Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

E lias chewed on his thumbnail. "Any change?"

Nessa reached up and pulled his hand away from his mouth—an action she'd taken at least a half-dozen times over the past four hours—as Qek clicked. "No. We remain dead in the water." The happy wrinkles that had appeared at her usage of a human idiom smoothed out. "Should I have said ‘dead in space,' since clearly there is no water around us?"

"No, you had it right," Nessa assured her with a small smile.

Elias couldn't help but catalog the worry etched into the tight lines of Nessa's expression. Her eyes did not sparkle. Her riotous red hair even seemed uncharacteristically tamed. They'd been helpless before but this was a new level of helplessness.

They had no idea what Fixer and Zed were up against, and the aliens Elias had thought were on their side…might not be.

"I never thought we'd get a warning from the Guardians," he admitted softly.

Qek clicked, the soft tones indicating agreement. "Perhaps it was a good reminder for us."

"That they could squish us like a bug?"

"Precisely."

"So you're saying we shouldn't try to surreptitiously get power back and drop those satellites."

"That would be a regrettable choice, I believe."

"Do you think Zed's been in contact with them?" Nessa asked.

"If anyone can get through that interference, it would be the Guardians, so maybe?" Elias ran a hand over his short-cropped hair. "God, I just hope they're okay."

"We could ask the Guardians if they know." Nessa's suggestion was soft, her voice uncertain.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Elias reached over to Qek's console and triggered the comms. "Guardians, this is human vessel Chaos ."

"Oh shit, Eli," Nessa whispered, sinking into her chair.

Elias kept breathing steadily through sheer force of will as he waited for the Guardians' response. Please let it be verbal and not ? —

"Yes, Chaos ?" The Guardians' computerized voice offered no inflection, merely a flat tone that made it impossible to interpret mood.

"Have you been in contact with Zed? Uh, Zander Anatolius?"

"We have."

Thank God. "Is he all right? Is Fixer, uh, I mean, Felix Ingesson—is he okay too?"

"They are functional."

Elias cast a glance at Nessa. Functional was not the same as okay , as far as he was concerned. "Guardians, we have satellites we were going to place in orbit to facilitate communication. May we proceed?"

"No. This planet is under quarantine."

"Can I ask why the Blythe was destroyed?"

Qek clicked once, a short, sharp sound that echoed over Nessa's appalled silence.

"You have asked."

Elias swallowed. Did he dare point out they hadn't answered? He opened his mouth?—

"The experiment being conducted on this planet is not permitted."

"Oh, we can agree there."

"You wish to assist Zanderanatolius?"

Elias clenched his fist. "Of course!"

"Acknowledged."

Acknowledged? What the hell did they mean by that? Elias turned to ask Nessa for her opinion when he felt it—the innards-displacing creep of a scan.

"Elias—" Qek's clicks held fear, the first and only time he'd heard such uncertainty from his pilot.

And then…there was nothing.

Zed eyed the holographic representation of the colony that Todd had quickly put together on Flick's bracelet. All the prefabs were highlighted, along with the tunnel system extending beneath the cliffs. It was…a lot. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"They must be destroyed."

As always, layers of meaning accompanied the words. Obliterated. Wiped from the galaxy. Erased. The Guardians wanted nothing left that could resurrect this concept.

"They're not all altered," he told them.

"They have knowledge ? —"

Zed slammed his fist against the wall. "No, they don't!"

Flick looked up from the holo. "You okay?"

"Give me a second." Holding up a hand, Zed took a few steps back.

"What's up with him?" Todd murmured as Zed walked away. He tuned them out, uninterested in Flick's answer.

"Preston has shared very little with her recruits. Some are ex-soldiers, but the others are young. She took advantage of them. Manipulated them."

"Nothing must remain of this initiative."

"I can't kill innocent people!"

"They are not innocent, Zanderanatolius."

Zed pulled at his hair. "But they are. Some of them, anyway. Total destruction is not the answer!"

"It is the only way."

"Let the unaltered recruits go. I can take the others into custody," he pleaded, layering as much meaning into the thoughts and words as he could—they had Morrison, a safe base of operations and containment that could be a comfortable location for the altered soldiers' last days. "We can ? —"

"Hold."

