She laughs weakly and snuggles closer to my chest. “Babe? You’re cute.”
“No. I’m Menace.”
“So scary,” she teases. “Is this it, then? Are we taking off soon?”
“Yeah.”
Sefina says what’s on my mind. “I feel like I should be doing more, not sitting here for the ride up.”
Menace>>Savage: We still have the BoltBurner. Is there another access point on the mountain? Request an addition to the EP.
Savage>>Menace: Give me thirty minutes. I will assign a crew and arrange transport to get you back to the ship. It’s an exposed road on the mountain. You’ll have to move fast. But we can use all the distractions and help we can get.
I forward his communication to Fracture.
Fracture>>Menace: Copy. I’ll be recharged soon and ready to assist. Boomer is monitoring Sythius. I will collect him before we depart.
I click back twice to confirm, then reply to Sefina. “We’re going to go back after replenishing completes.”
Sefina sighs. “Can I rest here with you until then?”
“These are our quarters.”
“Ours?”
I kiss her temple. “Mother coded both of us to this room. It’s on the screen outside the door.”
The door beeps. Morbid nudges me. He is outside.
I push the button beside the bed to open the door.
“Hey.” He sees Sefina sleeping in my arms.
Morbid>>Menace: Oh. Sorry. Never thought I’d see you like this. I didn’t mean to intrude. I just heard about Quris from Fracture. That was her?
I hang my head.
Menace>>Morbid: Mintaka was her mother.
Morbid is quiet for a long breath.
Morbid>>Menace: She is extra special then.
I nod but have no more words for him as fear of the hours to come grips me.
Morbid>>Menace: I’m scared too, if I’m honest.
He glances down the hallway and around him at all the people. Then he leans into the room.
Morbid>>Menace: We’re going to get one chance. You know as well as I that some, if not most, of us are going to die. And it feels like it will be more if we don’t figure out what this thing is that Poppy senses we need. To have such an ancient unit admit she’s not feeling confident in this move is not a good sign.
Smoothing Sefina’s dark hair with a hand, I savor her softness, hoping the next few hours aren’t the end of everything I want to live for.
Menace>>Morbid: I don’t want to die.
An ache starts in my throat.
Menace>>Morbid: I know now why the Creators forbade this and why they made us infertile.
