I awoke with a start. And sunlight flooded my eyes. I looked out the window to see an endless field of poppies instead of the expanse of space. Had they really landed without telling me?

I ripped myself from the bedsheets. But my heart squeezed just as I reached the hallway. I leaned against the wall not daring to make a sound. It wouldn’t do to show the others how sick I really was. The pain would pass soon.

Finally I made my way to the cockpit where the idiot was messing the wiring. But there was no sign of Dina or Leon.

“Where are the others, Sid?” I asked.

“They’re getting fuel from the extraction site.”

I massaged my temples. “Why the hell would you let them out into a field of deadly poppies.”

His head finally popped up. “I just thought it made people sleepy.”

“Yeah. As in sleep forever. I swear someone ought to put a brain in that head of yours.”

“Sorry I-I’ll go get them.”

“No. Stay put and try not to mess up anything else.”

He nodded and went back under the dashboard. I went through the airlock without bothering to put on a suit. The sweet smell did nothing to put me to sleep. Instead I pulled in the two inside. But waking them would be another matter entirely. Though that wouldn’t help if we didn’t have any fuel.

I walked back out to finish filling up the barrel of fuel. But I wasn’t expecting another ship to to fly at me. I ducked as it landed. It was a newer model that had a robot arm snake into the well. But it was the suited figure that I focused on.

“Ty Woods. Right?”

I froze. How did this stranger know me? Could she have been part of the tin project? Or perhaps even worse.

“I’ve got a job for you that would suit the both of us. That is if you want your friends to wake up.”

“Who are you?” I couldn’t see her face because of the helmet.

“Ellie West soon to be CEO of Witchery Inc. Though my predecessor had quite the fondness for scavenger hunts. So I must gather a few data gems to get the keys to the kingdom as you would say.”

I glanced back at the ship. They needed that antidote. And we barely had any meds on board as is.

“What do you want me to do?”

Before I knew it we were flying to a lake. But in the very was a bubble hovering just a few feet off the surface. And inside floated a sapphire.

Ellie secured a rope around my waist. “I can’t get any closer or I’d risk popping it. And the lake is too acidic for either of us to swim in.”

“Isn’t the bubble made of the same thing?”

“Just the surface. It won’t do more than rust your joints.”

So she was part of the tin project. Or she’d been a backer at least.

“Time is ticking. Or would you like to spend more time staring?”

I yanked at the rope but the winch didn’t budge. So I leaned over the side before giving her the thumbs up. She started the winch and I began to lower down. It was slow. But when I gave the cut motion it stopped smoothly.

The bubble hovered before me on its own accord. No doubt a witch’s doing. But it was the only way to save Dina and Leon.

I reached through the bubble feeling the acid sear through my skin grafts. But I grabbed onto the sapphire and yanked it out. I gritted my teeth as the last of the skin burned off. But the pain went away as soon as my sensors felt no connection to my skin anymore.

I let out a breath. Then I gave Ellie the signal. As soon as I was back in her ship she ripped the sapphire out of my hand. It hurt but I didn’t retaliate.

“The antidote.”

She tossed a spray bottle at me but was still focused on the sapphire. “Spray a little of that in their faces and they’ll come to.”

“Great. Now I’d kindly thank you for a ride back.”

She nodded and entered new coordinates. But it still bugged me that she wasn’t actually flying the ship.

“You’re quite good at this, Ty. In fact I could use your help getting the other two gems.”

“Not interested.”

“Not even for a new heart?”

A shiver ran through me. There was no denying her part in the tin project. But if that was true it would be easier to get a heart that was compatible.

“There are only two other gems. An emerald and a ruby. I be happy even get you the surgery for free.”

The ship landed. And the airlock opened. Two barrels of fuel already awaited me.

“I’m still tracking down the other two. But when the time comes, be ready.”

I didn’t answer simply stepped off the ship. Her giggled followed until the airlock closed again. Her ship took off and I grabbed a barrel for support.

A new heart. It was too good to be true. But if it was true then I had to do everything in my power to get those gems.