Breaking Point

by David Alastair Hayden

  She sighed. “For now.”

  “A wise choice, madam. Get some rest.”

  The VR vanished, and the viewscreen went back to their current view of real space. Needing to jump the ship into hyperspace, she turned around and stood. She took a single step then twitched with surprise.

  “You guys scared me!”

  Oona was curled up in the command chair, and Bishop was sitting cross-legged on the floor beside her.

  Oona smiled apologetically. “Sorry.”

  “Good work,” Bishop said.

  “I flubbed that last one.”

  “You took on seven starfighters at once,” Bishop replied. “What did you expect?”

  “Success,” Kyralla answered. “How long have you been watching?”

  “We watched you beat six starfighters three times,” Oona said. “Then fail twice against seven.”

  “You could have said you were here,” she complained.

  “We tried to between battles,” Oona replied. “But you didn’t hear us. And I guess Rosie didn’t relay it to you.”

  “I didn’t want to break your concentration, madam.”

  Kyralla nodded her acceptance. “We need to jump the ship.”

  “I’ll do it,” Oona said, triggering the stardrive.

  As they shifted into hyperspace, Kyralla trudged off the bridge. “If you guys want to join me, I’m going to eat before I go to bed.”

  Seneca greeted the three of them at the galley and began preparing their meals, or at least what passed for them. For Kyralla, it was dinner. For Oona lunch, and for Bishop breakfast. Tekeru was asleep.

  As they began to eat, Kyralla explained how Rosie had set up the simulation for her. She and Oona tended to talk a lot during their meals to space out the necessary bites of food. Bishop preferred to shovel his down and get it over with. She’d tried that once but had nearly thrown it up.

  A voice boomed suddenly over the comm. “Heads up, my ship-bound homies!”

  Kyralla flinched and dropped a spoon of gruel onto her lap. Bishop took too large a swallow of his drink and sputtered half of it onto the table. Oona nearly leaped out of her seat.

  "'Nevolence, Silky!" Kyralla cursed. "Couldn't you just say a normal hello or ping the ship to let us know that a communication is coming in."

  As long as the Outworld Ranger was within five lightyears of him, Silky was able to make contact, even while it was in hyperspace, by utilizing a secure military channel no longer in use.

  “What fun is that?” Silky asked.

  “You don’t have to make everything fun,” Kyralla snapped. How Siv could live with Silky in his head all the time baffled her.

  “Well excuse me for trying to lighten the mood.”

  “The mood’s dark for a reason,” she replied.

  "Jeepers, you'd think I was the nineteen-year-old, and you were the almost triple centenarian. Lighten up, grandma."

  “You know what, you can just…just…” Kyralla threw her head in her hands and took a deep breath. There was no point arguing with Silky. “Just get on with what you have to say.”

  “Are Siv and Mitsuki okay?” Oona asked, which was what Kyralla should have said immediately. She needed to learn how to keep Silky from rattling her.

  “They touched down on Titus II an hour ago then broke into an empty house so they could get some sleep out of sight. They’re going to rest until tomorrow night. Then we’ll sneak into Capital City and start searching for your father.”

  “That’s good news,” Bishop said.

  “It’s such a relief,” Oona added. “I was worried they’d never make it.”

  “The next part isn’t going to be easy,” Silky said, “since we don’t even know where to start searching. Unless you’ve had some new visions of your dad, Oona…”

  “Nothing that would help,” she replied sadly.

  “So what’s the bad news?” Kyralla asked.

  “Aren’t you a sunshine rainbow princess?” Silky said. “Why do you think there’s bad news? Maybe I only have positive tidings for you. Did you consider that?”

  She groaned. “Do you have only good news?”

  “Of course, I don’t,” Silky answered. “Kaleeb survived. He knows they’re in the system, and he’s searching for them. But it could be worse.”

  “How could it be worse?” Bishop asked.

  "Kaleeb is the only one who knows at the moment," Silky replied. "And there are a lot of bad guys here. Like a lot a lot."

