Hope: Book 8 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series by Peebles Chrissy

Author:Peebles, Chrissy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: scifi, young adult, science fiction, teen, outer space
Publisher: Chrissy Peebles

Chapter 4

A whirring sound echoed from right beneath Casey’s feet, the vibrations shaking the cube and breaking the eerie and dismal silence. Commander Tio was about to send them off into space to freeze to death in his makeshift prison. She held Jack in a tight embrace, inhaling the scent of his skin. Thorn stood in the opposite corner, seemingly gathering his last thoughts.

“I can’t believe he’s going to…to kill us like this.” Casey groaned inwardly and nestled her head in the curve of Jack’s neck.

“You do realize he’s the bad guy, right? You know what bad guys do—bad things.” He leaned forward and planted a kiss on top of her head.

“And here I thought he was about to bake us brownies and invite us over for a steak dinner.” Casey frowned, and the fear inside almost killed her. It wasn’t just her life at stake. If she didn’t make it, her parents wouldn’t survive either.

The glass doors reappeared and slid open with a hiss. Casey jumped, startled, and broke away from Jack as her eyes focused on the doorway. Two tall robots with skull-like faces appeared. Deep-set, glowing eyes, red like blazing coal, focused on her. One of the automatons took a few steps forward, its aluminum boots clicking and clanking against the glass floor as it drew nearer, making Casey flinch. She peered at the armed rebels standing on both sides. She clasped her hands into hard fists, prepared for battle, but who was she kidding? Jack and she stood no chance against a battalion of Greys. Even if it were just one of them, they had a weapon and she didn’t.

“Come—with—me,” the mechanical voice commanded. “Commander—Tio—would— like—to—see—you—for—questioning.” Yellow light sprang from its mouth every time it spoke.

“You heard him.” A soldier stomped in front of the robot and grabbed Casey by the shoulders with a snarl. “Get moving. You’ve all been summoned.” He gave her a hard shove through the doors, following close behind.

As her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she noted the hazy outline of numerous rebels standing guard. “Hurry and shut everything down!” one of them roared. “They’re not taking off…yet.”

“Yes, sir.” A soldier saluted and walked to the control panel.

Casey pressed her lips tight. Questioning? In Tio’s fury, his decision about their execution had seemed pretty firm. Did he have a change of heart? Does he believe Thorn after all? A tug on her back interrupted her thoughts. Cold metal fingers lingered on her shoulder. She flinched from the robot’s touch and flung its silver arm off her body. “Get away from me!”

The robot’s hand fell, clanking as it hit the floor. Casey looked at the empty metal carcass, then back to the robot. She saw, to her disbelief, human fingers with long, manicured nails wiggling at the end of the robot’s arm. A diamond ring on the human pinkie sparkled in the light. Casey’s breath caught in her throat. Another female human aboard this ship? Who is she, and where the heck did she get that manicure? It’s fabulous.

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