BETH

The ride back to the household was muted. Milo sat in a corner, grudging what he had done. Beth had commandeered the piloting controls again, not that her actions were really necessary. The shuttle pretty much flew itself, Tern might also be able to make inputs when its orb connected to the hollow. Monotonous work, but it was still and quiet. Giving her mind the solitude it needed to wander off, even Tern let her mind be.

Why had Milo thought that he had the potential to take on that dragon? Absolutely batshit crazy. But at that moment he had oozed power, his eyes filled with made up confidence. Like an addict. His actions might as well have put a dent into any potential alliances between any other clans. And the chance they had to convince Chieftain Argus to make peace with humanity seemed too far off. Where would she stand, if a war broke out between her clan and the humans? It was a weird situation to be forced into. Either way, she would need to make up her mind and stick to it.

The docking procedure went smoothly with the alien ship. The shuttle grabbed automatic control. Beth leaned back, unplugged from the control panel. Had all their efforts and planning been for nothing?

No glances or words were exchanged as they made their way back to Tern’s chamber. Milo’s posture spoke of shame, given how his shoulders leaned a little too much forward and his back drooped. Maybe she should talk to him? Some words of encouragement could make a difference. No. Milo needed the punishment for what he had done.

“Stay safe.” Tern floated into its dark ritual-like chamber.

Beth leaned against the wall on the side and slid down. Birgitta’s weapon thudded as she put it down. The sweetness retreated on her command, a sense of tiredness washed through her body. Muscles went from powerful to sore and lax. Could it be dangerous to fuel with water for longer durations and not getting rest? As long as she maintained her intake of liquids and was not dehydrating, she should be fine. But there was still much that was a mystery with their powers.

Milo sat down on the opposite side of the chamber, Diego’s bag on his side. There was no coffee left or food. Her brother looked to be thinking, wanting to be left alone with his thoughts. But it nagged at the back of her head. Why had Milo behaved like that? Stupid. It was so stupid of him.

She thought through on what had transpired during the meeting, but sleep found her eventually.

-

“Wake up,” Tern whispered.

Beth came to, sweetness at her tongue and her hand grabbed for  the weapon, its metal handle and weight providing a bit of familiarity. “I am awake.”

Tern bumped into her. “Yes. Trouble.”

Milo was already up, his eyes were bloodshot again and his body looked fatigued.

A projection came alive, from one of Tern’s modules. It showed the solar system large space station, specifically the dock where the Final Sight resided. But that was not all. The dreadnought, The Breach to Heaven. Explosions on both sides of the conflict. The small corvette was taking damage, but with quick and complex maneuvers it stayed away from the biggest threats. A brighter and much larger explosion occurred between them. Nuclear?

“They ejected the reactor core,” Milo said, standing beside her. “They need help, now. We need to attack the dreadnought. Remove it.”

Beth agreed. “Yes.”

The projection faded and Tern turned to them. “Clans will not intervene, Argus angry. Humans might have invited them. If it escalates, this anchor will be disconnected from the hub network.”

Anchor? Disconnected from the network? Beth understood the words, but the context was off. There was no time for these debates. Their friends were dying.

Milo walked to the airlock. “I am not going to be stopped.”

Tern floated in between him and the exit.

“Tern will not let you leave,” Beth said, swallowing. “Clans will not intervene. We are still on protective duty for Argus and that means we cannot do anything.”

Milo stared at the orb. “Yeah. Your friend is in my head and saying the exact same thing. It feels just the same as when Saif poked around in there. I don’t get how you can accept that. Disgusting. Your rules, not mine.”

“Don’t,” Beth said, sweetness flooded into her mouth, her finger tensed around the weapon’s handle. Her skin flowed into metal underneath the vacuum suit. She didn’t know what to do. Would she obey the Clan’s rules or try to save the crew of the Final Sight? 

“I am not going to let my friends die,” Milo said and placed his hands on Tern’s surface.

