I'm trying not to like that idea too much, in case it doesn't turn out to be reality.
I pick up a small piece of fruit, shine it on the oversized tunic I'm still wearing, and consider. Ruth wants to outsmart. To get the upper hand. "So you don't think we should trust them?" I ask Ruth. "You don't like the idea of going back to their ship?"
She looks at me as if I've grown another head. "You really want to be part of their crew?"
"I don't know if we have a choice," I admit. "There's a fine line between being cautious and being so hardheaded that we get ourselves killed."
Ruth just shakes her head. "I think we figure out how to rob them, replenish our supplies, and send them on their way." She speaks in a low voice, glancing over at Adiron, but he's oblivious. "I don't trust them. How can we believe that the first four rounds of pirates were awful creatures but somehow these guys are all right? That they just happened to find us and want to rescue us because they like humans but don't want to fuck us? It sounds like bunk to me."
At the table, Alice takes a bite of fruit, then shrugs. "What about the ice field thing? Do you believe that?"
"They could be lying to us about drifting," Ruth says. "Trying to force us to go with them."
Alice thinks for a moment, then nods. "They might be."
"What are our choices?" I ask. "Even if they are lying, are we any less vulnerable with them than we are here? We're low on air filters. We're low on food. We can't operate a good deal of the ship's controls. If we stay, I worry that we're making a bad decision." I sigh, considering. "Then again, if we go, I'm worried about the same."
Helen is quiet. She sits up and wears a sad expression on her face. "I wish we knew if they were lying. That would make this all so much easier."
"That's the problem," Alice says. "We don't know if they're lying or not. Everything they've told us sounds believable…but they've also been so kind and quick to volunteer to help us that it makes me suspicious."
Ruth gets an intense expression on her face. She slides into her seat and leans in. "I can sneak on board their ship when everyone's sleeping," she whispers. "Climb into the ductwork and spy on them. Listen to some conversations. Then we can find out if it's the truth or not."
"No," I protest. "That's dangerous and a bad idea."
"Are you kidding? It's a great idea."
Alice looks worried. "If we spy on them and get caught, we could piss them off. And if what they're telling us is true, we might need them."
"No spying," I say again with a shake of my head. "We could always try and get that one drunk and see what he confesses."
"But won't he know what we're doing?" Helen asks. "Then he could just tell us whatever and pretend to be drunk."
She has a point. After he got me drunk, he'd be foolish to think I wouldn't try to retaliate at some point. "Doesn't really matter," I say. "I don't think we have enough alcohol left on the ship. Unless he can get drunk on noodles, that plan won't work."
Ruth grabs another piece of fruit, frowning. "I'm so sick of noodles."
"But you want to stay?" Alice asks her.
"I'm not sick of living," Ruth replies. "Just noodles."
"So your vote is to stay?" I repeat, needing clarification.
"Unless you let me go spy on them to learn otherwise, yes, my vote is to stay and take our chances," Ruth says.
"Helen?" I turn to her.
Helen's beautiful face is troubled. She glances between all of us for a moment and then says, "I want to go." Her answer is strong and sure, and surprises me. Helen's never one to disagree, especially not with strong-willed Ruth. That must mean she's more excited about the other ship than she's let on.
The other ship…and probably Mathiras. If we go with them, I'm definitely going to have to have a talk with him. "You, Alice?" I ask. "What do you think?"
"I'm going to go with whatever you think, boss."
"That's not an answer," Ruth protests.
"Jade hasn't led us astray so far," Alice counters. "I trust her to make the right decision."
Ruth glares at her. "Still a bullshit answer."
"I don't care if it is or not. I feel things are shit all around, and the only person I trust right now is Jade. So…Jade?" Alice prompts. "We're tied. Do we stay or do we go?"
I look at their expectant faces. I think about the people in the stasis pods, waiting to be woken up.
And even though I shouldn't, I glance over and look at Adiron.
Stay or go?