I cleared my throat. “Tell me what these controls can do. I think this is the life support? I think it says something about the air?” I pointed to the blinking lights I’d uncovered. “Air would be great. I’d love to take off this helmet and kiss you.”

Cormac squeezed my bottom before leaning over the control panel, placing his hands palm down as he inspected the massive area. This section took up almost the entire wall on this side of the room. It had to be at least three times as long as I was tall. And for an abandoned place, there were a lot of lights still on.

My mate went still. Too still. I reached for his bicep and wrapped both hands around it. “What is it? You’re scaring me.”

“This can’t be.” He used both hands to clear larger sections of the controls. Forced to let go of him or be swung around like a wet towel, I stepped to the side to give him a bit more room. I could still see the panel, but I had no idea what had him so rattled.

“What?”

“There are multiple subterranean levels. That is to be expected. But this…” He pointed to a section near the top. Every light was on. Different colors. But every single one was flickering or flashing or just shining like a light bulb. “This should not be.”

I leaned up on tip-toe to get a closer look at the symbols etched into the panel and waited impatiently for my NPU to figure out how to communicate the meaning to my brain. One moment I had no idea, and the next…

“Prisoners? Does that say something about a prison?”

“Yes.” Cormac spun around and grabbed his gear, throwing everything he’d just removed, his pack, rifle and second rifle, back into place on his large frame. “I’m going down there.”

“Who would they have down there?”

Cormac took several steps toward what looked like elevator doors at the far end of the room. I chased after him like a hungry kitten. “Wait.”

“You will remain here with the doors locked.”

I shook my head before he finished his sentence. “No way. It’s creepy in here. Besides, what if whoever blew up your ship finds us before Styx does? I’d be up here alone.”

“Fuck.” Cormac slammed his palm against the elevator door. It was a dark gray, like pencil lead, not shiny like the elevator doors on Earth. As if the elevator heard him, the doors slipped open the moment his hand lifted. “Do you have your blaster?”

“Yes.”

“Stay behind me. Do everything I tell you to do. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” I did not want to get between my mate and anything he thought needed killing, that was for sure. I was short. I wasn’t stupid.