The files in Benson’s database had been wiped clean. The man hadn’t expected to return, that much was clear. Charles dug through every corner he could and was amazed at how pristine the eraser job had been.
As letters and numbers raced across the screen, Charles wondered if Wren’s virus would work. He had checked over the figures and details himself countless times and had determined no visible flaw in them. He was almost fully sure they would work. Would he be present as the Watcher inhaled the deadly virus? How quickly would it begin to seize the unique organ functions, rendering them non-functional?
He wanted to find the coordinates to where Benson had Shifted, but he didn’t know what would happen if they did locate the file. Would the whole ship Shift there and arrive in danger? It didn’t seem like the best plan to Charles. There were other things to consider. They still needed to get the Pilgrim off the planet, but that was scheduled for three days from now. He hoped that strategy was effective. From what he’d seen, the Distractors should do the job, but he wasn’t well versed in thermonuclear fusion and kept it that way. The engineers and scientists could deal with that. Charles had enough on his plate.
The system dinged, notifying him that something along the set parameters had been discovered. Charles began digging further into it. Now that he’d identified a potential file, it peeled open surprisingly easily. Benson hadn’t expected anyone to notice the title or format, but together, they were odd enough to warrant investigation.
“What do we have here?” Charles asked the air, mimicking the way Wren had a habit of speaking to herself when she thought no one was listening.
Deep within the subfile, he found it: coordinates embedded into a document. The odd thing was, there were two different locations documented. Charles set to translating the results.
Flint
They reconvened on the bridge of the Pilgrim. It had become a common setting for Flint over the past week. They discussed plans to leave the world and what would come after. Flint found himself growing tired over the speculation. He wanted the hard facts before worrying about what came next. First they needed to get the Pilgrim up and out of the lake, and past the ever-waiting energy suckers.
Someone was droning on about heading toward the Rift to wait for the opening, and Flint cut them off. “What’s the status on those five Distractors?”
All eyes turned to him. It was Aldene Hawk who replied, “They’ll be ready in three days.”
“Good. I’m tired of waiting,” Flint muttered.
A communication notification chimed, and Aldene answered, “Captain Hawk here. What do you have for us?”
The voice was that of Wren’s android friend, Charles. “Captain Hawk, are the others with you presently?”
“Those that need to be are, yes. Go on.”
“I did it. I have found the coordinates for the Watchers’ world.”
Silence turned to cacophony as everyone spoke at once. Jarden was the one to raise his hand and command peace. “Charles, the floor is yours.”
“We think this is where Benson traveled, though we cannot be sure. I have found something else as well. It seems they have a few outposts around the system, much like we did.”
Flint didn’t like the way the android used past tense, but he stayed quiet as Charles continued. “There will be two primary sites with substantial numbers of Watchers living on them. Wren thinks we need to hit those as well. Insert the virus and leave.”
Flint perked up. “In addition to their home world?”
“Correct. Captain Barkley is trying to understand the logistics of it now,” Charles replied.
“Good work, Charles,” Jarden said. His ex-wife was there, and Flint noticed how she stood just a little closer to her ex-husband. “This seems like a difficult task. There are so many factors at play. Perhaps the best course of action is, as Aldene suggests, heading to the Rift and waiting for it to open, then getting back home. Perhaps the Watchers have lost the war, and you can help them rebuild and prepare for the inevitable.”
Flint wasn’t surprised by Jarden’s casual use of “you,” meaning he wasn’t coming with them. No one else appeared to notice.
“No,” Flint said, standing up. “We aren’t going to the Rift with a wish and a prayer. We’re going to unleash this virus and take the fight to them. We’re outnumbered, but we have the elements of surprise and stealth on our side.”
“You don’t know what you’re getting into,” Jarden said.
“Well, you won’t have to worry about that, will you, Jarden?” Flint asked, looking down at the old man. Jarden’s back straightened and he sat up in his seat, but instead of fighting, he glanced up to Leona.
Aldene cut the tension. “I take it you have a plan, Lancaster?”
Flint needed more details, but he did have a tentative proposal: one that would save lives, but likely cost some in the process.
16
Wren
Wren closed her eyes, wishing she could sleep. She’d thought about taking something to help with that, but by the time she considered it, too much of the night had passed her by. She needed to be awake and alert in the morning, and as she rolled over, checking the time, she realized it was already morning. She felt like garbage.
Today was the day. Her sample of the airborne virus was ready, and she was being pressured to make sure it worked. If they could pull this off, she’d be responsible for destroying a large chunk of an alien race.
The old Wren would have been filled with dread and anxiety about it, but she wasn’t the same woman now. Long ago, she’d been under the assumption she was going to die in prison on Caliban, and that changed a person. There was no coming back from that feeling of waking up every day, wondering if it was going to be your last, a small part of you hoping it would be.
Wren’s thoughts shifted to Flint, and she wished she could talk to him before she headed to the lab. There was something comforting about his presence, and she missed having him around, even though she’d only known him a short time. Charles would be there, and that made her feel a little better. As odd as it was hanging out with an android every moment of the day, he was a good friend .
