The Soul Eaters (The Thin Hex Line Book 1) by Gwyndolyn Russell (e reader txt) 📕

service panel, hitting the ground on its rear. It floated upwards, hovering just over the surface of the floor. Panting, it held its arm. It smoked and twitched uncontrollably. Tender to the touch. The lights on its armor failed repeatedly, its breath sharpening in a wheeze each time.

Row 32 stabilized. Watcher Corporal Reas Kleinman stimulated.

The designated pod released the air seal. The door pulled upwards. Reas was slow to get up at first, but when she saw the red lights flashing, she ripped the breather off.

"What happened?" She said, clambering out of the pod. She had no idea who else was in the room. One step out and she fell to her knees. She gripped her stomach. Covered her mouth.

Pod 6 damaged. Vitals unknown.

Fenris jumped up at that. It pushed from the floor to fly over to the pod. Sure enough, the door was cracked. The screen on it artifacted. Inside, Fenris could see a wide eyed Jackal gasping for air.

Fenris grabbed the door. Using too much strength, the door crumpled. Ripped from its hinges. The liquid failed to drain completely. Loose from its confines, it bubbled and floated away.

Reas was soon back on her feet, rushing to get all the pods opened. Fenris, meanwhile, focused on Jackal.

It pulled the rebreather from his face, letting him gasp in fresh air. He shivered. Blinking, Jackal looked around hurriedly.

"What's going on?" He barely choked the words out.

"Just breathe." Fenris said it as quietly as it could. As gentle as its raspy voice could manage.

"F-Fenris?" He reached for something to grab.

Fenris took his hand, even though his was like that of a child's in the creature's. He shivered, but squeezed tightly.

"I... I can't see anything." He could feel where Fenris stood. "I...I... where are your... lights?" His breath sharpened. He coughed. His throat tightened as if something was lodged inside it.

"Jackal safe." It looked him over. "Breathe. Slow."

"G-get me out." His voice cracked.

Fenris ripped the straps off him, allowing him to float up out of the pod. A gentle pull brought him safely out of the way. Fenris guided him from the tower to the door of the stasis cell.

It placed his hand onto a rail to hold.

People bustled about. Orders were shouted in the cell, in the hall. Everyone rushed to their posts. Doctors rushed to the med bay for supplies. They carried others out. Pods that did not open remained closed until they released all operational pods.

Fenris decided it needed to help them. Where was Reaper?

Its touch faded from Jackal, which made him grasp at the air.

"You're leaving?"

"Can help."

"What happened?"

Fenris pushed away. Others awaiting medical care lined up at the walls to sit and hold one another. Most were ill with hyperoxia. Other complications arose with shock, heart attacks, and collapsed lungs. The worst of which was death, and none wanted to know the total of that.

Fenris floated by, watching the people gather. The watchers were hard at work getting everyone out of the pods and marking them with any illness from the system malfunctions.

"Fenris!" Reaper called.

The creature pushed into the room, searching for him among the crowd.

Reaper waved his hand as high as he could, calling it over.

"What happened?"

"Fell from warp."

"Did you notice anything?"

"Lost power."

"Can you find Jackal and the others?"

"Jackal... hurt." It did not know a better way to say it.

"Hurt? How?"

Fenris' head lowered.

Reaper pushed himself up. "Take me to him."

A nod of its head and Fenris turned about, leading the way through the crowd.

"Captain!" Sparrow grabbed his shoulder as they floated down the hall. "Do you know what happened?"

"Power failure. Could you find Torch and get him on it?"

"Yes, sir! Ruby is in the medbay. I haven't seen Mjolnir, or Ianisse yet."

"I'll find them."

Sparrow pushed off him to head back down the other way. Reaper and Fenris headed back to Jackal's cell. When they got there, he was already being checked out by a medic.

"What's his condition?" Reaper asked.

"C-Captain?" Jackal's head snapped around.

"His pod malfunctioned, and the shades shut down." The medic said, forcing Jackal to turn his head back around. "It’s blinded him. I need to get him to the medical bay ASAP."

"I can't see anything?! Is this permanent?!" Jackal shouted.

"It's all right. Let one of the doctors check it out. You'll be fine, Lieutenant."

Reaper grabbed Jackal's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Reynolds will fix you up. You know that."

The medic turned away to shout for an extra hand. When another showed up, they grabbed Jackal to help him across the ship.

"Do you need care, too?" Reaper asked, pointing to Fenris' arm.

"No."

Reaper did not stop pointing. He even noticed the failing lights on its armor. Something happened to it.

"Lost power. No response. Tapped wires…" its voice trailed off. The lights on its armor breathed much slower than normal. Its posture slumped down. It looked ready to fall over.

"Fen?" Reaper reached for the creature.

It snapped back up with a deep guttural growl that silenced the entire room.

"Gave ship power." It said with a hoarse voice.

"You can do that? You're weakened, aren't you…"

"Yes…." It let out a heavy breath.

"All right, you need to go rest." Reaper smiled. "Go check on Jackal. I'll handle everything from here."

"Others?"

"Go rest." His voice was stern.

Fenris gave a nod and turned away. Its stomach tightened. It shouldn't have given so much power away. Already weak from the lack of sustenance, the creature now was overcome with undying hunger. It could feel its sanity slipping. The very reason it was feared. Why it was known as the Devourer. It couldn't stop eating. Now it had been willing itself starved for months. The little snacks it had here and there were just that. Snacks that took the pain away.

As it floated down the hall, it noticed one door to a stasis cell was shut. No one was in there? No...it could smell humans. Dead humans.

It couldn't. It was meant to protect humans, not eat them! Though these were already dead…. It ate its own kind. Would it truly be against its oath, its purpose?

It entered the