“I think we need to find some chores for the kids to do below decks. You think?”

  Yasmin laughed. “Sounds like a plan. Just know I’m still grateful for you.”

  “Same here.” Nicholas lifted the privacy screen, climbing over Yasmin and out. He extended his hand to help her up and then opened the drawer beneath the bunk to root out a fresh bundle of clothes. Since they had belonged to Caleb’s Shepherd, he knew they would fit perfectly.

  Yasmin couldn’t say the same about her clothes. She had inherited Sho’s wardrobe of basics, utilities and underwear in a size smaller than she usually wore. She had to hop a couple of times to get Sho’s pants up over her hips, and her t-shirt strained against her breasts. While not large, she was more well endowed than the Vulture had been.

  “Hungry?” Nicholas asked.

  She nodded. “Starving.”

  Nicholas led Yasmin away from the bunks and into the kitchen. Scott, Jennifer, and Briar were gathered around a small round table in three of the four available seats. A pile of candy bar wrappers rested on the table, along with a few silver MRE wrappers and three bottles of water. The kids were too busy chewing to talk at the moment, and their eyes turned to Nicholas as he entered.

  “Captain Shepherd,” Briar said through a full mouth. “Do you want a candy bar?”

  “I’ll get it,” Nicholas replied. “Yazz, candy or MRE?”

  “Tantalizing choices,” Yasmin replied, taking the last seat.

  “It’s best to do the MRE first,” Scott said. “And get the taste out of your mouth with the candy.”

  “They aren’t that bad,” Jennifer countered.

  “Yes, they are,” Briar agreed after swallowing her chocolate. “Thanksgiving Dinner is the worst. The absolute worst. I barely got it down.”

  “Your mother probably raised you on these things,” Scott said. “Tell me you’ve never had them before.”

  Jennifer demurred. “Well…”

  “See,” Scott said. “Ruined your taste buds from a young age. I ate too many of these out in the wilds. You never acquire a taste. You either have it or you don’t.”

  “Don’t,” Briar said.

  “To each their own,” Jennifer replied. “Personally, I like the Thanksgiving Dinner just fine.”

  Nicholas opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a box of MREs. “Let’s see. We have the aforementioned Thanksgiving Dinner. Meatloaf and Gravy. Chicken Tendies. Beef Stroganoff. Salisbury Steak. Salmon Surprise, which from my own experience, is definitely a surprise. Who came up with these flavors?

  Scott chuckled. “It just takes getting used to.”

  “I’ll try the Chicken Tendies,” Yasmin said. “Whatever that is.”

  Nicholas picked two of them from the box and handed one to Yasmin. Opening his and taking a bite, he was surprised to find he didn’t completely hate it.

  “Well?” Briar asked.

  “Not bad,” he replied. “Tastes sort of like fried chicken. Yazz?”

  “It’s disgusting.”

  “See, I’m right,” Briar said.

  “You aren’t right,” Jennifer argued. “It’s fifty-fifty.”

  “Three to two. And I think you pilots are just sticking together. But you’re still outnumbered.”

  “We need an opinion from Macey,” Scott said.

  “Where is she?” Nicholas asked.

  “Probably off ogling Sir Sexy-a-lot, wherever he is,” Briar said.

  “He’s handsome enough, but geez,” Jennifer said. You and Macey need to give it a rest. This is life or death out here.”

  Nicholas felt his face heat up a little. “What time is it anyway? Were we asleep very long?”

  “About four hours,” Jennifer said. “Sorry if our laughing woke you up, sir.”

  “It didn’t,” Yasmin said.

  “We were just telling stories about Luke,” Briar added. “He got us in a lot of trouble, but I’ve never had so much fun getting in trouble in my whole life.”

  “He never meant to do any harm,” Jennifer said.

  “I know,” Nicholas agreed, his chest tightening from the sudden emptiness. He turned back to the cupboard and picked out two candy bars and two bottles of water, passing one of each to Yasmin. “I appreciate that you still think about him. And talk about him.”

