Cosmic Captain: Chapter 25

When I woke up, I wasn’t in Lovath’s bed. Instead of fear, the first thing that jolted through me was irritation. Was there going to be a time where I stopped waking up in places I didn’t recognize? With my head pounding, I tried to remember the last thing that had happened.

Lovath had made love to me long and slow until I was begging for release. And then he’d helped me move the rest of my things into his room. He’d assured me we could make my room as comfortable as I wanted if I wasn’t ready to move fully into his quarters. But I hadn’t had much to move other than a few articles of clothing, and I didn’t want any more distance between us than there had to be.

He’d detailed how our next stop was a tiny waystation where we were dropping off some cargo in exchange for credits—he couldn’t swindle people all the time or no one would ever hire him—and then we’d be doing more of the same for a bit. It tracked, given how stuffed full the cargo bay had been the last time I’d checked.

So where was I now?

I was proud of my own cool head as I felt around in the dark with my fingers. Honestly, I was more pissed than I was scared. There was a ceiling of some sort just above me, and I could barely extend my arms before my fingers brushed it.

Shuffling up, I found a similar wall above my head, and then I pushed down to find one at my feet too. It was clear I was laying down inside some sort of rectangular box. Not a stasis pod though, or I wouldn’t be conscious.

The panels for these things were located on the outside, with no way that I knew of to access them from the inside. That really sucked, but at least I knew I was being transported in a cargo bin. Now the questions were where and why.

Also who and how.

So I thought about it more. It was dark and I couldn’t get out so thinking was my only option. The very last thing I’d done was go to sleep snuggled up to Lovath. But had there been a sweet smell in the air? There was a vague memory in the back of my mind of smelling something off, but I’d fallen asleep anyway. So maybe someone had drugged us and locked me in a cargo box.

Did that mean the rest of the crew was in danger too?

We’d been in open space, not far from Pretia, but there was no way we’d been boarded without knowing about it. My blood ran cold as I realized that meant that one of the Horizon’s crew had done this. By why? Where was I—or even we—going?

Torvan.

A full body shudder coursed through me. That was the only place I could think someone would be taking me. Lovath had said Torvan had been pissed but still relatively mild about learning I’d ‘died’ in transit. I had a feeling Lovath had been twisting the truth so as not to upset me.

Clearly that gig was up. Torvan must’ve figured out I was alive, but from who? I trusted the crew of the Event Horizon with my life. After what we’d just been through on Pretia, it wasn’t Lovath and I didn’t think it would be Kryn or Qwexil. Zenkara was out too.

Which only left Talisaar.

In a fit of rage, I slammed my fist into the top of the metal box. Tal was surly, but I didn’t think he’d go as far as to do this. I actually thought he’d been starting to like me. Even if he’d been the hardest advocate for delivering me to Torvan, he’d apologized to me in that gruff way of his and I thought we were good.

Not good. None of this was fucking good. And the only thing I could do was sit and wait like a sitting duck. Would Lovath be able to figure out where I was? I had no doubt he would come for me if he could. As long as he wasn’t in this same situation. As long as Talisaar hadn’t slit his throat while he was knocked out.

I couldn’t think the worst like that, yet. Lovath was alive and Lovath was going to find me and get me out of here. Until then, I needed to think of a plan to make it easier for him. I didn’t want it to be like last time, where I sat around like a dunce until the krexxians sold me off to the highest bidder. I was smarter and braver than that. And if I was going to stick around the Horizon, I didn’t think it would be the last time I was in a sticky situation like this.

My box jolted, and I suppressed the urge to yelp, bracing my hands against the sides. I realized rather belatedly that I was only in a pair of underwear, so I didn’t have anywhere to hide a weapon if I could even find one. I couldn’t come out of the box swinging because that would also get me nowhere.

So I needed to play nice. Play up the helpless aspect until I figured out what to do. Until Lovath came for me. If Torvan didn’t suspect I was a threat, it would be easier to get ahold of a knife or even a phaser.

The knowledge that I’d conquered my fear and let Grishe replace my implant was giving me solace as well. Torvan could decide I was more trouble than I was worth with a legal chip. At the very least, I knew he wouldn’t able to paralyze me and do whatever he wanted to me.

Knowing that I could have to do what he wanted anyway so as to make him let down his guard made me a little sick. But that would be my decision and my way of handling an impossible situation. Touching—or god forbid fucking—Torvan was a last resort.

I wondered how long I’d been out and how long I’d have to wait in this box to be delivered. Without a stasis pod, Talisaar had to know I’d need food and water sooner rather than later. And to relieve myself. I cursed my own mind as soon as I thought it because I really had to fucking pee.

The box was jerked around again, and there was a scraping sound above. There was no way we’d made it to Torvan already, right? Even if I’d been passed out for days, Torvan was weeks of travel away from Pretia.

Unless he’d been heading for us since we diverted course. Had this been Talisaar’s plan the whole time? Drop me on Pretia then give Torvan my location so he could pick me up anyway? It was a damn good plan even if I hated it, and Lovath’s decision to keep me onboard the Horizon would have thrown a huge wrench in it.

One that might be solved by knocking out the entire crew and stealing me anyway. Fuck, I hated that it all made sense. This couldn’t all be for credits, could it? Lovath’s crew weren’t buying entire planets or anything, but they made plenty of credits. Before we’d gone to sleep the night prior—or many nights, depending on how long I’d been in a cargo box Lovath had scrolled through catalogs with me to get me a more diverse wardrobe.

The traakian had credits to burn, I’d learned fast. And I knew he paid his crew well. So what was the fucking point of taking me to Torvan when Lovath had already handled the situation by saying I was dead? Was Talisaar really that greedy that he wanted more?

That scraping sound happened again, so I felt around the inside of my box some more. If I could find anything that would do as a weapon in a pinch, I could do my best to hide it in my underwear and get the jump on someone. I’d have to wait for the right moment though. Torvan was certain to have some sort of security detail if he was as rich of a bastard as Lovath had implied.

All was silent for a good long while after that, and I found myself getting impatient. I wanted something to just happen, and I did not have plans to wet myself like a kid in this stupid cargo box. Who knew how long I’d have to sit in it if I did.

On a hunch, I twisted my wrist so my jabber flickered around my wrist. Its orange glow didn’t do much for light, but that wasn’t what I was after. I tried every combination of things Grishe had taught me, but it kept flashing words I couldn’t read.

Disabled, then.

I waited and waited, until eventually I didn’t even have to pee anymore. Wasn’t that bad for your kidneys or something? And was worrying about my kidneys really on the top of my priority list? Not really. But I had nothing else to think about. I had the bare bones of an escape plan but I couldn’t do anything until I found out more info.

After the longest time, that scraping sound started again, and my whole body smacked the lid when the box dropped a few feet. I yelped and rubbed my palm on my forehead that had hit the metal. If Talisaar was going to sell me to Torvan couldn’t he at least treat me like special cargo?

The faint sound of beeping made it through the thick cargo box walls, and for better or for worse, I was being let out. Anxiety filled me with a million different scenarios about what could happen, but I knew I’d have to just confront it as it happened.

With a hiss, the lid popped, the smallest bit of light filtering in. I had to cover my eyes as the lid was flipped back, startling when it clanged against the other side of the metal box. Lack of sight wouldn’t do me any favors though, so I removed my arm from over my face and forced my eyes to adjust.

A familiar voice said, “Sorry about this, Gray. Nothing personal.”