It was hours later. A loud beeping broke through the quiet ship. Reyer felt her shoulders tighten as the familiar noise pulled her from her restless sleep. When she was awake enough to realize why she recognized the sound, she sat up and looked for Jane.

Jane was fine. She was rising out of her stupor with a glower reserved for the pile of tablets that was producing the noise.

Vas had woken up as well. “Ciro!”

His brother pawed clumsily at the tablets. “I can hear it, Adan.”

Vas made it to his feet and walked toward him. “Isn’t that the same alarm—”

“Yes.”

Vas looked over at Jane, then back at his brother. “Why is it going off?”

“Not sure.” Ciro pulled one of the tablets onto his lap and rubbed both eyes. “It’s something about Jane. Something’s wrong.”

Jane was instantly wide awake. “What could be wrong?”

“You’re here with us, so it can’t be too bad. Usually when it goes off, it’s someone trying to track down the servers where your site is hosted.”

“It’s happened before?”

Ciro nodded as he typed.

“Why would someone do that?” Reyer asked, coming up to the captain’s side.

“It’s a thing people do,” Sipos said.

Heads turned to look at him.

He shifted up on his bench and pulled the blanket around him tighter. “Sometimes it’s a hacker trying to figure out the layout of the program. If Mr. Vas was the one who set up Jane’s site, I understand why people would want to delve his work.”

“So they can copy it,” Jane muttered.

“Or they could be doing it for other reasons.” Sipos shrugged with only one shoulder.

“What other reasons?” Vas demanded.

“I don’t know, Captain—why do you think someone would go through the trouble of working their way through a complex program to find out where the servers are?”

Ciro swore. Without looking up from the screen, he said, “Jane, I need your help. The rest of you, clear out.”

Tate, Reyer, and Vas all backed away. Ciro gave Jane instructions in an urgent monotone while she quickly moved to execute them. He never stopped working as, around him, she constructed a computer system out of almost every tablet and wire Ciro had brought. When she was done, she sat down beside him.

Ciro abruptly stopped typing. The cabin was motionless.

Jane reached forward and pulled one of the tablets toward her. Her other hand covered her mouth.

When it dropped away from her face, she demanded, “A backup. Tell me you have a backup.” She looked up at Tate. “Tell me that somewhere in that tricky little program you used to wipe my network, it created a backup!”

Tate had never felt so powerless in his life. He turned to Ciro.

“It’s back on Home Base,” Ciro said. “It was automated, so you might’ve lost as much as three-days of work, but it’s off network and secure.”

Jane put a hand to her chest and gulped in air. “Good. Thank you.”

“It’s gone?” Vas asked.

“All of it,” Ciro said. “They took out each server simultaneously, and if I don’t miss my guess, they have blood-hound code looking for anyone who downloaded any information from it.” He looked up at his brother. “Adan, they’re going after the information. They’re destroying everything.”

The captain grimaced and turned away, but he said nothing. No one seemed to know what to say.

Tate and Ciro started to make coffee for anyone desperate enough to want some. Vas went over to where Reyer was leaning back on the elevated deck of the cockpit.

When they were shoulder to shoulder, he whispered, “Advice?”

Reyer folded her arms. “You think this might be evidence that we can’t wait a day?”

“I know Ciro’s work. If someone set up a way to collapse one of his systems, they put a lot of time and trouble into it. They’re serious about getting rid of this information. If they know about Fable’s files, it’s only a matter of time before they go after it. If they haven’t already.”

“Gardner said that Fable might have been the only one who knew exactly how many human-xenos were created by Project 32. Those files are our best hope for getting that information.” Reyer looked up at Vas. “The question is, is it worth the risk?”

“You don’t like it.”

Alix’s eyes darted over to where Jane was sitting. “I don’t like putting my friends in danger, especially if they’re civilians.” In response to Adan’s impish smile, she hissed, “I’m not a civilian.”

“Then someone really misfiled your paperwork.”

“I’ll be sure to get a copy and show you where you can shove it.”

“Not a sergeant, not a civilian—it’s a strange life you lead, troublemaker.” The captain pushed away from where he was leaning and moved toward Gardner. The former general had woken up with the others, but he’d felt no need to involve himself in the commotion. “General, we could use the name of Fable’s old base about now.”

“I hope you have a good collection of star charts, Captain.” Gardner stood up. “I’m afraid I can’t even tell you what section it’s in.”

“You know its name, right?”

“I know its name. That’s all I know.”

“Then we can look up the rest.”

“It’s called Geonon One.”

Gardner took a step back when Vas and Tate rounded on him. There was something ferocious in their expressions.

It was Reyer who broke the silence. “It’s in the second section, fifth star chart.”

Ciro’s hands were poised above a tablet. “We don’t need to look it up?”

“No,” Reyer said. “I remember where it is.”

“Are you okay?” Jane asked.