  “He was a great friend,” Scott said. “I’ll never forget him, that’s for sure.”

  Yasmin put her half-eaten MRE on the table and stood up. “I’ll finish this later. I want to get cleaned up.” She left the kitchen without another word.

  “Did we say something wrong?” Briar asked.

  “No,” Nicholas replied. He sat down with them at the table. “She just wants to be alone for a while. She’ll probably cry a little and then pull herself back together.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Why don’t you tell me one of your Luke stories. I’d like to hear one.”

  “Are you sure?” Scott asked.

  Nicholas nodded. “I can’t promise I won’t tear up. But that’s better than letting go of his memory.”

  The three kids looked at one another. “You already know most of them, I think,” Jennifer said. “Since you had to come bail us out of the clink afterwards. There was that time he got into one of the research terminals and installed some bootleg version of Mortal Kombat 2050 on it.” Scott laughed. “I don’t even know where he got it. We played for two hours, and then didn’t have time to remove it before we had to beat our butts out of there. I wonder if the researcher ever found the game on his computer.”

  “If he did, he probably didn’t say anything,” Briar said.

  “I can picture him running combo fatalities instead of working on Foresight,” Scott added. “Yeah, I’ll get you those algorithms. Flawless victory!”

  The others laughed. Nicholas forced a smile. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help wondering if the distraction might have inadvertently led to Frank’s failure to react with more human tendencies or even to Luke’s death. He stopped himself from going there, taking another bite of the MRE.

  “So, what comes next, Captain?” Jennifer asked. “After we get past Koth, I mean.”

  “I’m not completely sure yet,” Nicholas replied. “But whatever it is, we’ll take it on together.”

  “Go Knights!” Briar said, pumping her arm.

  Chapter 36

  “Max, any changes since we took a break?” Nicholas asked, descending the ladder into the main compartment. All of the others were there save for Yasmin, who he guessed had to be in engineering because he hadn’t seen her on the upper deck. He had wanted to check in on her, but didn’t want to make a big deal about it in front of the others, mostly for her sake.

  “Negation, Captain,” Max replied. “Koth continues to wait us out. Sensors are clear. Conversion. Doctor Shepherd is completing the final software updates needed for the inertial dampener.”

  “How much longer will that take?” he asked.

  “Consideration. The hardware adjustments are completed. The process is simple for a woman of her skillset.”

  “You never wanted her to come along on this ride. Why?”

  “Affirmation. Agreement. She was supposed to be with Luke on Pilgrim. That is how it is supposed to go.”

  “But I shouldn’t ask about our future in another layer. Or is it our history?”

  “Hahahaha. Hahahaha. Haha. Your past is unique to you, as is the past of every Shepherd. And every Max.”

  “Captain,” Briar said. “You might want to look at this.”

  “What is it?” Nicholas asked.

  “I found it in Grimmel’s files. I think it’s a schematic of Koth’s starship.”

  “Can you send it to the holotable?”

  “You mean the Round Table? Passing it now.”

  The projection turned on, displaying a 3D model of the huge starship. The others turned their seats to face the table, interested in the vessel.

  “Max, how did you get this?” Nicholas asked.

  “Negation. This is not specifically Koth’s vessel, which is known as Kresk. This is a mapped schematic of a separate Relyeh dreadnought named Lursk. The species do have variations, primarily in size, but the blueprint is generally transferable.”

  “Wait a second,” Macey said. “You’re telling us that thing’s alive?”

  “Confirmation. The Relyeh dreadnoughts were once known as the diask. A peaceful species of interplanetary travelers, much like the humpback whale on Earth. Similarity. Like the gulth, they have been augmented with mechanical components to make them more suitable hosts for the Ancients and their entourages.”

  “What is that?” Briar asked, using her terminal to zoom the projection into the ship, settling on a huge, treelike structure located near the stern of the vessel in the largest compartment inside Kresk.

  “Information. That is called a dabboth. It is a crystalline structure which resembles the Relyeh’s internal organic quantum communications appendage. The dabboth is a power source, unequal to a Quantum Dimensional Modulator, but close. Lamentation. The dabboth is also used to provide sustenance to Koth and the other Relyeh.”

