“We have three hours to first light.”

  “Then it’s time for phase two. You ready, kid?”

  “No, but it has to be done. We have to force Father’s hand.”

  “You know how to make this bit work?”

  “I rehearsed. He’ll believe it.”

  Moon grabbed his stomach.

  “You gonna lose some more dinner?”

  “No. I just need for it to settle. I’ll be good.”

  “What you need is some pungo fruit. Your Father said it’s good for digestion. It’ll clean out that nasty taste in your mouth.”

  “I’ll grab one before I head back. It’s on my way. First, I have something for you.”

  Moon reached into a small bag he brought from the house. He handed over the golden ball he promised to keep safe. He caught Royal by surprise.

  “I thought we agreed: You’d give this up after phase two.”

  “It’s my way of saying I trust you.”

  Royal wanted to say trusting him was a risky bet on a good day. Instead, he dropped a supportive hand on the boy’s shoulder.

  “I won’t do you wrong. Just stick to the plan.”

  Moon also handed him a glow stick.

  “In case you lose your way.”

  Moon left to complete the next phase, which required an element of nuance he’d find easy after having killed and cut open a man. Royal massaged the armor ball with delight. If Moon was willing to hand it over so soon, might the Splinter also arrive ahead of schedule? After that, he’d have no reason to stick around.

  Royal grabbed the case containing the radial bomb and flesh. He returned to his tiny guest room, placed the case under the cot, and tapped his digipipe. As long as the tracker showed him inside the facility, he’d raise no red flags at Division LM, which likely received the signal. DLM specialized in this sort of business.

  Royal often saw their handiwork on the battlefield. They’d capture civilians, implant radial bombs with remote control, and send them into combat zones. They’d detonate the bombs behind Talon lines. After Royal encountered this tactic a few times, he stopped trusting civilians. He gave his unit standing orders: If civilians approached within fifty meters claiming to be refugees, treat them like FGs. He never kept count, but Royal figured those kills must have pushed a thousand. They were casualties of war, their fates already sealed. But a civilian who chose to work with DLM? Royal considered him no better than Swarm, regardless of his intent.

  Period.

  “When I kill Bonju, I won’t do it in front of his kids.”

  Royal said it out loud; he needed to hear the commitment. Bonju held the keys to a Swarm invasion of Alpha.

  The decision wasn’t difficult. He chose to ignore Amayas’s rule number one: Bonju must not die. But what if the Inventor was right? If one dies, the other dies.

  Hyperbole. It had to be. Amayas Knight was actually Valentin Bouchet, another immortal. His death would be temporary. These two weren’t genetic counterparts. They shared a brief time together in the Origin, an experience about which they were mum.

  “The universe will go on. People will live and die. Suns will rise and set. Kill one man to save billions? Sounds heroic to me.”

  He waited until an hour was up and made his next move.

  Royal walked into the primary lab, which was dark, and twice pressed his hand against the lockpad. It glowed red, as Moon said it would. The lab systems remained unresponsive.

  Royal left the facility through the rear door headed toward the orchard. He made a sharp right turn and reversed course to the estate, carrying a glow stick. He took the paved path to the umbrella-shaped sun tower that powered the estate. The design camouflaged its true purpose; it resembled garden statuary, complete with a bed of flowers planted in a neat circle at its base.

  He looked for something out of place and found it hiding on the tower’s opposite side. Royal grabbed the satchel and retrieved the weapons: Three blast rifles and two long-barrel pistols. Moon told him about the stash his father hid during the first year of the invasion. Every family on the island had a collection, the boy said. At the time, they intended to hire a small army to help them defend the island if the worst case arose, but the plan fell apart. Moon didn’t know why.

  “Father showed me the stash a year ago, but he made me promise to keep quiet. He only wanted me and Yong to have a gun, and we had to train in private. He didn’t want to frighten the little ones.”

  “Just as well. You got no shot against FGs.”

  “But you do, Royal. You can get us out of here.”

