by K. A. Finn
Desyl shoves the empty gurney to the side. 'We weren't sure if he'd have the same trouble with his implants that he had before. If he was blocked going through the Port we'd be screwed.' Desyl attaches monitors to Gryffin's chest implant and Ryder passes a thin needle to Terra. 'Push that in his ocular implant, just beside his ear. There's an access point.'
She takes the probe and looks with horror at the metal needle. 'What?'
'You want him to live? Do it now!'
Terra places the end of the probe against the connector on his implant, takes a breath and pushes it in to his head. Ryder nods approvingly then takes the end of each monitor and attaches it to a handheld unit. He looks at the screen and grunts. 'Up and running, sir.'
Desyl wipes his hands on his leathers then takes a large syringe from Ryder. 'What the hell is that?' Terra asks.
'His implants are more or less keeping him alive, but we need it the other way around.' Without explaining further he stabs Gryffin in the heart with the syringe and empties the contents. Less than a second later, the reassuring beep from the monitor signals a heartbeat. 'That's good. The pod is regulating his vitals. Shut him off, Ryder.'
He taps the screen and the faint glow from Gryffin's eye dims until it's gone.
Desyl pushes Terra out of the way and secures the lid of the pod in place. They fix each of the large locks down and check the monitors again.
'I need to get to the command deck. You watch his vitals closely, Ryder.'
'Yes, sir.'
Terra leans over the pod and stares down at Gryffin. His heart is beating steadily but that doesn't put her at ease. He'd nearly died trying to save them. If they didn't have this pod, Gryffin would be gone.
'You can't do anything here. The Captain won't be getting out of the pod any time soon.'
'I should stay with him in case he wakes up.'
Ryder humourlessly laughs. 'He's dead, Commander.'
'Desyl just—'
'Desyl just gave him a heartbeat so the pod could take over. As soon as we take the lid off, he's a goner again.'
She looks at Gryffin then back at Ryder. 'What?'
'His only hope is the med bay on the Foundation ship his Hunter brother found. Anyway, like I said, you can't do anything here.'
'I'm not leaving him.'
Ryder crosses his arms and Terra notices that, while he's wiry, he's all muscle. The tattoos on his arms only help to highlight his lean biceps. 'I'm not a fan, Commander. Just want you to know. Never been too keen on having the fairer sex on board. Makes things complicated. But here you are, and for the most part, you've chipped in. But just because you share the Capitan's bed, doesn't mean you get treated different.'
The ship shudders as something hits it.
'If you want to be taken seriously by the crew, you'll get your arse to the command deck and do your fucking job. I'll do mine and keep our dear Captain away from death's door.'
Terra wants to stay. She also wants to thump Ryder in the mouth, but she has to admit he has a point. She wanted to be counted as a member of the crew. She's had numerous fights with Gryffin about that very point.
She gets up, and before she can stop herself, her weapon is out of its holster and pressed to the side of Ryder's head. 'If anything happens to him while I'm gone, so help me, I'll make any punishment Gryffin could dish out seem like a slap on the wrist. Do you get me?'
He nods and she walks away, without looking at Gryffin again.
Ryder leans against the wall and checks the monitors again. 'You got a good one there, Captain.'
EARTH
Harvey pours himself a large measure of scotch and sits in the chair behind his home desk. He spent the day interrogating Garvan, but the irritating man refused to give him any information. His responses were limited to smart comments and snide remarks. His inability to make his old friend see the seriousness of his predicament is beginning to grate on One's nerves.
He takes a sip of the liquid as he stares out the window at his grandchildren playing in the garden. It will take them at least two days - possibly three - to set-up a new facility. While he'd like nothing more than to add Garvan to the top of the modification list, he'll just have to wait.
He spins his chair around when a light knock sounds on the door. His step-daughter pops her head around the door. 'Dinner's ready in five.'
'Thank you, Liza. Has your brother arrived yet?'
