Deadly Mission by Max Chase Read Free Book Online

spread across his crimson face. The lumps protruding from his neck twitched. “What?!”
    â€œWe don’t know where we are. The ship’s sustained great damage. It needs repairing. Most of all …I’m exhausted. The ship doesn’t fly without me as pilot.”
    â€œI suppose we have no choice!” Otto said slowly. “It’s a shame! Your companion, Selene, must be missing you terribly!”
    Peri turned to the
Phoenix
’s controls to hide his anger. How could Otto lie to his face?
    But what were the Meigwors lying about? Whatever it was, Selene was in real danger.
    Don’t worry, Selene
, he thought.
We’re coming for you!

Chapter 10
    Otto stomped toward the controls. His tongue flicked out and narrowly missed Peri’s nose. “Show me these damage reports!” he said.
    â€œSure,” Peri said, changing the display on the 360-monitor.
    As Otto studied the reports, Diesel spoke. “Can I meet your prince? I’m sure he’d want to thank me. I did rescue him, after all.”
    Otto spun around and glared at the gunner. “Not on your life, half-Earthling!” he snapped. “I must send a message tomy general and tell him about your incompetence!”
    â€œ
Our
incompetence?” shouted Diesel. “I think you’ll find
we’re
the ones who saved
your
stupid long neck.”
    Otto flicked his black tongue across his lipless mouth like a lizard.
    â€œCome on, Diesel,” Peri said, “help me to the Med Center.” The last thing he needed was another fight breaking out between Otto and Diesel. He needed time to think and talk to his gunner without the Meigwor around. “Give Otto the bridge so he can send his message.”
    Diesel nodded, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Otto. “Don’t make yourself too comfortable.”
    Peri let Diesel support him to the nearest portal. All he had to do was think of the Med Center, and when the portal hissedopen, there it was. In the center of the room, a medical table lay waiting. Around it the latest medical technology clicked and whirled.
    As the portal closed, Diesel coughed nervously and Peri glanced at him.
    â€œThere’s something I need to tell you, Diesel,” Peri said.
    â€œYou’re not human, are you?” Diesel said bluntly. “After what happened on Xion, you can’t deny it. You have superstrength. You can send out a pulse that stops laser fire—I checked the inventory; we don’t have a gadget that does that. So what are you?”
    Peri stared at his gunner, trying to decide whether he could trust him with the truth. Diesel was not fully human, either. He was half-Martian, and the son of an emperor. In a way, he was as different as Peri.
    Peri glanced at the portal. Otto wouldn’tbe able to hear them here. “My full name is Experiment. I’m part bionic. I was modified by my parents to operate the
Phoenix
. I think being on the ship flipped some sort of bionic switch inside me.”
    Diesel’s eyes opened wide. “No kidding? You’re part of the ship! I always thought there was something weird about you.”
    â€œBut you can’t tell anyone,” Peri warned. “If the Meigwors find out, they’ll never let us go. I’ve got to fully recharge, and then we’ve got to find out what Otto’s really up to.”
    Peri scanned all the buttons and dials in the Med Center. He closed his eyes and stretched out one hand. He needed to concentrate on what the ship wanted him to do. He started to walk, being pulled like metal to a magnet. His fingers tingled. He opened his eyes and punched the glowing button beneath his hand.
    The Med Center went dark, and thousands of thin blue lines of light scanned Peri from every angle. The lights flashed on, and a deep-blue pulse shot from the button he pressed and zapped him right between the eyes. He heard the computer voice inside his head:
Energy low.