The Hive Engineers

by Emilia Zeeland

  Eric’s entire body buzzed with nervous energy. “It’s all hypothetical. Jen has to find out more before we can make precise plans.”

  “We can give her a few pairs of extra hands. A couple of brilliant Martian researchers asked me...” Bako said, but the end of his sentence died off as he observed Eric’s expression. “Why not, my friend?”

  “She insists on doing this alone,” Eric said, sounding more curt than he’d intended. “Dana left the research to her alone. I’m sure you understand...such a sensitive project has to be kept under wraps.”

  “What I understand,” Bako said, “is that you don’t even trust the rest of your colleagues.” He regarded Jea and Cooper, seeking support, but they didn’t react. “We’re training Martian and Earthling armies, alongside the STAR Academy students and the few the Moon could spare, but none of that matters as much as a real weapon. A game-changer that would cancel the battle altogether. We don’t need more soldiers to be sent to slaughter. We need a smarter, faster way to end the war.”

  “I understand where you’re coming from,” Eric said, his voice sounding final. “But the research remains secret. For now.”

  Bako huffed in exasperation. “And you wonder why Mars isn’t in a hurry to send the navy.”

  Eric and Cooper shared glum looks.

  “Once Jen has a plan and it’s safe to reveal parts of the bioweapon research to others, then we’ll form a team,” Eric said. “Once we know what exactly we’re dealing with.”

  Cooper wiped above his eyebrow with the back of his hand. “She has twenty-four hours.”

  Eric blanched, staring at him.

  “I’m sorry,” Cooper said. “Push her if you must, but if she doesn’t deliver, we’ll have to bring in a few alumni to work with her.”

  Bako raised his hands, palms to Cooper like this was a huge victory. “Thank you, my friend.”

  Jea’s flaming orange lips quirked up. “I’d like to volunteer. Last year’s blood transfusion madness left me with a renewed interest in genetics and biology.”

  Eric only nodded, unsure of what to say. The only thing he’d promised Jen was slipping out of his control. And worse than that, with every day without news from Yalena, he grew more convinced they’d need this weapon, as destructive as it may be.

  The meeting continued with a few training updates from Earth and Mars, but Eric wasn’t listening. He left as soon as it was over and headed down to the ward. Jen had taken over Dana’s private office.

  Eric passed his badge in front of the monitor, but the screen buzzed and turned red. “Access denied” flashed on it. He balled his hand into a fist and banged lightly on the door. The sound carried easily in the hollow space. “Jen? Are you in there?”

  A second later she unlocked the door for him with a distracted expression on her face. “Hi.”

  “Have you even had a break all morning?” Eric walked into the small lab, and Jen locked the door behind him. A variety of holos hung over the white table in the middle, like she’d been filtering through them. “Any luck?”

  Jen stalled her reply. She refilled her empty glass with water from the dispenser and took a few slow sips. “I have something.”

  Eric stepped closer to the holo table, but he kept his gaze on her. Even though her expression remained blank, he had the feeling she was disturbed. “Is it that bad?”

  Her forehead seemed to tense. “It’s a device, not a bioweapon, but it uses DNA to attack its targets.”

  “How?”

  Jen flicked through a few holos until a model of a DNA bathed the room in its faint glow. “The theory is that radiation waves can be modified to attack a specific point in the DNA. Fast. Deadly.”

  Eric circled around the table to have a better look from the other side. “Can we program it to attack Fians only?”

  “That was Dana’s idea,” Jen said. “She’s based a few device mock-ups on the sample we brought from Nova Fia, but in test conditions, all mock-ups failed.”

  Eric took note of that careful choice of words. “Failed?”

  Jen sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. “It means all her initial tests were able to create radiation waves programmed against Fians, but she couldn’t narrow down the impact enough. Tests against human cells showed the exact same deterioration.”

  And there it was—the reason to keep that project top secret. Eric buried his hands in his face. “It would kill everyone.”

  Jen seemed to shrink with discomfort at the thought. “Not plants or animals. Dana managed to narrow it down, but the DNA of humans and Fians is too close of a match.” She sipped on her water during the long pause.

