Genmate Imperiled (Genmate Dilemma Book 3) by Cara Bristol

Author:Cara Bristol [Bristol, Cara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cara Bristol
Published: 2022-02-27T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

I wish I could have gone down to the surface! Misty swung around in the captain’s chair, bored as all herian. Craving the thrill, she’d joined Mysk’s mission. With the exception of the momentary spike of worry when they’d discovered the Xeno ship, there’d been little excitement on the mission thus far.

Of course, she would never wish for danger to befall her crewmates, but if she were to encounter it, well, that’s what she’d come for.

Once her human genmate, Zach, had died, she’d found little to live for. Ironically, their mating had ensured she’d live a long, lonely life. Vaporians who didn’t mate soon after adulthood sublimated into oblivion. Zach had saved her from that fate. And then he died in a car crash on his way home from work. He’d stopped to buy her flowers, and a drunk driver had slammed into him as he left the florist parking lot.

Oh, Zach! Misty squeezed her eyes shut, the better to picture his goofy face. While not handsome by human or ’Topian standards, he’d meant everything to her. She’d thought him attractive because she’d loved him.

Since his death, she’d floated in numbness, emotions anesthetized. Nothing felt real anymore. She didn’t feel.

Beak chided her for sublimating through ducts and tight spaces, worrying she’d get trapped, but he didn’t understand she did it because of the risk. Fear pierced the numbness. Fear allowed her to feel something.

The youngest crew member and a widow, she was coddled by the men. It wasn’t that they didn’t respect her, but they protected her from the danger she craved.

She’d been assigned to the bridge to keep watch for the Xeno ship to free up Jag, Torch, and Beak to rearrange and retrofit the cargo bay for passengers. They’d leaped at the opportunity to get some exercise. She suspected the confinement was making them antsy. Poor Beak hadn’t flown since they’d left Earth. Keeping wings folded was hard on an Avian.

Despite the wing cramp, Beak loved the bridge. He enjoyed it so much, Misty had assumed she’d like it, too. But after this stint? No, thank you, ma’am!

Of course, she’d fulfill any assignment, but watching a bunch of screens was boring as herian. There wasn’t anything to do. The ship flew itself. The computer sent the pings. Beak had programmed randomized intervals so the Xeno ship’s AI couldn’t anticipate a ping and sneak closer while they weren’t looking.

The computer signaled a ping had gone out.

She watched for a blip to indicate it had hit something. Nope. All clear. Nothing to do but wait for the next ping. Oh joy.

She opened up a channel to the cargo bay. She could hear grunting and curses. “Just checking in. Everything okay?” Misty called.

“Move the spare replicator next to the crate of MREs!” Jag yelled to somebody. “We’re gonna be a while,” he said to Misty. “You all right?”

“I’m fine. Didn’t mean to interrupt you.” She closed out the channel.

Sitting in front of the main screen, Misty spun the adjacent seat hard then sublimated into vapor and materialized in solid form on the still-spinning chair.

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