11

“I don’t want to go down there,” Ayers said. “Nebs never made me go on away missions.”

“You’re going on this missio—“ I repeated, staying calm as I could.

“I can’t,” he interrupted.

“You can if you want to continue your research,” I said.

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have any choice. Don’t make this ugly.” I motioned for Elise and the others to get ready to run the drill. We needed to practice. The environment we were heading into would not forgive our mistakes.

Ayers climbed into the Archangel armor, stopping when he was halfway in.

Elise gave him crisp, no-nonsense instructions. “Lean into it. See there, the Archangel armor is canted forward. Just lie against it and the back half will come up and close. The less you move, the quicker this will be. Don’t squirm around.”

A tear leaked from each of Ayer’s eyes as he followed her instructions. His body trembled. I thought he looked like a drowned rodent and almost felt sorry for him.

“It’s weird the first time,” Elise said. “But trust me—once it closes, you’ll feel invincible.”

“Okay, okay, I’m trying,” Ayers said.

I connected to Elise on our private commlink. “So far so good. Remember, you will be his best friend when we do this.”

“Next time I get to be the bad guy,” she said.

“Keep him alive and make him understand that he owes you his life,” I said.

“No problem, Reaper. We’ve got this,” Elise said.

Horvath, already in his armor, stood beside me and leaned over to get my attention. “There’s no way this will work with him on the mission. He’s worse than a beginner. He’s terrified, and that means he’s going to make dumb mistakes that will put the rest of the team in danger.”

“Agreed,” I said. “But if we get down there and there’s something he’s holding back, we’re likely to get trapped in the Union vault or sunk in the lava fields. I can handle him. It might not be pretty, but this is what we have to do.”

Horvath seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded, looking dignified in the Archangel helmet.

 “He’s in,” Elise said. “Your turn, Reaper.”

What none of my friends knew was that the basic chassis for the Archangel armor wasn’t unfamiliar to me. As soon as they opened it up like this, I understood it was a modification of the killing frenzy armor I had trained on while a Reaper.

Everything was different on the outside, and I hadn’t realized the similarities until it opened like an upright clamshell. Being able to integrate with a micro-fighter was one thing, having heat resistant properties capable of withstanding extreme, protracted exposure to heat was another.

The armor had the same step ladder that didn’t look like a step ladder. When it was open, a series of small ledges unfolded from the back of each section. There was also a handhold that opened around the neck area. I climbed up, then pulled myself inside, leaning into the gear so it closed around me almost immediately.

“That was about ten times faster than the rest of us did it,” Carrie said.

“Sometimes my Union training is useful,” I said, regretting the words even as I spoke to him. With Nebs gone, I hoped to avoid talking about the Union for the rest of my life. It would take practice and mental discipline to truly believe I was free.

Once inside, I took two minutes going over the controls and making sure I had full access. “This would’ve made our fight against Nebs easier.”

“Indeed,” Jelly said. “I have prepared a simple EVA mission as you requested. Please exit the airlock in an orderly manner, then walk one time to the end of the Jellybird. When that is complete, I will give you a secondary objective. This exercise is winnable even for first-time users of EVA gear, provided they have had the proper familiarization course.”

“I’ve had no familiarization course at all,” Ayers complained.

“One of us will hold your hand,” I said.

“Will that work? Are you going to actually hold onto me?” Ayers asked. “Because I would like that.”

“Elise, calm the mad scientist, please,” I said.

Elise jumped into the conversation, right on cue. “It will be okay, Doctor Ayers. We have some time. Let’s take a stroll around the deck and I will give you some pointers.”

“Thank you, Elise,” Ayers said. “I appreciate your respect and helpfulness. Perhaps we could go on the mission without the Reaper.”

“He’s my boss, Doctor,” Elise said. “It would help me if you would cooperate and let me show you how to run this armor.”

“I understand. Life is a struggle and we must overcome the obstacles put in our way. Let me say that I am empathetic of what you’re going through with your very unreasonable boss,” Ayers said.

They began walking around the room with Horvath and Carrie monitoring their progress, hands up and ready to catch Ayers if he tried to run through a wall or something.

I switched to a private channel with X-37 and Jelly. “Can you monitor his vitals now that he’s inside the Archangel?”

“Yes, Captain, I’m able to see what his body is doing quite clearly now,” Jelly said.

“My measurements of his heart rate and respiration are also much improved,” X-37 added. “Now I can take readings even when we can’t directly observe him.”

“Good,” I said. “We need to get him up to speed on the basics.”

