0-SA (The Last Ship Series)

Chapter Fourteen: Solution

"There, is that better?" Raven put the deconstructed cuffs in her satchel. The woman saw him rubbing his wrists. The weights had been heavy and torn some of his skin, but overall he seemed alright.

Osa rubbed his ankles after they were freed and his wrists, "Yes." His wrist were the wire had touched was burned. He hummed but didn't seem to think anything of it. The Irinaut's eyes were locked on Raven. After a moment he stood and made is way to the table. The movie credits were rolling, and it was back to work for him. He picked up the same pieces from before and began putting them in place, his feathers were ruffled as he did so. Oddly, he seemed excited.

Raven moved over towards him. The soldier crossed her arms to her chest, "What about me?" Her chains clinked against one another, "That's not fair."

"Hold on." Osa finally got the strand in place. He moved the tools quickly. The inner chamber of the device began to give off a green glow. He quickly grabbed its compartment door and closed it. Suddenly the control panel for the ship turned on, the floor began to pulse in white, and the crystals on the walls began to glow by the thousands. A beeping noise could be heard as if the ship was rebooting. The Irinaut chirped in excitement, a roar escaped his throat as he clapped his hands together.

Osa jumped though, as if he had forgot something. The Irinaut moved to the control panels and sat down. The male began clicking buttons. A tube came out of the panel on the top filled with a purple liquid, but it was barely skimming the bottom of the tube. The Irinaut was clicking with haste before a screen appeared in front of him. He began talking to it, but in his own language.

Raven couldn't understand a word he was saying, but as he spoke he was frantically holding up maps, and sending files. It was obvious this was something he had been waiting for, "Osa what are you doing?"

Osa glanced at her for a moment before turning back to the screen, and hitting send. The male glanced at the valve before saying one last thing to the screen before the entire thing shut back off. He sighed before falling back in his seat, oddly looking relieved. Osa rolled his head around before looking at Raven, "It sent."

"Sent? What sent? What was that even?" Raven used the force of the chains to hold her up before looking at the now shut down computer, "What's this for anyway?"

Osa stood up and made his way into another room before a merging from it with a key. He stuck it to Raven's cuffs and they quickly dropped to the floor, "Part of the engine." He seemed, relieved, "I was able to get a distress call sent out to our mother ship and any working ships. With any luck, someone will find me, and get me out of here." Osa feathers ruffled as he held her wrists after removing the cuffs, "Better?"

Raven couldn't take her eyes off him as he spoke. As the chains hit the floor, she looked down. Osa was still holding her wrists, but he wasn't being harsh or ill towards her. Even after he had answered her question, she seemed to draw a blank at first, "I, yes it's better. Thanks." She withdrew her arms before rubbing the side of her head. The woman clasped her hands together, "So, you just wait now?"

Osa nodded, "With luck, not long, but it is hard to tell where they are or when they will receive it." As Raven pulled herself from him, his head tilted to the side. The Irinaut grunted, "Don't touch anything. Just because I took them off doesn't mean you touch my things." Osa barked this order.

Raven was just about to touch the valve with the purple liquid inside, but stopped as he called out not to, "What is that anyway?"

Osa looked at the tub, "Like fuel gauge." He began scratching his cheek, "I only had enough for one chance at transmission." The Irinaut sighed, "Without fuel this thing is never going anywhere." Osa sneered his lip, "Not without help."

Raven braced herself against the controls, thinking. The woman took a deep breath, "What if I knew somewhere you could possibly find this?"

Osa's feathers raised, "You know where to find this compound?" The Irinaut purred, his leeches pulsing on his head, "Could you take me to it?"

Raven thought about this. She couldn't believe she was even considering helping him after what they had brought here, but she couldn't bring herself to point fingers at him when he wanted out of there as much as she did. They could agree on one thing, neither of them liked the spores, "I could, possibly, but if I got you your fuel, you'd need to let me go back to my people, where I belong."

Osa oddly, had to consider this. He simply nodded, "You take me to the fuel I need, and I'll get you back safely to your home." He held out his hand, "Is that a deal, Raven?"

The woman smiled before reaching her hand out to shake his, "Deal."