  “How does it work?” Nicholas asked.

  “Unimportant,” Max replied. “Perhaps when we have more time, I will give you a full explanation. Remembrance. Multiple layers will continue to proceed beyond your layer’s timeline, making the loss of Luke Shepherd in those layers permanent. Permission. I allowed you to rest, but we should not delay any longer.”

  “Allowed us to rest?” Nicholas said, annoyed by Max’s tone.

  “Reparation. A poor selection of words intended to emphasize the situation. Forgiveness.”

  “Forget about it. You’re right. We’ve taken enough time. We need to get underway.” He paused. “If what happened to Luke echoed to other layers and those layers have passed that point in their timeline, why haven’t more Foresights arrived?”

  “Consideration. What if they have? What if Koth has destroyed them all? Hahahaha. Hahaha. Haha.”

  “All right,” Macey said. “I’m starting to think you’re laughing at things that aren’t funny on purpose.”

  The door to engineering moved aside and Yasmin stepped out. She had dressed in Sho’s spidersteel bodysuit and tied back her hair.

  She was ready for war.

  “Yazz, you look…” Nicholas paused, at a loss for words.

  “Prepared,” she finished for him. “I suggest the rest of you get your skinsuits on. They may be a little more form-fitting than you’re accustomed to, but it does provide more bodily protection than t-shirts and pants. You can also wear it under your clothing if that makes you more comfortable.”

  “Except none of them will fit me,” Briar said, her voice meek. “None of Caleb’s team were short and round.”

  “Alteration,” Max said. “I can modify a bodysuit for you.”

  “That’s a good idea, Max,” Nicholas agreed. “Yazz, what about the upgrade to the anti-grav?”

  “It’s done,” she replied. “All diagnostics passed with flying colors. The system is fully passive, so you don’t have to do anything. You’ll feel it working though. We all will.”

  “Brilliant!” Macey said. “On second thought, I quite liked being zonked out at the tail end of things. It beats witnessing one of us chundering all over the deck.”

  “It’s not my fault,” Briar said.

  “All right,” Nicholas said. “Everyone except Yasmin and Briar, head belowdecks to put on a suit. Caleb, you’re in charge of the fitting.”

  “Yes, sir,” Caleb said stiffly before getting to his feet.

  Nicholas watched him for a moment, concern etching his brow. He was certain the Marine wanted time to mourn the loss of his squad. Despite Caleb’s cool, professional attitude, he could see the strain on his face. It couldn’t be easy for him to be the only survivor in his team, stuck with a crew of civilians. He decided he would talk to him as soon as they had another moment of calm. If they ever had another moment of calm. Even if only to stress how valuable he was to the team.

  “Jennifer, join me on the flight deck as soon as you’re outfitted. Briar, Max will make you a suit as time allows. For now, keep going through Grimmel’s files. Even though Max can probably tell us everything that’s already in there.”

  “Confirmation. However, it is useful to familiarize with the materials, especially the multitude of Relyeh species.”

  “Why are there so many of them?” Briar asked.

  “Information. Depending on the layer, the Relyeh have conquered between thirty to eighty percent of the known universe. Thousands of planets and civilizations. Some, they use for food. Others, they alter to meet their needs for continued expansion. Those they can’t easily modify are enslaved.”

  A grim silence followed the statement.

  “I think we were all waiting for you to laugh,” Macey said, breaking the silence.

  “Confusion. Hahahaha. Hahaha. Haha.”

  Nicholas shook his head. “Yazz, is there any additional work that needs to be done on the ship’s systems?”

  “Not at the moment. All the conduits have had time to cool and reset, fully restoring the shields.” She glanced at Max. “I did notice a power draw through a few of the spines that I didn’t understand.”

  “Explanation. The Swarm needed a drink.”

  “Oh, I had forgotten about the microbots,” Yasmin said. “That makes sense. I assume that means they’re fully recharged. I’ll check on their status, and monitor the other systems during liftoff.”