Fuck. Did that mean they were thinking about what he'd said? Or were they done talking? Huffing out a breath, Zed considered the one point he did agree on—Preston had to be stopped. The best way to do that, with their limited resources, was the course of action they'd already started plotting. They had to be smart about it.

He rejoined Andy, Todd and Flick. "How many recruits are we talking about? I was training ten yesterday, but I didn't recognize one of the guys you shot."

"There's…" Todd's gaze grew unfocused as he tallied the count in his head. "Fifteen? I haven't seen two for about a month, ever since the last shuttle run."

Maybe that was the hacker who'd cracked the Chaos and a partner. Whichever, they weren't Zed's concern at the moment if they were off-world. "So, thirteen? I had five in my class yesterday who could Zone?—"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, when they get a flat stare, kind of robotic, really fast," Flick inserted.

"Right." Todd looked a bit uncomfortable at the idea. "I'd say maybe we've got eight left on the planet like that. But between us, we killed three of them up at the towers."

"That leaves five. And I think one of them was on the operating table beside me yesterday," Flick said with a shudder. "Don't know if she'll be recovered enough to fight."

Okay. So four, possibly five altered recruits to deal with. Plus Preston. Not bad odds, if he could convince the non-altered recruits to run. And the Guardians to let them.

"What have we got that could be used for makeshift ordnance?" Zed asked. "And where are the weak points?"

Flick pointed to a couple of spots on the map. "I didn't see any data centers when we were in the tunnels, but I think Preston would keep anything sensitive close to the medical facility caves or here, behind her training center."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too," Zed said.

"Hold on," Todd growled. "I want Preston off Paradise, but these are damned good resources for the rest of us. Know what season it is right now? Spring. In the summer, we use those caves to get outta the heat. Preston's excavated a lot more useful space since she got here and she's got stores we could use in there. Blowin' them up seems like a waste."

"We need to consider the egress point." Zed pointed at the tunnel exit that led to the landing pad and comm towers. "I think that needs to be our first target. Otherwise, they could just scurry out the tunnels to their craft and escape."

Though they might not get far with the Guardians in orbit.

"Just wait ." Todd slapped his hands through the holo to bang against the table. "This is still my planet."

Flick snorted. "Hell it is. You've got a Guardian ship in orbit. They own this rock now."

Andy paled, then looked at Todd. "We can make do. We don't really need none of the stuff Preston's been hoardin'."

"But—"

Andy laid a hand on Todd's shoulder. "Hendrick. We ain't needin' it."

Todd seemed to deflate. "At least let us grab what we can carry."

"And alert Preston that something's up?" Zed shook his head. "No. We get in, we lay the charges—or bombs or whatever we can come up with—and we get out."

Flick was studying the map. "Getting out is going to be an issue if we close off access to the landing pad. Preston's ships are the only way off this planet."

"You already know the long way to the crater. Up the ravine and back past the signal towers. Takes a couple hours, dependin' on the heat," Andy said.

Flick nodded. "Okay, so we guard that exit, then."

"I'll do it," Todd said. "Y'all don't need my old bones slowing you down."

Zed glanced at Flick, seeing his own concern reflected in his green eyes. How trustworthy was Todd? It was all well and good that they seemed to have the same general goal, but the earlier protests about saving the colony's resources were making him uneasy. When push came to shove, would Todd really be on board with what they needed to do?

Something thumped to the ground outside. Rather than waste time questioning what it might be, Flick, Todd and Andy reached for the weapons. Zed went for the door, the Zone within his reach if he needed it. Flick had his back, while Todd and Andy set themselves up under the windows, ready to rise and fire. Slowly, cautiously, Zed turned the knob and pulled the door open. Outside dusk had fallen, and light from the cabin spilled out onto the three people sprawled on the ground.

"Holy shit— Elias ?" Zed stepped aside dazedly as Flick pushed his way past, scrambling to Elias's side. Zed followed him, skidding to a stop beside Nessa.

"Fuck, oh…fuck," Elias moaned, clutching his head. "Don't wanna do that again."

"Do what?"

Qek clicked as she pushed herself upward, the sound vague and indistinct. Like the ashushk version of slurring. "The Guardians transported us."

Zed knelt on the ground and held back Nessa's hair as she retched, his stomach clenching in sympathy. The only times he'd been transported by the Guardians, he'd been unconscious. Seemed like something he should be thankful for.