  “I can try.”

  He checked each weapon’s power drive. Sitting idle that long ran a risk of overload on first usage, depending upon the model. He didn’t know these brands, but they all worked on similar principles to Talon weaponry and the starter pistols he used as a teen in Pinchon. They’d do. Royal slung the satchel over his shoulder, silenced the glow stick, and proceeded to his next position.

  He heard familiar voices along the route between the estate house and the lab facility. Royal ducked behind a shrub and watched the interchange. It appeared Moon followed the script. He was blocking Bonju’s route to the lab.

  “… nothing to worry about, Father.”

  “Son, please. If Royal is trying to sabotage my work …”

  “You said yourself the alert ended. Look! The lab is dark. You’ve had this glitch before.”

  “I’d like to be certain. I’m close to a breakthrough.”

  Bonju pushed past, but Moon reacted with quick precision.

  “It’s always about breakthroughs with you, isn’t it? The fucking science. It’s never about us.”

  His words stung. Bonju turned.

  “Son, everything I do is for us.”

  “I’m tired of your bullshit, Father. You could’ve saved us months ago. You kept working with DLM building the tether. You say you hate the Swarm, but I don’t believe you anymore.”

  “Moon, this is outrageous. I have never …”

  “You’re becoming like Aunt Hoija.”

  “How dare you even think …”

  “Tell me why I’m wrong, Father. I’ve been sitting out here all night because I can’t sleep anymore. Sometimes, I think maybe that lab needs to be destroyed. If you won’t save us, at least I can save all the people the Swarm will kill because of your work.”

  “I’m stunned, Moon. You’ve expressed misgivings, but I’ve never seen you like this. What has Royal been saying to you?”

  “Royal? What? I can make up my own mind, Father. I’m a man. Sit down.” He pointed to the bench where Moon had been waiting, per the plan. “I’m going to talk, and you’ll listen.”

  Royal was impressed. The kid put on a fine, melodramatic show without raising his voice loud enough to wake anyone inside the house. His talking points were coherent, yet Royal suspected his own coaching had little to do with the success. Moon had been close to bursting long before an immortal arrived to cause trouble.

  Bonju complied with his son, which was Royal’s cue.

  He lit his glow stick as he emerged from hiding but kept the weapons tucked inside the satchel. To no one’s surprise, Bonju did not respond well. He leaped from the bench.

  “What is this?”

  “Let’s call it endgame. Moon told you to sit. I think you oughta.”

  “Is this your idea, Royal?” He turned to his son. “What has he been telling you, Son?”

  “Only what needs to get done today.” Moon reached behind his back and produced a pistol, which he aimed. “Sit down.”

  “You lured me out here,” he told Royal. “You knew I’d receive an alert if anyone tried to activate the lock.”

  “Great deductive reasoning. Important skillset for a scientist. Or so I hear. Speaking of, when the guy with the pistol tells you to sit down, you really oughta do it.”

  Bonju did, focusing his glare on the son who turned against him.

  “Yes, we’ve been working together,” Moon said. “Royal told me what I already knew. The difference is, he’s ready to do the hard things. He cares more about fighting the Swarm than you do.”

  “He’s playing you. That man is a ruthless, cold-blooded killer.”

  “That makes him exactly the man we need. He knows how to kill the enemy and get us off this planet.”

  “He can’t even leave this island alive.”

  Royal met Moon’s eyes and reminded him of what not to reveal.

  “We’ll see,” Royal said. “Here’s the deal, Bonju. I’m trying to make this work with the least possible disruption. We’re out here because the lab is monitored, and I want your kids and your wife to sleep in peace for as long as they can. No sense getting them worked up.

  “All you need to do is follow instructions. I’ll take over from there, do that thing I do so well, and we’ll be off.” He pointed to the stars. “Your family starts over fresh and free across the divide, I go my separate way, and the Swarm will never follow. Yes?”

  Bonju sighed.

