0:07

Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

0:10

You're listening to The Last Watch

0:12

by J.S. Doos.

0:19

Chapter 34. Bruised

0:22

midsection aching miserably, Kavalon worked

0:25

his way into a spacesuit.

0:28

Yet again. He decided he would

0:30

just keep it on this time. This

0:32

would be the one. He'd wear

0:34

it until he died, which seemed

0:36

more imminent the deeper they went

0:38

into this vieter monstrosity. He

0:41

stood in the SGL's common room where

0:43

Rake, Griffith, and Mesa suited up along

0:45

with him. Jack and Animri

0:48

had helped them prep, but would stay

0:50

on board and determine how to disengage

0:52

the autopilot in case they needed to

0:54

make a quick retreat. And

0:56

Kavalon supposed. So they

0:58

could leave, period. Kavalon

1:01

sealed up his suit while Rake

1:03

helped Griffith stretch his up over

1:05

his broad shoulders. The

1:08

pearlescent white fabric responded, glittering

1:10

as it expanded to accommodate

1:12

his size. Mesa

1:14

waited off to the side, clutching the

1:17

Atlas Pyramid in both hands. She

1:19

stood pristinely still, suit already sealed

1:22

over her lithe frame. Perce

1:24

had done the opposite of Griffith's,

1:27

resizing itself smaller to accommodate her

1:29

petite figure. It revealed

1:31

thin legs, a narrow waist, and

1:33

scrawny arms. It made her

1:35

seem all the more savant, and so much

1:38

more frail than suited her presence. Her

1:40

strong mind made it easy to forget the fragility

1:42

of her body. Rake

1:45

and Griffith strapped their weapons belts

1:47

on, and Kavalon hesitated,

1:50

wondering if he should even bother taking his

1:52

own. They had a two-tightened

1:54

escort, after all. Then his

1:56

weapons belt appeared in front of him,

1:58

clutched an emery's grip. Her

2:00

brows raised expectantly. He

2:03

took it from her with a thankful grin

2:05

and secured it around his waist. She

2:08

drew her shoulders up. I

2:10

wish you the best of luck, Mr.

2:12

Mercer, she said pristinely

2:14

in a spot-on impression of

2:16

Mesa. Actually, it's

2:19

Lord Mercer. She dropped

2:21

the accent. Shut up. Technically,

2:24

Your Royal Highness, but I won't make

2:26

you. You're an idiot. He

2:29

shrugged. I don't make the rules. I

2:32

feel like that's a good thing. Hummets

2:34

on, Rake announced. Emory

2:36

lifted Kavalon's helmet and dropped

2:38

it onto his head unceremoniously.

2:41

Thank you, Squire. She

2:43

crossed her arms and made a dramatic show of

2:46

rolling her eyes. Kavalon

2:48

locked his helmet to his suit, then

2:50

took on the onslaught of information shown

2:53

in the hood. His vitals

2:55

sat on the left side, with

2:57

the already yellow heart rate meter

2:59

slowly picking up speed. Emory gave

3:01

him a side-line glance, then her

3:03

disgruntled look faded away. Her

3:06

jaw skimmed back and forth as she rolled

3:08

her gum around for a few silent seconds.

3:11

Bring me back a souvenir? Not

3:13

sure it's the type of locale to have a gift

3:16

shop, but I'll do my best. Or

3:18

just don't die. That'd be fine,

3:20

too. Kavalon corked an

3:22

eyebrow. Emory cared if he

3:24

died. Not that he thought she

3:27

wanted him dead, but the sentiment still surprised

3:29

him. Though she'd probably lost

3:31

people she cared about aboard the Argus.

3:34

She might not be keen on watching more friends

3:36

die, even if they were new ones. Copy,

3:39

boss, he said with his best

3:41

reassuring smile. No dang.

3:44

Emory grinned, then turned and disappeared

3:47

into the cockpit behind Jackin. Rake's

3:50

voice crackled through the comms in his suit.

3:53

Everyone ready? Ready, Griffith

3:56

said. Mesa inclined her head.

3:58

Yes, Exuberant. Good,

4:01

sir," Kavalon said. Depressurizing,

4:05

Rake tapped the control screen in

4:07

Kavalon's eardrums pulsed as the hatch

4:09

cycled. Yet his feet didn't

4:11

lift off the floor, which meant the

4:13

structure provided some kind of artificial gravity.

4:16

In his HUD, a green

4:19

notification read, Exterior Oxygen Levels,

4:21

Stable. Rake opened

4:23

the hatch and a flimsy ladder unfolded

4:25

to the ground. Kavalon's

4:27

mouth climbed down first, then Mesa

4:29

shuffled forward and followed, tucking the

4:32

pyramid under one arm. Kavalon's

4:34

mouth went dry, palms slicking with

4:37

sweat, either from fear

4:39

or excitement or some of both.

4:42

He took a few long, deliberate breaths

4:44

to try and stay calm, then looked

4:46

at Rake. She

4:48

tilted her head, sliding her fingers across

4:50

her suit's nexus. The

4:52

comms clicked, and his display indicated

4:54

she'd switched to a private line.

4:57

"'You okay?' she asked. He

4:59

lowered his voice. "'I mean,

5:02

if Jakkin wants to go instead, I need

5:05

Jakkin here figuring out how the hell we're

5:07

going to undock,' she said

5:09

evenly. Kavalon nodded fervently.

5:12

"'Right. I know.' "'I

5:15

need you, with us.' Her

5:17

earnest eyes met his. The

5:19

yellow heart-rate meter in his hood slowed,

5:21

then fell to green. "'Yeah.

5:24

I'm with you.' She thunked her

5:26

gloved hand against the side of his helmet. "'You

5:29

want to go first?' He nodded,

5:32

steeled his resolve, then rung by

5:34

rung descended the swaying ladder. He

5:37

hopped off the end where Griffith stood, waiting,

5:39

arms out as if ready to catch him. A

5:42

few meters away, Mesa stared down the

5:44

platform, toward the spherical bronze structure at

5:46

the end of the narrow

5:49

path. Kavalon stepped out from under the SGL

5:51

and for whatever reason decided to look up.

5:54

He instantly regretted it. The

5:58

immense curved ceiling stretched out." out

6:00

dozens of kilometers above, sending

6:02

a wave of vertigo through him. He

6:05

quickly diverted his gaze down, but

6:07

found much the same thing, only in a

6:09

direction in which he could fall. He

6:12

leveled out his chin, focusing on the simple

6:15

bronze door at the end of the long

6:17

platform. He should really just

6:19

keep his eyes straight ahead for the remainder of

6:21

his life. No good ever came

6:23

from looking up or down. Along

6:26

with a clunk of boots, Rake appeared beside

6:29

him. A click sounded in

6:31

his helmet, and the readout indicated that

6:33

Rake switched back to Universal Comms. Atmo

6:36

reed safe, Rake said, but

6:39

let's keep helmets on just in case. Copy,

6:42

Griffith said. You guys ready?

6:45

She slid past Kavalan, then Mesa,

6:47

and started down the platform toward

6:49

the bronze sphere. Mesa

6:51

fell in directly behind her. Kavalan

6:54

startled as Griffith gave him a rough pat on

6:56

the back. Everything

6:58

okay, Doc? Yes.

7:01

Kavalan grimaced as his voice broke, one

7:03

syllable. He had to croak out one

7:06

convincing enough word, and he couldn't even

7:08

manage that. One foot

7:10

in front of the other, Griffith prompted,

7:13

tone patient. Right.

