Page 50 of Yorix

“Like a taser then. Wait - did you just say programming?”

“They are bots,” Yorix explained just as my cuffs pinged open. “Remnants of a people who all died in a long forgotten war.”

Fuck. We’d been left waiting for people who would never have come. That was a truly horrifying thought.

“Like how long dead?”

“Help me carry him,” Hreskuk said to our third prisoner buddy, the one I’d taken to mentally calling Mr. Komodo, using a tool off his belt to cut through the cuffs. The male nodded, and together, they carried out Fox Man.

They hadn’t fastened Charlie’s backpack to the chair so I picked it up, following them out, Yorix’s hand a reassuring presence on the small of my back.

“How long dead?” I repeated insistently.

“Millennia. Those little droids scavenge parts from the station and ships the droids capture and leave here to keep this place running, and presumably to repair the Ghost Fleet’s ships.”

I shivered, hurrying my steps. Millenia? This place was basically a tomb! Ghost Fleet sounded about right.

“What if they come back?”

“We have friends who came along to blast them into eternity,” Yorix replied.

We reached the docking bay and there in all its glory was the ship Yorix and I honeymooned in, droids already advancing upon it. Yorix growled, running towards them, sword swinging.They squealed, skittering off. Yorix grinned at me in manic satisfaction, opening the hatch, which was damaged.

“Let’s see if that compromised integrity,” he said, going in. I ran in behind him and the hatch closed slowly behind us. Far too slowly, so in obvious need of repair.

“If it wasn’t for the fried systems, I’d have risked it,” he said, walking over to a panel beside the door, opening it, and pulling down a handle that turned out to be some sort of emergency door release.

“It’s still dead,” he told his new friend.

“We can tow it and wait by the buoy you mentioned,” Hreskuk replied, striding over to another vessel. “Come on, let’s go. This place always feels like someone is watching.”

I shivered, not liking it either. I followed Yorix down the ramp and boarded the other vessel behind Hreskuk and Mr. Komodo as they carried in Fox Man.

“Let me drop him off in the medi-bay and then we can go. Strap yourselves in, in case it gets bumpy,” Hreskuk said.

I didn’t have to be told twice. Yorix led me to a seating area behind a cockpit where another of Hreskuk’s Cohort sat at the controls.

“I see you found Lynn,” the male said, surprising me. “I am happy for you, my friend.”

“Yes. Hreskuk and another prisoner are putting a wounded male in the medi-bay.”

“Well, I’m not hanging around any longer. Those blasted droids have already approached our ship twice now.” He began flicking switches and touching screens. Engines rumbled to life. Thankfully their harness system worked more like the five point ones we had back on Earth, so I'd easily done mine up.

Hreskuk and Mr. Komodo returned, quickly sitting down, Hreskuk in the seat next to our friendly pilot.

“Alright, let’s get the Jurtiop out of here!” our pilot shroud.

“Tractor beam locked, so punch it!” Hreskuk replied gleefully.

I was never so glad to leave a place as I was that station, though the Ghost Fleet ship was a close second.