“You want to actually train him? My analysis suggests that is a good idea,” X-37 said.

“Yeah, I don’t want to hold his hand. We can’t pass up this opportunity to catch him off guard, however. If he thinks he’s going to die, he might let something slip,” I said.

 “X-37 and I have discussed this training event in great detail. There’s no reason we can’t achieve both goals,” Jelly said.

“Great detail? How long did your conversation take?” I asked as I watched Elise teach Ayers how to move. She was a natural, which surprised me. As a student, she could be stubborn one day and coachable the next.

 “A few seconds,” X-37 answered. “We wanted to take the time to consider all the variables.”

“That sounds right.” I crossed my arms and watched Elise take it up a notch.

She incorporated Horvath and Carrie into the drill, asking them to catch Ayers when she pushed him over.

 “Is everyone ready?” she asked.

“I am if you think this is necessary,” Ayers said.

“It’s good practice. If you go off course or fall, you’ll know we’re here for you,” Elise said.

 “Ready,” Horvath said, hands up in front of him and his palms facing forward like he was playing defense in an arena game.

Carrie took a similar position on the other side of Ayers and Elise. “Same here.”

Elise drew back both fists, paused a second, then slammed them into Ayers, launching him off his feet toward Horvath. The Wallach soldier caught him with moderate difficulty. The armor made him strong enough, but he struggled to find the balance point for the Archangel armor, setting his feet a bit too wide in anticipation of the collision.

Path strolled around the perimeter of the room, then stopped beside me. “She’s a very good instructor.”

“I was just thinking the same thing. Is that because of you?” I asked.

“Doubtful. Some of it, perhaps. I know little about teenagers and can’t remember my childhood or all of the bad choices I made. She seems to be an exceptional person and I am glad that you rescued her from Dreadmax,” Path said, the volume of his Archangel gear perfectly adjusted. His voice was loud enough to be heard but not so loud that I couldn’t also hear Elise talking to the others.

“How do you like the new armor, Path?”

 He faced me. “I find it disturbing.”

“I thought you might. Tell me the rest, so I can see if my hunch was on the money.” I knew my sword-wielding friend was a purist and a minimalist in most things. What was more difficult to know was why he’d chosen to take this path.

“It bothers me that I might master this ultimate killing machine and be called to use it often,” Path said. “I also worry that I might come to rely on it and lose track of who I am.”

“Interesting,” I said.

“Were you correct in your assumption?” Path asked, seeming curious.

“Pretty much nailed it,” I said. “I’m already wanting out of this thing. I need a cigar.”

“Of course,” he replied.

Elise strode across the deck, Archangel armor working perfectly with her. The movements were smooth. “We are as ready as we can be. We should start.”

“Agreed,” I said. “Path, you’re first. Horvath, you’re last. Elise, I want you to stay close to Ayers.”

“That is the most reasonable thing you’ve said so far. I feel much better that she will be there to keep me from floating into the void,” Ayers said.

“Actually, her job is to keep me from throwing you into the void when you annoy me,” I said.

“Calm down, Reaper,” Elise said, playing her part well. “We need him.”

Path approached the airlock, waited for Jelly to open it, then stepped into the darkness beyond. He moved with his usual grace and precision. “I’m standing on the hull beyond your field of vision. There are no obstructions on the exterior of the ship. It is safe to proceed.”

 Elise, Ayers, and Carrie went next. I paced them, staying a few strides back, not wanting to put Ayers into a cardiac arrest. Horvath followed, doing everything by the numbers. He took EVA missions seriously since his friend had died during one of our first spacewalks together.

“Your heart rate and respiration have increased but are within normal parameters,” X-37 said. “Please scan the outside of the Jellybird so I can record points of interest for Jelly. She says it has been too long since the ship was given a proper overhaul and has likely accumulated damage over the last several months.”

I complied, checking my environment for anything that could go wrong. I wasn’t paranoid, I was just always ready to defend myself from an attack. It was one of my more useful habits, especially when it also allowed me to share information with X-37 and Jelly.

Elise and the others moved to the first objective. When they arrived, I let them stand idle for a moment, knowing that it could be stressful for someone like Ayers who was unfamiliar with the unique view from an EVA unit, even if it was state-of-the-art Union battle armor.

Blackness surrounded us. Stars seemed far away while also dominating the view in all directions. There was no light on the outside of the ship to compete with the galactic panorama.

“Okay, Jelly, what’s next? How are we going to test our maneuvering capabilities?” I asked.