7:16

Kavalan wheeled his feet forward, focusing on

7:18

the back of Mesa's head to discourage

7:21

his wandering gaze. She

7:23

finally arrived at the end of the

7:25

walkway where the platform fanned out wider

7:27

as it melded seamlessly into the side

7:29

of the bronze sphere. I

7:32

don't see any access panels. Rake

7:34

walked to the door and ran her hands over

7:36

the edges of the door frame. Mesa

7:39

cleared her throat. Might

7:41

I suggest? She held up

7:43

the polished gold pyramid. Rake

7:46

swept her hand forward in invitation. Mesa

7:49

took a few careful steps toward the door. Rake

7:52

and Griffith drew their pistols. Just

7:54

as it had aboard the SGL, the pyramid

7:56

began to glow. The door split

7:59

down the middle. and the bronze panel

8:01

slid silently into the walls on either

8:03

side. They all stood

8:05

frozen for a few seconds, staring

8:07

into the darkness beyond the door.

8:11

One by one a series of

8:13

recessed vertical wall trenches lit, illuminating

8:15

a square, open chamber

8:18

slightly larger than the SGL's common

8:20

room. The walls gleamed,

8:22

the same soft gold as the

8:24

Atlas Pyramid. Terminals sat

8:26

recessed into the wall on both sides. The

8:29

left looked like a standard computer

8:31

display, but the right appeared to

8:33

be some kind of apparatus, with

8:35

a strange, half-cylindrical slot set into

8:38

the face of the glass screen.

8:40

A floor-to-ceiling, four-meter-wide piece of

8:43

dark glass dominated the far

8:45

wall. Kavalan couldn't tell

8:47

if it was a view screen or a

8:49

window. Rake's voice

8:52

crackled over the comms. I'm

8:54

on point. Copy, Griffith

8:56

replied. She crossed the

8:58

threshold and Griffith hovered off her shoulder.

9:02

Together they swept the room quickly and

9:04

efficiently, while Mesa and Kavalan waited outside

9:06

the door. Clear. Rake

9:09

lowered her aim but kept her weapon in hand.

9:12

Kavalan crossed through the doorway and Mesa followed

9:15

with the Atlas. The door

9:17

slid shut behind them. Sealed

9:20

inside, a thick weight of

9:22

silence overcame Kavalan. Hard-angled

9:24

trenches of golden metal formed

9:26

the walls, while a single

9:29

panel of dark, ribbed aerosteel

9:31

comprised the floor. Yet

9:33

both dampened sounds like thick carpet.

9:37

Mesa headed for the terminal on the

9:39

left, but the large glass panel straight

9:41

ahead grabbed Kavalan's attention. As

9:43

he moved closer, it became clear that

9:46

it was, in fact, a window into

9:48

another area. However, the

9:50

extremely thick glass heavily distorted the

9:52

view. There were no

9:54

lights on the other side, but from what

9:57

little spilled in, he could make out an

9:59

open, circular chain. 10

10:01

meters in diameter, strips of

10:03

coiled copper rounded up the

10:05

arcing walls in unbroken rings

10:07

set between dozens of rows

10:09

of reflective panels. Rake

10:12

appeared in his periphery. What

10:14

is it? He shook his head. I

10:17

don't know. Rake. Griffith

10:19

stood in front of the wall to the left

10:22

of the wide window. There's a

10:24

door. Rake crossed back

10:26

to Mesa who busily swept through menus

10:28

on the terminal. He passed the

10:30

pyramid off to Rake without so much as a

10:32

glance. Griffith raised his

10:34

gun and shifted to the side. With

10:37

her pistol in one hand and the

10:39

pyramid gripped in the other, Rake cautiously

10:42

approached the door. It slid

10:44

open, and she set the pyramid down

10:46

near the threshold before moving inside with

10:48

Griffith shortly behind. Kavalon

10:51

took a few cautious steps forward and peered

10:54

in. The doorway led to

10:56

an arched corridor made of the

10:58

same smooth matte gold curving around

11:00

the outside of the empty circular

11:02

chamber. Griffith and Rake

11:04

disappeared down the corridor while Kavalon

11:06

hovered in the doorway and waited.

11:09

Clear, Griffith said a few

11:11

moments later. Calf, Rake

11:14

said. Coming. He

11:17

found them halfway down at what must have been

11:19

the point opposite the window. The

11:21

inside wall held a three-meter wide

11:24

control panel. A handful

11:26

of old-school, non-holographic terminal screens,

11:28

all without power, mixed with

11:31

a variety of panels containing

11:33

levers, switches, buttons, and gauges

11:36

of all kinds. What

11:38

do you think? Rake asked. Kavalon

11:41

shook his head, not a damn label

11:44

in sight, even with vieter symbols. I'm

11:47

not sure. Kavalon, Mesa

11:50

crackled through his combs. Rake

11:53

waved him off and he headed back out into the

11:55

main room. Mesa still stood

11:57

at the terminal and he joined her,

11:59

looking down at the flat non holographic

12:01

display. She brought up an

12:03

overhead schematic of what looked to be the

12:05

chamber beyond the window. This

12:08

technology is odd, she said, and

12:10

old. How

12:14

old? I do not know. It

12:17

is not the kind of design I would expect

12:19

to see from vieters, ancient or

12:21

otherwise. Does this look like

12:23

anything to you? His

12:25

eyes flashed over the diagram, but he couldn't

12:27

make sense of most of it. So

12:30

to his surprise, he recognized a few of

12:32

the vieter symbols from what he'd

12:34

learned looking at the Atlas menus. Offline

12:37

flashed in the upper corner, and

12:39

symbols he'd surmised from the bomb

12:41

schematics to mean fuel were listed

12:44

below a flashing red heading, among

12:46

a few others he couldn't interpret.

12:49

Beside it, a bold green symbol acted

12:51

as a heading for another list full

12:53

of symbols he didn't recognize. He

12:56

pointed to the first line below the green heading.

12:59

What's this mean? Mesa tilted her

13:01

head. The third

13:04

symbol means aid system, as in

13:06

a support system. The first

13:08

two, cryonic, Griffith's

13:11

low voice rumbled. Kavalon turned to find

13:13

the tall man standing over his shoulder.

13:16

Then, stable. So,

13:19

cryostatic. Kavalon

13:21

looked back at the schematic, assigning that

13:23

one to memory along with the few

13:26

dozen others he now understood. Is

13:29

this diverter? He

13:31

pointed at one listed under the red heading. Mason

13:34

nodded. Yes, very

13:36

astute. Specifically, waste

13:38

diversion, I believe. Or

13:40

byproduct. And this last

13:43

one? Plasma. Mason

13:45

said then tilted her head back and forth a

13:47

few times. Plasma

13:50

one. Meaning

13:52

hydrogen plasma? Correct.

13:55

Kavalon ran his eyes over the schematic

13:57

again, trying to account for it as a

13:59

whole. hole, fuel injection,

14:02

cryostatic and waste

14:04

diversion systems, plasma,

14:06

hydrogen, rings of coiled

14:08

metal. This overhead only

14:10

seems to include the chamber, he said.

14:13

Is there a separate one for that corridor around it?

14:16

Mesa swept back through the menus and opened another

14:19

file. That's it, he

14:21

said, and Mesa stepped aside. Kavalan

14:24

hunched over the screen, staring down at it

14:26

as his mind raced. He

14:29

pointed to another series of symbols. What's

14:32

this? It is an alloy, niobium,

14:35

and… Tin?

14:38

Titanium, Mesa corrected. He

14:41

shook his head. It's not

14:43

a bomb, he mumbled. What?

14:46

Open the atlas. He instructed to

14:48

no one in particular. Rake

14:50

pushed off the doorway of the curved corridor and

14:53

placed the pyramid on the floor in the center

14:55

of the room. Kavalan

14:57

knelt beside it and swept the medallion across

14:59

the peak. The menus sprang

15:01

to life. Kavalan stepped

15:03

through the screens, then found the stack

15:05

of yellow schematics and opened them. He

15:09

surveyed the information again, crossing back over to

15:11

look at the terminal a few times to

15:13

compare. This is not a

15:15

bomb, he said finally. It's

15:18

a reaction like a hydrogen bomb,

15:21

but not. It's for this. For

15:24

what? Rake asked. This?