  “I see the madness in your eyes. You’re going to get us all killed.”

  “If it happens, it won’t be on me. Here’s what’s up, Bonju. In a few minutes, you’re gonna slap on that nice lab coat of yours, head on inside, rev up the equipment, and send your Aunt Hoija an urgent message. You’ll say you’ve done it! You’ve figured out how to tether. But, and here’s the kicker: She needs to come see for herself. You intend to test-drive the device. If it fails, you don’t want DLM or the Admiralty or especially that fucking Empress to know. Make sense? It's your heads on the block. Don’t want to report a failure to the top dogs.”

  Bonju sank his face into his hands.

  “That’s your plan?”

  “Well, yes, actually. Oh, and then there’s the part about how I’ll kill Hoija and her escort when they arrive. We’ll take their ship, which has a worm drive, and install the Splinter for one-way nav. You’ll destroy your records, I’ll blow up the lab, and the Tarons make a fast getaway for the Alpha universe. Quick and efficient.”

  “Even if I believed the plan made sense, you can’t kill an entire escort of FGs.”

  “No?” Royal reached inside a pocket and produced the golden ball. He slapped it against his chest. It morphed into a full set of armor, neck down. “Aces. Huh?”

  Moon’s exuberant smile bared teeth.

  “Fuck. That’s incredible.”

  “Got a helmet, too. Wait ‘til you see it. Bonju, there’s nothing those assholes can throw at me that I can’t throw back better.” He opened the satchel. “And, I have the Taron stash.”

  Bonju stared at his son as if he’d been mortally wounded. Moon held steady.

  “This is the way it has to be, Father. We’re going to save our family today. Please say you’re with me.”

  “You and Royal haven’t given me much choice. But for all your machinations, there’s a problem you didn’t anticipate.”

  Royal didn’t like the tone.

  “What problem?”

  “After the progress I made with your help, Royal, I contacted Hoija last night through a backchannel. I told her I expected to have a breakthrough ready by midday. She intends to see it in person.”

  “That sounds like what we wanted anyway. What’s the issue?”

  “She will arrive with a full detail, including DLM. She is being carefully managed. She says the Admiralty doesn’t trust her.”

  “Full detail, huh? How many?”

  “I don’t know if they’ll consolidate or arrive in multiple ships. But if that detail comes under attack, support will arrive within minutes. We’d never be able to install a Splinter and evacuate in time. Might I suggest you consider an alternative plan?”

  Royal did, for less than five seconds.

  “Not a fucking chance.”

  31

  R OYAL REFUSED TO ADMIT he did in fact proceed with an alternative plan. He called the changes ‘necessary tweaks’ but said the goal remained the same. Thus, his plan.

  He broke the new design into four phases. One, secure the family. Two, set the trap. Three, kill Swarm and anyone named Hoija. Four, save family, be a hero.

  Phase one proved delicate and almost didn’t come to pass.

  Bonju took his wife aside before the children ate breakfast and explained what was happening. Dyna did not respond with the glee he expected upon learning of their escape. She objected to telling the children they were heading across the island for an outing with another family. They hadn’t done anything like it in a year. Worse, it meant leaving behind their belongings. They’d be refugees with nothing but the clothes on their backs, she insisted. Bonju told her to pack as much food and beverage as she could manage, and assign every child a basket. Stuff one change of clothes inside. Tell them it’s in case of rain.

  “Make them buy into it,” he told his wife. “We can’t have them drawing suspicion. The other families must not know until it’s too late. They’ll ask too many questions.”

  Bonju went around the breakfast table and kissed every child, wishing them a fun day while he went to work. Yong, the second brother, resisted affection. The boy stared at him like an enemy.

  Soon after, they learned why.

  Moon and Royal were discussing phase two outside the lab when Yong approached. Royal saw trouble in the boy’s gait – the same resolute swagger he witnessed in Reaper. Yong confirmed his anger when he pulled out his pistol but fell short of aiming it.

