by Finn Gray
“I’m working on a theory.” Lina tapped her tablet and it flared to life. She opened a file then slid the tablet over to Graves. “Take a look at that.”
Graves felt his eyes widening in surprise as he read through the documents and scanned the images she had collected. When he finished he looked up at her. “You think it’s real?”
“I think we had better hope it’s real, because I’ve got no other ideas.”
Graves thought it over. It seemed ridiculous, but then again, she laid out a compelling case. And she wasn’t wrong; right now they had a dearth of good ideas. “How do we sell this to the other commanders?”
“I didn’t realize there was a sales aspect to the chain of command.”
“You aren’t officially the Empress yet, which means I’m not officially the admiral.”
Lina nodded. “That will be rectified soon enough.”
“Those titles won’t gain either of us any credibility, you in particular. Don’t misunderstand me. People will obey, but if they aren’t on board with your plan, how long can you count on their loyalty?” Graves paid close attention to Lina’s reaction. She nodded, understanding. “You can only run roughshod over the people in your command for so long before even the most loyal begins to push back. But if you can sell them on your vision, make them believe in you as a leader, you’ll get the best out of them.”
“I understand,” Lina said. “This is one area where my sister’s skills far outstrip my own. She could sell snow to a Norwinder.”
Graves chuckled. “In that case, I think you and I should work on our sales pitch.”
Chapter 38
Facility C, Soria
Rory rolled over onto his side, felt the warmth of Jemma’s firm body pressed against his. He wrapped his arm around her and scooted in close. She let out a tiny sigh and he squeezed her tight. And then the world began to shake. He sat bolt upright. His head was splitting, his thoughts muzzy. All around him, everything was trembling. A low rumbling filled his ears. For a moment he thought he was dreaming, but then he realized what was happening.
“Earthquake,” he mumbled.
Above the doorway, a security light blinked on, filling the room with dull red light. He blinked, rubbed his eyes. Beside him, the lump beneath the blanket stirred. But it wasn’t Jemma.
“What the hells is going on?” Cassidy groaned. She poked her head out from under the blanket and looked up.
Rory felt a moment of panic. His heart raced. Cold sweat beaded on the back of his neck. What was Cassidy doing in his bed? “Um, I don’t know…”
“Relax, Plowboy,” Cassidy said, correctly reading his facial expression. “We didn’t shag. What we did was get very drunk.” She sat up, squeezed her eyes shut. “I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Cass, you do realize we are in the middle of an earthquake?”
Cassidy squeezed his arm. “You mean the room really is shaking? I thought it was the hangover.”
“It’s been going on for a while.” Rory looked up at the ceiling, half expecting it to cave in at any moment. He assumed the facility was solidly built but how many of these quakes could it withstand?
Just then the door flew open and Trent stuck her head inside.
“If you two are finished playing grab ass, we’ve got a situation.”
“We’re not…” Rory began, but Trent was already closing the door. Of course she didn’t give a goat’s fart what Rory and Cassidy got up to together. Not that they had gotten up to anything
Cassidy rolled out of bed, muttering curses under her breath. Rory followed. Both were in their skivvies and they quickly donned the clothing that had been provided for them — utilitarian jumpsuits and thick woolen socks. They kept their own boots, which fit well and had been broken in.
“She didn’t tell us where to meet,” Cassidy complained.
“I’m sure will find them. Let’s start with the common room.”
But the common room was empty. They had only a minute to wonder where the others had gone before Oates showed up. When they had first met, Oates had worn his hair and beard and long braids, and had only cut them when they infiltrated the Memnon facility at Stone Mountain. Now, after a shave and a shower, and dressed in crisp, clean clothing, he looked like a different man.
“What are you idiots doing?” Everyone’s gathered at the pool.” Without waiting for reply he turned and hurried away.
“You know,” Rory said, “I’m getting kind of tired of people expecting me to act on information I haven’t been given.”
