Stealing Icarus - Chapter 6

 

Chapter 6: 

Rani's POV: 

Nithya was hanging by one hand, in the open air, on the side door’s handle with her hair, escaping its braids, waving behind her and a  plunging terror in her eyes. 

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I immediately lunged forward to pull Nithya back into the ship, but a hand wrapped around my bicep and pulled me back. It was Nate. 

‘If you grab her, there's a strong chance, you’ll fall with her. The wind is too strong. We need a rope.’ 

Tears were leaking out of Nithya’s eyes now, as she scrambled to keep her grasp on the door handle. Her other hand was waving behind her as she tried to use it to grab onto the handle. The wind was too strong, and she wasn’t able to find the strength to bring her other arm up. 

Shravya threw some shelve doors open, her eyes frantically searching for a cord of rope. Miscellaneous items flew out of the shelves as Shravya pulled out a sturdy coil of rope. Handing it to Nate, he quickly, but surely, tied a knot around a nailed down shelf. He then tied the other end around my waist, his fingers bleeding as the rough edges of the rope cut into his skin. He nodded to me as the rope was tied sturdily. I didn’t wait for a second as I ran towards the girl who was barely hanging on to the ship. 

I grabbed Nithya’s bare wrist, and a gust of strong air blew into me. My hair started to fall into my face and blew it away, using every ounce of my strength to drag her back into the ship. Finally, Nithya got her other hand to wrap around the handle, and my arms started to burn. The wind was icy, biting into my skin as Nithya hung onto me for dear life. Jay would have probably been better at pulling her up, he was the combat special, but I was closer to the door. 

Biting my lip, so hard that I drew blood, I hauled Nithya onto the cold metal floor of the Alpha. I collapsed down next to her, and delirious laughter bubbled out of my mouth. Nithya turned her head towards me and Nate shoved the door close. Nithya sat up and started to laugh as well, wiping away the tears that were flowing down her cheekbones. 

Nithya stands up, wobbly, and steadies herself by pressing her palm to the wall. She immediately winces and turns her hand so that her palm is facing up. Angry red splotches cover her palm, a result of hanging onto a metal bar so tightly and because the wind was so sharp. Nate called for Lucia since she studied medicine along with the old magical scrolls. 

Lucia offered Nithya a shaky smile, which she returned, and they walked towards the infirmary. I saw the white door when Scarlet and I first explored the ship, but I hadn’t suspected that we would need to use it so soon. 

I looked around the room. Nate was still examining the door, trying to prevent this situation from happening again. Shravya was breathing heavily and was picking up some of the items that fell out of the shelves in the moments of panic. Jay was helping Shravya and Jerry was checking the door for loose screws and whatnot. That door wasn’t supposed to open unless that plane was crashing. 

Then something occurred to me. I cleared my throat and asked, 

‘That door wasn’t supposed to open unless the plane was crashing right?’ at Shravya’s nod I continued, ‘What if the door opened because the wing was collapsing?’ 

Nate looked at Jerry, and I could basically see the gears moving in our mechanics brain as he considered the possibilities. He quirked his mouth to the side and finally said, 

‘It’s possible. I could go and check the wing? I cleared the most dangerous parts up before this whole thing happened, but if I don’t fix the smaller parts, then we’re all good as dead.’ 

Nate let out a constricted breath and nodded. He told Shravya to keep their plane steady and held in position as Jerry was checking out the wing. I looked at Scarlet. The girl who was known as cold and impassive, curled her hands into fists and was muttering something under her breath. I knew better though. Scarlet, and I went back a few years. She was cold, but she did care. She just didn’t like to show it. She thought of it as a vulnerability and something to be hidden. I on the other hand was an open book, unable to hide any secret unless it was dire. Nithya and Scarlet were friends as well, I remembered. They almost blew up the chemistry lab together. 

Shravya punched in a few commands and pressed a few buttons. The ship stabilized and I let a sigh. Today was stressful, to say the least. Maybe I would be able to sneak in a nap. 

First, I would check on Nithya in the infirmary. I opened the cockpit door and walked down the hallway. I passed a few doors and then stopped at one. It was slightly open and the glint of a computer screen attracted my attention. There was a reason, I was called Bejeweled Hacker at the technology division at the Academy. There was no system I couldn’t hack my way through. I opened the door further and gasped. Inside were a few computer screens and other devices. The brand at the edge of the computers was the reason for my gasp. These were state of the art, and they were all just sitting here collecting dust. 

I spin the chair that was in the room around and sit on it. I crack my knuckles and turn the center computer on, by pressing the corner button. Slowly the computer screen brightens and prompts me for a password. Obviously, I didn’t have it but that was no problem. I punched in a few commands and the home screen welcomed me with open arms. I smirked. No matter how state of the art, this computer wasn’t getting the best of me. 

An app was already open so I maximized the screen in curiosity. It was a security camera live feed. I didn’t know that this ship had security cameras. I should have paid closer attention, but I’ll find them later. The first feed shows Jerry patching up the left wing. I flip through the channels and find one that shows the infirmary. I lean closer to the screen, the camera quality is incredible, and see Lucia bandaging Nithya’s hand and applying a yellow salve of sorts onto the red skin. I can see Nithya’s mouth moving and Lucia laughing. Guess, I don’t need to go to the infirmary now. This is my new lair.