“Can I drive yet?”
“No.”
“Can I drive yet?”
“No.”
Karter snickered behind Chris as Jack asked from the passenger seat every two point eight seconds if he could drive Molly. At this point, the teenage boy settled for driving him crazy. But three hours out from Iona-29, he’d let the kid irritate him for as long as he liked. Nothing could spoil his good mood.
The behemoth’s interior smelled of bologna sandwiches and diesel filtered by air conditioning. Lucky, too. The instruments indicated the temp climbed into the 100s, today.
“Hey, Karter?”
“Yea, Robin?”
Jack glowered at her until Chris barked out a laugh. He pushed through the irritation to ask, “Anyway… Can you tell me about the time you and Para stormed Umbra’s Spire?”
“Again? Kid, I’ve got other stories. Why not the one about fighting on the Rainbow Rings of Thailea?”
“You fought in space?!”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Oh, yea! It’s gorgeous. So, Umbra ordered us to—”
“Humans and Icari of Earth and Cinder.”
Jack cried, “That’s my sister!”
Chris turned the radio up as Karter squeezed between them to listen.
“This is General Callahan of the Progeny-led resistance. I have a favor to ask you. It’s a pretty big one, so I’ll need you to listen. Then when I’m done, you can decide how you want this to end.”
Karter, Chris, and Jack shared the same smile. Proud but with an earnest intensity. This was it.
“I’m standing on ‘Mother Nature’s Reset Button,’ and Nox armed it with one of his tectonic weapons. This is the end. The last time. In two days, the soldiers who want Earth to survive will fight. And we will win.”
The three erupted into cheers. Along their sides, vehicles honked their horns and flashed their lights. Fists pumped through windows and sunroofs. Chris pulled the cord for a good one.
“If you can, if you’re ready, if you’re able—Come fight with us. Save Earth with us. For the human race. For the Icarean race. For all the people we lost. And for all the people who still need us. Fight with us! Yellowstone Caldera. Two days. Do you hear me, Nox? We. Will. Win.”
“Hell yea!” Jack punched a fist in the air.
Karter observed, “That girl’s got some fire in her.”
Chris nodded. “Yea, we’re gonna need some of that to stop him.”
The CB crackled, “Batman. This is Ginger. Did you hear the good news? Over.” Lucy cheered in the background.
“That we’re not driving to Montana for a picnic? I heard. Over and Out.”
More calls came in. More cheers. But Chris was familiar with war. He locked gazes with Karter in the rearview. Both of them glanced at Jack. Casualties happened. Once more with the shared eye contact. They made a promise to an Icarus once. Together they would make sure they didn’t break it.
Karter nodded.
Chris nodded.
Die before Jack does.