BETH

This was not what she had expected. Milo was too stubborn and too stupid to see her logic. Why could he not get it, that he had screwed up? He could not accept the defeat.

Beth turned around the module on the table. It was a booster to Tern’s bubble shield, but it was not working as intended. The software Tern had written ran fine, but the hardware had difficulties translating it to a real world application. Tern had floated away, doing health checks on his orb and had left her with her own devices. Maybe he didn’t expect her to find the error and correct it, but she would try her best. With the help of a power tool she unfastened the titanium bolts that held the whole thing together. Thin wisps of smoke escaped as the lid came loose, she popped it opened and the content was revealed. Tern had taught her the ways to construct hardware that could translate the software into something real. The alien circuit boards looked nothing like human circuit boards and it was not just the density of the circuits, but the way they flowed. It looked weird. To create the necessary components, they needed to scrounge parts from the workshop and experiment with different types of metals since they lacked the materials Tern was used to. This was most likely the issue. Beth put her hand terminal’s scanner against the makeshift circuit board.

Yeah. It was not working.

She put the hand terminal away. The argument between her and Milo, it had to be resolved. There had to be a compromise.

Milo wanted to prove himself, like he did when he challenged the dragon and its clan on his own. He wanted to be mighty. The blood put those grand ideas into his head.

She grabbed the made up circuit board and pulled it out. They needed to find a better solution, one that didn’t end in them dying or falling out. Maybe Birgitta was correct in that siblings argued more.

“Tern what do you think?” Beth asked.

“Me told already. Together you function,” Tern placed in her mind.

A simple solution to a complex emotional problem. Simplicity was sometimes best. It had a scientific ring to it, to deconstruct a problem down to its smallest pieces and then assemble those pieces into the easiest construction.

“That actually might be a good idea. We just have to get Milo onboard,” Beth said.

One problem progressed. How about his blood addiction? The solution might not be as simple. Milo needed to fuel with blood to be stronger, but everytime he gulped it down the action reinforced the addiction further.

She grabbed the power tool and deconstructed the circuit board down to its smallest components. “How would you attack the problem? He needs blood fueling, there is no way to circumvent that.”

“A solution, always,” Tern said.

The thought that Tern planted in her mind. “Ahh. Just to create the interface, for which we could slot a module into him would require significant surgeries and leave him being half an alien. That is not ethical.”

“You would not like it.” Tern floated to the other side of the room.

But an addiction this strong had only one end if the user was left alone. Escalation until total mental and physical breakdown finally crippled the person. Doing invasive and novel alien surgery to his mind might just as well have a similar result.

“We have to do something. To hinder his descent,” Beth said.

“Sometimes it is best to stand idly by. Less trouble, less arguments,” Tern said.

But Beth felt that ‘but’ nagging in the back of her mind. Not taking action was not her usual plan and she was not comfortable with it.

“Alright, lets see if he wants to compromise with the fight first, then we will see to his addiction,” Beth said. “Maybe he doesn’t need to fuel with blood once we have won the grace of a larger clan. We will have to sort that out afterwards.”

One could always hope, but she had her doubts.

-

The sounds of thunder echoed through the ship and the sounds grew louder as they came closer to Milo’s training room. Tern floated behind her, always behind her. The alien orb had quickly grown to become her most trusted friend in the world. Maybe that was natural considering how tightly bonded they were.

The door was closed. She knocked on it two times without using her power.

The sound of thunder ceased, the door slid open.

“Hi,” Milo said. “You okay? We are not being attacked or something?”

Beth sighed. “I can come by without it being an emergency. Really, I can. We have different opinions and we need to talk them through. Don’t take it too personal, I just wants what’s best for us.”

“Right, right.” Milo rubbing his hands together. “That’s why you are holding me back?”

Straight to the point, to the argument. Why would he be any different today than yesterday?

“To compromise,” Beth said.

Milo waved her in. “Come in, come in. To my simple home. Tern, you too. All lifeforms are equally welcomed. If you fit through the door. The door came human-starship standard size and I cannot resize it easily.”

