The Space of Hope

Part 1: Chapter 3

Day 8

It took a few hours to get the blade thoroughly analyzed, but eventually, we had a list of components of the poison and the procedures for making it. We decided to go to the pharmacy to see if anyone had checked out similar ingredients.

"Hello," Zayn says to the man working at the front desk. "We need a record of the things bought from the pharmacy. Is there a worksheet or a system to recall who buys what?"

The man looks at us confused, "Yes, we do, but we are not allowed to disclose this information for confidentiality reasons."

"We have permission from the princess."

"I'm afraid we will need a signed document from the princess," he says and shrugs.

Zayn hands over a thin portfolio from his bag. The desk person nods and tells us to come inside. He leads us to a computer and unlocks it with a thumbprint and password. "This is a list of things bought from day 1 to today." Then he leaves to tend to another customer.

We are scrolling through the list when Zayn's eyes light up, and he says, "I found it! Someone borrowed the exact components on our list. It looks like they were trying to spread out the dates with some being purchased on day 1 and the rest on day 3."

I beam, eager to know. "Who?"

Zayn furrows his eyebrows. "It doesn't say...only the Colony citizen identification number is listed... but wait! There is also the Colony room number!" He takes a second to look for the room number and then a look of horror crosses his face.

"What's wrong, Detective?? What do we–" I'm cut off by blaring alarms and red flashing lights.

Detective Zayn and I exchange a look of panic before we run down the halls to the princess. The guards are all running to the Eastern Wing and when we arrive I see my dad tapping furiously on a round door's lock.

"What's happening?" I ask.

"The princess and your mother are in the first airlock with the attacker! These things are almost impossible to open. If someone is attacking them and pushes one of them through the third airlock they're dead."

When we arrive at the Eastern Wing, it is my dad who finally unlocks the door. Once the door is open I gasp. My mom is in front of the princess with a gun protecting Princess Sena. The attacker has one pointed at them as they all stand frozen. The attacker has dark curls peeking out from under a black hood. My breathing quickens as my dad joins my mom to stand protectively in front of the princess. But before more guards can enter the room the door snaps shut automatically. My parents, Detective Zayn, Princess Sena, the attacker, and I are the only ones beyond the first airlock. Damn.

The attacker cackles and takes off his mask. Zayn is stone as he stares at his father's crazed face.

The gentle kind-appearing father from the interrogation room is gone. Instead, Lord Orionis is standing stiffly, his hand covered in blood. I then notice that Princess Sena is clutching a stab wound in her abdomen. Lord Orionis has a knife in one hand and a gun in the other. "Your precious princess is dying. You should let me end it quickly."

Detective Zayn whispers in my ear, still shaking from shock, "The rest of us don't have weapons."

My mom yells, "Put down the–" The attacker shoots the door lock next to Detective Zayn, and we all duck and cover our ears. Lord Orionis tackles Princess Sena past the second airlock. I'm the first one to recover and jump in after them. The door shuts before Zayn or my parents can come to the rescue. We're locked in.

"You silly little girl," Lord Orionis rebukes me, letting out a sharp, chilling laugh. "You should have stayed on the other side."

Lord Orionis falls to his knees, and I see Sena panting and holding the knife above him. "Lord Nile," she coughs, "I thought that you were better than this." Princess Sena struggles to drag him to the third airlock as I sit there helplessly against the wall, unable to help or move.

Princess Sena hesitates only for a second before unlocking the door as quickly as possible. A timer beeps on a screen on the wall counting down from fifteen seconds. Princess Sena grunts as she heaves Lord Orionis's limp body out of the airlock and into the cool darkness of space. She closes the airlock quickly as every minute delay increases our chances of freezing or suffocating once the timer diffuses.

"Are you okay?" she asks me, and then falls next to me.

"Oh, I'm fine compared to you. How did you do that while you were stabbed?!" I'm gasping for air at this point, willing myself to not pass out.

"I... would... never let... someone die... for me..." Princess Sena whispered before passing out, grabbing her wound to stop the bleeding.

I don't know if it's me who screams her name or Detective Zayn, who finally made it through the airlock with the others and the medic. The last thing I see is the medics carrying Princess Sena out before the blackness consumes me.