“I’m fine.” Reyer turned away. “I hope you all have something warm to wear.”

[https://i.imgur.com/6iM8gcI.png]

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They only dipped below the thick cloud cover once Ciro confirmed there was no sign of any activity on the planet. Alix stood over Adan’s shoulder and directed him down.

Since he had nothing else to do, Gardner decided he might as well presume to use his new best-friendship. He sat down next to Tate as the man checked the ship’s supply of weapons.

“Miss Reyer seems to know this place well,” Gardner said.

“She ought to, General,” Tate said. “After all, she died here.”

Thus enlightened, Gardner shut his mouth. He grabbed onto the bench when he felt the ship shudder from the first touchdown.

Once the Golondrina was resting on the frozen ground, Vas came down to the main cabin. He and Reyer were still talking.

“How much further?” Vas asked.

“Probably half a kilometer. Maybe less.”

“We could’ve gotten in closer.”

“It’s possible, but you wanted a back-way in. This is the only back-way in that I can vouch for.”

The captain nodded. He realized everyone on the ship was watching them and sighed. It wasn’t often he wished for a bigger ship, but then again, it wasn’t often he had four nosy passengers and a prisoner.

And Alix. But she didn’t count.

“Who’s coming?” Vas kept his voice low so at least the rest of them would have to strain to listen in to the conversation.

“I am.”

“You’re the only one that knows the way.”

“Yep.” Reyer smiled. “You can’t even argue about leaving me behind this time.”

Vas paused his preparations long enough to shoot her a look.

Alix continued, “We’ll need Lynx. The blast failed to collapse the cave, but it wasn’t a dud. He’ll be able to move any debris.”

“I would also be able to warn you if a collapse was imminent,” the robot said.

“Gardner has his ID,” Reyer said, “which will hopefully be able to open most doors.”

“And Ciro,” Ciro added, “who can open the rest.”

“You can do that through Lynx if you have to.” Adan stopped when Reyer shook her head. “No?”

“The signal here is crap,” she said. “We don’t have the low frequency radio technology we’d need. And even that would get blocked by the caves.”

“But Lynx—”

“Lynx doesn’t have all my programs,” Ciro said, “and he has to be directed to use the right one if he runs into an unfamiliar problem.”

“Fine.”

“I’m coming too,” Jane said.

“What’s your excuse, Doctor?” Vas asked.

“You might miss something important as you go through the files.”

“Believe it or not, a few of us know how to read.”

“Do you know how to recognize charts and science tables created by experiments?”

“I do.” Tate stood up and handed Vas and Reyer their e-pistols, then threw an XM4 over his shoulder. “I can also take rear, watch your back, fight hand-to-hand, and I know how to follow battle orders—including Sarge’s, which occasionally come out as nothing but cuss words. Hell,” he said as he attached a machete sheath to his belt, “I can practically read her mind.”

Vas glanced at Reyer.

She half shrugged, half nodded.

“You’re in,” the captain said.

Tate smiled and passed Vas his dao sword.

“If he’s going, then I’m going,” Jane said.

The captain and Reyer both looked up, surprised by the passion in her voice. She was pale. Her lips were nothing but a thin line. They looked past her to the only man still sitting down.

“Oh! My turn?” Sipos wiggled his still cuffed hands in front of him. “I can play the piano.”

Reyer stepped closer to Vas. “We’re not leaving Jane alone with him.”

“I don’t want to either,” the captain whispered back, “but it’ll be hard enough to do this without having to drag along a prisoner.”

“Then she’s coming with us.”

“If he’s left here alone, he might be able to figure out how to pick his way out of those security cuffs.”

Joseph put his hand up on the overhead and leaned closer. “Not if we break his fingers.”

“My god, Tate!” Reyer said. “What did he do to you?”

“Yeah,” Vas said. “If we did that, he wouldn’t be able to play the piano anymore.”

“Captain, you made a valid, factual observation, but I believe I heard sarcasm in your tone. Is my auditory program—”

“You’re hearing is fine, Lynx,” Ciro said.

Reyer reached out and put her hand on Vas’s arm. “Adan, is he going to find it easier to escape if he’s cuffed to the ship, or if he’s out there with us while we’re distracted because we have to try to navigate a bombed-out enemy base?”

There was an inarticulate grumble from the captain. Then he said, “Ciro, secure the ship. Tate, secure the prisoner—and put his hands back behind his back. Jane, XM4 or e-pistol?”

“Both.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Jane, you only get one, or there won’t be enough for everyone. You have to share.”

“The XM4 then. Please.”

After Tate finished immobilizing Sipos, he joined the others at the ramp. Vas pressed the button to lower it.

The blast of cold tore through every layer they were wearing. It was exactly like Reyer remembered. She leaned into it, while everyone but Lynx leaned away.

“This way.” Reyer stepped out onto the ramp.