  “Thank you,” Nicholas said. “Max, you’re with me. Let’s get moving.”

  Chapter 37

  Nicholas dropped into the pilot’s seat, tapping on the control pad to bring Foreight fully back to life.

  “Good evening, Captain Shepherd,” Frank said in response.

  “Good evening, Frank. Run diagnostics and confirm readiness status.”

  “Processing.”

  Max sat in the co-pilot’s seat without speaking, waiting for Nicholas to address him.

  “Confirmed. All systems are nominal,” Frank reported.

  Nicholas turned his head to look back at Max. “We need coordinates for the slip drive. A layer further behind in the timeline.”

  Max hesitated. “Hahahaha. Hahahaha. Haha.”

  “Don’t tell me you don’t have coordinates,” Nicholas said. “What was the point of coming to pick you up if you can’t at least get us where we need to go?”

  “Explanation. I possess a complete database of known slip coordinates. Complication. The coordinates are algorithmically derived. It is impossible to know what the layer’s timeline will be unless I have already been there.”

  “Then tell me you’ve already been to a layer we can use.”

  “Complication. The layers we can utilize are many years behind. You will be dead before the opportunity to prevent Luke’s death arises.”

  Nicholas exhaled sharply in frustration. “So what are we supposed to do? Run a million slips until we get one we can use?”

  “Hahahaha. Hahahaha. Haha. Negation. The coordinates are algorithmically derived.”

  “You said that already. I don’t know what that means in this context.”

  Somehow, he managed to look indignant. “Explanation. It is impossible to know the layer’s timeline, but we can make an educated guess. Calculation. Requirement. Three hundred thirty seven slips.”

  “That’s less than a million, but that’s still a lot.”

  “Affirmation. That is the maximum number of slips. Applying probabilistic curves, I believe we will require significantly less. I cannot promise.”

  “We’ll do what we need to do. How long will it take to slip that many times?”

  “The slip drive requires five minutes to reset for the next use. Successive slips will also cause destabilization which must be recalibrated after ten slips or so. Requirement. Recalibration takes up to six hours. After arrival, we must also locate a point of reference to estimate the period in the timeline.”

  “All of which means it could take a while,” Nicholas said. “And while we’re making all these calculations, the layer we want might go whizzing right past the period we need.”

  “Affirmation. I did not say it would be easy. If we miss the window, we will filter another set of coordinates. Reminder. Every layer that loses Luke Shepherd leaves humankind at greater risk of extinction at the hands of the Relyeh. We are very fortunate you reached me, or the entire stack might already be lost.”

  “I don’t feel that fortunate right now, but I’ll take what I can get. How do I input the coordinates into the slip drive?”

  “Cooperation. I will provide them to Yasmin. Explanation. Rescuing Luke was not part of my original plan, Nicholas. Misfortune. Koth reached you before you reached me and caused this unexpected complication. We must not let him win.”

  “I’m already on board with that sentiment, Max. Is there any way we can just use the slip drive in place? Or do we have to get into orbit first?”

  “Affirmation. The fracture in spacetime will destroy the planet and leave this section of the universe destabilized.”

  Nicholas raised an eyebrow, looking back at Max again. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  “Confusion. Is destroying planets not bad?”

  “I think that depends on the planet. Earth with humans still on it, yes. Axon homeworld at the end of the timeline, overrun by Relyeh and abandoned by the native civilization? Maybe not. Especially if the stakes are as high as you say.”

  “Complication. Additional Foresights could arrive into the resultant destabilization. There is a high probability they would be destroyed instantly.”

  “Considering the alternative would likely mean getting eaten by a tentacle monster, I’m leaning towards that outcome as the lesser of two evils.”

  “Hahahaha. Hahaha. Haha. Confirmation. Now you are starting to process like me.”

  “One other question. When we’re slipping between layers, how is it we don’t come out in the same location we started? Why didn’t Foresight end up orbiting a future Earth, instead of emerging from the slip near this planet?”