Chapter 12

The terminal was fairly busy as people bustled to find their deporting shuttles. Kirby looked around confused and looked down at the

duffle bag she held. It had a tag attached to the handle and she peered at it carefully as she had done several times before. 'Terminal 375'

it read with a messy scribble. She sighed and looked around. There was no 375th terminal. Her brow furrowed and she searched more.

She felt sort of lost to where she should go, it had also crossed her mind she should forget about what Nikoli said and go back to Riddick

but she didn't want to die if that's what was in store for her.

"Can I help you miss?" A man stood in front of her now. He was short with a stubby little beard and he had a stuck up sort of posture.

"I can't seem to find terminal 375..."

His eyebrows raised and he grabbed her arm.

"Hey what do you think you are doing?" she said wrenching her arm out of his grasp.

"My boss told me about you, he said to take you where you need to go if I were to spot you."

"Well you don't hafta grab my arm like that..."

"Don't get all excited miss."

Kirby rolled her eyes, "Stop calling me that."

"Whatever you wish miss" the man said grinning and walking away. She followed and he ended up leading her down a long hallway.

Eventually she came to a huge ship. A passenger one. It looked big enough to carry about 40 people inside of it. The man walked away

from her and she approached the ship. The captain stood on the plank waving people in and greeting them. He waved viciously at her as

he looked over towards her and she went up to him.

"Uh hi, wheres the bunks?"

"Bunks? What nonsense is this?"

"Don't you have bunks?"

"Of course not, this is for a 300 day trip...We have cyro chambers."

"Oh..."she shuddered. "I can't just stay awake with you?"

"Who said I was staying awake?"

"Who's to man the ship?"

The Captain shook his head and walked away. 'I can't do this!' she thought wildly and turned around ready to leave.

"Coming?" he called back after her.

Kirby flinched and turned around. Half of her wanted to go, but half of her felt like it was being torn from leaving...him. "Oh shut up

Kirby, you never liked him anyway." she told herself then walked towards the ship.

Kirby stepped into the area where the cyro chambers were and took a deep breath. She walked toward the one with her name blinking

on its monitor. Above it was a closet type of thing that opened slowly and she tossed her bag up into it. Kirby let the breath out that she

had been holding in. 'Who invented these stupid things?' she thought as she stepped inside. The door closed suddenly as she turned

around and her stomach did a backflip. As her brain started to panic clasps came down over her arms and a wave of darkness washed

over her.

It had seemed like only a moment before a rush of air engulfed her and her eyes opened slowly. Kirby heard a buzzing noise along with

an alarm. The ship lurched forward and she went with it falling to her knees and then sliding across the floor on her stomach next. She

glanced at the computer monitor that read '4 months' her brain screamed . "Don't worry about that now." she said back as a furry

creature rounded the corner. In a swift movement Kirby was on her feet and had her blades ready fresh from her boots. It came towards

her awfully clumsy like and threw itself at her. She dodged and brought a blade back into its side. A loud grunt came from deep within it

and she turned around as it regained its balance.

"Duck!" someone yelled from behind her as a spear came whizzing by her head. It struck the beast hard and she sat froze as it started to

fall down. An arm grabbed her and yanked her back as the creature hit the ground. When she looked up she saw Nikoli staring at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him getting up from off of the ground.

"I figured I would watch over you."

"Oh trust me, I don't need to be watched I can take care of myself thanks." she said walking away.

"Sure seems like you need it everytime Riddick has to save you." he said looking around.

"Maybe I want him to save me," Kirby whispered incoherantly.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"Well then come on, there is a band of pirates trying to take over the ship. If you want to make it out alive then I suggest we move."

Kirby sighed deeply and felt her head. It felt like it was on fire.

"Coming?" asked Nikoli from the doorway.

She looked at him and nodded, carefully making her way around the animal.