“Thanks,” Tin said. “For looking after me.”
Not knowing what to say, X patted the boy’s back. In that second, time seemed to slow. His senses picked up every detail around him: the sounds of the rattling ceiling fan and the cough of the wall heater. He saw the wax crawling down the stump of gray candle as it hardened into a puddle on the table. He caught the sour whiff of his own sweat, and the sweetness of the apples. He wanted to remember it all exactly this way. It was the moment that he realized he loved the boy as he would love his own son. He had always known that he would gladly give his life to keep Tin safe, but now he felt it in his bones.
Instead of filling him with despair, it made him smile. He flicked the tip of Tin’s foil hat, and they both grinned.
They ate in silence for several minutes. X felt every second, each one bringing him closer to the dive that would take him to Hades. He hadn’t even told Tin he was going yet. On his walk from the launch bay, he had reflected on the things he would tell Tin, knowing that whatever he said would likely stick with the boy for the rest of his life. But now, with the shadows closing in around the faltering candlelight, X didn’t know what to say.
“X?” Tin whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“Sorry. Just …” He shook his head and sat forward on the edge of his seat. It was time to tell the boy the truth.
“I have to dive again in a few hours—this time to Hades.”
Tin tilted his head ever so slightly. Studying, scrutinizing.
“I won’t lie to you. Hades is a very dangerous place. That’s why Captain Ash is sending in all three teams instead of just one: we’ll have better odds of success.”
“You don’t think you’re coming back, do you?”
X’s heart sank. “I’m not sure anyone will make it back, but as long as we send the crate up with the parts …”
Tears welled in Tin’s eyes.
X reached out and said, “I’ve already made arrangements with Captain Ash. You’ll be looked after. You’ll be fine.”
Tin stood up, pulling away from X’s fingertips. “Who else is going to look after me? Huh? Who?”
“I’m not sure,” X replied. “But Captain Ash reassured me—”
“I don’t want someone else to look after me!”
X rose to his feet. “Tin, I will do everything I can to come back. Everything. I promise.”
“That’s what my dad always said. But he didn’t come back, and you couldn’t save him.”
The words stung, but X didn’t blame the boy for saying them. “Tin, please. I’m doing this for you and everyone else on the ship. Just like your father did.”
Tin tightened the string of his hat around his chin. “Why do the people I love always have to be the ones to die? Why can’t someone else dive?” He wiped a tear away and sucked in a long breath.
“Because there aren’t many people left who can do what your father did or what I do,” X said. He kept his voice as calm as he could, hoping the boy would understand.
Tin shook his head. “There are plenty of people on this ship, but it’s always the ones I care about that die.”
X reached out, but Tin ducked and stormed away to the bedroom. He stopped outside the door and said, “I’ll be better off on my own. Better off looking after myself. Everyone I ever cared about has died anyway. And now you’re going to die, too.”
X slowly walked over to him, but Tin slammed the door between them. X pressed against the door with both hands and lowered his head. “Tin, please. Please don’t make me leave this way. I’m doing this for you. For the Hive!”
The only response was the faint sound of sobbing. X backed away, his mind racing. Only a few hours remained before the dive, and everything he had begun to rebuild with the boy was wrecked. He was tempted to go find a drink to take his mind off things, but instead he wrapped himself in a blanket and lay down on the couch, hoping Tin would someday forgive him for what he had to do.
* * * * *
X slept fitfully for the next hour. His thoughts were scattered and chaotic. He finally gave up trying to rest and relit the candle on the table. Then he padded over to the bedroom and gently pushed the door open. The glimmering golden light illuminated Tin’s still body through the open door.
X slipped inside and knelt beside the bed. The boy’s eyes flicked and quivered beneath the lids. He was in deep sleep. The events of the past few days had worn him out.
“I’ll save the Hive, Tin,” X whispered. “I’ll make sure you get to grow up. And someday, you’ll be an engineer, or maybe a farmer. You’ll do great things. I know it. You’ll build things and help people. And maybe someday you’ll understand why your dad and I had to keep diving until it killed us.”
He put his hand gently on Tin’s shoulder for a moment. For the past year, X had done his duty and dived without much thought beyond a hangover and a death wish. But feeling the boy’s back move up and down reminded him that there was something in this world still worth living for and protecting.
* * * * *
An hour later, X was suiting up in the HD facility. Tony and Cruise were already there, checking their gear and loading two plastic crates in the center of the room. Both team leads were freshly groomed, their shaved heads glistening under the bright LEDs. It was a ritual for them. Pretty silly in X’s opinion, but if it helped psych them up for the dive, it was fine with him.
“You guys ready?” X asked.
Cruise ran a finger back and forth over his jaw. “What do you think?”
X looked Cruise up and down. “I think you better down some electrolyte tablets. You look like you had a few too many last night.”
Tony let out a snicker. “I told you not to get so stupid, man.”
“I’m fine,” Cruise said. “You pick your poison, X; I’ll pick mine.”
“Last I checked, I’m not hungover for this dive.”