Was he trying to be funny? Beth didn’t get it. But that was his way of trying to get a laugh, saying silly things that barely made sense.

“Coffee?” Milo asked, walking towards the brewer that sat in the corner.

Beth shook her head. “No, I am good.”

There were black scorch marks across all the walls, burnt into the very metal of the bulkheads. He must have produced some highly energetic bursts of lightning, it might be his way of releasing tension. Letting it all out in a jolt of thunder against an inanimate object instead of her. Maybe she should have kicked some walls down with her bare feet?

The coffee brewer started clucking, it was brewing. “So, compromise. From your perspective what does that mean, exactly? I am asking because from my point of view, it might be entirely different and I could have a problem with that. Like how we ended up the last time we spoke.”

“We go in together. Full team. Me, you, Sam, Tern and even Claire. Straight to the point. We confront the Celeste clan,” Beth said. “And win. Gaining the allies we need. Like we set up initially to do.”

“And then what?” Milo asked. “What happens after that?”

They had talked about this before. She knew that Milo knew. The fight ends when Saif dies. So, and hopefully his subjects would be released from his ironclad control.

“Saif dies. Whoever stands too loyal with him dies,” Beth said. “The fighting ends.”

Milo shook his head. “You mean to start a war with him?”

“Something like that,” Beth said.

“Is that not a bit disturbing? Even if we manage to team up with this clan what is the next step? To give Saif the war he wants? To fly in to attack him with aliens on our side, giving him the war he wants. The war he will win and be hailed as a hero for all eternity for saving mankind from the alien invasion,” Milo said. “Doesn’t sound all that promising for the future.”

“One step at a time. Letting anxiety take control means giving up before the battle begins. So, you do accept the compromise?” Beth asked.

“Yeah,” Milo said. “It sounds fair. We have always fought better together than apart. Maybe I can convince Sam not to smash in your skull, too? I cannot have my sister be hurt like that.”

Beth extended a hand towards him. “Together.”

“Together.” They shook hands.

“Afterwards we will have to decide what to do. But one step at a time,” Beth said.

The coffee brewer clicked.

“The coffee is done. I will pour us two cups,” Milo said. “I see that smile on your face. You always like your coffee after a victory, even though you didn’t want it initially, and convincing me has provided you with just that feeling. Come, let’s sit.”

Milo had read her. It had never clicked with her before, but Milo had put a finger on it immediately. Her brother was smarter than he let on. Everyone had their moments to shine, she had been too occupied to have observed it.

She sat down beside him on the metal floor, the room had no chairs. Milo handed her a cup of coffee, she accepted happily. Warm in her hands and scented wonderfully.

“Taste it. I know my brewer doesn’t look fancy,” Milo said, waiting for her to take a sip and which she did. “I have had this brewer for all the time I have lived. My dad gifted it to me when I moved into my own apartment. It’s not the looks of a brewer that creates great taste, it’s the internal parts that do and the love that goes into the upkeep of said parts.”

It was absolutely amazing. An improvement to the coffee from the mess hall, even though that too was a real brewer. This was just something else. It could have something to do with the beautiful speech he did, about how it’s the insides that matter and not the outside.

“Earth made, actually. This might be the coffee brewer that has traveled the farthest in the galaxy. Think about that,” Milo said.

“Well, that’s something,” Beth said.

“Dad always said that any argument could be sorted with a good cup of coffee and a proper sit down,” Milo said.

A knot twisted inside her gut. She had killed Milo’s dad, everybody knew, but she could not have known at the time that she had played into the trap Saif had set up.

Beth nodded. “He sounds like a clever man. I… I wish I had gotten to know him. While inside Saif’s facility, I got to know Jacob Meyer a bit, physically he was the one who raised you. But with Saif’s meddling and destructive poking inside his mind, the man might have been entirely different. It is hard to say.”

“Yeah, I know. Whatever the case, he taught me some fine things, the old man. How to be a decent man,” Milo said. “I don’t remember our mom. I was taken when I was far too young. Could you describe her for me?”

