by K. A. Finn
ULTAR
'You wanted to see me, sir.'
Gryffin looks up at Chayse and bites back a groan. Chayse is furious and doing a bad job of hiding it. As if his clipped tone wasn't enough of a hint, his clenched fists and strong stance helped him figure it out. 'You know.'
'Know what? That you're thinking of having your implants upgraded?'
'What the hell is it with everyone? I just said I wanted to look into it - not sign up to get modified again.'
'You shouldn't even be considering it.'
Gryffin gets to his feet. 'I may be in here but you still answer to me. What I decide to do or not do to my body is my decision. I get it's not what everyone wants, but, if I do go that route, I want you all to keep your mouths shut and get in line.'
'That easy, huh?
'While I command the Nomad it is.'
'It's always the same with you, isn't it?'
'I didn't catch the sir anywhere in that.'
Chayse slowly approaches him, the frown on his face deepening as he walks. He stops in front of Gryffin and crosses his arms. 'You and your selfish decisions are really pissing me off, sir. First you decide to kill off my girlfriend and now you're offering yourself up as a martyr to the cause.'
Gryffin runs a hand over his hair, still not used to the feel of the short spikes. 'Milla's alive.'
'Don't, Gryffin. You know exactly what I mean. You made me think you killed her right in front of me.'
'She's alive. I don't get the problem.'
'That there is the problem. You pretended to kill the one person I love and you don't get why I'm pissed off at you.'
'We needed to do something convincing to flush out the mole. It was her idea. Go shout at her.'
Chayse jabs a finger in Gryffin's chest. 'It was your idea not to include me. Just like you've made this decision about your future without including Terra, or me, or anyone else for that matter.'
Gryffin glances down at Chayse's finger, still resting on his chest. 'Hit me if you want but if you poke me with your finger one more time I'll break the damn thing off and shove it down your throat.'
Chayse accepts Gryffin's suggestion, reaching through the bars to strike him in the jaw with a blow that knocks him back a step. Gryffin wipes his mouth, smiling at the smear of blood on his hand. 'Feel better now?'
Chayse lunges at him again, but Gryffin steps back, leaving Chayse's fist swiping through empty space. Before he can recover, Gryffin grabs him by the arm, twisting it behind his back. Chayse hisses in pain as the bars dig into his arm. 'It's done. Move on.' He shoves Chayse away, sending the Nomad stumbling forward. Chayse massages his limb as he glares up at Gryffin.
'I can't just move on. You still don't trust me enough to let me in. I've had your back since I stepped foot on Ares. You know what the rest of the crew put me through. You know they avoided me cause they thought I was going to report back to you if they said or did anything they shouldn't.
‘But I didn't mind. I was reporting directly to the leader of the Nomad. The privilege of being trusted to be that close to you more than made up for not being part of the crew. You told me you trusted me. Damn funny way of showing it,' Chayse scoffs.
Gryffin drops onto the end of the bunk. He can't figure out exactly when it happened, but lines are being blurred. He's Captain of Ares and High Commander of the Nomad. Whatever else people think he is to them comes second to that. Always. He's getting sick and tired of people questioning his orders. He's already losing control of his body, he doesn't need to add losing control of the Nomad under his command to that.
'I'm still High Commander. Until I appoint someone else or die, that stands, so less of the fucking attitude. You want to hold a grudge — fine. But if you speak to me like that again or disobey me I'll personally remove you from Nemesis and the Nomad, and this time it'll be permanent. Understood?'
Chayse stares at him for a few minutes while Gryffin holds his gaze. He meant every word of what he just said and Chayse needs to know it. His former aide is one of the best Nomad Gryffin has known, but if he lets personal issues get in the way, he risks losing Nemesis - and not because Gryffin takes her from him.
'Understood, sir.'
'And you'll follow my orders without question?'
Chayse clenches his jaw but nods.
'Will you follow my orders?'
'Yes, sir.'
