by Paris Singer
“No one would care. No one. We’d all die for nothing.”
“Coward,” grumbled Tagasi.
“What did you say?”
“You are a coward,” he repeated. “Selfish.”
“Selfish? I’m the only one making sense. Don’t you see? This intruder,” said Ira, pointing at me, “has wormed his way here, speaking lies that will destroy us all if we listen. He is poison. Get out of here,” he shouted turning to face me. “Leave. You’re not welcome.”
“Enough,” shouted Iris. “You’re behaving like a child, Ira. Seven is not our enemy. He has suffered at the hands of the Morex like we have. Soon there will be nowhere left to go, nowhere left to hide, if we continue to ignore what’s happening.”
“I don’t accept this,” said Ira, turning away from everyone.
“Am I to take it we can’t count on your help?” asked Iris. Ira remained silent.
“I wish to help,” said the VAIA named Scrap, “but the statistical probability of success to any degree is infinitesimal.”
“This may be our greatest undertaking, yet,” began Iris, “but it’s business as usual, and we’ll think of a strategy as usual.”
“I need to say something,” I said, raising my hand, feeling as though I was interrupting.
“Go ahead,” said Iris.
“I’ve seen how destructive the Morex can be. We narrowly escaped them when their attack on Simia started. I understand that going up against them is an extremely hard thing to do. So any information we can get that would help us fight would be good, right?”
Tagasi and Scrap nodded, while Iris said, “Right,” narrowing her eyes with apparent suspicion.
“There is no one out there with more inside information about them, about their systems, strategies, and ways of thinking and operating than Alana. Without her, we’re going in blind.”
Iris furrowed her brow, and looked away from me, as if in thought.
“Is this Alana the other one we captured?” asked Tagasi.
From above me I heard a series of clicks coming from Many.
“Mr. Seven is correct. If I can add additional information to my algorithms, perhaps the statistical odds may be altered in our favor.”
Iris turned to face the large screen, and gazed at the display of the room with the orbs. There was silence for a while, then she said, “Many, bring her, please.”
CHAPTER SIXTY
Many crawled rapidly along the ceiling, and out the room. He reappeared on the screen at the base of the farthest orb where Alana was kept. After inputting commands on the control panel, he entered the orb himself.
“I’m releasing her only because she may be useful to us,” said Iris, still watching the screen, “and nothing else. The moment she stops being useful, I’ll put her right back in.”
I didn’t like what she’d said, but kept silent as I watched Many reemerging from the orb with Alana walking behind him. Iris was in charge, and if she changed her mind about helping us, there would be little I could do about it.
“Scrap,” she said turning back round, “the table, please.”
Scrap placed his hand on the console in front of him where his skeletal chrome hand merged with it. No sooner had he done so than the dials on the console flashed white and green. Inside the surface of the table around which Iris and I stood there appeared a gold three dimensional representation of the asteroid we were inside of, and of the other two attached to it.
“Zoom out a little,” said Iris. Now, the representation expanded to show the nearby planet.
“Ready to talk things over?” I looked up to see Alana walking down the steps toward us just as Many leapt back up to the ceiling to retake the position he had occupied.
“I told you, there’s nothing to talk about.”
“So why have you let us go?” replied Alana, winking at me.
“I’ve had some time to speak with Seven. He’s informed me of the Morex situation on Simia.”
“And you want to help?”
“I want to cause the Morex as much damage as possible. It’s beneficial that you’re here. He tells me you have inside information on them, on their systems, that we could use against them. I trust this is the case.”
“You could say that, yes.”
“Good. I need you to tell me everything you know.”
Alana spent the next few minutes detailing what she’d learned during her years with the Morex.
“I have no doubt that Seven’s brother will be aboard the mastership, with Perusak,” said Alana, glancing over at me.
“And their control systems: are they the same across all ships?” asked Iris.
“Yes, they operate on a common program across all consoles, the main of which being on the mastership itself.”
“Then there may be a way to have access to all of them from there,” said Iris, rubbing her chin.
“Yes. If we did, we could essentially turn off the shield of every attack ship in the fleet.”
“You don’t really think the Morex are stupid enough to leave their systems unguarded, do you?” said Ira.
“No, I don’t,” replied Iris, “but I’m sure Scrap would work out a way to bypass whatever security walls they may have. Right?”
“It is very likely, yes,” replied the VAIA.
“Even if you did get access,” continued Ira, “there is no way you could even come close to the mastership. You’d get killed as soon as we showed up on their scans.”
“‘You’? I guess you’re not coming?” said Iris
“It’s suicide. The faster you realize that, the better.”
“Um, I might have an idea on how to get aboard one of their ships,” I said, eliciting a look of hostility from Ira.
“Thank you, Seven,” began Iris, “but we are in control of this.”
“The Morex kept him and his brother One captive for years,” said Alana, “encouraging and nurturing their skills in strategy to the highest degree. You’d do well to listen to what he has to say, Iris.”
“We’re not about to listen to some… some stupid kid like him,” spat Ira.
Iris seemed to deliberate Alana’s words. “Tell me your idea.”
