Present Day
Titan, Deck 2, Jacob’s quarters
Admiral Jacob Donavan sat on a chair in his quarters and looked out at the stationary stars. After traveling for four long years, he was used to seeing the stars moving. The stillness gave him some comfort, though he wished the timing was better. The silence was welcoming and so was the environment. Titan’s quarters were much better than Freedom’s. Although he was the admiral, Freedom’s quarters weren’t built for comfort. The only other place he felt comfort was in his home. A sadness dawned upon him, it had too many memories and he didn’t feel like going back there. Not just yet. He looked around. Maybe he could make Titan his home.
The possibility of an interstellar war with the Orias appeared to be inevitable, although some part of him hoped otherwise. Their first battle had gone well. Jacob knew Titan’s citizens needed him. Titan was powerful, but under a weak commander it might perish. Yes, yes it will perish, he thought.
Freedom was a fine ship, but he felt he had to stay behind to fix things that had gone wrong, including his marriage. He shook his head in disbelief. After forty years, she wanted to leave him. He couldn’t believe it. What hadn’t he done for her? For some people, nothing was ever enough. You just had to tell them they couldn’t have it, and he wouldn’t let her have this. Enough was enough. He would not go through with the divorce. He believed in the vows of marriage, and she was bound to them, bound to him. That was it. Rules were rules; they were in it for life. Rules must not be broken, He thought.
Jacob had thought he could finish this last mission, return to Earth, work with the tribunal, and fix his marriage. It would have been simple if it weren’t for the Orias. Now he was stuck on Titan, guarding the perimeter against this unknown enemy. He had to stay. They had no leader, no experience.
What had life come to? He could feel that the people on Titan were eager to fight. Argon and his squadron needed to be disciplined. That is why he had nominated Argon as the squadron leader. Responsibility will teach him discipline. The scientist including Dr. Kent need to follow rules and regulation better. He felt that Commander Waters was lenient and focused more on action than thoughtful strategies. She wanted Titan to join the fleet. Silly woman.
He knew their first attempt had failed, but still there were chances of a diplomatic solution. He rolled his eyes. The Imperial Command knew very little of what he had to deal with. He was the mediator, the linchpin, managing both sides. Thank God the members of the Imperial Command believed in him. Otherwise, the situation would have been worse. It was his duty to protect these people, not only from the Orias but from themselves. They didn’t know better, so he had to show them. He thought about Anastasia’s plan and the steps she was taking. But she wasn’t him; he was better.
Titan, Deck 5, Engineering
When he entered engineering, Lieutenant Commander Adrian Olson was unsure if he was in the right place. Usually, it was a humdrum area, but today, it was loud and somewhat overwhelming. He thought about the meeting and the idea to put shields around the perimeter. It sounded very good at first, but as he planned the upgrade, he felt the burden of the enormous task.
Two months ago, he was thinking of leaving, doing something else. Now all he could think about was the Orias. Those ships, black, long, cylindrical and dangerous. The mysterious cloud. He couldn’t believe how the situation had turned, and now Titan was on full alert. He sensed fear, but also excitement. No one liked war, but in a way, it was forcing them to be innovative.
The usual sound in engineering was the loud humming of engines, but today, the air was a mix of screeches, whirls, and beeps. Adrian looked up at the bridges and saw the engineering crew moving fast. A loud screech made him turn toward the overhead crane, which was carrying a large white cylindrical container. The machine stopped in the middle of the deck and groaned, and the container slowly moved downward. As he walked ahead, the container was placed on an Automated Hovering Carrier. A crewman tapped on a pad and walked along with the equipment as the carrier approached the exit.
Adrian strolled toward the four ten-foot-high green-colored cylinders, which were filled with fuel. They looked like four hefty pillars, forming the corners of a square. Around each fuel tank were two crew members, tapping on consoles and probably running diagnostics. Adrian felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to look at Titan’s engineer. Delta stood on her side.
“Okay, I’m super busy. What is it you want?”
“The generator.”
They came to stand in front of a heavy white cylindrical object. Its top was pointed, and its bottom was flat. It sat above the ground on the hovering platform.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” asked Adrian.
Delta and Cyr looked at him.
“Well, in case of massive power failure, generators could be hooked up to the perimeter’s built-in installation panels. Theoretically, it should work. Practically? Well, that remains to be seen,” said Cyr.
“Okay, we’d better suit up,” said Adrian uncertainly.
Perimeter
The circular door above opened, and Adrian slowly climbed the ladder. He passed through the door; the lights turned on. He waited, and the door below him closed.
“Opening outer hatch,” said the computer. “Caution. Opening outer hatch.”
He checked his suit. It was working perfectly. Although he was trained for spacewalks, he hardly ever got the chance to do them. His heart beat fast as the door opened into the heavens. He held onto the ladder as the narrow cabin decompressed. Once the decompression was complete, the gravity boots were activated, and he slowly climbed up the ladder. He took a deep breath as he stood on the roof of Astra.
“All good?” asked Delta on the intercom.
“All good. All systems working perfectly. I’m moving toward the edge of the ship.”
He felt the complete silence around him; it was refreshing. He imagined he was standing at the edge of a mountain, surrounded by the miracle of the cosmos. He always found taking the first step hard. Cautiously, he put his left foot forward, then his right, and he soon felt like he was walking on Titan. Except that the suit was heavier than his uniform.
“Commander Waters to Lieutenant Olson,” came Anastasia’s voice.
“Yes, Commander,” Adrian replied as he slowly made his way toward the edge of Astra.
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
The intercom became silent, and Adrian stood at the edge of the cargo ship to look at the huge white jungle of crisscrossing poles. The massiveness of the pillars was unimaginable from a distance. He turned and squinted, but Titan was barely visible. The twinkling lights on its outer edges indicated its presence. Despite the suit, he felt cold and shivered a bit.
“Are you ready?” asked Delta.
“Wait a minute,” he replied and looked up at the installation mechanism. He fired the boosters and propelled upwards.
“Easy now,” said Evan on the intercom.
Adrian ignored him and kept his eyes on the installation mechanism. He glanced down and saw the edge of Astra disappearing from his view. Adjusting his trajectory, he flew upward along the vast wall and slowed his pace when he reached the structure. He turned off the booster and grabbed hold of one of the pillars. He observed the hexagonal installation mechanism with a cone-shaped interior. Gradually, he moved down the pillar and came face to face with the structure. Grabbing its edges, he floated around and stood on the edge of a slanted pillar just behind it. Now he was behind the structure.
“How does it look?” asked Evan.
“Looks good. I have to make sure it works,” Adrian said. He looked at the panel. The installation mechanisms had never been used, and he couldn’t recall if they had even been tested. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached for the smaller square panel and opened it. As he’d expected, there was a small switch. He flicked it, and the main panel opened outward. He gulped, looking at the bulky, round red handle. He grabbed it, pulled it outward, and turned it ninety degrees. He pushed it back in and felt a thud just below his feet.
“Lieutenant Weeds?”
“Hold it.”