Gryffin slumps back against the bars and closes his eye for a minute before he focuses on Chayse again. 'I need you to help me save the Nomad.'
'How?'
'I've got something in place that'll help secure the future of the group. I need you to go and get it. Go to Desyl. I gave him two data files a few days ago. He should have locked them in the safe in my office on Ares. The smaller one is for you and has coordinates in it. Follow them and give the other file to the blacksmith you find at the location.'
'The blacksmith? You're not making any sense.'
Gryffin pulls himself to his feet and hobbles over to the bars. 'I don't have to. I'm giving you an order, Chayse. No questions, remember? Just go and give the file to him. I can't tell you anything else right now. You're going to have to trust me.'
'Nemesis will head out in an hour, sir.'
Gryffin smiles and drops his head against the cell wall. 'I'll clear everything with Roman. Make sure she's battle ready and fully stocked. You'll get further orders once you get to the coordinates. Don't say a word about any of this to anyone. Understood?'
'Understood.'
'You better go. You've not got much time to get ready.'
Chayse leaves the cells, locking the door behind him. Gryffin slumps back on the mattress and stares at the ceiling. It'll take Nemesis two days to get to the location. After that he'll be free to make a decision about his future without worrying about how it will impact the Nomad.
FOUNDATION HQ
Garvan licks his lips and tries to steady his racing heart. The footsteps are loud and the pace is brisk. No way his mate, Harvey, could move himself that fast. It must be one of the cyborgs. That means he's not going to be having a fun time.
The woman stops in front of his cell and quietly stares at him. Garvan lifts his hand and waves cheerily. 'Hey. What's a nice cyborg like you doing in a place like this?'
Her only response is to open the cell and step aside to let him out.
'Care to tell me where our stroll will take us?'
She doesn't reply. Garvan shrugs. 'Mystery tour. Fair enough.' He steps out of his cell, feeling a hell of a lot more anxious than he hopes he's showing. He's not an idiot. He knows this isn't going to end well for him but he'll be damned if he's going to give Harvey the pleasure of knowing he's getting to him.
He glances over his shoulder at the petite woman, and for a moment, considers trying to overpower her and make a run for it, but it seems they're prepared for that. The main cell block door is opened by three women who take up position around him. 'You're making me feel mighty special, ladies.'
One of the new cyborgs shoves him in the side and he stumbles forward as he loses his footing. 'Easy there. I'm going.'
The rest of the walk through the facility is made in silence. Garvan tries to get his bearings, but it's nearly impossible to keep track. Each corridor looks the same as the last and the cyborg's path to wherever they're going leaves him completely lost.
With no distractions, Garvan's mind wanders to the inevitable. Harvey had made it clear that he's going to be modified. The bastard had taken pleasure taunting him with that fact. Maybe today is the day he's going to begin the procedures? Garvan swallows deeply as he follows the lead cyborg down a long corridor to a room at the end.
His feet come to a stop just inside the entrance. A gurney is bolted to the floor in the centre of the room. Three figures in surgical scrubs are sorting through a table of instruments and discussing readings on the screen in front of them. Harvey is sitting on a chair at the far side of the room. His ornate robe and mask of his station are in place, hidin
g his less than memorable face from view.
Harvey gestures to someone behind Garvan. Firm hands pin his arms to the side as the lead cyborg roughly pushes a gag into his mouth, securing it with force behind his head. He breathes heavily through his nose, trying to get enough oxygen to his lungs.
He's beyond terrified but is determined not to give Harvey the satisfaction. He stares at the man and wills his body to stay as calm as possible - which is a fucking big ask. He doesn't bother struggling as he is guided past the gurney to a smaller side room.
Slightly relieved he's not staying in Room A, he doesn't immediately notice the heavy chains hanging from the ceiling of Room B. The women quickly and efficiently secure his arms over his head, painfully stretching the wound in his side. After they fasten his ankles in chains on the floor, they step back to the main room, disappearing from view.
Harvey strolls up to him and pulls his mask off. 'I have to say, it's nice to be able to speak to you without having to endure one of your irritating rebuttals. It makes a pleasant change.'