“Improvise and adapt,” Cassidy said in a mocking tone as they headed in the direction of the pool.
Everyone was waiting for them when they arrived. Ndidi clutched her ever-present tablet, gazed wide-eyed at the screen. Benny and Jill stood in a corner, arms folded, scowling at the glowing pool. Kally, Luthien, and Trent stood at the top of the steps that led down into the pool. The trio were deep in conversation.
“About time,” Oates said. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, gazing down at the pool.
“We were literally seconds behind you,” Cassidy said. Oates smirked and waggled his bushy grey eyebrows. “Screw you, Oates,” she said.
“What are we doing down here?” Rory asked.
“Planning our escape,” Oates replied.
“Escape?”
“The earthquakes are increasing in frequency and intensity,” Luthien said. “And we’re seeing signs of structural damage. Facility C wasn’t built to withstand this sort of thing.”
“The earthquakes will subside,” Ndidi said in a trembling voice. “They always do.”
“There’s no always for the situation we’re in now,” Luthien said, his rich voice gentle but firm. “We have got to get out of here.”
Rory frowned. “You don’t mean to go through the pool, do you?”
Oates shrugged. “It’s not my plan. I’m just waiting to see who wins the debate. Then I’ll make my decision.”
“But we don’t know what’s on the other side,” Cassidy said.
“Exactly,” Benny chimed in. “Going through the pool is suicide.” Standing by his side, Jill nodded.
“We don’t know that,” Kally said.
“We know they’re dinosaurs on the other side,” Benny said. “That’s enough for me.”
“We also know that up there,” Kally pointed at the ceiling, “is a world that the Memnon’s have turned into a radioactive wasteland. And don’t try to tell me we can stay here. You know as well as I do that this place is coming apart.”
As if to emphasize her point, another tremor shook the ground beneath their feet. A ceiling tile broke loose and fell to the floor in front of Rory.
“The facility will hold,” Jill said. “It always has.”
“We haven’t always had to deal with earthquakes like this,” Luthien said. “And they are getting worse.” He turned to Oates. “I’m not saying it’s your fault, but I think when you blew up the Nyx, it set off a chain of seismic activity beneath the island that is not going away anytime soon, if ever.”
“I’m happy to take the blame for that,” Oates said with a shrug of indifference. “The damned Memnons got what was coming to them."
“And what about us?” Ndidi said, still not looking away from her tablet.
“Yes. Are you willing to take the blame for killing us all?” Jill said.
Oates quirked an eyebrow. “I thought you said the facility would hold.”
Jill frowned, her angry stare burning into the older man, but she held her tongue.
Cassidy turned to Rory, lowered her voice. “What do you think we should do?”
“What are you asking me for?”
She looked at him as if he were stupid. “You are our squad leader.”
Rory shook his head. “You and I are all that is left of our squad.”
“Exactly. And, as far as I know, you’re the only person left in the world who I give two shits about. I go where you go.”
&nb
sp; Rory realized that everyone was looking at him, waiting for his answer. He frowned.
“The way I see it we have three choices. One, we can stay here and hope the entire facility doesn’t collapse on us.”
“And hope that the entire island doesn’t sink,” Luthien said. Kally nodded in agreement, Benny shook his head, and Jill hissed. Ndidi merely closed her eyes and squeezed her tablet to her chest.
“Option number two,” Rory continued, “is to try and find a way off the island.”
“We have no transport and we are nowhere near the coast,” Trent said. “And even if we could get away, where would we go? What would we do? Take down the Memnons by ourselves? And even if we could, we can no longer live on the surface.”
Rory shrugged. Trent’s thoughts echoed his own.
“That leaves going through the pool,” Rory said. “I don’t love the idea, but I think I’m willing to take my chances.” He turned to Cassidy. “But I want to know what you really think. It’s not fair to make me decide for you.”