The structure vibrated. “What’s happening?” Adrian asked.
“It’s online.”
“Great!” Adrian said, feeling relieved. He quickly closed the panel. Still holding onto the pillar, he floated around and came to the front of the perimeter. He grabbed the edge of the installation mechanism and saw two blinking blue lights at the end of the cone.
“Astra, are you ready?” he asked, wondering if he was too loud as his voice echoed in the helmet.
“Yep, ready. You need to move away from the mechanism.”
Adrian fired up the boosters. The gas from the boosters left a small trail behind him. He looked like a tiny, slow-moving speck on a massive wall. When he thought he was far enough away, he turned the boosters off and got hold of one of the pillars. Resting his foot on the edge of the pillar, he made sure he had a clear view of Astra. “Okay. I’m at a safe distance.”
Astra’s engines fired up, emitting a bright light. The small cargo ship’s bow began to dip.
“Delta, be careful,” said Evan on the commlink.
“Don’t worry. I can handle this.”
Adrian watched as the ship moved downward until it was almost parallel with the perimeter. The engines became silent, and the ship stood still for a moment. Then the bottom thrusters came online, and it moved toward the perimeter.
“Good. Just a bit more,” said Evan. “Stop.”
The thrusters turned off.
Adrian let go of the pillar and turned on the boosters. He slowly moved toward Astra as the doors on the roof of the cargo ship opened outward.
“Ready to launch perimeter generator 001,” announced Delta.
Adrian reduced his pace as the generator emerged from the ship.
“Aligning the generator,” said Delta.
“Take it easy,” muttered Adrian.
The generator was held by four broad mechanical arms. Adrian watched as it fully emerged and moved slightly up and down as Delta tried to align it.
“Easy. Just a bit higher,” Evan said, guiding her.
“I’m trying,” replied Delta in a strained voice.
Adrian flew closer and placed his hand on the generator. He pushed himself, floated toward the hexagonal structure, and saw the generator’s top enter the structure. “You’re doing great,” he said. “We’re almost done.”
Soon, the generator’s pointy head disappeared into the hexagonal structure. Adrian felt a thud.
“Done. The generator is secure. Release clamps,” announced Evan.
The clamps released, and the mechanical hands slowly moved away from the generator. Adrian waited as Astra closed the doors. He turned on the boosters and floated away from the perimeter. When he thought he was far enough, he again fired up the boosters and brought himself to a complete halt. “Okay, punch it.”
“I am bringing it online, now.”
Silence. Then two green lights blinked at the round end of the generator.
“It’s online! Full power,” said Evan.
Adrian smiled. “Woo-hoo! Excellent work, guys!”
“Yeah. One done, just eighty-nine more to go,” grumbled Evan.
Titan, Deck 4, Anastasia’s Quarters
Anastasia studied the notes in front of her. She didn’t know how much it could help, but history was a good place to start. She had learned a lot while in command of Marion, but she knew very little about war. Human history was full of it. Sitting on a comfortable chair, she admired the cosmos. The commander’s quarters were no different than other colonist, but she had made it special and personal. The carpet was purple, with light cream walls on which hung carefully picked pictures. They were mostly of family, her children and her childhood on Titan. Just beside the window sat a piano. It was old and had lost its glow, but still she wouldn’t part with it. There was a small kitchen which she hardly used, and a good-sized bedroom which was messy because she didn’t have time to clean up.
Anastasia focused on her work. She had made a list of techniques and maneuvers used to win and survive a war. She bit her nails and wondered if they would help. Then she picked up the next pad and studied her notes about their meeting with the Imperial Command. They had to convince the members to take the Orias seriously. She hoped to hear from the admiral about it.
Soon, she felt restless and knew what she had to do. She got up, walked to the piano and began playing. The music brought her a sense of relief, calmness, and her mind slowly centered. She hoped her playing didn’t disturb other colonist.
The doorbell rang.
“Come in,” she said.
She paused when she saw Mykel smiling at her.
“You still have it?”
“Some things are difficult to part with.”
He stepped forward and admired the instrument, “I didn’t see it last time I visited.”
“I had to put it in storage when I left the system. When my family left for Earth, I brought it out of storage.”
He sat beside her.
“Let’s see,” he said and played a tune she remembered very well. She joined in, and both of them played for a while. The music echoed in the room, and she felt like singing again after a long time. The music stopped and their eyes met.
“There is a crack over here,” Mykel said, pointing out the wood.
“Well, you gave it to me twenty years ago… its bound to have a few cracks.”
“It can be fixed.”
“I know. But I like it the way it is.” Anastasia replied, “What are you doing here?”
“We have a meeting in an hour. I thought I’d drop by for a cup of coffee.”
She eyed him, wondering if she should do this. But given everything that was happening around them, she said, “Sure.”
Soon, she felt she had made a good decision, though she felt that people were watching them as they walked down the corridor. Being the only commander was a lonely job, but when Mykel was around, she never felt that way. She still hadn’t told him about Martin, and maybe with their current situation, she didn’t need to. It didn’t matter. They had bigger things to worry about.
Titan, Deck 2, Main meeting room
Everyone was in the meeting room, including Emmeline. She wasn’t surprised when she was invited to join the meeting. She’d been working around the clock with Cyr and her team. A week had passed since the attack, but she felt they’d barely scratched the surface.
Argon and Byron sat opposite to her while Clio and Micah were nowhere to be seen. Admiral Donavan sat at the far end with captains from other ships. Dr. Finch entered the meeting room and took a seat beside Dr. Kent. The exobiologist was a stalky man in his late forties with a graying hairline that was disappearing rapidly toward a patch of sparse hair at the back of his head. He had been studying the remains of the Orias. Beside him sat Aceline, studying her notes.
Emmeline saw Mykel and smiled. Argon couldn’t stop talking about him, and she knew why. Argon was a big fan of the captain and his ship, Prometheus. Despite the war, Argon and his friends had been to the marvelous ship and spent hours looking around. After its long voyage, the crew and ship welcomed tourist.
But Emmeline noticed something more. Anastasia and the captain sat close together, talking in whispers. She wondered what they were talking about. Whatever it was, she felt an unprecedented warmth from both of them. She was one of the newest member of Titan, but as soon as people heard that the Prometheus was returning, there were whispers about both the commanders. It appeared they had a history, a long and passionate one.
Emmeline wasn’t interested in other people’s personal lives, but her feelings towards Commander Waters were different. Unlike her, the Commander was born on Titan, and lived most of her life on the space station. Emmeline remembered the day she had arrived on the station. She had never been so far away from home and felt almost like an alien. Anastasia helped her make it her home. She was like her second mother. Listening, nodding, understanding, yet she kept a firm hand. Despite the war, the gloominess around them Emmeline felt a warmth looking at the woman she admired, and then she turned towards the man she adored. Argon looked confused for a moment, but then just smiled.
A bell rang.
“Good. Everyone’s here,” said Anastasia as the meeting began. “Let’s begin. What about the perimeter shields?”
