Chapter 40

Nessa lifted the hatch to her ship and examined it. Her implant purred.

"Not now, Kommer," she groaned. "I don't want to talk to you."

She yanked back a lever. The instrument panel came alive. The engines hummed. They were awake. The glow of the instrument panels gave off enough light to see a passcode pad.

"Now to get out of here," she muttered.

The implant purred again. Nessa pushed herself up and tumbled into the seat. She gulped as guards roamed the outside. She connected to the passcode pad and looked at the ceiling for a second. With a whooshing sound, the ceiling vanished.

"Call Kommer," she said as she shut the ship's door.

The sky grew.

"What did you want?" She demanded.

"I want a status report," he said.

"I'm out of Area 51," she said. "Maybe Jamison or his mother will know how to establish trade."

Kommer pursed his lips, sighed, and then continued:

"I'm not seeing humans as being really trustworthy," he admitted.

"Jamison isn't human," she said. "His mother is; she believes he's not human. I trust her. I haven't met her, but I would trust her."

She disconnected his holofeed and switched to Jamison's.

"Maz," she said. "I'm on my way."