Athena's Ashes

by Jamie Grey

  “You did this to me, Renna,” he whispered. “And now I’m going to do the same to you.”

  He reached out with one of his robotic hands and closed it around her throat. The cold metal of his fingers burned into her skin as they tightened slowly around her windpipe.

  She gasped for breath, thrashing against him helplessly.

  With a hoarse scream, she woke up, tangled in the blankets. She stared up at the ceiling of her pod, sucking in air. Dear gods, what the hell was wrong with her? She hadn’t had a nightmare like that in years.

  Renna wiped the cold sweat from her palms. She’d give anything for a stiff drink right now, but getting up meant Viktis would see her freaking out, and having him hovering over her like a nursemaid wasn’t how she wanted to spend the rest of the night.

  If she was going to have a long night, she’d rather be back on the Athena. In Finn’s arms.

  She growled low in her throat. Damn her for still wanting him after this. Renna squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out his face by concentrating on the Athena. She tried to focus on how it flew, the way she felt when she’d controlled it. It had felt like coming home. Like she’d always been a part of it.

  A hum began to build in her head, but she ignored it. Instead she focused on inhaling and exhaling regularly, trying to get her pulse under control. The meditation technique started to work, and she felt herself finally slipping back into relaxation.

  And then she was there. Inside the Athena.

  It had been so easy this time. She’d just…become the ship instead of struggling with it. And this time she felt different, more controlled somehow. Excitement shivered through her, and with a thought, Renna’s view switched between areas, almost like switching between surveillance monitors.

  On the flight deck, Kojima monitored the controls alone, glancing at a video on his holoscreen between adjustments.

  Switch.

  On the bridge, Lieutenant Keva sat stony faced at her console, tracking ship movements and glancing at Captain Finn, who stood at the captain’s chair, staring out at the rest of the ship’s crew. He looked tired, shadows ringing his eyes and stubble darkening his jaw.

  A flutter of happiness danced through Renna at the purple bruise on his cheekbone. Good, Viktis had gotten in a square hit when they’d fought on Forever Station.

  A beep sounded from Keva’s console. “Captain, comm from the Eris. Would you like to take it?”

  “In the comm room, please.” He strode from the CIC.

  Switch.

  In the comm room, Finn turned on the holocommunicator and leaned forward, hands on the table. “Commander, tell me you have something. Please.” He’d let his rigid posture slump now that the crew wasn’t watching him.

  Commander Jayla shook her head with a frown. “Nothing. They’ve vanished. MYTH is insistent that you return immediately for a debriefing. They’re sending the Eris to look for her.”

  “If I go back, they’ll ground me. We’ll never find her.” He slammed a fist down on the railing. “Dammit, Jayla. I need more time.”

  “Time is the one thing we don’t have, Captain.”

  A soft knock came on the comm room door and Finn growled. “Buy me some more time, Jayla. One more day. I need to find her. I was the one that let her into MYTH. This is my fault.”

  “You know that’s not true.”

  “It’s too late to argue about it now. Finn out.” He cut the power to the holo and raked a hand through his hair. “I’m coming for you, Renna,” he growled. His anger made her skin erupt in goose bumps.

  She jerked awake, breaking the connection with the ship. Her fingers trembled as she brushed away the tears streaming down her face. Biting back a sob, she turned on her side and buried her head in the pillow.

  THIRTY

  The Fortune’s Risk landed on Antibes Prime the next day as the brilliant red sun was setting.

  “Are you ready for this?” Viktis asked as they waited in the hold for the depressurizing unit to finish processing.

  “No. But I don’t really have a choice.” Renna checked her blaster again, making sure it was fully charged, and then patted down her pockets and hips for the knives hidden there. “You don’t have to do this with me, Viktis. I’m the one she’s after, not you.”

  “I’m not going to let you go in there alone. Besides, I still owe her for blowing up my ship and murdering my last crew. I’ll be happy to bring the bitch down.”

  She doubted it would be that easy, but Viktis knew what he was getting himself into. Renna was going to have more than Samil to deal with. The ghosts of her past hung heavy here. She’d been such a child when she’d landed on the planet, on the run from a mother who probably hadn’t even noticed she was gone. She’d gotten lucky when she’d found the transport ship headed here, and even luckier that one of Blur’s gang spotted her when she got off the ship and offered her a place with the gang.

  One of the other girls on the same transport hadn’t been so lucky.

  “Here we go.” Viktis pressed a button, and the hatch slid open.

  Renna gasped as a wave of bitter smoke hit her. The sun was sinking low in the amber sky over Shalim, its rays streaming between the decaying skyscrapers that dotted the horizon. Smoke plumes darkened the spaces between the bent and jagged fingers of the buildings. Shalim had been dying before she’d left seven years ago, but now it looked like hell itself.

  “What happened here?” she asked, staring wide-eyed at the destruction. Her implant whirred to action, pulling up article after article about the chemical spill that decimated the city four years ago.

  “Damn,” she said. “The Koschei Corporation used their facilities here to manufacture a chemical used for rapid recycling of construction materials, but they didn’t follow protocols and there were leaks. When it seeped into the earth, it started to attack the buildings and structures here. They’re decaying at a rate of one hundred years for every year.”