“Our first installation was successful. The generator is online. We’ve assembled a team of officers and ten cargo ships to help us. Once all the generators are installed, we should have the shields in no time,” reported Adrian.
“That’s good.”
“May I suggest that we also activate the receptors?” asked Cyr.
Emmeline was surprised. She hadn’t heard about the receptors.
“Excellent idea,” said Anastasia.
“What are the receptors?” asked Mykel.
“The perimeter has receptors that can be activated from Titan. In case of power loss, the receptors could be used to transmit power from here.”
“That means Titan can transfer power to the perimeter directly?” asked Mykel.
“Yes,” replied Cyr.
“Do it,” said Anastasia.
“That’s unnecessary,” said Jacob.
Emmeline wanted to roll her eyes, but she controlled herself.
“We want to be prepared,” said Anastasia. “Admiral, speaking of being prepared, ten ships have returned. Can we have them stationed near the perimeter?”
“Those ships are to remain at the Challenger colony near Earth.”
“Why?” said Mykel.
“We’re waiting for the Imperial Command’s orders.”
“Have we suggested them to station those ship at the perimeter?” asked Anastasia.
“Not yet.”
“Why the delay?”
“I think they might feel it’s unnecessary at the moment.”
Emmeline felt annoyed, and she noticed the distress around the room.
Mykel was about to say something when Anastasia gently touched his arm. “Maybe we should bring it up during our meeting with the Imperial Command,” she said.
The admiral didn’t look impressed.
“What about the debris? Lieutenant Storm, did you find a data module?” said Anastasia, pressing on.
Cyr bowed her head. “No. We cannot make heads nor tails of the alien ship’s internal design. To make matters worse, the parts are fused together, and it’s difficult to tear them apart.”
“So, we have nothing?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Don’t give up.” Anastasia turned to the doctors. “First of all, Dr. Finch, thank you very much for coming all the way from Earth.”
“My pleasure.”
“You understand that staying on Titan could be dangerous?”
“I understand. But I do not believe we would have made much progress if I had stayed back on Earth.”
“Good to know. Proceed.”
The doctor got to his feet, and the large screen behind Anastasia came to life. “Now, as I’m sure everyone here knows, we found some dead aliens,” he said. “To be precise, a head, a leg, two arms, and a bone. They belong to different Orias. Using what we found, and my years of study on exobiology, I have made a rough reconstruction of what the Orias might look like.”
Everyone exchanged glances. Emmeline felt blood rushing to her face.
“Behold the enemy.”
The image on the screen changed, and a few people gasped. Emmeline felt her skin crawl. She involuntarily glanced at Argon, who looked concerned. To her, the lights appeared dimmer, and the savage image on the screen was terrifying.
The creature was about six or seven feet tall with a tough black exoskeleton. Its hexagonal whitish and blue-hued eyes sat deep in an elongated head with a wide jaw. It had a short, thick neck, two arms, and sturdy legs.
“We know very little about this species,” said Dr. Finch. The image on the screen changed, showing DNA strands. “You see, like every living being in the universe, including you and me, they have a DNA pattern. We have twenty-three chromosome pairs with three billion DNA base pairs. Now you understand why you are so complicated.”
No one laughed, but Emmeline appreciated the doctor’s attempt at humor.
“These aliens have forty-six chromosomes pairs, and I have discovered over six billion DNA base pairs. Unfortunately, we do not have a database that contains similar DNA patterns for further study. Just like no two humans are genetically identical, no two DNA patterns for the Orias are identical.” The doctor became silent and looked as if he was carefully gathering his words. “I detected something in their DNA sequence that I have never seen in any studies I have done in my lifetime. I could not find any earlier records of similar findings, and I double-checked my work.” He paused. Everyone sensed his discomfort.
“Doctor?” prompted Anastasia.
“Sorry. I have discovered an underlying hidden DNA sequence in the samples.”
“Hidden?” asked Adrian.
“Yes. They have two DNA sequences. One which is easily detectable, and another which is hidden as if submerged. It’s only a trace.”
“What do you mean?” Anastasia asked.
“It appears as if someone has written over their original DNA.”
Gasps were heard throughout the room. Emmeline narrowed her eyes. That wasn’t possible. No, it couldn’t be.
“Are you telling me they were transformed?” concluded Mykel.
“Something like that,” said Dr. Finch, nodding. “I don’t think the Orias were born. They were created by eradicating another species.” The image on the screen changed again. “This is what the Orias look like. Ugly, fat, bipedal animals with two hind limbs, a large head, and a wide jaw. Using my expertise, I pulled out the bits and pieces of suppressed genomes. This is what this species actually looks like. Please keep in mind I have used a bit of my imagination.”
Beside the Orias, a picture of a bipedal creature that looked very much like a human appeared. It had an exceptionally short neck, big angular eyes, and a bulky head.
“Oh my God,” said Emmeline.
“Are you telling us that someone or something deleted their original DNA and made them into monsters?” said Cyr.
“Yes.”
Murmurs filled the meeting room.
“Silence,” commanded Anastasia. “Okay. So, each Orias might be from a different species?”
Dr. Finch nodded. “Yes. Or the same. I pulled out this genome from the first leg we discovered in the debris. A second one from the head. Those two Orias originated from same species.”
“What about the second leg you found?” asked Cyr.
“I haven’t gotten to that yet.” Dr. Finch turned to Anastasia. “Commander, we need to be careful. Whoever is sending those ships has the power to alter genomes and might have the power to alter an entire species.”
“You mean play God?” asked Argon angrily.
Emmeline felt goosebumps on her skin.
The room became completely silence.
“I have a question,” said Evan.
Dr. Finch gave him his full attention.
“Is it something like when the witch changed the prince into a frog?” he asked.
“Lieutenant,” warned Anastasia.
But no one could help it. Everyone, Anastasia included, burst into a roar of laughter. Emmeline was happy to see everyone loosen up for a second.
“It’s a valid question!” argued Evan.
The humor died out quickly.
Dr. Finch cleared this throat. “Well, Lieutenant, luckily for the prince, he could change back into a human. These guys are not so fortunate.”
“You mean this is permanent?” asked Jacob.
“Yes.”
Everyone was tongue-tied.
Aceline said, “Could you share your theories about their behavior? They look like animals, but their behavior suggested higher intelligence. Do you think they would be telepathic?”
Everyone turned to Dr. Finch, who smiled. “A very intriguing question. And, fortunately, one I can answer in a few days. I’ve been studying the attack pattern of the Orias. They distracted our fighters, and the wheel was targeting the perimeter. I agree, doctor. Despite what they look like, their behavior indicates some sort of higher intelligence.”
“I’m sure there’s a hierarchy,” Aceline commented. “Someone or something was giving them orders. In our planet’s history, instinct drives most animals, not necessarily strategy.”
“If they are telepathic and don’t know how to communicate verbally, that could explain why they didn’t respond to our hails,” said Adrian.
Heads nodded around the table.
“I must examine the brain, but yes, that is possible,” answered Dr. Finch.
“That’s why diplomatic ways may not work until we get a hold of their leader,” said Mykel.
