The cargo bay had been sealed shut. The first officer hadn’t lied, the ship was getting ready to set out of port. Strange for them to be heading out so soon after the arrival. Not completely out of the ordinary but strange. Strange never sat well with Jax’s stomach.
Jax tried his thumbprint on the airlock but found it had been locked from the inside. He pressed the call button, but it was more satisfying to pound on the airlock control panel with the flat of his hand. He was smart enough not to punch the thing—it might have broken his fingers on the metal door. “Oh, come on, let me in. I came as soon as you called me back.” Jax slapped the door three more times. “Whiz, don’t be an ass, let me in.”
The door slid back and Flanges, the chief engineer, stood on the far side.
“What the hell?