'About ten minutes ago.'
'Could you send him in?'
She closes the door and Harvey opens the top drawer of his desk and pulls out his personal unit. While he waits he locates the document he needs, then places the unit on his desk beside his glass.
Zeke enters the room a few minutes later without knocking. Harvey forces a smile on his face, trying not to let his irritation at the lack of manners show on his face. 'Take a seat, Zeke.'
The tall, blond-haired man slumps in the chair opposite him and crosses his arms. Unlike his sister, Zeke has never fit in his family. His decision to take a new wife so soon after Liza and Zeke's mother's death had never been accepted by the young man.
The fact that he still allowed him in the house should have made Zeke grateful, but he did nothing to hide his disdain at the situation. It was a feeling that Harvey fully understood and completely agreed with. He would have no issue if he never saw Zeke again, but that would affect Liza. Her younger brother may be an ungrateful irritant, but his sister, her husband, and their children mean the world to Harvey.
Zeke slumps back in the chair and yawns loudly. 'You called?'
Harvey forces his jaw to unclench and puts what he hopes is something resembling a smile on his face. 'How was work?'
Zeke shrugs. 'Same as usual. It would be nice if someone actually attacked the HQ from time to time. Make my life more exciting.'
'Who would dare to attack us?'
'I'm sure there are one or two groups out there who'd love to give it a shot.'
Harvey shakes his head. It's disturbing how true that statement is. 'I've been thinking about what we discussed a few months ago - about changing your name.'
Zeke's blue eyes turn dark. He brushes the loose hairs back from his face, but they refuse to stay in place, too short to be captured with the rest in the stubby ponytail. Another thing that irritates him greatly. Men should not have long hair. He swears Zeke does it to annoy him. 'Yeah, and the discussion ended less than a minute later. My answer is the same.'
'Your family name is greatly important. Think what it would do for you if you had my family name. I have a good position on in the Foundation HQ. It could mean a promotion for you.'
'I don't want a promotion and I sure as hell don't want your name. I'm only here because, for some reason, Liza cares about you and so do her kids. I don't. We agreed to be civil for their sakes.'
Harvey pushes the unit across the table towards Zeke. 'It's just a name.'
'Exactly. What different does it make to you?'
Harvey rests his elbows on the desk and steeples his fingers. 'Consider it.'
Zeke shakes his head as he rises to his feet. He pushes the unit back to Harvey then rests his hands on the desk. 'I will never turn my back on my family name. Do you get that? I am and will always be Zeke Garvan. End of conversation.' He straightens and grins widely. 'Now, dinner's ready.'
Harvey remains composed until he hears Zeke joining his sister in the kitchen. He gently closes the door to his office then kicks the chair Zeke was just sitting on.
Having Wade's son take his name would be such a kick to the convict. It didn't bother him either way but it would greatly annoy Wade, and that was worth it. The fact that Zeke refused to take his name or even be civil with him isn't ideal but there's not a lot he can do about it.
Zeke and Liza will never know what happened to their father. As far as they and their late mother were concerned, he committed treason and died in prison during a fight. That didn't mean he wouldn't use them to hurt Wade as much as possible.
He
activates the security screen on his comms unit, shuts down the two-way video feed then contacts Leeson. After less than thirty seconds, the man's thin, lined face appears on the screen. 'I want the prisoner moved to surgery tomorrow.'
He isn't surprised when Leeson impersonates a fish for a few seconds before he speaks. 'But, sir. He's male.'
'I'm well aware he's male. I don't care about longevity. I just want him to undergo the procedure.'
'But should he not undergo intensive interrogation first? He escaped Tyrat. We need to know how. Perhaps he has information on the rebels from the Outer Sector.'
'Nothing is to be gained by questioning him. He designed the New Colony. He knows too much to take any chances.'
'If you're sure—'
'You recalled the remaining technicians?' he interrupts.
'Of course, sir.'
'And the temporary facility is operational?'
