Spaceborn by Ilias Siametis

Author:Ilias Siametis [Siametis, Ilias]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ilias Siametis

Chapter 20

Rachel

It wasn’t a coincidence the quadrant intersection was empty—administration had put up holo-tape around the entrance and a projection of Kieran Bolek was lying to the frustrated citizens that the concourse was under maintenance.

“We should test the comms,” Scott suggested and scratched something behind his ear before handing her a small chamfered box.

“I’ve never seen one of these up close,” she gasped as she took the thin, transparent sticker on her fingernail to examine it. Then, carefully placing it behind her ear, she pressed on it to make sure it was nicely stuck on her skin. A deafening buzzing rang inside her head, forcing a loud scream out of her lungs. She tried covering her ears but the ringing seemed to be emanating from inside her. “Arrgh, make it stop!” She screamed as she squeezed her eyes shut.

Scott slapped her hands away from her ears and touched the sticker with his finger. It felt like a soft scratch on the skin and suddenly the pain was gone.

“Better now?” Scott smiled as she opened her tearful eyes.

“Fuck, yes!”

“Was that your first time, little Miss?” a jovial voice echoed briefly at the back of her head.

“Richard? Is that you?”

“I am honoured to be the first voice inside your head,” he laughed and coughed at the same time.

“Is there a way to mute him?” She asked and pointed at her ear.

“Unfortunately no,” Scott choked a laugh.

“Where is he anyway?”

“You can talk to me directly, you know?” Richard said as if he was there with them. “The rookies and I are outside.”

She had to assume he meant the three trainees in space uniforms she’d met at Julian’s old flat because they didn’t say anything on the comms.

“It’s an open channel, Rachel,” Scott explained. “You can hear anything anyone says and vice versa.”

“Scott, we’re already down here.” Noel’s thin voice made her instinctively look around for him.

“Us too.” Another voice added, which probably belonged to Toz.

“Almost there.” The last voice was deep and hoarse. She hadn’t heard it before, she assumed it was the other engineer, Mo.

“On our way to the hatch,” Scott informed his team and traced the holo-circle on the bulkhead of the outer bridge. Rachel had wanted to go with Kieran—he and Noel had taken Bridge Three, the one with his latest mural. She never had a chance to see it live with all the shit that was going on. Rachel, we talked about this, Scott had scolded her and after a few eye rolls she was following him to Bridge Four.

There was a metal plate towards the end she had never noticed before. It was the same dark beige as the tiles around it with blotches of black and brown discolouration. Scott tapped on its corner and a screen appeared. There was a high pitch hiss and the plate popped down, swaying from the thick golden hinge. A metal ladder led to the space below, the light of the bridge barely penetrating all the way to the hidden floor beneath.

“Shine some light for me,” Scott said as he placed his foot on the first rung.

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