"But why?" Flick steadied Elias and extended a hand to help Qek get to her feet.

"We said we wanted to help you, so here we are." Elias looked up at Zed, his eyes dim and bleary. "Yay."

To make any sort of bomb, Felix needed three things: explosives, detonators and something to hold it all together. Todd had a cache of supplies near his cabin—enough to last one man a couple of years. He'd given a good portion of what he had to raising the colony he'd never intended. If Felix requisitioned what he needed to make enough charges to collapse the ceilings on Preston's laboratory and medical facilities, he'd be leaving Todd with very little—especially as creative as he'd have to get. Turning basic sustenance into a bomb wasn't covered in specialist training.

Felix glanced up from the map he and Qek were studying. "We need to visit the settlement. If I can get my hands on two, three, maybe even four power generators from the prefabs, I could bring the whole mountain down on Preston's head. I could even make a charge for Todd to drop into the landing crater, seal that exit."

Studying the overlapping displays projected over his wrist, Qek extended a blue finger toward the map Todd had helped them construct. "The medical facility is also close enough to this junction to cut off immediate access to the landing crater."

"Yep." Even if the medical facility wasn't a strategic target, Felix would want to blow it up.

It was beyond good to have Qek here, even if Felix had had to add another level of fret to his already anxious state. Getting himself and Zed off the planet had been enough of a challenge. Now his whole crew was here. But, damn if he wasn't grateful to see them. And just as thankful to hear Marnie and Ryan were safe. The fact the Blythe had been destroyed? He didn't quite know how to process that, except to give in to the occasional shudder as he acknowledged the absolute reality of the Guardians' threat. They'd already taken the hacker from Chloris and his partner out of the equation. Apparently they considered Preston's soldiers part of the program, which they were, if you considered knives and forks part of the whole eating thing. Would they insist on…disposing of the soldiers as well? At the end of the Human-Stin War, they'd simply requested that Zed's team be disarmed, or retired. Surely the same rules could apply here? Felix glanced over at Zed, who'd reluctantly submitted to Nessa's need to confirm his well-being.

"The Mendo has bonded the bone, but I suspect the dose was out of date," she was saying. "You need to keep this wrist braced and not rely on it until we can get you another shot."

"We don't have time to worry about my wrist right now," Zed grumbled.

"I'm surprised you can even spare it a thought. Did they tell you you had a concussion?"

"Yes, and I don't have time for that, either."

Nessa tucked her hands in against her hips. "You need rest, Zed. Twelve hours minimum. Hell, you both should be confined to Medical for at least a day. How Fixer's nose isn't broken, I have no idea."

Felix tapped the side of his nose and winced as he disturbed one of the bruises on his face. "Unbreakable, remember?"

From where he'd been in conference with Andy and Todd, Elias looked up and snorted.

Nessa had also been concerned about his shoulder and missing finger. She'd numbed the healing incisions, muttering all the while about Preston's barbarism, but agreed regrowing his finger could wait for now.

"We don't have twelve hours. Hell, we don't even have one to waste. When this is done, I'll hole up in Medical for as long as you deem necessary. You can confine Flick and me to quarters for a month if you like." Zed tried out a charming smile. It came off a little wonky and a lot weary.

Nessa shook her head. "Save it for Fixer."

Andy glanced over at Felix. "That you she's callin' Fixer?"

"Felix, Fixer, Fix, Flick. All me."

"Must get mighty confusing."

"Not really. It's all F for Fucker." Grinning at Andy's upraised brows, Felix made his way over to Zed and showed him the marked-up holo map, explaining what he needed from the settlement and why. "The bigger I make these bombs, the less fussy we can be about where I put them."

"We don't have?—"

Felix overrode the objection he'd anticipated. "We need to make time, Zed. Like Ness said, you could use a rest. Eat, sleep, get mended and fit for this op. I'll take Andy and Elias back to the settlement now, while it's still dark, and we'll grab what we need. In and out. I don't even need to bring the generators back here." He turned to address Andy and Todd. "You mentioned other caves. Is there one between here and there I can hole up in for thirty minutes to tinker with a couple generators?" Before Zed could open his mouth again, Felix continued, "A forward operating base. Somewhere we can use as a rally point. We're too far away here anyway."

Breath left Zed in an irritated rush, meaning he agreed with Felix's last statement, if only that.