“I’m okay with that,” Cassidy said. “Up until now, my goal in life was to change the social order in Aquaria. The Memnons took care of that for me. I’ve got nothing left but my friends. Well, my friend and the two of you,” she added, inclining her head toward Oates and Trent.
Oates nodded slowly. “I reckon I’ve seen enough of this world. The one person I was living for is gone now. Might as well go on an adventure.”
“Adventure? Is that what you call being eaten by dinosaurs?” Ndidi had finally opened her eyes. She rounded on Kally. “You are in love with Sands. That’s the only reason you are pushing this. You want to go through and look for him, and you’re willing to let everyone else die because of your celebrity crush.”
Kally clenched her fists and took a step toward Ndidi, but Trent held her back.
“Let me go!” Kally gave Trent a shove with both hands. The big sergeant did not budge. “I said,” the big engineer hissed through gritted teeth, “let me go.”
“No.” Trent said flatly. “Not until you quit acting like a child.”
Kally looked like she was going to take a swing at the larger woman, but then she relaxed. “Fine. I’m going through. The rest of you are invited to join me if you wish. Even you,” she said to Ndidi with a mocking smile.
Another tremor rocked the facility.
“I think it’s time to make a decision,” Luthien said, looking up at the ceiling nervously. “I’m going through the pool with Kally. I don’t know for sure what’s on the other side, but I know there’s nothing left for me here except certain death.”
“We are staying,” Jill said. Benny turned, frowned at her, then nodded.
“What about you, Ndidi?” Luthien’s tone suggested he already knew the answer. “If you come with us, I promise I’ll look out for you. We all will.”
Tears streamed down Ndidi’s cheeks. “I can’t,” she said in a trembling voice. “I just can’t do it.” No one appeared surprised.
“I’m going,” Trent said. “Let the cockroaches hide in the rubble and try to survive. I’d rather take action.”
“I’m with you,” Oates said. He turned to Rory. “How about it?”
Rory looked up at the ceiling as if he could see the world above. For a moment he tried to imagine surviving on the surface, desperately fighting to survive, but with no one to live for. No family, no squadmates, and no Jemma. He realized that Cassidy, Oates, and Trent were the closest thing he had left to family. He looked down into Cassidy’s big brown eyes. She nodded.
“All right,” Rory said. “Let’s explore this new world.”
Chapter 39
Battlecruiser Dragonfly
The speakeasy was a boisterous place when Sabre arrived. Several pilots called her name when she entered. She waved and looked around for an empty table. She didn’t want to be alone, but neither was she in the mood to socialize. Story of her life. Nothing was ever quite right.
“Join us, Lieutenant,” Smoke said. He sat at a table with a pair of the new pilots—Erik “Spartan” Shapiro and Phil “Shepherd” Schroeder. Sabre hadn’t really gotten to know them yet, save that both were competent pilots and Shepherd might break into song at any moment. She definitely wasn’t in the mood for that right now.
“Girls’ table over here,” called Gwen “Battlecat” Henry. Most simply called her “Cat.” Sabre liked her. Cat took no shit from the men. “I’ve got a bottle of Diurnan whisky and I’m not sharing with the men.”
“Sounds good to me,” Sabre said. Gwen did not give her the impression of being too chatty.
“I see how it is,” Smoke called out as Sabre headed for Cat’s table. “Too much testosterone over here?”
“Who at that table has any testosterone?” Sabre jibed as she grabbed a glass and joined Cat.
“Thanks for the company,” Gwen said.
“Thanks for the liquor.” Sabre poured herself a glass of the amber liquid, then topped off Gwen’s glass. “And for giving me an easy out. The guys are okay but I’m no mood to reminisce about the greatest Mayall players of all time.”
“Cheers,” Gwen said. They clinked glasses, then settled into a companionable silence.
The vidscreen on the wall displayed two familiar faces, a red-haired woman and a bald, brown-skinned man. Sabre could not remember their names, but knew them to be tabloid journalists. They sat in a makeshift studio in front of an image of the Imperial Palace in Vatome.
