Stranded: Starship Renegades, #6 by S.J. Bryant

Author:S.J. Bryant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Saffron Bryant
Published: 2020-02-15T12:16:18+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Kari tossed the last of the ration packs into the cupboard and glared at the empty shelves. No one else was up yet, but she couldn't sleep. Thoughts of their food running out, and of the creatures that lurked just outside the ship had kept her wide awake. She could have blamed the switch from sleeping at night to during the day for her restlessness, but she'd never had a problem with changing her sleep schedule before.

The last dying rays of sunset glowed red through the kitchen window. It would have been beautiful if Kari didn't know the dangers that hid outside. Even the sunset itself was deadly.

A scuffle from behind and Atticus appeared at the doorway. "Evening," he said. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep."

He nodded.

"Are you having breakfast?" Kari said.

"No." Atticus fiddled with a small screw, he always seemed have some bit of machinery on him. Kari had no idea if it came from Ghost or Atticus' toolbox.

"You should eat."

Atticus looked up from the screw to meet Kari's eyes. "I saw you counting them."

"Yes."

"I've counted them too. There's not enough."

Kari nodded, not trusting herself to talk.

"Even if I could work all day and all night, I wouldn't be finished before our rations ran out. As it is now, we'll run out at least a week before I finish."

Kari snatched a ration pack from the cupboard and tossed it to the table in front of him. "Then there's no point starving yourself now."

He gave her a flat expression. "Have you eaten?"

Kari pressed her lips together.

"Exactly." Atticus sighed. "Come on, we'll share this one and try to come up with a solution."

Kari slumped into the chair beside him and ripped the plastic foil off the top of the pack, pulling out a plastic tray with four tiny compartments. Each compartment contained mush of a different color, although they all tasted the same. The bland food did nothing for her taste buds, rations rarely did, but she hoped it would ease the rumbling in her stomach. "The vines are no good. And I don't want to go back to that forest."

"So that just leaves the ponds," Atticus said.

Kari shivered. "Those things…"

"They didn't take Ryker."

"He got lucky."

"Are there any other options?"

Kari sagged in the chair; she'd already gobbled half of the ration pack and yet her stomach ached, still empty. She'd been skipping meals intermittently for the last few days and it was starting to catch up with her. Despite wracking her brain, she hadn't come up with any more ideas than Atticus had.

"It's dangerous," Kari said.

"I think we're just going to have to accept that everything about this planet is dangerous. It's better than starving to death." He scraped the last of the ration pack into his mouth and shoved the empty tray aside. "Shall we get started?"

The last of the sunlight had faded beyond the horizon while they'd been eating. Now deep night loomed beyond the windows. How many eyes stared back at them from those shadows?

Kari shook those thoughts off and stood.

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