Rose suppressed a yawn and stretched. Deft hands quickly returned to their work, slipping the pieces into place. They slotted together perfectly, their mechanisms working together as intended. Rose beamed as she attached the battery and the clock hand moved in perfect order.
“There, done.” Rose smiled to herself, pleased with a job well done. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d gotten those parts from twelve different clocks to work together. That online lot had been worth the price. Now all she needed to do was put the working parts into a more attractive casing.
“I wonder if I should sell my work online?” Rose wondered. She wouldn’t mind the extra cash. It’d be perfect for her next shopping spree with Cecilia, and to buy more random junk she might use for something.
Another yawn escaped her lips. She’d spent the previous night with Cecilia watching Stella’s old karaoke streams. It had been a lot of fun, though they’d stayed up later than expected. Still, it’d been nice to spend her possibly last night with her friend. It was a shame Vera wasn’t there with them, but the facility’s security would never allow it. Even if a shapeshifting Okab wasn’t on the loose, Rose doubted they’d let some random preteen enter their top-secret facility.
A notification caught Rose’s attention. Her mom was texting her for the hundredth time, wanting to keep tabs on her daughter. After evacuating her family from their home, Rose’s mom was unsurprisingly worried. But Rose texted back that everything was fine.
It was a quiet, almost boring day. It was a school day, but Okab’s impending danger led to that being canceled. She’d spent half the day hanging out with Cecilia, but her friend left to run errands with her guardian. It left Rose with an overabundance of free time.
“Should I call Vera again?” Rose wondered, then shook her head. Maybe a quick nap wouldn’t hurt. She checked the time and frowned. It was almost three pm.
“One more hour left.” She frowned. A sudden unease spiked through her spine. She’d tried to pretend that the fated hour of doom didn’t worry her, but it’d been gnawing at her bit by bit.
“Should I just be sitting in Luyten V’s cockpit, just in case?” Despite LUVOLT and the army’s redoubled efforts to uncover the Altair general’s location, they still hadn’t located him.
“I’ll call him. See how the search is going,” Rose said, checking her contacts page. Before she reached her contacts, her phone buzzed.
“Oh, Sandage. I was just about to call you,” Rose said. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s clear here,” he replied. “Just checking up on you. How are you holding up?”
“The usual. Nothing’s changed, though…”
“Though?”
“It’s nothing. I’m holding up the best I can.”
“I understand. Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. And…”
“Is something the matter?” Rose asked as Sandage suddenly trailed off.
“We’re detecting sudden seismic disturbances.”
Rose furrowed her brow. “But we don’t live anywhere near a fault line. Is it Okab on the attack?”
“I…” A deafening explosion interrupted Sandage’s words. Rose jerked away from her phone, wincing in pain.
“Sandage!” But she didn’t get a reply. Her stomach dropped as she heard a booming roar, animalistic and frenzied.
“Rose! Rose!” The monstrous voice screamed. Furious wouldn’t even describe how angry the voice sounded. It sounded like its owner was pressed past their breaking point, driven well over the edge.
“Sandage!” But no reply came, only the sound of senseless destruction. Her hand quivered, overcome with emotion.
“Rose!” Gauss’s familiar voice broke her from her trance. The big man wore a firm frown. Behind his stoic exterior, fear hid behind her bodyguard’s eyes.
“Right, everyone needs me!” Rose was already running outside her guest quarters. Rose switched to her news app, and a pit formed in her stomach at the headline. Okab was loose in her town, destroying everything in his path. She gasped at the destruction in the photos.
Familiar places she’d passed hundreds of times had gotten reduced to rubble. Rose stood transfixed in horror, unable to believe her own eyes. The army tried fighting back, but were crushed in seconds. She flinched as a helicopter exploded into a nearby building. Her mind raced, wondering what was happening.
“Okab knows where I am. Why isn’t he attacking here first?” Instead, Okab was causing senseless destruction. While she didn’t claim to understand the Altair’s alien mind, it seemed out of character for the general.
“Did Project: Bird Bath do something to him?” Rose wondered.