“What are we watching?” Sabre asked. “I can’t hear anything over these idiots.” She waved her glass in the direction of a table where a quartet of pilots were playing a game of Pakra.
“Catalina Navarre is going to be sworn in as empress. This is the pre-show.”
“The what?” Sabre asked.
“Didn’t you know? The fleet has its first vid network. Led by none other than Valeria Navarre. She hired these two gossip mongers as its first journalists.”
Sabre rolled her eyes. “I knew something was in the planning stages. With Valeria in charge, I guess we’ll be treated to a slew of reality vids and updates on what all the surviving rich kids are up to.” She instinctively glanced over at the Pakra game, where Adam “Recess” Talia was gathering in a pile of gold chits. The other players were none too happy about a member of the nobility taking their money.
“Aren’t you wealthy enough already?” Stine said with a grin as he tossed his cards on the table and leaned back.
Recess frowned, his expression suddenly serious. “I guess you haven’t heard, but there was a Memnon attack.”
“What’s your point?” Stine asked.
“My point is, I’m as broke as the rest of you.” Recess looked down at his winnings. “Well, I was until I found out how bad you all are at Pakra. But this right here is pretty much all of my worldly possessions.”
“Sorry,” Stine said. “I was just joking.”
Recess waved away the apology. “I didn’t take it personally. It’s not like I’m the only one who lost everything.”
Sabre turned back to Gwen. “Do you have anyone left?”
Gwen shrugged. “My family disowned me when I enlisted. They’re very conservative, socially, religiously, you name it. They believe women don’t belong in the service.”
“Women have served throughout history,” Sabre protested.
“They know and they don’t care.” Gwen took a sip of whisky. “How about you? Any family?”
“I was raised by my uncle. Well, he provided food and shelter and let me do whatever the hells I wanted. He wasn’t the most attentive parent, but he was okay.”
“What happened to him?”
“Died a week after I made pilot. He actually called to tell me he was proud of me. I had no idea he even gave two damns.” Sabre took a drink.
“What does it feel like to have someone give a damn about you?” Gwen asked.
“Come on, Cat. You know exactly how it feels.” Teddy Zartler had sidled up to their table. “I care abo
ut you a great deal.” He winked and grinned.
Gwen narrowed her eyes. “You should stop talking and find another table. I am not in the mood to be hit on.”
“Just kidding.” Teddy raised his hands and took a step backward. “I actually wanted to talk to Sabre for a minute.”
Sabre heaved a tired sigh. “What do you want, Teddy?”
Teddy looked down, shoved his hands into his pockets, and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Could we talk somewhere private? It won’t take long, I promise.”
“Fine.” She drained her glass, thanked Gwen for the drink, then led Teddy out of the speakeasy and down the corridor until they were out of earshot.
“I just want to say I’m sorry for everything,” Teddy began.
Sabre crossed her arms. “Teddy, if you’re thinking of trying to start things up again, don’t bother. I’ve moved on.”
“That’s not it. I just want you to know that it was never anything personal. I really did try with you. I’m just not cut out for a relationship.”
“If that was you when you were trying…” Sabre began.
“I know. Look, it was a mistake.”
“Putting a sock on inside out is a mistake. You made a choice.” It had been cycles, but Sabre found herself getting worked up.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” Teddy protested.
“You slipped and fell into her bed. And into other places?”
Teddy pressed his hands to his temples. “What does it always turn into a fight? I’m trying to apologize and take responsibility for what I did, yet you’re still tearing me a new one.”
“Kelly was my only friend. At least, I thought she was.” The memory still pained Sabre. She did not make friends easily, but during pilot training, she had hit it off with a fellow fledgling named Kelly. The two had become fast friends, and had remained so for cycles. Until Teddy came along.
“She regretted it, probably until the day she died,” Teddy said quietly.
Sabre flinched as if he had slapped her. “She’s dead?”
