Chapter Sixty-Three

It seemed like the universe had granted her deepest desire. Viktoriya could not help the smile that took over her face.

Aura was alive, and that was all that mattered.

There were lots of things she wanted to know.

Even more, questions she wished to ask.

How had she survived?

Most of all, she had to apologize. She had to tell her she was sorry for getting her killed. Well, not actually killed, considering that she was here now.

“Hey, baby, out saving the world?” Aura said over the comm.

Viktoriya smiled, her eyes still fixed on the dropship that was drawing nearer to her.

“You are alive!” Viktoriya shouted before she could think.

“Yes, I am! Please tell them not to blast me out of the sky, I couldn’t change my Chip6-ID no matter how hard I tried to hack the thing. So, they know that it’s me up here,” she said, laughing.

Every fiber of Viktoriya’s being was excited.

“Vik, I’m so sorry about what happened. I’ve missed you! You need a lift to the top of that thing?” she asked in the same tranquil voice.

“Yes. Oh, that would be the best thing ever!” she yelled back.

Viktoriya felt like she was about to explode from the happiness coursing through her veins. For a moment, she forgot about everything else, even the alien ship rising.

She disregarded the men standing far behind her with their weapons ready to bring down everything that appeared to be a threat. It was just her, her favorite aunt, and all the things she wanted to tell her.

“All right, move over to the left there, beside the plateau. I’ll drop in and pick you up there.”

Viktoriya turned the snow speeder to the clearing, where the ice remained as solid and clear as pearl white.

Once stopped, she and CLEFF began making their way to where the armored dropship hovered, blue flame pushing out of the thrusters.

Viktoriya and CLEFF raced toward Aura’s ship as the metal bay door slid open, with Aura reaching her hand toward her. Viktoriya let out a broad smile, then reached for her aunt’s gloved hand. With one pull, Aura lifted her in.

“Oh, my gosh, it’s so nice and warm in here!” Viktoriya said.

She immediately grabbed Aura, hugging her tightly, jumping up and down.

“I thought you were dead,” she said.

Her eyes stung, her vision foggy with warm tears. Despite that, she pressed herself harder against Aura’s body, trying hard not to let go.

She could not help but think of all the times they had together.

All the time she spent with Choe.

“I know, love. I know. I’m sorry, I had to go underground into hiding for a while.”

Aura caressed her back softly, her gaze rising to meet the android that now stood beside the closed bay door, eyes fixed on both and the rest of the empty dropship, with only a black bag at the rear end of the ship.

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Aura nodded to CLEFF, mouthing the words thank you. And perhaps he was becoming a bit more human than he thought was possible, but he understood.

Thank you for looking after her.

Thank you for protecting her when I couldn’t—and thank you for being there for her.

He understood what she meant even without her having to say anything, and all he could do was just nod.

She returned her gaze to Viktoriya, who had forgotten everything about her mission and now rested heavily in the soft, caring hug of her dear aunt.

She could not help but wonder what in the world the girl had been through, what she had done. Aura went to her knees, and only when Viktoriya noticed her moving did she loosen her grip.

Aura did not realize she was already crying or that the tears rolled down the side of her cheek until her dear friend wiped them off using the sleeve of her coat.

Aura let out a faint smile.

“Babe,” she muttered as Viktoriya stared back at her with childish innocence.

She wanted to squeeze her tight and tell her she was okay and everything was alright. But if the information she had gathered was correct, this young woman was here to save them all. And even though that was something that an adult should take care of, she knew there was little time, and her dear Viktoriya must continue.

“I am sorry for everything. I know I broke your trust and put you in danger, but I am here now for you and you alone. I promise,” Aura said.

Viktoriya gave her one of those smiles that could melt even the most frozen ice, saying, “It’s okay. I thought it may be my fault that you died.”

“No, baby, it wasn’t your fault at all, and see! I am not dead, not dead yet,” she winked. “But let’s save the world first, then talk about that later?”

“Sure! I need to stop that ship from leaving here,” she said, turning toward the ship, still breaking through slowly.

“Okay, I can blast it with this railgun! How’s that?”

“No!” Viktoriya quickly replied. “It has a translucent plasma shield that protects it from our weapons. So, instead of causing any damage, the bullets ricochet, and you never can tell where they would go.”

“Wow! That’s some grade-A defense there,” Aura said, taking the pilot seat and strapping the seat belts on.

“Yes, you just have to drop us onto it. At that point over there where the rigging guys drilled the hole, we will get the rest done,” she said.

“And the shield?”

“I think I can come up with something.”

Aura smiled as they took their seats. “Of course you will! Here, put this body armor on and pull the straps hard and tight.”

The dropship rose, then swiftly moved over the alien ship. Aura swiped through the control panel, engaging the dropship’s bay doors.

“I don’t think I can hang here for long,” she said as she struggled to keep from tipping to one side.

“Look, girl, I cannot land there on that ship. There’s too much of a slope. I’ll get you close, but I think that’s all I’m going to be able to do.”

“That’s exactly what I need!” she shouted back.

CLEFF interjected. “Viktori-Ya, accounting for the angle, and the deflection rate of the shield, and the…”

“Yeah, I see. We’re gonna start to slide off as soon as we drop. Aura, drop us there, about five meters upstream of the opening. CLEFF, I’ll drop right above you; you apply your braking thrusters to keep us on it and from sliding off for as long as you can. I’ll see about getting us inside as we come over the top of the hole. Got it?”

“All right! That’s perfect.”

Aura pulled the dropship down with the gears while the propellers turned again, the flames forming a squeezing sound as it collided with the shield.

The door clanged open, and they pulled their harness belts off. Then she looked to Aura, still with a smile on her face, but it did not touch her eyes this time. Almost like the weight of what she was about to do was now hanging on her.

“Be careful out there, kiddo,” Aura winced.

CLEFF leaped, then Viktoriya, neither knowing what to expect when they hit the surface.

He landed first, on all fours, face down atop the shield—attempting to set his feet to grip, positioning his arms to cradle her above him once she landed.

She landed a couple of meters higher than him and immediately slid down toward him.

The bay doors closed as Aura maneuvered her craft until it rose to a safe distance. She then turned the tracking video toward the two heroes. Sliding along the outside, they rode a vibrating tessellation of bumpiness on the shield until they came over the drilled hole.

CLEFF began firing braking thrusters as she slid against him, the defensive layer still reverberating, keeping them from penetrating through the hole into the hull.

“GravBoots?” she shouted.

“Great idea, but it doesn’t appear to be magnetic, Vik.”

She could not bring herself to think of any other thing except for saving the ones that she was there to deliver from this fate.

She hardened herself, refusing to give in to the fear that slowly wound up inside of her.

“I am the only one who can do this,” she reminded herself as she clung to CLEFF’s arms. She took a deep breath, then another, cycling her breathing evenly.

She recalled the routines Dr. Maribelle had taught her. Whenever she needed to think, and the feeling of fear tried to take over and numb her, all she had to do was focus, breathe, and believe.

“I need to breathe. Breathe.”

“I need to believe. Believe.”