15:28

Kavalan pointed to the dark glass window.

15:31

It's a generator. Mesa's

15:33

skeptical look was apparent, even through

15:35

her visor. So

15:37

this is simply a fusion reactor? Yes,

15:40

but no. Well

15:43

which is it, Doc, Griffith said.

15:46

Sorry. Kavalan took a breath,

15:48

willing his jumbled mind to calm down and

15:50

organize the information in a way he could

15:52

relate to the others. Or at

15:54

least a mesa. Not

15:57

a normal fusion reactor, I

15:59

mean it's just a big empty sphere. It

16:01

isn't even toroidal, and I don't see

16:03

any systems for plasma injection." Then

16:06

how does it function?" Mesa asked.

16:09

It uses this. He

16:12

led Mesa back to the terminal, pointing

16:14

to the circular corridor schematics. This

16:17

is not just a containment chamber.

16:20

Well, it is. It's dual purpose.

16:23

And its additional purpose? I

16:25

think it's a grav generator. These

16:27

coil windings? They're niobium

16:29

titanium. A

16:32

component of superconducting magnets. Right,

16:35

Kavalan said. If it

16:37

works the way I think it does, it'd

16:39

be incredibly powerful. I'm surprised this

16:41

thing doesn't suck the whole complex into it when

16:43

it's on. Counteracting it

16:45

must be part of the

16:47

shell's design. "'What precisely is

16:49

it you believe this gravity generator

16:51

does?" Mesa asked. "'I

16:54

think instead of plasma and an electrical

16:56

charge and maintaining a magnetic field and

16:59

all that crap, it just takes

17:01

a shit-ton of hydrogen and forces it

17:03

to collapse, then sits back and

17:06

lets nature do its thing.'" Mesa

17:08

scoffed. "'Kavalan, you

17:11

are describing how a star is made." "'Oh,

17:14

no.'" "'It requires prodigious amounts

17:16

of mass collapsing for millions of years

17:18

for a star to be born.'" "'I

17:21

know.'" "'Even if it

17:23

were possible,' she continued. It

17:26

could not be contained inside a structure.

17:28

The heat and radiation generated would be

17:30

a standing." He nodded. "'I

17:33

know. But I swear that's what's going

17:35

on here.'" Rake cleared her

17:37

throat. "'Okay, regardless

17:39

of how. What about why? What's

17:42

all this power for?" "'The

17:44

beacon, right?" Griffith put in.

17:47

"'Is this how we fix it? Power it back up.'"

17:50

"'I guess, but…" Kavalan

17:53

began, then let out a scoff. "'It's

17:56

kind of overkill just to collect and send

17:58

out some data.'" Data

18:00

across light years, Rake

18:02

pointed out. True but still,

18:05

this thing could power a friggin'

18:07

solar system. Mace,

18:10

what's this? Griffith pointed to

18:12

a series of symbols in the highest right

18:14

corner of the Atlas' display, resting

18:16

even above his eye level. Kevlon

18:19

realized then that even though Rake

18:21

had updated Griffith on what the

18:23

Atlas was, he had yet to

18:25

see it in person. Having him

18:27

take a look probably would have been a

18:29

good idea, considering he was at least as

18:31

schooled as Rake in the Vyter language. I

18:35

can read most of this, Griffith continued,

18:38

but I don't recognize this word. Mace

18:41

took a step closer, craning her neck to

18:43

look up. Griffith palmed the

18:45

screen and pulled it down to her height.

18:48

She tilted her head as she stared at it. The

18:51

structure of this software looks a lot

18:53

like what they would use for industrial

18:55

planning. Griffith continued,

18:58

I think this is part of the project name. Delayshia

19:01

Carthon. Mace's

19:04

voice withered away as concern creased her

19:06

brow. She shook her head. I

19:09

did not notice that before. It

19:11

is the Vyter word for...well,

19:14

we call it quintessence. And

19:17

what's that? Rake asked. Dark

19:20

energy, Kevlon answered. Kevlon

19:23

nodded. It is one

19:25

of the fundamental forces, such as

19:27

gravity or electromagnetism. Rake

19:30

exchanged a look with Griffith, and though it

19:32

was difficult to tell through their visors, Kevlon

19:35

was pretty sure they had no idea what that meant.

19:38

It's like repulsive gravity,

19:40

Kevlon offered. Sorta.

19:42

Where gravity pulls things together, dark

19:45

energy pushes them apart. Quintessence

19:48

is a form of that. Kinda

19:50

an old school term, actually. He

19:52

trailed off as he looked at the mace of

19:54

her help, but she faced away, staring back at

19:56

the bronze door that led out to the platform.

20:00

Repulsive gravity, she mumbled.

20:03

What's up, Mesa? Rake asked. Mesa

20:06

still didn't turn to face them and

20:08

continued to speak low as if conversing

20:10

with herself. What

20:12

if it is the opposite? Uh,

20:15

Kavalon looked to Rake and Griffith, though

20:18

they appeared just as lost as he

20:20

was. What if

20:22

it's the opposite of what? This

20:25

gravity generator you theorize, Mesa

20:27

said, as if she hadn't heard him at all. Which

20:31

houses the containment chamber for the power

20:33

source. What if that existed on

20:35

a large scale? What if the

20:37

outside hull she pointed to

20:39

the exit door? Was the

20:41

same thing. You think

20:43

this whole station is a gravity generator?

20:46

He asked. Well, no. I

20:48

mean, yes. That

20:50

is what I thought. However, now I think

20:53

the opposite. Kavalon gaped

20:55

at her, though he knew she

20:57

couldn't fully appreciate his incredulity through

20:59

his visor. She'd

21:01

concocted and supported a whole

21:03

hypothesis, then discredited it and

21:05

moved on to another, all in the same

21:08

amount of time it had taken him to

21:10

figure out how to explain dark energy to

21:12

Rake and Griffith. The

21:14

opposite, but on a grand scale. Mesa

21:17

continued, her tone filling out, sounding

21:20

more confident than it had since

21:22

they'd decelerated from warp. And

21:25

there are many of them, correct? All

21:27

along the divide? If these

21:29

beacons are not in fact beacons.

21:33

Kavalon tried to focus, tried to process

21:35

her words, at least well enough

21:37

to ask an informed question, but he could find

21:39

nothing to grab on to. Rake

21:42

beat him to the punch, letting out

21:44

a disbelieving scoff. You

21:46

think these stations are pulling in

21:48

the divide? That they weaponized

21:50

the edge of the universe? Well,

21:53

clearly not, because it is

21:55

off, Mesa replied frankly,

21:58

and the divide is still collapsing. Wait,

22:01

back up," Kavalon said. What

22:04

are we talking about here? Mesa

22:06

drew up her posture and gave a curt nod. I

22:09

do not believe that this station is a

22:11

gravity generator, but instead a dark

22:14

energy generator. Kavalon

22:16

shook his head. He'd studied gravity

22:19

generators in their many forms in great

22:21

detail, but he'd never heard of anything

22:23

that could create the opposing force. Is

22:26

that... a thing? he asked,

22:29

trying for a level tone, but is

22:31

still carried with it a strong vein

22:33

of skepticism. In

22:35

the original Viator War, Mesa

22:37

began, Viator forces utilized

22:39

a form of planetary defense involving

22:42

the subtle manipulation of dark energy.

22:45

They called them Karthan Shields. I've

22:48

heard of those, Griffith said, exchanging

22:50

a knowing look with Rake, who

22:52

nodded in recognition as well. It

22:55

seemed Kavalon was the one in the dark on this one.

