She patted Aart's arm. "Just try to get better okay? You don't recover from a stake to the chest in just a few days."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Nova's head flicked up. She'd been sleeping. How could she have been sleeping? They only had three more days before Tanguin's life support got shut down for good.
Gus lay curled up on the floor in the corner of the workshop, snoring. Orion had been off finding some missing pieces and still hadn't returned.
"Nova?" Tyra stood frowning at Nova's side, her hand on her shoulder.
Nova blinked and looked up.
Three days they'd been working, with almost no sleep, and yet they'd barely made a dent in their task. Bent pieces of metal and broken plastic lay strewn across the bench, all discarded failures.
Tyra nodded at Nova's lap. "What's that?"
Something hissed from inside the circle of Nova's arms.
Nova frowned and looked down, her stomach aching as the stitches pulled tight. She wiped her hand over bloodshot eyes and glanced down at the thing in her hands.
She froze. "I did it."
Tyra's grip on her shoulder tightened. "Is that…?"
Nova's heart fluttered. "I did it!"
She held out the contraption to Tyra. Two metallic spheres moved in and out in time with a thin piece of rubber covering one end. A small pump controlled the rubber, powered by the heat-charged battery Orion had found.
Tyra's mouth hung open. Air hissed in and out of the tops of the spheres, lifting wisps of her hair around her face. "You did it…"
Nova grinned and for the first time since she'd woken in the hospital, hope sparked in her chest. "I was so tired… I think I passed out when I finished."
Tyra shook her head. "What if you'd dropped it...?"
Nova hugged the metal lungs to her chest. "They're okay, but it's not over yet. We still have to test the gas exchanger and then find a way to implant them…"
"I suppose that's where I come in?" Lara said from the door. Orion stood at her shoulder, grinning.
"I saw that thing when I came back," he said. "Figured you two geniuses were onto something big."
Lara watched the lungs pumping in and out. "They look real enough. Power source?"
"Heat," Nova said. "And with the minimal pumping action, her body heat should be enough."
"They look heavy. I don't know if her body will handle it."
Tyra shook her head. "We've intentionally been working with a light alloy. They weigh less than her real lungs."
Lara bit her lip. "Well, I'll be damned. If you demonstrate a working gas exchanger then I should be able to find a way to… install… it."
"Actually, we've already done that," Gus said, rolling over on the floor. "It's over there." He pointed to the workbench.
Nova raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?" He winked. "You were asleep, and I'm not just a pretty face."
Nova smiled and let out a deep breath of air.
Lara strode over to Nova and gently picked up the mechanical lungs. "You're right; they're lighter than they look," she murmured, testing the weight of the contraption. She handed the lungs back to Nova, and moved to the workbench.
"The camera is easy," Lara said, picking up the small lens with one hand and examining it. "People have been using electronically enhanced sight for centuries… but the lungs…"
"It'll work," said Nova, face set.
"I'll do my best," said Lara. "But it's major surgery. There's always the risk of contamination."
"It'll be alright," Tyra said, laying a hand on Nova's shoulder. "We'll make this work."
Nova would have liked to help with the installation, but her hands shook too much and she didn't trust herself to stay conscious. Tyra was good. She'd handle the mechanical side while Lara handled the biological.
"Okay. Everyone get prepped," said Lara. "This is going to be a long day."
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Nova sat outside of the surgery, chewing her nails to shreds. If she'd had the energy, she would have paced, but all she could do was sit, stare, and worry.
Every noise made her jump, her eyes flying to the door, but no one came out.
Orion sat with her a while, joining her in silence. But the tension must have got to him, because he left soon after.
Nova tapped her foot against the floor. All of her being focused on Tanguin, on her being okay. If Tanguin didn't make it through the surgery, Nova wasn't sure she'd be able to forgive herself.
The surgery door rattled. Tyra and Lara stepped through, their faces haggard.
Nova flew to her feet, ignoring the sudden spin of the room. "Well?"
Tyra rubbed her hand across her forehead. "We got everything installed."
Nova wobbled on her feet, waving them on.
"For the moment, everything is working," Lara said. "But there's no guarantee there won't be complications. She hasn't woken up yet. Keep in mind that even if her body seems to be working now, she might be too damaged mentally."
Nova swallowed and sat, trying to sort out her feelings. Relief that the lungs seemed to be working; dread that something bad could happen at any moment; guilt that it was all her fault.
"All we can do is wait," Tyra said. "In the meantime, I need to sleep."
***
"She's awake!" Fists slammed against Nova's door and she immediately flew out of bed.
She ripped the door open to see Orion's panting face.
"She's awake."
Nova pushed past him and stumbled down the hall. She'd taken to sleeping just a few rooms away from Tanguin, ready for the worst.
Voices filled the hallway near Tanguin's room and people filled the narrow corridor. They turned to stare as Nova approached, before pushing up against the sides like a parting sea.
She hurried into the room, her pain forgotten beneath the icy clamp around her chest. "Tanguin?"
Black hair fell like a curtain over Tanguin's face and she gripped her sheet high up near her chin, covering her body. Aart leaned on a crutch in the corner of the room next to Tyra and Gus. Orion went to join them, while Nova rushed to Tanguin's side.
