Pop.

The distinctive pop of an atmospheric change shook through the ship as Wen checked her console. The electronic display across the clear green glass flickered for a moment before it came back on fully, displaying a map of the island below the ship.

Dry Turtle was a haven for anyone willing to accept its neutrality toward all parties. It didn't matter who you were so long as you were willing to pay the docking fees and keep the peace. Anyone who broke the peace had to deal with the consequences.

"So that's it," Alex whispered from the central seat, leaning back as he examined the display that ran the front of the ship.

"Look at all the ships." Sayed stood from his seat, getting closer to the screen. "I have never seen so many in one place."

"There's almost as many as a core island." Jean whistled.

Dry Turtle was one of the major ports in the Fringes, serving the First and Fourth Quadrants on the western side of Erth. It was the point of entry for much of the trade between different islands, so of course, it had many ships in docks, both in the air and in the sea.

"Where should we go for repairs, though," Alex asked as he examined the screen.

"You'll want to go to the east side of the island," Wen said, tapping on her screen and pulling up a map on the right side of the main display. "They have repair docks there and companies ready to do the work, so long as you can pay."

"The pay part might be the problem," Erin said. "It costs a lot to maintain a slipship, moreso a ship like this. It has stuff I've never seen before."

"But they don't care if we're outlaws, right?" Alex asked.

"So long as you keep the peace and pay what you owe, the Port Authority doesn't care if you've killed millions. They only care about doing business."

"How libertarian." Alex snorted.

"Before we land, I just want to make this absolutely clear," Wen said, turning in her seat so she could see everyone. "If you break the peace, we'll have to deal with a small army. I've been here twice and seen them break Military Police ships in half before they can escape. They have a special treaty that lets them off because they're the best at ship repairs on this side of the Erth."

"Why don't the Military Police just take it over?" Erin asked.

"They don't have the forces to take it and keep it, and it would destroy a service they actively use." Wen shrugged. "With what we know from the message, there's a good chance that they've been concentrating their forces toward the New World for a long time now."

Hrrm.

The engines whirred around them as Alex directed the ship down to the repair docks. Even with its damaged engines, the ship only shook a little. On the ground below were several bays, each with massive U-shaped clamps that rested out in the open. Each bay had a nearby metal warehouse that housed a company of repair crews from what Wen remembered.

"Which one do I go to?" Alex asked.

"Once they identify the ship, they'll activate a set of lights. Fly toward those. They assume you know how it all works if you came directly over here."

"I feel like that could backfire, considering what happens when you let everyone drive."

"Hah."

She watched her status screen as he brought the ship down. To her left, a bay lit up with yellow winking lights. Alex made some adjustments from his seat and started to bring the ship down. Wen held onto the glass screen, and the ship shook again as they landed.

Groan. Thump. Clink. Thump.

With a solid rumble, the clamps in the bay secured the ship, and Wen breathed a sigh of relief. They were on solid ground, and the entire events of the last week seemed to finally be over. The only real question was where they would go from here. She stood and almost immediately fell over.

Grumble.

Her ears burned as she glanced around her, but her stomach wasn't the only one complaining. Across from her, Sayed flinched as he groaned the loudest. They had all gone without food for three days during the trip from Diamond Peak. It was a surprise that any of them had steady feet.

"Let's get this settled and eat." Alex sighed, standing and starting toward the back of the bridge. "Let me just get Mari out."

Knock. Knock.

He knelt down and tapped on the bulging round access hatch in the floor at the back of the bridge. There was no response, and Wen shook her head. She didn't know Mari well, like she didn't know the rest of the crew well. She was their most recent addition, so she didn't have the background with the android that everyone else did.

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However, Mari was entirely unlike what she expected an android to be.

"Come on, Mari," Alex said. "You've been cooped up down there the entire trip. You need to come out just like the rest of us."

"I don't want to," her voice crackled over the speakers.

"Why not?" Alex asked.

"I am necessary to operate the ship, Alex. If I come out and am damaged or destroyed, you will not be able to keep using the ship."

"Why would you get hurt?" Alex dropped his head, focusing his gaze on the ground.

"Gary was hurt."

Alex looked up, eyeing Erin and cocking his head to the side.

"Back on Diamond Peak, he was beaten by this man in golden armor," Erin said.

"Prince Bibi," Wen said.

"Prince Bibi broke him," Erin corrected. "But Gary was able to kill him in the end."

Alex sighed, looking up at the ceiling before tapping on the hatch again. "You're not just a machine, Mari. You're part of our crew. We'll make sure you're safe, but you're not staying cooped up down there for the rest of our journey together. That's inhumane."

Wen wasn't sure that it mattered. Mari wasn't human. She was an android.

