The drone’s blue stripe flashed twice and the smaller ones in front of the screen of data hovered around the group and disappeared through another door behind Denver that he hadn’t spotted originally.
“Follow us,” Drone 451 said. “We have much to discuss.”
Leaving the remains of Hagellan and Vingo behind, Denver followed the scion along with Charlie and Layla, all three of them sharing a ‘what the fuck?’ expression.
Chapter 36
LAYLA WOKE ON A SOFT BED, stretched and yawned. A cool draft pumped from a chrome vent in the roof, providing air in the pressurized barrack block. These sparse white rooms attached to the command center were used by humans when serving on Tredeya. It came as no surprise that Vingo didn’t tell them about the area. She wondered if he spoke a word of truth during their whole time together.
The partially split dark blue armor stood at the end of the bed with her helmet propped on top of it and a tredeyan rifle slung over the shoulder. The last two days were the strangest in Layla’s life, but she could see light at the end of the tunnel.
Sleep came easily after being transported back by the scion prisms, who provided clean filters for their suits and promised no harm would come to them. Drone 451 showed them a video of a shocked-looking Mike, Mai and Maria and told them they were safe and Augustus perished in the battle for Unity.
Layla activated a screen at the end of her bed and looked at the still image of their faces again. The drones refused to give more information until they spoke to an agent called Doslin.
It was a relief that the city survived the attack and all three of them lived through it. She found Augustus’ death the most unbelievable. The man was an eternal survivor and seemed to get away with everything he did. Layla assumed he would be a thorn in her side until her dying days.
Reflecting on her post-invasion life, it was the first time she felt real pride about her role in society. It wasn’t like reintegrating human livestock back into civilized life. That was just repairing the damage that she played a part in creating. Augustus forced her, under the threat of death, to work on a farm. Her path for survival involved self-preservation at the expense of others. Those days were over.
Together with Charlie and Denver, they put their lives on the line for Earth.
A female tredeyan, dressed in a peach-colored robe, knocked on the transparent glass door. Layla thumbed the panel by the side of her bed and the door hissed open.
“I am Doslin,” she said. “Follow me to the observation deck.”
“Do I need to put my suit on?”
“No. It’s safe for you to breathe. Please, this way. I will reunite you with your friends.”
“You breathe our air?”
“It’s purer than Tredeya’s. I wouldn’t advise you to try the opposite.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
Doslin led Layla up two flights of stone steps to a dull gray corridor. The caverns looked barely recognizable after a good six hours sleep and a lower threat level. The scion had taken full control, and only their agents were allowed access. Instead of seeing the passages as dark, alien and intimidating, expecting a threat around every corner, Layla took some time to peer in every room and murky corner. She doubted she’d get a chance to see a world like this again.
In one room, two black prisms hovered next to a bank of glass boxes with circuitry and boards inside. Three slaughtered clusps were piled in another. Electronic pads were attached to the smoothly carved walls at regular intervals, some had views to other parts of the cavern system on their screens, others provided security access to sturdy metal doors. None required wiring because of their wireless energy solution. Layla wondered if they could take some of the tech back to Earth for Mike to reverse engineer.
“What do you know about humans?” Layla said.
“I’ve met them here and on one of our mineral planets. I like them.”
“Is that where you learned our language?”
“We learn it as children, along with croatoan since their colonization of our planet. We despise their presence.”
“How does working with the scion help?” Layla said.
“If it means ridding our species of the croatoans, I’m prepared to do it.”
Layla frowned and shook her head. “The scion attacked you and have taken over parts of your planet. Is that what you were working toward? How is that any better than living under croatoan rule?”
“Charlie and Denver asked the same questions. I will provide you all with an overview.”
They passed through an automatic set of double doors to a thirty-meter-wide room. A floor-to-ceiling window looked out over the immediate landscape. Charlie and Denver stood in front of it, gazing outside and chatting.
Denver turned and smiled. “Nice to see you’re awake.”
“Learned anything new?” Charlie said.
“Not really. Our host says we’ve been asking the same questions. I guess it’s time for us to hear it.”
Charlie grabbed a cup from a polished stone table and handed it to Layla. “Here’s something to toast the death of Augustus.”
“I’ve just been thinking about that. Gregor would be pleased.”
“Screw him,” Denver said. “I want to know if we’ve got a way back.”
Layla peered over his shoulder. The remains of the gate towered over the forest outside. The two edges of the broken ring glinted in the sun and seemed to be expanding toward each other. Mechs floated on either side of it and fired lasers. Other small black square objects moved smoothly up and down the internal side.
“They should have it finished in a unit,” Doslin said. “You can be on the ship if you agree to our terms.”
Charlie stepped toward her. “Are you serious? We’ve been messed around since arriving. I can’t take another false promise.”
Doslin held her stumpy translucent fingers toward a granite bench. “Take a seat and I will explain.”
Layla sat between Charlie and Denver. Doslin knelt in front of them. “Tredeya and Earth are both parts of a Galactic struggle between two force—”
“I kinda guessed that,” Charlie said. “What’s that got to do with us?”
“You need to see the full picture. The croatoans colonized hundreds of planets in the universe. Earth or Tredeya are not exceptions. Croatoans see it as their right as one of the oldest species, and use our resources for their expanding population.”
“Vingo hinted toward that,” Denver said. “Where do the scion come in?”
“They are on a quest to find their purpose and believe that the information they need is spread around the universe, including Earth.”
“They’re going to invade us?” Layla said.
“No. Mike has agreed to give them access to Hagellan’s devices and any other system they choose. If you give them what they want, they are happy to let you live peaceful lives and will leave a ship in the solar system for protection against the croatoans.”
Charlie grunted. “And that’s why they’re standing on the croatoans’ toes.”
“What do you mean?” Doslin said.
“The scion are liberating any colonized planet that goes along with their request. It sounds like your command made a huge mistake.”
“You’re correct, and it’s also the reason Tredaya has finally fallen today. Our commanders followed croatoan instructions to the letter.” Doslin bowed her head. “They thought being attacked by the scion was better than facing a croatoan planet destroyer. That is a risk any rebelling planet faces.”
“Have the croatoans managed to get past the scion defenses yet?”
“I’ve only heard rumors about two distant colonies. I believe you call it a myth, but the croatoans use these stories as a threat.”