“Captain, this is Prime. We’re clear of the alien vessel, but I think whatever passes as engines on that thing are trying to restart. Also, my helmet is cracked. I’ve got thirty minutes of air at best.”

  “Copy that, Prime,” Grant said. “We have your position. The Bayonets are en route. Commander, contact Wall. Meet him at the Guardian module to let him in.”

  “Aye aye, sir,” Siraj said.

  “Hold tight, Prime,” Grant said. “I won’t let you die out there.”

  “Yes, sir. Tell West and Turani to be careful. The bottom of the object is starting to glow, and I have no idea what that means.”

  Joseph noticed a glint in the distance, quickly getting larger as it approached. One of the Bayonets vectored toward them, flashing its lights. The other was a little further behind and it changed direction as it got closer, angling toward the alien vessel. It opened fire a moment later, its cannons belching hundreds of slugs that tore into the rock, breaking off pieces of debris as it strafed past. The object made no move to evade the attack, seemingly still dead in space.

  Joseph could see the pulsing beneath its surface increase in speed and amplitude, like a reactor that was still warming up.

  The second Bayonet darted past the alien vessel, sweeping out and vectoring back to make another run. The first Bayonet closed on him and Rose, slowing as it approached to pick them up.

  “No,” Joseph said. “Captain, tell the Bayonets to keep moving. The object’s activity is increasing. Get them out of here!”

  Too late. A beam of energy flashed out from the bottom of the alien vessel, digging into the approaching Bayonet, slicing through the cockpit and fuselage and tearing the craft nearly in half.

  “Son of a bitch!” Joseph shouted, powerless to do anything to help as the debris flew toward he and Rose, spinning as it spread out and swept past them.

  The object wasn’t static anymore. It accelerated impossibly fast, rushing toward the remaining Bayonet. The starfighter’s thrusters flared out behind it, pushing instantly to the max. It shot forward at a high-g burn, sending it rocketing over the object and back away from Joseph and Rose, stranding them.

  The object unleashed another energy beam, its aim slightly off. The beam cut through space behind the Bayonet, missing it entirely.

  “We can’t stay here,” Joseph decided. “Doctor, we need to use our vectoring jets together. I’ll stop our sideways momentum, you get us moving back down toward the ship.” He glanced at his oxygen reserves. He wasn’t sure he had enough to complete the maneuver and make it back to Pioneer alive, especially with the leak. Without the Bayonets, there was no other choice.

  “Prime,” Rose said, her helmet against his. He knew by her expression she understood his situation without him explaining it.

  “There’s no other way,” he said calmly. “I’ll make it.”

  She nodded inside her helmet and then triggered her vectoring jets, a long burst of air stopping their upward vector and then pushing them back in the other direction, toward the ship. Joseph triggered his jets, and they stopped slipping sideways, a few kilometers off the port side. He kept firing, watching his oxygen levels deplete as they began to ease back the other way.

  Joseph did his best to keep the Bayonet in sight as they moved. He didn’t know if West or Turani was piloting it. He didn’t know which one of them had died in the destroyed fighter, but judging by the Bayonet’s proficient maneuvers, he didn’t think he had lost West. He was playing favorites. He knew it. But he wasn’t ready to lose Keesha like that.

  The fighter raced through the black, constantly changing vectors as the alien object gave chase, its energy blasts lacing out at the smaller ship, often missing by what looked, from his position, like centimeters. The size differential between the two craft was almost comical. The alien vessel was impossibly quick, but not quite as maneuverable as the much lighter human craft. While it was able to keep up with the Bayonet, it struggled to get a solid bead on it.

  Unfortunately, the Bayonet couldn’t get a bead on the alien vessel either. Every effort its pilot made to aim its guns at the object failed. The ship always managed to stay just far enough to the side or behind to keep from getting hit. Meanwhile, the altercation drove them further and further from Pioneer, and while it was good the Bayonet was leading the enemy away, it was bad if it wound up unable to get back.