  “What about his sky-blade?” Bishop asked.

  “Yeah, that little shit survived, too,” Silky said.

  “And that’s it?” Kyralla asked. “No other bad news?”

  “Kaleeb isn’t enough bad news?” Silky asked.

  Kyralla shrugged then realized Silky couldn’t see them. “Normally, yes, but given the obstacles…”

  “Well, that’s all the bad tidings I have to share, princess. I could certainly tell you some crazy stuff we learned about the Hydrogenists we caught a ride with. But that would take a while, and I don’t want to chat longer than necessary.”

  “You could send a data burst about it to Artemisia so she could tell us,” Oona said.

  “Will do,” Silky replied. “So, anything interesting happening on your end?”

  “I’ve made progress on fixing the latest damage to the Tezzin,” Bishop said. “Thanks to Tekeru’s help. And I’m installing Torus in it to work as an AI controller.”

  Torus was Gav Gendin’s chippy before he found Silky.

  “That’s clever,” Silky said. “I approve.”

  “And Kyra figured out a way to set up the Outworld Ranger as a simulator,” Oona told him.

  “That was all Rosie,” Kyralla said. “I had nothing to do with it.”

  “So she used the ship’s default training system in conjunction with a VR projection through your HUD and upgraded the parameters using stolen military software?”

  “That’s…that’s exactly what Rosie did.”

  “Good work, Rosie! It’s just what I would’ve done.”

  Kyralla clenched her fists and resisted punching the table. “You could have told us that was an option! I needed to practice flying.”

  “I upgraded Rosie for a reason, and you know, I do have a lot to manage on my end. I can’t think of everything.”

  “So,” Oona said, “have you given any thought to how we’re going to fly the Outworld Ranger into the Titus system for the extraction once Siv and Mitsuki rescue our dad?"

  Silky made no reply, and Kyralla began to wonder if they'd lost the connection. She was relieved Oona had been the one to state the obvious. She'd been unable to do it, even though she didn't see any way Siv and Mitsuki would be able to find a ship capable of getting them off-world safely.

  Before, it made perfect sense to keep Oona out of harm’s way, but now that they knew about the genetics research facility, they had to do whatever was necessary to rescue their dad, or at least get the information he possessed from him.

  Silky finally responded and without his usual bluster. “You realize Siv’s never going to agree to that. Mitsuki won’t either.”

  “I don’t see how they’ll have a choice,” Oona said. “Once they have my dad, everyone’s probably going to be after them.”

  “That’s exactly the problem,” Silky said. “That’s why we’re going to find a quiet way to sneak out.”

  “You really think that’s possible?” Oona asked.

  “Possible? Yes. Likely? Not so much. But the odds of getting this far weren’t so great either.”

  “There’s no point to any of this if we can’t extract you,” Bishop said.

  “Not necessarily,” Silky said. “I may be able to securely transmit the knowledge Ambassador Vim possesses to you. If so, protecting Oona should remain your primary goal. I have my own mission, and I will get us off this rock somehow.”

  "I don't care about that," Oona said. "If you get my dad and you need a way off-world, then we're coming
in to rescue you. Especially now that I know I may not even be a messiah."

  “I think you may have left something out when I asked about interesting things happening on your end,” Silky said.

  “I…I didn’t want to talk about it,” Oona said sheepishly. Kyralla hadn’t said anything because she felt it was Oona’s right to talk about it or not. It had taken hours and loads of tears for Oona to convey all of it to her.

  “Too bad,” Silky snapped. “Fess up.”

  Oona explained everything to him and wiped away a few tears.

  “You might still be a messiah,” Silky told her. “Regardless, you are important. And to be perfectly blunt, if you enter this system, you will die. Our enemies know about the Outworld Ranger, and you’re outnumbered…vastly outnumbered.”

  “You could help us improve our odds of getting to the Titus II,” Kyralla said.

  “Not in any meaningful way.”

