by T W Iain
Heads turned, and Deva got that old sensation of being the odd one out. But heads started nodding, and there were smiles. Even though she knew the ghouls were sussing again, she knew they weren’t insulting her.
“Piran, Deva,” Ryann said after a few minutes. “The girls want to stay together. It makes sense for them to use the larger craft. So we get the Proteus. If you’re both okay with that.”
Deva nodded. Piran said, “Sure.”
“And I’ll be joining you.”
When Keelin spoke, the ghouls all turned. Deva spotted the signs of fast sussing, but Keelin held up a hand.
“They need a pilot,” she said. “And…and it’s what I choose.”
Dia shrugged. “That’s as good a reason as any.” She reached out and placed a hand on Keelin’s shoulder. “Good luck. And thanks.”
Keelin nodded, and then she grabbed Dia, pulling the ghoul in for an embrace.
Deva felt a spark of jealousy—that was something she’d never experienced. She’d never had a true friend before.
Then she looked at Piran, and at Ryann. She saw Keelin, the grey giant catching her eye and nodding. She thought of Brice. And she smiled.
Ryann wanted to carry Brice into the Proteus, but Dia insisted. Ryann knew it would be more diplomatic to allow the NeoGen to do what she felt she had to.
She followed, though. Brice was still unconscious, mainly because of the drugs Ryann had given him, so they secured him in one of the bunks.
Then Dia and the other NeoGens left. Ryann watched the Hermes take off, standing with the others. When the craft had disappeared from sight, they headed up the ramp and into the Proteus.
“First time I’ve done this for real,” Piran said, sliding into the seat next to Keelin, up at the front of the cabin. It made perfect sense that he sat in the tech’s chair.
“Just like the simulations,” Keelin said. “Only you’ll have to use that screen. Until we get your lattice sorted.”
“You think we will?” He turned to Ryann. “There are places, right? Outside the company?”
“Bound to be. Might not be totally legit. But I can’t see you having a problem with that.” Then she turned her attention to the seat in front of her, the position she used to hold those long months ago before this nightmare started. The tracker’s position. “You okay, Deva?”
The girl beamed, and ran a hand over the craft’s inner hull. “Never thought I’d get a chance to be in the cabin when one of these things flew.” She twisted her chair. “Although whoever sat here last time damaged the bearings. Could do with looking at that?”
She’d turned that into a question, and Ryann nodded. “Whatever you think needs fixing, just do it. But wait until we’re at level flight. Keelin, you ready to take her up?”
“Already done it.” She turned, head to one side. “Didn’t you notice?”
Ryann used her lattice to connect to the craft’s sensors, and saw the trees beneath them. If she concentrated, she could feel movement now.
“Smooth. Best take-off you’ve done, Kee.”
The pilot beamed. “Thanks.” Then her eyes darted to the empty chair. “Brice going to be okay?”
“He’s tough. He’ll be fine.” And that wasn’t bluster. Already, his wounds were healing. Even without Ryann’s work, she suspected he would have pulled through.
She couldn’t avoid the fact that he was different now. But they all were. Keelin’s change was the most obvious, although she’d matured too. As had Piran. And Ryann herself…
She rested her hands on the arms of the chair, the one at the back of the cabin. The commander’s chair. Cathal’s chair.
But what was it Keelin had said, back on the ground? This was a new beginning.
This was a new crew. Ryann’s crew. A part of her didn’t like the thought of being in charge, but she had to accept it—that was her role now. They’d chosen her to lead them. And she wanted to do the best for them.
“So,” Keelin said, now facing front as she brought them high above the forest. “Where to?”
“Piran, you able to access any data on this area?” Ryann asked. She felt giddy—her first decision as commander.
“Sure.” He tapped at his screen. “What am I looking for?”
“Somewhere far enough away from this place that the company isn’t involved. Somewhere that we can enter without raising questions. And somewhere we can rest.” She took a breath. “I could do with a long soak in a bath.”
“Sounds good.” His fingers tapped. “Think I’ve found just the place. Keelin?”
“Sure. Plotting course. Details in the system if you want to check, Ryann. Deva, the screen next to you should do the same job. Just ask Piran if you have any problems.”
Ryann smiled at that—Keelin would make a wonderful second.
She pulled up the external sensors once more, and both saw and felt the Proteus tilt as it turned. The sun hit them from the side, and they sped toward the hills that rose in the distance, leaving the forest behind.
The data in the system gave a flight-time of three hours. It would be getting dark by then, but for the first time in what felt like forever that didn’t bother Ryann.
