Theo twisted a bolt on the air filtration system, then stepped back and examined his work. Everything looked good. This was the moment Theo would tell Clive that everything was ready, and that he could run diagnostics again. But Clive wasn’t around anymore. Theo walked to the console himself, and ran diagnostics. The air filtration system ran smoothly, though there wasn’t much life left in the system. Somewhere along the way, something had banged the air filtration system and damaged some crucial components that Theo could not repair. He worked tirelessly on the system, but he knew the system would only work for about another week.

  Two weeks passed since the Lamia’s ejection, and the Ark deteriorated fast during that time. Theo and Mi-Cha spent all of their waking hours on patch jobs that would hold for only a few days. At the moment, she was working on the bridge’s console, because it displayed faulty readings. Theo taught Erika some elementary ship repairs, and though she could help with small things, the major issues were left to Theo and Mi-Cha.

  Erika spent most of her time with the Carnifex, and learning how to properly communicate with them. Both Erika and the Carnifex did their best to teach Theo and Mi-Cha as well, though neither could really have a conversation with the alien. Mi-Cha had, however, learned how to swear in the Carnifex’s language.

  Theo checked the list on his IRIS. His main concern for the day had been the air filtration system, and when he finished, he’d go to the bridge to help Mi-Cha with the console.

  Theo left the reactor room, and stepped onto the bridge. Mi-Cha leaned against the opened console and ate nutrient slop. The food printer malfunctioned a few days ago, and nobody could figure out how to fix it. The printer now only made a bland nutrient paste, so that’s what everyone had to eat.

  “I couldn’t figure it out,” Mi-Cha said through a mouthful of food.

  Theo probably could figure it out with some time.

  “Could you identify an issue?” Theo asked.

  “Fuck if I know. Remember, I’m on this boat to fly the boat, not dick around with the innards.” Mi-Cha ducked to the console, and pointed a flashlight to the back.

  “That red wire was loose, so I attached it back,” Mi-Cha said.

  Theo pulled out a flashlight of his own, and shone it into the console. The red wire looked as if it was in its proper place.

  Theo rose back to his feet and toyed with the console.

  Erika appeared up the ladder, and limped forward on her bad leg. The AutoDoc ran out of pain meds and healing accelerators a week ago. Though Erika had improved during that time, the gash on her leg wasn’t fully healed, and it was going to bother her for some time further.

  “Is everything okay?” Erika asked. “Did we get any ship on radar?”

  “No and no,” Mi-Cha said. “You know, you can always assume the answer to your questions is always ‘no.’ Nothing good’s ever gonna–”

  The console chirped. There was an incoming hail.

  Mi-Cha’s looked at Theo with wide eyes.

  “It’s a malfunction,” she blurted out.

  Theo checked the radar on the console. There was another ship, or at least the console displayed another ship.

  “Mi-Cha, please check the pilot controls,” Theo said.

  She hurried off.

  Erika limped to Theo’s side, and looked at the radar. Her eyes hardened at what she saw.

  Erika opened the call.

  “This is Erika Krupin of the Hell’s Ark. Do you read us?” She asked.

  A pause. The distance in space meant there was a delay between signals, though this delay was longer than usual. Erika might have sent a message into an empty void, and there would be no answer.

  Theo forced himself to relax his tensed up muscles.

  “This is Captain Glezos of the Greece. We see your distress signal. What’s going on over there?” The voice crackled. It was the most beautiful voice Theo had ever heard.

  Erika breathed out. She leaned against the console.

  “Our ship won’t hold together, and we have no way off. Could you take on three–no four–extra people?” Erika asked.

  Pause.

  “Was that three or four?” Captain Glezos asked.

  “Four,” Erika answered. She was counting the Carnifex as a crew member.

  “There’s not a whole lot of space on my ship, honestly,” Captain Glezos said. “We’ll make it work. My crew’s an adaptable bunch.”

  “Yes!” Mi-Cha thew her fist in the air, then curled up into a ball and sobbed.

  Erika made a choking sound. She wiped the corners of her eyes. Theo felt tears welling up in his eyes, too. He blinked to keep them away.

  “Thank you so much,” Erika managed to say. “There is one more thing. That fourth crew member? They’re an alien. Let me tell you about them as you approach.”