Ayers stood straighter, alarmed by my implication. “We were already told that it would be a simple circumvention of the Jellybird.”

“That will be necessary, Jelly said. “However, it is not the next drill we need to accomplish to be certified in these units. Buoy retrieval is next.”

“What?” Ayers asked as he retreated, looking back and forth between me and Elise. “This is the Reaper’s idea, isn’t it?”

“Are you sure buoy retrieval is safe?” Elise interjected. “Doctor Ayers has no formal training and this is his first spacewalk.”

“He has to learn some time,” I said.

“Warning, Reaper Cain, Ayers’s heartbeat has increased by twenty percent in the last few seconds. Blood pressure is also approaching dangerous levels,” X-37 advised. “How hard do you want to push him before demanding answers?”

I hesitated, having second thoughts. The plan seemed more humane than the torture Elise and I came up with it. Now I wanted to get it over with.

“Elise, show us how it’s done,” I said. “I’m not expecting Ayers to do this cold.”

“I could watch Elise,” Ayers said. “She hasn’t led me astray so far. This armor is more comfortable than it looks but I cannot imagine when I will ever be required to retrieve a buoy from the void.”

“I almost admire how he’s trying to pull it together,” I said to X-37 and Jelly.

“Don’t be misled by his statement,” X-37 said. “His biometrics are still dangerously high. He’s merely putting on a brave face.”

“Thanks for the update, X.” I disagreed but wasn’t able to articulate the reason. This felt like we were being hustled. Ayers was either on the verge of panic or was the best actor I’d met for a long time.

I waited until Elise was ready, the buoy was launched, and the drill began. X-37 tracked the speed and trajectory of the training buoy that Elise would recover.

“I’m going to jump forward and use my steering jets as little as possible to correct course,” Elise said.

“What if she misses?” Ayers asked.

“She can fly back to the ship with her maneuvering jets. It may not look like it, but this is a controlled environment,” I said. “Nothing like that little incident in the slip tunnel.”

Elise sailed through the void like a pro, only using a small amount of thrust from her left boot. A moment later, she put both palms toward the buoy and slowed herself with the maneuvering jets in her gauntlets. She contacted the buoy perfectly—like it was a solid object rather than something in the void with spectacular star fields looming above her like the ceiling of a cathedral.

“That was good, right?” Ayers asked.

I could almost see him twitching inside of the Archangel armor. “She’s good. We won’t need these exact skills on Macabre, but it’s a good drill. We’re training hard now to avoid failing in the future.”

“That is a rational supposition,” Ayers said.

“I’m glad you agree.” I gripped him by one arm. “Now it’s your turn.”

He wailed in panic when I threw him.

“You better steer,” I said through the commlink.

“Are you trying to kill me!” Ayers screamed as he spiraled out of control, steering jets blasting with far more force than necessary.

“Elise, you’re up,” I said.

“I’m on my way to bring him in,” she said on our private link. “That wasn’t nice. I hope this works.”

“He’s definitely going to see you as his savior, maybe even a confidant,” I said.

“Assuming I can catch him. Why did you throw him so hard?”

“I was going to ask the same question,” X-37 said.

I didn’t bother answering, choosing instead to watch Elise race through the void to grab Ayers and bring him back.

“Elise and Ayers are approaching the safety envelope for this exercise,” Jelly advised.

I pointed at Carrie and Horvath. “Standby in case she needs help.”

“Should we go now?” Horvath asked.

I could hear the tension in his voice and knew why this bothered him. My honest assessment was that Elise could handle it on her own, but I needed to keep Horvath’s situation in mind. “I think she’s okay, but I’ll let you decide,”

Horvath hesitated, then shifted his stance until he looked ready to jump after Elise and Ayers.

“Let’s work this together,” Carrie said.

“I’ll count us off.” Horvath backed up a step, crouching. “On three. One, two, three!”

The Wallach soldiers leapt into the void with much more force than I thought was necessary. “Their adrenaline might have screwed them.”

“My analysis of their trajectory and speed suggests they will need to use more thrust than is ideal to slow themselves, but they should rendezvous with Elise and Ayers without excessive difficulty,” X-37 said.

 “What do you think, Path?” I asked.

“They are learning important lessons,” the sword Saint answered.

“I should have guessed you would say that.” I checked our timer and reviewed other data, like how much oxygen we had each used and whether we would have a reserve left at the end of this drill.

Elise was right about one thing: the Archangel units were well integrated. I could almost believe I was flying right alongside them. Each of my data queries came back instantaneously.