Wren took her time getting up, seeing she had two hours before she needed to be at the lab. A steam shower helped, but she needed something more. She put on plain slacks and a button-up non-commissioned Fleet shirt, and tossed her lab coat overtop. Wren slowly walked to the galley, moving toward the table where they’d first made a pact to fight. That gave her a reason to smile. The Watchers would retaliate, and having people by her side that cared made it all worth the risk.
Wren got a coffee, leaving it black, and decided to bring a backup cup. She’d need it today.
“Anything cooking yet?” she asked the guy at the counter, and he nodded.
“Toast. Can fry up some eggs,” he said with a frown. She hadn’t seen this man before, and he didn’t seem like a morning person. But his offer was nice.
“That all sounds perfect, thanks,” she said, sitting down at a table for two.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, of all days,” Harry Tsang said as he entered the room. “Mind if I join you?”
Wren motioned to the empty chair, a silent invitation to join her.
“Martin, I’ll take whatever’s cooking!” Harry shouted to the grumpy man at the counter. “So today’s the day?”
“Today’s the day,” Wren answered.
Harry looked nervous for her, or maybe for all of them. “Is it going to work?”
“It’ll work. The next step is going to be the hard part,” she said.
“I heard the plan Flint came up with. Pretty bold, isn’t it?” Harry asked. He was a great officer, and she hoped he was on board with Flint’s strategy.
“It’s bold, but I agree with him. It’s the only way, or at least the best way. We can do this, Harry. I truly think we can.” Wren took a sip of coffee, feeling the effects take hold. She felt a little better instantly, her head clearer. “Speaking
of bold…”
Harry laughed, spotting the second cup of coffee on the table. “For me?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said, pushing the sealed cup across the plastic-topped table.
“Are you going to go on the Pilgrim when it’s time?” he asked her.
Wren hadn’t even considered this as a possibility. No. She’d be there with the others when they unleashed hell on the Watchers. It was her project, and she’d be the one to make it so. “I’ll be coming along for the ride.” She forced a smile, her eyes still feeling heavy.
“Good. Good.” Harry didn’t say more, and their food came out just as advertised: two runny eggs and a piece of buttered toast. It was far better than the slop from prison, so Wren wasn’t about to complain.
They chatted about inane subjects along the way, and Wren was happy for the distraction. When their plates were empty, Wren went and filled up her cup again and headed for the door. “Thanks for the company, Harry. I’ll talk to you later,” she said.
His dark eyes stared hard at her. “Good luck.”
And with that, she was off, heading to her laboratory, feeling better about what she was about to do. Having a real human experience like sharing a meal was enough to remind her why they were doing this.
She found the laboratory in a few minutes, and when she opened the door, Charles was fiddling with something beside the captive Watcher’s cell.
“Hello, Wren.” Charles welded something and stood up, shutting his small torch down.
“Good morning, Charles.” She was well past the point of feeling strange saying such things to an android. He was like family to her now, and she loved having him around. “Is that…”
“The translation device, yes,” he finished. “It’s ready.”
Wren spent the next ten minutes preparing for the virus test. She only needed half of that time since she’d organized most things the night before, but she paced herself, settling her nerves.
The door opened, revealing Captain Heather Barkley. Heather looked as if she’d foregone sleep for worry last night as well. “I’d like to be part of this, if you don’t mind.”
Wren shook her head. “Of course not.” Actually, it was nice to have someone else around to share the moment with. That way, she had an accomplice, which felt right. “We’re getting started now.”
They stood in front of the cell. The Watcher remained stoic in his robe, standing proudly. Even since he’d been able to converse with Charles, his mood had changed. It was as if he felt something was going to happen, Wren could tell, and he seemed resigned to his own death. That was a feeling Wren could fully appreciate.
Wren wanted to give him one last chance, and that wasn’t part of the plan. She hoped Heather wouldn’t interfere. She had to know for sure. The virus was set up to release into the sealed cell with the touch of a tablet icon, and Wren locked the screen, setting the device down for a moment.
“Charles, is it translating?” she asked, not hearing anything come through the cell’s speakers.
He pressed something on the device to the left of the cell, and it hummed to life. He pointed at her, which she took as an indication it was operating.
“Hello. I wish to seek a way for our two races to coexist. Cast away your anger and bias at being captured for so long and dig deep down. Is there a way we can cease being enemies and become friends, or at least ignore one another?” Wren waited while the words carried through the speakers in the alien’s growls and groans.
It stood taller as it listened. For a second, Wren thought it might be considering this. Maybe there was a chance the two races could part ways and life happily ever after.
It calmly let out a series of words, and her hand shook as she waited in anticipation for the translation. The words came through clearly. “By Ober’s hand, the Faithful will destroy every last ugly one of you from existence. Of this there is no doubt.”
Goosebumps rose on her arm beneath her sleeve at the cold way he spoke the words. “Shut it off, Charles. I don’t need to hear any more.”
Before the android had a chance, the Watcher was banging against the energy field, its suction-covered arms flailing in anger. “You will all die! Ober commands it!”
