“What the—How—”
“No questions now, sir. Our vessels are waiting. Please hurry!”
They slipped into the maze of black corridors.
The rescue was successful.
Reynald.
“Simon! We thought you were gone!”
((forgive me, michael. the emergency shadow break severed the pattern tether, and the bioneural interface went into overload. i had no choice but to close down.))
“Simon, why’d you Shadow break?”
((…))
“Simon?”
((shiva’s dead.))
“What? Did you—”
((the enemy ambushed us in the stream. they weren’t expecting us, though. they were going upwhen, and suddenly they appeared directly ahead of us. a huge force—hundreds of vessels—and one crashed right into shiva, tearing him in half. i just had time to break from the stream, or i would have fallen, too.))
“Holy—Wait. So Command doesn’t know that an Enemy fleet is en route?”
((there wasn’t time to place a beacon.))
“…And Shiva?”
((doubtful.))
“They’re helpless up there.”
((yes.))
“Would a beacon reach Command in time?”
((even if it did, i doubt they’d believe us.))
“What do you mean?”
((shiva was about to eliminate me when we were attacked.))
“Oh god, Simon. We were right…Our suspicions. We were right.”
((malachi’s somewhere out there right now. this is the when he was signaling from…we have to assume he’s watching us right now.))
“If he were here, why didn’t he try to stop that Enemy fleet that’s invading Command? He must have seen them depart. He could have stopped them!”
((he could have if he’d wanted to.))
“It’s happened. They’ve finally infiltrated the Judas.”
“There’s nothing left to discuss, Sapphire. We need your fleet. Your When was of secondary importance, and that’s why it was abandoned. We need the cooperation of your Golgotha fleet for the largest offensive we’ve ever undertaken.”
Judas Sapphire sat in the First Circle chamber, silently studying the face of Hannah Kilbourne.
“It’s not your duty to question your orders, Judas Sapphire. It’s your duty to follow them.”
Sapphire cleared her throat, rose from her seat.
“Request permission to address the Circle.”
Kilbourne’s eyes drew to slits. “Granted.”
She walked slowly, contemplatively around the circle. All eyes were on her thin form as she pondered what to say. The light above her only served to draw more attention to the web of silver faintly illuminating her face and the contrasting Judas code burn on her left cheekbone. She looked up and through Kilbourne but addressed the entire assembly.
“I’ve been a Judas for seven of my sixteen years.” She struggled to control her emotions, to keep in check the forces within her. “And I’ve worn these,” she indicated the battle chamber interface gauntlets imbedded into her forearms, “for three.”
Everyone watched her, noticed how her hands shook as she turned to address them. Her silver eyes, the faint lines of mercury that spider-webbed her face…
“I can’t condone the actions of the Judas Command First Circle.”
Kilbourne shook her head in anger, choked off the words that had risen in her throat.
“For almost three years, my forces patrolled that alternity, and from my experience in that warzone I can tell you truthfully that the decision to withdraw my containment forces was a mistake. A deadly mistake.”
Kilbourne scoffed. “How dare you, Judas Sapphire? The next engagement requires the resources of your fleet. To question our orders—”
“By withdrawing the Golgotha, you’ve have sealed our fate. What’s one Enemy when there’s an infinity of rogue code alternate Enemies poised to break through into the Stream at any moment? At any moment! And what I’ve seen of the Enemy in the alternities makes your Enemy seem like a fucking puppy dog.”
The Circle members were in uproar, and Sapphire had to shout above them.
“Sapphire, perhaps you should return to your vessel.”
“Of course, Hannah… But first, I have a question.” Sapphire turned back to Kilbourne and smiled sweetly. “How did your precious Mujahadin get the same techbase as the Enemy I was fighting in that alternity?”
Kilbourne was shocked to silence. Her jaw dropped.
“Hannah, why don’t you see the alternities as a threat?”
“Seize her!”
Sapphire’s eyes blazed with silver fury, illuminating the assemblage. “Did you think you’d get away with it? Did you think we wouldn’t see you?”
“Take her to her vessel, now!!”
“I’d been there for two years, Hannah. Did you think I wouldn’t notice your fucking fleet Shadowing through my When?”
The guards at Kilbourne’s side hesitated, made no indication that they were going to approach Sapphire.
“Hannah, have you made an alliance with them?”
“Now, damn it!”
Kilbourne’s guards relented and began to walk toward Sapphire.
“You’ve betrayed us all. You
Kilbourne’s eyes flared up with a mercurial fury, and Sapphire was thrown backwards by the force of Kilbourne’s thoughts. She hit the ground hard and lay there, motionless. The members of the First Circle were silent. Many looked at Kilbourne with unabashed hatred on the faces.
The chamber door burst open with a flash of impossible light, and a man calmly entered, followed by others. Long black cloak, Judas code burned all-too-visibly across his scarred face.
“Hannah, stand down.”
“Reynald.” Kilbourne’s eyes burned with her fury.
“Get out of her pattern, Hannah. I’m taking her with me.”
Kilbourne’s arms faded with the shift. “And what makes you think I’ll—”
Reynald reached out with the full brunt of his mind, and Kilbourne’s face became a battlefield. Pain, terror, anger. Her hands went to her temples, and she crumpled to the floor.
Reynald was satisfied, and with a flash, he released Kilbourne from his hell.
“She’s betrayed us all. She’s made an alliance with Enemy code from Sapphire’s Altwhen. That’s where the Mujahadin techbase came from. I know some of you support her actions,” he turned slowly to address the full Circle, “but I also know that there’s a lot of you who are terrified of the repercussions.”
There were more than a few nervous nods amongst the packed chamber.
“I’m taking my fleet and getting out of here before they find us. Program Seven’s probably been compromised already. Anyone who wants to join me can. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
Reynald walked to Sapphire’s still form, surrounded by her loyal Golgotha captains. He bent and tenderly lifted her from the floor.
“She’s betrayed us all. Come with me if you want to live.”
He turned his back to Kilbourne, who still stood unsure of herself, hand to her chest, inhaling and exhaling painfully. Reynald carried Sapphire out of the chamber, followed by his own loyal Judas and Sapphire’s Golgotha