Coming in, the planet had seemed to be made out of nothing but dull light and shadows. They could see more color here, but it was bleak and sable toned. Even the green and brown of the forest seemed to be variations of gray and black. Alix led them up a long easy slope, dodging between the dense trees. The ground was bare. Vas assumed that no snow ever fell because he couldn’t imagine the sun making it through the clouds to melt any gathered drifts.

“It’s so dim here,” he muttered.

Jane came up beside him. “That’s probably why the trees look so desiccated. They’ve learned to live off nothing but ambient light, or there might be a short season where the clouds break.” She reached out a gloved hand to touch one of the trunks. “Or maybe they aren’t photosynthetic plants at all. Maybe they only superficially resemble trees.”

“Is that possible, Doctor?”

“Anything’s possible, Captain. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen. Life has patterns because it’s all the same matter, but you’d be amazed what the universe does with its building blocks.” Jane checked to see how far ahead Reyer was, but she still lowered her voice. “What’s going on, Vas? What is this place? Why is Alix so upset?”

Vas hunted for a way to buy some time. “You think she’s upset?”

“I’d put every credit I have on the bet. The only time she goes all blank like that is when something’s wrong.”

The captain heard Ciro and Gardner both hurry to catch up to them. “Maybe later, Doctor.”

“Maybe now. Or I’ll go ask her.”

Vas stopped walking. Tate, who was bringing up the rear, had time to join the small huddle before Adan started speaking. “Geonon One was her last mission.”

“But no one’s been here for years,” Gardner said.

“I didn’t say it was a recent mission.”

“Ah. The bombing. She was there?”

“She was leading one of the squads.”

“What happened?” Jane asked.

“We were betrayed.” Reyer’s voice carried down from the ridge where she and Lynx had stopped. “Everyone died.”

The men had the decency to look mildly ashamed of themselves.

“If you walk faster, you won’t get as cold.” Alix moved on.

The others followed when Dr. Jane ran a few steps. As she got closer to Reyer, Jane called out, “Were you trying to kill the xenos?”

“We thought it was nothing but a supply station. We had no idea it was connected with Project 32.”

“It was nothing but a supply station.” Gardner’s labored breathing made it difficult for him to speak. “Except to us. Because it was so well hidden and little used, it was mostly unmanned. It was perfect for hiding the xenos.”

“But you’ve never been here,” Ciro said.

“I deployed them from my own base when they were needed for missions. I don’t even know how often Fable came here. Usually, Harlan was left in charge.”

“Of the whole base?”

“No. But he was a colonel. When the base commander was gone, he would’ve been the highest-ranking officer.”

“Maybe that’s why he was there that day.” Reyer squeezed her eyes shut to banish the memories. She opened them and kept walking, calling over her shoulder as she went, “Keep up. Not one of you has an excuse to move slower than me.”

Vas and Tate hung back.

“Is she going to be all right?” Tate whispered.

“Eventually.” Vas sighed, creating a billow of white. “The nightmares might come back for a while.”

They caught up when Reyer stopped to point down at a partly collapsed cave entrance. “There.”

Jane looked from the fallen rocks to her friend. “This is where you were injured.”

“Crushed. My leg was broken in three places. My foot was broken—my ribs. A severe concussion. And my back.” Reyer was silent for a moment. “My last mission.”

[https://i.imgur.com/6iM8gcI.png]

Carter Levin heard the sounds behind him and stiffened.

His straining ears picked up more incautious noises. There was a group. They’d come in another way. He had no idea how, but he thought he knew who.

He moved away from his hidden vantage point above the base’s main entrance and crept along the walkways with his rifle held at the ready.

Once he found them, he dodged behind a wall, glancing down the stairwell only after he was certain they’d passed.

This was not what he’d expected.

He closed his eyes.

Expected or not, it was what he had to deal with.

There were six people. All of them were armed. At least two had distance weapons. They’d even given the damn robot a pistol.

But Gardner was among them, and they had no idea Levin was there. The base was a maze of towers and rooms built into the natural cavern wherever there was a convenient space. The rooms were connected by nothing but narrow metal walkways and stairs. Levin had been studying it for days and knew his way around. He also knew where they’d be going.

What was left of the base was running off one intact power source and a few supercells they hadn’t bothered to dig out from the wreckage. It wasn’t much, but the base had been designed to run off not much. They’d find the functional panel, and Gardner would be able to look up the location of Fable’s old office.

Levin had plenty of time to choose his place and set up before they got there.

When he heard them making their way toward him, he detached his scope and belly crawled forward to the edge of the walkway. He had to confirm his target. He hadn’t spotted Sipos the first time, but if the biologist was there, Levin would have to choose his priority. The safest assumption was that he’d only get one shot.

The scope stopped on the figure of a small woman with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail.

When Levin unfroze, he rolled to his back and stared up at the distant cavern ceiling.

Well, that changes things.