Spring Changes, page 3
“On it,” he said.
To Miquel, I added, “I’m going to need you and Jai with full ears to the ground. We’ve got pieces coming in from all over the place. You’re doing a fantastic job of making sure we’re . . .” I coughed, emotion suddenly welling up, thinking of what could have been. “We’re all still alive.”
Miquel lowered his head. “We’re your closest, we’ll always be your closest. No matter who is beside you, count on us to be there if everything goes wrong.”
I turned to Jai. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Kyle,” Jai said. “You’ll have us all in tears.”
I pulled him to me and held on. No one stopped me; no one disturbed me. “My debt to you, for them, I can never repay,” I whispered.
“Repay me by nailing that motherfucker to the wall,” Jai said into my ear.
I pulled back and, locking eyes with him, I said, “Don’t you worry, he’s not coming back from this, as long as it takes.”
The med bay had some of the others in my team still resting. I went to the same room I’d woken in and climbed onto the rack with a bit more help than I wanted to admit. Shion and Sadie were on the case as soon as the others had escorted me through the door.
Jai and Tyto made the rounds talking to the others. There were handshakes and hugs, and I felt even prouder of who they were and what they were doing here.
Each of them had a hell of a story to tell, and I wanted to listen to them all. When Xirob came in, there were some strange stares. He made amends with many of them. Sadie was attentive, making sure I had fluid and extra nutrients going in. I heard the tail end of her talking to Shion, that I was psychically so exhausted that no amount of kenosi or life energy would get me going again.
I didn’t like hearing those words. Knowing what we had been through, what I’d seen in the transfer from Hiroto, it was a lot.
I lay back down, letting the world around me blur, and Hiroto spoke then. We’ll be okay, Kyle.
The softest touch traced down the side of my face. “I’m going to go with Xirob and Tyto. But we’re only a comm away, is that okay?”
I reached for Shion’s hand. Pulling it to my lips, I kissed it. “Yes, I’m just going to sleep.”
She leaned over and her lips touched mine for a brief moment. “I’m not far, but we have a lot to do before we land on Armastai.”
She wasn’t wrong. I had to let her go. Her hand pulled from mine as the room blurred some more, and then I slept.
I woke feeling much better. I had no idea how long I’d slept or what had been going on around me.
But it felt good.
The door opened, and Sadie poked her head in. “Thought you’d come around. How are you feeling?” she asked, perching on the end of the bed.
“Much better, thanks.”
“I know your stats are halved again. It will take you some time to get used to the lower weakness again, but you’ll grow back just as quick. It won’t last—it’s just punishment.”
“I know, just sucks.” I pushed myself up and into the supportive wall of pillows around me.
“Shion?” I asked.
“She’s been in a few times to check herself that things have been okay, despite me telling her she’d be the first to know.”
“First?”
“She’s your mate, so yeah, kinda like next of kin.”
That was good to know. Sadie handed me a drink and I took it, slurping the liquid up the side of it to almost choke.
“Easy,” she said pushing it down slightly.
I coughed. “How long do you think the minus on my account will stay?”
“I’m not sure,” she sighed. “I wish there was an easy answer for you there.”
“I need to get back to Armastai and kick some ass.” I frowned, sucking down more of the fluid. It made my stomach growl.
“You always need to kick some ass,” she said. “But this time, I’ll do it with you and you know everyone on this ship will.”
“I know.” I smiled and reached for her hand. “Thanks.”
“Just make sure you do get him and get Hiroto to record everything. We want that broadcast over Artemis, so we all see it.”
“I can do that!” Hiroto said over comms. “It would be my pleasure to let everyone see that asshole get his.”
“I never met anyone in our midst who could betray people like that,” Sadie said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I know, nor me. He’s supposed to be fighting for the front line, but I’m unsure that he is. I think some of them are more tainted than the guarde can actually admit.”
“But darkness?” Hiroto asked.
“Yes, I know I have that taint on me, and I am sure they do too. I just can’t see it or prove it.”
“We will,” he said. “If you think it is there, we will prove it.”
I pushed the sheets aside and moved to get up. “You think I’m okay enough to get up and walk about?”
“Of course, the more you start to do, the better. Just remember, you got used to the stats you had. This is a big drop.”
I smiled. “I will do. Thanks, Sadie.”
I left the med bay to see Tyto’s orders being completed around the ship. Where are the rest of my crew?
Mech bay, Hiroto answered and I headed on down into the belly of the ship to find out what they were doing.
3
The mech bay had empty slots.
Tyto smiled my way as I headed on over to them. “Good to see you about again, feeling better?”
“As good as I can be, yes.”
“We’ve just been making sure the slots can handle them. Meeting up with the Razor and Cristanna. They both have extra supplies we can use when we get to Armastai.”
“That’s good. Rendezvous?”
“A couple of hours, that’s all. They’re not in a bad place, and now we have the engines running again we can be there as soon as we have the kenosi to power through.”
“The M-Wolves?”