  ? ? ?

  Erika always thought there was nothing more exciting than discovery. It turns out, being discovered was a far superior dopamine rush.

  “The ship’s turning! It’s coming for us!” Mi-Cha grinned as tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Erika wiped her eyes. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face, either. Theo didn’t grin or cry or anything, but he relaxed a degree. He was happy, too, or at least Erika thought so.

  “When will the Greece get here?” Erika asked.

  “A few hours,” Mi-Cha said.

  “Theo, can the ship survive that long?” Erika asked.

  “It will,” Theo said. “We still need to…”

  Erika laughed.

  There was nothing else to be done about the Hell’s Ark; she was dead. Some of her crew, however, would survive. When Erika got in range of Earth, she’d call her parents. Then her brother, and she’d probably cry when she heard their voices. And, when she finally got to Earth, she’d take a shower, then see her family and…

  There was still something to do.

  “Everyone, to your cabins. Gather up everything you need to bring with you,” Erika said. “Bring a…housewarming gift, too?”

  Erika covered her mouth as she laughed.

  “Are dildos good housewarming gifts?” Mi-Cha asked.

  Erika laughed harder. Her stomach hurt and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Mi-Cha laughed with her.

  I hope that ship doesn’t mind carrying around crazy people.

  The group hurried to their cabins. They turned the lights on in the galley without worrying about the power cost. The power no longer mattered. Air filtration didn’t matter; nothing on the Ark mattered, except for what was in the cabins.

  Erika packed a duffle bag with her clothes and the sheets on her bed. Those were the only things she’d brought with her, and the only things she would truly miss if they were gone forever.

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  There’s so much more on this ship though, isn’t there? Ryder’s cabin was full of rare trinkets. The lab was full of very expensive equipment, even if some of it was damaged.

  Erika pushed that thought out of mind. She couldn’t care less about the equipment, or even the research on the computers.

  When everyone stepped out of the cabins, they found the Carnifex waiting for them in the galley. They made an inquisitive chirp. Mi-Cha chirped back, and Theo gave the alien a curt nod.

  “I’ll handle this,” Erika said.

  Theo and Mi-Cha headed back to the bridge.

  Erika, using the creole she developed with the Carnifex, told it of the rescuing ship, and how they would be allowed aboard.

  The Carnifex signaled: What happens to me there?

  Erika: I don’t know. I will protect you.

  The Carnifex: Okay. I trust you.

  Erika led the Carnifex to the bridge. They stepped to the airlock door, where Theo and Mi-Cha also waited. Instead of stars outside the void, there was white metal pressed against the airlock door.

  “They just docked,” Theo said. “I gave them permission to board.”

  Erika took a deep breath, and breathed it out through her mouth.

  The airlock doors hissed, then opened.

  Three people stood in the corridor beyond the doors. In the middle stood Clive, alive and well.

  Erika’s heart skipped a beat.

  The man’s features came into focus. This wasn’t Clive, but someone else. Someone wearing a captain’s uniform. On the left of the not-Clive stood a woman with Petra’s haircut, and on the right was a man who looked like Ryder without his anchor beard.

  These are the ghosts of the ship. Erika shook that thought away before it could sink its claws into her brain.

  The Captain stepped forward. His eyes locked on the Carnifex and couldn’t let go. The Captain tried to turn his attention to Erika, but he kept stealing glances at the Carnifex.

  “My name is Captain Glezos. You are all welcomed aboard the Greece,” the man said. “However, uh, this alien…”

  “They won’t cause issues,” Erika said.

  “Yes, you said as much over the radio. Erika Krupin, right?” Glezos said. “I know you’re telling the truth, however, the appearance of an alien will panic my crew. I think it’s best if it stays locked up, at least for the time being.”

  Glezos made a fair argument.

  If they have emergency pods here, they could send the Carnifex back home. That’s the most fair arrangement.

  Erika turned to the Carnifex, and relayed what Glezos had said. Erika wasn’t going to be caged; the Carnifex was. They should understand what sort of situation they would get into. When Erika finished, the Carnifex chirped in approval.

  “We can work with your conditions,” Erika said.

  “Good. Then welcome aboard,” Captain Glezos said.

