Layla held out two pills before he put his helmet on.
“No more,” he said. “I’m done with those. They make everything numb.”
“That’s the point, and you might need them for the trip back to Deliverance. Come on, Tin.”
“I said no.” His words and tone brooked no argument.
Layla closed her hand over the pills. “Fine.”
Les walked into the quarters. “Ready, Commander?”
Michael nodded.
“Follow me.”
The divers all made their way down to the hangar bay that had once been used to store aircraft and vehicles. Only one vehicle remained: an armored truck similar to the one back in the garage at Red Sphere. All the windows but one were cracked, and the tires flat. A mounted rocket launcher pointed ahead, the barrel covered in faded markings from centuries ago.
Helium boosters, armor, and helmets sat neatly arranged in front of the locked door. Michael glared at the two laser rifles on the ground, and then bent down to pick one up by the olive-green rail that had iron sights mounted to the barrel. Holding the weapon sent a bolt of pain through his stump and down his missing arm.
Layla reached out. “You okay, Tin?”
He nodded and examined the weapon that had taken his arm. “Do we know how these work now?”
Edgar nodded and grabbed the other gun. “Battery operated. These two have about half a charge left.” He pushed a button on the bottom of the barrel, ejecting the battery that had a display on the side. “This one is at forty-seven percent.”
“All right, everyone,” Katrina said. “Gather around.”
She motioned for everyone to join her around a computer station on the starboard bulkhead. The screen had multiple cracks across the surface, but it somehow came to life, activating a map of their current location.
“These are the Metal Islands,” Katrina said. “Interestingly, they aren’t actually islands at all, but old-world drilling platforms that once pumped oil.”
Michael gritted his teeth at a fresh wave of pain. He didn’t regret passing on the pills yet, but maybe Layla was right.
“We’re not sure how many oil rigs there are or how many Cazadores we’re going to be facing,” Katrina said, “which makes forming a battle plan difficult. The last thing I want is to blow up anything we might need to make this our home. But we have to make them pay dearly enough that they surrender.”
“These people are barbarians,” Layla said. “They aren’t just going to lay down their weapons when the Hive and Deliverance descend on them and we show up with the Zion.”
“Perhaps not,” Katrina said. “But they will pay a heavy cost until they do.”
She put her palms on the desktop and looked at each diver in turn with the confident gaze of a captain. Whatever doubts, grief, and insecurities she was harboring, none of it showed. The woman in front of Michael was the leader he remembered before she lost her child—the woman X had once loved.
“Vish, Sandy, Jed, Eevi, and Alexander will parachute to the deck shortly,” Katrina said. “I’ve asked them to bring a fuel cell from the airship to help us get to the Metal Islands.” She looked to Trey and Jaideep. “You two will remain here with the other divers and me.”
“I’m ready to fight,” Trey said.
Michael envied his friend, who had the bearing of a young man ready to go to war. No matter how hard Michael wanted to fight, this was one he must sit out.
Katrina looked to him and Layla next. “Layla, I need you and Les to return to Deliverance with Michael and Edgar. You will then fly to meet the Hive. As soon as you dock, your orders are simple: recruit a fighting force. We can’t do this all with missiles and cannons.”
Several nods.
“Once that’s done, the airships will meet us at the Metal Islands, and we will give el Pulpo a chance to surrender and hand over X, Mags, and Miles.”
More nods, except from Edgar.
“With your permission, Captain, I’d like to stay here,” he said in a gruff voice.
Everyone turned to look at the young man.
“You’re wounded,” Layla said.
“Don’t matter. I don’t want to go back up there. Ramon’s dead. He was all I had in the sky.”
Katrina held his gaze for a moment and finally nodded. “You can stay. I’ll need the extra help.” She looked at them all in turn again. “Any other questions?”
Les appeared to want to say something. It was obvious he didn’t want to leave his son.
Katrina stood up straight from the station and clapped her hands together. “Okay, let’s get ready. Deliverance is traveling at top speed toward our coordinates and should be in position within a half hour. We have a window in the storm above, people, and I don’t want to miss it.”
Les led the group toward the closed hangar-bay door.
“You heard the captain; everyone, suit up.”
Layla helped Michael into his armor. They were face-to-face, close enough that no one but her could hear him.
“Do you think this is the right move?” he murmured.
“I don’t know what the right move is anymore, Tin. I mean, they found a place we can call home, but it’s going to cost us to take it for ourselves. And… I just don’t know. I’m afraid.”
Michael raised his left hand into the air so she could cinch the strap on his back securing his armor. She leaned in closer.
“I’m afraid we will lose our own humanity if we go to war for the Metal Islands,” she whispered.
“Me, too. But they have X, Mags, and Miles, and they killed Rodger. We have to fight them.”
“Maybe there’s another way…”
Michael turned so she could finish securing the clasps on his sides. He closed his eyes against another jolt of pain. When he opened them again, he saw Trey and Les embracing.
“I love you and will see you soon,” Les said. “Be careful.”
“I love you, too. Tell Phyl and Mom that I love them, too.”
Les hugged his son again and then put on his helmet, looking in Michael and Layla’s direction.
“You almost ready?” he asked them.
Layla and Michael finished suiting up in front of the hangar door. As soon as they had secured their helmets, Les hit a button on the bulkhead, and the ancient door cranked open, letting in a gust of wind and rain. It was coming down in sheets from the dark skies. Lightning rickracked across the eastern horizon.
“You sure this is safe?” Layla asked.
Katrina stepped up behind them, holding one of the black laser rifles. “Safe as we’re going to get,” she replied, opening the rifle’s battery compartment and removing the battery. “Les, I’d like you to take this up there and hold onto it. If we end up sending Hell Divers to the Metal Islands we will need at least one of these for the dives.”
He grabbed the weapon and threw the new sling over his shoulder.
“Keep that locked away,” Katrina said, handing him the battery separately. “A single bolt could cause a disaster in the skies.”
“Will do, Captain.”
Michael stared up into the black vault. They waited in silence, with nothing but the thunder and the creak of metal to fill the void of words.
Katrina put her finger to her earpiece and walked back into the hangar. “Yes, I copy you, Ensign White.
She nodded and said, “Okay, good news. We’re almost ready.”
Katrina rejoined the divers near the open door. “Ensign White thinks he can get the ship low enough to drop ropes.”