Page 60 of Pandora: Alien Games

“Who are those mutants?” Van asked.

“Hey, these guys are cool. Ashok, Ramy, Hassym, Edoo, and Eray, the wounded guy. They’re my friends.” I bit my lip when I said friends.

“Do you have a translation chip?”

Van shrugged. He leaned close to me and asked, “Pandora, do you still have the chip we took?”

“Ashok, please say something. I don’t know if Van understands you.”

Ashok turned his back and left. I felt his pain. He was upset. I was upset.

Hassym stepped closer and started talking. Looking at my Anubis, how much taller he was than Van, I felt weird.

“Van, do you understand him?”

“No. It all sounds gibberish.”

Hassym put his hand on my shoulder. “Pandora, please talk to Ashok. He has a problem with this place, but he would give his life for you, and would have gladly taken your place.”

I took a deep breath. “I can’t. We all have to find a way to get out of this hell.”

Van is here. Like here here, right next to me. It was what I wanted but, damn, now was the worst moment for him to show up. My stomach was in knots and I felt like vomiting.

Gathering my guys, we proceeded deeper into the Pyramid.