  The scheming genius in Eric was quick to foresee the complication. If he told the Trinity, even Cooper, that Jen had something this powerful on her hands, they’d never let her continue working on it alone. As much as a fresh pair of eyes might help push the research in the right direction, what if they chose to deploy such a weapon, even if it could never be narrowed down to impact Fians only? It didn’t matter which soldier would end up as a sacrificial lamb. Jen’s soul would go down with that soldier.

  “Dana had faith you could do this, Jen,” Eric said.

  His girlfriend clasped her arms around herself as if fighting a sudden shudder. “I don’t want to do this. This device cannot be controlled in the wrong hands. Once we create it, that’s it. It could get stolen or replicated. So much could go wrong.”

  Eric took a seat and leaned over the table, forearms resting on it. “I know, but we can’t just wait until Felix makes his next move. Until his next plan falls into place.” He looked down at his hands, balled into fists. Fists against metal. A reminder of every desperate blow he’d thrown at the gate of Norma’s ship. The helplessness of that moment echoed in his mind. “We can’t just wait until he kills someone else we care about. Until Felix kills everyone.”

  Jen’s lower lip trembled. “Eric...all the worst decisions are born out of desperation. We can’t let fear cloud our judgment.”

  Eric stood abruptly, half turning away from her. His soul was corrupted. Black. Hers was still innocent, full of light. But a bitterness inside him told him it would be foolish to try and shield her. “I’m sorry, Jen,” he whispered. “I just don’t think there’s a way we walk out of this with our hands clean.”

  In a heartbeat, she was next to him, hand lightly touching his shoulder, then traveling up to cup his face.

  Eric hated himself for his next words. “If you won’t do it, the Trinity will get someone else to.”

  Jen’s hand trembled and fell in line with her body. Shock sprawled across her face.

  “Dana wanted it to be you,” he said, softer now. “We need it to be you, because you care how this device will be used. Because you’ll do everything in your power to contain it, to limit the impact, to save us.”

  Jen sniffed like she was fighting tears. “I’ll start working on the device, but under one condition. And if you really believe everything you just said, then you’ll agree. If it has to be used...I’ll be the one to launch it.”

  Eric shot a piercing look at her. She was shaking. His whole being screamed ‘no’. “Would you really do it, if it came to it?”

  “If it came to it,” she echoed.

  Eric was lost for words. There was no way, no way at all he’d sacrifice Jen to that battle, but arguing would only take them further from their goal. “Fine,” he said. Eric had to have faith. Jen would find a way to make this device attack Fians only. “How would that even work?” Eric tried to think of practicalities, of anything but Jen’s gentle heart carrying the weight of a thousand deaths, even if they were Fian deaths, not human.

  “I imagine this device would transmit the radiation waves,” she said. “It would have a radius capacity. A very limited one. Every human or Fian in that radius would die in an instant.”

  Eric couldn’t hold back any longer. “But you will manage to modify the device to only target Fians, right?”

  Jen was calm, resolute
, as she glanced at him. “Dana did all she could to change the design. It’s impossible to make it tell a human apart from a Fian, I’m afraid.”

  Eric tilted his head so far back he saw the white ceiling. “Don’t say that. You will find a way. You have to or else we’re not using this device. If you’re the one activating it...and...and...” he stuttered.

  Jen sighed deeply like he’d interrupted her too soon. “There might be a way to develop a solution that protects humans from the radiation wave. Dana was focusing on the device itself, but I’m going at it from a different angle. The device will be our offense. The serum, provided that I can synthesize it successfully, would be our defense.”

  Offensive defense. Eric gaped at her until she continued.

  “That way, if we’ve injected someone with the protective serum, they’d be able to survive the radiation rays.”

  Eric found himself breathing normally again. “Are you sure it can be done? This serum?”

  Jen glanced up and to the side, concentrating. “Those exposed to the radiation rays might still have to fight some radiation exposure symptoms and need medication, but they should survive.”

  Relief finally spread through Eric’s chest. He drew Jen into a tight hug. “I should have known you’d think of a way to protect us.”

