Page 67 of Alien Jeopardy

God, I hope this means they’re still alive. Did they go through the same shit we just did? I have no idea.

Now I can find out, though.

My hands are still trembling badly enough that it takes me much longer than it should to set up a group chat. Water drips on the screen and I wipe it away, thinking it’s raining again, before I realize I’m crying.

Ellison: Are you all okay? Did you find your comms tablets?

I realize as soon as I’ve sent it that the second question is super redundant, seeing as how they won’t be able to message back unless they’ve located a tablet of their own.

I hope my friends are okay.

The thought turns my overwhelming fear for them into something else, something I didn’t really expect after the adrenaline rush of saving Rex and getting us safe.

Rage. Pure, unadulterated rage. Not at Poppy, though blaming her would be easy enough, or at myself, because I certainly did sign up for the damned show—but at the AI who took us from fun reality premise to actual life-or-death danger.

I’m gripping the screen so tightly that the cut on my palm opens back up, blood dripping down my thumb and over my wrist.

Selene: we’re alive

Lucy: same, barely

Poppy sends something too, but the message is blacked out as though it’s been censored.

Nothing from Lily.

I inhale, and it’s a shaky sob.

Ellison: Anything from Lily?

Poppy: Not yet

Ellison: God, I hope she’s okay. Are any of us… okay though, really?

Selene: This place is a trip, but better than some situations I’ve found myself in

Selene: Trust me, you’re all better off here, anyway

Ew. That does not sound good. My finger hovers over the comms tablet and I chew my lip. How do you even respond to that?

Poppy: fucking AI

I suppose you could completely change the conversation, instead of responding, à la Poppy.

Poppy: Bad enough AI is ruining our water supply on Earth and churning out ugly art, but now one is actively trying to kill us? I don’t love it

Ellison: his name is Ken

I’m not sure why it’s important to insist on that, but it is to me.

Selene: At least we weren’t abducted by mercenaries this time

Lucy: You want to talk about it?

Yeah, that’s pure Lu. She’s never met a stranger, I swear.

The boat rocks gently as Rex carefully moves to sit next to me, pulling me into his lap and using one wing as a sunshield.

“Thank you,” I say softly. He’s okay. We’re okay.