Beth nodded. “Mom was kind, she always wanted the best for everyone around her. Her hair glimmered in the sun and there was always a smile on her lips. You should have seen how she and dad got along with each other. Always teasing and playing around, as if they were children. It was a nice home to grow up in.”

Tears trickled down Milo’s cheeks. “Thank you, thank you so much. I have decided to stay awake until we arrive. We cannot have you growing even more older than me.”

Beth smiled. “Thank you. Together.”

“Together.” Their cups clinked together.

“And Carl. That bastard will most likely show up again,” Beth said.

Milo nodded. “He has a knack of turning up when the time is not favourable for us. So, expecting his visit is the least thing we can do. Let’s try to wipe his smug face across the floor this time.”

“Yes,” Beth said. “And Lisa. She needs to be ended.”

“I agree,” Milo said.

-

Birgitta stepped out from the hibernation pod and right into her crew overalls. “So, you two are saying that you have made peace with each other?”

“Stop smiling so much,” Beth said. “You were correct, we found middle ground.”

Milo nodded. “Yes, we did.”

“Is that why you are not in your hibernation pod, Milo?” Birgitta asked, the smile on her face was still as wide and showing as much teeth. Oh god, the scientist was real pleased with herself.

Tern floated close to Birgitta, it almost looked as the orb snuggled against her leg.

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“Cannot have Beth here grow too far away from me. I used to be the younger brother, but now I am the older one. I just cannot have even more disparity between us,” Milo said.

Birgitta put a hand on Beth’s shoulder. “I see the logic in that.”

“I will take care of the maintenance routines, so you two can spend time together,” Milo said.

“Thank you,” Beth said. “Ohh, Birgitta, I have some awesome stuff to show you.”

Tern leaned against the scientist.

“Tern, really do like you,” Beth said.

“I know,” Birgitta said.

“I will let you get to it. See you in the mess hall later,” Milo said, leaving the hibernation bay.

“So, where do we start?” Birgitta asked.

“We are going to build an omf module,” Beth said.

The smile on Birgitta’s face grew even wider.

-

“Milo, coffees,” Beth said while entering the mess hall with Birgitta on her side.

Birgitta sat down on the bench. “The syntax of the software is mind bogglingly expressive. It’s insane how so few lines of code are able to achieve so much.”

“I told you,” Beth said, taking a seat opposite the scientist.

“And the hardware components must have quantum mechanics, or else they would never function. I wonder how the omf solved that?”

Tern floated to the end of the table, always sticking close by Birgitta. It was great seeing some else having his full approval. “Birgitta, best type.”

Milo stepped up to the table, three mugs of steaming hot coffee in his hands. “So, I have a question for you, Birgitta.”

“Shoot, lightning-in-a-bottle,” Birgitta said.

“You and the Captain, are you still an item?” Milo asked. “I saw how you two behaved around each for some time ago.”

Birgitta’s face turned dark and her chin dropped, the mood of the mess hall turned grey. “Well, we used to. He was actually really nice and lovely to me. Real romantic like, something I am not used to. And all the internal jokes only we knew, we had much fun. But I don’t know if the tensions of our current situation got to him, because he changed.”

“Changed? How?” Beth asked, sipping the coffee.

Birgitta held her face locked facing down. “Sometime during our journey he turned cold on me. He shut me out and explained nothing of why he did it. The distinct change in tone was sharp and I still don’t know how we stand. He is a wall of stones. Did he just do all those nice things to have a laugh at me? Because it feels that way.”

“Being a Captain is difficult and he has put the continuation of humanity on his shoulders. We all have. There is bound to be some stress,” Milo said.

Beth leaned. “But you don’t treat another person like that. It’s disgusting.”

“Sam has always been special. Not everyone can be a Captain,” Milo said. “Certain qualities are better than others.”

“Like treating people like shit?” Beth said.