'Well, yes, but—'
'I have never explained myself to anyone before. I'm not about to start now. I don't care what you have to do, I want that convict modified with as much pain as possible. Do I make myself clear?'
'I'll see to it personally.'
Harvey shuts down the comms and leans back in his chair. Finally, something is going to plan.
13
EARTH
Zeke turns off the unit, slips it back in his pocket and quietly makes his way to the kitchen. He smiles at his sister and takes the tray of food from her hands, placing it on the table.
'Are you all right, Zeke? You look like you've seen a ghost?'
'Yeah, Liza. I'm fine.'
'What did Harvey want?'
He pulls a chunk of bread from one of the plates and rolls it in a ball before popping it in his mouth. 'Same as always.'
Liza pulls the plate away before he can help himself again. 'You'll ruin your appetite. I presume you gave him the same answer.'
He nods. 'I'm not erasing the last connection I have to Dad. It doesn't feel right.'
Liza shoos her children from the room then sits down at the other side of the counter. 'Zeke, I miss him too, both of them. But they're gone. I've had to accept that. Isn't it time you did too?'
'How can I? You know how Dad felt about us. Do you really believe he'd just wake up one morning and decide to sell top secret Foundation plans to the Outer Sector then leave us?'
'They showed us the evidence, Zeke. I didn't want to believe it either, but it was all there.'
'What if the data was falsified? What if, I don't know, he didn't die in prison and was being held somewhere else?'
'Held somewhere else? Have you heard yourself? He was an architect, Zeke. He was caught doing something illegal and was punished. End of story.'
'But there was no trial.'
'Because he was guilty.' She turns away from him and busies herself laying food out on the plates. 'You have to stop doing this to yourself. Dad wouldn't want you to waste your life. There was no big conspiracy.' She wipes her hands on a towel and looks across at him. 'Obsessing on crazy theories won't help you.'
'So I should just forget and wipe all trace of him from my life by changing my name?'
She reaches across and brushes his hair back from his face. 'It's just a name, Zeke. Besides, removing the Garvan tag might help get you a promotion. You're going to be twenty-six next month and you're still at the same level in work. How many promotions have you missed out on - three, four? Having his name isn't doing you any favours. Maybe a change will do you and your career good.'
'I can't do it, Liza.'
She smiles at him and nods. 'You're just as stubborn as he was. Just do me one favour, okay? Back off Harvey a little. He's always done right by us, and the girls love him. Please try to be civil for them if nothing else.'
He comes around the table and kisses her on the forehead. Hearing her daughters fighting outside, Liza smiles apologetically at him before hurrying from the room to separate them.
His mind continues to race on auto-pilot as he sets the table. Liza's right. The odds were stacked against their father. Maybe he was the traitor the Council said he was. But Zeke isn't convinced. Far from it. Liza spent most of her adult life away at college, only coming home on the holidays. She didn't live with him from day to day. Zeke did. He knows his father wouldn't have done the things he's accused of. Liza and Zeke were everything to him. There's no way he'd willingly turn his back on them. Not a chance.
He looks down the corridor at the ornate door of Harvey's home office. He doesn't know why, but he has a deep-seated feeling that Harvey had a hand in his father's disappearance.
Since the minute his mother introduced him to Harvey, he disliked the man. There was something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but he knew from that instant he'd never trust him. Placing the listening device under his desk had been easy enough. The man had a thing for over-the-top antique furniture with plenty of crevices for microscopic devices - especially ones routine detectors wouldn't pick up.
While he should be relieved he wasn't going mad the last few years, listening in on the conversations left him with more questions than answers.
He's heard of Admiral Leeson. The weak admiral reported directly to One. So why had he been talking to Harvey? Was Harvey somehow also working for the Council leader? He shakes his head, pushing the thought away. Harvey is pathetic. There's no way he could be connected to One.