“You can’t be serious,” cried Ira, banging his fist on the table.
“Ira, please. He may be worth listening to. Like with her,” she nodded to Alana, “he may have information that could help us. Go ahead, Seven.”
“I can’t believe this,” growled Ira to himself.
“Well,” I began, “we’re in possession of one of their ships.”
“Oh?” said Ira, glowering, “so you think we’ll just fly it into one of their hangars, easy as that? They’ll have reported it missing, genius. It’d be shot down as soon as they saw it.”
“Yes, they likely would, wouldn’t they?”
Iris frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I base my theory on what Many can do.”
“Many?”
Many clicked from above me.
“Actually, I need him to tell me something.”
“Ask away. I’ll try to translate.”
“My idea came when I saw that Many can clone himself. Many,” I continued, looking up to face him, “are these clones part of you, or are they holographic projections?”
Many gave a series of clicks and whistles in apparent response.
“He says they are part of himself. That they are all him.”
“I see. Tell me one more thing: what would happen if one of your clones were harmed? Would you feel it, too?”
Many clicked and whistled once again, and Iris translated, “Yes. It would hurt him, too.”
“What if one of them were killed?”
“What are you getting at, Seven?” snapped Iris.
I told her my plan which I believed, based on what Many had told me, should work.
“No,” cried Ira. “You’re not really going to listen to this guy, are you?”
“We have to work out some details, but
his idea is plausible, Ira,” said Iris.
“What’s happening to you? Where’s your Arcadian pride?”
“Don’t you dare speak to me of my pride. You know above all others what it has taken to survive after I was exiled from the tribe.”
“Disgraced,” he spat, grimacing with a vicious look in his eyes.
Iris closed her eyes as if to compose herself. When again she opened them, her gaze was as icy and hard as the asteroid we stood in. “You’ve crossed a line, Ira. Leave.”
“I’ll leave,” he said, still grimacing. “You’re all fools. Idiots. And you’ll die like fools if you listen to him.” Ira made his way out, making eye contact with everyone. The uncomfortable tension in the control room lifted when he left.
“Will he come back?” asked Alana, worried.
“He just needs to cool down. Then, maybe. We’ll see. Anyway, everyone round the table. There is a lot we need to talk about if we’re going to make this work.”
“There’s something else I need to know,” I said.
We all gathered round as Iris had asked, and began the strategy I hoped would lead to the rescue of One, and of everyone on Simia.
CHAPTER SIXTY ONE
We talked and strategized while we examined a simulated Morex fleet displayed on the table around which we all stood. After what felt like hours, Iris and her marauders all agreed to the strategy I’d suggested and we made our way to the hangar at a hurried pace stopping at the arms room. This was a long, narrow rounded space replete with steel shelves and wall brackets, all filled with weapons that ranged from handguns to large electric maces to ones I’d never seen before. Iris picked up a pair of handguns, while Many chose a single dagger, and Scrap something that resembled a rod that was rounded at both ends. Tagasi, meanwhile, leaned against the crude doorway and watched them.
“Pick any you like,” said Iris speaking to Alana and I.
“I’m already armed,” replied Alana, resting her hand on her Sphere gauntlet.
Iris grinned. “You really haven’t changed. And you?” she nodded at me.
“Same,” I said.
Iris shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You Sphere players are a special breed. Let’s go.”
We reached the hangar which was now much brighter than it had been when Alana and I had first arrived. Grimy silver sheet metal paneled the rocky asteroid face, on which a myriad of tools, parts and components hung spilling over onto the few workstations underneath, and the floor. To the right were the ships that had earlier been shrouded in shadow. Smaller than the Morex ship we’d taken, there were four in total. Rounded in the center ending in a point at the front, with two backward-facing narrow wings on either side, the ships were dark blue with a single thin white stripe that ran all the way along the top. The windows seemed made of reflective, shimmering gray metal.
As we stepped inside the hangar, there were sounds like that of clinking metal around the Morex ship that still occupied the space where we had landed it.
Iris looked around visibly perplexed. “Where’s the other one?”
The sounds stopped, and a furry face emerged from the shadows underneath the Morex ship. A raspy, wheezing voice replied, “Why, the boy just took it, not ten minutes ago. Wouldn’t tell me why though.”
“Damn it, Ira,” said Iris under her breath. “You should have told me.”
“Told me you gave ‘im the okay,” replied the voice. Its owner stepped out into the light. Wearing yellow overalls and boots that seemed a little too big for him, the furry being looked almost identical to Mial, but older. Oily patches covered most of his exposed light-brown fur, and he appeared to be cleaning something metallic with a dirty white cloth. “Woulda told ya otherwise.”
Visibly annoyed, Iris turned and said, “This is Ruál.”
“This your ship?” Ruál asked, looking from me to Alana. “Some impressive work inside. One of the slickest I’ve seen. Whadaya want for her?”
“Can’t this time,” said Alana, walking toward Ruál, “we need it.”
“Aw, that’s too bad,” he replied. “Coulda done with those parts.”
“How are the internals? Easy to fly?”
“Easy, easy. Simpler systems than our own. You’ll have no problems.”
