Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)(57)



Mason, E, LT 2nd: and there’s no zipper on this f*cking suit

ByteMe: >_>

ByteMe: are u somewhere secure for now? do you have a power source for the hand unit?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: yeah, juicing it through the wall socket. but power is intermittent. one minute we got lights, next we in pitch black. gravity keeps dropping in and out too.

ByteMe: look at you, using big words like intermittent. did the army teach you that?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: you wound me, madam

ByteMe: :P

Mason, E, LT 2nd: can’t stay in one place long. have to keep moving or else they find us.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: when we were crawling through the vents, i saw this little girl roaming the corridor below us. dragging something wet along the floor behind her

Mason, E, LT 2nd: at first i thought it was a teddybear or something. and then i realize its a heart.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: like, she’s dragging around a f*cking human heart

Mason, E, LT 2nd: and all of a sudden she looks up at the vent. like RIGHT AT ME. and she just starts screaming at the top of her lungs

Mason, E, LT 2nd: don’t look at me

Mason, E, LT 2nd: don’t look at me

Mason, E, LT 2nd: FUCKED up

ByteMe: yes. yes it is.

ByteMe: u should probably not look at her

Mason, E, LT 2nd: …

Mason, E, LT 2nd: you’re gonna get me killed, grant

Mason, E, LT 2nd: making me lol in a situ like this

ByteMe: sorry

Mason, E, LT 2nd: everyone’s looking at me like i’m crazy now

Mason, E, LT 2nd: thx 4 that

ByteMe: okay, okay. focus.

ByteMe: so. U can’t get off the ship through escape pods. u have no engines. I guess you know that. hypatia’s got the grunt to outpace you now, if our new captain decides to do it. that’s the bad news on my end.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: so why hasn’t she got you guys the hell out of here? jesus, kady, you guys should just RUN FOR IT

ByteMe: because AIDAN told her it’ll render us down to our component molecules if we try.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: holy shit

ByteMe: i don’t think it will. it’s programmed to protect us. that’s what it thinks it’s doing even now. but I guess she’s got to think it over a little, with the business end of a nuke pointing at her

ByteMe: and that gives me a window to work with

Mason, E, LT 2nd: what can you possibly do from over there? can u hack AIDAN or something?

ByteMe: don’t think so. don’t know yet. I can def slow the Hypatia down to buy more time if they decide to run.

ByteMe: maybe i can out myself to the captain, convince her to send me over. i think it would need to be an onsite hack. see if I can get together enough control to make a safe way out.

ByteMe: i don’t know. i don’t know what the answer is.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady you CAN’T come over here, do you understand?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: they’re killing people. you’ve never seen anything like it. the things they do …

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i don’t want you putting yourself in danger. if you’re evn THINKING about coming near this ship i’ll

Mason, E, LT 2nd: well

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i guess i’ll say some very bad words?

ByteMe: so i what? just wave goodbye and remember you fondly?

ByteMe: u wouldn’t leave me. I know it. i already left you alone once when you needed me.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: that doesn’t matter now. none of it does. all that matters is i love you and the thought of you safe is the only thing keeping me going

Mason, E, LT 2nd: you hear me?

ByteMe: we’re not done yet, okay?

ByteMe: there’s a way out, Ez

ByteMe: some shuttles and pods made it across here from the Alexander before the lockdown. we got them quarantined, and if the crew come up clean, we’ll take them, captain said

ByteMe: we just have to get u here somehow. i can make that happen, i just need time

Mason, E, LT 2nd: oh you f*ck f*cking f*ckitty motherf*cker

ByteMe: … um?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: no, not u

Mason, E, LT 2nd: power’s out again

Mason, E, LT 2nd: we better move. gotta go

ByteMe: k

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i meant what i said, kades. do NOT come over here. i like your heart just fine where it is thank you

ByteMe: i like yours quite a lot too. love u. be safe.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: as you wish

CURRENT DEATH TOLL ABOARD BATTLECARRIER ALEXANDER SINCE ATTACK AT KERENZA:

487

PERCENTAGE OF REMAINING BATTLECARRIER ALEXANDER PERSONNEL AFFLICTED BY PHOBOS VIRUS:

13%

Boll, Syra, Capt: How did you get in here?

Grant, Kady, Civ: Nice place you got.

Boll, Syra, Capt: What’s your name?

Grant, Kady, Civ: Seriously, you should see my quarters. Well, I say “quarters.” It’s a bunk screwed into the wall. You have art on the walls and everything.

Boll, Syra, Capt: I’m calling security.

Grant, Kady, Civ: Don’t do that, Captain. You could break me in half with one hand, I’m clearly not a threat.

Boll, Syra, Capt: What are you, then?

Grant, Kady, Civ: An opportunity.

Boll, Syra, Capt: Is that so?

Grant, Kady, Civ: You’re going to leave the Alexander. You’re going to take your chances that AIDAN won’t actually blow you away when you run for it, which is probably a risk worth taking since it is still programmed to protect us.

Amie Kaufman, Jay Kr's Books