“Standby,” Computer said. “Emergency lighting activating.”
A low white light lit the ceilings in long strips. The inmates were quick to take advantage. They rushed the guards, who opened fire with their shock rifles. Blue-white bolts of lightning scorched the hallways.
The power was out and that meant it was a free for all. Some would return to their rooms and barricade themselves inside. Others would beat and fight and maim other prisoners to grab what few possessions they owned. Others would engage in turf wars to take more territory or kill their opponents and weaken their numbers.
The really dumb ones would be running for the exits and looking for a way out. Even if they managed to escape, what did they expect to happen? They would have no shelter, no food, nowhere to hide, and no one to help them in one of the harshest landscapes in the galaxy.
I glanced at the observation window. Ivy stood at the controls. She had been the one to shut the power off. How she’d managed it, I had no idea. But she had, and it was to save me. And now the Supervisor rushed forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her to the floor.
Red hot blood pulsed through my veins and I felt my insides turn to rock. The thrall could have smashed me over the head and I wouldn’t have felt it.
Nobody laid hands on Ivy. Nobody.
The first thing I needed to do was get the hell out of the pit.
The thrall lay prone on the ground, still clutching his goolies. He wasn’t about to give me a hand in getting out of there.
I scooped up his hammer and checked the length in my hands. I leaned it against a pit wall with the business end on the bottom and the handle facing up. I stepped on the butt and balanced with the ball of one foot.
It was enough. The extra height allowed me to be within touching distance of the fence that ran around the pit’s edge.
I had to jump to reach it. I bent my knee and hopped. My right hand found a strut. I pulled myself up with one arm and seized a second with my second hand.
I pulled myself up one arm at a time, inch by inch. Once I reached the top, I swung my arms and leveraged myself up to bring my foot over the side and then hop on the gangway.
Ivy
The Supervisor wasn’t happy when I turned the power off. He slapped me across the face, knocking me to the floor. I tasted blood and tongued the split in my lip.
The Supervisor balled up his small fist and his body quivered with rage. I’d hate to see what he was like when he flew into full-on rage.
“Doctor,” one of his assistants said. “The power needs to be turned back on. If the prisoners were to get in here…”
The Supervisor didn’t acknowledge he’d heard her words. He only glared at me and blinked as if he were coming awake.
“Yes. Of course. Pick her up and keep hold of her.”
The guards did as he ordered.
The Supervisor turned to the console.
“Computer. Reinstate the power.”
“Power is currently offline,” Computer said. “It will take some time to initiate.”
“Do it.”
The Supervisor turned to me.
“Now. Where were we?”
He raised the injector device and marched toward me.
I struggled against the guard’s grip. My arms were held behind my back and there was no way I could wriggle free.
As the Supervisor closed on me, the device raised, I snapped out with my foot, kicking his hand and sending the device sprawling across the floor.
The Supervisor howled and clutched his hand close. He jammed a finger in my face.
“Do you know your problem? No respect. You don’t have any idea of what we’re trying to do here. We’re here to make the galaxy a safer place! Where there will be no wars. We might even figure out a way to eradicate disease and, one day, death.”
“Do it. But you’re not doing it with my baby!”
“Your baby will be the key to unlocking every creature’s ability in the galaxy. And you will be a proud member of the team or you will be removed the moment the baby is born. You’re going to be a part of this project, whether you like it or not.”
He bent down and picked the device up again.
“Now, let’s try that again, shall we?”
Kren
A prisoner ran into me and knocked me off my feet.
“Hey!” they said. “Watch it!”
I shoved myself up and crouched, lowering my center of gravity. I ran with my elbows out, to jab anyone in the ribs who came too close.
I never stopped. Stopping meant putting Ivy’s life in danger longer than necessary.
The emergency lights flashed and came on. They were bright but only illuminated the barest of details. It cast an eerie green hue over the prison. At least now the prisoners could see and avoid, for the most part, each other.
“Power restored,” the Computer said. “Resuming in ten seconds.”
The countdown began.
The science lab was still some distance off. There were no guards outside. They would be in the room. But that didn’t mean the fresh contingent of guards wouldn’t come and flood the prison any moment.
I ground my teeth and dashed forward. I dodged out of the way of prisoners who threatened to get in my way and leaped over a smaller prisoner with bulging yellow eyes and slimy green skin.
“Eight… seven…” Computer said.
I wanted to be in the science laboratory by the end of the countdown. I took off through the sporadic crowd, who ran across me like a river I had to struggle across.
“Four… Three…”
The guards were going to come down hard on the prisoners when the lights came back on. I definitely didn’t want to be anywhere near them when they did.
Even worse, the lock on the science lab would be initiated once the power returned.
“Two… One…”
I grabbed the handrail and