  “What about the people?” Viktis asked.

  Renna winced. If the chemical was strong enough to eat buildings, what in the maker’s name did it do to humans?

  Her implant returned the medical records a moment later. She stared in horror at the reports. “Only the very poorest were left. Those who couldn’t afford transport off-world have…changed.” She stepped out onto the soil, her boots kicking up a puff of yellow dust, and tried not to inhale. “Why would Samil build a facility here?”

  Viktis shook his head, brushing some of the floating dirt from his sleeve. “She attacked whole cities to acquire subjects for her experiments. She probably just had to offer these people a decent meal, and they’d flock to her. Seems like a better return on investment.”

  Renna’s boots crunched on broken rubble as she headed for what had once been the main street through the spaceport. The minefield of destroyed cement and rotting metal stretched around them as far as she could see. Hot air from the decaying buildings clung to her exposed skin like cobwebs, but she shivered at Viktis’s words.

  Samil was turning these people into hybrids, too. And with the chemical already in their systems, it had to react differently from her other test subjects. Who knew what sort of horrors she’d created here.

  Renna’s implant flashed up a map of the area, and she turned down a side street. “This way.”

  “That thing’s kind of useful to have.”

  She shrugged. “It did the map thing before Samil altered it. Now it’s trying to take over my brain.”

  “And steering starships from across the galaxy,” he added. “I’ve never seen Finn so freaked out. He thought MYTH had found us when you took over. But when he realized it was you…” His voice trailed off, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to bring him up again.”

  Renna wrapped her arms around her waist, constantly scanning the shadows as they walked. She couldn’t think about him now. She had to concentrate. Grieving for what might have been could come later.

&nbs
p; The smell was unbearable, sharp and acrid, the stench of decay overwhelming. But there were no heat signatures, no sign that anyone was even left on the planet.

  “So…what’s the plan?” Viktis asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. “I can’t imagine Samil is going to let us walk in the front door.”

  “Then we use the back door. You forget, I knew this place like the back of my hand when I was a kid.”

  Renna rounded the corner and stumbled to a stop, staring at the front of what had once been her home. It didn’t look much like the same rundown building she’d expected. Instead, it shone like a shiny new toy in the midst of the half-eaten structures around it. Smooth metallic walls stretched two stories high, completely windowless. The only entry was a high-tech security door with a glowing blue lock.

  Viktis whistled. “Impressive. Must be some sort of new metal to withstand this chemical onslaught.”

  “It is. She developed it on Banos Prime. Maybe specifically for this. I don’t know.” Renna pulled herself together and gestured to an alley halfway down the block. “Let’s head that way. I don’t fancy trying to hack that lock.” She led him away from the building and around the corner. “If she hasn’t changed it, there should be a small ventilation duct we can use to get inside.”

  The back of the warehouse was built of the same dark material, but the door here was less high-tech, merely made of wood, with a standard lock. She and Viktis crouched behind another building, and Renna studied the facade, searching for the small vent she remembered. It had been a long time since she’d used that escape route. Samil might have even sealed it when she updated the building.

  She finally spotted a darker dimple near the bottom of the building. “There!”

  Viktis’s shook his head. “You want me to fit through that?”

  “What? Feeling claustrophobic already?” But she studied at it with misgiving, too. It was a hell of a lot smaller than she remembered.

  She ordered her implant to do a quick scan of the facility for a vent schematic or another way in, but static just whispered in her ears. Nothing. Something was blocking the signal.

  “Damn,” she said, shaking her head. “I had this problem back on Banos Prime when Finn and I tried to break into the facility there. It’s made from some new material that won’t let comms in or out. I can’t tell if the vent goes where it used to.”

  “Lucky us.” Viktis squinted at the grate. “You get to go first then.”

  Renna smirked at him. “You just want to look at my ass.”

  “Absolutely.”

  But now that she studied him, Renna wasn’t sure he’d fit. It might be a tight squeeze getting those broad shoulders into the hole. “How about this? I use the vent to sneak inside and let you in the door here.” She pointed at the heavily locked wooden slab.

  Viktis put up a hand. “No heroics, Renna. As soon as you get inside you let me in. We’re doing this together. Promise?”

  She kept her face expressionless. He knew her far too well. Damn him for guessing that she’d seriously considered leaving him behind to protect him from Samil. “Using my code against me, Viktis?”

  “I’m using any advantage I can get with you, love. Promise?”

  She sighed. “Promise. See you in a few.”

  Renna sprinted across the alley and ducked against the building as she used her nanospanner to quickly unscrew the grate cover. She waved cheerfully at Viktis before sliding head first into the dark space. Her elbow slammed against the side of the vent, the vibration echoing through the space. She waited, breath frozen in her throat as she listened for signs of discovery. But when everything remained silent, she slid forward, deeper into the building.

  “Schematics,” she ordered, but her implant stayed offline. Renna frowned. It was strange how quickly she was getting used to having that extra resource and how helpless she felt when it didn’t work. Even if it might take over her whole body, it certainly had its uses.

  Good thing it looked like Samil had left the air filtration system alone. If she remembered correctly, there was a junction just ahead.