Tern’s scream of pain echoed  through her skull. She fell down to her knees and the weapon slammed into the floor.

Tern whimpered, his orb was lying on the side, against the wall.

The airlock ran its cycle. Beth stumbled up on her feet again with her weapon in hand. A lightning bolt thundered out from the ship and Milo was nowhere to be found.

Beth made her way to Tern. The orb had hit the floor, it’s hovering module was not functioning properly. Tern’s presence was still inside her mind, but no words were spoken or thoughts exchanged, only whimpering.

Milo had drained from Tern, to charge up again, to be able to fuel with adrenaline and transform.

“Come on, Tern! Ignite your reactor,” Beth pleaded, shaking the orb.

The orb jolted. She let go of it. A bounce on the floor and then it floated back up.

“Fine,” Tern said. “Me fine.”

But his hovering was janky and not at all as smooth as usual.

Beth smiled. “Great. Can you fly us out from here?”

“Yes,” Tern said.

“Milo will need our help. He is not well. He needs help,” Beth said. “Bubble up.”

Tern bubbled them and flew them across the household and its network of tunnels, before coming to the airlock. They went through it in haste. The Final Sight and The Breach came in view.

Tern accelerated them forward, Beth’s back slammed into the back of the bubble wall.

“Milo must have gone to the bigger ship,” Beth said. “Fly us there.”

Lasers beams sliced through space, sizzling against the protective bubble. Nukes exploded in their proximity, radiation and heat pushing against the bubble, but it held fast. The iron balls from the rail guns shattered at impact, sending violent vibrations through the bubble’s shell, making her teeth clatter against each other.

There would be no easy access, they just had to cut through an airlock. But Tern came handily equipped. Tern must have read her thoughts, because before she uttered the words the orb crashed their bubble into the closest airlock. Breaking through the metal. An emergency door slammed down behind them and re-sealed the ship against the vacuum of space.

Sweetness flooded her mouth, it felt reassuring. She went into a rush, her legs powering her forward, with her weapon in hand. Dents were left on the metal floor. Tern kept her pace, floating besides her. Why was it that she always found herself running at mad speed through corridors and hallways? She sucked down air and kept her breathing in rhythm with her legs.

The docks.

Beth came into the open room.

A lightning bolt surged from Milo and struck Carl straight on. Milo’s disposition had changed again, his movements energetic and his tendrils snaked fast. Green oozing droplets crashed into Carl’s barrier, from the side. Captain Samuels’ rig. Lisa came from the side and leapt at Milo, they rolled across the floor, but Milo managed to get away from her icy fingers and up on his feet again.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Get them off this ship!” Milo yelled, pointing at Captain Samuels.

His rig was lying on the floor, cracked, burnt and frostbitten. Claire was lying halfway underneath the rig’s weight. Blood pooled under her, it must have crushed her leg. But even so, Claire had her hands inside the acid shotgun’s circuitry, making the weapon shot and the two of them had somehow managed to aim the battered rig’s arm. A tenacious woman.

“Captain!” Beth yelled, while leaping across the distance, with Tern floating after her.

For every discharge of electricity, stream of magma and beam of liquid ice, the room lit up.

“Can you move?” Beth asked.

Captain Samuels shook his head. “The rig is fucked. Too much circuitry and motor muscles have been burnt, and even the gauntlets are warped. We applied some spray to Claire’s leg, but the wound is too severe. Even if I could move, it might kill her. And I cannot get out of this thing.”

“Great,” Beth said.

Her hands trembled. They had to leave. Now. More noise behind her. The dreadnought’s delegation of combat suits. Right, now.

“Tern, bubble up around them,” Beth said.

“What are you doing?” Captain Samuels asked.

But there was no time to explain.

Tern placed itself close to them and the bubble shell came up, with Samuels’ rig still applying pressure on Claire. Perfect. Tern would be able to move them without damaging her too much.

“Milo! We are leaving. Let’s move!” Beth yelled.