  “Captain, this is Prime. Rose and I are moving toward Pioneer. I think Second West could use some help out here.”

  “Copy that, Prime. Help is already on the way.”

  Joseph looked down in time to see the flare of thrusters as another pair of Bayonets launched from Pioneer, the pair vectoring quickly toward the fight. He had to crane his neck to keep watching as the fighters moved further out, barely able to see the action from his position through the damage to his helmet.

  He couldn’t miss the bright flare of the thrusters from the missiles the Bayonets launched as they approached the scene, coming at the object from underneath. He also couldn’t miss the detonations when they hit the alien vessel, the flashes of energy punching into it. He held his breath, waiting for the outcome.

  “Scratch one alien space rock,” Grant said a moment later.

  “Yes, sir.” Joseph replied emphatically, exhaling the breath he’d been holding.

  “Thank goodness,” Rose added.

  “Second West is on her way to escort you home,” Grant continued. “Great work, Prime. Absolutely fantastic.”

  “Yes, sir,” Joseph said. “Thank you, sir.” He closed his eyes, remembering Turani as he did. Their victory hadn’t come without a cost.

  But it was a victory. The alien object was destroyed, the threat eliminated, Pioneer was safe. There was no such thing as a war without casualties. The trife had taught him that lesson better than anything.

  Life had to go on. And thanks to Turani, Chun, Hale, and all of the others who had died defending the ship, it would go on.

  Maybe now he could finally get a moment to relax.

  50

  Cross

  Pioneer. Forward Hangar. 11.12.2052. 2300 hours.

  West’s Bayonet eased into the hangar, Joseph and Doctor Rose clinging to one of the wings, the maglocks in their gloves and boots holding them fast to the craft. Joseph’s helmet emitted a shrill beep, the oxygen meter on his HUD flashing red to warn that he had less than five minutes of air remaining.

  More than enough time.

  The other two fighters were already in the hangar, the two Guardians—probably Sykes and Madani—waiting in their cockpits. Oslo and his team of engineers were there too, standing in the corner to clear space for West.

  She guided the Bayonet through the hangar doors, which began sliding closed a moment later. The fighter hovered a meter above the deck, slowing to a near stop before the vectoring thrusters fired on the starboard side, pushing the craft around until it was facing the doors. Then the ship lowered the rest of the way until the maglocks on the bottom of the landing skids activated, sticking the craft to the deck.

  Joseph got to his feet, able to feel the change as the gravity returned to the space. He deactivated his magboots and jumped to the floor, turning and raising his arms. Rose jumped into them, and he lowered her down.

  “Thank you, Prime Cross,” she said. Joseph nodded but didn’t say anything. “I know you’re angry. I don’t blame you. I shouldn’t have done it. I underestimated the situation.”

  “Badly,” Joseph said.

  “Badly,” she agreed.

  The hangar doors finished closing, the lights around the compartment flashing red as it refilled with air. Then the lights stopped flashing, turning solid green. Joseph checked the timer on his helmet before unclasping and removing it. Two minutes, twelve seconds of air remaining. Not as close as those cliched scenes in the movies, but not bad.

  The Bayonet’s cockpit slid open and West climbed out, jumping down next to Joseph. “Prime,” she said, smiling widely. “Nice work.”

  “You too,” Joseph replied.

  They bumped fists, West’s eyes shifting to his damaged helmet. She shook her head. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

  “I know,” he replied.

  “How much did you have left?”

  “Two minutes.”

  She laughed. “Awww, that’s plenty.”

  “Prime,” Sykes said, approaching them with Madani. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Nice flying out there,” Joseph replied. “Both of you.”

  “Thank you,” Madani said. “We didn’t do all that much. I don’t think it saw us coming.”

  “Or it didn’t care,” Sykes added.

  “I don’t think it knew about the missiles,” West said. “I only hit it with guns.”

  “Well, that was fun,” Chief Oslo said, crossing the hangar with his engineers. He laughed as he approached the Guardians. “We should do that again sometime. Maybe in, well...never.”