  She let out a quiet, reserved laugh that died off almost instantly. “That’s all it is at this point. A thought. I’d need more time to synthesize the protective serum.”

  “That’s fine,” Eric said, omitting the twenty-four-hour deadline Cooper had given him. Jen’s plan was genius. He’d make sure Cooper and the Trinity saw that. He’d push them to extend the deadline if it came to it. “We need to start working on the radiation wave device at once, though.”

  “The RWD.” Jen peeled her face away from his chest to look up at him. “I’ll need Nico’s help to make sure the radius can be limited.”

  Eric reveled in the certainty and calm that having a plan brought to him. “You’ve got it.”

  Chapter 18. Army of One

  Nico studied the holos from Dana’s research, murmuring under his breath. “And you want me to shorten the offense radius?”

  Jen let out a feeble ‘uh-huh’. “Can it be done?”

  “Of course,” Nico said. He brushed his messy black bangs from his face and turned to Eric. “Tell me we have a better plan than spewing radiation at the Fian army?”

  Eric swallowed. “It’s a last resort, but if this army really is supposed to be unbeatable...”

  “Got it.” Nico leaned over the table, elbows resting on its surface, eyes on Jen. “And what about any human soldiers in the device’s range?”

  “I’m working on a protective serum,” she said. “The idea is to inject our soldiers so they’ll be immune to the RWD.”

  “So only the Fians will die?” He checked with a quick look at Eric and then back at Jen. “I’m guessing it’s not that simple.”

  “It will take some time,” Jen said. “And some exhaustive shots in the dark. Trial and error on a large scale.”

  Something about Nico’s focus on Jen irked Eric, but irritability had become second nature. “Do you need me to bring anyone else in on the project with you?”

  An odd expression crossed Nico’s face. Andrej and Jasper would have both been a good fit for it, but they were no longer with them. “I’ll probably need Dai to help me design the testing environment. I’m fine on my own for the rest. You, Jen?”

  “Fine,” she said.

  “I’ll brief Dai then,” Eric said.

  “Let’s get started.” Nico seemed to be trying to call upon his usual enthusiasm, but it didn’t quite work.

  Jen and Nico jumped into a discussion of the list of materials, components and equipment that they’d need, which was Eric’s cue to leave. He hurried down the corridor with an antsy feeling building up inside him, even though he had no appointments and nowhere to be. Unifier had Cooper. The other worlds had the Trinity. And Eric couldn’t help the thought that he offered no value apart from barking orders and pretending to know what was best.

  Powerless. Like a fist striking against the heavy door of an Eagle.

  He wandered the corridors aimlessly, ending up at the control room. From the other side of the corridor, Heidi approached with a quick pace.

  Fear strained her tired face. “Get inside. Now.”

  The control room had three large screens behind Cooper’s table. An operator sat behind the table, and Cooper, Jea and Bako were pacing around. A screen also showed Chris’ face, frowning.

  “What’s happening?” Eric asked, his stomach dropping.

  Cooper turned around and his face looked ashen. “They crossed over from the wormhole. The army is here.”

  Eric felt his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “How many ships?”

  “One,” Cooper said. When Eric’s startled expression deepened, he added, “That one.”

  On the center screen, the projector showed a blurred image, but Eric recognized the ship at once.

  “Oh my stars,” Heidi whispered.

  “It’s Farsight,” Cooper said grimly.

  “There’s good news and bad news,” Chris said from the screen, although Eric found that hard to believe. “Farsight was made for a migration. It’s sturdy. Probably impossible to shoot out of the sky, but at the same time it won’t have the weapons to win a space battle.”

  Heidi looked at him like he was being naive. “Nothing more than the usual ones the Fians have surely mounted on it, you mean.”

  Chris flinched a little. “Fine, we only have bad news, then. Our Bluedrops won’t be able to put a dent in that ship.”

  Thoughts flooded Eric’s mind, streaming in all directions. “We need to pull everyone from the Belt station. They won’t have a chance against this kind of a ship.”

