Read Transmission Lost for Free Online Page A

well?”
    Jack glared at her, his mouth opening and closing several times as he tried to think of something angry to say to her. When he thought about it, though, as tired as he had been he had slept pretty good, even considering the uncomfortable position he'd been in. “Yeah, I guess so.”
    “Good. Need your rest. Healthy.” Aria produced a can of preserved food. “Hungry?”
    “I could eat.” Jack twisted his head around, trying to look at the ropes tied behind his back. “So, you gonna spoon feed me, or what?”
    “Not your mother,” Aria said, her expression souring. “Feed yourself.” She came around to his other side, and Jack felt her tugging on the bonds around his hands. After a few moments his hands were free, and he flexed his muscles, trying to work the stiffness out of his wrists. “Now. You eat, and then-...!”
    Her voice was cut off with a startled shriek as Jack grabbed the front of her flight suit behind his back, jerking her forward against himself. With his hands no longer bound to his feet, Jack could move his legs, and he drew them underneath his body and pushed back as hard as he could. Caught off guard, Aria tumbled backward with Jack coming down on top of her. She snarled, shooting a hand around his body and slamming a closed fist into his stomach.
    “Sika na po'krai!” Aria hissed, as she struck him a second and then a third time. “Bastard!”
    Jack coughed, fighting the urge to puke as she continued striking him in the stomach. He threw his head back and felt his skull smash into her muzzle. A guttural noise issued from Aria's throat, and her hand stopped striking his stomach as she clutched her nose. Jack spun around, sitting on her stomach, and his hands reached for her throat.
    “Ka'a'lai!”
    Aria's hands found his throat first, and she tossed him off of her. Jack landed on his back ten feet away, the air whooshing out of his lungs as he hit hard. Before he could catch his breath again, Aria was on him, straddling his chest. She bent down, laying her forearm across his throat, pressing down none too gently.
    “You have spirit,” she growled at him, shooting daggers with her eyes. The Ailian rubbed her free hand across her face, looking at her fingers. She flicked her tongue out, licking the blood that was slowly trickling from her nose. “That hurt.”
    Jack tried to swallow. He was finding breathing difficult at the moment. “Yeah, well...you tied me up...and made me sleep outside...”
    “Po'krai!” Aria spat the word at him. “Baby! In military training, I sleep outside for month! You sleep outside one night!”
    She pressed her arm down harder, and Jack felt his airway close completely. He looked up at Aria, fighting as hard as he could just to draw a breath. His hands grabbed her arm, but she was a whole lot stronger than him and as hard as he pulled he wasn't making any headway. Jack could start to hear a rushing sound, and could feel his heartbeat thudding in his ears. His vision started growing fuzzy and his eyes rolled back. Just as he felt like he was about to pass out, Aria released the pressure on his neck and got up from his chest.
    Jack sat up, clutching his throat and coughing, gasping for breath. For a long moment he couldn't do anything except breathe, grateful to feel the oxygen flooding into his lungs. He was vaguely aware of Aria going back to the tent, and she emerged shortly thereafter, tossing a spoon at him. It hit his chest and bounced into his lap.
    “Eat,” she snarled at him, gesturing to the can of food which had been forgotten on the ground. “I gather supplies.” The Ailian stood there for several minutes, breathing hard, her tail swishing back and forth angrily. “You do that again, I kill you.” She turned her back to him, going to the wreckage of the Star's Eye .
    Feeling beaten, Jack picked up the spoon and the can of food. He pried the top off, looking inside at the unappetizing mix of compressed meat and vegetables. Not the