Milo transformed into lightning, thundering into Carl, who was launched away and transformed back to his human form. But combat suits stormed into the docks, their laser cannons spitting superheated beams at him and Tern’s bubble. Milo’s electrical barrier strained and Lisa was on her feet again, discharging beams of ice against him. Milo transformed into lightning.

For a brief moment Milo thundered towards them, but not even a third of distance and it failed. He transformed back to human form, stumbling to the floor, the adrenaline deposit must have dried up.

Carl leapt on top of him, molten rock dripping off. Milo’s weakening barrier desperately fighting against the heat.

Not today. Tern opened a slight gap in the bubble, Beth stepped out. With a double handed grip and a flood of sweetness powering her muscles, she threw Birgitta’s weapon with all her might.

The weapon flew through the air. Milo twisted and turned, pushing Carl into its path. Carl reached for the weapon, his fingers clasping around its handle, but the momentum was too much. It struck Carl at chest level, launching him away, crashing into the wall and through it, into a corridor.

Milo struggled to his feet. Sweetness flooded as Beth rushed out to him. She picked him up off the floor and leapt back into the bubble. She punched at him, the electrical barrier canceled some of the force, but not all. The knuckles impacted his face. His expression was filled with surprise.

“Don’t you hurt Tern again,” Beth mumbled, brandishing her fist.

Tern rose the bubble and accelerated towards the hull. If breached it would lead to space. Speed increased.

Ice projectiles shattered against the bubble’s surface, but there was little threat from them.

The bubble crashed and shattered the wall. Explosive decompression sent the combat suits hurling, while their bubble kept them safe. Hopefully Carl bit the dust.

Space was riddled with stars and only one other ship was nearby. It felt like a blow in the gut. Where had the solar system wide space station went? She turned and twisted, trying to find it, but to no avail.

The Final Sight came flying, the dock already opened. It caught them. Door slid closed behind them and they sped away.

 The bubble disengaged.

Beth grabbed Milo’s vacuum suit and threw him across the floor. Diego had to dodge to the side, unless he was hit by the flying body.

“Calm down, now,” Captain Samuels said. “Claire, can you pull the shotgun’s trigger? She is right in my sights. We are cutting her in half.”

“You risked everything!” Beth said, pointing at Milo.

He looked so frail when being pushed up against the bulkhead wall. But there was no hiding from her. Was that shame in his face? She knew that he had not been himself lately, but hurting Tern was too much.

Tern bumped into her, she turned her eyes to the orb.

“Leave him,” Tern said. “You need to calm down. Room.”

“No,” Beth muttered. “He drained you!”

Milo’s eyes moved down, his hands trembling.

Tern placed himself between him and her. “You said. We help him.”

Beth tensed and relaxed her hands. Tern might be correct. Sweetness retreated, muscles turned slack and skin flowed into normal. Her shoulders dropped and the rage melted away.

“Capt’n! The batteries are really low!” Leo said through the speakers. “And the space station vanished.”

“What happened?” Beth asked.

“We ejected the core,” Captain Samuels said. “And now we will be blown to bits when the battery power goes out. The emergency reactor failed to start.”

The light flickered in the corridor, as if to strengthen his point.

Tern shot forward. “Me reactor.”

Beth reached for him, but Tern moved too fast. “Screw it. He is going to use himself as a reactor core.”

“Oh no,” Milo muttered.

Beth went after him, sweetness trickling into her mouth, giving her legs more power. But even so, she was not gaining on Tern. The alien orb moved too fast. They didn’t know what would happen if Tern powered the ship with his own core. It could kill him.

“Okay. It’s okay,” Tern said.

The lights in the corridors stopped flickering and became steady instead.

The sound of grinding metal echoed through her skull. Tern was in pain.

She arrived at the reactor chamber. Two modules were sticking out and cables from the reactor chamber were attached to them.

“Great work!” Leo said from the speakers. “I don’t know what you did, but we are moving at full speed again. We are getting away from them.”