22:57

They called them AGPs, Anti-Grav

23:00

Pulse Stations. Griffith

23:03

continued, but we never encountered

23:05

one in the Resurgence War that I know

23:07

of. Mesa nodded. It

23:10

is very complex technology. On par with

23:12

the Apollo Gates, we do not understand

23:14

it at all. Anti-Grav

23:17

meaning dark energy? Kavalon

23:20

asked. Correct. A

23:23

misnomer, absolutely. Mesa

23:25

said curtly, though she immediately traded

23:27

in her disdain at whoever had

23:29

coined the term, reverting to her

23:31

cautious yet excited state. It

23:34

would either collect or manifest dark

23:36

energy. We have never been certain

23:38

which, then inserted elsewhere.

23:41

In the case of the planetary defense system,

23:43

it would infuse the force into the upper

23:46

atmosphere and create a buffer of sorts around

23:48

the planet. Focused, directional

23:50

versions also existed. They

23:53

had made attempts at weaponizing it, though I am

23:55

not aware of any success in that regard. Kavalon

23:59

rubbed the back of the planet. of his neck through his suit. What

24:02

kind of buffer? It'd keep

24:04

enemy vessels at bay for longer, Rake

24:07

answered. It basically expanded the

24:09

amount of empty space between the device

24:11

and incoming ships. It couldn't

24:13

produce enough to stop them entirely, but

24:15

it would slow their trajectory. Huh,

24:18

Kavalan said. It had

24:21

started to click slowly. So

24:23

it actually bloated space innocence, made

24:25

it take longer to get somewhere?

24:28

Correct, Mesa said. Though

24:31

as I said on a very small

24:33

scale, a ship caught in it might

24:36

have taken ten or fifteen minutes longer

24:38

to breach the exosphere of a planet.

24:41

How, he began, but his

24:43

voice faded away. He didn't

24:45

know where to start with the list of

24:48

questions this concept generated. Mesa

24:50

shook her head. We

24:53

are not sure how it functioned,

24:55

and it was not utilized often,

24:57

only when extreme measures were called

24:59

for, a last ditch effort, as

25:01

they say. Why, Kavalan

25:04

asked. It took an enormous

25:06

amount of energy to power, Mesa said.

25:09

So it was difficult to utilize at outposts

25:12

or on planets where they did not already

25:14

have a strong foothold. Also,

25:16

the repercussions often outweighed the

25:18

little leeway it would grant

25:20

them. It interfered

25:22

with ship systems, scanners,

25:24

communications. Personnel reported strange

25:27

accounts, both planetside and

25:29

in the area of effect. Strange

25:32

accounts, Rake asked. Like

25:35

what? Physical pressure

25:37

on one's internal organs as

25:39

if being compacted or pulled

25:41

apart. A myriad of

25:43

psychological effects, such as feelings of

25:46

complacency or unrest, dreams

25:48

that occurred out of time, difficulty

25:50

hearing. Wait, Rake

25:53

said. Dreams out of

25:55

time, Mesa nodded, as

25:58

in dreams of the future. or past,

26:00

visions some called them, some even claimed

26:02

to have seen them when awake. A

26:06

silence fell over them as they stared

26:08

at Mesa and Kavalon's heart thudded loud

26:10

in his ears. Mesa

26:13

seemed unaware of the bombs she'd

26:15

just dropped. Well, aware, but not

26:17

nearly as shocked by the implication

26:20

as she should have been. She'd

26:23

likely already come to that conclusion,

26:25

processed it, and filed her reaction

26:27

away as a useless emotion. It

26:30

makes sense, Mesa said, tone

26:32

light. Correct. They

26:35

stared silently back at her, and

26:37

Kavalon's mind reeled. She'd

26:40

skipped over large swaths in the

26:42

path of logic that had led

26:44

her there, but to Kavalon's intense

26:47

displeasure, he'd started to understand. Rake

26:50

managed to speak first. Mesa,

26:53

you think this structure is that

26:55

same technology, a dark energy generator?

26:58

Mesa's eyes lit up. Yes, you

27:01

do understand. She smiled and

27:03

nodded, but on a far grander

27:05

scale, clearly it would take

27:07

a great deal more power to create

27:09

the amount of dark energy needed to

27:12

overcome the gravitational imbalance of the universe.

27:15

Griffith let out a sharp scoff. Okay,

27:18

what the fuck are we talking about here?

27:21

Rake stared down at the floor for a beat

27:23

before looking back up. Can

27:25

you walk us through this a little more, Mace? Of

27:28

course, let me start at the beginning. Mesa

27:32

cleared her throat and laid her hands together. After

27:35

its creation, the universe expanded. This

27:37

was due to an abundance of

27:39

dark energy. It pushed the

27:41

confines of space outward at an

27:44

ever accelerating rate. However,

27:46

after a time, many billions

27:48

of years, the amount of

27:50

dark energy present began to underperform the

27:52

gravity created by the mass of the

27:54

universe. The expansion slowed

27:56

and eventually ceased. Now,

27:59

the theory is over. had been that it would

28:01

eventually begin to collapse. But

28:03

it never did. It

28:06

held still, achieving a balance,

28:08

a stasis. But

28:10

what if that was not a natural equilibrium? In

28:13

the midst of the resulting long,

28:16

heavy silence, Kavalan found himself nodding.

28:19

He finally fully understood it, and

28:21

he didn't like it one bit. Without

28:25

us, you will perish. It

28:27

took Kavalan a moment to register that

28:29

Rake had spoken, under her breath, barely

28:31

audible. Rake, Griffith

28:34

said, tone heavy. I

28:37

think Mesa's right. Rake

28:39

intoned, her expression flat,

28:41

gaze distant. Back

28:44

up, what did you say? Kavalan

28:46

looked between the two titans. Griffith stared

28:49

at Rake, who stared at the floor.

28:52

That's what they told you, right? Griffith

28:55

asked, the breeder. Rake

28:58

nodded, Kavalan's mind reeled. He

29:00

was way out of the loop on

29:02

this one, but too shocked to form

29:05

a proper response. A

29:07

breeder spoke to you, Mesa

29:09

asked, tone inquisitive. You

29:12

think they knew, Griffith said,

29:15

about these stations? Then

29:17

we killed them all off. Rake

29:20

gave a rueful shake of her head, and

29:23

now the stations are falling apart. Except

29:26

we didn't kill them, Griffith said,

29:29

not all of them. Kavalan

29:31

gaped. Wait, we didn't?

29:34

Rake leveled a flat look at him. You

29:36

saw the vider on the video yourself. Right,

29:40

but you said, Kavalan

29:42

let out a short sigh. He

29:44

had no idea what they were talking

29:47

about, but he knew it didn't matter.

29:49

The gist was, there were viders left,

29:51

and one had said some shit to

29:53

Rake, and that somehow translated into her

29:56

believing this ludicrous hypothesis of Mesas. But

29:59

the trouble was- was? Kavalan found

30:01

himself believing it too. As

30:04

much as he wanted to find a way to refute

30:06

her, it actually made a lot of sense. The

30:08

science was unsettlingly solid. Why

30:11

gravity got so dense and strange at

30:13

the divide. Why comms and

30:15

other systems started to break down, even

30:18

when millions of kilometers away. And

30:20

the time ripples. If these

30:23

stations had sat around for thousands of

30:25

years pumping out tremendous amounts of dark

30:27

energy, it would wreak havoc on the

30:29

natural order of things. That

30:32

however didn't even skim the

30:35

surface of the implications this

30:37

hypothesis presented. If these

30:39

stations had been active since the

30:41

universe stopped expanding, that would

30:43

put vieters in this part of the

30:45

universe well before they arrived at mankind's

30:47

doorstep in the core. Mesa,

30:50

I get where you're coming from? Kavalan

30:52

said. I really do. But

30:55

come on. The implication of that?

30:58

Correct, Mesa said, her voice steady

31:00

as ever. The implication

31:02

being that the vieters stopped the collapse

31:05

of the universe by building these stations.

