He shrugged and picked up her pack. "It's probably going to stay warm in here until the outside temps drop."

She squinted. "It wasn't hot in here before."

He shoved fresh rations in her pack for tomorrow. "The internal climate controls were shut down to save power."

For a while, she didn't say anything. "So the ship is losing more power?"

He paused and looked at her. He could give her some technobabble, but he was pretty sure it wouldn't help.

"Yes. You might want to make your cleanup short."

She nodded fatalistically and threw his shirt over her shoulder. "If you need me, I'll be washing the stench of doom from my body." She turned and wandered into the lav.

He made sure the door was shut before he spoke. "Reene, how bad is the power situation?"

"Levels are down another twenty percent. Two out of our three cells are no longer functioning and require complete replacements. The third will be done in approximately thirty-five hours."

He swore softly. Time was running out and once it was gone, they were as good as dead. This was not going as he'd hoped. The answer was in that dome, and tomorrow they had to find it.

"Reene, when you get down to ten percent power, I want you to initiate a Mayday signal to Cohl and Rayce. Include our coordinates and a sit-rev so they know what to expect."

"Would you like me to send it now, sir? It may be safer."

"We still have tomorrow." Dragging someone else into this mess was going to be his very last resort. He didn't want the crater littered with the shot-down ships of all his friends.

"Understood."

Fifteen minutes later, Zain had finished. The packs were restocked, rifle checked and fully charged. He also stowed the sleeping pads and blankets. He wantedto be ready in a hurry. Just in case his danger sense was screaming for good reason.

He headed to the front cabin, past the lav where Lacey was singing dreadfully. "Reene, let's see what you've got from those scans," he said.

He hadn't even made it to his seat before a miniature holographic image rose from his console. A grid-work of massive tunnels several levels deep appeared, loaded with thousands of capsules like the ones teleported in.

"Damn." He sat down slowly. "Reene, give me a scale on this." A human body appeared in one of the levels, dwarfed by the size of the tunnels.

He heard Lacey behind him, just before she slid into the copilot chair. "Ooooo, cool. A holographic image?"

He glanced at her and then did a double take, torn between the holo-image and his shirt on her body. Two perfect nipples pushed through the thin material.

He forced his mind to behave. "It's a similar technology, but a bit more sophisticated in its integration and cognizant capabilities."

"You have the best toys," she said in awe.

"No, you can't take it home with you."

She replied in a huff, "I could recreate it. I'd just need about fifty years and a couple billion dollars."

He didn't doubt that for a minute. He had a feeling Lacey Garrett could do whatever she put her mind to.

"Reene, any idea what we're looking at?"

The computer responded. "The structure has a diameter of approximately ten kilometers, with its center directly beneath the building. It is at least twenty-levels deep, but I am unable get specific enough information about the contents of those levels."

"Holy smokes," Lacey said. "That's under us?" Her blue eyes were wide and worried. And she didn't even know what he knew.

"Could be a storage facility," he said hopefully. He told Reene, "Storage containers were teleported in. Teleportal transport shippers. No markings."

"My scanners cannot examine the containers. Perhaps they have security liners." Zain stared at the tunnels. Security liners. An interesting development and very unsettling. "We need to go down there."

"Sir, I would not recommend that particular plan."

Lacey's jaw dropped. "I wouldn't recommend that particular plan either."

He smiled. Did she ever agree with him? "We aren't getting much accomplished up here."

Hurt flashed on her eyes. "I'm doing the best I can, Zain."

"I know that," he replied softly, trying to stop her subconscious flinch. Bob had really damaged her. "But I'm beginning to think the dome is irrelevant. The real clues must be underground. I'll also guess that's what the energy field and lasers are protecting. And if I'm right, the controls are down there, too."

Lacey crossed her arms. "Do you know what happens whenever you go into deep, dark places in a horror movie? Bad tilings. I say we put this underground exploration idea up for vote. I vote 'no.' "

He shrugged. "Fine. You can stay up here with Bobzilla."