“Adrian, you were conducting continuous scans during the battle. Did you detect any unusual readings or frequencies?” Anastasia asked.
Adrian shook his head. “Not to my knowledge. But I still have the data from the scans. I can go through it again.”
“Do it.”
“What are you thinking, Commander?” asked Mykel.
“I’m thinking that if we can identify the frequency, they were using to communicate with each other, we can use it to take them down.”
“Or communicate with them,” said Jacob.
Emmeline wasn’t sure communication would work. She studied the surprised look on Anastasia’s face.
“Time will tell. Next—” Anastasia started.
Dr. Finch held up a hand to stop her. “I’m not done yet. A week ago, Emmeline reported that she found traces of reptilian DNA in the debris.”
Everyone looked at Emmeline, and immediately, she felt intimidated.
“Yes,” said Anastasia. “So?”
Dr. Finch’s face paled. “In the same debris where Emmeline detected the reptilian DNA, I found a bone. It is a vertebra, part of the spine. I think during the battle, the Orias body was crushed to pieces. We may or may not find the rest of it. Just like the other samples, the vertebra shows signs of genetic altering, and I’ve found another hidden genome pattern.”
“And?” said Dr. Kent.
Dr. Finch gulped. “The vertebra belongs to a human.”
Fear grasped Emmeline.
“W-What?” Adrian cried out. “That’s impossible!”
“But how could that be? I’m sure none of us were . . . taken,” said Argon.
“Are you sure, Dr. Finch?” asked Anastasia in a low voice.
“I’m afraid it’s the truth,” he replied solemnly. “The vertebra belongs to a human.”
“This is preposterous!” said Jacob. “Rubbish I say!”
The room fell silent. Emmeline could feel her palms sweating. She massaged them together in hopes it would relax her.
“But how and when?” asked Dr. Kent.
“To the best of my knowledge, six ships were lost in deep space. Two were destroyed in an ion storm, but four ships vanished without a trace,” Anastasia answered.
“How far back was this?” asked Dr. Finch.
“The ships left the solar system about thirty years ago.”
“Wasn’t there a search?” asked Argon.
“Two ships were sent out to investigate, but they returned empty-handed.”
“Are you suggesting they were abducted by these Orias?” asked Jacob.
“I don’t know,” replied Anastasia. “I’m just saying we’ve lost people in deep space.”
“Is it possible that this bone might belong to one of the crew members on those lost ships?” asked Argon.
“There’s only one way to find out,” said Anastasia as she turned to look at the doctor.
There was an unsettling silence. Emmeline bit her nails. She stopped when she saw Dr. Kent glaring at her. She immediately straightened up, trying to look strong.
“You all know what’s at stake here,” Anastasia said. “This is a species that has for no apparent reason declared war on us. To make matters worse, we have discovered that they can eradicate other species. We have no choice. This is our home, and we need to protect it at all costs. Dr. Finch, your priority is to find out whatever you can from the brain. I want to know how they communicate. Then your job is to find a match for that vertebra. If it belongs to any of the crew members who were lost, we can assume that the Orias captured our ship. You can find all the information about those ships in Titan’s database. Do you need help?”
“I’d like to work with someone who has knowledge and expertise in working with fossils and DNA.”
Anastasia smiled.
“I’d love to help,” offered Aceline.
“Thank you.”
“Lieutenant Weeds and Olson,” continued Anastasia. “I want the shields up and running. Then find out if there were any hidden frequencies or any kind of communications between the alien ships. You can use the help of the Crystal Lab.”
The officers nodded.
“Dr. Kent, what about the cloud?”
“Emmeline was right,” Dr. Kent said. “It’s a doorway, probably to another galaxy, but we have no control over it. However, we could shut it down.”
“What do you mean, shut it down?”
“Imagine that they’re using a generator on the other side of that doorway. We can overload it.”
Everyone looked at each other.
“I’m afraid to ask,” said Anastasia. “How?”
“The Phoenix.”
“You mean the death ray,” Evan said.
Dr. Kent smirked.
Emmeline rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and glared at Evan.
“Death ray?” asked Dr. Finch. “What is a death ray?”
“An experiment designed by Dr. Kent and Emmeline to create a high-yield particle beam. It could take out an Orias wheel in seconds, and I think we could also use it for scientific purposes. One of Titan’s missions is to protect Earth from dangerous unknown spatial anomalies, and such a particle beam could be very useful,” explained Anastasia.
“Okay. Then what’s stopping you?” asked Dr. Finch.
Everyone looked at each other.
“The last time Emmeline brought it online, it blew up every transformer in engineering and started a massive fire,” said Cyr.
“Then it hit the environmental systems, and for the first time in ten years, artificial gravity went offline,” added Adrian.
“And Titan’s bridge computers overloaded and blew,” said Anastasia.
“And the Crystal Lab was very, very close to exploding,” said Argon.
Emmeline gritted her teeth. It wasn’t fair. It was an experiment, and experiments sometimes went wrong, but that didn’t mean it was right to give up. What the hell was wrong with these people?
“So, it’s dangerous,” said Dr. Finch.
“It needs a powerful energy source, which we don’t have. When we linked it to Titan, it drained most of its power. I believe if we learn to stabilize and control the energy required by the particle beam, it should be safe to use,” explained Dr. Kent.
“It looks good on the drawing board, Chris. Leave it there,” scoffed Jacob.
“I’ve put in another proposal,” said Dr. Kent.
“They will not say yes. Stop wasting your time.”
“One day, it will work,” muttered Dr. Kent.
Everyone fell silent.
Then Jacob spoke. “Captain Lockhart and I have been recalled by the Imp—”
“Why?” interjected Anastasia.
“To discuss how to handle this war.”
“I don’t think either of you should leave Titan,” she said, looking at Mykel. “I thought we were going to talk to the Imperial Command together.”
Mykel rolled his eyes. “The admiral spoke on our behalf.”
“What?” asked Anastasia. “But we’d decided to work on this together.” She looked at Jacob.
“I know. I found out just before the meeting.” Mykel eyed the admiral too.
A sense of anger rose within Emmeline, and she saw Argon scowling.
“And you agreed to leave?” asked Dr. Kent.
There was a tense silence. “We have to do what the Imperial Command says,” Jacob replied.
“We don’t know if we’re being watched. We don’t know when these things will attack again. It could be tomorrow or the day after. We must be ready. You’re needed here. If the perimeter falls, there might be no Earth or Imperial Command to protect. Do you really have to leave? Can’t you speak to them from here?” Anastasia demanded.
“Valid point. I can try. But Prometheus has to go.”
“Why?” she asked, again looking at Mykel, who remained silent.
“It’s been through an ion storm, and its hull has sustained damage that can only be repaired at the Challenger colony. In addition, the ship has been in deep space for four years, and its engines need refurbishments,” explained the admiral.
“I know, but . . .”
“Commander, I think our ships can handle this, and the earlier we do the repairs, the better,” said Jacob.
“I think I should speak to the Imperial Command,” Anastasia said.