Techs were already on standby, giving her the go-ahead to activate Luyten V. While the hangar was still in rough shape after Okab’s attack, it still had the facilities to maintain her giant robot. Its chest unit was wide open and ready to accept her, already sensing the danger. It amazed Rose how the robot seemed to sense her moods. She planted on the cockpit seat and tapped at the controls. With a hiss, the cockpit door closed. After a quick check of Luyten V’s systems and the okay from the techs, she launched.
Without haste, Rose rushed her steps as she approached her possible doom. However, those steps faltered as she approached the city proper. The damage was hideous. No words could describe the damage Rose saw. Even the troubling sights she’d seen in Washington, D.C., hadn’t matched this. Or was it because this was her home, and the destruction hit closer to her heart?
“You’ll pay for this, Okab.” Her hands tightened on the controls hard enough for it to hurt. And it was so senseless, too. Guilt stabbed at her heart, knowing this was because of her. People were getting hurt because of her.
Tears stung Rose’s eyes, but she fought back her grief. Payback came first. She’d destroy Okab, whatever it cost. If dragging the Altair general to the underworld kicking and screaming cost Rose her life, so be it.
Rose’s eyes were flint as she spotted her prey. He stood among the wreckage of her neighbors’ houses. Just as Cecilia had predicted, her final battle against Okab was over the wrecked remains of her home. But that mattered little to Rose.
“You’re dead, Okab.” She gritted her teeth. “I’m going to bury you.”
“Rose! Die! You die!” Okab’s words were spat with such vitriol that she could barely understand him. Whatever Project: Bird Bath had done to the Altair general, it had broken him. It left his skin an ugly blemish, a festering wound that refused to heal properly. Rose felt a measure of pity for the poor creature. It didn’t stop Luyten V’s fist from implanting into Okab’s face.
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“You!” Spittle flew from Okab’s mouth as he launched his counterattack.
She ducked under a wild swing to the head and weaved past a vicious claw slash. Okab was fast, impossibly quick. He’d abandoned all civility, fighting like a frenzied animal. Her systems blared as claws left deep grooves into Luyten V’s chest plate.
“You killed them all, Okab,” Rose said. Nothing could have survived the onslaught the Altair general had unleashed, homes reduced to little beyond rubble. The creature had taken obvious joy in leaving no survivors. “That means I don’t have to hold back.”
With deft fingers, she launched the sequence to Stage One of Full Synchronization Mode. The Temperature within Luyten V rose to unbearable levels. But Rose barely noticed; the heat was nothing compared to her boiling blood.
“Because of you, Sandage might be dead!” Her drill connected to Okab’s chest, leaving a gash oozing purplish blood. Only a quick back step had saved Okab from being drilled through.
“Rose!” And the monster continued howling her name as he launched at her. Despite his broken mind, he still possessed a predator’s sharp instincts.
Alarms blared as Rose struggled to fight off her opponent. Okab’s speed seemed to increase with every strike. Had this Altair general been holding back this much in their previous fights? She grimaced as her laser beam struck open air, cutting a deep cavern into her community. She leaped back, trying to gain some distance as she planned her next move.
“This isn’t working.” She scowled as Luyten V’s foot landed on her garage, smashing it. Through her monitor, she spotted what remained of her mom’s car.
“Heh, it seems fate really has it out for me,” Rose said, fingers dancing over her console again. Alarms howled as a claw tore deep into Luyten V’s shoulder, almost severing the limb. It struggled to move, making her new weapon basically useless. A claw flew past her chest, leaving a deep groove in the armor plating. Okab took out her right leg next, crippling her maneuverability. The creature had her cornered, taking his time as he ripped her apart.
“I can’t win!” She slammed a fist against her console, despair creeping into her heart. Her robot rumbled as it took another nasty slash across the chest. Still, she refused to give him the satisfaction. Luyten V still had weapons. There must be something they could do.
“Helpless.” An idea struck Rose, and her console room cooled as she powered down all systems, making it appear that Luyten V had died.
“It takes 0.5 seconds for Stage One of Full Synchronization Mode to start up.” That was her window of opportunity to launch her sneak attack. The rest depended on how Okab would react to this ploy.
Though he didn’t have a proper face, she sensed his triumph. Still, he remained wary, his animal instincts flaring. Rose’s heart stilled as she prepared for Okab’s killing blow.