She narrowed her eyes. "I can shoot Bobzilla."

A grin tugged at his mouth. "Aren't you curious about what's down there?"

She glared at him. "You obviously haven't seen Aliens. Curiosity kills."

"Not if you handle it right." He leaned on his console. "Reene, where's the entrance?"

"There is no detectable entrance."

"Of course not," Zain said with a sigh. "I don't suppose we could make our own?" "The ceiling of the first level is fifty meters down. Our weapons will not penetrate that far."

He was running out of options. The answers were underground; he could feel it.

"Keep looking. There must be a way in," Zain said.

There was a pause. "Yes, sir."

"I'm transmitting sketches of the dome images to you," Zain told Reene as he downloaded Lacey's work from the datapad. "One of the layers may be coordinates. Also, I think the dots in the ceiling are a type of star map that matches the coordinates in those images. See if you can verify."

Lacey gaped at him. "When did you figure that out?"

"When the portals went off," he admitted.

Reene replied, "I will do the best I can, sir. I used significant energy to run the scans. I no longer have recharge capabilities."

"Damn," he whispered. He couldn't lose Reene. "I'm sorry.""It is not your fault."Zain shook his head. Yes, it was. Reene took orders from him. Just like Crista had. Blindly, they trusted him to make the right decisions to keep them safe.

"I won't let you shut down, Reene."

"I appreciate that, sir."

Lacey looked at Zain, real concern in her eyes. He wished he could tell her everything was going to be all right. But that would be lying.

Chapter Nine.

A chorus of sirens tore through Lacey's sleep. She bolted awake, her mind struggling to put order to the blaring alarms, the shaking ship, and Reene's techno chatter. Oliver scrambled off her as she fumbled with her covers and twisted around to find Zain sitting at the controls. Dawn filtered through the viewport.

"We have nine targets .. ." Reene was saying just as the ship took a hard lurch to the right.

"Zain?"

"Fire at will, Reene," he shouted. The ship took a vicious blow and shifted sideways.

Lacey pulled herself over the edge of the bunk and onto the floor as the ship rattled and shook. A large scaly black face filled the viewport, and Lacey screamed. The Bobzilla opened his mouth and tried to take a big bite of the glass, giving them an up close and personal look at a nasty set of teeth. When that didn't work, it swung its big head and rapped its jaw against the glass, leaving a saliva swipe across it. The window held, and Bobzilla roared in displeasure.

"Sir, they are too close," Reene said over the sound of firing guns and bellowing Bobzillas. "I can't protect the-"

The ship leaned hard to the left and stayed there, suspended in time for what seemed like eternity. Oliver skidded across the corridor in front of Lacey, appearing unharmed but none too happy.

"Lacey, hold on to something," Zain yelled over his shoulder. Then the entire ship rolled and Lacey's world turned upside down. She tumbled over the bunk, hit the wall, and landed on the ship's ceiling in a heap. She heard Oliver's yowl as she grasped for something, anything solid and safe. The ship was upside down now and doing a slow rock and roll.

Seconds later, Zain helped her to her feet. "Are you okay?" he asked, standing over her wearing nothing but shorts. Three thick scars lined his beautiful chest. Damn. That must have hurt. She latched on to his solid biceps for support as the ship lurched again.

"I'm fine. What's happening?"

Before he could answer, the ship did another pitch and roll. Zain grabbed her by the waist and threw her down under the bunk, landing on top of her. The warmth of his bare skin was lost in the disorientation of the ship rolling all the way back over again, tossing them between the wall and bunk before landing with a shudder.

"Sir, we are sustaining considerable damage to the fins, the hull, power cells, all weapons systems ..." Reene's voice distorted, then faded out.

Loud thumps reverberated through the inside of the ship as the Bobzillas used the ship for drum practice.

"You stay here," Zain yelled, rushing toward the back of the ship. "Reene, open the rear hatch."