“I think I just said I have, and there is nothing more to discuss.” Jacob replied coldly, “They are well aware of our situation. The improvements you have made to the perimeter and the steps you are taking. They trust us to handle the situation. I spoke with some commanders in the fleet, they feel confident that we can tackle the Orias.”
Mykel and Anastasia exchanged worried looks. Emmeline touched her neck and felt a sense of dread.
“Admiral, next time, I would like to be included in such meetings, especially if it involves the future of Titan and the twenty thousand people who live on this colony,” Anastasia got on her feet, “I will have a word with them myself. Meeting adjourned.”
Emmeline left the meeting room with millions of questions running through her mind. Her heart was pounding, and she felt disheartened. What could they do? What if these creatures attacked again? How would they survive? What if they destroyed Titan? She felt they were defenseless and wished she had never joined the meeting.
It wasn’t just Emmeline who felt that way. Adrian’s stomach twisted, and sweat dripped down his neck. He waited for the elevator with Evan. Finally, he said, “I don’t believe this.”
“I know. It’s an uneasy feeling knowing that there’s someone on the other side of that cloud that could turn you into a monster,” said Evan.
His words gave Adrian no comfort. Space was a dangerous place, but he’d always thought he would die in an explosion or suffocate to death. To be reborn as an ugly creature with no mind of its own was a nightmare.
The doors to the elevator opened, and they stepped in. “I know. I feel like I’m going to puke,” Adrian said.
“I’d prefer to be a frog than a monster,” Evan thought out loud.
Adrian looked at him. “I’d prefer to remain human.”
Titan Deck 1, Anastasia’s office
Anastasia walked up and down in her office, trying to control her rage. She understood that the Admiral outranked her, but she couldn’t understand the logic behind his actions. Since he had arrived, he walked around the station as if it was his. She sensed a rise of tension around her people. She could see traders sulking, colonist in distress and many of them demanding to return to Earth. Of course, she couldn’t stop them, but it would affect Titan’s day-to-day management. But it was surprising that the Imperial Command was denying them the chance to return to Earth until things settle. Her chat with Admiral Vince was futile, and she couldn’t reach any of the tribunals. She felt it was illogical not to allow safe passage to Earth non-military personnel. She shut her eyes. Oh, I feel like… She dismissed the thought. She rolled her eyes, thinking about Admiral Vince’s response.
“Trust Jacob’s instincts. We have got a thorough report, and we are satisfied with it.”
“Trust facts!” yelled Anastasia. The buzzer sounded, and she calmed herself. “Come in.”
She turned to find the concerned face of Mykel. “Hi,” he said in a low voice and made himself comfortable on the couch along with the window. She smiled and joined him. He held his head and said, “That was not good.”
“No.”
“What can we do?”
She took in a long breath, “Nothing. I tried talking to the Imperial Command. They are not listening to me.”
“I did the same. They feel that they know everything. I think they are greatly mistaken. I just finished a conversation with the captain of the Marion.”
She was keen to hear what others thought.
“He seems comfortable with the ways things are.”
“But?”
“I have a feeling that there is more going on here than what is being said.”
A gloominess dawned on her, she grabbed his hand, “Don’t tell me…”
“Oh, they can’t take the Prometheus away from me, not yet. One thing I know for sure… anything happens, my crew is with me.”
His words comforted her. He leaned forward, “But Titan…”
Anastasia swallowed and bowed.
“I can’t let him hurt you like that…”
“I can handle…”
“Not when you are alone,”
She gasped.
“Yes. I know. You left him. You should have told me,” he said, peering into her eyes.
Tears gathered in her eyes. “You were away. You always leave. When can I ever tell you anything?”
“You know I am always there for you. You should have reached out. All you needed to do was call me.”
She shut her eyes, looking away from him. Every emotion, every feeling that she had buried for years was threatening to come out. She stood up and was about to walk away when he grabbed her hand. “Not now, Mykel. This is not the time.”
He looked her in the eye, “Time will never be on our side. Do you understand? We have to save what we have.”
“I know,” she replied, her eyes meeting his, “I am trying to save what I have.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I only want to warn you… Admiral is dangerous.”
She looked at him for answers.
“He is just not after Titan. There is something going on… and we are not aware of it.”
She wanted to say thank you. Instead; she stepped forward and embraced him. In his arms, she felt the comfort that she longed for.
“I missed you too
Already things seem better.
They parted.
“We need to make a backup plan,” she said.
“Do you think we should evacuate the station?”
Anastasia's eyes widened. Every fiber of her body resisted the idea, but what she felt was irrelevant. “If the situation worsens, we might have to.”
He nodded in agreement, “We better be ready. What about your crew?”
She looked him in the eye, “Loyal and stubborn.”
Titan, Deck 4, argon’s quarters
Argon sat on a chair in his sister’s room while his mother worked tirelessly on the computer in the living room. They had eaten their dinner in silence, and then he read his little sister a story. Selina was now sound asleep, but he wouldn’t dare close his eyes. The strategies they were using to defend themselves were good, he knew that. He thought about Emmeline, if something were to happen to him, who would take care of her. Her father was on Earth and couldn’t travel to Titan until things settled. Maybe he should tell her to take the Raven and go to Earth. But would she go? No. She was dedicated to her work and Titan needed her. Her work could save lives, save Titan. He walked up to his little sister and sat on the bed’s edge. He watched her closely. He had pressed his mother to leave Titan. She wouldn’t. He then urged her to send Selina to dad, at least she would be safe. They agreed, and he had put in a request, but he knew it would be denied. The Imperial Command wasn’t allowing people to leave, just yet. He couldn’t understand why? He thought about the future. Two months ago, he knew exactly what he was going to do with his life? But suddenly, it appeared he was no longer in control.
He trusted himself, his friends, everyone on Titan, but not the man who seemed to hold all the reins. What he witnessed in the meeting room today disturbed him? He wondered secretly if there was a war looming on Titan itself and when it happens, where would he stand?
Titan, Deck 4, Emmeline’s quarters
Emmeline didn’t want to think about the meeting. The Orias. The DNA and that horrible man. So, for several hours she distracted herself by running algorithms to decipher the plaque.
“Algorithm 365 complete. Unable to complete deciphering,” the computer said in a monotonous tone.
Emmeline dozed on the chair, slightly aware of its voice. Suddenly realizing that she needed to go to bed, she slowly got to her feet.
“Running algorithm 365,” said the computer.
Emmeline yawned as she got under the sheets and dozed off. She didn’t know how much time passed, but she thought she heard the computer again. Assuming it was still trying to decipher the plaque, she decided not to pay it any attention.
Decoding the tablet had not been an easy task. At first, it had been a rock plaque. Then, when Aceline had helped her decode it, it had transformed into a smooth black tablet. As if on standby, a picture of a glowing sun with a face appeared. As soon as she’d tapped it, she’d seen a diagram with unknown symbols.
Despite her busy schedule, she had tried everything. Finally, again pairing up with Aceline, she’d designed algorithms, and the computer had been running them. She heard the voice again. It was a beep now, rather than a monotonous tone. She covered her ears.
