Chapter 51

CHAPTER 51

THREXIN

A lina Argoud had remained unconscious for the better part of two days. They had originally attempted to heal her in a regeneration pod, but apparently the necessary healing gel had been in short supply and it was not part of their supply run. Threxin made a note to dispose of the dockmaster who had compiled the list for their earlier run.

Despite Kaia Halena's protests, Threxin had her moved to his cabins. He would have thought her more comfortable in her own bed— he certainly would be—but she needed space and he needed to be at her side, so he had her in his larger bed where he would be able to watch and feel her presence without crushing her at night.

They had two weeks until the scheduled jump his engineers were working on. No humans knew of it—not even Orion Halen. Eventually he would have to tell them. Humans still needed to aid with the jump. His cohort had been training to take over the duties themselves, but their training did not take into account their accelerated timeline.

Threxin spent the better part of those days watching over Alina. He moistened her dry lips and dribbled water onto her tongue when she became somewhat responsive enough to swallow it. He applied the nutrition IV administered through her arm. He spoke to her, both in words and through his new Neurosync.

Even in her unconsciousness, she transmitted to him. She grasped for him when he was near. Her mind warmed when he touched her face. He had duties, but none so important than this. He did all he could from his cabins, leaving Renza and Orion Halen to take care of the remaining preparations.

Threxin lay next to her, peeling the cover from her chest to check her wound. The synthskin had been healing well. The marks on her belly were all but gone, but the ones between her breasts would scar. Four gashes running from the top of her right breast, through her heart, to end just below the left. A location not dissimilar to his own scar, only hers was inflicted by him.

Threxin had plenty of time to feel guilty now that there was no limiter to keep him on a more logical train of thought.

His distraction was frustrating for Renza, who was used to logic prevailing in all decisions. Alina would survive without him, but she may not survive if the jump failed, so shouldn't Threxin be more active in its preparations?

It was true, but still it took Threxin until a week before the jump to come to terms with it.

Threxin began at the jump drive.

"Is everything nominal?" he asked Stharn.

"Yes. I've run one thousand simulations."

"And the results?"

"We die in four of them."

Good enough.

"Timeframe?"

"Thirteen ship days," Stharn confirmed.

Threxin lifted his chin in assent .

His next stop was the medbay, where he checked in with Lesthin. Preparations for the upcoming limiter removal operations were progressing, though they would not start until after the jump. The stream of humans from the CRD had somewhat slowed now that they had additional medicinal and food rations assigned to them. Threxin had Renza inspect their living conditions himself.

"I should examine you," Lesthin said.

"Later."

"Have there been any symptoms?" The medic eyed him carefully.

There had. Of course there had. Just because Threxin had unlocked a new modality of experience didn't mean his base instincts simply went away. In fact, he often wanted to hurt someone—anyone—other than Alina Argoud.

But he had been able to grasp for her in those moments. He drank her stabilizing warmth even in her unconsciousness and brought himself back. He thought he was getting better at it.

"None that cannot be managed," he said, and Lesthin appeared satisfied with that.

His biogineer was next. He had read the latest trial observation reports on the vaccine in bed while lying next to his Alina, but his attention wasn't really in it.

"I thought I spotted some discrepancies in the numbers. A spike in the immune response?" Threxin recalled the report on Prisoner 22.

Tetha nodded. "The vaccine appears to be gaining efficacy with time, past what the body even requires."

That was promising.

In the command center, Renza sat in the copilot's seat looking bored.

"This ship practically runs itself," he complained when Threxin entered.

Threxin sat. "The jump drive is prepared. "

"So I hear."

Threxin eyed the human crew members. There were fewer of them now, more of the positions having been taken over by his cohort as they learned to work his Colossal .

"You have to tell him to get the coordinates," Renza read his mind.

Threxin tilted his chin. He did not want to give the humans any additional time to prepare. The less they knew the better.

Orion Halen required some convincing to provide his promised planet's coordinates, but not much. Since Threxin's NS implant he had grown more amenable, not that it mattered much either way. Threxin made it clear that if coordinates were not provided, Threxin would dispose of the common residential deck en masse.

But it took compromise in the form of informing Orion about the upcoming jump.

"Before the jump, you will have your coordinates," Orion said.

It was a risk. Threxin wanted the data now… But Orion's hesitation was not entirely misplaced. He wanted to see with his own eyes evidence of the jump drive powering up from the command center, make sure this was not a trick for Threxin to retrieve the necessary information only to kill them all.

That left a week to permit all remaining humans to Upload should they choose to do so. Colossal had enough chips in its coffers to support two thousand Uploads and their lifetime maintenance once they reached their Heaven.

It had not been the safest choice. By informing Orion of the upcoming jump, Threxin gave him room to foil his plans.

But it was important to Alina Argoud… And if he and the re maining humans were to make a life on the same planet, it may go smoother if they did not have to dispose of half of their kind.

"Tell your female I will permit willing humans to Upload before the jump," he had told Orion Halen. "To the holding database. They will be transferred to the network precisely before the jump takes place."

Orion Halen showed no outward emotion, but Threxin sensed something brooding in him at the news and wondered what it was. He should be happy that his humans would be permitted free access to Heaven should they so choose…

Threxin almost asked, as inconsequential as Orion Halen's hesitation would be, only just as he moved to speak a wash of color engulfed him, freezing him in his tracks. It was an explosion in his head, one that slowly subdued itself after the initial pang of life.

His Alina was awake.