Garvan braces his feet, taking some of the weight from his wrists and releasing pressure from his side. It's doesn't do much good. Between the pain from his wound and the gag blocking his airway, he's going to be unconscious in a few minutes. Not that it would be a bad thing. At least he wouldn't have to listen to Harvey prattling on.
Harvey smiles and clasps his hands in front of him. 'Now, I don't know how much detail you know about the cyborg program and the prototype.' He reaches into his robe and takes a box from a pocket. He opens it and holds up a piece of metal about the size of the tip of his thumb. 'This is the control implant the prototype has in his head. Well, not the exact one of course. This is the latest version, but the principles are the same.
'So far, the prototype is the only male to survive having this fitted. I'm hoping you will be the second. You are certainly as stubborn as he is. So, in order to give you the best possible chance of surviving this, I have decided you should undergo the same pre-surgery care he did.'
He slips the implant back in its box, then strolls in circles around him. 'As with the prototype, we need to deal with the stubbornness first. The implant requires the subject to be compliant in order for it to take hold. I read countless reports from the admirals who began this project and one in particular was of interest.
'The prototype was beaten into submission before the control implant was repaired and activated. He was weak, unable to put up a fight - both mentally and physically. It did take quite a bit of punishment for him to get to that level, but it worked. How long do you think it will take for me to break you, Wade? One day? Three? A week?' He stops in front of him and slips the mask back on. 'There's no rush. Ladies.'
Three of the cyborgs step back to the room as Harvey backs away from him. 'Try not to do too much permanent damage.'
He spins theatrically and leaves the room. Garvan stares at the woman and knows he's in serious trouble. There's nothing in their dead eyes. Nothing except a dull purple glow that brightens as they collectively move towards him. He closes his eyes and focuses on the faces of his children as the cyborgs attack.
ULTAR
Gryffin jerks awake and stares at the ceiling. He lies perfectly still, just breathing in and out for a few minutes. He rolls onto his side, wincing as the ever present headache takes a few seconds to readjust to his new position. He rubs his eye and eventually his vision clears, but instead of seeing the bars of his cell he finds himself in a room surrounded by banks of computers.
'What the hell?' Ignoring the pain, he tries to use one of the units to pull himself to his feet but instead of a console his hand hits metal bars. He rubs his eye again and finds he's back in his cell. He hears someone moving beside him and turns quickly surprising Desyl.
'Captain, are you all right?'
His vision blurs again and he's back in the computer room looking down at the unit controlling the planet's defences. He squeezes his eyes shut as his vision blurs, throwing him back to his cell.
Desyl frowns as he steps closer to the bars. 'You're freaking me out, sir. What is it?'
Gryffin spins around when he hears a voice whispering behind him. Seeing no one there, he turns around to look at Desyl again.
'Gryffin—'
He shakes his head briskly. 'Shut up.' Gryffin spins quickly as the voice whispers behind him again. He looks over his shoulder at Desyl, but it wasn't him. The voice sounds again, and he grabs the bars to stop himself from falling as he pivots. With his implants failing, there's nothing to stop his heart racing in his chest in time with his breathing.
He places his palm to his chest, sure his heart is about to beat right out of his rib cage. He's not used to these strange new sensations. Until they started failing, he didn't realise how much his implants masked his body's reactions. A throbbing pain builds, working form the base of his neck and around the top of his head.
He's vaguely aware of Desyl calling for help as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on. He hears the voice again and finally realises where it came from - deep inside his head.
'Damn it.' Gryffin slumps against the bars, wincing as the metal brace holding his leg together bangs painfully against the wall. Something is wrong with the control implant. Either that or he's somehow been compromised. He freezes as the pieces slowly fall in to place. 'The control room.'
'What about the control room?' Before he can answer Desyl, the base alarms screech to life.
'The defences are down.'
'How the hell can you know that, sir?'
