Ajos: The Restitution - A Sci-fi Alien Romance, Book 1, стр. 2
Xul grunted, his eyes narrowing a bit.
It was a conversation for another time.
In silence, they watched the machines work and when he looked over at the human females, it seemed as if they were all holding their collective breaths.
The machines whirred for ages before the undeniable sound of a saw breaking through resistance and meeting air filled the area.
For one moment, it was as if they all held their breaths.
Relief shot through him, though he did not show it.
One of the humans jumped in excitement, her joy barely contained, while the other three gripped each other in elation.
The commander’s shoulders lost some tension as he released a breath.
They’d done it. On the thirteenth try, they’d done it.
Yet, within himself, Ajos’ unease grew.
Rolling his shoulders, he frowned.
This was not like that time—that time that threatened to invade his consciousness with memories of old.
This was different. Nothing was going to hap—
V’Alen stepped forward suddenly, his eyes flashing. His cybernetic limbs glistened in the light.
“Wait,” he said, and his voice caused the humans to hush. “Something is wrong.”
Without realizing it, Ajos’ hand stiffened on his spear.
He could feel his life organ speed up…feel the memories returning, the doom surrounding him.
He uttered a silent prayer underneath his breath.
May the gods of Tonvuhiri prove him wrong.
“What do you mean?” one of the humans asked.
V’Alen raised his hand, his head tilting slightly. “There is a signal.”
“A what?” another human asked.
V’Alen paused, his head slowly tilting as he looked up into the sky.
“A signal,” he repeated. “One that began broadcasting as the hold was breached.”
Ajos followed his friend’s gaze, his eyes searching the nothingness once more.
“The signal grows stronger,” V’Alen muttered.
“What signal? Speak, brother,” Xul pressed. The sudden tension in his voice was clear.
V’Alen hesitated and Ajos knew he was scanning. “A signal.” He paused again, reading the information they could not see. “One whose origin is from within the stasis hold itself. Its destination…”
It went unsaid.
They all knew who the signal was for.
It was heading straight to the High Tasqals—the same terrible race that had enslaved so many beings for so long and the same race they’d defied to retrieve the stasis hold.
“We have to get inside, get the women out, and kill that signal. Now!” One of the humans, one with long, pale filaments, touched Xul on the arm, insistence in her eyes.
Xul grunted. “Athena is right. If they find us—”
Ajos growled softly.
The humans might not know it, but all the brothers did.
It was too late for that.
The signal was already out there.
The strange feeling growing in the pit of his stomach…this was what it meant…
“Qrak,” someone cursed.
As the machines continued whirring again, Ajos made up his mind.
“We cannot wait.” He was moving before he even finished speaking.
The commander met his gaze and jerked his head in agreement.
Nothing was said, but they both knew what needed to be done.
If they didn’t kill that signal, whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good for any one of them.
“Xul.” The Arois’ eyes glowed. He was deep in the mind-meld, so much so that his voice didn’t come from his lips. It sounded otherworldly, as if it echoed in the open space. “The humans…” the Arois said, “they’re all waking…”
Ajos froze.
No.
“What do you mean they are all waking?” Xul turned to the Arois.
The Arois staggered somewhat and the humans by his side grabbed on to him to steady him.
“All awake. So many minds.” The Arois grimaced. “Terrified. Panicked.”
No.
Not again.
Ajos could hardly breathe.
The gods could not be so cruel to make him relive the one thing that had torn him apart from the inside out.
He knew how this ended.
The roar that cut through the space sounded like it came from his body but Ajos didn’t think about it as he charged against the metal hole the machines had already outlined.
He lodged his spear into the outline, but there was hardly any give. As he moved back to slam his shoulder against the outline in the metal once more, he hardly heard the concerned cries of the humans behind him.
His mind was on one thing, the females within the hold. The same ones waking up from cryo-sleep only to find themselves trapped with no way out.
He didn’t want to hear their cries…he didn’t want to hear their screams.
If he had to relive this again, he wasn’t sure he would survive this time.
“Status!” he shouted over his shoulder as he took another few steps backward to charge at the hold once more.
“The pods…” the Arois spoke and his voice halted. He sounded strained, and when Ajos turned to look back at the male he saw why.
Yce was overloading his neurons. So much so that his blue skin was like a shining white beacon. He was sure the male couldn’t keep it up for much longer.
“The pods are failing…” Yce spoke and the world disappeared from around Ajos.
Suddenly, he was back on that ship, back in that time, the same words ringing in his ears.
“The pods are failing!”
Screams for mercy filled the ship’s hold.
“Save me, Ajos. Please!”
“What do you mean the pods are failing?!” one of the four humans shouted and the fear in her voice snapped Ajos back to reality.
“The pods are shutting down,” the Arois repeated. “The humans are all awake.”
“But that’s okay, right?” asked another one of the humans. “It’s okay if they wake up, right? Right?!”
“No…” Ajos stepped back, staring at the structure.
The dark gray of the huge metal box hardly had a dent in it from his efforts.
“They will not be okay.” He swallowed hard as he backed away even farther to charge forward again. “This is the work of the High Tasqals.”
“Breaching the hold’s integrity has created a sort of self-destruct. And that signal was the first trigger.” V’Alen delivered the news.
The sharp gasp of one of the humans caught Ajos’ ear but he didn’t need to turn to see the distress on her face.
This had to be a curse, for he couldn’t believe it was happening again.
Pledging his life to the