  “I might be able to rig up something that could help,” Bishop suggested.

  “Something that can defeat dozens of armed ships?” Silky asked.

  “I might be able to throw off their scent and buy us a few extra minutes,” Bishop muttered.

  “Mr. Bishop, I’d shrug if I could. An extraction would take eight hours of flying through the system, even at top speed.”

  “You could give me the data on all the ships we’d be facing so that I can practice making the run into the system,” Kyralla said.

  “I suppose that wouldn’t hurt,” Silky replied. “You will fail, but the practice won’t hurt you. And it might make you realize how stupid coming here is. I’m sending the data to Rosie now: the ships I spotted here, how many, and their last positions.”

  Kyralla almost said thank you. But it occurred to her suddenly how easily Silky could prevent them from coming to rescue her dad. “Will you tell us if you’ve got my dad and can’t find any way out of the system?”

  “I will tell you when we find your dad.”

  “And…”

  “It’s bad enough that wanting to rescue your dad is likely to get Siv killed,” he said, his voice cracking with static. “I see no reason why the four of you should die as well, especially when Oona might be able to restore the Benevolence.”

  Kyralla was silent. She had no idea what to say in response. Oona, as usual, did not hesitate.

  “We might be Siv’s only hope of surviving.”

  “If we have no other options, I will tell Siv that you’re willing to rescue him, and I’ll try to persuade him. But he’s not going to agree.”

  “Thank you,” Oona said.

  “As a super smart AI with military experience, and as a friend, and someone who desperately needs to get to the genetics facility as well, let me advise you as sincerely as possible: Do not fly into the system. We can find a way, and I’m working on something special. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss? Anything else that you’ve left out?”

  Oona shook her head then winced. “Sorry, I was gesturing no. I keep forgetting you can’t see me.”

  “Oh, I can see the three of you just fine.”

  “You can?” Oona asked.

  “The ship has a video feed for every room. Bishop, you’ve got a spot of food on your shirt.”

  Bishop glanced down. “Oh. Thanks.” He wiped away a drop of gruel.

  “I don’t think there’s anything else,” Kyralla replied.

  “In that case, Silky out.”

  For several minutes, the three of them stared at one another without saying anything. Silky’s warning of the danger they would face hung between them.

  Bishop finally broke the silence. “So, we’re going to save them if it comes to it, right?”

  Oona nodded firmly. “Of course.”

  "I'm taking us to the edge of the system as soon as they rescue our dad," Kyralla said. "Regardless of whether they have a secret way off-world or if they're fleeing in a fast ship they've stolen."

  “Is that wise?” Bishop asked.

  “I don’t know about wise. I’m sure it will be effective, though. Our arrival will draw serious attention away from them.”

  Bishop thumped his palms against the table. “I’m all for it. I’ve got a few gadget ideas that might help us. I’ll go see if I can cook something up. And we do still have two phantom emitters remaining. I just need to get them working.”

  Kyralla stood. “I’m going to get some rest. Then I’ll start running the gauntlet we’d face on our way to the planet.”

  Oona frowned. “I will…” She smiled and stood confidently. “I will have Artemisia run the simulation for me as well. I can work on my skills in the command chair.”

  “Bishop, you’re going to have to help with the weapons,” Kyralla said.

  “Oh dear.” He rubbed one of his horns thoughtfully, then shrugged. “I’ll go over my gadgets, take a stimulant, then get some practice in, too.”

  “I’ll tell Tekeru we all need to practice when he wakes up,” Oona said.

  The weight of helplessness lifted from Kyralla’s shoulders. She was afraid of fighting and likely dying, but it was preferable to sitting out here helplessly while others risked their lives for their sakes.

  26

  Siv Gendin

  Siv woke and found himself lying in a strange room in a strange house. Thin shafts of reddish light stole through the blinds covering the windows but failed to illuminate the room enough for him to make out any details. It took several minutes to remember that he and Mitsuki had broken into this vacant farmhouse.