31:08

Griffith let out a heavy breath. But

31:11

then what? Kavalan said. They

31:13

just battened up this side of it and left

31:15

it at that? What about the rest of the

31:18

entire edge? They can't possibly

31:20

have traveled the entire universe. No,

31:23

Mesa said. Only the

31:25

perimeter. Kavalan scoffed.

31:28

Right. But still. Think

31:30

about what we do know, Mesa

31:33

prompted. They traveled the

31:35

divide for millennia before they found

31:37

mankind. They may have come from

31:39

the other side of the universe. There

31:41

could be trillions upon trillions of vieters

31:43

still alive wherever they came from. The

31:46

vieters we know could be a small

31:48

sampling sent for the express purpose of

31:50

building these stations in this sector of

31:52

the universe. Kavalan

31:55

shook his head. I thought

31:57

they traveled here on the divide. They

31:59

can't have... have it if they built it, Mesa

32:02

shrugged. That was the assumption,

32:04

but we had no outposts

32:06

anywhere near the divide at that point. We

32:09

have no direct accounts of their origin. So

32:12

what, Griffith said. They

32:14

finished building the stations and decided to

32:17

stick around a while and pillage mankind.

32:20

Right, Kavalan agreed. I

32:23

mean, even once they were losing, they never

32:25

tried to leave or get reinforcements. Maybe

32:28

they couldn't go home, Rake said,

32:30

tone heavy. Mesa's face

32:32

suddenly went blank and she stared

32:34

up and off into the distance.

32:37

Kavalan cleared his throat. Mesa.

32:41

Her consciousness seemed to snap back to

32:43

her in an instant and her eyes

32:45

refocused onto him. There

32:47

is an ancient, vieter phrase, she

32:50

began. Part of a

32:52

series of verses, not from two centuries

32:54

ago, but their history. Very old, some

32:56

of the earliest chronicles we have from

32:58

them. It does not translate well,

33:00

but part of it essentially says, the

33:03

shunned will build the edge. It

33:06

has long been interpreted to imply the

33:08

expectation of inclusion. As you

33:11

know, vieters did not segregate within their

33:13

species. Rake hung her head.

33:16

You think it's literal? Maybe,

33:19

Mesa said. There is more

33:21

to the saying than that, but I have not

33:23

committed it to memory. It was

33:25

actually the basis for the Sentinel nursery rhyme.

33:27

You know the one? Sentinel,

33:29

Sentinel, at the black? Yeah,

33:32

we know the one, Rake grumbled.

33:36

Fuck Mesa. Indeed.

33:39

Mesa agreed with a curt nod. Griffith

33:41

leaned against the wall. So

33:44

you think ancient, far, far away

33:46

vieters sent their shunned troops to

33:48

stop the collapse and they had

33:50

to circle the universe to create

33:52

all these stations. Mesa

33:54

inclined her head. That

33:57

is my hypothesis, yes. All

34:00

right, Rake drew in a long breath.

34:03

Reconstructing Viator history right now is way

34:05

off point. Griffith

34:08

nodded his agreement. So

34:10

the data beacons we

34:12

see here. He moved

34:14

away from the wall to point to the

34:16

crisp white holographic map. They

34:19

are actually all dark energy generators.

34:22

If my hypothesis is correct, yes,

34:25

Masis said. It is

34:27

likely that the Alpha stations began to

34:29

break down, but the redundant Beta stations,

34:31

being inactive, have failed to pick up

34:33

the load. It is possible

34:36

their power sources failed, as it appears

34:38

this one has. And with no…

34:40

or… She

34:42

eyed Rake and Griffith wearily. With

34:45

so few Viators remaining, they

34:48

were not able to maintain the generators properly.

34:52

So that is what the one in

34:54

the message meant by restart the station,

34:56

Kavalan asked, turning to look at Rake.

34:59

And why there are so many chemicals and

35:01

strange supplies aboard the dredger ship, they were

35:04

recruited to restart the reactors and

35:06

fix the stations. Right,

35:09

Rake said dryly. And

35:11

we killed them. Kavalan sighed.

35:14

That was great, just

35:16

fucking perfect. Rake,

35:19

Jack and his boys came over the comms. Go

35:22

for Rake. We figured it

35:24

out. Had to delve into the secondary control

35:26

permissions. Simple little data lock,

35:29

old school stuff. We're good to head

35:31

out whenever you're done. Great Jack,

35:33

thanks. We'll be in… We

35:35

figured it out, Jack and said again. Had

35:38

to delve into the… Jack?

35:40

What? Secondary control. Oh

35:43

fuck, Jack and crackled away.

35:46

Rake put her hands on her hips and looked straight

35:48

down at her boots. Jack.

35:51

A few moments later he came back on. Yeah

35:54

boss. So little bit

35:56

of a time ripple thing going on in

35:58

here. Emery! He

36:00

cut away again, then came back a few seconds

36:02

later. Okay, I got

36:05

them split up. Take your time, boss. Hey,

36:07

what did I just say? She

36:10

started, was all the comms

36:12

caught, of Emery's high-pitched voice in the

36:14

background before cutting away. Rake

36:17

let out a long sigh. Shit.

36:21

Kavalon swept his gaze from Rake

36:23

to Griffith, then to Mesa, but

36:25

no one seemed sure what to say. Rake

36:29

finally spoke up, turning to Kavalon. There's

36:32

nothing we can do right now, correct? There's

36:34

no restarting this generator without the supplies

36:37

from the synthesis? I

36:39

doubt it, unless there's a large

36:41

amount of hydrogen just lying around somewhere. Okay,

36:45

Rake said. Then we head back to

36:47

Karan. We'll come up with a plan

36:49

after that. Chapter

36:53

35 Attiquin

36:57

tasked Mesa and Kavalon with

36:59

updating Jack and Emery, then

37:01

sat next to Griffith on the circular bench

37:03

for the short trip back to Karan Gate.

37:06

They quietly discussed their discovery, but

37:08

Attiquin couldn't find a way to

37:10

focus her full mental efforts on

37:12

it. It

37:14

was ridiculous and unbelievable

37:17

and daunting, but

37:19

Griffith was dying, and

37:21

somehow that overshadowed even this. He

37:24

still claimed he felt fine, tired

37:27

but fine. She

37:29

could hardly believe he had so little

37:31

time left, but she trusted

37:34

Kavalon's diagnosis, which

37:36

somehow wasn't difficult. He

37:38

had no reason to lie, and he

37:40

clearly understood what was going on. She

37:44

didn't like it, but she believed it,

37:47

and it was killing her. When

37:49

they decelerated from warp and cruised up

37:51

to the gate, they hadn't even docked

37:53

before Attiquin's nexus lit up. E.X.

37:57

Puck's voice crackled in thin and

38:00

You guys reading us yet? Go

38:03

for rake. We

38:06

just got a May Day from the Typhos. What?

38:10

She barked. The Typhos,

38:13

the next closest sentinel ship and the

38:15

next in danger of being wiped out

38:17

by the divide. I

38:20

lost the connection, Puck said,

38:22

but I recorded it. I'll

38:24

be right there, Adequin said. She

38:28

waited for the gravity to flip, then headed straight

38:30

up the ladder and out the hatch. Griffith

38:33

and the others followed close behind. In

38:36

the control room, Warner and Puck stood at the

38:38

terminal next to the one that still

38:40

held an open comm link to Poing Gate.

38:43

Puck glanced over as she approached. Find

38:47

anything useful? You could say

38:49

that, she sighed. What's

38:51

going on with the Typhos? Puck

38:54

brought up a recording on the terminal and

38:56

pressed play. The brassy

38:58

audio came with a great deal of

39:00

crackling, cursing, and a few back and

39:03

forth grumbles. Puck

39:05

gave her a nervous grin, then fast

39:07

forwarded and pressed play again. Puck's

39:10

voice played first. Typhos,

39:12

this is Karen, we read you. Fucking

39:17

finally. The gruff voice

39:19

on the other end crackled through. Karen,

39:22

this is Optio Becker, SCS

39:25

Typhos. We made a-

39:28

Optio, Puck said. There

39:31

were a few seconds of hissing static. Hear

39:34

us. Yes, hearing you

39:36

again, sir. We

39:39

need to abandon ship immediately.

