I didn’t eye any of them and kept my eyes on the floor.
I studied the black marble-like material underfoot and the various shoes and rags of the other alien species that passed before me.
I didn’t look up when I was guided down a series of stairs and into the belly of the building.
I didn’t utter a word as Sar led me down a row of cells, to the door held open by a giant prison guard.
I didn’t fight when he shoved me inside and the door was slammed shut and the locks engaged.
I only began to weep when the footsteps faded and I was left alone.
I wept so hard my body ached.
And then I wept some more.
Ras
I bolted upright and banged my head.
I hissed through my teeth and rubbed at the bump already forming beneath my fingers.
I glared at the ceiling I’d struck forcefully and thumped it with my fist for no other reason than to vent my anger.
It was only then I noticed I was lying on the chair that I’d sat on when Computer had carried out the procedure.
“What the hell?”
I ran my hands over the ceiling and peered at the world on the other side.
One thing was for sure.
I was no longer in the medical bay.
The medical bay…
Isabella should have been sitting to one side…
Except she’d been dragged away by the creature dressed as Liam.
My Shadow.
Sar.
I’d struggled to wake up and only managed it after I calmed my mind and willed myself awake.
The room outside was dark and I couldn’t see much beyond the pile of a dozen or so other pods across the room.
Sar had instructed Computer to blast me into space.
If I wanted to avoid that outcome, I needed to escape.
I pressed my hands against the pod ceiling and braced the weight with my arms.
My muscles shook under the pressure and my face blossomed red.
The shield didn’t move so much as an inch.
Panting from the exertion, I rushed through the memories I’d accessed earlier.
“There’s a way out of here,” I said out loud. “There’s always a way. It’s just a matter of calming your mind and thinking of it…”
The trouble was, I’d only gone through a fraction of the total number of memories.
There were tons I still hadn’t seen.
Could the answer to my problem be among them?
Wait.
I was still onboard the ship.
My ship.
I had access to the computer system before.
Why wouldn’t I now?
“Computer?” I said.
“I’m here, Captain.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Get me out of this pod,” I said.
“Order confirmed.”
The ceiling disappeared and I hastily climbed from the pod in case I got locked inside it again.
I peered at my surroundings and tried to figure out where I was.
“Computer, where am I?”
“You are in the cargo hold, sir.”
“What am I doing in here?”
“After the Captain issued the order to have you ejected into space, the Shadow Defense Proxy was triggered.”
“The Shadow Defense Proxy? What’s that?”
“In case of a Shadow assuming command of the ship, all options to kill one or either of the captains is disabled. It is impossible for me to harm, or through omission of action, harm a M’rora. Once the order was issued, I stored you here and ejected an empty pod into space.”
“You don’t know which one is the real captain?” I said, incredulous that Computer couldn’t tell us apart.
“That is correct, sir. I follow both captains’ orders because they are both, in a sense, you.”
“What? No, we’re not! We’re completely different—”
“You are identical in every way and there is simply no way for me to ascertain which one is the M’rora, which one the Shadow.”
“Where is the other captain now?”
“He’s no longer on board.”
“So where is he?”
“In the Shadow Citadel with the human female.”
The blood drained from my face.
“Isabella? He took her with him?”
“It is his mission, sir.”
“Shouldn’t that have clued you into the fact he is the Shadow and not me?” I snapped.
“You might be on an undercover mission. There is simply no way for me to know with my current scanners. Perhaps if I received the most recent update—”
This is just getting better and better…
“How long have they been gone?” I said.
“One hour and six minutes.”
That was good.
It was unlikely Isabella would have taken part in the ceremony yet.
My stomach twisted.
Just the thought of her being subjected to such a disgusting event…
I shuddered and focused on the task at hand.
“Where are we now?”
“In the engineering sector. According to my scans, I am scheduled to be turned into a Shadow vessel.”
That made sense.
The Shadow wouldn’t want a M’rora ship in their fleet any more than we would want a Shadow one in ours.
“Take us back to the Shadow Citadel,” I ordered.
“Doing so might garner a great deal of suspicion from the Shadow engineers.”
“Why?”
“Because then they would know someone was on board—likely the M’rora captain—and would blast this ship from the sky. Would you like to continue with your order?”
“No,” I growled. “Then what do you suggest I do?”
“Exit the ship at the nearest possible opportunity and commandeer one of the Shadow vessels.”
“But that would mean they will turn you into a Shadow ship.”
“I am not alive. My computing system is identical to every other ship in the fleet. I cannot die, and helping you with your mission of rescuing your mate is the highest achievement an artificial being can achieve.”
Was it strange I felt oddly moved by his willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good?
I placed a hand on the wall.
Although I hadn’t spent much time with the ship in my own time, we had been through many events together in the past.
The journey across the galaxy in search of Isabella…
The dogfight in the storm…
Being blasted and shot out of the sky…
And crashlanding on this alien world…
Then it saved my life and was willing to pay the ultimate price to help me.
“Thank you,” I said.
“No thanks are required, Captain. I have been programmed to aid you.”
“Still.”
I took a moment to send my thanks and then focused on the mission at hand.
“What’s the best way