The sounds stopped, but Wren could still hear the banging of its arms against the field. Her hands stopped shaking, and she looked over at Heather, who was staring in awe at the Watcher. Her face had gone pale.
Wren unlocked the tablet, found the icon, and tapped it. The ventilation system let a blast of cool air into the cell, and it was done.
The Watcher glanced up at the vent and continued to beat the containment field in frustration.
“Come, we don’t need to see this,” Wren said.
“How long will it take?” Heather asked.
“It’ll show symptoms in as little as three hours. He might be dead by the end of the day,” Wren said.
Heather was walking toward the exit of the lab, but she turned, staring at Wren with bloodshot eyes. “Good.”
Ace
Ace took the opportunity to head aboveground with Oliv when she presented it, and he was glad he did. The large star was hidden by dense cloud cover today, and it was a pleasant reprieve from the intense heat from the day they’d arrived.
“Do you like it here?” Ace asked Oliv. It was still humid, and his shirt billowed under a gust of wind.
“It’s okay. But everything’s changing so quickly. The ship will be leaving in a couple of days, and you’ll be gone.” Oliv led him toward the crops at the back corner of the colony. He hadn’t been there yet and was enjoying the walk and fresh air.
“You could come with us,” Ace offered, knowing she should stay. Her family was here, and it was clear Jarden didn’t want to head back to join their resistance against the Watchers.
“I want to, Ace. I really do. But Mom and Dad will never let me,” Oliv said. She waved at a few men and women, along with some children at work in the fields.
“What are you growing?” Ace asked, changing the subject. He didn’t want the last couple of days with his new friend to be all about staying or going, wars and death.
“Over there, we have corn.” Oliv pointed to the far side, where Ace saw tall, green stalks rising up out of the soil. “Potatoes to the left of them, beans behind them.” Oliv started counting them off on her fingers. “Carrots, peas, herbs of all sorts. You get the point. Mostly staples and things that seem to grow well here. Much of this soil is ours, from Earth. It’s mixed with the local dirt, and we use a chemical to bond them.”
“You brought dirt with you?” Ace asked. “That must have been a hassle moving from the Pilgrim, since it’s under water.”
Oliv laughed. “It took two weeks to get it all out, but worth it, wouldn’t you say?”
“I didn’t have to help, so sure.”
They kept walking, heading to the edge of the fields. It took at least twenty minutes, and Ace was impressed with how vastly they’d built the food source in only two years.
“Won’t it be strange being up here all the time, with the ship gone?” Ace knew the answer, but he wanted to break the silence.
“I guess I’ll get used to it. Maybe you could stay too,” Oliv said softly.
Ace held her gaze for a few seconds, mulling over her comment. He couldn’t. “They need every able body to fight this war. It’s not going to be easy. I have to be with them. I can’t stay.”
“If they need every able body, then I should be leaving too.” Oliv was staring into the sky, as if looking up meant she could see the Eureka in orbit. “Dad’s heading there today. They’re going to test another Distractor, I guess, and he has a few things he needs to bring back with him. A few loose ends, he told us. What do you think that means?” Oliv’s face conveyed worry, and Ace wanted to tell her it would be okay.
“I have no idea. He built that ship, and from what I hear, he’s attached to it. I suspect he didn’t plan on parting ways with it so soon. He probably has personal items he wan
ts too,” Ace said, guessing there might be a little more to it.
“Sure. I asked to go with him, but he said no. I think he assumed I’d try to hide away in a storage compartment.” Oliv laughed.
“I wouldn’t put it past you,” Ace said.
“Neither would I.”
“What else is up here?” Ace asked, and they continued the tour. It was the last time he’d see the surface before they attempted to leave in two days, and he wanted to soak it all in. It was also probably the last time he’d set foot on solid ground.
Wren
It worked! The virus worked. Wren stepped forward, watching through the cell’s side viewer as the Watcher’s breathing labored. His skin color had faded dramatically, his cheeks shockingly concave. Occasionally, he let out a series of moans and coughs, but otherwise, it was silent inside his cell.
The virus was designed to spread quickly and act faster than any common bug. If they could get it into a few highly-populated regions on the Watchers’ world, Wren suspected they could damage the race severely within a few days, and beyond repair in only weeks.
“You did well, Wren.” Jarden’s voice startled her, and Wren lifted up, narrowly avoiding hitting her head on an open cupboard.
“Jarden. I didn’t hear you come in. I heard you were coming up but didn’t think you should take the risk.” He came over to her side, and Wren thought he might hug her. Instead, he patted her quickly on the shoulder and stepped away.
“They all warned me to stay down there, but I had to see the ship one last time. I put a lot of myself into this, you know.” Jarden looked around the room, as if he’d crafted each detail with his own two hands.
“Did Flint bring you up?” she asked, feeling the need to see the pilot at that very moment.
Jarden shook his head. “No. He’s still planetside. He’ll be bringing the lander up at the same time as the Pilgrim is coming. You’ll see him soon enough. You’ve done a good job here.”
The Resistance- The Complete Series Page 37
