Kristi Helvig - Burn Out

“Not a big deal,” Kale yelled above the noise.

A second later, something else popped, and a hissing sound added to the grating sound of the shaking ship.

“That was a big fuckin’ deal!” Kale screamed. The shaking came to an abrupt halt, though the hissing remained. Kale furiously worked on the control panel, sweat breaking out on his brow. If he was flustered, it couldn’t be good.

“What is it, sir?” James asked. Even he was pale.

“The pressure for the fuel system of the landing rockets. Without it … well …” He didn’t finish his thought, and continued pushing buttons in random succession. I guessed he was trying to manually override the system. Something must have worked, because the hissing stopped and a new humming sound took its place.

I opened my mouth to ask about it but we hit the ground first. The ship screeched and lurched in protest against the planet’s surface. If not for the protective restraints, I likely would have been thrown right through the windshield. It made me wonder about Alec and Markus, and I hoped Lucy was okay. The ship groaned as it finally came to a stop.

Kale pushed a button and his restraints retracted. “Not bad. The thrusters weren’t able to fully engage in time, but any landing you can walk away from is a good one.”

The scene in front of us was strange. The surface of the planet seemed to shift and move around us. Mountainous hills arose on either side of the ship, then shrank and grew again into a different formation. The ship rumbled as it crested on a mound that formed beneath us.

I pushed the button on my own harness. “I want to check on the others,” I announced. Right before I find a way outta here.

Kale looked at James. “Take her, but come right back.”

I sprinted down the hall, James following after me. “Wait up,” he yelled. He’d tucked B.K. into his waistband too, which gave me a small, though temporary, sense of relief.

The ship lurched again as the ground beneath us changed shape, and I grasped the wall to steady myself. Lucy’s pitiful whimpering sounded from inside the room, and she scratched desperately against the door.

“It’s locked from the inside,” James said, waving his hand over the panel to no avail.

At least Alec had listened to my warning. “Is there an override system?” I asked.

James called up to Kale, who must have done something, because the door opened a second later. So much for my plan to keep Lucy safe—Kale could open whatever door he wanted at any time. Lucy bounded out the door and into my arms. “You’re okay, girl. It’s okay. Just a little rough landing is all.”

I stepped into the room and almost stepped on Alec. Markus lay on the floor a few feet away. James leaned down to check each of them. “Their breathing and heart rates are fine. They must have rolled out of the chambers during the descent.”

My eyes widened. “You’re telling me they slept through that. What the hell did you give them anyway?”

James didn’t answer. Lucy padded over to Alec and tried to nose her way into his pocket for treats. James absently put his hand on her back and petted her a second before realizing what he was doing. He jerked his hand back and stood up. “She’s hungry. You can bring her food and water, but keep her back here, away from …” He paused, and looked at Markus and Alec. “Let’s go. They’ll be fine.”

I snorted. “Yeah, until you give them their next dose.”

James ignored me. His footsteps echoed behind me as I headed toward the kitchen to find something for Lucy to eat. Guess I wouldn’t be going anywhere without his company. I had to figure something out fast. As I neared the kitchen door, I scanned the hallway ahead. The entry hatch to the ship was at the end of it. Everyone except me had removed their suits, which hung by the main hatch door. Since my suit was still on, all I needed was one of the helmets tossed nearby on the floor.

Hide-and-seek on a ship of this size would only last so long, but I might have a chance on the planet. If Kale was right that the Consulate would eventually find us, maybe they would come sooner rather than later. The Consulate rescuing me was a long shot, but it wasn’t like I had an abundance of options at the moment.

Though the surface seemed way unstable, if it could hold the weight of the ship, it would hold me. Plus, the multitude of hills would provide great hiding spots. James was fast, but he’d need to put on his whole suit. If I could just make it through the door. My muscles tensed. I had to try.

The ground moved again and the ship settled back hard against the surface. I stumbled, crashing into James, who fell against the wall. My face was so close to his I could feel his breath, and his arms caught me around the waist. My skin tingled at his touch and goose bumps broke out along my arms. His lips came closer to mine, and for one second, I was positive he was going to kiss me.

A part of me wanted to believe he’d finally come to his senses, and maybe now we could get the hell out of here. The other part of me knew better.

Kale’s voice tore from the com system. “James, it’s time to carry out the final orders, soldier.”

James sighed and dropped my hand. “Yes, sir.” Since his com system was on, I guessed I wasn’t getting a private death this time around. He pulled out both guns from his pants and powered up B.K. I remembered what he said about being a great shot, that he could kill me with one shot from a long distance. At present, he was less than a foot away and had not one, but two guns. I was so dead.

“Seriously? Why two guns if you’re such a great shot?” I asked, right as a mountain formed underneath us, and pushed the ship upward at a strange angle. We tilted sideways, teetering in the air.

James fell sideways, and I stumbled as fast as I could toward the main hatch. My pulse raced and I propelled my legs faster, hoping the ship would stay unbalanced for a minute longer. My feet kept slipping on the angled floor, so I used my hands to help navigate toward my goal.

“Stop!” he yelled after me. “It’s dangerous out there.”

Was he serious? “Yeah—you shooting me is so much safer!” I yelled.

“Shoot her already,” I heard Kale shout through the com.

I scrambled for my helmet, and pushed the hatch door button. My heart hammered as I tried to attach the helmet to the suit, but my hands shook so badly that it took several attempts.

The hatch opened and I ran outside, only to realize that the ship rested on the peak of a very tall mountain. My feet slid out from under me, and I landed on my butt and started sliding down the steep side. I picked up speed, wishing I had more padding in my rear as I hit every bump on the way down. Tons of smaller hills dotted the area around me. At the rate I was going, I’d be nothing more than a splat on the ground when I hit bottom. The sound of yelling in my helmet com startled me, and I looked up to see James coming out the hatch door, gun in hand. Damn, he was fast.

The ground came faster and faster, and I had seconds until impact. I shut my eyes and braced myself. Rapid shifting occurred under me, and the ground leveled. The ship slammed down behind me as the mountain disappeared as quickly as it had come. I opened my eyes and turned around. The ship was several hundred feet away, but James was halfway to me and closing in fast. I jerked myself to my feet, ignoring the throbbing pain, and ran toward a cluster of hills that had newly formed. There were about twelve of them—I just had to hide long enough to figure out a new plan.

My breathing came in ragged bursts. I ran into the hills and kept going until I found a small enclosure in one of the farthest ones. I sank to my knees and tried to catch my breath. I pulled T.O. out of my satchel, though I wasn’t sure what good it would do. Even if the bomb destroyed Kale and his ship, it would kill the others too, except maybe James, and I’d be stuck on a bizarre planet. I was totally screwed.