"Tanguin?" Nova fell onto Tanguin's bed and laid a hand on her covered arm.
"Make them leave," Tanguin whispered. Her voice echoed, sounding nothing like it had before.
"Everyone just wants—"
"Make them leave," Tanguin repeated, her voice rough.
Nova bit her lip, a heavy weight settling into the bottom of her stomach. She turned to the gathered Hunters. "Can we have some privacy please?"
The Hunters looked at one another, but filed out without talking. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving the room filled with silence except for the intermittent beep of the machines.
"Tanguin…"
"Nova."
Tanguin turned and her hair fell back from her face, revealing a black reflective lens where her left eye used to be. Her breath came out like a low whistle, rasping in her chest. She let the sheet drop enough to reveal the metal plates embedded on her shoulder and chest and the scars criss-crossing her arms.
"I'm a monster."
Nova's heart clenched and her throat closed over. "No."
Tanguin turned away, shielding her face with her hair. "Yes."
"We did what we could to save you. You would have died."
"You call this life? You know how cyborgs are treated. They're less than human."
Nova shook her head and laid a hand on Tanguin's shoulder. "That's not true. Things are changing."
Tanguin sighed and again looked at Nova. Her remaining pale blue eye glistened. "I thought I died."
"I think you did for a while there," Nova smiled through the tears sliding down her face.
"I don't know how you managed this," Tanguin said, waving a hand at her body. "But no one will look at me the same. It's bad enough that I'm Un-Connected… but now…"
Nova gripped her shoulder tighter. "Nothing's changed. If anyone looks at you sideways
, I'll kick their arses."
Tanguin chuckled. "I'm sure you would." Her laugh died in her throat. "I know I should say thank you. By all accounts you and the others performed a miracle."
Nova shook her head. "No—"
Tanguin held up a scarred hand. "Thank you. I'm sorry I'm not as grateful as I should be."
Nova's lips trembled. "No. I'm so sorry, Tanguin. I should never have dragged you into this mess."
"This mess would have been here with or without you."
"But…"
"It's okay. I'll just have to get used to it, I guess."
Nova nodded. "I'll be here for you every step of the way."
Tanguin smiled, the skin crinkling around her metal eye. "Good. But you don't look so great yourself. Maybe we should both get some rest? Say thank you to the others for me… I just don't think I can face everyone right now."
Nova nodded and stood.
Tanguin smiled, but as Nova went to the door, she couldn't help but notice a single tear glistening at the corner of Tanguin's remaining blue eye. It spilled over and fell slowly down her cheek.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
"No running, jumping, fighting, climbing, or any other active thing. You need to rest," Lara said.
"Got it, doc," Aart said, using his crutch to flick his bag at Nova. She caught it, grunting as some of the weight hit her injured side and sending a shot of pain up her body.
Lara threw up her hands. "I don't know why I bother; Hunters are all the same. Just try and be careful when you go and do whatever stupid thing you're going to do."
"Will do," he said, grinning.
Lara nodded and strode to the next bed.
"She'll miss me when I'm gone," he said, hobbling next to Nova. He smiled but a shadow lurked around his eyes. Nova pretended not to see it.
Nova limped beside him, every step sending new shoots of pain through her abdomen and chest. "Tanguin is getting out too. Be cool."
They shuffled out of the main ward to Tanguin's small room. The lights inside were off and a shadow leaned against the doorway.
"Hey," Nova said, stepping towards the shadow. Her stomach crawled as a single red glow swivelled to face her. "Ready?"
Tanguin nodded and stepped out of the darkness. Most of her face lay hidden behind a thick hood she had pulled low over her face. It hung over her shoulders, covering her neck and the metal plates embedded in her skin. Long sleeves and gloves shielded the rest of her, hiding any hint of skin.
"Hey Tanguin, how's it going?" Aart said, thumping forward with his crutch.
"I've been better." Her usual voice came overlaid with a deeper, mechanic voice.
Aart chuckled and if Nova hadn't known him for so long she might have believed he didn't have a care in the world. "Me too." He held up the crutch.
Tanguin bowed her head but didn't reply.
"Look who it is!" Orion bellowed from the end of the corridor. He and Gus stood leaning against the wall, false smiles plastered over their white faces.
Tanguin had refused any visitors other than Nova in the week since she'd woken up and their apprehension filled the hallway like suffocating cotton wool.
The five of them walked, or hobbled, towards the cafeteria in awkward silence. Whispered voices followed them as they went.
Nova bit her lip. Couldn't they see this was hard enough without being followed by gossiping voices? Her heart ached for Tanguin, she'd already spent her whole life standing out and being stared out, now she'd suffer ten times worse. Nova glared over her shoulder and the voices stopped, only to resume once she rounded the far corner.
It took three times longer than usual to reach the cafeteria but when they did, a group of Hunters got up from a table and cleared the way for their small group. The table was the best in the cafeteria, close to the food and the entertainment. The other group of Hunters stepped out of the way and sat at the end of a long bench.
