She never told me why we celebrated that particular day, and I never asked. All I know is that I always looked forward to it, the one day each year when I had my mother’s full attention. June 6 was the date—I try several combinations with our mutual initials, LH0606 and 0606LH and L0606H, and then I flip them all backward.
Finally,finally, one combination works: 060654.
Our special day plus my birth year.
As I suspected, one of the messages is from Shapiro, timestamped immediately after the call Leo answered. The other is from a garble of letters and numbers that is confusing and slightly alarming.
I tap Shapiro’s first.
Linsey, he says, his voice clear in the speaker,a young male answered when I called Control just now—a breach of protocol, as you are aware. I’m contacting you here so said breach will remain off the main record, encrypted, for the protection and security of your position. But Lins, I—I’m so sorry we went completely dark for solong. We’ve finally resumed control over our own systems after suffering a cyberattack coordinated by the Antarcticans.
I blink, surprised. Of all the scenarios I’d considered, that was not on my radar at all.
When you didn’t answer, he goes on,I feared the worst. I know you well enough to know you’d never breach protocol unless you were far in over your head.
To say the least, I think.
Nautilushas been similarly unresponsive, though the body heat sensors aboard their station unfortunately confirm our greatest fears—there’ve been no survivors.He pauses, takes a deep breath.Oddly, their sensors picked up an aberration in body heat just yesterday—it’s suspect, to say the least. And as far asLuscagoes, your heat readings don’t line up with what you told me on our most recent call.
My stomach twists. This... is not good. How can I possibly come clean without burning the final splinters of my dreams to ash? I’m going to have to, of course. It’s just not going to be pleasant.
I was actually calling with good news, he goes on,but I fear I may be too late. I wanted to reassure you that we were still able to launch a fresh batch of supplies for you as planned—and we’ve managed to push the birds to about 1.6 times their usual speed. You can expect them to make contact in just under four days.
I do the math—four days—four days! It’s so close we might not have to ask for Vonn’s intervention after all! We can stretch our supplies just long enough, if all of us eat only the bare essentials. If the station will eat at all, anyway—but as long as Havenmakes a full recovery, that shouldn’t be as much of a problem. Hopefully.
There are a number of deeply concerning issues here, to say the least, he says,but I trust there must be a logical explanation for it all. We’ll talk head counts and refresher teams when this is over, Lins, since you’ve obviously got the world on your shoulders—and—and I hope this shipment will help. I hope...His voice cracks, breaks.I hope you’re holding up okay.He clears his throat.All my love, Lins. Call when you can, but take care of your people first.
Tears sting my eyes.All my love.
For once, I don’t try to stop them. I’ve held it together long enough, and no one is here to see me fall apart, and I just. Can’t. Help it. I’m not even entirely sure what this flood of emotion is made of—grief? Relief? Relief for the shipment, for sure, and relief that the topic of relocation is tabled for now. Also, though, because it’s an enormous weight off to realize I’m not the only one left who loves her so fiercely. While there are billions of stars still in the sky, I can’t help but wish for one more, the one so bright it burned out too fast.
When Shapiro finds out the truth, he’ll feel the exact same way, Iknowhe will. I hate it for him just like I hate it for me. For the first time in weeks, though, I don’t feel utterly alone.
I take a moment, two, three—time I don’t have, but time Ineed. I let myself remember her, even though it makes me feel broken. So much ofmewas tied up inher. She’d be proud of me, I think. All I want is to hear her voice, feel her soft hands in my hair as she tells me about fireflies and zebras and whatsnow is like as it melts on your tongue, as she tells me I’ve doneenough—that Iamenough.
I’m not sure I’d ever actually believe it. It would still be nice to hear.
Minutes pass, I don’t know how many. After a little while, when my eyes are far past dry, I lift my head. Take a deep breath. Pull myself together.
I tap on the second message, the one from the garbled username. My blood runs cold as soon as I hear the voice, a bass so low and gravelly it feels like fire to my ears.
Vonn here, the voice says, as if his two words aren’t nuclear bombs to the relief I’d just started to feel.Heard from Shapiro there’s been a breach of protocol under your watch, he goes on.You and I have never seen eye to eye, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you’re too stubborn to risk a breach.
Shapiro instructed me to wait it out, but he’ll be sorry to hear I’m going over his head on this one—his judgment is beyond clouded by the feelings we all know he has for you, Hamilton, and the board is with me on this.
Before you hang up on me, hear me out.
We have confirmation that the Antarcticans infected our Earth-based systems units with a virus, in an attempt to seize control over all intergalactic operations; the board and I are concerned that the man Shapiro spoke with on your Control deck might actually be one of them. If they’ve sent someone to strip our off-planet systems, it would also explain the body heat abnormality detected onNautilus. Call me paranoid or call me brilliant—I don’t care what you call me, as you are well aware—but we’re already on our way, an entire speed fleet, and are prepared to take out any unfriendly presence before it has a chance to strike first.
Reach out if you’re still there, Hamilton, using the handle attached to this call in the log—but be aware, we may not answer if we’re in dark space.
Vonn, over and out.
I sit, stunned, do the math in my head.Speed fleetis code for max velocity, which means they won’t be loaded down with supplies—supply shipments take two to three times longer, if I’m remembering right. Heath would know this off the top of his head.
Two days. Two days, and an entire fleet will be here, ready to attack. I have no idea how much of that is dark space, but I’m guessing quite a lot—especially on the first half of their trip, since they’re so far out. They’d be close enough to Radix to borrow its satellites for a little while, but by now, at the speed they’d need to travel to get here so quickly... they’d be well out of range already, I’d estimate.
I call the garbled handle, ten—twenty—thirty—unsuccessful attempts in a row. Not even a message system picks up.
