Page 16 of Truthful Deceptions

Narmuna stepped in my path. I skidded to a stop, almost falling on my ass. “Opal, what’s wrong?”

I turned to my right and ran. If my mental map was correct, I was heading for one of three storage bays.

“Opal, you shouldn’t go down there!” he called, his footfalls heavy behind me. I expected to be grabbed at any moment, but it didn’t happen.

I got to a series of doors. I knew the last one was to a bay, but the first one was too small to go anywhere significant. I slapped my hand down on the display, and it slid open to reveal a storage room half the size of Tolly’s room.

After I ducked inside and the door closed, I fiddled with the door display. It didn't take me long to create a logic fault so the door thought it was broken and wouldn't open. If they knew how to clear basic error codes, my trick wouldn’t last long.

Fighting tears, I backed up until I was stopped by the first in a row of shelves. I could hear talking beyond the door, but no one had tried to open it yet.

My legs suddenly didn’t feel strong enough to keep me standing. I collapsed to the floor and gave up holding back my tears.

I sobbed quietly, a skill I’d learned as a child. That meant I heard the door’s display make a bunch of angry sounds. The guys were trying to come in and my logic fault was keeping them out.

It wouldn’t last long. I needed a plan.

Nothing came to mind. Panic ate at me, making it hard to think. My breathing was harsh and ragged, and it felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. This wasn’t good.

“Calm the fuck down,” I muttered.

I started counting my breaths. That helped. I didn’t feel great, and tears were still flowing down my face, but at least I was thinking straight. What to do?

“This is a disaster,” I whined.

Wait, maybe that was the answer, I should follow disaster protocol: assess, communicate, and rescue.

Assessing my situation was easy. I was on a ship surrounded by males who thought they owned me. I didn’t have any easy way off the ship, at least not until they docked. If they were going to fulfill their fuel contracts, they’d have to dock sometime. Then I’d need to be prepared.

That left me on a ship with these guys while I waited.

Disaster protocol was all about communicating to find out who was still alive, who needed help, and what the survival situation looked like. I was the one who needed help, but communication wasn’t a bad idea. Getting the guys to talk to me could only be helpful. The more I got to know them, their routines, and their reactions, the better I'd be able to plan an escape once we docked somewhere.

The last thing they always talked about was rescue, either by someone else or yourself. In this instance, I was going to need to rescue myself.

Tolreum

“We should force the door open,” Mieshorum said. “I can always replace it when we get to the next station.”

“But it’s against the design of the ship to go without a functioning door,” Lexarit argued. “If you give me a little time, I’m sure I can get it to open.”

“I’m with Mieshorum,” Narmuna said with a worried rattle. “We need to get this door opened immediately. Opal is trapped in there and could be suffering horribly.”

The door had malfunctioned after she’d gone in. I suspected she was the reason for it. If she decided to leave the storage room, I was sure the door would magically return to its original state. I wanted to tell my crewmates that, but I didn't think they'd believe me.

“Tolreum, what do you think?”

Narmuna’s question pulled me out of my thoughts. They’d all been talking, and I’d stopped paying attention.

“Let her remain,” I said.

The hallway filled with their agitated rattles.

“At least for half a rotation,” I amended. “She ate and drank before she realized we’d left the station. That’s when she panicked and ran from my cabin.”

None of them responded, so I continued.

“There’s nothing dangerous in there, and the smaller room probably makes her feel secure. We should let her feel safe, not force our way in.”