  ? ? ?

  Theo had no clue how rescue procedures were supposed to work. By the way Captain Glezos handled him, Mi-Cha, and Erika, Theo doubted the Captain understood, either. Ship rescues were a very rare thing.

  Glezos first had the Carnifex put into a holding cell, then walked the Hell’s Ark survivors to the cabins. The Captain asked questions. Erika, Theo, and Mi-Cha took turns telling the story of the Ark. They got through the story quickly, and only with the details Captain Glezos asked for. Nobody wanted to relive the experience. In return, Captain Glezos explained that the Greece was a mining ship sent to gather ore from an asteroid. The ship was on the journey to said asteroid, and it would be a few months before the Greece returned to Earth.

  “As long as you don’t fly us to Tartarus, it’s fine by me,” Mi-Cha said.

  The Captain raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask. He opened a cabin door, and gestured inside. The space looked like a cabin on the Hell’s Ark–one bed, and just enough space for someone to take two steps in.

  “It’s not much,” Glezos said, “but it’s what I can spare. I’m sorry.”

  “This will work; thank you,” Erika said.

  “There’s one more thing before I need to go,” Glezos said. “Theo, Mi-Cha, you two helped run the Hell’s Ark, right?”

  “Yes, sir,” Theo said.

  “I, uh, I can’t pay, but if you two would want to help around the ship, please do. I’d welcome an extra pair of hands,” Glezos said.

  “I can check on the engines, if you send me a map,” Theo said.

  Glezos’s eye glowed blue as he sent the map over.

  “What about you, Mi-Cha? A second pilot wouldn’t be bad.” Captain Glezos offered a smile.

  “Maybe after a long-ass nap,” Mi-Cha said.

  Glezos laughed, then left the crew to their new quarters.

  “He didn’t say shit about you, Erika,” Mi-Cha noted.

  “I don’t have experience running a ship. Or mining,” Erika said. “I will likely spent my time making sure the Carnifex is comfortable.”

  “You gonna use that bed now?” Mi-Cha said.

  “I’m going to take a shower.”

  Mi-Cha flopped onto the bed without another word. Erika went to the shower room. Theo wanted to take a shower too, but first, he wanted to make sure the Greece was in running order. He used the map on his IRIS to navigate to the reactor core. He introduced himself to the lead mechanic, a petite woman named Ruby. The engine core was the same model as the one on the Hell’s Ark.

  “It’ll take no getting used to then, huh?” Ruby grinned, and her crow’s feet deepened.

  The pair ran a diagnostics on the reactor. There was a minor issue with the cooling system. Ruby rolled her eyes at the console.

  “Billion and one problems,” Ruby muttered. “But we don’t gotta worry about them, do we?”

  “We do,” Theo said.

  Ruby’s expression hardened.

  Theo remembered that he was a guest aboard an unfamiliar ship. It didn’t matter how many years of experience he had on ship engines; Ruby was the lead mechanic and her decisions were final.

  “That was out of line. I’m sorry,” Theo said.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Ruby said. “These were the little issues that shitballed and killed your ship, right?”

  “Yes.”

  Ruby mashed her lips into a thin line.

  “Well. Wanna keep this ship from becoming a shitball?” Ruby said.

  Theo and Ruby approached the reactor core with their tools in hand.

  ? ? ?

  Mi-Cha lied on a surprisingly comfortable mattress and stared at the ceiling. Doing nothing wasn’t really Mi-Cha’s style, but two weeks of running around, dodging aliens, and repairing a failing ship took a lot of energy. She needed to lie on that mattress for a year and half to properly recover.

  But no, of course, Captain Glezos wanted a second pilot, and guess what? He wouldn’t even have to pay Mi-Cha for her services!

  On one hand, it was basically slave labor; on the other, Mi-Cha kind of owed Captain Glezos some work. She’d be dying on the Hell’s Ark if he hadn’t rescued her, after all.

  Besides, how long could you stare at this ceiling?

  Mi-Cha peeled herself off the mattress, pulled the Greece’s map up on her IRIS, and navigated the halls. She found the bridge. The bridge looked a lot like the Hell’s Ark, if the Ark had current generation hardware. The Captain stood behind the pilot at the front.

