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“Computer,” he said. “Open the command center door.”
“Negative,” Computer said. “The self-destruct sequence has been initiated. Please proceed to the closest exit.”
I kicked at the door. It didn’t produce so much as a smudge.
“It’s no good,” V’Sen said. “You’ll never get inside in time.”
“Want to bet?” I said, striking with another kick.
“She won’t be there,” V’Sen said.
“Say that again. I thought that was why we came here?”
“We came here to get my new instructions. Now that the self-destruct sequence has been initiated, the instructions are the same for everyone.”
“What?” I said.
“We must pull back.”
“Pull back where?”
“To the emergency base.”
“The emergency base? And where’s that?”
I never got to hear V’Sen’s response.
A scream cut him short.
My insides turned to water. I turned to face the thick mist that’d descended over the entire area. I gauged the direction the scream had come from and took after it.
The scream was nothing unusual. I must have heard dozens since emerging from my dirt cocoon.
As horrible as they were, none of the other screams meant much to me.
This one did.
It belonged to her.
I could only pray I wasn’t already too late.
8
MADDY
Ever since I discovered the location of the Control Room the Changelings used to oversee Lovers’ Escape, the Yayora leaped into action, improving their shuttlecrafts, boosting their speed, armor, and weapons systems. Chief among them, and leading the operation, was Stari. She weaved between the ships, checking their diagnostics and ensuring they were ready to launch in the morning.
The morning.
That was when they would launch their attack on the Changelings. They had waited all this time for that one piece of information. Now they had it, they intended on acting upon it immediately.
“Stari?” I said. “Can I speak with you for a minute?”
“Of course you can,” Stari said, before turning to the mechanic working on a shuttlecraft that looked like it’d seen better days. “Hey, Morpik!”
“What?” the mechanic said.
“I thought you said this hunk of junk would be ready to fly already?” Stari said.