39:41

Send vessels. Sir,

39:43

be advised we cannot relay to

39:45

you. Both Zellis Gate and

39:47

Karen have been turned off and abandoned.

39:51

Karen's been abandoned too? Yes,

39:54

sir. Then who the fuck are

39:56

you? Where,

39:59

where, what- Remains of the crew of the Argus,

40:01

sir. The same thing happened

40:03

to us. We retreated to here. We,

40:07

the man's voice cut away and

40:09

adequate grimace as a loud squeal

40:11

rang out, drowning the rest of

40:13

his sentence in static. Divide

40:16

is contracting toward us. It

40:19

is, sir. Fuck. Do

40:22

you have any warp course? Void,

40:25

no. You need to

40:27

get as many of your people as you can

40:29

aboard your away vessels and start flying inward. Away

40:32

vessels? We have a thousand fucking

40:35

people. We could only fit maybe

40:37

30. Puck

40:40

stayed silent for a few long

40:42

seconds. Then his voice

40:44

came back low and apologetic. You'll

40:47

just have to do the best you can, sir. Fly

40:50

straight inward. Try to make it here

40:52

or zealous gate. How

40:54

can we? Another peel of

40:57

static overtook the recording and Puck

40:59

slid his finger across the screen to

41:01

close the playback menu. That's

41:04

when we lost them, he

41:06

said quietly. Adequan

41:08

rubbed the back of her neck. Puck

41:11

looked down and she gripped his shoulder.

41:14

You did good, Circaater. It'd take

41:16

us weeks to warp to them and by that

41:18

time the divide would be so far in we'd

41:20

all be done for. It's

41:23

all you could do. He

41:25

let out a soft sigh, then

41:27

gave a furtive glance at Griffith

41:29

and Jackin standing behind her, speaking

41:32

quietly. Sir, Puck

41:34

said, can I talk with

41:36

you in private for a moment? She

41:39

nodded and he followed as she crossed to an

41:41

empty corner of the room. What

41:43

is it? Puck lowered his

41:45

voice. I didn't want

41:48

to announce it in front of everyone because I

41:50

wasn't sure what you'd want to do, but

41:52

I dug deep into the code and

41:55

I found a restart failsafe. It's

41:57

what's been keeping us from getting the gate turned back.

42:00

gone. Her heart skipped

42:02

a beat. You can turn it on? He

42:05

nodded. Rake, Jacken

42:07

called suddenly. She looked

42:09

back over to find Jacken hovered over the

42:11

main terminal. It's Lujan.

42:16

Adequan's breath stalled in her throat, and

42:18

she hesitated only a second before jogging

42:20

across the room and sliding into the

42:22

seat. It had taken fucking

42:24

long enough. He'd probably been

42:26

sunning himself on some outer core tropical

42:29

beach. But she was

42:31

relieved. If anyone could do something to help

42:33

them, it was Lujan. She

42:36

let out a heavy breath, then pressed

42:38

the link. Go

42:40

for Rake. Pre-stachute

42:43

Rake. Lujan's

42:45

gravelly voice rang through, thin,

42:48

tinny, and distant. Sorry,

42:50

sir, Adequan began. Protocol

42:53

calls for Delta clearance or higher

42:55

when reporting matters relating to SC

42:57

security. I wasn't sure what this

42:59

would be classified as. It's

43:01

fine, Exuberter. What's this all about?

43:05

Adequan hesitated. She'd

43:07

run this conversation through her mind dozens

43:10

of times. But now, she

43:12

had no idea where to start. She

43:15

cleared her throat and pressed the link. Might

43:17

as well hit him with it up front. Sir,

43:20

the divide is collapsing and moving

43:23

inward at an increasing rate. What?

43:27

He said incredulous. Who gave you

43:29

that report? No

43:31

report, sir. I saw it with my own eyes.

43:34

You're still out there? Yes,

43:36

sir, and the Argus, she

43:39

cleared her throat. It's

43:41

gone, sir. Where are you?

43:44

Carin Gate, which has been abandoned. Sir,

43:47

have we withdrawn from the divide? Lujan

43:51

hesitated. That happened

43:53

weeks ago. Adequan

43:56

clenched her teeth. She

43:58

already knew it was true. All the

44:00

signs pointed to it. It was

44:02

another thing to hear it confirmed. She

44:05

took a steadying breath. Why

44:08

weren't we informed? His

44:11

tone grew disconcerted. I

44:14

don't know, Rake. And

44:17

the Apollo Gates too? That oculus

44:19

at Poin claimed Eris and Zellis have

44:21

been decommissioned as well. Why?

44:24

What's going on? I

44:26

wish I had answers for you. I really do.

44:29

But none of this is my jurisdiction.

44:32

Have the other Sentinels been informed? We just

44:34

heard from the Typhus. They didn't know either.

44:38

Shit, Rake. Lujin

44:40

clicked off for a few long seconds,

44:43

then came back on. Something's

44:45

not right. Get car and operational and

44:48

come back here directly to me. We'll

44:50

sort this mess out on this end. Wait,

44:53

sir, she said quickly. We

44:56

found something out here. Viator technology.

44:58

We might be able to use

45:00

it to stop the collapse, but

45:02

we need soldiers. Resources, back up.

45:06

That's not your responsibility, Exuberant.

45:08

You and your crew need to return to

45:10

Legion HQ. But,

45:12

sir, there are dozens of other

45:15

Sentinels ships still stranded. Thousands

45:17

of soldiers. They'll need

45:19

arcs, and that could take weeks. The

45:22

crew of the Typhus has hours. If

45:24

a rescue's not already incoming, we might be the only

45:26

ones left that can help. I'll

45:30

look into it. I'll try to get a hold of

45:33

Praetor Tyne. Confirm ships have been

45:35

sent. Adequan let

45:37

off the link and sat back, digging

45:39

her fingers into her scalp. Jacken

45:42

scoffed, like hell they're

45:44

sending anyone. She

45:47

nodded slowly. He was right,

45:49

like hell they were. Whispers

45:52

rose up behind her, but her adult

45:54

mind ignored them. This

45:56

was what she'd wanted, what she'd

45:58

been waiting for, a definitive active

46:00

course of action and order. But

46:03

she'd barely been able to save 20 of her

46:05

own soldiers, and there were over 1,000 people

46:08

on the typhus. Rake,

46:10

you still there? Lujan

46:12

asked. Sir, I, she

46:16

swallowed a lump in her throat and leaned

46:19

forward. Sir, I have

46:21

to go. What? Rake,

46:24

wait, what's going on? Is your

46:27

gate operational? It

46:29

will be shortly, sir. So

46:31

you're returning to the core? No,

46:34

sir. Lujan didn't

46:36

speak for a long time. Then

46:39

his weary voice crackled back on.

46:42

Exuberant. The

46:44

majority of my crew will be coming through

46:46

on a drudger vessel. Call sign. Jacken

46:49

swept open a file on his Nexus and held

46:51

it out in front of her. Vcf-840115.

46:59

Fine, if you're going to make me,

47:01

Lujan growled. Exuberant,

47:04

I order you to return to the

47:06

core. I can't,

47:08

sir. Rake? His

47:11

serious tone carried a heavy warning

47:13

that instantly made her second guess

47:16

herself. She swallowed

47:18

and steeled her nerves. I

47:21

have to fix it, sir, or at least stop

47:23

it from getting worse. There's

47:25

protocol for this kind of thing. For

47:29

the universe collapsing, sir, I'm

47:31

not sure there is. You

47:33

have to trust me on this. We'll send

47:35

assistance. That'll take too

47:38

long. We can't keep waiting for the

47:40

Legion. He stayed

47:42

silent for a few tense seconds. Do

47:46

not do this to me again, Adequan.