  “I can get behind that,” Sykes agreed.

  “I’d like to get a moment of silence for Guardian Turani,” Joseph said. He lowered his head, the others following suit.

  The door to the hangar slid open, interrupting them as Grant, Siraj, Wall, Okoye and two of his nurses rushed in.

  “Captain Grant,” Joseph said, the Guardians and engineers all snapping to attention. Everyone except Rose.

  “At ease,” Grant said. “Is anyone hurt?”

  “Doctor?” Joseph asked Rose.

  “My ego’s bruised,” Rose replied. “Otherwise I’m fine. Captain…”

  “Don’t speak right now,” Grant said, cutting her off. “I’ll get to you.” He smiled at Joseph. “Well done, Prime.” He turned to each Guardian present in the hangar. “That goes for all of you.” Then Oslo and his engineers. “You too, Chief. You all made this happen.”

  “We’re free and clear, sir,” West said.

  “Yes we are,” Grant agreed. “Thanks to you. Chief, are we safe to resume acceleration?”

  “We should be, Captain,” Oslo replied. “I think it’s prudent to double-check our systems as well as the damage to the hull before we do. I can head back out with a few of my team. We hauled ass back in here when the object started moving.” He laughed at that.

  “How long do you need? We’ve already lost a lot of time.”

  “A couple of hours at most.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  Grant turned to Joseph and the others. “If nobody’s hurt, let’s clear the hangar so the engineers can get back to work.” He headed for the door out of the hangar. Joseph trailed behind him with the rest of the Guardians, Doctor Rose remaining at his side.

  “I really do appreciate your help in there, Prime Cross,” she said. “I would have died.”

  Joseph glanced over at her. She didn’t seem aware that he had initially abandoned her to do just that. “You saved yourself as much as I saved you. How did you get away from the entity?”

  “It just let me go. I don’t know why.”

  “Oslo and his team sent an electrical charge along the hull. It probably hurt the alien, which caused it to drop you.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “What did it do to you?” Joseph asked, wondering if she had a similar experience to his.

  “It caught me and pulled me in. Then the membrane stretched over me. I don’t really know what it was doing other than trying to get my helmet off. It was pressing in on me, but it didn’t hurt.”

  “It didn’t speak to you? Or try to get into your head?”

  “No, just my helmet.”

  They all filed out of the hangar, the door closing behind them. The compressors began thumping almost immediately, pulling the air back out of the hangar to let Oslo and his people outside to inspect the hull.

  “Prime Cross, Commander Siraj, Doctor Rose, you’re with me,” Grant said. “The rest of you are dismissed.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” West said. “Sykes, Madani, let’s go.”

  Grant waited until the Guardians were around the corner before turning to Rose, who interrupted him before he could speak.

  “With all due respect, Captain. I’m not with you or under your jurisdiction. I’m going back to the Research module now.”

  “Like hell you are!” Grant snapped, violently enough Rose flinched. “Who the hell do you think you are, Victoria? You nearly got one of my best people killed with your bullshit, and after I expressly told you that I wasn’t risking them to get some sample that probably wouldn’t help us.”

  “Captain, I’m sorry, but I—”

  “Sorry isn’t good enough, damn it!” Grant shouted. “You give me a line about being off-limits to Research, and then you can’t even honor my authority over the rest of the ship? Your curiosity isn’t worth the lives of even one of my Guardians, nevermind the forty-thousand civilians on this vessel. Do you understand me?”

  Rose lowered her head and nodded, her face flushing. “Yes, Captain.”

  “I don’t think you do,” Grant continued. “I think you think all my screaming will amount to nothing more than a slap on the wrist. You already got to go inside, you already got to take what you want.”

  “I didn’t,” Rose said. “I never got the sample. I was too busy trying to save myself.”

  “Good. It’s pretty much what you deserve for flaunting your bullshit on the feeds. You’re an arrogant, selfish woman.”