“Update, Elise has reached Ayers and reversed his course. Horvath and Carrie are approaching in good order and will be able to help them if needed,” Jelly said.

“Good,” I said. “Elise, are you ready to get some answers?”

“Doing it now, Reaper,” she said, then went silent.

I assumed she was now in a private conversation with Ayers.

 “All we have to do now is wait,” I said.

“What do you hope to gain from this rather unorthodox method of interrogation?” X-37 asked.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Elise might get him to admit there is a trap or double-cross on Macabre. But it’s more of an insurance policy,” I explained. “When things go wrong, and they will, I want Ayers to turn to Elise and trust her completely.”

“It seems they are off to a good start,” X-37 said.

“Let’s wait and see what Elise says after this training run is completed,” I said, watching Elise, Ayers, Horvath, and Carrie make their way back to the ship for the easy part of this lesson.

We spent the next hour circumventing the ship and practicing very basic skills, some of them in the void and others walking on the exterior of the hull.

Ayers didn’t talk to me but seemed to be listening to Elise as though he trusted her.

* * *

At the end of the day, we were tired but in good spirits. Even Doctor Ayers seemed proud of what he had accomplished. This type of thing was new to him and he was like a proud kid.

I disengaged from the group as soon as I could, drinking a beer in my shower and leaning out to puff on a cigar from time to time as was one of my favorite decompression rituals. X-37 advised me to get some sleep, but I wasn’t tired.

Before long I found myself on the observation deck, and I wasn’t alone. Tom was there reading a tablet. This time, however, he had a slim pair of reading glasses on his nose.

“Vision problems?” I asked, as I poured myself a glass and sat down to stare at the holo display.

“Getting old isn’t fun,” he said.

“You’re not old.”

He smiled. “My eyes are old, and parts of my body. In my head, I’m twenty years younger with all the curiosity of my youth still intact.”

“That’s a good way to be,” I said, meaning every word. Tom had been a loyal and brave friend since the day we met.

“The exodus fleet is getting closer. Every time I look at it, I’m amazed at what we’re doing,” Tom said. “There are so many ships, and very few of them from the same design.”

“None of them are the same except for the stealth carriers,” I said.

“Exactly.” Tom put aside his book and held his own glass but didn’t drink from it.

We watched ships large and small moving in formation toward our location. The view was enhanced, of course, but was as accurate as possible.

The stealth carriers flanked the procession while warships from Wallach took the lead and brought up the rear guard.

There were other vessels that barely looked like they should be moving—like they were a collection of junk we had seen in the Xad system. It was strange to see all these vessels in a star system that didn’t have a comet blazing through the center of their numbers.

“Macabre is a clean system,” Tom said. “It wouldn’t be a bad place if the planet wasn’t so hostile.”

“Agreed,” I said.

“Are you worried about the mission?” Tom asked.

“No more than usual.” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “Have you been watching Henshaw?”

“I was going to mention that,” Tom said. “He’s been reclusive. We normally meet in person or by commlink if we’re on different ships to discuss books we’ve read or theories we would like to investigate about this or that.”

“Why do you think that is?” Like Tom, I sensed something was off.

“The problem is Ayers,” Tom said. “Henshaw doesn’t believe anyone is as smart as he is and now that belief is being challenged. More importantly, the theories that Ayers puts forward are compelling and intriguing on a visceral level.”

“That’s interesting,” I said. “I think I know what you mean, but can you clarify what you’re talking about?”

I was still holding my cigar unlit, and my whiskey glass had barely been touched.

“Humans have marveled at the possibility of there being other life out there for as long as we’ve had the language to ask the question,” Tom said. “We’ve always known there were humans on other planets, and other systems, and maybe beyond that, but what about other forms of sentient life? Ayers passionately believes they exist.”

I put down my glass to light my cigar. Before long I was puffing away to get it going.

 “The moment we find real proof that Ayers knows what he’s talking about, Henshaw will face a crisis of his own scientific paradigms,” Tom said.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I said, letting the cigar hang to one side as I retrieved my whiskey glass but didn’t drink from it.

“I don’t believe it’ll be a problem. If Henshaw is as much like me as I assume he is, we will both be rushing forward with questions and testing theories and learning lots of amazing new things,” Tom said.

“That’s good, I suppose. Not sure I feel great about all of this, but it is what it is,” I said. “I want to get the codes to those cryo-vaults and get my family out of them.”

“That’s all that matters,” Tom said. “That, and finding a new home for everyone in the exodus fleet.”

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