“Of course, and Shion and Xirob, they’re like frigging kenosi gods.”
“They’re damned powerful. I had no idea Xirob was so . . .”
“Like a god?”
“Yeah. What level is the denti queen?” I asked, not entirely sure I wanted to know.
“Last I heard, she wasn’t able to register her levels, but looking at Xirob, I’m not sure. I think she might well be able to rank herself.”
“If someone so powerful exists in this world, why do they not do more than they do?”
“I’m sure if she could do something and doesn’t, she has a damn good reason. They always do.”
“So I don’t need to do anything? We’re just waiting for the hook up?”
“Yeah. Hungry?”
I ran a hand down my uniform, feeling the differences in this body compared to all others. “Since when am I not hungry?”
Tyto laughed. “Come on, let’s get fed. Shion and the others are probably already there.”
“Sounds good to me.”
We turned and made our way back to the mess hall. Latife smiled out to me and waved us both over. “Sit down. I’ll get you something.”
“We can join the queue,” Tyto said.
“Nonsense. You’re all still recovering. Been doing a little extra table service for all of your team, told them when they come back next time not to expect it though.”
Tyto and I sat down at a corner table. I couldn’t see Shion in here, but almost all the rest of my team was, they were full of smiles and nods my way.
I thought the message out, then hesitated. I wasn’t sure everyone could make the mech bay. Then sent the message either way. It was the best place for us to meet, the only place we were comfortable. Injuries or not, we’d make this work. All of us.
Me - Debrief in the mech bay. Two hours.
I loved real food, texture, smells, taste. I ate everything Latife brought over while listening to Tyto bring me up to date.
“So a few hours and we can jump and get the mechs, then we’re returning to the planet. We going to have enough energy for another jump?”
“I think so, even if we have to sit back for a day, tinker with that we have.”
Not that my energy levels were huge, but if I could, I would do something.
No, Hiroto said. We’re sitting this out. We’ll just watch from the sidelines.
I drank some more of my fluids and pushed the plates away from myself.
“Okay, then I’ll go and watch from the bridge with Jai. At least I can do something useful there, right?”
“Of course,” Tyto said. “We’ll make sure everything else runs well—you just hang out and watch, give us updates as needed.”
I moved to stand and wobbled slightly. Tyto reached out to steady me, and I caught the look in his eye. “I don’t think any of you have been through this. Just like it was last time, it will take me a while.”
“I know. Just don’t like seeing you suffering.”
“If we don’t suffer, Ty, how do we ever know when we have something worth fighting for?”
He could do nothing but smile. “You’re right, as usual.”
I winked at him. I made sure as I turned, I was straight enough and steady enough not to have anyone else run out behind me.
“Are you sure you feel up to doing this?” Tyto asked as we walked—albeit slowly—down to the hangar.
“I’ll be okay. Just remember the me a while back, and I can’t keep up with you as much.”
Tyto nodded at me, as Shion and Xirob joined us. I smiled at her as we stepped into the hangar. My entire team was finally together, and there weren’t words for how amazing it was to see them.
Tyto and I walked into the circle of love, hugs, pats, and affection from them all. This time I accepted everything they gave me. When six strange denti came towards me, I struggled with recognising who they were. They were the M-Wolves, but they were so different.
Sorry, Hiroto said. I can’t tell either.
“Quill,” one of the men said. “I am glad to be here, Kyle. We’re working with Sadie and Oron to get back our own species’ bodies.”
I looked to the others, shook their almost human hands. Hugged and squeezed them. Especially Los.
“I’m okay,” Los said. “I’m alive.”
Alive is good, Hiroto said. Though it seemed a little sarcastic.
You’re alive, I replied to him.
Hiroto chuckled loudly inside my mind. Sure, I am.
His laugh turned into one of those real belly chuckles that totally took me over, and I started to laugh with him. I realised I was, of course, talking and laughing at myself as Tyto and Quill gave me an odd look. They all stood, eyeing me up as though I was possessed.
“Inside joke,” I said and tapped the side of my head.
I heard other muttering, and when I turned, I could see the others were uneasy around Xirob. There were a few cursory glances from Quill and Los to me, to make sure he was okay. This transition wasn’t easy on all of us.
“I know we have a lot to go over. Let me introduce to those who don’t know him, Xirob Veti. For those who do know him and our history, he is with me. He is trusted. Trust in that. Without him, without all the stops they pulled to get to this planet, we wouldn’t be here.”
There were several nods, along with a few who couldn’t meet my eyes. This would be a tough transition for all of us. Trusting him again, even though he had my back, would be hard.
I moved so I could face them all, and motioned for them to sit. “Make yourselves comfortable, please. I think we have a lot to work through, and we’re not quite a hundred percent.”
I let them settle down around us, on crates, chairs, anything. Naylar brought me a chair. I smiled at her and sat.
Looking at each of them, I knew their thoughts, their fears. So I started. “I want you to take a good look around those of us here.” I waited while they all did as I asked. “There are no words which will ever take away what we went through, what we as a team are going to go through. Just know each one of us is with you. There’s not one feeling”—I locked eyes with Evia and could see her eyes brimming with tears—“Not one feeling you are having I haven’t.”