  Due to exhaustion and intensifying Kompel withdrawal, his recent memories had begun to blur as it got harder for him to focus. He needed several days of rest, but could barely afford a few hours. Soon, he would have to start dosing on Awake and Aware. Otherwise, he’d become a liability.

  Something brushed against his cheek. He flinched then groaned as he realized it was a wingtip. He pushed Mitsuki’s wing away and sat up carefully so he wouldn’t wake her. The farmhouse had plenty of room, but ultimately they had decided to stay together. It was safer that way.

  He checked the time in his HUD. Five in the afternoon. They would need to move out as soon as it was properly dark.

  “Silkster, anything to report?”

  “No sign of Kaleeb within a three-kilometer radius, sir. Or any obvious threats out to seven kilometers. So I think we’re fine for now.”

  “Got any ideas on what we should do next?”

  “There’s a shop in the town near here that sells skimmer bikes, sir. I suggest we steal a couple.”

  “Skimmer bikes aren’t the most secretive form of transportation.”

  "Maybe not, sir. But they're fast and can slip through tight spaces. And bikes are more common on Titus II than on Ekaran so you won’t stand out."

  “I’d rather steal a car or a van. On the bikes, we could be scanned.”

  “Helmets and chameleon hoods, sir.”

  “Breaking into the bike shop poses a risk of alerting authorities, and anything suspicious could catch Kaleeb's attention."

  “And stealing a car won’t? You’re a freaking procurement specialist, sir. I think you can manage a break-in that doesn’t draw attention until someone examines their stock. If it’s low-key, it won’t be that noticeable.”

  Siv combed his hair back with his fingers. “Why don’t we ask Mitsuki when she wakes. She can be the deciding vote.”

  “I suppose that’s reasonable,” Silky replied in a miffed tone.

  Silky didn’t like compromising on operational tactics. He expected to always get his way because of his military expertise.

  “Did you contact the Outworld Ranger?”

  "I did, sir. Everyone is well. Oona finally had a training session with the priestess, and she learned a lot. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the priestess has doubts about Oona being a messiah."

  Silky played a recording of what Oona had told him, and Siv sighed. He was too out of it to process all of what she’d said.
<
br />   "Well, it doesn't change what we're doing. She's still special, and her father still has critical information."

  "I agree, sir. Getting the location of that facility is critical, regardless of her nature and purpose."

  “Because of the orb you won’t tell me about?”

  “Affirmative, sir.”

  “Did they say anything else?”

  "Kyralla, Oona, and Bishop want to mount an extraction if we can't find safe passage off-world."

  “Not happening. Either we get away, or we don’t. They’d just be putting themselves in danger, too. The risk is too great.”

  “I told them you’d say that, sir. I also promised them I would try to persuade you.”

  “Are you going to?”

  "Sir, let's be realistic. The chances of you finding Ambassador Vim alive are slim. The odds of getting off-world secretly and safely with or without him even slimmer. Getting rescued by the Outworld Ranger because you’ve got no other way, slimmer still.

  “That said, I do not want to lose you. I would risk almost anything to see you get out of here safely. So in my opinion, if the Outworld Ranger is your only hope, then it’s a gamble worth taking. And, of course, if we find the ambassador and the information he possesses can’t be transmitted, we’ll have to do whatever we have to do.”

  “You know they don’t have a prayer of reaching the planet.”

  “The Outworld Ranger’s a good ship, sir. And Kyralla is gifted, and she’s practicing. Rosie found a way to put the ship into a simulation mode so she could get more fighting experience.”

  “My answer is still no. If we die doing this, then we die. We knew the risk when we agreed to it.”

  “I gave it an honest try. By the way, I listened in on them after we ended the call.”

  “They’re planning to come here to rescue us anyway, aren’t they?”

  “Of course, sir. Deep down they feel responsible for putting you in danger, especially since they’re not taking the risks you are.”

  “When we find the ambassador, do not tell them we have him. They are not to know until we’re out of the system, or until the game’s up.”