Milo sighed. “Not that. But the complete shift of focus, maybe. He needs his head in the game. He needs to predict the threats that will be thrown at us, so he can keep us alive. Which might be difficult if he keeps courting Birgitta.”

“Courting? Are you for real?” Beth said, slamming down the mug on the table, it shattered. The sweetness has crept forth without her doing summoning it.

Milo stepped up and backed away.

“I am still here, you know,” Birgitta said.

“I am just trying to tell how and why. I am not him. But he is my friend and he is doing his utmost to keep us alive,” Milo said. “I have known him for years and the way he looked and behaved around you, Birgitta, I have never seen him like that before. But now the stress is too much. Give him some slack.”

Beth waved her hand. “Yeah, right. You are defending him. You can leave now.”

Milo turned on the spot and left the mess hall.

“Thank you,” Birgitta said.

Beth nodded. “We girls gotta stay together. Let’s change the subject and forget this mess for a while. I was thinking on how to interface humans to the modules. It would be cool if we could fly. We cannot solve the problem now, but we could speculate together.”

“I would like to fly!” Birgitta said. “Let’s speculate!”

-

Three months went quickly in Birgitta’s presence. Beth stood over the scientist’s hibernation pod as the lid closed on her sleeping face. The look Birgitta had worn when they tried to construct new modules to Tern, it was priceless. Just the same glee Beth had felt, but this time she was the one from the outside. Giving Birgitta the experience as a gift, which was the least she could.

“I am initiating his warm up procedure,” Milo said, standing beside Diego Rubalcava’s hibernation pod.

What were her views on the Doc? He was Claire’s partner and Claire was her friend. But he had hidden Milo’s addiction from her and not tried to stop it from escalating. This would be a weird one.

Smoke billowed out from the growing seam between the lid and pod. The lid slid open and Milo stood ready with Diego’s overalls.

“Thank you,” Diego said, stepping into the clothes. “Why are you awake, Milo?”

“Spending some quality time my sister,” Milo said, but the coldness in his voice was distinct. After Milo had taken Captain Samuels’ side the mood between them had not been that great.

Diego looked confused. “Right, right. But you know, you are growing older?”

“It is an investment, Diego,” Milo said, his eyes looking away.

Beth wanted to smile, but Milo had taken Captain Samuels’ side. Diego nodded.

“Maybe you should have been awake with Claire. You should have seen her in her rig,” Milo said.

“It is finished?” Diego said.

“She looked like a butterfly testing her wings for the first time,” Beth said.

Diego looked away. “Arse. I missed it.”

“She will join next time,” Milo said. “You will be given the opportunity to see her.”

Diego frowned. “I can see it. You two have been arguing. I can see it. The way you are standing and the way you address each other. Don’t deny it. Just tell me what happened. I am the Doc of this crew and I mend not only physical wounds, but the mental too.”

Beth told him what had happened and how unfair the Captain had treated Birgitta, and that Milo had taken his side. “It’s insane.”

“You wait a minute,” Milo said.

“Clinically speaking, Captain Samules is a psychopath or borderline to it,” Diego said.

Milo stepped forward, his hands tensed into fists. “You shut your mouth, right now!”

Electrical tendrils crackled inside his hands.

“Don’t,” Beth said, placing herself between the two. She kept the sweetness on her tongue, but didn’t flow her skin into metal. There would be little to gain if she escalated.

“Milo, you are his friend, of course you will take his side and defend him. Beth, you will have to accept it. They have known each other for a long time,” Diego said. “But I have known the Captain for quite some time, too, and I have read his evaluation. The case is cut clean. I am not saying this to be mean, I am just telling you the facts. Don’t electrocute me.”

Milo took a deep breath and stepped back. “Sorry.”

“Thank you,” Diego said. “He shows the hallmarks of a psychopath. There is nothing more to it. He came to command this ship and the captaincy at a very young age. Everyone thought he was on the path of becoming an admiral or even a Space City commander. He thought so too. And he was the best at what he did. Hunting down and killing pirates. A bit too good at it. Which can be contributed to that he shows signs of being a physcopath. Violence and savagery comes easy to him. The problem with being too good at something, is that he never got that promotion he was promised. He got stuck as Captain of the Final Sight.”