There was finally nothing to fear from the shadows.
“So that’s it, then?” The young man leaned in to the desk.
The old man shrugged. “With this mess, there’s no way it can continue. The process is still flawed, and the testing regime was not sufficiently rigorous. The results of our misunderstandings are too grave to risk repetition.”
The younger man shook his head. “Years of work gone, just like that. What a waste. And all because bloody Murdoch Kollias couldn’t do his job.”
The older man held up a wrinkled hand, veins bulging. “Don’t be too hard on the man. He was fully committed, and he did everything he could. Yes, he made mistakes, but his reasoning was sound.”
“Mistakes like keeping Ryann Harris so close.”
“Ultimately a mistake, but he saw great potential in her, and I agree. She was—is—an incredible woman. But her will was stronger than he imagined.”
“And she’s still alive. As are others. It’s a risk.”
The old man shrugged once more. “Is it?”
“There’s a Hermes full of NeoGens out there!”
“And we’re tracking it. You think we’ll allow them to come into contact with others?”
“But I read the reports. That bloody hacker did something to the tracking system on the Proteus. You can’t tell me the situation is under control!”
“The situation is not ideal. But it’s a big universe out there. If they keep their heads down, they are no threat to us. And if they start talking…well, who would believe their story? And it’s not as if they know everything.”
The younger man opened his mouth, then thought better of whatever response he was about to make.
“And so the project is gone,” the old man said. “No records exist, and that means we have to trust you, my young friend.”
The younger man looked startled for a moment, then regained his composure. “Of course. I know nothing about this.”
“I’m glad we have an understanding.”
There was no more to be said, and the younger man departed the room. But the old man sat for a while longer, wrapped in his thoughts.
Officially, the project never happened. Previous projects had never officially happened either, yet this project had been built on their findings. Over the years, they had learnt so much, and knowledge could never be erased.
Knowledge never stayed still, either. It had a nasty habit of evolving. But it could never be allowed to evolve unchecked.
Kaiahive—and especially the old man’s department in the company—still had a job to do.
What next?
Thank you for spending your precious time in reading this book. I hope it’s been a fun ride.
If you’ve enjoyed it, I'm going
to assume you’ve read the first two books in the Shadows series, but if you haven’t, they are Shadowfall and Shadowsiege.
But there’s something else you might like. Deva has met the monsters before, and you can read about this encounter in Shadowlair (A Shadows Prequel). This exclusive novella is only available to readers who sign up to my newsletter at twiain.com.
I’d love to know what you thought of Shadowstrike. The most direct way to do this is to e-mail me at [email protected]. Alternatively, you could let not only me but the whole world know, by leaving a review.
Reviews are important. They let others know the truth about a book. They give potential readers the information they need to decide if that book is for them. And they help books reach more readers.
Anything you can do to help others find my books is appreciated. Thank you.
TW Iain
Shadowlair (A Shadows Prequel)
When Haven’s long-range sensors reported unfamiliar signals out on the rim, there was no immediate panic. It was probably nothing more than a glitch. But protocol demanded an investigation, so a crew was dispatched.
The crew never returned.
The rescue mission found their abandoned craft a few days later, but the storm stopped them probing any further.
And so they never found evidence of the stowaway. They never followed the trail into the gully.
They never discovered if the crew lived or died. Or if something worse happened.
But you can read their story. Join the mailing list, and you can download Shadowlair, a free, exclusive novella that uncovers more of the secrets of the creatures.
Click here, or visit twian.com.
Other Books by TW Iain
Dominions
Dark, Dystopian thrillers
Dark Glass (Dominions I)
Dead Flesh (Dominions II)
Deep Water (Dominions III)
Riled Dogs (Dominions IV)
Gatekeeper (A Dominions Prologue)—Free short story
Control (A Dominions Story)—Mailing list exclusive novella
Expedient (A Dominions Story)
Animus (A Dominions Story)—Mailing list exclusive short story
Shadows
Sci-fi with a dose of horror
Shadowfall (Book One)
Shadowsiege (Book Two)
Shadowstrike (Book Three)
Shadowlair (A Shadows Prequel)—Mailing list exclusive novella
Short Stories
For more details, visit twiain.com/anthologies
Ghost Stream—Sci-fi short story available in the anthology The Power Of Words
The Reason We Run—Post-apocalyptic horror short story available in the anthology It's Behind You
Touch—Horror/tech short story available in the anthology Electromagnetism
