back there. Space ports have levels. Koramin is expecting us to die. If the explosives are rigged, there's a trigger."

Tai nodded slowly, the plan taking shape in his mind. "We go in through the main entrance, get them to start firing. We then go straight to electrical maintenance. That's important for two reasons; We cut the power and escape through the electrical access. That opens up into the lower levels. Then, we find Ray and strangle- okay, no, we won't, but just know that I still want to."

Outside the Yarlott bar, Cora took a deep breath. At best, this would be mildly embarrassing. Before the heat could set into her face and ears, Cora hopped from foot to foot before charging through the door.

"Hellooo everyone!"

For some reason, she'd channeled a game show host with her shout. The music stopped.

To her incredible discomfort, Cora now had the undivided attention of a bar full of giant bugs. Focus, focus, Cora. She continued in Spanish, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

"I have a message for the emperor! This Cora! The queen is playing games with you, don't trust her. I'm not dead and she's the one that's been making the kids disappear! Um... Don't trust her!"

The bar was eerily silent. They'd all frozen in place.

Oh God, I hope he's not out of range or something.

A hum rose up from one of the tables, the others joining in. It rose to a deafening level. Cora backed against the door, terrified. I fucked up-

"I understand," said every Yarlott in the room, a resonant chorus.

Cora turned, pushing out the door and tearing down the alleyway. Tai followed her closely, taking the lead as they approached the operation's building. With an impressive lunge, he tackled the first guard at the door, taking aim at the second guard before either of them could react. Cora caught the second guard's rifle, staying low as Tai sent a volley of beams whirring past her head.

The building's alarm sounded.

That's our cue.

In Sheevae electrical systems, wires ran along the top of the wall, visible pulses traveling away from the source. They followed these wires, Tai knocking would-be assailants aside as Cora sent rifle beams into each electrical junction they passed. The twisted wire bundles split apart, crackling in a spectacular fashion before bursting into green flames.

"Almost there," came Tai's voice, smooth and unhindered by the exertion. This was nothing.

They didn't bother opening the access door, instead opting to blow it clean off the hinges. Here, the floor was loose grate panels, bundles of power cable snaking through every available gap like unruly vines. Tai seized the heavy steel door, bringing it down against a seam in the grates at his feet. The grate swung up, allowing Cora to grab it, pulling it free of the wires with a guttural snarl of effort.

Perfect timing, too. The building thundered, a shockwave of force and shrapnel blowing open the hallway behind Cora. Before she even understood the heat at her back, Tai had her in his arms, diving into the pitch-black heat of the port's lower levels. She watched over his shoulder as the ceiling collapsed inward, illuminating everything in a flash of stinging blue light.

Pain echoed faintly from her back. Uh-oh.

Debris rained down behind them, the light fading as quickly as it came. From below, an immense klaxon roared once, then twice. Then, only silence.

"Fuck," hissed Tai.

"What is it?"

"Hold on to me. Tight as you can."

Cora tightened her grip, unease turning her stomach as panic tinged his voice. He sailed through the air, his body somehow putting out more heat than the port's furnaces. Over the thud of his heartbeat and the air whooshing in her ears, Cora could hear clattering echoing from the dim expanse.

Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, but it wasn't much help. The only light was from the fires at least a half-mile down, always burning to keep the cold of open space at bay.

She could see something clustering around the smoldering rubble. Sparks flew up from the wreckage, illuminating the writhing shapes around it.

The sparks also served to make her aware that they were being followed. Now, Tai's panic made perfect sense. However, their pursuers began to give up, leggy shadows peeling away.

There were still at least three of what Cora had decided were Noxis. Tai was beginning to slow, excited chittering drowning out his pained breaths.

There was a loud crash. Cora found herself rolling along rough metal floor.

Tai was just in front of her, lying on his back, wheezing. Shapes surrounded them. There was a hiss and a clatter. She shook her head, trying in vain to clear the stars crowding her vision.

"You know," Cora groaned, struggling to her feet. "I could have ran. You didn't have to carry me."

Figures stood around them, different from spindly Noxis silhouettes. They sported obnoxiously bright headlamps, so bright that the beam obscured most of their bodies. But Cora recognized the spears they held.

Tai was still catching his breath. "I wouldn't have made it this far if I weren't carrying you."

There was a dull ache in her back. Cora winced. I hope Tai brought medical supplies.

Keeping her back away from him, Cora pulled him to his feet. She looked around. "Uh... Thank you, Emperor."

The reply came from every direction. "It's nothing. Follow us now."

The lanes and alleys of the spaceport were eerily silent. Every living being was crowded around a screen. They passed an open-air restaurant like the one from before with several monitors dedicated to subtitles in different languages. Some had interpreters gesturing and even commentators. The main video feed distinctly reminded Cora of watching C-SPAN back on Earth.

They had extinguished the fires from the explosion and left the ruins to smolder. Port guards were among the meeting spectators, occasionally casting nervous glances back at the wreckage. Nobody looked twice at them as they passed.

They reentered the bar that Cora had run into before, pulling out seats for her and Tai. She sat, trying to find subtitles in a language she could read. She settled on Spanish. The Roshak script two screens over was moving entirely too fast.

Tai made an exasperated noise, scraping his chair across the floor to sit behind her. "Oh," she mumbled, turning her chair around to lean forward against the back of it.

Koramin was not having a good time at this meeting. The Yarlott emperor was there, looking as angry as a giant bee with hands could possibly look. She'd clearly missed a lot.

The leaders all sat at a long, curved table; several video feeds stitched together to make it resemble a group video chat. Koramin was looking to her left, off-screen, opening and closing her mouth in indignation.

The Foshar monarch sat at one end of the table, next to a positively massive Noxis.

He was like every other Foshar she'd met, anemic and grouchy-looking. He was rubbing at his temples, grumbling.

"Queen Koramin, the entire thing was your idea. You wanted human hybrids after the council told you no, so you came to me. Why would I risk the economic repercussions of telling you no a second time?"

The subtitles gave the Noxis leader the title of Grand Mother. She tilted her head, mandibles moving slowly as she spoke. "Koramin approached us with this proposition as well. I distinctly remember telling her, 'What use have we for hybridization with a species so inferior that we have to pass laws to protect them?'" She swiveled her massive form to her left, looking off-screen. Koramin looked to the right, visibly clammy. "I propose that you've already violated our laws and were looking for someone to pass the blame to."

"Forgive me for wanting to achieve some kind of scientific advancement for my people, in my lifetime," the Queen spat. The Yarlott emperor looked up at the ceiling. After a moment, he looked back down, tapping at the table in front of him.