The Gorison Traveler Incident - Laurann Dohner Page 0,1

the vid device moving fast enough that the reception on it blurred. She got flashes of laser blasts hitting the Ke’ters but they didn’t fall or slow their attacks. It was clear the weapons couldn’t pierce their scales. Damage occurred to their uniforms only.

Mikey backed up, his weapon still firing.

“Vivian, alert the commander!”

She was too shocked to respond, still watching as the aliens leapt on security officers, taking them to the floor and ripping open their bellies.

More screams and shouting. The laser fire almost drowning his next words.

“Dad! They killed Dad!”

She shoved out of her chair and rushed to the wall panel next to her door, hitting the button for security.

A calm male voice answered. “What is your emergency?”

“The Ke’ters are attacking everyone at the team leader debriefing. They’re killing them!”

“What?”

“I’m watching it! Big M is dead! Oh my god. Send security! Help them. The Ke’ters are murdering everyone!”

“This better not be a joke.” He sounded upset though, his voice raising to almost a shout.

“Help them!”

He ended the call, and she rushed back to her desk where her vid device sat. Mikey had retreated to the back of the room, still firing on the aliens.

“Help is coming. Hang on, Mikey!”

He turned his vid device, and Vivien stared into his shocked eyes. “Get to Control One. Lock in,” he ordered. His gaze left hers—then terror flashed across his face.

Something hit him and the vid device went flying. It landed on the floor.

All she could see was the ceiling…but she heard screams, shouting, and more laser fire.

Forever seemed to pass but it had to be less than a minute in reality. It grew eerily quiet, with only some low moans and hissing sounds.

Was Mikey alive?

She sat there in stunned silence, afraid to say a word. They’d hear her if they were close enough to the open vid device. Ke’ters had excellent hearing. It was one of the few known facts about them.

“We take the ship,” a robotic voice stated, soft, but she was able to hear it. “We will bring our planet plenty of food.”

Horror seeped into her bones, making Vivian feel ice-cold.

They were talking about people. Krrnt Sheesk had said humans were tasty. There were six hundred and twenty-three humans aboard the ship.

Vivian reached out, ended the connection and ran for the wall safe. Big M had given her a laser rifle. He’d also taught her self-defense and various fighting methods in the hopes she’d one day become a security officer.

The rifle wouldn’t do her much good. She’d seen how ineffective lasers had been on the aliens. But she removed her dad’s tactical blade and belt. Big M had presented them to her at the funeral of his best friend, her father. She’d never used it, but Big M had trained her with knives, too.

She walked to the door, strapping on the too-large belt to sheathe the blade, and flipped on the monitor that showed the corridor beyond. No one waited outside and no other crew members were in sight.

She gripped the handle of the blade and opened the door, stepping out.

Control One was four decks up and on the other side of the ship.

Her heart pounded as she made her way to the lift and pushed to call it to her deck. She backed up, prepared to fight when the doors opened. Fear had her glancing around as she went over what she knew about the Ke’ters.

Twenty-two of them had boarded in total. Eight were security officers, meaning they’d be good fighters. All of them were male, from what Big M had told her over dinner after they’d arrived. Meat-eaters.

She winced. “Including humans,” she whispered.

The lift opened, blessedly empty of life. She rushed inside and hit the button. The doors sealed and she backed into a corner, keeping a firm grip on the knife handle. She only hoped she wouldn’t have to use it—and if she did, that it was sharp enough to pierce scales.

The doors opened on Deck Seven and she inched forward, not hearing any sounds of fighting. The alarms on the ship hadn’t gone off, either. That confused her. They were under attack. Security should have done that much, at least. It was procedure.

She walked down the corridor—and froze when she heard someone scream.

Vivien threw herself against the wall, turning her head in the direction of the sound. The corridor curved up ahead and whatever was happening, it was close. She slid forward, pulling the long blade out of her belt.

The scream cut off, and seconds later