"But—"

"No buts," Alex said. "I'll rip this thing off its hinges and break the ship if you don't get out. We'll keep you safe. Trust us."

Click. Hiss.

The hatch popped up, releasing a stream of steam from its top before slowly opening. From below, a thin, pale figure emerged, pulling herself up from the darkness and sitting on the lip of the open hole. Mari wore a red cloak, the hood down to reveal long white hair and glowing blue eyes that were more like glass ovals than real human eyes. Black lines ran down her face, marking her as very much not human despite her child-like appearance.

"There you go." Alex held out his hand. "Let's go talk to the people who are probably waiting for us outside. Then we'll go and see this island together."

Mari pouted but still took his hand, standing up with him as he turned and nodded to everyone else. Wen shook her head. Having Mari along would be a liability. She would attract unwanted attention to the group, which was dangerous in Dry Turtle. She held up her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat.

"There's one other thing," she said. "We need to watch out for slavers."

"Slavers!" Sayed reacted immediately, his arms held wide and his palms open at his side.

"The Port Authorities don't care about who you are so long as you pay, right?" Wen said, locking eyes with each of them in turn. "That means that they let slavers operate here, too. While they're not supposed to poach people off the streets, that only matters if they get caught. They've been known to forge documents and hide behind the law once they capture someone."

"That could be a bit of trouble." Alex looked down at Mari. "You're saying the Port Authority won't handle any claims of someone getting kidnapped."

"How do you tell if someone's been kidnapped legitimately? Slavery complicates things."

"Point taken." Alex eyed Jean, and the dark man nodded. "We may have to make some arrangements, but we need to talk with the repair people first anyway. She's not going to get kidnapped the second we walk off board, right?"

"Unlikely," Wen said.

"Then let's go," Alex said, starting toward the exit.

The final hiccup appeared then. Kali stood at the entrance to the bridge, camera in her hand as she waited for everyone to come to her. Alex froze as he saw her, as if he was just remembering that the reporter was still on the ship.

Wen sighed. She had remembered Kali, but Kali was an additional complication. They would need to make sure she was on a ship toward the Core if she had any hope of getting home.

"Oh yeah," Alex said.

"Don't 'Oh yeah,' me." Kali narrowed her eyes. "You forgot about me."

"We've had a long week." Alex sighed. "Come on. You can come up with us, and we'll figure it out as we go."

"We'll find you a ship back to the Core," Wen said, walking up to Kali. "Enough ships are going in and out of Dry Turtle that you shouldn't have to wait long."

"The problem's going to be the expense." Kali sighed. "The ticket might be impossible."

Alex looked at Wen like he had no money, and Wen sighed. Money would be tight, but with the proceeds from Bibi's downpayment and her check from Sam 'Big Mouth' Bass, Wen was sure they could afford a ticket to the Core for Kali.

"Alright, enough complications," Alex said, pushing past Kali and Wen and starting down the ramp and along the hall. "I haven't been outside in days. Let's talk to this repair crew and start working on lunch."

He rushed up the spiral stairs close to the bridge's entrance and ascended to the hatch at the top. With a creak, the door's wheel opened, and the hatch popped away from the seal. Wen crossed her arms as she waited for the door to open with the others.

Slipships weren't usually designed to be airtight, but the Nighthawk was modeled like a submarine. It was designed for something more than what was needed in the nightsea, which made Wen wonder what the Dark Meridian was like.

Tap.

Alex stepped out from the slipship first, his boots tapping against the flat metal deck as he walked into the sunlight. Wen followed, and the sun hit her skin with warmth she hadn't felt in days. She blinked her eyes against the sun's bright rays, and humid air washed over her body as the earthy smell of a heavy jungle wafted through her nostrils. Looking to the north, she could see the trees of the massive jungle that covered the island. From her high vantage point, she could even catch a few structures in the distance built into the jungle. However, her eyes were more focused on the shipyard around her as the rest of the crew walked into the light.

There were about fifty ships held by the metal clamps all around them, spaced out over two hundred bays in total. They were all out in the open, and none were covered, but each had its own station nearby in the form of slanted metal buildings with corrugated tops and sides. The entire operation looked like it was built with only the bare bones. It reminded Wen of pilot stories from World War Two, with cobbled-together airports over chains of islands.

Hrrm. Phreet!

She watched as another slipship came in to land next to theirs, its long wooden hull easily double the length of the Nighthawk. As the ship came in for a landing, a short, shrill whistle blew below the ship. Alex ran for the side first, but Wen already knew that the ground crews would be down below, calling for them to disembark. He gave a quick thumbs up back at her and made his way over to the ladder, tossing it down and motioning for the others to follow.

They had arrived at Dry Turtle. Whatever else lay beyond it for the crew, Wen was ready to find out.