Miles nudged his arm again. X was lucid enough to know now that the nightmare was just that, but chances were, Ada had already died from some other threat.
X lay back on the pillow and took a deep breath of fresh air. A pressure had settled in his skull, and his right arm felt numb. While his fever seemed to be going down, he wasn’t out of danger yet.
Discovery shuddered and groaned like a dying beast.
Les stood at the helm, arms folded over his chest, watching the storm clouds on the wall-mounted main screen, trying to process everything Lieutenant Sloan had told him on an encrypted line.
Over the past few days, X had taken a turn for the worse and was slipping in and out of consciousness. The fight with Vargas had left him broken and bedridden, and now an infection threatened his life.
Les had decided to keep the information from everyone on the ship. They had spent the night flying with one bank of thrusters and were minutes away from the Vanguard Islands. Once they arrived, he could assess how bad the situation really was, and then the others could know.
“Sir, I’m detecting a storm front ahead,” Timothy said.
The AI snapped Les back to reality. He looked over to the empty chair where Eevi normally sat. Timothy stood in her place while the grieving widow slept.
“Keep us clear of it,” Les ordered.
The AI nodded. “Taking us down to five thousand feet.”
Les sat down in his chair and closed his eyes for a few minutes of rest. He was generally happy with everything they had accomplished, although it had come at a great cost.
Losing Banks and two militia soldiers in the onslaught of bats had added to the deadly mission’s toll. Only one militia soldier was returning, and only two Cazador soldiers from General Santiago’s platoon. They had also lost a Hell Diver.
But the sacrifices had allowed thirty new souls a chance to see something they had never seen before: the sun. That in itself was a victory.
Les had also spoken with Lieutenant Sloan about providing security and a quarantine shelter for the newcomers once they landed.
He hoped the immune system boosters would protect them from whatever new pathogens they encountered.
Footsteps sounded on the bridge, and Les opened his eyes to see Michael and Magnolia cross the bridge, side by side.
“Everything’s ready, Captain,” Michael said. “As soon as we put down, Samson and his people will start repairs on the other thrusters and turbofans.”
“Good,” Les replied. “I want to be back in the sky as soon as possible.”
Michael and Magnolia exchanged a glance.
“Sir, back in the sky for what exactly?” Magnolia said.
“That’s classified for now.”
He had kept his plan to himself, just as he was keeping King Xavier’s condition under tight wraps. They may be returning to a situation that could spiral out of control, and he didn’t want any leaks.
“Classified?” Michael asked.
“Sounds like something Captain Jordan would say,” Magnolia muttered.
Les shot her a glare. “You’re out of line, Katib.”
“Agreed,” Michael said. “I’m sure Captain Mitchells has his reasons.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Magnolia said. “I’m just used to more transparency from you.”
Les didn’t respond to the insincere attempt at an apology.
She brushed her red locks back behind her ear. “If something’s going on back home, we should know, so we can prepare.”
Les could feel Timothy looking at him now. The AI was the only one who knew what Les did about the defectors. He had translated the conversation with their new passenger, Pedro, before they set down to repair the thrusters.
Captains had kept secrets in the past, and now he knew why. This one had the potential to change the future of the human race, and he wanted to discuss it with X before telling anyone else.
Assuming that X could talk at all.
The hatch on the bridge opened, and Layla walked in.
“Everything okay?” Michael asked.
“Eevi’s a wreck,” she said.
Les drew in a deep breath and sighed it out. The pain and suffering in their world never seemed to stop. But it touched them all, and together they would get through whatever awaited them at home and whatever the future held.
Layla took a seat at a station, and Michael said to Les, “Sir, is there anything you can tell us?”
Les put a hand on Michael’s shoulder.
“It’s X, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Commander,” Les said. “I spoke with Lieutenant Sloan a few times over an encrypted line, and his injuries have resulted in an infection. We’ve been careful about what to share on the radio and on the ship, because if he dies…”
“Dies? What the hell are you talking about? I just talked to him a few days ago, and he seemed—”
“Things have changed since then,” Les said. “I’m sorry, Commander. I don’t know much, but he’s in bad shape.”
Magnolia choked up.
“There’s something else. Two soldiers from the Lion escaped on a rowboat before Ada dropped the container into the ocean.”
“What?” Magnolia gasped.
“Do they know what she did?” Michael asked.
“I don’t know,” Les replied. “I can only guess this is why X and Rhino struck Vargas before he had a chance to rally the Cazador army and mount a coup.”
“With the death of General Santiago, there are only two Cazador officers left in the army now,” Michael said, “and neither of them seemed to like X. Forge and…”
“Bird lady,” Magnolia snorted. “A.k.a. bitch on wheels.”
“We have to be very careful when we land,” Les said. “I need you both to stay vigilant.”
Both Hell Divers nodded.
“You can count on that, Captain,” Michael said.
“If, by ‘vigilant,’ you mean offing bird lady, I’m totally down for that,” Magnolia said.
Les frowned. “I mean the polar opposite. We’re trying to avoid a war, not ignite one.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Magnolia said.
A blinking light appeared below.
“Captain, we’re closing in on the Vanguard Islands,” Timothy said. “Should have a visual shortly.”
Les motioned for them to join him in front of the hatches.
“Open them and take us down to sea level, Timothy,” Les commanded.
The hatches clanked downward, revealing the storm outside. Explosions of lightning burst through the bulging clouds, and rain pattered the windows.
Les clasped his hands behind his back as Discovery’s bow dipped. A warning played over the public address system, in English, then Spanish, then Portuguese.
He imagined what the new passengers must be feeling: fear, certainly, and anticipation of a world filled with sunshine and sweet air. It would be a drastic change for them, just as it had been for his people.
“We’ve reached five thousand feet,” Timothy reported.
The airship carved through the swirling blue-gray. As it descended, the storm clouds lightened until they became translucent.
“Three thousand feet,” Timothy said. “Prepare for visual.”
The bow exploded through the cloud cover surrounding the Vanguard Islands, and blinding light filled the bridge. The crew squinted into the golden glow.
“Timothy, activate the tint,” Les said.
“Done, sir.”
The sun shield, something they rarely had to use, activated on the windows, dimming the glare. As his eyes adjusted, Les beheld the Vanguard Islands with a faint smile.
The hatch opened again, and Eevi hurried to her station and sat down without a word.
Les turned back to the view.