"What the—" Nova said as Orion led the way to the newly-vacated table and sat down.
"Don't question it, just enjoy it," he said. "You know they'll have forgotten you three in no time and then it'll be back to fighting over scraps."
Nova frowned as she sat down at the table and looked back at the other group of Hunters. They huddled shoulder to shoulder and cast glances in their direction.
"So, we stop a bomb and suddenly we're famous?" Aart said.
"Yep, you guys are pretty much the only thing anybody talks about," said Orion.
Tanguin tensed at Nova's side and pulled her hood lower over her face.
"Tyra's so sick of it she barely ever leaves her room now. Although I have a feeling she'll be joining us shortly."
"You'd be right," Tyra said, sitting on the bench next to Orion.
"Ah, here are my favourite group of Hunters," Tim said as he strolled up to the table, Tom at his side.
"What'll it be? You can have anything, whether it's on the menu or not," said Tom. Like everyone else their voices and expressions seemed fake and brittle.
Nova shifted in her chair. Everyone was trying to be normal, to let Tanguin adjust, but it felt so wrong! Like a man ignoring his burning house as he complained about the cold night. Bile rose in Nova's throat. She wanted to slide under the table and hide. She'd stay there forever if it meant she didn't have to suffer through the charade. Her heart ached for Tanguin who had to be suffering far worse.
Nova swallowed and took a deep breath, joining in the façade because it was the only thing she could do. "Can I have a burger and chips please?"
The others put in their orders and in a matter of minutes steaming hot food was laid out in front of them.
Nova's skin crawled as she poked the chips but didn't eat any. "What are we doing eating lunch? Shouldn't we be building some kind of defence for when the Confederacy come back?"
"No chance of that," said Orion.
"Nope, as soon as the bomb went off the pilots took us straight into stealth mode," Tyra said "We're currently circling a black hole, the Confederacy wouldn't be able to find us if they tried."
"Oh," Nova said. She filled her mouth with chips to avoid having to say anything else.
Beside her Tanguin swilled her spoon around a bowl of purple but didn't eat.
"But that brings us to the real question," said Aart. "Are we going to take this lying down?"
"Hell no," said Gus, ripping into a large hunk of bloody steak.
"No way," said Tyra. "I know just where I'd like to stick a giant arse bomb."
Nova nodded. "There is no way I'm in this much pain and not going to give them something to wince about." In reality she'd barely thought about her own injuries. She needed to get revenge for Tanguin, justice had to be served.
"Same here," said Orion. "I had to break in one of my good guns in that attack, I was saving it for something special."
"I'll kill them all," Tanguin whispered.
The rest of the table shared worried glances before staring at their food.
Aart cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Then we're agreed. It's time we gave the Confederacy a taste of their own medicine."
"Should you be talking so loud?" said Nova, glancing out of the corner of her eyes at the surrounding tables.
"Ha! Nothing to worry about on that front. This place is a powder keg waiting to blow in the face of the Confederacy," said Orion. "The bomb conveniently wormed out all the traitors because they weren't here."
"You're sure?" said Nova.
"Yep. Don't think they haven't tried to come back though. A few people have received private messages asking for coordinates. At this stage we've gone for complete radio silence. As far as the rest of the universe is concerned, The Jagged Maw blew up."
"Good. But what about the people who were out on legitimate business?"
"For now they'll just have to cry over us, until we work out a better solution," Orion said.
Nova nodded. "So what's our plan?"
"That's what we're here to work out," s
aid Aart.
"Obviously we have to focus on this Quadrant of the Confederacy. The rest of them may not have done us any good but as far as we can tell they didn't have anything to do with the attack," said Tyra.
"Makes sense," said Nova. "And we already knew that Quadrant Two was up to some creepy shit."
"Yep, same bastards who control the Resources District," Aart said.
"We need to go in as a small group and take out the Minister running Quadrant Two, and whoever else is involved. There's obviously something more going on here than just the usual power-hungry maniac. We need to find out what it is so we know what we're up against," said Nova.
"I'm in," said Tyra.
"Sounds like a good plan. Although I don't think we'll be able to just stroll into Confederacy headquarters," said Orion.
"We'll work out details later," said Nova, waving her hand. "Because we can't launch a full attack until we're all… better." She cursed herself for pausing.
"You know we can't leave it too long," said Aart. "We have no idea what they might do while they think we're all dead. And you said yourself that they're planning to expand past Quadrant Two."
"Yeah, yeah," said Nova. "It's not like you're in any shape to go for a deep mission."
"So we're agreed that we'll wait for the two cripples to get better, then we hit 'em hard," said Gus, pointing at Aart and Nova.
Tanguin hunched deeper in her chair and bowed her head.
"It's a good plan," said Orion. "If we wait a bit they'll be sure we're dead and won't be expecting any retaliation."
"Agreed," they said in unison.
"And I suggest we keep it small – get in and get out. If we can make it look like some kind of extremist terrorist attack then we should be fine. If we march there with Hunter flags flying then the rest of the Confederacy might get involved, and we can wave our lives goodbye," said Nova.
"Bastards," said Aart.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
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