  Renna’s knees slid against the slick metal bottom, and she pushed herself along a few more meters. And there it was. The darkness yawned on either side of her. To the left was the exterior door and Viktis. To the right, the interior and, if her hunch was correct, Samil.

  If she took that path, she could end all of this. She had the element of surprise, and Samil wouldn’t be expecting an attack from inside her own walls. The thought of watching the woman die for all the lives she’d already taken sent a sick sort of joy through Renna. Retribution was a bitch, and Renna was more than happy to be the one to deliver it. Easy decision, then.

  She slid toward the right-hand vent but paused, glancing back in the other direction. If she did this, if she went after Samil and failed, they were all lost. And Viktis would never forgive her for breaking her promise.

  It was so tempting to do this alone, to not have to worry about anyone else. But after what had happened back on Tartarus, Renna knew Samil was a slippery bitch. She’d need all the help she could get to stop her. Working with Viktis was the smart thing to do. And smart was the only thing that would get her through this.

  Slowly, Renna pushed herself backward until she could take the left-hand turn. She counted three sections of vent before she found a grate that opened into what seemed to be an empty room. Renna craned her neck, searching the space for any sign of life, but only silence greeted her.

  Shit. With her implant not working, she had no idea if she’d drop down into a room full of guards or set off an alarm.

  Silently, she pulled out her nanospanner and unscrewed two of the vent screws. Curling her fingers into the grate, she lowered it, letting it hang open.

  This was it. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears as she waited for a reaction, but after a few long seconds of silence, she leaned through the hole to survey the room.

  A worn desk, a bank of dead monitors, and an old wooden chair facing the door were the only things there. Didn’t look like it had been used in weeks. Renna slid feet first from the hole and landed softly on the ground in a crouch, casting a quick look about the space to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Her racing pulse slowed when everything stayed nice and quiet. Just how she liked it.

  In three steps, she’d crossed the room and switched off the door alarm.

  “Get your ass in here, Viktis, I don’t have all day,” she said, throwing open the door with a grin.

  Viktis appeared in the doorway, arms raised. “Renna, we have a little problem.”

  Major Larson stepped up behind him, blaster aimed directly at Viktis’s head.

  THIRTY-ONE

  “So nice to see you again, Renna.” Larson’s voice could have frozen lava. “Why don’t we all go inside?” He no longer wore the gray-and-gold MYTH uniform. Instead, a black jacket with a green lapel covered his lanky frame. He gestured with his gun. “Don’t try anything or your friend is dead.”

  She glanced at Viktis, trying to keep her expression even and calm. He nodded slightly as if he could read her mind. But she couldn’t risk trying to take down Larson with Viktis in the line of fire.

  Dammit. When had she lost her nerve?

  She raised her hands. “Fine. I’ll behave. Leave him alone.” Renna backed up into the guardroom until she bumped into the wall.

  Larson pushed Viktis into the room, the gun never wavering. “Against the wall, scum.”

  Viktis stood beside Renna, frowning. “You had a shot at him. You should have taken it.”

  “Shut up,” Larson snapped. He slammed the back door closed and reset the alarm with one hand. The other still pointed the gun at them.

  “I didn’t think you’d fall for it, but Dr. Samil was sure you wouldn’t be able to resist coming here.” Larson’s lips twisted into a sneer. “You’re even more predictable than I thought. She’ll be so pleased to know you’re here. Just in time to start phase two.”


  “Just in time to stop you, you mean.” Renna leaned casually back against the wall and crossed her arms. “We knew exactly what we were walking into, Major.”

  “Of course you did.” His smirk deepened. “Always have to have the last word, don’t you? You really should learn when keeping your mouth shut is the smarter option.” He strode to the door on the other side of the room and pressed his index finger to a bioscanner, wincing as a small needle pricked his skin.

  Godsdammit. A biolock. Almost impossible to hack, even if you did have a sample of the person’s blood. But it wouldn’t do to let Larson see her reaction. She kept her face expressionless as the door slid open and he motioned them to start moving.

  “So does Dr. Samil pay well?” she asked. “I can’t think of any other reason someone like you would join up with an undisciplined mob like this.”

  Larson let out a low chuckle. “You really are a thief, only concerned with money.” He forced them down a narrow hallway. “Do you want to know how well Samil pays?” he asked, pulling up the sleeve of his new uniform coat and pressing a finger to his wrist. The skin on his forearm pulled back, revealing a mess of wires and human nerves. Just like Myka’s.

  Renna stared at the familiar panel, her whole body going icy.

  “I was diagnosed with an incurable disease three years ago,” Larson said. “Samil offered to save me in return for my help. It was an easy decision. Even better, I just got an upgrade—state-of-the-art brain and nervous system. Bionic limb, even a shiny new implant, thanks to you.”

  Renna blinked at him in dismay. Dr. Samil must have started shipping Renna’s test results out here as soon as Renna arrived at MYTH HQ. There was no way they could have developed this tech without her DNA.

  Which meant that by turning herself in, Renna had actually helped create a whole new level of hybrid.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Even Larson shouldn’t have to go through something like that.