Chapter 20: Thruster
Her words echo in my mind as her face relaxes and her eyes close.
I love you, too.
Feeling her body give out in my arms ignites something deep within me—a rage I didn't know existed. It builds from my helplessness and my inability to save the only thing that has made my existence worthwhile..
But more than that, Kelta has made me feel the closest thing I can comprehend to human.
Thruster>>AlphaDet: Ignite.
Above us, the berserker blooms in the middle, a huge hole that breaks the ship in half. Metal and crushed ships rain toward Ellipsis. It will make for a proper salvage mission for my Brothers. But all I care about right now is one stunning human who rescued me and sacrificed herself to give us a chance.
I Torch the rest of the way toward the planet. The moment the air hits a density better than what Kelta’s suit is at, I open her helmet.
“Kelta?”
She doesn’t respond. Her head bobbles in the suit. Wind rakes through her braids. I fear I waited too long.
I switch on every engine that isn’t touching her and rocket us toward the surface. Ellipsis has rotated since I left, and I find us near an old encampment from our early days after the jailbreak. Air pressure grows as we descend, and it infuriates me. Kelta’s still not moving. I have to hurry.
I find a safe landing zone in the dim light of dawn and slam into reverse thrust. My legs almost give out from the force of landing with her in my arms. Only a sliver of pale blue mixed with the light of my body brings shape to her.
Breaking the suit off of Kelta, I check her pulse and find it non-existent.
“Don’t give up on me, beautiful.”
I do compressions, wondering why her cybernetic heart hasn’t restarted. It had movement. And then I remember the StarJumper’s suits could pull energy from the user in desperate times just like our skin absorbs and stores energy from the sun. There were always backups for backups. The Creators were resourceful. But in this case, it’s had devastating consequences.
It drained her cybernetic heart and used the pulses to charge me. I have no doubt.
I should’ve remembered, disconnected!
Regret weakens my compressions. Reality sinks in, making me hesitate. My human assessment programs blink with red warnings.
“Kelta— Don’t leave me here without you.” I clutch her to me and rock back and forth wishing she’d wake up, smile at me, flirt with me using those dirty little thoughts she always had.
“Just look at me. Please. Give me something.” I choke on water that leaks from my eyes—a human symptom of emotion.I am broken because you are gone.
Brush shifts around me. A handful of colorful lights filter through the dark trees.
I don’t care what happens to me anymore. I don’t have Kelta. I am lost.
A weapon disengages. The soft click of a safety switch snapping back into place tells me we could’ve been shot.
Blaster>>Thruster: Where did you come from?
I look up, Kelta still hanging limply in my arms. Five Titans join us.
“Berserker in the sky. We were captured. Kelta gave the last of her power to me. I don’t know why her Titan core isn’t restarting. It should.”
Another Titan steps forward. Electricity crackles over his body. “Let me try.”
Reactor squats beside us as I lay Kelta down with aching arms.
“We thought you were decommissioned,” I admit.
“We have been stuck here.” Reactor lifts a hand. White electricity crackles over the surface of his skin into his fingers. He taps her chest.