  “I’m not stupid, Brother,” Yong said. “I know what’s happening. Why am I being sent away?”

  Moon told Yong to lower his voice.

  “We don’t want to scare the little ones.”

  “Moon, you said we were a team. You said we’d defend the house together if the Swarm came.”

  “And we will, Yong, but in different ways. You need to look after Mother and the other kids. I have to work with Father.”

  Yong turned to the immortal, eyeing him with suspicion.

  “What about this man? How is he involved?”

  “Royal has experience fighting the Swarm.”

  “I’m a soldier, kid. I’ll look after Moon and your father.”

  “You have been here for three days. I don’t trust you.”

  Your instincts are spot-on. I’ll give you that, kid.

  “Four, Yong. This is my fourth day, and I know what I’m doing. You got a much better chance on the other side of the island.”

  “No.” Yong straightened his shoulders and stood firm, like a soldier preparing to go into battle. “I’m staying here. I can defend my family as good as anyone.”

  Moon took the soft approach.

  “I know you’ll give everything for your brothers and sisters. No one doubts that.”

  “You’re too small and you got no training,” Royal said. “You won’t live five minutes.”

  “Then why does Moon get to stay?”

  The question made sense, but Royal dismissed it.

  “You’ll be in the way, kid. I appreciate you being brave, but sometimes bravery is the shortest fuse to getting your ass killed. Join the picnic gang. We’ll collect you when we’re done here.”

  Moon waved off Royal and leaned in to his brother.

  “Yong, it’s not going to be like we talked about. Mother needs you. She’s afraid. You can make her feel safe. I’m begging you.”

  The kid’s eyes shimmered in a puddle of water.

  “It’s not fair, Moon. You promised.”

  “Go. Fill a basket and don’t say anything to the others.”

  The kid pushed Moon away, his cheeks red with rage. Royal thought the little dumbass was about to launch into a shouting match, which might have caught the other children’s attention. Instead, Yong turned and ran toward the house.

  “He’ll settle in a bit,” Moon said. “His anger burns out quickly. You weren’t helpful, Royal. I know how best to handle my brother.”

  “Treating him like he’s eight? Somebody had to drown the kid with a little honesty. Assuming you want to see each other again.”

  Moon said nothing, which was how Royal liked it as they laid out the final prep to set their trap. Inside the primary lab, Bonju scrambled to pull together a device that seemed – at least in a simulation – to be capable of creating a tether.

  “Just look the part,” Royal told the scientist. “I’ll make damn sure they never install it.”

  Knowing the lab was monitored, Bonju and Moon put on a good show. The dutiful son helped his father with a wide variety of tasks while Royal scouted the area around the facility, calculating angles of attack and the best defensive positions. The immortal settled on the most likely scenario: The enemy would land two craft: an officer’s shuttle and a platoon transport. For the Swarm, excessive force equaled standard operating procedure. The mission should have been classified as scientific research, with DLM in total control. But the Empress took an interest, and nothing operated in her name without boots on the ground and Force Drums activated.

  Moon slipped Royal an ear bead that allowed him to tap into the facility’s internal comms. Royal heard everything. He waited until the perfect moment mid-morning to whisper at Moon.

  “Is he making it look convincing?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many devices did he craft?”

  “Four.”

  “I’d say that’s damn well enough. They’re all good to go for one-way travel?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s time to put on a show, in case those assholes are watching. First, we need to make sure we have one device in reserve. Bring in the cases. Have Bonju disconnect three of the four from the array and place each one in a case. Lock and secure them. The assholes will know the devices are travel-ready for quick install. In fact, while you’re loading them, why don’t you ask your father how long install will take? Ask him to give you a demonstration.”

  “Yes.”

  “The last time I saw it done, we were in a damn hurry, and Bonju provided holo instructions. My navigator finished it, not me. He linked up both Scramjets. Perhaps your father can talk about the beauty of linking multiple ships. The more legit, the better, so long as he doesn’t give away every detail.”