After nearly dropping a glass for the third time, Liza kicks him out of the kitchen while she finishes getting things ready. He ruffles his niece's hair as he leaves and locks himself in the downstairs bathroom. He leans against the sink and stares at his reflection in the mirror.
Everyone says he is a clone of his father. With his brown eyes and dirty blond hair he does look like a younger version of him. Unfortunately for his career, he also inherited his father's reputation. He swears Harvey somehow made sure Liza wasn't associated with their father's crimes. Maybe when she changed her surname after marrying Jake, a well-regarded, no nonsense security officer on one of the prison moons, the association had diluted a little. He wasn't so lucky. Not that he necessarily considered it a bad thing. He was far from ready to give up on his father's memory.
He splashes cold water on his face, but it does nothing to knock his brain out of the whirlwind it's currently spinning in. It makes no sense. He knows that. Was his father the one that designed this New Colony that Harvey was talking about? Is that what sealed his fate? He knows his dad was working on something big for the year or so before he disappeared, but he wasn't allowed to talk about it with anyone.
Zeke focuses on his reflection again. That may be the case, but something deep down in his gut, madness or not, believes the prisoner Harvey was speaking about is his father. He can't explain it and it doesn't make any sense at all, but the thought refuses to go.
He pushes upright and dries his face with the plush towel beside the sink. His sister is going to be ticked off at him for leaving, but he can't stay here and be civil with that man until he finds out the truth.
Time to do a bit of digging. If the man Harvey is talking about is his father, he doesn't have much time to find out before he loses him for good this time.
ULTAR
Nova stands in the doorway and looks at the empty cell. She bends down to look at the sheets of paper sitting neatly on the floor beside a chair. The drawings are of the prototype. So, this was his cell. She sits on the bunk and frowns at the blood on the ground beside it. Thirty-Five is injured. Perhaps he is dead. That would put an end to One's plans. Without the prototype he would never get his male army.
She faces one of her team. The woman holds out a screen to Nova. 'We've searched the base. No sign of him. We found Jensen Roman and an unidentified Nomad in the tunnels. Both are dead. Thirty-Five left a message.'
Nova takes the screen and watches as the prototype leans over her fallen comrade and promises to come after them. That's good. They need him to come after them. 'There is a burial place on the surface?'
'Just outside the town centre.'
'Bury Roman and the Nomad. Bring the other body back to the ship. One will want her back on Earth.'
The woman nods and leaves Nova alone. One wants Roman's body on Earth too, but that isn't going to happen. The man stood up to the Foundation. He deserved to be honoured for that, not shot defending the Nomad leader. It hadn't been her intention to kill anyone, but that couldn't be helped now. Ultar had been his home for the last year. He should stay here.
She runs her hand over the pillow. 'Where are you?' she says quietly to herself. She closes her eyes and concentrates. The link to the rest of her team is strong, but there's nothing else. She had hoped she'd be able to feel him. Maybe his programming is too different to hers. Maybe he'll always be out of reach.
She walks away from the cell and along the corridor. The prototype's disappearance will not go down well with One. As much as she'd like to delay contacting him, there is little point. She'll have to relay the information at some stage. She enters the comms room and activates the nearest machine. As usual, One keeps her waiting, but eventually his masked face appears on the screen. 'Well? Where is he?'
'Gone.'
'What do you mean he's gone?'
Not for the first time, Nova wishes death on the man facing her. His inability to accept fact is one of his greatest weaknesses. The cyborg project is a mistake. Earth is doomed. The prototype will destroy the Council. The Outer Sector will survive. All of this is fact yet the most powerful man on Earth refuses to accept these basic truths. 'We have searched the base. He is not here.'
'He has to be there. We couldn't have linked with the other cyborg without him boosting the signal. Where is he?'
'Unknown. We've searched the entire facility and the surface. He's not here.'
'You mean you let him go.'
'He must have escaped on one of the ships moments before we got here.'
'Well that's not good enough. I need him under our control.'