Page 20 of Fool's Gold

"The coordinates lead to another airlock," he said, his gravelly voice tight with tension. "And if I'm not wrong, there's a hidden exit from this room that leads there."

I nodded, understanding dawning. Of course Landar wouldn't make a bolt hole with only one way in or out.

But right then, all I could think of was the case in front of me.

I stared at the battered metal case, my heart pounding. This could be the key to unlocking the secrets within, the treasure that might finally grant me my freedom. But first, I needed to bypass whatever security measures Landar had put in place to protect his hoard.

My fingers traced the dents and scratches marring the surface, and I frowned, trying to recall any patterns or codes I might have glimpsed during my time as Landar's servant. The smuggler was notoriously paranoid, obsessed with keeping his secrets hidden from prying eyes.

A memory surfaced, hazy at first, but growing clearer as I focused. Landar, hunched over a similar case in his private quarters, muttering to himself as he entered a complex sequence of numbers and symbols on a glowing keypad. His most important codes, the ones that granted access to his most valuable possessions.

I closed my eyes, picturing the scene in my mind's eye. The rhythmic tapping of his fingers, the sequence burned into my memory through sheer repetition as I cleaned and maintained his living space day after day.

My eyes snapped open, and I leaned closer, examining the case. There, near the latch, a faint outline in the metal—the telltale sign of a hidden keypad. With trembling fingers, I traced the outline, searching for a way to activate it.

"What is it?" Kaelith's gruff voice broke the silence, and I jumped, startled by his sudden proximity.

"A keypad," I muttered, not taking my eyes off the case. "Landar had security codes for his most valuable possessions. If I can remember the sequence..."

Kaelith didn't respond, but I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, the intensity of his focus almost palpable. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves, and pressed my fingertips against the outline.

At first, nothing happened. But then, with a soft hiss, a panel slid open, revealing a glowing keypad with a bewildering array of symbols and numbers.

"Gemma?" Kaelith prompted.

I held up a hand, silencing him as I studied the keypad intently. The symbols were unfamiliar, but the numbers... those, I recognized. Slowly, carefully, I input the sequence I remembered, each digit feeling like a weight lifted from my shoulders.

The final number was entered, and for a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, with a soft click, the case unlocked.

"You did it," Kaelith murmured, his voice tinged with something akin to wonder.

I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. All those years of servitude, of suffering under Landar's cruelty, and it was a skill born from that very torment that led me here.

With trembling fingers, I unhooked the case's latch and lifted the lid. A dazzling array of gemstones winked up at me, their multihued facets glittering like captured starlight.

"This must be it," I breathed, my heart pounding with a mix of exhilaration and trepidation. "This is what we were looking for."

Kaelith let out a low whistle as he took in the sparkling treasures. "Not a bad haul for a day's work." His hand came to rest on the small of my back, the simple gesture igniting a simmering heat within me despite the urgency of our situation.

"We're not out of danger yet," I reminded him, though my voice lacked any real conviction. In that moment, with the prize quite literally within our grasp, it was hard to focus on anything but the thrill of our achievement.

"Then we'd better get moving," Kaelith said, his thumb tracing a small circle against the small of my back, sending delicious shivers cascading through me. "Before those drones find a way to override the vault's security and come looking for us."

KAELITH

The panic room shuddered as the drones outside battered against the reinforced door. Their metallic screeches pierced the air, grating on my sensitive Vinduthi hearing.

"This way!" Gemma called out, already heading towards the far wall. I followed her gaze to an ornate tapestry depicting some alien scene I couldn't make sense of.

She grasped the edge of the tapestry and pulled, revealing a hidden panel in the wall behind it. "There has to be an escape route here somewhere."

Her fingers danced over the smooth panel, searching for any sign of a trigger or release mechanism. The drones continued their assault, the door buckling inward with each thunderous impact. Time was running out.

"Step back," I commanded, unsheathing one of the vibroblades strapped to my thigh. With a few deft slashes, I carved an opening in the panel. Circuitry and machinery lay exposed beneath the alien alloys.

Gemma rushed forward, hands already working to bypass whatever security systems were in place. "I've got this. Just...keep them off me."

I repositioned myself between her and the embattled door. A deep sense of protectiveness welled up inside me, unfamiliar but undeniable. This human woman was mine to shield, no matter the threat.