“Beep. Beep. Beep. Deciphering complete. Beep. Deciphering complete. Beep.”
Emmeline rushed to the computer. She couldn’t believe it. It was done. She wondered which algorithm had worked.
It was unbelievable. At first the computer had identified a key to unlock the plaque. It had found a 70% match in the historical language database for the lighter symbols. Linear A was an ancient Minoan language made up of symbols representing sounds, objects, or abstract ideas. The Minoan symbols were used between 1800 to 1450 BC and found on several clay tablets.
The computer first isolated and identified three letters: ‘S’, ‘C’ and ‘E’. It ran algorithm and converted the symbols into one English word. SPACE. Once it had the key, it applied it to the rest of the diagram and decoded an unreadable sentence which was overwhelming.
“nepththyslahmuenkiastarteurukgonilibra
ecrcuisseptuyawhaniamumnaniapeperk
walhnimo”
This was an alien language, and the computer began searching the linguistic database. Her heart was beating fast as she read. The first thing it did was to identify basics of the language, such as noun or pronouns. This was a tedious task, and the computer had run several algorithms and the result astonished her.
“NepththysLahmuEnkiAstarteUrukGoniLibrae
CrcuisSeptuYawHaniAmumNaniApepErk
WalhNimo”
The computer had just capitalized some words. She counted them. “Seventeen,” she said to herself. Her jaw dropped. The computer had identified alien names for the stars in the Draco Constellation. She sat back in the chair, not knowing where this was going to lead. Surely, humans had given names to the stars of the constellation centuries ago. But this were words from beyond time, beyond space, written by an intelligent life form. She picked the pad and read further. The computer had done exactly what she would do. It didn’t convert the alien star names and applied the decoded sentence to the plaque. And that did it. After the codes were applied to the plaque, a star map had appeared. She recognized the star system immediately. She had seen it before, and there was an area highlighted to the left. She realized what it was and got frustrated. She got up and screamed in anger.
Titan, Deck 4, delta’s quarters
The door to Delta’s quarters opened, and Delta looked at Emmeline through squinting eyes. “Don’t you sleep?”
Emmeline knew it was 3 am and without a word, she stepped into her quarters.
“Yeah, come in whenever,” Delta remarked. The doors shut behind them.
“I’ve finally deciphered the plaque.”
Delta’s gloomy face suddenly became attentive.
Emmeline handed her the pad and paced up and down the room.
“This is good! This is awesome! Oh, wow. It’s a star map . . . of this system. We have coordinates! We have coordinates!” Delta shouted.
“No. It’s not good!” Emmeline told her. “There’s nothing there! Delta, it’s a waste of time!”
“But this is telling us that there’s a planet. You must be—”
Emmeline cut her off. “Delta, for a year, I’ve been scanning and studying that region of space. A planet would have been detected ages ago. There’s nothing there!”
“Maybe you missed it.”
Emmeline put her hands on her waist. “Oh, you think?”
“Sorry. You need to calm down.”
“No!” Emmeline shouted and wiped her tears. “I was wrong, Delta. I was wrong. The plaque is just a ruse. It’s all a stupid myth! You were right. Dad was right!”
Delta’s face fell.
Emmeline felt as if a small part of her died. Maybe the planet had existed years ago, but today, there was no sign of it.
“I’m so sorry,” Delta whispered.
Tears filled Emmeline’s eyes. “Maybe it’s for the best.”
Titan, Deck 4, Emmeline’s quarters
Emmeline couldn’t sleep. Sitting in her quarters alone, Emmeline watched the stars in silence. She realized that in the last two months; she hadn’t had the chance to enjoy the view from her window. Of course, everyone else had this view as well, but to her, it was significant. It helped her calm down. Perhaps it was due to the stars. Perhaps it was the gases of Titan, which appeared to be moving in an unrecognizable pattern.
A part of her was happy that the plaque led to nothing. It was a distraction anyway. But it was not unwelcomed. With all the horrible things going around here, she preferred solving clues instead of thinking of politics and Titan’s fate. She heard a knock on the door. “Who is it?” she called.
“It’s Delta. Open up.”
With a heavy heart, she got up and pushed the button. The doors opened, and Delta stepped inside.
“Come in anytime,” Emmeline said sarcastically.
Delta turned to face her. “I’ve been looking at this star chart.”
Emmeline hung her head. “It’s no use.”
“Maybe the area described in this map has changed over time.”
“I thought about that. Even if that region of space has changed in the last two centuries, the planet wouldn’t have drifted that far, and we would have detected it. It could have been destroyed before mankind began studying the stars,” replied Emmeline.
“Maybe we’re looking at this the wrong way.”
Emmeline arched her eyebrows.
“What if it’s not just about the science?” asked Delta.
“What are you talking about?”
“Two months ago, this plaque was a rock,” Delta explained. “A disgusting gray rock with several dots and some stupid lines. After you found the first clue, a musical tune, it transformed into a sleek black plaque with another riddle on it. The computer translated that riddle, which revealed a star map. Emmeline, something tells me we can’t resolve this by using conventional scientific methods. We need to check out these coordinates. Let’s go and see what’s out there. Maybe it’s something even Titan’s most powerful telescopes can’t detect.”
“Are you crazy? It’s beyond the perimeter. No one . . .”
“I think we can pull it off.”
“But no one leaves without permission from the Imperial Command, and it would take weeks, if not months, to get it,” Emmeline said. “And during an interstellar war, they’ll forbid it without a second thought!”
“Emmeline, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. If you want to get to the bottom of this, we can’t play it safe.”
Emmeline bit her lip. “What if there’s nothing . . .?”
“Then you’ll have your answer, and the plaque can go to a museum.”
Titan, Deck 5, Training Hall
Emmeline finished her jog and found Argon waiting for her. She took a minute to catch her breath. She’d finished half of her training, and now she was hooked. Yesterday, she’d finally hit the target on its outer edges. She was getting good at using the disruptor. Her confidence was growing that she finally felt she was getting somewhere.
Today, it was time to learn some hand-to-hand combat. For the last week, Argon had been teaching her some defense moves. She couldn’t believe it, but she was rather enjoying it.
“What’s on your mind?” Argon asked.
She looked up. “Nothing. Nothing.”
He eyed her. “Emmeline? I know you. What’s on your mind?”
“I need to make a decision,” Emmeline said. “I might be wrong. I might be right. I don’t know.”
“Well, do it, and you’ll know. Now, are you ready?”
She nodded and kicked Argon; he quickly blocked it with his hand. He threw a punch, which she dodged. He threw another one, and she blocked it with her hands. She twirled and kicked him again. He blocked her just inches away from his face. She smiled. He smirked, grabbed her ankle, twisted it, and threw her on the thick mat.
“Ah!” she cried.
“Move it! Get up! Get up!”
Emmeline pushed the pain aside, got to her feet, and got in position. “You’re going to regret that.”
“Am I?”
She squinted, moved swiftly, threw a punch, and then stomped on his feet.
Argon cried out in pain.
