into the box, where she amplified them to the limit of the device.
“Come on, Edie. Don’t let him suffer. I know you care deeply about him. I know you want this to be over.”
“It is over…”
Edie forced the data packet out along the remote connection in one nightmarish jolt, and fired it directly into the cypherteck’s brain.
Instantly, the intruder was gone.
The box lit up with a flashing red telltale to indicate thebroken connection. Theron noticed immediately. His gaze swooped on Edie as she slumped back into the seat.
“What happened?” he demanded.
His voice sounded distant and fuzzy. The female milit rushed over to Edie and lifted her head to check the link connection. She checked the unit as well.
“I don’t know, sir. The connection overloaded. I think—”
Theron’s commlink beeped, an insistent clear signal above the sound of rushing blood in Edie’s ears. Shaking uncontrollably, she lifted her head to meet Theron’s furious glare.
“Get her out of here,” he barked.
West looked confused. “Sir?”
“I don’t care where! Take her to the brig on the Learo Dochais.” His comm beeped again. “Dammit.” But he didn’t answer it.
West reset Edie’s restraints to cuff her hands in front of her, and pulled her out of the chair. She regretted her earlier conclusion that he was a nice guy. He was Crib. She must never let down her guard with the Crib. Stumbling on weak legs, she went docilely now only because she was emotionally exhausted, and because Finn was in the brig. She would get to see him at last.
West took her down the exit ramp into the hangar of the Learo Dochais , catching the woman on duty in the control room off guard.
“Is she sick?” the woman asked, rushing along the cat-walk and down the steps as West and Edie crossed the deck.
Edie knew she must look a sight—exhausted, soaked in sweat. She was roiling in so many emotions, she couldn’t speak. The woman’s comment reminded her of the leash, and that Finn sensed her strong emotions as an irritating white noise through his chip. That could only have made his torture worse. If he was conscious again now, for his sake she had to clamp down on those feelings.
“She’s not sick. Colonel Theron interrogated her.” From West’s tone, Edie realized he was angry with Theron but holding it back. Perhaps he hadn’t known what was in storefor her when he was ordered to participate. In any case, her opinion of West rose marginally. “He’s sending her to the brig until Natesa’s ready to take over.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s necessary.” The woman checked her palmet. “She’s been assigned quarters on Deck D. Ship time is oh-five-hundred. Administrator Natesa will be available in three hours.”
“Perhaps you should wake her immediately—”
“No. I want to go to the brig,” Edie said. Her voice was scratchy, her throat raw from screaming. “Take me to Finn.”
“Who?” The woman looked genuinely confused, which filled Edie with sick worry. Was Finn’s presence on the ship so trivial that it was unknown to the dockmaster?
“Permission to visit the brig?” West said.
To Edie’s relief, the woman nodded.
West led Edie to the lift, where he undid her restraints. For a few seconds they stood in silence as Edie rubbed the red marks where she’d bruised the skin while struggling.
Then West spoke, not looking at her. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Colonel Theron told us the man was a Saeth. I thought…I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know you would suffer.”
Edie didn’t trust herself to answer. The Saeth were fair game to the milits. The milits had been fair game to the Saeth, in their time. She stood in silence as the lift ascended, and the doors opened.
The lean lines of the Learo Dochais ’s corridors brought back unwelcome memories. Edie had spent half her adult life on Crib ships like this. Spotless black gravplating, reflective blue bulkheads, and gleaming silver trim
“Come on, Edie. Don’t let him suffer. I know you care deeply about him. I know you want this to be over.”
“It is over…”
Edie forced the data packet out along the remote connection in one nightmarish jolt, and fired it directly into the cypherteck’s brain.
Instantly, the intruder was gone.
The box lit up with a flashing red telltale to indicate thebroken connection. Theron noticed immediately. His gaze swooped on Edie as she slumped back into the seat.
“What happened?” he demanded.
His voice sounded distant and fuzzy. The female milit rushed over to Edie and lifted her head to check the link connection. She checked the unit as well.
“I don’t know, sir. The connection overloaded. I think—”
Theron’s commlink beeped, an insistent clear signal above the sound of rushing blood in Edie’s ears. Shaking uncontrollably, she lifted her head to meet Theron’s furious glare.
“Get her out of here,” he barked.
West looked confused. “Sir?”
“I don’t care where! Take her to the brig on the Learo Dochais.” His comm beeped again. “Dammit.” But he didn’t answer it.
West reset Edie’s restraints to cuff her hands in front of her, and pulled her out of the chair. She regretted her earlier conclusion that he was a nice guy. He was Crib. She must never let down her guard with the Crib. Stumbling on weak legs, she went docilely now only because she was emotionally exhausted, and because Finn was in the brig. She would get to see him at last.
West took her down the exit ramp into the hangar of the Learo Dochais , catching the woman on duty in the control room off guard.
“Is she sick?” the woman asked, rushing along the cat-walk and down the steps as West and Edie crossed the deck.
Edie knew she must look a sight—exhausted, soaked in sweat. She was roiling in so many emotions, she couldn’t speak. The woman’s comment reminded her of the leash, and that Finn sensed her strong emotions as an irritating white noise through his chip. That could only have made his torture worse. If he was conscious again now, for his sake she had to clamp down on those feelings.
“She’s not sick. Colonel Theron interrogated her.” From West’s tone, Edie realized he was angry with Theron but holding it back. Perhaps he hadn’t known what was in storefor her when he was ordered to participate. In any case, her opinion of West rose marginally. “He’s sending her to the brig until Natesa’s ready to take over.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s necessary.” The woman checked her palmet. “She’s been assigned quarters on Deck D. Ship time is oh-five-hundred. Administrator Natesa will be available in three hours.”
“Perhaps you should wake her immediately—”
“No. I want to go to the brig,” Edie said. Her voice was scratchy, her throat raw from screaming. “Take me to Finn.”
“Who?” The woman looked genuinely confused, which filled Edie with sick worry. Was Finn’s presence on the ship so trivial that it was unknown to the dockmaster?
“Permission to visit the brig?” West said.
To Edie’s relief, the woman nodded.
West led Edie to the lift, where he undid her restraints. For a few seconds they stood in silence as Edie rubbed the red marks where she’d bruised the skin while struggling.
Then West spoke, not looking at her. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Colonel Theron told us the man was a Saeth. I thought…I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know you would suffer.”
Edie didn’t trust herself to answer. The Saeth were fair game to the milits. The milits had been fair game to the Saeth, in their time. She stood in silence as the lift ascended, and the doors opened.
The lean lines of the Learo Dochais ’s corridors brought back unwelcome memories. Edie had spent half her adult life on Crib ships like this. Spotless black gravplating, reflective blue bulkheads, and gleaming silver trim
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