Lacey stared after him in disbelief. "Do not tell me you are going out there," she shouted over the nonstop banging. When he didn't answer, she stumbled off the bunk and into the back room. Equipment and paintings littered the floor, and the hatchway was open. She could hear gunfire outside.

"How many Bobzillas, Reene?"

"Four are still.. ."-more static-"attacking."

She cringed, remembering what Zain said about being able to hold off only one. She didn't want to think about what would happen if he couldn't handle all those Bobzillas. For a second, she stood in the center of the mayhem clenching her fists, listening to buckling metal and the battle outside.

"I don't want to do this," she said to no one. And no one answered because she was it, and no matter how scared she was, no matter how much she wanted to run, if anything happened to Zain .. . Oh, hell. He might be an alien but dammit, he was her alien.

"Reene, where are Zain's other guns?"

"Com ..."-static-"partments.

She popped open a few nearby cabinets until she found a rack of long rifles. Grabbing the biggest she thought she could handle, she checked the firingmechanism. Trigger control. Apparently, guns were guns everywhere.

"Leave the door open, Reene. We'll be right back." She hit the sand running.

Zain fired a salvo into the closest Bobzilla's groin. That should bring the bastard to its knees. It did, but not for very long. Only a few remained after Reene's guns gave out, but damn, these were persistent predators. Zain used a dead carcass for cover and fired everything he had at the three Bobzillas bearing down on him. Another one was trying to flip the ship again. Reene couldn't take much more.

A flash of white caught his eye, and a second stream of laser fire joined his. Old memories flashed back, deja vu so strong, he nearly froze up. The bad odds, the guns, Crista ...

"Lacey, get back inside!"

She stood out in the open, wearing nothing to protect her except his sleeveless shirt as she fired on the Bobzilla clawing at his ship.

"I don't think you're in any position to order me around," she yelled back. .

Damn stubborn woman.

"Get in the ship!" he ordered again, trying to control his raging anger as he fired again at the beasts. She was going to get herself killed, and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

"Tell me you don't need the help." She sidestepped a swooping claw, and he gritted his teeth against the visions that flashed in his head. Unfortunately, he was too busy fending off three relentless and hungry Bobzillas to argue. He spared her another glance. She wielded the rifle with ease and surprising good aim. Maybe she wasn't as vulnerable as he thought. And as much as it killed him to admit, he did need the help.

"Go for the eyes and groin," he called just as a claw sliced through the air with a whoosh. He tucked and rolled to a new position. The creatures took turns coming at him, roaring and swatting at the lasers slicing through their thick skin before backing off once more.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Lacey's Bobzilla stumble away. Relief eased through him. One more down.

"Get in the ship, Lacey. I can handle these three," he called to her.

Then her laser fire joined his at the remaining Bob-zillas. Dammit, he was going to have a little conversation with the woman on the importance of following direct orders. Not that it would do any good, but at least he'd feel better. The Bobzillas flailed in the cross fire, tossing their heads and clawing the air. After a few more seconds of unrelenting attack, they retreated, roaring and giving angry growls as they went.

Zain stepped from cover and scanned the perimeter for activity, but found no new attackers. Five dead carcasses littered the hot sand. It was going to smell real nice in a day or two.

"We did it!" Lacey shouted. She ran up to him waving her rifle. She stopped in front of him, eyes wide and slightly unfocused, energized from adrenaline. He knew she'd crash hard when she came down from herrush. Then she would realize what she'd just done and how foolish it had been.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he barked.

She flinched, stunned; then anger hardened her expression. "You are very welcome."

He stepped up to her, hissing through his teeth. He was out of control and he didn't care. "You could have gotten eaten."

"As opposed to getting rolled to death inside Reene?" Her body vibrated with anger as she stabbed a finger at him. "You get this straight, Zain: This is my life and I'm going to have some say over what happens to it. If you think I'm going to let you order me around, you're dead wrong. You got yourself a partner, so deal with it."

Oh great. Now they were partners. He growled with frustration and turned to walk away before he said something rash. He was a warrior. He was supposed to maintain control at all times.