Andy ambled forward and poked at the map. "Here." He'd indicated a spot about a kilometer along the ravine from the settlement. "There's a small cave here. Shallow, not connected to Preston's. Scraggler nest right outside it, though. We cleared it three times but they always come back."

"Fuck."

"What is a scraggler?" Qek asked.

Felix lifted his chin to show off the welt around this neck. "Tentacle things with personal space issues."

"And you call this place Paradise?" Elias said.

Todd shrugged. "It's all relative."

Zed was being quiet…too quiet. Felix turned to check on him and frowned at the crease between his brows. He touched the back of Zed's hand. "Thinking too hard ."

Zed met his gaze. "Tired."

"So rest."

"No time."

Back to the time issue. "Guardians are bullies."

Zed barely cracked a smile.

"Do they do this often?" Todd asked.

Nessa looked between Felix and Zed and smiled. "You get used to it. You guys want to share the conversation with the rest of us?"

"Tell 'em we're working on it," Felix said. Andy opened his mouth. Felix pointed up. "Them."

"What all are you goin' on about?"

Zed closed his eyes and breathed out. The crease between his brows deepened and his lips moved—once. He didn't have to close his eyes and he didn't have to verbalize. But speaking with the Guardians did require a lot of concentration, particularly when asking the big questions. When he opened his eyes, he looked even more tired. "The unaltered recruits can be spared. The others—" He bit off a curse.

Felix frowned. The unaltered …"Wait?—"

Zed cut him off. "If a single craft leaves this planet before Preston's operation is shut down, they will destroy it, whether we're aboard or not." Just like the Blythe . "They've given us until both suns rise in the morning."

"Stop, just stop." Felix patted the air in front of him. "What do you mean the unaltered ones?"

Zed gave him a look that said don't ask me to explain .

"We're gonna blow up the mountain with Preston's soldiers inside?" Andy asked.

"Now, wait a minute." Todd stood up. "That ain't what we agreed to."

Qek uttered a pair of clicks and stepped back. Nessa found something interesting to look at on her wallet. Elias adopted a ready stance. Thoughts whirling, Felix stared at his boots.

Zed spoke quietly into the pause. "If we don't do this, they will." He met Todd's gaze. "Now's the time to say so if you're gonna pull out."

Todd laced his hands behind his head and paced the length of the cabin. He turned and walked back to stand directly in front of Zed. "It's bullshit orders like this that drove me out of the AEF."

Felix clenched his fists, pushing them into his thighs. "I don't have time to tell you how many ways the AEF fucked me and Zed over. But it was your choice to leave and if you're going to duck out again, you need to tell us now." Not when our backs need guarding. "I don't like it. I fucking hate it. Preston's soldiers are dupes. They might not be innocent, but you can bet she conned them into her program. If we don't follow the Guardians' instructions, though…" He took a quick breath. "Do you have any idea what they're capable of? Besides smearing the Blythe across space? Besides…"

Felix glanced at Zed. He'd been spared last time, but only because of who he was. The Guardians had refused to help his teammates. Was it because they had known this might happen? His shoulders slumped. "Maybe they're right. Maybe the only way to shut this thing down is to destroy all of it." Fuck, had he really just said that? Had he really just voted to kill men and women who'd been fooled by Preston's twisted idea of glory?

Todd looked over his shoulder at Andy, and they conducted the sort of silent conversation any two people who spent enough time together could—without the aid of resonance shards. Todd turned back to Felix, then Zed. "We already pulled the trigger up the hill there, didn't we? When we killed two of Preston's people." He let out a tired sigh. "Okay…we're in. To the end."

A collective exhale whispered quietly through the cabin as postures eased. Over by the wall, Nessa moved her hand away from the hypo at her belt. Any other time, Felix might have smiled. Instead, he checked his bracelet. They had six hours. It'd be tight, but he'd been given less time to do more with fewer supplies. "So can I go get my generators?"

Zed touched the back of their hands together. Their minds brushed up against one another, thoughts mingling. It was a confused exchange, as if they were arguing…but not. Beneath the messy stuff lay a single phrase. Thank you . Felix didn't know if he wanted Zed's gratitude. Hell, he didn't even know if he could send back the fact he understood. All he had was a sick swell of fear. He moved his hand away.

Zed breathed out something like a small sigh. "Go get the generators."