She wiped her eyes, and Naylar pulled her closer for comfort.
“We came close, closer than we ever have to losing someone.” They all knew what had happened, and there were a few glances to Dylan. “Hiroto,” I said.
“I am here, and we will be okay. I want you all to know that too.”
I let them take in his words. “Let me talk here, though I know exactly how we’re all going to react. Our plan for the mega-merge is the same. Edward’s family is an integral part of the front line, and we can’t just go in there and bulldoze everything down. We’re taking him down in the way everyone will understand. He and his team are stronger than us as a whole. But he is not stronger than us in will. He can’t be beaten, but we can beat them. There are good people on that mega team. Those who are shrouded in his lies. We need to break through to them, bring them around to the better way of thinking. Our way of thinking.”
“So we’re still going for the remote-control option?” Dylan asked.
I looked at him. “Yes. Artemis and the guild are preparing now. We’re taking our mechs in, and we’re going to upgrade them, use them, and then make that merge in front of all of them. We’re going to prove there’s nothing which can break us. He’s not powerful enough to lead because he doesn’t do it the right way.”
“Isn’t that just something he’s been taught?” Craig asked.
“Not in my eyes, no. He’s blocking people because he can. To me, to us, that’s not teamwork, right?”
There were lots of nods.
“I don’t have a lot of energy at the moment, and I admit I’m feeling more than fragile. I won’t lie to you. The system is harder on me than most. I had all my stats halved.” I let the news settle in for a moment, Shion resting her hand on my shoulder. “It doesn’t mean I won’t get them back or we’ll be in any way disabled forever, it just means right now things are harder on me than what you’ve grown used to seeing.”
Shion squeezed. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to go any easier on him.”
I reached up and took her hand in mine, giving her the gentle encouragement to sit on my lap. Everyone laughed.
“That’s the team I know,” I said. “We have a lot to do. Artemis needs new engines, for one. Denn and the others here will be working flat out to get them in and get us moving again. We don’t need to rush, but we do need to get back as soon as we can.”
“Because of the others in his team?” Evia asked.
“There are some good people, so yes. I don’t want any of them working under him anymore, clouded by that judgment.”
Xirob stepped forward then, and everyone shied back a little. He oozed power without even trying.
“You will have seen me with my sister. You will understand some of my position on the base. What we do. Ohara is in charge of recruitment; I manage the front line. We are both under our stepfather Ozai Venkath, who of course manages us all.” He glanced to me and asked, “If I may show them something?”
“Of course.”
Xirob sparked his kenosi with ease, and watching him focus it and bring it into view above all of us was something else.
“You have seen the front line. What I am telling you is above your clearance, but you also need to see and hear these things if we’re going to alter recruitment that much for the future.”
When the image had settled, they could see what I know I’d seen out there, the length of the split. I mean, I’d seen it, right?
I do not know, but Kyle, this is far larger than what you have in your memories from the rift.
I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the pod liquid crusting my hair . . . I needed another shower and scrub.
“You need to know the numbers, so here they are. At the moment, I have ten mega generals beneath me on different sections of the line. Each of them manages eighteen thousand mega teams. They run in three shifts, and the ships that drop them in and out are piloted and run by two of the most organised factions I know. I coordinate intricately with them to keep the supplies going. Unfortunately, Edward’s family is one of them.”
“Eighteen thousand mega teams,” Dylan said, his face pale.
Hiroto did the math in my head for me to see and the number flashed up.
Total minds – 116,640,000
“You’re in charge of nearly a hundred and twenty million minds?” I asked, my mind spinning. I was sure in a war this size it wasn’t that many men.
“Yes, Kyle. That rift span has been steadily growing since humans found this side of our universe, and every year we train harder to join in that fight. But the training is so slow.”
“Since humans found . . .” Holy fuck. “Is this because of us?”
“No,” he tried to say. “Not entirely.”
I stood up. “The queen knew this. She knew with respawning and having two minds, you could double your force. Each one of us can take two spaces in a merge.”
“Damn. Your idea wasn’t really your idea?” Paul asked.
“Doubling your force would make a heck of a difference out there, wouldn’t it?” I asked him.
“You have no idea,” Xirob said. “We wouldn’t need to train as many, of course, but it would double the need for materials, and it’s something we didn’t want to disturb.”
“You mean Edward and his family.”
Xirob’s face furrowed. “I’m not sure where else we could get the materials we need.”
“I do. Give me some more time when we’re back planet-side to do some organising, but Vitya and Lara have their worlds and resources ready to go. No one in our universe is at odds at the moment; there’s no supply needed bar here. We’ll juggle, get Flaoer set up for production, even use the Dox system machines for reclamation. We bring everything this way.”
Xirob glanced to me and lowered his head. “You command the other side, Kyle. This is something none of us have ever been able to bring together.”
