“I’m staying,” he corrected her. “Everyoneelse is sick. You need me. So I’m staying. That’sfinal.”
Carrak managed a sickly smile. “I was hopingyou would say that. At this point, I can still pilot one giant. Andwe can always substitute a skirmisher for a giant—the rules allowfor a lesser robot to take the place of a greater one, even at thelast minute. So that will make two functional warriors. And if wecan keep a third pilot relatively healthy, we can mount a decenteffort. Maintain our honor and our dignity, even if we eventuallylose.”
Zia leaned forward in her chair. “What aboutme?”
“You’ll be safe,” Rem assured her. “We’llmake sure of that, so don’t worry. We’ve got plenty of time to takecare of the details.” He seemed to be thinking out loud. “Dr. Annursays Harada’s doing great, so we’ll put him in the escortchamber with you. And we’ll find a healthy Malaran crew totransport you. Even if the worst happens, and they get sick duringthe voyage, the damned ship will be on autopilot most of the way,so you should reach Earth safely.”
“No, I mean, what about me? I canpilot the Quito giant. Not very well, obviously, but I’m betterthan nothing. If all of the Malaran pilots are sick and gettingsicker, we might not have any choice but to use me and mycolossus.”
Rem and Carrak stared at her for a longmoment. Then Carrak assured her, “That is not an option.”
“Why not? Why choose a skirmisher with a sickpilot over a giant with a healthy one?”
Rem gave her a patronizing smile. “It’s anamazing offer, Zee, but it doesn’t work that way. Just having themech isn’t enough. There’s a lot more to it. Things you can’tpossibly be expected to understand—”
“You’re the one who doesn’tunderstand,” Zia retorted. “Go ahead, General Carrak. Tellhim.”
Rem frowned. “Tell me what?”
“That she sees something in me. Potential.Talent. Good DNA.”
“What?”
Carrak hesitated before shrugging hershoulders. “It is possible that Zia could help. Theoretically.”
Rem’s blue eyes erupted into flames. “That’sout of the question. We won’t stand for it.”
“We?”
“Earth. The United States. Me.”
“Well, luckily, I don’t need yourpermission,” Zia told him with a cool smile. “And you don’t speakfor Earth. This has nothing to do with you, Captain. It’s mydecision, and I’ve already made it.”
She sat back in her chair, trying to lookconfident, even though her head was spinning. Rem was right. Sheknew that. But she was right too. Malara needed her.And while she agreed that she could get killed—in fact, sheprobably would get killed—the idea of putting the helmet onagain, this time to save an entire planet, was intoxicating.
Grandpa’s DNA, she told herself,biting back a shaky smile. He must have been such a wildman.
“Remember what we talked about the other day,General Carrak?” she said, eyeing the monitor to remind the Malaranof the press conference vid. “At least I’ll go out in a blaze ofglory, right?”
“It will be exciting,” Carrak admitted with achuckle that was subverted by a cough. “You have four days, Quito.Report to the dormitory for your bunk assignment and your Malaranuniform. Then meet me at the simulator.”
“Which one?”
Carrak laughed again. “The time forchildren’s games has passed. Taryak will escort you. Captain Stonewill stay here to receive further orders.”
Zia glanced at Rem, whose expression warnedher not to get too invested in this plan. He clearly intended totalk Carrak out of it. To convince her to send Zia home like somehelpless child. Some delicate flower.
Zia stood and looked down at him. “Rememberwhen I wanted to hook myself up to the giant back on Earth? Youwouldn’t help me that night. But you told me later you’d neverrefuse me again.”
“This is different.”
“No, it’s exactly the same. Mybody, my safety, my life. I’ll do it with or withoutyou, Rem. But I’d feel better if I had your support.”
Without waiting for his answer, she gaveCarrak a fist-chest salute, then flashed a confident smile andstrode out of the room.
* * * *
As soon as the door was closed, Rem turned toCarrak and assured her dryly, “This isn’t going to happen. I’llgladly give my life for Malara, but I won’t give hers.”
“Hers is not yours to give.”
“Don’t play that game with me. You need me.We both know that. But if you push this crazy idea, I’ll take Ziaand stuff her into a suspension chamber and take her back to Earthpersonally. Then you won’t have either of us.”
When Carrak scowled, he offered a morerespectful explanation. “If I thought she could do it, it would bedifferent. But she doesn’t know the first thing about piloting amech.”
“And you do not know the first thingabout piloting a colossus. Yes, we only build giants for ourbest skirmisher pilots, but ironically, it does not take as muchskill to perform basic moves in a giant because the mechautomatically does whatever the pilot wishes it to do. She will beable to move about with great agility and to fire on command—justby willing it to happen.”
Rem glared. “We both know why you only buildgiants for your best pilots. Because at that level, it hasnothing to do with moving or firing. It’s all about strategy.Something that takes years and years to master. The colossus can’tsupply it, only a real pilot can.”
Carrak started to answer, but wheezedviolently instead, as though the simple act of coughing was beyondthe capacity of her huge lungs. For the first time, Rem realizedshe might not even make it to the battle. It was possible hewouldn’t have any help at all if the Malarans kept dropping at thisrate.
But still, that was better than having Ziathere, providing a huge, inexperienced target for three healthy,bloodthirsty Alluvans. “They’d kill her, Carrak. I’m not stupidenough to think I can defeat two giants and a skirmisher with justa skirmisher of my own. If Zee’s out there, I’ll be so distracted,it won’t matter if she can supply some basic firepower. I won’t beable to concentrate on anything but the threat to
