Trapped (The Condemned Series #1) - Alison Aimes Page 0,1

thigh.

Jim Winthrop might be a smart, good-looking guy with more decency than most of his kind, but he was still Council, her superior, and frankly she wasn’t looking for any kind of personal complication. She’d scrapped and sacrificed to make it past the Academy’s rigorous screening process to train to become a junior level scientist, the highest position a non-Council descendant could achieve outside of marriage to a Council elite. She couldn’t afford any mistakes, especially the one night-and-done kind that might jeopardize her position. The Council wasn’t known for its forgiving ways.

“You two will see.” Dr. Winthrop leaned forward in his seat. “You’re about to be a part of something historic. Mark my words.”

“That would be amazing.” Davies smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Bella understood. It was hard to imagine this mission was going to be the one to succeed after so many expeditions with better leads had failed, but who knew? With billions of Council and non-Council inhabitants already lost and more dying every day, any lead, however slight, was worth investigating.

“We’ve entered Dragath25 air space. Ensure your straps are fastened tight.” The pilot’s voice again sounded through her earpiece. “We’ll touch down in ten.”

“I hate this part.” Their communications specialist Steve Meyers shot her a weak smile from his seat to her left. Like the majority of lower level skill personnel, all the soldiers, and Bella, there was no Council designation behind his ear. “But closer to the front of the shuttle is definitely the better spot. Less turbulence.”

Bella gave him a commiserating grimace and sucked down a few slow, deep breaths as the shuttle shuddered. She saw a couple of the other scientists looking like she felt. Terrence, who’d placed himself next to Davies—per usual—was green. Poor guy. He’d thrown up almost every space drop, and this was rougher than usual.

She glanced into the rear of the shuttle and bit back a frown. The soldiers were pains in the ass, true, but they’d get the roughest part of the ride back there. Hopefully, none of them would get space-sick. On landings like this, soldiers were vital. While every research mission had an element of danger, landing on a planet at the outskirts of human territory known to be chocked-full of violent criminals seemed particularly insane.

And yet, if Dr. Winthrop’s hypothesis was correct—and this was a big if since travel to Dragath25 on droid transport was always a one-way ticket for prisoners only—there might be a portion of the planet that thrived despite the brutal weather conditions. No one knew for sure since early records related to the planet’s settlement had been destroyed during the Great Wars and ensuing chaos. But a few droids had recently returned with intriguing vegetation samples stuck to a tread or a stabilizer. Subsequent droid reconnaissance had yielded promising possibilities, though nothing absolute.

Which was why she and the rest of Winthrop’s team were here.

If such findings proved real, Dragath25 might actually offer humans hope for survival. Hard as it was to imagine, what had been established over two thousand years ago as a human dumping ground for the worst of the worst might end up offering a new crop of hardy plants that could save a dying Earth. Energize the dwindling numbers who’d been forced to live in crowded, dusty ad hoc settlements near the last remaining rain collection reservoirs. And, if Winthrop’s optimistic musings were to be believed, restore humanity—now firmly under Command Council rule—to something akin to what it had once been when plants and water were in abundance.

So why did she have such a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach?

A set of ear-piercing bells shrieked through the cabin. The warning lights imbedded in the hull flared to red. “Emergency landing protocol initiated.” The pilot’s voice was no longer so calm. “We’ve encountered an unexpected electrical disturbance. At first, it appeared to be a simple atmospheric change, but now—”

His words cut off. Ominous static crackled along the line.

Bella’s gaze locked with Davies’.

The ship dropped.

*****

Bella came awake with a gasp.

Dizzy. Disoriented. Pain beat at her chest and shoulder as she forced her eyes open. Blaring alarms only added to her confusion.

One look around and everything crystallized. The crackle of fire. The blur of smoke. The sweet scent of blood and the acrid scent of burning flesh. Oh no, oh no, oh no. The shuttle had crashed. Fracture lines snaked through her helmet obscuring visibility.

Frantic, she yanked off her helmet and squinted through the smoke. Fumbling with her straps,