47:48

He breathed, his tone furtive.

47:52

I don't know if I can protect you this time.

47:55

Adequan disconnected the call. She

47:58

sat in silence and stared at

48:00

the dead link. Rake,

48:03

Jacken's voice broke through, low and

48:05

full of worry. What

48:08

are you doing? She

48:10

stood and turned around. Jacken,

48:12

Griffiths, Mesa, Kavalon, Emory,

48:15

Warner and Puck all

48:18

stood, eyeing her in various degrees

48:20

of shock and discomfort. Rake,

48:23

Jacken said again. She

48:26

shook her head. We can't just

48:28

go back to the core. But

48:30

it'll stop, right? The divide,

48:33

once it settles between the Alpha stations

48:35

that are still working, it's

48:37

just squaring off, sort of.

48:40

It won't just keep collapsing and wipe

48:42

out everything. If

48:44

those stations don't fail as well, Adequin

48:47

said, even if they do stay

48:49

on, it would still take out every Sentinel

48:51

ship between the two. And

48:53

what if it starts wiping out Apollo Gates?

48:56

Then any Sentinels that manage to flee the

48:58

divide will be stranded out here with no

49:00

way home. She's

49:02

right, Griffiths said. If

49:05

the gates at the divide are taken out, it's

49:07

over. It'd take a

49:09

lifetime or longer to warp to the next

49:11

closest gates. Adequin

49:13

nodded. We have

49:15

to get that beacon restarted. Stop the

49:18

collapse. Sorry, Puck

49:21

said suddenly, hovering behind Mesa

49:23

and Kavalon, eyes wide in

49:25

disbelief. What

49:27

does that mean exactly? Stop

49:30

the collapse. Thankfully,

49:32

Mesa turned to him and made brief work

49:34

of it. The data

49:37

beacons are not data beacons, but

49:39

dark energy generators. Their cessation seems

49:41

to be the cause of the

49:43

divide's collapse. Puck

49:45

gaped at her, mouth open. Warner

49:48

ran a hand down his face. Adequin

49:51

looked to Kavalon. So

49:54

we have to restart the power source, correct?

49:57

Right, Kavalon said. face

50:00

fixed in shock. By

50:03

that I mean you have to restart

50:05

the power source. He

50:07

didn't move. I

50:09

know. Which is

50:11

what? Puck

50:14

asked warily. A

50:16

star apparently, Griffith said.

50:20

A contained fusion reaction, Kavalon

50:23

clarified, scratching his stubble with

50:25

both hands. It's

50:27

not really a star, just sort

50:29

of. So you're

50:32

saying we have to restart a star?

50:35

Puck asked. Well,

50:37

no, Mesa corrected pleasantly.

50:40

We have to make a star, or

50:43

primarily Kavalon does. Kavalon

50:46

pinched the bridge of his nose. I

50:49

think I get the theory behind it, guys,

50:51

but Adequin took a

50:53

step toward him, lowering her voice. That's

50:56

all any of this has been, she

50:58

said, trying to sound encouraging. Just

51:01

putting theory into practice. You've

51:04

built hydrogen bombs. It's

51:06

similar, right? Jackin's

51:08

eyes went wide in alarm. I'm

51:11

sorry, what? Bombs?

51:15

Puck croaked. Really? Mesa's

51:17

large eyes narrowed. Kavalon

51:20

shook his head. Similar,

51:23

maybe, but I mean, you're

51:26

asking me to jury rig a star. Inside

51:29

of something else, with ancient

51:31

alien technology, I can't even

51:33

begin to understand. Adequin

51:36

nodded. Yeah, I

51:38

am. He stared back

51:41

at her, unmoving. Can

51:43

you do it? She asked. He

51:46

let out an extremely long breath

51:48

that went from his nose to

51:50

his throat in a crackling grumble.

51:54

Yeah, I think I can. She

51:57

shook her head. It wasn't good enough. to

52:00

risk their lives at a chance to stop

52:02

this, she needed him to be sure. I

52:05

can't accept that. Can you do it

52:07

or not? Kavalan's resigned

52:09

stare flickered into worry. Then

52:12

his features flattened out, eyes

52:14

narrowing. Yes, I

52:17

can do it. Adequan swept

52:19

her look to Mesa. Mesa,

52:21

I would like you to be there to help,

52:23

but I only want you to go if you

52:25

feel exupator please. Mesa

52:28

scuffed, I will be going. Jack,

52:33

come on, boss. Adequan

52:35

sighed, knowing the futility of trying to talk

52:37

him out of it. She

52:39

looked at Griffith next, and her heart

52:41

sank. Griffith, I

52:44

think you should stick with the crew. They

52:46

could use your guidance and a couple relays

52:48

inward, you might be able to find a

52:51

doctor. He rolled his

52:53

eyes and crossed his arms. Adequan

52:55

swallowed the lump in her throat. Arguing

52:58

with him would be beyond pointless. Of

53:01

course he'd be coming. He

53:03

literally had nothing left to lose. Hours

53:06

of life left. Fine,

53:10

she said, voice sweet. She

53:13

cleared her throat, then turned to Emery

53:15

and Warner. Sir, Emery

53:18

said back straight. I'm

53:20

there if you need me, sir. Warner

53:23

nodded, me too, EX.

53:26

Thank you both for all you've done, Adequan

53:29

said. But I need you to help out

53:31

with things here. Report directly to

53:33

Circutor Yura. Yes, sir,

53:36

Emery said. Warner saluted

53:38

fist to chest. Yes,

53:41

sir. And

53:43

me, sir? Puck asked. You

53:46

need to get the gate turned on, then

53:48

help Yura get everyone aboard the synthesis and

53:50

ready to go through the second we're back.

53:54

Exuberant Mesa began, then

53:57

gave a hesitant glance at Puck. His

54:00

expertise may be useful. We

54:02

do not know what kind of issues we may

54:05

encounter with the generator's main thing. Adequan

54:08

wrung her hands. She didn't

54:10

wanna risk anyone else, but Mesa was

54:12

right. If they ran into

54:14

issues with the computers, Puck would be their

54:16

best shot. She locked

54:18

eyes with him. Puck,

54:21

you up for it? Yes, sir.

54:24

His back straightened. Of course,

54:26

sir. You understand

54:29

the risks? As

54:31

in suicide mission? She

54:34

swallowed back the bile. Yeah,

54:38

sounds great, he said

54:40

pleasantly. He glanced

54:42

at Mesa and his tone fell

54:44

serious. I mean,

54:47

yes, sir, understood, sir.

54:50

Okay, then you're with us. Adequan

54:53

agreed, but get the gate

54:55

back on first and make sure Yura or

54:58

someone else feels comfortable piloting the synthesis. He

55:01

saluted. Yes, sir. Jack,

55:04

boss, take Kavalan and

55:06

Mesa and however many others you need

55:08

to unload the supplies off the synthesis

55:10

and onto the SGL. You

55:13

got it, Jacken said. Why

55:16

not just take the synthesis ourselves? Griffiths

55:19

asked. It's already loaded up with

55:21

everything we need. Adequan

55:23

shook her head. We can't,

55:25

we need to leave them a vessel that's safe

55:27

to take through the gate in case

55:30

we, she swallowed.

55:33

In case we don't make it back in time. Griffiths

55:36

brow furrowed and he gave her a short

55:38

nod. Jacken patted him

55:41

on the back, then gripped Kavalan's

55:43

shoulder and led him out of the control

55:45

room. Mesa, Puck,

55:47

Emery and Warner followed. Griffiths

55:50

waited for the others to disappear around the

55:52

corner, then turned to face her.

