Genetic Dust by E. L. Strife

Author:E. L. Strife [Strife, E. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B0BRYKSWPC
Goodreads: 75697691
Published: 2023-04-01T06:00:00+00:00

Instinct

I don’t like being at an intelligence disadvantage. I stare Esrake down and change the subject. “Why did you let the others go?”

“I have no reason to waste ammunition on genetic dust. I have what I need from them. Each new species conquered leads to new technological revelations. You can thank Sorveu’s people for this neat little box you’re in. It’s designed to isolate contaminates and dangerous life forms. I guess that’s you.” He waggles a controller in his hand.

The insult stings more than I expect.

He continues talking about his mission, how they took out Klésut forces and how long he’s waited for me to arrive. I’m looking for a way out.

It isn’t until I slump against a wall to think that I notice something hard pressing into my back. I twist and free it from my suit. The device blinks. I crush it beneath a boot. The blue lights along the panels shift to green but the walls don’t move.

If I can get out of this box, I’ll need an escape. There’s a Voidborn ship not far from where I stand. I hate the idea of it, but I know the roads are blocked, and there’s no other way to move fast. I hope the ship is operational.

“Back on topic!” Esrake growls.

I spare him a glance. It’s hard to stare at a blank mask and be captivated. All I ever get are his voice and body language as cues.

“I want just a little sample of your DNA. We’ll see how much we need. Then I’ll come back for more when necessary.”

The way he says it suggests he plans to use all of me. I follow his eyes and see someone behind me with a big gun. I know the type. I saw the bullets disintegrate people in the Larisian Nebula.

“We’re going to drop the shield,” Esrake says. “And you’re going to let us take that sample like a good girl.”

The hell I’m going to obey a monster like you.

The moment the shield drops, I dive aside and roll behind a nearby cargo pallet. I whip around and fire from the opposite side, knocking the gun from the soldier’s hands. This gives me time to scramble to my feet and bolt up the ramp into the Voidborn fighter.

I slap the Close Ramp button the moment I can reach it. The ramp folds up, lifting me to the level of the pilot’s seat. I slam myself into the chair and tap the shield button.

A net of blue lines coats the vessel. The soldier’s disaggregation shots skip off and scatter like black sand. The screen beeps with a drop in shield strength. Another shot makes it drop again.

The controls blink, and alerts sound.

“I know, I know!” Frantic to be free before I’m disintegrated, I resort to instinct and hit a set of buttons that are my best guess for thrusters and main propulsion. The ship thunders to life and rises out of the hangar. I slide a control bar up on the dash, and the ship rockets across the hills.

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