Beth reached a hand forward to Tern. Maybe she could detach him from the cables? The metallic grinding echoed through her head. Tern would be in pain until he was disconnected or killed.

Someone grabbed her arm.

“Don’t,” Milo said. “It will kill you. And once the battery power runs out, Carl’s dreadnought will kill the rest of us. Let him do it, he made his choice.”

“But…” Beth started.

“No. He made his choice,” Milo said. “Claire has the emergency reactor in her workshop. I will have a look and see why it didn’t patch in when we ejected the main. If I get it running, Tern can be saved.”

Beth turned to him. “I will help you.”

“No stay here with him. Let me do this,” Milo said.

Beth nodded, watching Milo running away before turning back to Tern.

“You will be alright, Tern,” Beth said.

The metallic grind echoed through her head. Tern could not respond, but hopefully he heard what she said to him.

“I don’t know why Milo is taking so long,” Beth said.

The speakers crackled on. “Beth. Now. Disengage him from the chamber.”

“Tern, disengage!” Beth yelled.

The two modules retracted into his orb and the cables were snapped off. Tern landed heavily on the floor, rolling towards her. She stepped forward and caught him.

“Tern. Please, how do you feel?” Beth asked.

“Drained,” Tern said. “Need rest.”

Beth grabbed him with both of her arms and went back to their quarters.

Milo had botched the mingling and then drained energy from Tern. From Tern! It was outrageous. She felt how her blood boiled, she wanted to hit him again. How could he have done such a horrible thing? Not alright. He had saved Tern just now, but it wouldn’t have been as dangerous patching in Tern as a reactor if the orb has not been as drained. Maybe it was time for her to leave this ship and its crew for good. She had no one left and this fucking crew coward to be close to her. Tom. What about Tom? If he was alive, he would be deep in Saif’s claws. She could not save everyone, she could barely save herself.

They entered her room, she leaned against the wall and slid down. She placed down Tern in front of her.

“Anger creates more anger,” Tern said. “Milo did what he thought was right. Like you did on Au-delà, towards me and my companion.”

Beth looked up at him. “Please. I don’t want to recall that. I… I am sorry. I am so sorry for killing your friend and hurting you. I needed to save the ship and the crew.”

Tern pressed harder against her. “We know.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “I really thought that you attacked us. But only in that moment, in that moment of rage.”

“Anger creates anger.” Tern pushed at her.

Beth nodded, but Tern kept pushing. “Stop that.”

“This was the reason why Chieftain Argus put me here. The reason you became companion. For me to overcome my anger,” Tern said.

Beth wiped her face. “I understand. I will calm down. Argus is a good Chieftain.”

Tern stopped pushing at her. “Yes. But now we might never see him again. Or Devou Clan.”

“What do you mean?” Beth asked.

“This anchor has been disconnected from the hub network,” Tern said.

“Anchor? Why do you refer to the space station as an anchor? And what is a hub network?” Beth asked, Tern placed words into her mind. “Oh. The space station was never really there. It was just an extension of a network to quickly travel between far places in the galaxy. And it was anchored to this spot, using the star as fuel. That was why the star had been drained, the setting of the anchor required an enormous amount of energy.”

“And that anchor will not be set again. We are cut off. We cannot do anything about that,” Beth said. “I have been meaning to ask you something, but you have not had the words yet. What is your kind called? I am human, what are you?” 

Tern hesitated. “Still too complex. It’s not one word, it’s a concept. Let me think.”

Beth leaned back as Tern paused.

“Orb of Modules and Fusion.” Tern broke the silence. “Omf. Me is omf.”

Beth nodded. “Omf. I will remember that. Tern, you just created your first acronym in English and I was here to witness it. Thank you.” Beth shook her head. “Omf. Orb of Modules and Fusion. It fits well, I like it.”

“You think?” Tern said.

“Yeah, it does. Could we just stay here and be quiet for a while? I need to calm down.”

Tern pressed against her again.

Birgitta would flip when she told her about the hub network and the anchor.