55:55

I'm proud of you, Quinn. Why?

56:00

all but told Lujan to go fuck himself.

56:03

She let out a pained laugh. Yeah,

56:06

I'm really screwed this time.

56:08

Nah, more care, he

56:11

said, warm eyes glistening. You're

56:14

better than ever. She

56:16

pushed up on her toes and kissed him. Griffith

56:20

winced, cradling his ribcage with one

56:22

arm. Void, she

56:24

said, I'm sorry, you need more

56:27

up hexadone? No, I'll

56:29

be fine. You know there's such a

56:31

thing as being too apologetic, especially

56:34

when it's for things that aren't your fault.

56:37

I mean, your whole situation

56:40

is objectively my fault, she

56:42

said. I asked

56:44

you to captain the Tempest to begin with,

56:46

and I insisted you go on one last

56:48

trip, not to mention you're

56:51

stationed out here to start with

56:53

because of what I did. What

56:55

are you talking about? He asked,

56:57

seeming honestly confused. You

57:01

were sent to the divide because

57:03

of what I did. He shook his

57:05

head. No, I wasn't.

57:08

I asked to be stationed here. She

57:11

stared unblinking. You

57:13

asked? Of course.

57:17

Her chest warmed, but with it came

57:19

a tinge of anger. All

57:22

she could manage in response was a feeble,

57:25

why would you do that? Because

57:27

I didn't want to be a hundred million

57:29

light years away from you. But

57:32

you're here now, like this, she

57:35

said, her voice fervent. You

57:38

could be safe at some boring post

57:40

in the core. He

57:42

quirk an eyebrow. You

57:45

think I'd be happy at some boring post

57:47

in the core? Well,

57:51

no, she muttered. But

57:53

here, why? Because

57:56

I love you, Quinn. She

57:59

stared at unblinking, completely

58:01

unsure of what to say.

58:05

She'd known it for so long,

58:07

voicing it almost seemed superfluous. Yet

58:10

something about actually hearing the words come

58:12

out of his mouth consoled her. Validated

58:16

something she'd hid even

58:18

from herself for so

58:20

long. Griffiths

58:22

loved her. She

58:24

wound her fingers into his skin warm,

58:26

almost hot. I

58:30

love you, she said. He

58:33

leaned in, lips locking onto hers.

58:37

He pulled her closer as the kiss deepened.

58:40

He let out a wistful sigh. I

58:43

should probably help load the SGL, he

58:46

said quietly, taking a step back. She

58:50

scowled, you're hurt, you should

58:52

let the others take care of it. He

58:55

flashed a grin and ignored her as he started

58:57

for the door. Cuz,

59:00

you know, the strength of ten men,

59:02

and that's without imprints. She

59:06

rolled her eyes as he disappeared around the

59:08

corner. His playful smile

59:10

warmed her heart, but

59:12

too quickly the feeling grew tainted. She

59:15

was well aware of his impending fate, and

59:18

that she could do nothing to stop it.

59:21

She took a breath, stealing her resolve

59:23

and deciding to focus on what she

59:25

still had a chance to stop, the

59:28

divide. She started

59:30

down the hall toward their makeshift base

59:32

camp, wanting to confirm they had every

59:34

warp core they'd collected aboard the SGL,

59:37

just in case. She

59:39

stopped part way to wait as a line

59:41

of soldiers passed toward the airlock, on their

59:43

way to help transfer supplies. A

59:47

flicker of recognition had her sticking her

59:49

arm out to bar the last one

59:51

from continuing on. Seconds

59:53

later, they were alone in the

59:55

narrow hallway. Snyder,

59:58

she said. The

1:00:00

man stared at her arm, watching

1:00:02

warily as her imprints rearranged

1:00:05

themselves. He stepped

1:00:07

back and snapped to attention. Sir,

1:00:10

she crossed her arms. Got

1:00:12

anything you wanna say to me? No,

1:00:15

sir, she stared back

1:00:18

at him. His eyes flitted to the

1:00:20

ground, but he remained impassive. He

1:00:23

wouldn't say anything, she said, but

1:00:25

I'm not blind. Sir,

1:00:29

she gave a pointed look down at his hand.

1:00:32

He rubbed his red bruised knuckles

1:00:34

and his face flushed. Er,

1:00:37

that's just, rake, Jacken's

1:00:40

voice called over her nexus. Adequate

1:00:44

ground her teeth. As much

1:00:46

as she wanted to put this guy's head through a

1:00:48

wall, she was in fact trying

1:00:50

to save the Sentinels. So murdering one

1:00:52

felt like a step in the wrong

1:00:54

direction. It wouldn't do

1:00:56

much for morale to start executing people. She

1:01:00

leaned in and lowered her voice. If

1:01:02

you lay a hand on one of my

1:01:05

soldiers ever again, I will personally

1:01:07

end you. Snyder's

1:01:09

face paled and he nodded quickly.

1:01:13

Tell me you understand. I

1:01:16

understand, he managed. Get

1:01:18

the fuck out of my sight. He

1:01:21

backed away, then scurried down the hall

1:01:23

after the others. She

1:01:25

opened the comm link on her nexus, go

1:01:28

for rake. Meet

1:01:30

me in the control room, Jacken

1:01:32

said, happy. Adequate

1:01:36

headed back to the control room and a

1:01:38

few seconds later, Jacken appeared. He

1:01:41

pushed a stiff hand through his hair. I

1:01:44

saw a ripple. Her

1:01:47

eyebrows shot up. Just now?

1:01:50

Yeah. How can it

1:01:52

be that far in already? I

1:01:55

don't, he said distantly,

1:01:57

then sat at the terminal. She's

1:02:00

That next to him as he slid through

1:02:02

menus. Finally he

1:02:04

grumbled shit. What?

1:02:07

Gate sensors are picking. Up a gravitational

1:02:09

pull like what we were getting on the Ark.

1:02:12

It's still far away, but

1:02:14

it's starting. Already.

1:02:17

She breathed. What does that

1:02:19

mean for the beat? Be. I

1:02:22

don't know. we're. Gonna be pressed for time

1:02:24

for sure. We. Can

1:02:26

check the atlas on the way see if it

1:02:28

looks like it's up dating or not. but we

1:02:30

should leave a sap. There are

1:02:32

loading supplies know. Jack in

1:02:34

assured shouldn't be more than fifteen

1:02:36

minutes. That. Jack

1:02:39

in grimaced, rubbing his fingers gingerly

1:02:41

over the healing burn. Marks added cut

1:02:44

a path through his beard. How's

1:02:46

a feel? She. Asked. Better

1:02:49

starting to a chisel. He

1:02:53

scratched Etti unmarked has his beard.

1:02:56

I. Should probably saved her. She

1:02:59

tilted her head. Now. I

1:03:01

kind a like the asymmetry. He

1:03:04

quipped a brow. Makes you

1:03:06

seem edgy. A

1:03:08

grin switched on his lips for a

1:03:10

brief moment before being overtaken by a

1:03:13

frown. Risk. Yeah,

1:03:16

check. We. Haven't had

1:03:18

a chance to talk about bug. Her.

1:03:21

Eyes fluttered down to the terminal. Screen.

1:03:24

Along. Are you okay?

1:03:27

As okay as I can be. I

1:03:30

know you like to blame yourself for things.

1:03:35

It's not your fault. She.

1:03:37

Continued to stare down at the terminal. I

1:03:41

don't blame myself. She said I

1:03:43

blame the Legion. He

1:03:45

grinned. About time he joined

1:03:48

the party. She smiled

1:03:50

back. I think my and

1:03:52

I got lost in transit. Probably.

1:03:55

You know how welcomes work out here? she

1:03:58

let out a heavy breast Then stood.

1:04:01

Ready for this, Jack? He stood

1:04:04

as well. Ready, boss. Thank

1:04:30

you.