“Good. And how’s she looking?” asked Iris, nodding to the furthermost ship in the hangar.
“Good as new,” replied Ruál. “Can’t still do nothin’ about her sass, though. Drive me crazy one of these days.”
Iris smiled. “I already told you, Ruál, she’s exactly like she’s meant to be. I wouldn’t have her any other way.” Iris turned to face the rest of us. “Many: bring out one of your clones, please.” Many whistled a single tone, and from the right side of him there emerged an exact reproduction of himself.
“Thanks. You’ll be in charge of flying the Morex ship, understood?” Many’s clone clicked a couple times. “Good. The rest of us will be in my ship. It’ll be a little cramped, but we’ll manage. Everyone clear on what to do?” We all nodded or grunted. “Good. Seven, Alana, I’ll need you to be in the cockpit with me, like we planned. Many,” Iris looked at the original marauder, “you’re sure you can do this?” Many remained still gazing at her for a moment, then clicked and whistled vehemently.
“Okay, let’s not waste any more time, then. Let’s get this thing done.” Iris turned and walked toward her ship. We all followed behind her except Many’s clone which headed to the Morex ship.
“You weren’t kidding,” said Alana stepping up the short side ramp into the ship. “You sure we’re all going to fit in here?”
The low gray ceiling, which despite being solid, had a shimmering quality to it and reminded me of the orbs Alana and I had been inside of earlier. I looked around and noticed the rest of the ship’s interior was the same. Aside from the cockpit which included only one seat in the center, the ship was next to empty. Two embedded consoles on either side had multiple dials and blinking lights. Under these were side panels, some small steel canisters tied together with thick straps, and some steel boxes toward the back.
“Oh, yeah, it’ll be fine,” replied Iris dismissively as she sat on the one long seat. As Alana and I made our way through the narrow hull and into the cockpit, Tagasi and Scrap sat on the boxes, while Many squatted on the ceiling in front of them.
“Welcome back, Iris,” said a voice I never thought I’d hear again.
“Hey, Ava,” she replied.
“Ava?”
“Ava?”
Alana and I spoke her name at the same time. I think she was as shocked as I was to hear her.
“What—what is she doing here?” asked Alana, looking shocked.
“Oh, yeah,” began Iris in a nonchalant tone, “I went back to the Sky Drifter a few years back and salvaged her. I meant it to be a surprise, but then you stabbed me in the back, so I kept her.”
“Iris, listen—”
“Later. First, we have a job to do.”
“Greetings, Alana. It has been a long time,” said Ava, her voice as soft and graceful as I remembered.
“It has, Ava,” said Alana, smiling, tears welling up from her eyes. “It has.”
“I hope you are keeping out of trouble.”
Alana sniffed, and said, “I’m trying, Ava, as always.”
“It is not good to lie, Alana.”
A tear ran down the side of Alana’s cheek. She beamed and she said, “No, you’re right. You were always right.”
I felt myself welling up, too. I’d missed Ava ever since I’d left the Sky Drifter. It hurt she didn’t know who I was. I’ve made my peace with it now, but I couldn’t help but think it was unfair then. Like I was robbed of a moment, somehow. For my sake, I shook the feeling away, turned to Iris, and asked a question I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to.
“Iris?”
“Hm?”
“When you say you salvaged Ava, what did you mean?”
Iris turned and gazed at me with a furrowed brow. �
��That’s also something we’ll talk about later. This is not the time to reminisce. Ava?”
“Yes, Iris?”
“Safety harnesses.”
“I don’t understand your request, Iris.”
Iris sighed in apparent frustration, then said, “Safety harnesses, please.”
“Right away, Iris.”
“Thank you.”
Alana giggled to herself, as from both sides of the cockpit walls there emerged two sets of four curved brackets: two jutting out at shoulder height level, and two below at waist level. The top ones were shoulder-length apart from each other, while the bottom ones were closer to each other.
“Use these,” said Iris. “Just back up into them.”
Alana and I did as she said. As soon as we did, the brackets closed in across our chests and waists, securing us in place.
“Good, now we can go.” Iris pressed a few dials on a small console in front of her. “Many?”
From behind me Many clicked a couple times.
“Make sure your clone has the coordinates I just sent him. Does he have them?”
Again, Many clicked twice.
“Good. Make sure he follows alongside me. Ava?”
“Yes, Iris?”
“Set course to Simia. Please.”
“With pleasure Iris.”
The ship lifted from the ground without a sound, turned on the spot until it faced the hangar exit, and blasted forward, into space.
CHAPTER SIXTY TWO
“You sure this will work?” asked Tagasi in a gruff tone. “My race conquer. They are not stupid.”
“Seven’s plan should give us a small window of opportunity to slip in, Tagasi. It’s our best opportunity.”
“Actually,” began Alana, “we worked out every detail except for how you plan to get us on board the mastership. You were so sure back there that you never really mentioned it.”
Iris’ demeanor stiffened, and she said, “I’ve been doing this for a while, Alana. I have my ways.”
“But how do you plan to get us on?” I asked.
Iris grinned, her eyes still ahead, and said, “You’ll see.”
