Into the Black Hole

Chapter 41: Dancing with Death

Someone comes by the room at zero-one-hundred hours to give me back my shorts, which are sewed up to annoying perfection. My portal is in the left pocket. I don't have anything on my portal that's privileged information, so I surmise they decided to return it. I stuff the shorts into the nightstand's bottom drawer.

Two hours later, the lights flicker, and I hear a pop. I turn my gaze away from the balcony, and Blaze's wide eyes stare at me from my desk before he stands, elec pointed at the door. "Hey!" he calls. "What you just did is illegal. This is a private residence." Blaze is referring to the pop we heard, indicating somebody used a CirCut to stop electrical flow and break open the door. It's illegal to do that unless there's a fire or equivalent emergency, and as far as burglary tactics go, not a smart move. The door is now fried, needing replacing, and CirCuts leave a paper trail.

So I doubt whoever's on the other side is here for a robbery.

The door opens lazily, and Blaze shields me, but I catch a glimpse of two people dressed in typical black, Cosmic, armored spacesuits with helmets. They each carry a Martian coilgun that's not quite aimed at Blaze, but they're certainly ready to fire.

"Soldiers," Blaze addresses, "what is your business here? Boss will arrive soon. Go now, or I'll have you arrested for trespassing."

The tall, unknown Cosmic on the left tilts his head. "Boss asked us to go to the room of Ailee Chambers. That's her behind you, correct? He ordered us to guard her until he comes." The voice sounds almost familiar.

"I can guard her," Blaze states. "You are dismissed."

The smaller Cosmic on the right darts forward, and Blaze shoots her in the chest. Her suit absorbs the brunt of the damage, and she keeps moving, tackling Blaze to the ground. Although he's taller than her, she's stronger. She shoves her coilgun's muzzle against his forehead, and he quits struggling, ceding the elec. "Don't move. Don't make a sound, or I shoot. Got it?" she threatens—Wait, that voice is familiar too.

The tall Cosmic nears me, reaching out to grasp my arm, and I back up.

"No, Ailee, look!" he demands, pointing to his face through the helmet's window. "It's me."

My breath vacates my lungs as I try to comprehend what I'm seeing. It's Duarte, in Cosmic armor. I wasn't able to narrow in on his features earlier, but up close, it's undeniably his dark brown eyes, thick eyebrows, straight nose, and round lips. "Duarte?"

He smiles, revealing white teeth. "Hey, idiot, how's it been?"

"Could be better."

He laughs and touches my arm. I recoil.

He abruptly ceases smiling and studies my outfit that I haven't bothered to replace. His expression darkens, asking, "Why are you covered in bruises? What did they do? Are you alright?"

I change the subject, "What are you doing here? Why are you wearing Cosmic armor?"

"Obviously, we're here to rescue you. You call the pirates 'Cosmics'?" His tone is scolding.

"Guys, later," the woman subduing Blaze instructs. It's the Starship Lieutenant who introduced herself to me on Mars. Eshe Hassan. "Let's kill him and go. Permission to shoot?"

Blaze looks at me out of the corner of his eye, pleading, "Ailee, please."

It's the first time he's addressed me by my actual name. I open my mouth to protest—Felix's face cuts to the front of my thoughts—and my protest dies.

Duarte reads my expression and nods, replying, "Permission granted."

Blaze's eyes impale me. Not with anger, just sadness. Then Eshe pulls the trigger, ejecting a bullet into his cranium.