  Glezos turned, and smiled at Mi-Cha. He’d expected her to drop by, and he was happy she came sooner rather than later.

  Oh, fuck you. Mi-Cha managed to hold her tongue. You’re not supposed to spit profanities at the person who saved you.

  “Got time to show off the controls?” Mi-Cha asked.

  ? ? ?

  Erika’s shower was nice, but it gave her time to think about her leg. She’d tried to play it tough, but the gash on her leg hurt. She tried to ignore the pain, but she didn’t have the Ark to worry about anymore, so all she could do was think about her throbbing calf.

  The Greece had a med bay, and hopefully it was fully equipped. When Erika left the shower, she walked the ship in search of the Captain–she would need his permission before using up precious resources. The bridge reminded Erika of the Hell’s Ark. Mi-Cha was even there, listening to the Greece’s pilot. Captain Glezos stood to the side, speaking to the woman with Petra’s haircut.

  “–worth a lot of money,” the woman said.

  “I know. I’m considering selling the alien,” Captain Glezos responded.

  “But what?” Not-Petra asked.

  “We don’t know anything about it, not really,” Captain Glezos said.

  Erika cleared her throat. Captain Glezos and Not-Petra looked at her with guilty expressions.

  “That alien is technically salvage; I checked the law,” Not-Petra said.

  “I, uh, I actually needed to ask if I could use the med bay.” Erika gestured to her leg. “I was injured, and I haven’t fully healed yet.”

  “The med bay’s right around the corner,” Captain Glezos said, “Help yourself to the AutoDoc.”

  Erika nodded.

  The Captain turned his attention back to Not-Petra. They were going to keep their argument going once Erika was gone.

  They’re thinking about selling the Carnifex. You need to say something about that.

  “The Carnifex is an intelligent creature,” Erika said. “They have human intelligence.”

  Not-Petra was about to speak, but Glezos held up a hand to stop her.

  “That alien has human intelligence?” Glezos asked.

  “Yes. But me and my team captured the Carnifex before we realized how intelligent they are. If we’d known, we would have never caged the alien” Erika said. “The Carnifex deserves to go home.”

  “Isn’t it a little late for that?” Glezos said.

  Erika sighed through her teeth.

  “Do you have an escape pod? One that I could borrow?” She asked.

  Glezos reeled.

  “Sending the Carnifex home is the right thing to do,” Erika said.

  Glezos chewed on something in his mouth. Erika suspected it was his own tongue.

  “Okay. I wouldn’t know how to take care of an alien as it is,” Glezos said. “Can you talk to it, let the, uh, Carnifex know what’s gonna happen?”

  The Captain led Erika to the holding cells, then called Theo and Mi-Cha to join. The Carnifex sat still in its cell. It chirped a greeting at the Ark’s survivors.

  Erika: We are sending you home.

  Carnifex: To the planet?

  Erika: Yes.

  Erika led the Carnifex out of its cell. Captain Glezos showed everyone to the escape pods, then unlocked one for the Carnifex. Once the Captain finished his explanation, he stepped into a corner and watched.

  Erika, Theo, and Mi-Cha worked together to explain the escape pod to the Carnifex. It took ten minutes for the Carnifex to understand that they needed to strap in, press the button, and sit tight until the pod found home.

  The Carnifex climbed into the pod, paused, then spun around. It made a chirp: thank you. The chirp was more than a simple ‘thank you,’ though. It was an expression of deep gratitude, one that didn’t have a translation in English or any other human language.

  Erika smiled. She made the chirp back.

  The Carnifex strapped itself into the pod the best it could–the restraints were made for humans, not aliens. It glanced over the console, then pressed the launch button. The doors to the pod whirred shut, then locked themselves. The pod stayed still for a second, then it popped out of the Greece with a hiss.

  Erika, Theo, and Mi-Cha approached the window, and watched. The light from the pod’s engines dwindled against the black background. It became another star in the universe.

  Theo was first to leave the window. Mi-Cha watched him leave. She glanced to the window one more time.

  “I gotta learn how to fly this ship.” Mi-Cha walked off.

  Erika could still tell which dot of light was the Carnifex. She watched for another minute.

  Good luck, to all of us.

  THE END

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