Titan, Crystal Lab
After training, Emmeline knew she had pushed too hard, and now her arms and legs ached. She stretched and decided to focus on work. All day long, she kept telling herself it was a stupid idea, but she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She considered other options, but they all seemed undoable. No one believed her, and if she said she wanted to go to find this mythical device, alarms would be raised. She could come under heavy scrutiny and then all her chances to find the device would be lost. If she wanted to know the truth about the plaque, she had to go to those coordinates.
Adrian had asked her to look at the data from the scans of the battle. Like him, she found nothing unusual. The Orias weren’t using a frequency they could detect. Maybe it was in their ships. She wished that they had an intact Orias ship. The thought sent shivers down her spine. She never wanted to face an Orias in her life. She gulped and then tried to focus on the cloud data. Dr. Kent had finally liked something she had done and asked her to do some computer stimulations. But she could hardly concentrate. Finally, she gave up and went to see Delta.
Titan, Deck 9, Armory
Argon felt his pulse rise and his heartbeat quicken. Lieutenant Edward Ward was working on the outer casket of the torpedo. A standard torpedo looked somewhat like a missile with a sharp nose. Titan’s torpedoes could not only be programmed but also were heavier and bigger, as they were built to destroy comets and interstellar objects. Captain Lockhart’s idea to reprogram them to detect increase in energy in Orias ship before they fired and to target the tails was excellent, but it needed patience and time. The torpedoes had to be reprogrammed manually.
Edward reached over to the middle panel and put in the codes. The weapon made a whooshing noise. “Okay. The warhead has been deactivated,” he said.
Cyr stood in front of a big screen, working with Adrian to identify the highest level of energy emitted by the ships.
Argon looked at Edward, who nodded and pushed a few buttons on his side, unlocking the outer shell. Now they could see the internal section of the weapon. Edward slowly reached for the flat panel and raised it. If everything went well, they could have the weapons ready in a couple of days.
Titan, Deck 1, Bridge
The bridge of the Titan was silent, and the lights dimmed. During the night shift, three crew members worked silently in the corner. The wide screen was zoomed in on the crew members and ships working on the perimeter.
Adrian had woken up at 0500 hours and returned to the bridge. He was eager to get the perimeter ready. He turned when he felt the presence of someone behind him. He folded his arms and looked at Emmeline and Delta. Bells rang in his head. They never came to the bridge when Anastasia wasn’t around.
“Good morning, Adrian,” said Delta, breaking the silence.
“Good morning. I’m kind of busy.”
Emmeline shot Delta a glance before speaking. “I need your help,” she stated.
Adrian shook his head immediately. “I’m busy. We’ve installed half of the generators, and I have to monitor the robots doing the safety checks.”
“How much more time do you think you’ll need?” Delta asked.
Small talk. That’s never happened before, Adrian thought. “It’s hard and slow,” he replied. “Maybe another forty-eight to seventy-two hours. What do you want?”
“I wanted to know if there was any debris left beyond the perimeter,” Emmeline said.
Adrian looked at Emmeline. “Well, we couldn’t gather everything, but I think we got quite enough. Most of its junk anyway.” As he spoke, his eyes shifted to Delta, who was walking around his console.
“Oh. I see. Did your scans show anything particular?” Emmeline asked.
A continuous beeping noise distracted Adrian.
“Sir, one of the robots stopped responding to our instructions,” another crew member alerted him.
“Excuse me.” Adrian walked across the bridge to help. He glanced behind him, seeing the women standing quietly, unmoving beside his console. Something was off, and he knew it. He turned his attention to the issue at hand. As he looked for the problem, the robot began to respond. “It must be a glitch,” he said and returned to his seat. “Look, Emmeline, I’m busy.”
“That’s okay. Maybe we can do it later. Thanks.”
Adrian watched them leave the bridge. They wanted something; he could feel it. He turned to his console and realized it was unlocked.
Titan, Deck 10, Docking Bay
Adrian couldn’t rest, and nor could he understand why he felt that way. For no apparent reason, he found himself in the docking bay, standing near Astra. He knew Delta was leaving for another job. That wasn’t unusual. Delta staying in one place for too long would have altered the laws of physics. But then again, the girls’ presence on the bridge bothered him. Delta was preparing for launch.
“Is Emmeline going with you?” Adrian asked when he got near enough for her to hear him.
“No. She has plenty to do here. Why?”
“Just a question. Where are you heading?” he asked.
Delta smirked. “Since when are you interested?”
“I’ve always been interested,” he answered and then gulped.
Delta smiled widely. She stepped closer to him. “Adrian, what is it?”
“Do you remember when you used me to gain access to the environmental controls?” he said. “You said you were feeling hot and wanted to adjust the temperature. Instead, you altered the gravity settings during a history tutorial.”
“The history teacher was boring. I wanted to see if she could fly,” Delta replied, stepping closer again. “What is it you really want?”
Adrian cleared his throat. “Four years ago, Professor Jackson’s lecture was being broadcast from Earth to all the colonies. He was using the holo projector technology. You used my access codes and changed his face into a horse.”
Delta laughed. “Oh, that was fun!”
“For you. It scared the hell out of me.”
Delta placed her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Do you think I’d still do that?”
“Yes. Psychological studies have shown basic human personality traits never change. Especially the ones that are rewarding and classified as fun or humorous.”
“Oh, dearie.”
“Delta, you’re always up to something.”
Delta touched his face. “And you’re always watching out for me, aren’t you?”
Adrian was dumbfounded.
“Adrian, you’re so nice,” Delta said sweetly. “I hope you know that.”
“I do. I think that’s the problem,” he said, not believing he could be so vocal.
Delta smirked. “I’ll see you soon.” Then she turned and boarded the ship.
Adrian watched Astra take off and cursed himself for not being more assertive.
Titan, Deck 2, Crystal Lab
The hours didn’t seem to pass, even when he had work. Around midday he acted.
Adrian felt a bit uncomfortable, but he stepped into the Crystal Lab, anyway. Everyone looked at him as if he were an alien. That was to be expected; he didn’t often visit the Crystal Lab. He marched ahead and found Emmeline working on a console. A wave of relief rushed over him.
She turned and gave him a warm smile. “Hello. What can I do for you?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you out.”
Emmeline nodded. “It’s okay. We’re all busy, and it’s not urgent.”
Adrian’s eyes wandered toward the console where Emmeline was analyzing the debris. “Anything?” he asked.
“Not yet.”
The door to Dr. Kent’s office opened, and Dr. Kent stepped out. He paused in the middle of the lab, glaring at Adrian. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I’m just here to see Emmeline.”
Dr. Kent nodded and left the lab in a hurry.
“If you don’t mind, I really need to finish this,” Emmeline said apologetically.
“No problem,” Adrian replied. “See you later.”
Perimeter
“Are you sure they didn’t detect us?” asked Emmeline for the third time.
Delta frowned. “They didn’t.”
Astra flew along the perimeter, 200,000 kilometers away from Titan.
“Where is it?” Emmeline asked.