“That’s it. Come after me. I’m taking you with me,” Rose’s palms were sweaty as she gripped her controls tightly. And once she put her mind to something, nothing could deter her—not even death.
Then Okab loomed over her, his claws raised for the finishing blow. Rose’s fingers were already moving. Her world became pain as a blade pierced her, slicing right through Luyten V’s chest and into her. Liquid dripped down Rose’s eye like crimson tears. But she could only laugh.
“Got you!” Luyten V flared to sudden life, the illumination blinding her one remaining good eye. But it was glorious.
Okab jerked back, sensing the danger. But Luyten V’s remaining arm flared with energy as Rose pumped everything into this final blow. Her opponent tried using his needle-like nose to block the attack. It shattered like dust under Luyten V’s sheer ferocity. A hand implanted on Okab’s face, his posture stiffening in terror.
“Dynaspike!” The Altair general erupted in purple fluid as Luyten V’s spike pierced through his head. His body squirmed and jerked, struggling to get free, but her robot held him tight with its fingers. He fell limp, and Luyten V finally released him.
Through an undamaged screen, Rose saw the Altair general’s body disintegrate into pixels, dissolving into its base components. Despite her pain, it fascinated Rose. The Altair were truly wondrous, terrible creatures.
“Mission complete.” Rose choked out a pained laugh. When she glanced down, she saw the purple growth across her chest wound, mixing with her life fluid. The Altair infection had taken to her, just like her future self. What a joke. “So, it seems Cecilia’s prophecy turned out right after all.”
Yet, Rose found she wasn’t scared. No, she was sad she couldn’t do more to protect her friends and family. The Altair wouldn’t stop at Okab. The Earth still wasn’t safe.
“I guess I’ll have to leave it to you, Cecilia.” Still, her friend was a worthy successor. It’d work itself out.
“Just let me rest.” Rose closed her eyes. Sleep would be good right now. It’d be a nice cushion from the pain.
“She’s over here!” An indistinct voice said. Why were they being so noisy? Couldn’t they tell she was trying to sleep? She’d just defeated an Altair general. Didn’t she deserve some rest? That was her last thought before darkness overcame her.
----
“There’s been an attack!” Cecilia said, heart racing a mile a minute as she watched a nearby TV screen. Other shoppers stood stock-still, eyeing their phones in shock. In the distance, smoke rose from Rose’s neighborhood.
She knew it! She knew her visions were never wrong, and now the worst had happened. Her body shook uncontrollably, forcing her to use a nearby table for support. Tears leaked from her eyes as her emotions went haywire. She’d just lost her best friend, the only friend she’d ever made in her short life.
But then strong arms enveloped her, holding her tight. Cecilia looked up to discover Dr. Burbidge, her usual stoic face brimming with pent-up tears. Her guardian said nothing, allowing her ward to sob into her shoulder. The streets broke out into chaos as the ground rumbled beneath them. In the distance, Cecilia stood transfixed as she caught a faint sight of red facing something inhuman, but it slipped out of view.
“Cecilia.” Dr. Burbidge lowered down to her level and stared into her eyes. “I’m worried about Rose too, but we can’t stay here. Rose wouldn’t want to see you get hurt. We’ll call Sandage. There might be some way we can help her.”
“Okay.” The words came out in a pathetic blubber, but her caretaker got her intention. With kind hands, she guided Cecilia into her car.
With everyone else trying to rush to safety, panicky, desperate drivers crammed the streets. They soon found themselves stuck in the street with countless other cars. Dr. Burbidge beeped her horn, but it did little to aid their progress.
In the backseat, Cecilia wallowed in her misery, wincing as she heard the distant contest of titans.
“No answer from Sandage or the general,” Dr. Burbidge said, frowning at her phone. When she caught Cecilia’s expression, she offered her charge a wan smile. “I’m sure they’re just busy.”
Minutes passed in the vehicle in silence, her guardian tapping her phone. Cecilia had her own phone, but she didn’t have the heart or courage to check the news app.
Then everything went deafeningly silent as the battle of titans stopped. Cecilia strained her ears but heard neither the sounds of battle nor any movement from the giant warriors. In her heart, Cecilia knew what had happened: the fight had concluded.
