The Deal (Shay)
“Flip that one so we can link it under the other one,” Shay said, demonstrating with her hands. It was mostly pointless because her hands were shaking so hard they probably couldn't tell what she was doing with them anyway. But she had to try. What else was there to do but try?
“Like this?” Koris turned the desk on its side.
“Yeah, and then take the chair– no, you cyst-addled flatfish brain, not like that!” Shay grabbed the chair out of his hands– or tried to, but he was a lot stronger and he held on.
“For Lua’s sake, relax,” he snapped. He jammed the legs of the chair in between the two desks that were on their sides. “Like that?”
“Yes like that,” Shay growled.
Annily looked back and forth between them. “We could all stand to relax,” she said quietly.
“How can we relax at a time like this?” Koris asked. He flung his hands out, indicating the room. “We’re cooked, Ann!”
“We aren't dead yet!” Shay shot back. “We just have to hold out. Until help comes.”
“What if there is no help coming?” Koris demanded. “What if we're the only ones left alive on this whole ship? Just us and those metal things people were turning into?”
“Then we’ll fight them off,” Shay said.
“Easy for you to say when you won't be doing any of the fighting,” Koris muttered.
“Excuse me?” Shay stalked right up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. “Say that again.”
Koris kept his mouth shut.
“Just because I shake and I'm weak and broken doesn't mean I won't fight for my life,” she snarled. “I think I know more about what it's like to have to fight for your life every damn day than most people here! How many armed thugs have you thrown rotten vegetables at or talked down or run away from, grow-lab rat?”
He flinched. She'd hit a nerve somewhere.
“And yet you're so willing to just hang back and let others do the hard parts,” Koris sneered.
Shay jerked back. “I do that because I know my own damn limits,” she hissed. “I'm no help if I'm collapsed in a crumpled heap.”
“I think one of you should take a quick walk,” Annily interjected. “Or at least a break. Get some fresh air?”
“Fucking fine.” Shay spun on her heel and walked away. Annily was right, because she was Annily and Annily was usually right. Annily didn't have Shay’s sun-hot temper even after hearing about how her brother had killed her baby sister.
At least Annily didn't have to watch it. Maybe that was why Koris was the angrier of the two of them.
B-19 was a big classroom, but it was very full right now. There were at least twenty-five people here from eight different classes, and most of them Shay didn't even know. They were clumped up into groups all along the walls, holding onto each other, some crying, some talking, some asleep. Siblings clutched at each other, just like Annily and Koris were still clutching. It made her want to throw something at them.
There was one person all by themself, though. They were sitting on top of a stack of crates, facing the wall. Like they were scared or crying and trying to hide it. Sharabi used to do that when she was really overwhelmed, just face the wall and push her palms and forehead into it.
The lone person didn't even have a light. There were only so many to go around, but since they were all alone…
“Hey,” Shay said, coming up behind them. “Did you lose your light?” She held out her globe light, slightly to the side so hopefully they could see it. “You can take mine.”
They turned around. “Thanks, kiddo. I think I will.”
This person wasn't some random stranger from another class. This was… her. Her own face, staring back at her with empty, smoking sockets for eyes. Her own plain brown curls falling all over her forehead and cheeks. Even the little nick of a scar at the corner of her mouth, from not ducking under a metal overhang fast enough while running away one time when she was eleven.
Her mouth went dry and her arms and legs started shaking, harder than she had ever shook before.
The kid that looked like her giggled. They were smiling. They didn't look like they had just been huddled, scared, against the wall.
“I can save them.” They jerked their chin over Shay’s shoulder at the others. At Delo and Railin still trying to get power to Melica's terminal. At Sirafin, crying, who understood. At Annily and Koris by the door, fucking around with more desks and holding hands.
“All of them.” The stranger with the familiar face tapped their fingers on the edge of the crate they were sitting on. “But you have to want it.” They held one hand out, offering it. “What do you say? We could shake on it.”
Save them? Save them how? Save them from the metal monsters that killed Sharabi? Save them from whatever it was that made Flis kill his baby sister and try to fucking eat Annily?
Was it even a question?
She took the offered hand and shook it.