to choose between his family and an idea. His dreams were filled with her, of moments and touches that could never be. Dev didn’t want those dreams to end, even as they tortured him. Reality had a way of crushing dreams.
After stopping to check on Parker to make sure the electronic caretaker was in working order, and that the baby’s room security codes were locked in, he made his way back toward his private quarters. Like most rooms on the ship his was small, metal and equipped with all the necessities. The bed unit was attached to the wall, and he was thankful the mattress was spacious enough to hold his larger size. Dev didn’t bother to decorate the walls, and he kept his belongings in an old cargo box under his bed.
Dev made a move to lie down when suddenly the ship’s security alarm beeped in warning. Without hesitance, he ran out the door toward the cockpit. He thought of Parker and almost turned back around but knew that the security codes were entered correctly since he’d done them himself. The baby would be safe. Jarek had pre-programmed the caretaker unit with every contingency plan imaginable, including a pod function that would transport the child across the stars to one of his parents’ home planets should anything happen to the ship.
Reaching the cockpit, Dev glanced at the security monitor. The outside hull showed on the viewing screen. Every muscle tensed, ready for battle. Someone leaned close to the underbelly of the vessel. Thankfully, they were not trying to breach the entry hatch. Dev took the controls and launched a tiny camera orb to get a better view. The figure’s body quivered beneath a long coat.
Dev grimaced. “Blasted drunks. Find somewhere else to lose your liquor.” Recalling the camera to the ship, he automatically felt for the gun at his side before going to the hatch to scare the man away. The last thing they wanted was vomit on the side of the vessel. Plus, as mundane as it was, frightening a drunk gave him something to do. Hitting the button to open the hatch, he didn’t wait for the deck to lower all the way before he started walking down the metal plank. He grabbed onto a metal protrusion and leaned over.
“Out of here, rocket boy,” he growled in his meanest tone. His naturally low voice made it easy to strike fear into others. “Foul up your own ship!”
When he looked to where the man had been leaning, he frowned. The drunk was gone, but there was something not right about the scene. It was too clean. Dev didn’t stop to question his initial instinct as he turned to run back into the ship. His hand lifted to the security scanner on the hatch. As he pressed his hand flat, a sharp pain radiated from his stomach, and then another. The feeling of electrical current ran through him. His vision blurred as the plank beneath his feet moved. He swayed violently. Someone had shot him with electric darts. They seared his clothing and flesh, burning hotter with each passing second.
Dev’s knees trembled, but he kept his footing long enough to hear the ship’s security system beep as it armed itself to protect the child. The sound was the last he heard as his body tumbled backward. His head struck metal, and he rolled off the rising plank into darkness.
Chapter 8
V iolette stared at the holographic image of her father in a shiny white suit. He looked a lot younger than she remembered him being though this particular recording was as familiar a childhood memory as any. Tapping her finger on the holo-box, she drew her hand back. She’d played it nearly twenty times in the last hour, yet found herself listening again to the well-known voice. She missed her father, missed seeing him and hearing him. Nevertheless, the words were as unbelievable to her now as they were when she was eight.
“Josselyn, I’m glad you are well.” Jack’s image said. Violette ran her finger over her scar as the recording played. “It’s what I’ve hoped for these last, long
After stopping to check on Parker to make sure the electronic caretaker was in working order, and that the baby’s room security codes were locked in, he made his way back toward his private quarters. Like most rooms on the ship his was small, metal and equipped with all the necessities. The bed unit was attached to the wall, and he was thankful the mattress was spacious enough to hold his larger size. Dev didn’t bother to decorate the walls, and he kept his belongings in an old cargo box under his bed.
Dev made a move to lie down when suddenly the ship’s security alarm beeped in warning. Without hesitance, he ran out the door toward the cockpit. He thought of Parker and almost turned back around but knew that the security codes were entered correctly since he’d done them himself. The baby would be safe. Jarek had pre-programmed the caretaker unit with every contingency plan imaginable, including a pod function that would transport the child across the stars to one of his parents’ home planets should anything happen to the ship.
Reaching the cockpit, Dev glanced at the security monitor. The outside hull showed on the viewing screen. Every muscle tensed, ready for battle. Someone leaned close to the underbelly of the vessel. Thankfully, they were not trying to breach the entry hatch. Dev took the controls and launched a tiny camera orb to get a better view. The figure’s body quivered beneath a long coat.
Dev grimaced. “Blasted drunks. Find somewhere else to lose your liquor.” Recalling the camera to the ship, he automatically felt for the gun at his side before going to the hatch to scare the man away. The last thing they wanted was vomit on the side of the vessel. Plus, as mundane as it was, frightening a drunk gave him something to do. Hitting the button to open the hatch, he didn’t wait for the deck to lower all the way before he started walking down the metal plank. He grabbed onto a metal protrusion and leaned over.
“Out of here, rocket boy,” he growled in his meanest tone. His naturally low voice made it easy to strike fear into others. “Foul up your own ship!”
When he looked to where the man had been leaning, he frowned. The drunk was gone, but there was something not right about the scene. It was too clean. Dev didn’t stop to question his initial instinct as he turned to run back into the ship. His hand lifted to the security scanner on the hatch. As he pressed his hand flat, a sharp pain radiated from his stomach, and then another. The feeling of electrical current ran through him. His vision blurred as the plank beneath his feet moved. He swayed violently. Someone had shot him with electric darts. They seared his clothing and flesh, burning hotter with each passing second.
Dev’s knees trembled, but he kept his footing long enough to hear the ship’s security system beep as it armed itself to protect the child. The sound was the last he heard as his body tumbled backward. His head struck metal, and he rolled off the rising plank into darkness.
Chapter 8
V iolette stared at the holographic image of her father in a shiny white suit. He looked a lot younger than she remembered him being though this particular recording was as familiar a childhood memory as any. Tapping her finger on the holo-box, she drew her hand back. She’d played it nearly twenty times in the last hour, yet found herself listening again to the well-known voice. She missed her father, missed seeing him and hearing him. Nevertheless, the words were as unbelievable to her now as they were when she was eight.
“Josselyn, I’m glad you are well.” Jack’s image said. Violette ran her finger over her scar as the recording played. “It’s what I’ve hoped for these last, long
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