The Cinder's emergency bay wasn't big, but it worked. It had this smell of antiseptic mixed with burnt stuff. A thin, shaky wall separated it from the engine – you could feel this low, constant hum that only someone who works with engines would even notice.
Veridian and Elara were gone, probably locked up tight. Garth was stuck with Jia, a serious, skinny tech from the Syndicate. She was all about fixing his fried arm and pumping him full of pain meds.
Hold still. You've got Arc shock, thermal burns, and nerve damage, Jia said while spraying something on his arm. You'll live, but you won't be using that arm anytime soon.
Garth nodded, playing the injured guy. Just... dizzy. Everything's messed up, he mumbled, letting his head fall back.
I. Close Quarters
The second the pain meds kicked in, the panic went away. Garth's mind, finally not dealing with the pain, got to work.
He wasn't about escaping; he was about messing things up.
He checked out the medbay: one door, a small window, and an engine hatch right behind his bed. That engine hum was key – it hid small noises and, even more important, any tiny shakes that a security sensor could pick up.
The medbay was a locked-down space, but it was more for fixing people than security. Jia was busy wrapping his arm, so his left hand was free.
Garth moved his left hand a bit, letting it hang off the bed, close to that shaky wall.
Jia, Garth croaked. Is... is the Captain taking us to the mainland?
Captain Lyra always finishes her route, Jia said, not looking up. She has to deliver stuff. You're going straight to the Directorate's lockup.
The mainland meant a one-way trip to torture. Veridian and Elara would be useless locked up, so their only shot was to screw up the Cinder. He had to do it now, while they thought he was out of it.
II. A Little Sabotage
Garth started his plan. It needed him to be sneaky, have a steady hand, and use no tools.
He found what he needed on the metal tray next to him: an open packet of thermal gel (sticky stuff that blocks heat) and a sterile needle (thin and stiff).
While Jia was messing with the drip, Garth made his move.
Sensor Trick: He carefully used his left finger to grab a tiny bit of the thermal gel – less than you'd imagine – and smeared it on a small screw on the engine wall. He knew this screw held the main sensor for the Cinder's steering.
Tiny Blockage: With the thermal gel blocking the heat, he used the needle to stick a tiny, invisible piece of thread from his coat into the valve next to the sensor.
It worked right away, and you couldn't see it.
The thermal gel would keep the sensor cool. The steering system would try to make up for the fake temp change, slightly over-correcting. The thread in the valve would slowly leak fluid back.
The end result: a small pull on the right steering.
What you doing with your hand down there? Jia asked, sounding bored.
Garth pulled his hand back, grabbing the gel packet. Felt a draft. Sorry. I'm cold.
Jia looked at him, then went back to work. That quick stop was enough to prove his point: Jia was a medic, not a sensor expert.
III. Waiting Game
The messing up was done. It wouldn't cause a big problem right away. No one would notice for hours.
Garth's thought was simple:
The slow leak on the steering would make the Cinder use more fuel to stay on course, making them take longer.
The over-correcting would eventually set off a maintenance warning – a checkup that would make Lyra stop for at least two hours.
This gave them a 12-hour delay and a 2-hour stop, which was all Veridian and Elara needed.
He was risking himself now for a chance later.
Jia finished wrapping his arm and stood up. Okay, engineer. You're okay now. You're going to a locked bed now. With guards.
Garth let them lift him, feeling the engine wall shake against his back one last time. He knew Lyra was smart, but she was more about people than machines. She wouldn't look for a small, hidden problem in her ship's mechanics.
As they led him down the hall, he thought about Elara, who both saved and captured him. She had saved them with thinking. He had saved them from that thinking, for now, with a needle and a piece of thread.
The Cinder was slowed down, but bigger worries would start with Captain Lyra, now sending them to the Syndicate's base.