Page 258 of Gladiators of the Vagabond Boxset

“A proximity alarm? Are you in a debris field?” Da’vi barked over the line.

My eyes darted to the windows at the front of the bridge, where I could see big chunks of broken ship floating, along with scattered smaller pieces of wreckage.

That was a yes, so I nodded—before I realized that he couldn’t see me.

He responded anyway. “Okay, go to the console where the alarm is flashing. It sounds like the ship you’re on is no longer using its automatic meteor defense system. You need to engage it.”

That sounded terribly complex, and I almost started hyperventilating as I pushed off the wall and floated toward the scary console.

What if I pressed the wrong button and fired a weapon?

That would be horrible. I could already see it flashing in front of my eyes, explosions all around, and myself going up in a fiery ball.

Da’vi’s low voice was calmly describing some kind of icon I needed to locate, and I forced myself to focus on that. No negative thoughts. Just find the stupid icon and press it—this wasn’t rocket science; even a school dropout like me could do it.

The alarm turned off the moment I touched the button, and I froze in place. Was it the right one? Had I done it? Suddenly, a God-awful rattling sound erupted, and it felt like the entire bridge was shaking around me. Had I just blown something up? This couldn’t be right.

“Good job,” Da’vi barked out. “Now, how about I tell you how to turn on gravity too? If the rust bucket you’re in can still do it.

” My head swung around to stare at the console his voice was coming from.

Turn gravity on? That would be such a blessing, but I couldn’t quite believe that I’d just done things correctly.

I was still expecting the bridge to shake apart.

“Come back here, I’ll talk you through it,” he said, his voice turning a little more cajoling.

I responded to that tone, my spine tingling at the deep sounds, now filled with what almost sounded like kindness.

Pushing off, I floated over to the pilot area to land next to the console with the open call.

I leaned over the screen, wondering if it was any of the many buttons here that I had to push.

“How do I do that?” I asked when Da’vi didn’t speak.

I heard a sharply drawn-in breath, then what sounded like some kind of growl, as if he were annoyed, and I froze, worried that I’d pissed him off.

I shook my head, biting at my bottom lip.

No, I hadn’t said anything to make him angry.

I shouldn’t be thinking that, bad thought.

“No, damn it,” I heard him say, but his voice was more distant, softer.

Then there was some kind of rapid-fire speech—not just his voice, but another, too.

I drew in a relieved breath; he was talking to someone else.

I must have called him while he was working, not that I was sure what he did to fill his days.

I waited patiently, fidgeting back and forth in front of the console, both of my feet hooked to the chair so I wouldn’t float away.

I still hadn’t found anything better to wear, and my bare arms were covered in goosebumps, my fingers a little stiff from the cold.

It wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t so cold that it was unbearable.

A chirruping noise suddenly came through, the same kind I’d heard before.

That had to be Babbit, Da’vi’s pet; I liked that he’d introduced the animal to me the last time we spoke.

“Get away from there, knucklehead,” Da’vi rumbled, followed by some kind of hissing and growling.

“Okay, listen to me closely, Arianna, you’re going to grant me more access to your ship. ”

I was startled when I realized he was suddenly talking to me again, but I faithfully followed his instructions, locating the icons he described as best as I could and pressing them for him.

In my head, my dad was already berating me for trusting this stranger.

I shouldn’t give him access to the ship.

What if he did something bad with it? But what did I have to lose, anyway? I was going to die if not for his help.

He didn’t tell me whether it had worked or not, just suddenly stopped giving instructions.

I watched the screen, even though all it showed was a squiggly green line surrounded by the many buttons I’d pressed for him.

I wished I could see him, but I guessed that would have to wait until he actually got here.

“Hold on tight,” he ordered, and I had barely a second to brace my hands against the console when a shock ran through the ship.

I crashed down, my ankles twisting painfully where I had hooked them in the foot of the chair.

My elbows bent, and I collapsed weakly against the console, my breasts squished against the screen.

I frantically yanked myself back, hoping I hadn’t accidentally ended the call.

With a deep, husky growl to his voice, Da’vi drawled, “I did warn you.” I stuck out my tongue at the screen and rolled my eyes.

Warned me my ass, that was barely a second to prepare myself.

Not that I wasn’t grateful to finally set my feet on solid ground; this would make exploring the ship much easier.

Maybe I could now get those other crates open. I hoped there was more food inside.

What sounded an awful lot like a chuckle came over the line, and I felt heat scald my cheeks.

It wasn’t like he’d seen me stick out my tongue, but that laugh made me feel like I’d been caught red-handed.

“Thank you, Da’vi,” I told him as graciously as I could, and then my cheeks creased in a smile he couldn’t see.

I was standing again; this was a big win.

It was making me feel so much more human.

Da’vi grunted in response, and I could almost imagine him shrugging—unwilling to hear my thank you.

“It will still take a few days before the ship is ready to take off,” he said, his voice rumbling.

I closed my eyes as I listened to it, letting the low tones wash over my chilled skin.

As long as he was talking to me, I wasn’t alone, and that made me feel safe.

“Once we’re en route, it’ll be a couple of months at the very least, even if I push the engines.

Do you have enough food and water?” he said next.

My eyes shot open, my heart suddenly racing.

Did he just say months? I couldn’t last months, I didn’t have enough food, and I was pretty sure I’d go crazy if I was alone for that long.

Faintly, I murmured, “I only have enough food to last me a month…” What was the point of him even trying to get here?

I wouldn’t last that long, not without a miracle.

This was where he was going to tell me, Sorry, guess I won’t rescue you then.

I couldn’t believe that he’d been willing to go rescue a complete stranger in the first place, let alone little old me.

There was a grunt on the other side of the line.

No words, just a growly noise, and then he said, “Let me see what I can do.” The line disconnected immediately afterward, and my stomach sank into my shoes.

That was the end of that. I doubted I’d hear his voice again.

I forced the thought away, no negative thoughts welcome here.

I needed to try to figure this out. I had a ship to explore and crates to open.

I had gravity again. I needed to be a glass-half-full kind of person. I would survive.

Despite the fear that filled me and the budding stirrings of despair, I was filled with resolve as I stalked from the bridge.