  “I did it for Earth,” she blurted defensively.

  “Earth is dead,” Grant growled back. “I hate to tell you that, but it’s true. The sooner we all accept it, the better off we’ll all be.” He paused, the initial burst of anger fading slightly. “Keeping that in mind, as far as I’m concerned you forfeited your right to claim any kind of neutrality the moment you snuck out an airlock. And you know what? There’s nobody around to tell me I’m wrong, or back you up in whatever argument you can compose. The Research module is being annexed into the rest of Pioneer. Whatever autonomy you thought you had is over.”

  “What?” Rose said. “You…you can’t do that.”

  “It’s already done, Doctor. Unless you have an armory in your module?”

  “N...no.”

  “I expect your systems networked into and accessible by the mainframe before we go into hibernation. Once we do go into hibernation, I expect your complete cooperation with the Guardians. Failure to comply will find you and your team in forced stasis for the remainder of the trip. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Captain,” Rose replied.

  “I also expect you to put down the trife you’re keeping in there. I won’t have them on my ship.”

  “Captain, please, just listen to reason. The trife—”

  “This isn’t up for debate. You had a chance to control your future. You blew it.”

  “Yes, Captain,” Rose said, biting her lip and staring at the deck.

  “Prime, escort Doctor Rose back to her module. Doctor, you’ll give Prime Cross security access to Research. Every part of it. If you refuse, he has my permission to use any amount of force necessary to persuade you to comply.”

  Rose continued staring at the deck, her posture somewhere between embarrassment and fury. Joseph had seen it before on Marines who had yet to learn how to take a dress down. He had enough experience with it that he found Grant’s explosion relatively mild.

  “Prime, once you’re done with Doctor Rose, I want you to return to your module. Assign two Guardians who aren’t anyone here right now to keep an eye on things while the rest of you grab some downtime. With the alien object off the ship, I’m hoping we can move forward according to protocol from here on out.” He glanced at Rose again. “Well, mostly to protocol, anyway.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” Joseph said. “Doctor, let’s go.”

  51

  Cross

  Pioneer. Passageway. 11.12.2052. 2320 hours.

  “Do I at least get to change out of this spacesuit?” Rose asked as Joseph led her away.

  “Where did you leave your clothes?” Joseph asked.

  “I found the suit in one of the storage compartments near an airlock. How many possible locations is that?”

  “Fourteen at least, spread across the ship.” He smiled. “Good luck finding them again.”

  “This isn’t funny.”

  “What you did was reckless and stupid. You’re lucky Captain Grant didn’t come down harder on you. I will say, I respect your courage, assuming that was the first time you walked in space.”

  “It wasn’t,” Rose said. “I did three missions to the moon in the thirties. Back when we were trying to establish a more permanent base there. I was furthering research on genetic changes from low gravity.”

  “So maybe not that courageous,” Joseph said. “Maybe just stupid.”

  Rose glared at him and he smirked back at her. He couldn’t help it. She had nearly blown their entire plan. He could only imagine what would have happened if they had failed their mission because of her stupidity. Still, he couldn’t completely hate someone who acted with such firm resolve, especially when they had succeeded in the end.

  “What do you think it wanted?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?” Rose replied.

  “You’re the educated one. What do you think the alien wanted? Considering the beam weapon it used against the Bayonets, I think it could have destroyed Pioneer if that was the goal. Which means it wasn’t the goal.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it intended to take the ship. You said there were other aliens inside it before?”

  “Yeah, the xenosquids. They weren’t like the membrane. They were more, I don’t know… substantial. More tangible. Do you think the goop is a single organism or millions of smaller ones?”

  “That’s a great question, Prime. It’s too bad Captain Grant wouldn’t let you get me a sample so I could answer it.”

  Joseph nodded. “I guess I deserved that. To be honest, I’m curious about the nature of these aliens too. But in the military, there are rules. A chain of command you have to follow. You don’t get to do whatever you want.”