  “Yes,” Chris said. “Bring them here. Josie can help prep the Earthling troops for hand to hand combat. We’ve mostly been training them in flight formations.”

  “What about the Moon?” Jea asked. “Our shield isn’t ready yet.”

  “And it won’t be ready in time,” Cooper said. “We can evacuate the civilians to Unifier and Earth.”

  “Are you sure that would be safer?” Chris said. “Earth is likely their ultimate target.”

  “That’s why it will be the most heavily guarded.” Cooper then turned to Bako. “We need the Martian numbers. There’s no way around it. Please.”

  Bako squared his shoulders, tensing. “I’ll try to bring them in.” He stood to leave, and Cooper and Eric nodded at him with appreciation.

  “Hurry,” Eric said.

  When he looked back at the screen, Chris was rubbing his face with both hands. He removed them, and Eric only now realized how tired he looked. He’d been working overtime for weeks, yet it wasn’t enough. They weren’t ready.

  “We can’t let them land on Earth,” Chris said, his voice turning quieter.

  The instinct to say something to keep morale high, burned in Eric’s chest. “Then we keep them from landing. At any cost.” But in the back of his mind, dread and panic started to rise. This was it. The unbeatable army. A ship so secure they’d never take it down. An army of one. The toughest ship humanity had ever created.

  Chris and Eric exchanged glum looks of resolve.

  “And if they do land?” Cooper’s eyes bore into Chris’ image on the screen.

  Chris’ reply came out in a miserable grunt. “Protecting the civilians will be hard—everyone lives in clustered city areas.”

  “Easy pickings,” Cooper murmured.

  “Most of our soldiers are trained for an air strike.” Chris tipped his head back, looking up as if to escape. “It would help if we knew exactly what they plan on doing.” He let his head back down and regarded Eric, “Any word from Yalena?”

  Eric held his breath at the mention of her. “No.”

  The operator, a young Moonie Eric had spoken with on occasion, turned in his chair. “Mr. O’Donn
ell, sir?”

  “Yes?” Eric and Cooper replied at once. Then Eric flinched at his mistake.

  The Moonie hardly seemed to have noticed the slip-up. “The Fian ship...it’s sending us a channel request.”

  It was just like Felix to want to gloat. As much as they would hate to see him do that, Eric couldn’t pass on a chance to find out if he’d caught Yalena. “We need to accept it.”

  Cooper issued a quick and firm nod.

  The operator flicked the controls and the sizzling sound of the connection filled the room.

  “Eric O’Donnell,” a woman’s voice said. It sounded familiar, but Eric’s mind blocked everything upon hearing his name. “I need to speak to Eric O’Donnell.”

  “Who is this?” Cooper asked.

  “Do you have Eric O’Donnell or not?” she said. “I have a message for him and this channel won’t stay hidden for long.”

  Eric jumped in before waiting for Cooper to make the call. “This is Eric O’Donnell.”

  A moment of silence on the line. Then she spoke again. “I have a message for you from Yalena.”

  “Is she there?” Eric leaned over the operator’s table, hope pulsing through him.

  “She had to stay behind. She’ll explain in the message,” that faintly familiar voice said. Could it be Sibel? No, no it wasn’t.

  “Who are you?” Eric asked.

  “Once you watch the recording, you’ll understand,” was all she concluded with.

  The operator looked up at Eric again. “Do I accept the file transfer?”

  This time Eric stalled, waiting for Cooper to give the order.

  “Do it.”

  Eric watched the file transfer progress bar, acutely aware of his breathing and heartbeat.

  It was as if Heidi had guessed his thoughts. “Why wouldn’t Yalena come back?”

  Eric answered through a groan. “Something must have gone wrong.”

  “Let’s not be hasty, thinking that,” Cooper said. “If she isn’t on that ship, it means they never caught her. That’s got to be good news.”

  Jea stepped closer, placing a palm on Cooper’s chest, which made Heidi frown. “Maybe it’s a trick. Maybe it isn’t a message from Yalena, but a virus or a way for them to trick us into revealing our defense strategy.”