“That cannot have been easy,” Beth said. “I didn’t know.”

“That is usually the case. The Capt’n doesn’t like talking about his past. He believes there is only one way and that is forward,” Diego said. “His cold behavior is not intentional, it is just the way his brain is wired.”

Milo leaned back on the wall. “He told me back in Europe13. But I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t understand what it meant until later. What it really meant. I understood that he had an easy time with violence. But I never considered how that coldness would translate into social interactions.”

“Not many arrive to that conclusion without the proper education,” Diego said. “And all that talk about him throwing you off the ship, Beth. I will personally wake him from hibernation sleep and have a talk with him. A proper one. He just needs to be aligned and given insight to his actions and the consequences of them. Is this matter cleared?”

Beth nodded. “Thank you.”

“Milo?” Diego said.

“Yeah, I am alright,” Milo said.

“Good lad,” Diego said. “Let’s make some tasty food, I am starving.”

-

Time passed quickly after that. The grind was not too grindy. She divided her time between Tern and Milo, between constructing modules and training. Milo’s training regime was tough and pushed her limits. Even so, finding access to the blood deposit seemed impossible. Diego went to the hibernation bay, while she and Milo went to the training room.

“Rage. Feel it burning from your gut. A boiling rage,” Milo said, standing behind her.

She knew the trick, but knowing and performing were distinctly separate.

“Saif kidnapped you, murdering your father in the process. Forced you to kill your own mother. Separated you from your only living sibling, me, for thirty years. Don’t you feel that raging fire inside you?” Milo said.

She tried, she really did. But she failed nonetheless, as if she had accepted the defeat and the treatment on her. She felt numb. She remembered being filled with vengeance and going on her path of revenge. She remembered using her strength to plow forward. Paving the way with violence and pain. But now, it just felt numb, as if she had gotten used to it.

“I can’t,” Beth said. “I don’t have your affinity of finding and accessing the other deposits. I am sorry, but I don’t.”

Milo handed her a bottle of water. “Everybody is different. No way around that. Even similar attributes behave widely different from person to person.”

Beth nodded, letting the sweetness rush into her mouth.

“We just have to keep trying,” Milo said. “Keep smashing our heads at the problem until we have cracked it. Sure as hell, Saif will provide you with an opportunity to feel that rage again. I am sure of it.”

“Yes. We are a long way from being finished with him,” Beth said. “But one step at a time.”

“I see you two are getting along well,” Captain Samuels said, leaning on the door.

“Sam. Captain on deck.” Milo saluted.

“Ridicules. I am not doing that,” Beth said. “Firstly, I am not Navy, I haven’t even been given a rank. Secondly, we are in deep space, consorting with alien lifeforms, alone in this corvette. I am not doing it.”

Samuels sighed. “Jees, calm down, Bulldozer.”

“Bulldozer? Don’t you come nicknaming me with that,” Beth said.

“Well, if you are going to be a real part of this crew you need your Navy rank and that comes attached with a nickname which I decide on. I have seen you plow through combat suits and shatter metal with your fists. If you are staying with this crew you need a proper nickname. Bulldozer,” Captain Samuels said.

Milo smiled, evidently having difficulties holding back laughter. “Bulldozer,” he said with a faked deep voice.

“Well, it sounds a lot cooler than Blue. At least my nickname has some punch behind it,” Beth said.

Milo laughed. “That was a pun, I am certain. Or else I am shocked”

“Don’t give Bulldozer a hard time, Blue. You finish your training, and I will fix us some coffee. Meet me on the bridge in ten minutes,” Captain Samuels said.

Back at the bridge, Beth grabbed her usual seat and Milo his. The training had been invigorating for her mind, but it had made her muscles sore from exhaustion.