Cruise tilted his head at X as if trying to get a read, but X turned his back, bending over the boxes to examine the contents. They were filled with assault rifles, magazines, flares, medicine, food, water, climbing gear, and extra boosters.
Cruise hovered over him. “You think we really have a chance down there?”
“If we make it through the storms, yeah, maybe,” X said, double-checking the gear.
“At least we got some real firepower for this dive,” Cruise said. He crossed his forearms, which made his biceps bulge. “We run into any of your Sirens, I’ll blow ’em to itty bits.”
“A word of advice,” X said, glancing up. “If you make it to the surface and you see anything down there, run.”
Cruise clenched his jaw.
“You hear me, Cruise? No time to kill the local wildlife on this dive. Your priority is the mission objective. No cowboyin’.”
“I heard you the first time,” Cruise growled.
The other divers and team technicians drifted into the room. X scanned each of them. Murph and Magnolia were the last two inside.
“Atten-shun!” came a stern voice at the entrance. “Captain on deck!”
Captain Ash and Lieutenant Jordan strode inside with two soldiers on each flank.
“Briefing in fifteen,” Jordan said.
“You heard the lieutenant,” X yelled. “Suit up and meet in the briefing room in fifteen.”
The launch bay came alive with the sound and motion of predive rituals. Plates of armor were fastened and boosters clicked into place. Chutes were checked, double-checked, and checked again. Mirrored visors were polished with spit and rags.
Ty gnawed on his herb stick and waited with his tablet to run diagnostics on Team Raptor’s gear. X held up a finger—almost ready—then checked on Magnolia and Murph, who were helping each other with their armor.
“You guys get some rest?” he asked, kneeling to pull the laces tight on his boots. He grimaced as he
stood up.
“I did,” Murph replied.
“Some,” Magnolia said.
“Good, because you’re going to need it.” He turned instinctively to look for Team Raptor’s fourth diver, then remembered. He still couldn’t believe Sam was gone. If only they had left a minute sooner. A goddamn minute could have saved his life.
X slammed his battery unit into the slot in his chest armor harder than he needed to. In less than an hour, he would see the cursed heart of Hades, and more Hell Divers would join the ranks of those who had perished there.
* * * * *
Captain Ash’s fingers gripped the ancient wooden lectern. Every man and woman sitting in front of her knew what was at stake. She would make this quick.
Ash nodded at Jordan. He flipped the lights, and a map of Hades emerged on the wall behind him. Stepping to one side, Ash said, “This, as you all know, is Hades. Industrial Tech Corporation had a campus on the eastern edge of the city. This is where they manufactured the parts of airships like the Hive. Chief Engineer Samson has studied and analyzed the maps Team Raptor retrieved.” She paused to nod at X and his team.
“We’ve authorized the use of heavy weapons and extra flares for this mission. You are to deploy the flares when you jump, to help guide you through the storms,” Jordan said. “Once you make it through, your DZ is on the outskirts of the industrial zone. To give you the best chance of survival, we’ve plotted three separate courses for the teams: here, here, and here.” He pointed to dots marked “Raptor,” “Angel,” and “Apollo.”
“After you land, you’re to rendezvous at the ITC HQ and campus. There are multiple buildings and warehouses in the area, but Samson has identified this building as your target.” Jordan pointed to a single structure. “We’ve preloaded the coordinates to your minicomputers. Once you acquire the fuel cells and pressure valves, you’ll return to the crates and send them back to the Hive.”
Ash cut in. “After you drop, we’ll move out of the storm and wait at a safe distance for you to return.” She loosened her grip and bent over the podium. “You have twenty-four hours to complete the mission, at which point we will move back into the storm. If we detect the beacons from the crates sooner than that, we’ll swoop in and retrieve them. Make sure you’re with them. Any questions?”
In the silence, Ash scanned the faces, stopping on X. If anyone could inspire the others, it was him.
“You want to say anything, Commander Rodriguez?” she asked.
The veteran diver stood and pushed in his chair, then walked to the front of the room and stood beside Ash. He ran his hand over the scar above his eye. She had seen him do it before when he was nervous.
“If we fail today, the human race is gone forever,” X said. “But we’re not going to let that happen, are we?” He brushed off his dented armor, using the time to command the gaze of everyone in the room. X had a presence about him—something Ash felt whenever he walked into a room. The thought of losing him made her throat constrict.
“Today we dive to a place no Hell Diver has ever returned from—a place that many of you have been told is cursed. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you Hades isn’t as bad as they say. Magnolia, Murph, and I have seen what’s down there. It’s nothing pretty. But like the rest of the surface, Hades isn’t cursed. And those things, the Sirens—they can be killed. You stay focused and alert, and you will survive. Those things may control the surface, but we still control the skies. Today, we’re going to make sure life continues up here.”
“Damn right,” Tony muttered.
“We aren’t going to let the Hive go crashing down to earth without a fight, are we?” X said, his voice louder now.
“Hell no, we aren’t!” Cruise shouted.
“We aren’t joining Ares!” another diver yelled.
“No,” X said. “We aren’t. Because today we’re going to dive faster, smarter, and stronger than we ever have before. Today we dive …”
The other divers roared in unison, “So humanity survives!”