He throws an exasperated look over his shoulder at Desyl. It's all the confirmation his first officer needs. Desyl activates his comms again. 'This is Desyl. What's going on?'
Gryffin watches Desyl's expression change from confusion, to anger, then the cold calm of a Nomad commander in a crisis. 'Got that.' He looks over at Gryffin. 'Defences are down. Foundation are minutes away.'
10
ULTAR
Terra hurries after Milla as they head to the control room. They burst through the door of the command room to find one of the cyborgs from the New Colony slumped in a chair surrounded by eight security personnel, each one with their weapon trained on him.
'What's going on?' Milla asks.
Roman takes the offered weapon from an Ultaran and pulls the holster over his shoulders. 'He turned off the defences. The Foundation are on the way. Appears he got the order from Gryffin.'
Terra looks at Roman. 'What? You must be wrong. He wouldn't do that. His programming was checked.'
Roman slots another gun in the holster on his hip and then slips a knife down his boot. 'That's what I'm afraid of. We must have missed something.'
'But none of the cyborgs have been anywhere near him since he got back.'
Roman pushes her towards the weapons locker. 'Take as much as you can carry. Two more of the cyborgs have attacked security teams guarding the perimeter. We have to assume they've all been compromised. Gryffin included. He's admitted the order came from him, but he's got no idea how. He was aware of what the other cyborg was doing.'
'I don't understand. He's been checked twice a day for weeks. His programming is clear.'
'Unless it was dormant,' Milla says.
Terra looks at Milla. 'What do you mean?'
She blows out a deep breath. 'They had him for ten months. They could easily have hidden something until it was time to use it.'
'What can we do?'
'We've got a Foundation carrier minutes away. We've been told to stand down. Needless to say that's not happening. A few of us are going to run interference while Nemesis and Dannan get as many civilians off the surface as possible. They were about to take off so they're good to go.
‘Milla, clear the med bay. Load everyone on Nemesis. Chayse is taking as many as he can from the hangar. As soon as you're clear, Nemesis will leave. Terra, you're with me.' Roman hurries down the stairs, closely followed by Terra as Milla rushes off to clear her area.
/> Terra watches in horror as families with young children and couples clutching each other's hands, hurry through the large hangar towards the two ships. They had planned for this, practised evac drills on a daily basis, but seeing it like this is a different thing. Men, women, and children disappear into the large cargo hold on Nemesis, while the smaller Dannan is being loaded with non-essential base personnel.
Aleena rushes up to Roman and takes one of his weapons before he can say anything. 'Where do you need me?'
'On Nemesis. Now! She's ready to take off. Go!'
She shakes her head. 'My place is here.'
'Your place is on that ship. Listen to me,' he says as she begins to argue. 'You need to go.'
'But I can stay and fight with you.'
He shakes his head. 'You get on that ship. I need you on that ship.' He brushes her blonde hair away from her face and cups her cheek. 'Please, Aleena. I need to know you're safe.'
'And what about Terra and Gryffin?'
'They'll be following on Ares as soon as you get away. Now get on that ship and stop wasting time. Please.'
She pauses as she weighs up her options, then leans forward to kiss him deeply as tears fall down her face. Terra looks away from the couple, feeling like she is intruding in a private moment. Roman pulls away and gently guides her towards Nemesis. 'Now, Aleena.'
She nods and blows him a kiss before she disappears in the crowd moving towards Nemesis. Roman keeps watching her until she enters the ship.
Terra looks around the hangar feeling slightly detached. The base is lost. There's no way they can defend it against the might of a Foundation attack. That doesn't mean they'll give up without a fight though. Roman looks over at Terra. 'Let's get you and Gryffin to Ares.'
'But—'
'Don't, Terra. If they get their hands on him again, we might as well line up and let them put a bullet in us. I don't know about you, but I don't want to die by my son's hand. He needs to leave and get to Earth before they realise what's going on. Lucan and Desyl are securing Gryffin and bringing him out. Ares will be ready to leave as soon as you're on board.'