The Syn-En Solution by Linda Andrews Page B

can’t believe anything this delicate could survive in space let alone go undetected on one of our ships.”
    “She couldn’t have for long. I think she was pulled aboard with the wreckage, but there’s no damage to her stasis chamber.” The hair implanted into Bei’s synthetic skin stood on end. He surveyed the rectangular stasis unit, not finding any matches to the writing in any of the Command In Control’s databases. The human had no ident chip and no metal plating on her bones for space travel. His mind swarmed with the implications. Not one outcome was good. Most made no sense. What was the woman doing here? Shang’hai tear that stasis chamber apart. I want to know where she comes from. How she got here. Everything .
    Shang’hai’s almondine eyes narrowed. “Aye, Admiral.”
    Doc Cabo lifted the lid of the human’s right eye. The pupil didn’t react to the white light that was emitting from his tan finger. He glanced over his shoulder at Bei, standing near the citizen’s feet. Admiral, I don’t know how long she can remain this way before death becomes permanent .
    For a moment, Bei allowed himself the luxury of options. If she never woke up, the Syn-En might not have to return to Earth, might not have to acknowledge their failed bid for freedom. But he had to protect the citizen. The drive went beyond duty to something more, something deeper. Almost an instinct. He nodded to Doc. Bring her around .
    The emergency blanket crinkled when Doc tugged the woman out of Shang’hai’s arms and laid her carefully into the life pod’s dark interior. The unit didn’t power on at her presence. Was it because her life signs didn’t register? Or something else?
    As soon as Doc released her, an air current carried the citizen toward the ceiling.
    Bei grabbed her slim ankles and pressed them against the cushioned interior while the Chief held her down by the shoulder. How could the citizen possibly think she could save the Syn-En? Had Earth known about the collapsed wormhole? Chief, where are the mutineers ?
    Sensors report they’re in Cargo Bay twelve . Chief Rome’s white teeth glowed in his feral smile. They’re attempting to start Starflight ’s engines. Shall I lock them down until intercept ?
    Negative . Their surprise pinged Bei’s WA receiver. Even if another strike team managed to arrive in the next five minutes, no weapon on board could penetrate the Starflight ’s hull. The mutineers would destroy his ship from the inside before leaving, killing everyone on board. After all, there was only one way for Faso to go and they would soon follow. With the wormhole collapsed, the return to Earth was inevitable.
    Doc unraveled plastic tubing from a compartment in his arm, removed the sterile covering from one of needles at the end and pierced the citizen’s jugular. A whirring sound filled the cargo bay as he pumped, cleaned and oxygenated the cyanide-laced blood through the unit located in his left bicep. Once the treated blood spurted from the free needle, he inserted it into the woman’s carotid artery. I’m running a full panel on her fluids. That should give us a good idea of her point of origin and places she’s visited .
    Chief Rome placed the woman’s arm across her belly. It rose lifelessly toward the ceiling. You have a plan to get down to the surface of Terra Dos without the Oppenheims and the Starflight s?
    While Bei admired his men’s tenacity to see the mission completed no matter the cost, he knew this time their faith in him was misplaced. They’d never reach the alien planet let alone need to land using the Starflight prototypes made from salvaged parts. He, as admiral of the fleet, would have to declare the mission a failure and order the Syn-En back to Earth.
    So many of his people had died for nothing.
    I came here to save you .
    The citizen’s words replayed across Bei’s cerebellum. There was no saving the Syn-En, only servitude and death. His fingers bit into the woman’s soft