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Within seconds the tape seals over the hole and the sensors stop beeping. It’s a quick fix, but will it be enough? I’m back on my heels toward the bridge to see what else I can do when I hear a buzz.
“Karvex!” Renari hollers through my wrist comm. “You’re little stunt just lost us time! LIP says the hull won’t hold, and the controls aren’t responding due to sensor overload. You’ve just cost us everything!”
A second later the main alarm starts again, signaling the entire ship to brace for impact. Reapers are running in every direction, looking to strap in wherever they think is least likely to take damage. I head back toward the bridge to see what I can do with the time we’ve got left.
Then I remember. Most of the crew will know the drill, and since I’ve aimed the ship at D4319, anyone strapped in tight enough should be able to withstand the g-force we’re all about to endure. Anyone, that is, except Alana. She won't know what to do, and no one else here will help her. If I don’t get to her, she won't make it.
Fuck it, I tell myself, turning my heels back in her direction. If she’s going to die anyway, the least I can do is give her her best chance.
CHAPTER 6
ALANA
Alarms begin screaming throughout the shuttle. And though I don’t know what they mean at first, it becomes glaringly obvious soon enough.
We’re going to crash.
I creep quietly out of my room, hoping to find some clue as to what is going on. Crew members shout instructions to one another and run about, trying to save the shuttle. I try to find Karvex, though I’m not sure why. He’d probably be angry with me for interrupting him or leaving my hold. But right now, I have no idea what to do, and if anyone does, it’s him.
To my surprise, I find him rather quickly. He spots me and pushes his way towards me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say he was looking for me.
“Alana,” he says, his voice firm. “You need to get strapped down somewhere right now. The shuttle will be breaching the atmosphere in a few minutes, and it’s going to get really rocky from there.”
He doesn’t wait for me to respond before dragging me towards a chair.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to keep from crashing?” I ask as he straps me down tightly into the chair.
His face becomes grim as he shakes his head. “No, the controls aren’t responding properly. This shuttle is going down.”
A sudden jolt hits the hull, like something’s slammed into us. Karvex growls. “We’ve breached the atmosphere. Hang on, I’m going to do everything I can to try and land this thing.”
And then he’s taking off towards the bridge.
“Wait!” I reach out a hand, unsure of why I called out to him.
Idiot, he’s going to try and put the shuttle down as smoothly as he can. You don’t need him here, a voice in the back of my head reminds me.
You shouldn’t want him here at all! another voice chimes in. He’s the reason you’re on this doomed ship in the first place.
The voice in my head makes a very good point, and yet I can’t help the pang of worry for him. Especially as the shuttle begins to shake more violently.
I grip the straps with all my might until my knuckles turn white. My teeth rattle, and I try not to bite off my own tongue.
It feels as though we’re simultaneously dropping and being slammed into the ground all at once.
There are panicked cries all around me.
“Everyone strap down!”
“We’re going down!”
“One of the engines just exploded!”
“Hang on!”
I squeeze my eyes shut and try to drown out the voices. I try to drown out my own panic that threatens to consume me.
More than ever, I wish that I would just fall unconscious. Then I’d either wake up and this would be done with, or I’d be dead. And I guess that would still mean this would all be over.