Captain Samuels passed around mugs with freshly brewed coffee and food bars. The bar was crunchy and delicious, even better than the ones Tom’s had managed to manufacture. Tom. The boy came to her mind more than she would care to admit. Tern bumped into her and parked, leaning against her leg.

“So, we need a plan,” Captain Samuels started, but a more intimate voice grabbed her attention right from inside her mind.

“Having your intake of nutrients via consumption like this must be ineffective. First you have to eat it, then break them down into smaller pieces with your teeth and have these pieces lay in a pool of acid in your stomach. Then nutrients and energy are absorbed. It seems like a big waste of time and energy. It is better to have a fusion reactor that provides you with all the things you need. Maybe we could make a module for you? Slot it into your body. Like the inhibitor you initially wanted to slot into Milo’s head, but different,” Tern said in her mind, meaning only she heard.

She laughed, spilling coffee on her overall.

“What’s funny so funny?” Captain Samuels asked.

“Just alien banter,” Beth said, keeping her smile at bay.

“We will have to deal with this afterwards. I don’t like that you are the only one hearing what Tern is saying,” Captain Samuels said.

“Cold ass, cawking motherfucker,” Tern said.

She laughed again, waving her hands, calming down Milo and the Captain. “Sorry, I will stop. He will be able to talk to everyone once his understanding of us and the English language are improved. Human brains are complex.”

Captain Samuels nodded.

“We have a plan already,” Milo said. “We attend the meeting again, full strike team. We challenge Rahgon and the Celeste Clan. You, me, Claire, Beth and Tern. Together we can win back some allies. After that we will need a new plan. A plan to unseat Saif without giving him the war he wants.”

Beth leaned in. “I have been thinking about it some more. Whatever we do, whatever happens during the meeting, a war will break out. Not from us, but the other clans will most likely seek conflict with mankind after seeing what we can do. Saif’s presence is no longer going undetected and that is just what he wants. In that confusion, we might get an opening.”

“Good. But first things first. The meeting,” Captain Samuels said.

“Yes. We are arriving in a few days. It is time to wake up the others and prepare before the final approach,” Milo said.

Captain Samuels leaned back. “That settles it, then. Good work. It is fine that you are working together again. You go and train, I will go and tinker with my rig.”

Beth could not hold it back any longer. “Captain, with Tern’s help I have constructed a new component for your suit. It will control the flow of Milo’s lightning, no matter its variance. Thus, solving Claire’s problem.”

A frown grew in the Captain forehead. “I don’t like it.”

“It has already been installed, tested and verified,” Milo chipped in.

“Goddamnit.” Captain Samuels rubbed his bald head. “Okay, okay. If it works, fine. I will let it be.” Captain Samuels slammed down his fist on the table. “Now get to work.”

Half a body fell from the ceiling and landed with a disgusting wet sound. It was just the hip and the legs of a body.

“Wow!” Milo got up and stepped away.

Maggot crawled inside and around the corpse.

Beth leaned forward. “Is that Amanda?”

“Why do you think that?” Captain Samuels asked, holding his acid shotgun.

“Amanda was not with Carl and Lisa during our last encounter. Looks like her body has been sliced in half,” Beth said. “Her torso and head must have gone through the portal, but it closed on her.”

Milo held a hand over his mouth. “Goddamn, you are right. But why did we not find her earlier?”

“She might have been using her power when the portal appeared, thus she was inside the ceiling. But her body continued to rot away, until it simply fell through when Captain Samuels slammed his fist down,” Beth said.

Captain Samuels poked the corpse with his gun. “Threw it out the airlock. She, this thing might have a tracker in it.”

“That’s why they have been able to find us!” Beh declared.

Captain Samuels grabbed the corpse without any thought about sanitation and threw it into the closest airlock. The airlock’s cycle ran clean and Amanda’s corpse was launched into space.

“Goddamnit,” Captain Samuels said. “I hope they don’t have a fix on us still, then our plan will go down the toilet.”

“I think we will be alright,” Milo said.

Captain Samuels looked at him. “Okay. Get to work, people.”