“Hold on,” Delta said, as Astra flew ahead and swayed along the border. A couple of minutes passed in tense silence before Delta reduced speed. “There.”
Emmeline leaned forward. The break in the perimeter wasn’t clear, but it could be seen. One of the huge pillars holding the perimeter together had broken off from one side and was hanging from the other. The gap was just big enough for Astra to fly through. Emmeline felt very uncomfortable. It was like she was leaving her home, leaving everything behind. “No one bothered to fix it?”
“They probably don’t know about this one,” replied Delta. “They found a few last year and fixed them.”
Emmeline gulped.
Delta positioned the ship to face the perimeter. “I’d prefer it if you kept this between us.”
Emmeline nodded.
“Masking Astra’s shields.”
“How are we doing this?”
“Easy. The one thing no one knows about Astra is that she can mask her signature,” Delta explained. “I installed the technology a couple of years ago. In this case, when we go through the shields of the perimeter, the computer should think we’re the robots working on the perimeter. That’s why I needed the shield modulation frequency from Adrian’s console.”
“That was clever,” said Emmeline.
Delta shook her head. “I don’t think so. Adrian can see right through me. I would have preferred someone else. I think he suspects something, but the holo projector should do its job. If he thinks you’re not with me, he shouldn’t have a cause for concern.”
Emmeline’s face turned grim. “I hope so.”
“What about Titan’s scanners?” Delta asked.
“I programmed my holo projection to mask Astra’s signature,” replied Emmeline. “The computer should ignore Astra’s movements. If someone looks, we’ll just look like a stray asteroid. But no one can break my codes. Not on Titan.”
“Smart,” Delta said. “Ready?”
Emmeline’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes.”
Astra slowly flew through the shields and nearer to the gap. Delta eased the ship into the opening. Emmeline was amazed as she stared up at the mesh of hundreds of hefty metal rods.
Delta’s fingers ran quickly across the console. “Adjusting heading.”
Emmeline looked ahead and spotted something they hadn’t been able to see from the other side. One of the inner pillars had suffered the same fate as the outer one and was hanging right in the middle of their flight path. Emmeline began a scan of the pillar. “Its structural integrity is very weak. This one could fall at any time.”
“It’s going to be close,” Delta said.
Astra decelerated. Delta adjusted their course, and the ship dipped below the huge pillar. An alarm went off. Emmeline jumped.
“Proximity alert. Proximity alert.”
“Don’t worry,” said Delta.
Emmeline moved forward. “It’s too close . . .”
“They’re holding,” Delta replied calmly. Aware that there was another pillar right in front of them, Delta slowly turned Astra. Another alarm went off, and then there was a loud dragging noise. The girls looked at each other.
“What happened?” asked Emmeline.
“We can do this,” Delta replied without answering.
The dragging noise turned into a groan.
“Oh no.” Emmeline looked at her screen. “Delta . . .”
“Just a few more seconds.”
Astra squeezed through the two pillars and glided ahead.
“Check the pillar,” Delta ordered.
Emmeline’s fingers ran across the keyboard. “I think it’s okay.”
Delta nodded curtly. “That was close. I hope it holds when we return.”
The rest of the ride was smooth. Soon, Astra emerged on the other side of the perimeter. Both women stared at the space ahead, then at each other.
“This is it,” Delta said.
Emmeline gulped. She’d never been beyond the perimeter. She felt like she was abandoning everything she knew. Her heart was beating fast. She didn’t know if it was excitement or fear. She turned to Delta and said, “Let’s do this and return home as soon as possible.”
Titan, Deck 1, Bridge
Even after seeing Emmeline, Adrian felt there was something wrong on Titan. He actually visited every section, including engineering to check. He knew it was illogical, but he couldn’t let go.
When Adrian seemed gloomy later, Evan teased him, saying that he was just missing Delta. But Adrian knew that today, that was not the case. It was the fact that he knew her too well. He’d gone out of his way and read the details of Delta’s job. She was supposed to head toward the Vesta colony, pick up a passenger, then travel to Earth. He’d also checked her flight plan. Everything looked normal. The last time he’d checked, Titan’s sensors had detected that Astra was heading for the colony.
Adrian again wondered what he was doing and why he was so worried about a woman who didn’t care about him. She’d left, and she would always leave. He should let her go. But something about tonight bothered him. Something was off, and he was worried Delta could be in danger. But from what?
Titan, Deck 4, argon’s quarters
Argon sat in the dark in his quarters, enjoying the silence. Selina was asleep, and his mom was resting in her room. He tried to focus on work, but he couldn’t. Along with Micah, Clio, and Bryon, he had spent most of his day running battle stimulations. It had been an exciting experience. He had hardly seen Emmeline all day and was looking forward to spending time with her. But he’d was disappointed. Annoyingly, and unusually, she didn’t want to spend time with him or play hover ball.
The door to Argon’s quarters opened, and his sister walked in, marched over to the window, and stared at the cosmos.
He stood up. “Selina?”
She didn’t reply, remaining motionless. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought she was sleepwalking.
Argon came to kneel beside her. “Selina?”
She remained speechless.
“Darling, what is it?”
Suddenly, her features constricted as if angry, and she turned toward him. “I hate you!”
Argon was shocked. “What? Why?”
“You’re going to leave all of us! You’re just going to leave!” Selina screamed and ran out of the room.
Argon stood in shock. Selina never behaved this way. Maybe something was wrong with her. He followed her, wondering what he could do to set her mind at ease. To his surprise, she was sound asleep in her bed. He stood there, trying to determine what was a dream and what was reality.
Titan, Deck 1, Bridge
Adrian stretched his back. He couldn’t find any communications or frequencies from the battle, but he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
Argon came to stand beside him. “Hey.”
“Can’t sleep?” said Adrian.
“No,” replied Argon, looking at the viewscreen.
“Is Freedom repaired?” Adrian asked.
“Yep. Ready to go.”
“What about Raven?” said Adrian teasingly.
Argon rolled his eyes. “The repairs were nearly complete. Then the Orias . . .”
“I know.”
“Anyway, I was just wondering, have you seen Emmeline?”
Bells rang in Adrian’s head. “Yes. In the lab.”
“When?”
“In the morning. Why? You haven’t seen her?”
“Oh, I saw her. In the lab.”
Adrian relaxed. “Good.”
“Yeah,” Argon said, his voice unsure.
Adrian knew he was going to regret it, but he asked anyway. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just a feeling. Something’s off.”
“What do you mean?”
“First, it was Emmeline. She didn’t feel like herself.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Then it was Selina.”
Adrian listened as Argon described the incident. “I think she should have a medical checkup,” he suggested when Argon was done. “Maybe she was sleepwalking.”
Argon looked worried. “Why would I leave Titan? My family or her?”
“Argon, don’t worry,” Adrian said. “She’s just a kid. Kids say things.”
Argon managed a smile. “I’ll speak to my mother.”
“You should.”
Argon left, and Adrian sat wordlessly. He had been trying to ignore his instincts, but he couldn’t any longer. He had a distinct feeling that Argon shared his concerns. Something wasn’t right.