SEVENTEEN
The launch bay was teeming with activity. Technicians performed last-minute diagnostics on the drop tubes as divers hugged their family members goodbye behind an area cordoned off with rope.
X skimmed over the faces and sighed. Tin wasn’t coming, no matter how badly X wanted him here. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it would only hurt worse to see the boy before the dive.
X looked away and tapped the minicomputer on his wrist. The operating system that controlled his suit emerged behind the cracked surface. Everything looked good to go. The routine he had gone through ninety-seven times before had started, and the final count was ticking down.
Captain Ash walked through the launch bay, stopping to shake hands with each diver and wish them well. She stopped when she got to X, and pulled him aside.
“There’s something I need to tell you before you dive,” Ash said. “Let’s take a walk.”
X checked the crowd one more time, then followed Ash away from the other divers. He wasn’t feeling up for any more bad news, especially after Tin’s reaction to learning of the dive.
Ash put her hands on her hips and stared toward the portholes on the starboard side. “My throat cancer has returned,” she said.
He didn’t have any good reply to that. “I’m … I’m sorry to hear that, Captain.”
Ash continued looking at the windows for a few more seconds before returning her eyes to X. “I’ve had a good life. And I still have a few good months left. Maybe more. I’m not going to just roll over and die. I’ll use what time I have left to continue searching for a new home. Assuming you complete today’s mission.”
“We will, Captain,” X replied.
“I trust you,” she said, “and I want you to know that you can trust me, too. Whatever happens, Tin will be taken care of.”
“Thank you, Captain. I just wish he were here to say goodbye.”
Ash smiled and looked toward the crowd. X followed her eyes to a familiar shiny, peaked hat. Tin pushed through to the rope cordon and waved.
“He had a change of heart,” Ash said with a wink. “I may or may not have enticed him by telling him he could see the farm again. I’ll have an engineer take him to the emergency shelter there after he says goodbye. He can wait there until we maneuver back out of the storm. Figured another tour of the farm would help take his mind off things.”
“I appreciate that, Captain,” X said. “More than you know.” He felt a smile start on the edges of his mouth as he walked over to the rope. Tin, wearing a sheepish grin, reached out from the crowd.
X grabbed him and hoisted him over the ropes.
“I’m sorry, Tin,” he said. “I’m so sorry your life has been so tough and—”
Tin let out a groan. “Too tight. Too tight.”
“Sorry,” X said, putting him back on his feet and readjusting the foil hat he had knocked askew.
“I’m sorry about last night,” Tin said. “I’m just scared you won’t come back.”
X crouched down in front of him. “Even if I don’t, you won’t be alone. You can still talk to me. You can talk to your parents, too. We might not talk back, but that doesn’t mean we’re not listening.”
Tin looked at the ground and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small crumpled piece of paper and handed it to X. “Maybe this’ll bring you luck.”
X read the paper aloud. “Accept your past without regrets. Handle your present with confidence. Face your future without fear.”
A siren wailed in the distance. The first warning. They were almost out of time. “Thanks, Tin. This is perfect.”
Tin gave X a look that held a mix of fear and sadness. He hesitated as if unsure what to do next, then wrapped his arms around X again. He pressed his head against the hard chest armor. His curved hat scraped the stubble on X’s cheek, but X didn
’t dare move. He patted Tin’s back and said softly, “It’s okay, buddy. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“Please come back,” Tin murmured. Sniffling, he tilted his head back to search X’s eyes.
“I will do everything I can to make sure I do.” He knew in his heart this was true, even if it meant fighting the Sirens with a rusted blade and his bare hands.
Tin brushed a tear from his eye, sniffled again, and drew in a deep breath. “Promise?”
“I promise,” X said. He wrapped his arms around Tin once more and exchanged a nod with Captain Ash.
X winced at the second warning siren. The sound reminded him of what he was about to face on the surface below. He tightened his grip around Tin and let go a moment later.
“I have to go now,” X said.
Captain Ash grabbed Tin’s hand and led him back to the edge of the crowd. “Good luck,” she said, her gaze on X as she walked away.
X waved two fingers at Tin, then tucked the paper into his vest pocket. The other divers were already climbing into their launch tubes by the time he walked to his.
Ty helped X into his tube and closed the dome over the top. This time, X didn’t feel any of his normal predive jitters or the side effects of a hangover. His body was energized, his mind at peace, and he was focused on the mission. He had never been readier to do his duty.
* * * * *
“All right, people,” Captain Ash said. “Let’s make this as smooth as possible.” She turned the oak wheel and looked to the front of the room as the electrical storm above Hades emerged on the main display. They were heading into the beast—the same maneuver that she had condemned Captain Willis for two days ago.
“Jordan, how far to the coordinates?” Ash said.
“Three minutes, Captain.”
Every officer on the bridge watched the display. The swirling purple vortex expanded to fill the entire monitor. Branches of electric blue snaked away from the center like blood vessels from a pounding heart. The storm looked alive. The sight of it filled her with foreboding.
“Coordinates in T minus thirty seconds,” Jordan said in a cool, crisp voice.
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