Militia guards were checking quarters to make sure everyone had left. Les jogged the rest of the way to the bridge and used his key card to get in.
Captain DaVita, standing at the central table with her palms on the surface, looked up.
“About time, Lieutenant.”
“Sorry, I was saying goodbye to my family.”
She walked over to Dave Connor’s navigation and weather station.
“Report, Ensign,” Katrina said.
He looked up from the monitors. “Not much wind, Captain. Out of the north-northeast at around five knots. Closest storm is a forty-mile front about ten knots to the south. Barometer has dropped only slightly. I’d say we’re good to go, ma’am.”
She picked up a handset off the bulkhead.
“Samson, this is Katrina. Skies look good. How’s everything looking on your end?”
“I’m hot as hell and haven’t taken a crap in three days.”
Dave grinned, but Katrina didn’t seem amused.
“I really wish you’d reconsider this mission,” Samson said. “I told you we’re fine on fuel cells for another six months, and your leaving us means we’ll have to use our turbofans to compensate.”
“This mission isn’t about fuel cells, Samson, and you’re not going to burn much power without us. We won’t be gone long.”
“All due respect, ma’am, you don’t know how long you’ll be gone. Unless something’s changed.”
“Nothing has changed, Samson. I’m still captain, and I’m not in a mood to argue.”
“You put me in charge of the Hive in your absence and until you bring Pepper back online.”
“And?”
“And I’m just voicing my honest opinion, as always.”
Katrina exchanged a glance with Les, who couldn’t quite stifle his grin.
“That’s what I like and hate about you Samson,” she said.
“I know, ma’am. And if I can’t get you to reconsider, well, you have the green light from engineering. I’ll have my teams retract the span between ships.”
“Good. I’ll have Dr. Huff send a laxative to your quarters as a special thank-you.”
Samson laughed at that. “Good luck out there, Captain. May the skies be friendly for the journey and dive.”
She placed the handset back on its hook and patted Connor on the back. Then she walked over to Les and whispered, “I know what you’re going to say, but I don’t want you diving on this mission.”
Timothy gave a final warning over the comms, counting down from one minute.
“Ma’am, I appreciate that, but I think Erin, Michael, and Layla should have a fourth member.”
Katrina played with the end of one of her braids. “I’ll think about it.”
“Captain, this is Sergeant Sloan. My teams have cleared Deliverance of all noncritical personnel. You have the all clear to undock.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Katrina said, turning to her crew. “Okay, everyone, that leaves just a handful of farmers, some engineers, us, and the divers.”
Les moved over to the flight dashboard and took the program off autopilot with a punch of a button. Then he grabbed the U-shaped control yoke and prepared for the order that would separate the ships.
“Do it,” Katrina said.
A warning alarm sounded, filling the bridge with the wail that always came before a dive. This time, instead of proclaiming the imminent launch of humans diving to the surface, it signaled the disconnection of the two final bastions of humanity for the first time since they docked together.
“Retracting beams one through five,” Bronson announced.
Five loud clicks resounded through the ship, and a slight vibration rocked the bridge.
“Retracting beams six through ten.”
The sound repeated, and Les slowly guided Deliverance backward using the advanced thrusters under the stern.
“We’re away,” Bronson said.
“Fifteen degrees down angle,” Katrina said to Les. She took a seat in the leather captain’s chair and tapped her credentials onto the screen next to her.
Come on, sweetheart, be good to me, Les thought as he watched the Hive pull away.
The main monitor fired, and an image of his home came online. Les alternated his gaze from the view to his screen as he continued backing Deliverance away. A violent vibration shook the airship. He held the controls steady.
“Slowly, Lieutenant,” Katrina said.
Deliverance groaned again as it canted downward at a fifteen-degree angle. His eyes went back to the main screen, where a view of the Hive was captured in Deliverance’s frontal high beams. In the glow, he could see all the scars of the Hive’s two and a half centuries in the sky.
His wife and daughter were there, and though he had his son with him on Deliverance, Les still felt as if he were leaving a piece of himself behind as the ship pulled away.
“Goodbye, my loves,” he whispered.
ELEVEN
“Pepper, you about got this floating shit can up and running yet?” X growled.
“Working on it, Commander.”
“How about the radio?”
“Almost there, sir.”
X continued grumbling, and Magnolia, sitting in front of the control panel on the Sea Wolf, went back to digging through the medical pack, trying to ignore him. They were still anchored in the bay, and she was using the time to look after their injuries.
Miles was already patched up, and she patted his furry head. “You’re going to be just fine, boy.”
The boat swayed in the rough water, and Magnolia waited for it to level out before digging back into the med pack.
“Fucking engine two is still offline,” X growled. “Pepper, give me a sitrep.”
“Commander Rodriguez, engine one is operational, but I would strongly suggest not putting too much strain on it, especially with the status of our mainmast. I can’t guarantee we will be able to use the mizzenmast if we need to get the sails up.”
“Yeah, I get it,” said X. “If we lose both engines, we’re well and truly screwed. For now, concentrate on trying to figure out what’s wrong with number two.”
“We need to get that wound taken care of,” Magnolia said, eyeing his arm. She pulled out a bandage and a packet of antibacterial gel. Then she nodded at the chair beside her.
X took a seat and pulled back his sleeve. The gash was puffy and inflamed, and a red streak ran up his forearm.
Miles sniffed the air and licked X’s hand.
“Thanks for getting him taken care of, and again, my apologies for being such a prick.”
“See, now, was that so hard?” Magnolia asked.
X raised his brow with the scar gapping through the middle.
“Apologizing,” she said with a smile.
“Hey, I don’t hear you saying sorry or thanking me for saving you after you went ass over teakettle off the bluff.” He gave her a scrutinizing look. “You’re the one that probably needs checking out.”
“I’m fine.”
“Sure you don’t want me to take a look?”
She nodded, touching the welt on the top of her head. Dried blood already crusted beneath her hair. “Hold out your arm.”
Gritting his teeth, he pulled the sleeve up to his elbow.
“Jeez,” Magnolia said.
“I’ve been kissed by worse things.”
She chuckled at his choice of words. Placing the bandage on her lap, she opened the bottle of gel and waited for an even keel.
“This is going to sting. Want some shine?”
X shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Pepper, how about you give me another sitrep while—”