Okab wasn’t continuing his rampage. Had Rose won the fight? What did that mean?
“Ah, good, Sandage. I thought we’d lost you,” Dr. Burbidge’s clipped voice said. “Are you okay? She paused, listening, before nodding in satisfaction.
“Okab is dead,” her guardian said out loud. “Rose defeated him.”
“But Rose!”
Dr. Burbidge paused, listening to her phone. Her expression turned worried. “She’s alive, but seriously injured. And…”
“The Altair infection has taken hold of her,” Cecilia said, already knowing the answer.
Her guardian threw her an optimistic smile, though it didn’t hide her worry. “They’ll be able to treat her. She isn’t gone yet.”
Cecilia looked down, not saying anything as Dr. Burbidge finally untangled the car from the traffic jam. It wasn’t long before they arrived at a hospital.
The place bustled with activity as medics desperately tried to attend to the untold wounded. Okab’s attack had caused serious damage to the city. Sandage greeted them. He had a bandage over his forehead, and his arm was in a sling.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” the LUVOLT agent said in greeting. “Okab launched a sneak attack on our military forces. General Kuiper dragged me out of the mayhem.”
“What about Rose? Is she…?” Cecilia couldn’t finish the sentence.
“She’s stable. Her left eye got seriously damaged, but her other wounds weren’t as severe as they looked.”
“But the infection?”
“Ah, that,” Sandage said, his mood sobering. “They have Rose in a coma. It’s the best way to keep the infection from spreading. There haven’t been many cases of this disease yet. Our knowledge about it is still limited.”
“Can they cure her?” Dr. Burbidge asked.
“We hope so.” Sandage gave them a hopeful smile.
“Can we visit her?” her guardian asked next.
“You’re not family. But to heck with it,” Sandage replied. He guided them to a special ward, using his clearance to pass some guards.
There Rose was, entombed in a glass quarantine chamber. She laid on a hospital bed like Sleeping Beauty, waiting for a prince to come and wake her up. Doctors in hazmat suits tended to her, monitoring her vitals. Cecilia gasped as she spotted the purple growth on her abdomen—a cancer already beginning to spread.
Outside the chamber stood Rose’s family, each frightened for her safety. Tears weren’t hidden. Even little Danny seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, watching his older sister with worry.
Rose’s mom spotted her, and they shared hugs and tears, taking comfort in each other’s presence. They stood in silence, taking comfort from each other. Eventually, nurses guided them into a waiting room for refreshment and rest. But Cecilia wasn’t hungry. She wasn’t sure she’d ever eat again. Her guardian gave her space, allowing her to grieve in her own way.
“Without Rose, the world is doomed.” Cecilia thought. There was no hope of saving her from the Altair infection.
Cecilia howled and kicked a nearby seat. It flew across the room, startling the others. She hated herself, wishing she could have prevented this somehow. She had the keys to amazing cosmic knowledge, but what use was that now? Why had fate granted her this curse? It had done nothing to help any of them. Rose’s mother moved to talk to her, but Cecilia only stomped off. No one pursued her.
In the bathroom, she stared at the mirror and the ugly, gangly, horrible girl staring back at her. She was a freak, a monster created in a lab. Cecilia didn’t bother denying it. The scientists who’d created her thought they were playing God, making something capable of changing the world. Instead, they’d only created a freak with useless visions. What use was she to anyone? She put her hands on her head, sobbing convulsively.
In the bathroom’s silence, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it, ready to hurl it across the room. But the caller caught her attention. Macauley?!
With shaky hands, she answered the call. “Yes?”
“We can save her.” A familiar distorted voice said. “But you’ll have to trust me, Meet me at this location.”
Her phone buzzed and she scanned the texted address. “You’re sure this isn’t just BS?”
“She’s my friend too,” Macauley replied. Huh? What did that mean? Did he know Rose personally somehow? “We’ll get through this, Cecilia. See you soon.”
Cecilia stared at her phone. Was this all a joke? Was his promise even possible? “It doesn’t matter,” she said, resolve hardening. “I’m saving Rose, no matter the cost.”