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B oth of our wristbands chimed at the same time. I glanced at my screen to see that Hazel had sent us a group message. The wristbands ping to the NL suite.

“No surprise,” Frank said. “You didn’t tell her the suite was empty, did you?”

“Not yet. Doing that now.” I replied to the group so Frank could see it. We were just in the suite. There’s no one there. The wristbands probably were, but we were short on time and didn’t look.

Hazel’s singular response was a curse word. Then three dots appeared, telling us there was more to come. I cannot do anything about this yet, but I am contacting FAN immediately. Will let you know.

“Doesn’t matter what she does,” Frank said. “I’m not waiting.”

“What are you going to do? Go to the library and confront them?”

“Not exactly. I am going to ask to speak to Nostromo, and once I get him alone, I will get some answers. I’ll bring him back here if need be. This ends today.”

As much as I appreciated Frank’s willingness to act, I didn’t want him getting into trouble, either. “I know you’re upset. I am, too. So much that, like you, I feel like I could do just about anything, regardless of the consequences. But we have to be smart about this.”

He went still, then exhaled. “You’re right.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I am furious about this. We took those people in, promised them safe passage, gave them shelter, fed them, and this is how they treat us?”

“It’s reprehensible.” I went to him and took his hands in mine. “But if we show our cards, they’ll have the upper hand, and there’s no telling what they might do. We need to find the missing people first.”

He nodded and tipped his forehead against mine. “That’s … yes, you’re right again.”

We stayed like that a moment, then he straightened. “Any ideas about what we do next?”

I let go of him and took a seat on the couch. “Since we can’t track the missing with their wristbands and we know they aren’t in the suite, we have to figure out where the Ohuli would have taken these people.”

Frank took a seat in his recliner. “They can’t be keeping them in the rooms the Ohuli were first assigned or housekeeping would have reported it. Assuming the Ohuli don’t still have access to those rooms.”

“I doubt that, but we could check, and for that reason alone it feels too easy.”

“Agreed.” He shook his head. “They haven’t had access to a lot of other places on the starliner, except the library.”

“And there’s nowhere for them to hide hostages in there.

I’d know.” I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, chin in hands.

“None of this makes sense. Why would they do something like this while they’re guests of the Athos ?

They need us far more than we need them.

We are doing them a favor. A big one. Without us, they’d still be adrift in space, powerless to go anywhere. ”

“I know. I know.” Frank stared ahead, but I doubted he was seeing much except what was going on inside his head. He had that look, like his thoughts were taking over.

“What is it?”

“I keep trying to come up with other explanations for this, and I can’t. Not in a way that makes sense.” He looked over. “Do you want to go get Harry? We might be at this a while.”

“I don’t know. He was pretty happy watching the new documentary I put on for him this morning.” I wondered if those Venus flytraps were still on. Suddenly, I inhaled sharply.

Frank glanced at me. “What?”

I put my hand out. “I have an idea. It’s crazy.”

“Can’t be any stranger than the things I’ve been thinking.”

“I don’t want to be right, but what if this whole thing is a ruse?” I turned toward him. “What if they were never really stranded?” I swallowed at the thoughts filling my head. “We know there’s something weird with their vessel, right?”

“Right.”

“So weird, the analysis said it was pregnant.”

“That could still be some kind of anomaly. We never got new samples.”

“Let’s say it’s not an anomaly. Let’s say those results were spot-on.”

His eyes narrowed. “So the Ohuli ship is pregnant. Or in some way reproducing. What does that mean?”

“When the female of any species is pregnant, she needs more food, more nutrients, more calories. It’s the only way to grow a strong, healthy baby.”

“All true. Still not sure where you’re going with this.”

“We know nothing about that ship. About what kind of nutrients it might need.” I stared at him, wondering if the horror I was feeling showed on my face.

“Okay, but—” His eyes widened. “You don’t think…”

“I have no idea, but we need to get to that ship now.”

“But your daughter put guards at the docking bay. The Ohuli wouldn’t be able to get back on it.”

“Those guards were placed there after Zanya and Sten went missing.”

He paled. “Els, we need to get onto that ship.”

I nodded as I stood, feeling sick to my stomach. “I know.”

He jumped up, and we headed for the door. We raced to the docking bay, stopping only when we were confronted by the guards.

“You need to let us in,” Frank said.

“No admittance,” the guard on the left replied.

I did the one thing I really disliked doing. “My daughter is Vice-Admiral Perry. You need to let us through.”

“I cannot do that, ma’am.”

Glowering at the man, I called Hazel. I knew he was just doing his job, but people’s lives were at stake. She didn’t answer. I growled softly as I texted her. Hazel, we need access to the Ohuli ship now. Tell the guards.

Frank glanced at me.

All I could do was frown back. “Waiting on her response.”

My wristband chimed with an incoming call. Hazel. I answered.

“What’s going on, Mom?”

“Frank and I need access to their ship now . We think the missing might be on it.”

Her brow furrowed. “Turn the screens to the guards.”

I did as she asked. Both men came to attention and saluted.

She saluted back. “At ease, men. These two have my permission to board the Ohuli vessel.”

The guard on the left nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Both guards immediately stood aside.

I faced the screen toward me again. “Thanks, Hazel.”

“Tell me the minute you find them.”

“Will do.” I hung up.

Frank was already at the keypad, punching in his code. The door opened, releasing a draft of cold air. We went through. Halfway to the Ohuli ship, the temperature change was instantly noticeable. It went from starkly cold to oddly warm and a little humid.

The way into the ship was blocked.

I frowned. “I thought the door to the ship was supposed to remain open while tethered.”

Frank nodded. “That’s my understanding, too.” He put his hand on the door, then immediately pulled it back.

“What’s wrong?”

He gave me a strange look. “That’s not a hatch. At least, it’s not like any I’ve ever touched before.”

“What do you mean?” I stuck my hand out, my fingers gingerly brushing against whatever lay between us and the craft’s interior.

It felt like skin, warm and fleshy and alive.

I shivered as I took my hand away. “It’s like that membrane we felt when we went into the ship the first time. This isn’t good.”

“We could probably cut through it,” Frank said, reaching for his multipurpose tool.

“But what if they are in there and cutting through this membrane causes the ship to react in a way that has consequences? If this vessel really is alive, it might feel pain, and it might respond accordingly. We can’t risk the lives of those people.”

Frank gave a quick nod. “You have a better idea?”

I glanced again at the membrane keeping us from entering. If this thing was really alive, there was definitely a way to go about this that would keep everyone safe. At least, I thought there was. “All starcraft have more than one exit, right?”

He nodded. “Yes. So this one should, too.”

“Then in that case, I do have an idea.”