“Ryann, with me,” cut in Grayell. He walked off back towards the rest of the team’s position.
“I think I may have found a way to open up the launch gates without triggering the rest of the doors!” she called after them. “It shouldn’t be too long now.”
Ryann went to turn around, but Grayell guided him back towards the others.
“Get back to work,” he growled without looking around.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
BETRAYAL
“Okay, the Marianne is on its way.”
Grayell’s quiet voice was at Ryann’s side.
Sure enough, a moment later he made out the dark shape of Anders’ ship silhouetted against the red glow of the surface of the broken moon. Ryann willed the ship closer, and soon it was slipping ponderously between the hangar gates, its docking thrusters throwing up the dust and debris that littered the hangar floor.
Ryann looked up anxiously to the sealed doorways around the hangar. For a second he thought he had glimpsed a shimmer of light play over them. He half-expected them to slide open at any moment. But all remained deathly silent.
“You’ve done well.”
Ryann looked across in surprise as Grayell spoke quietly to Eve. They were standing at the control panel as she made the final adjustments to the security systems.
“We were in a tight spot back there and you got us through it. We’re in your debt.”
Eve nodded gratefully, looking up as the Marianne came to rest upon the landing pad, its loading ramps already lowering.
“Ryann, give the others a hand to get aboard. I’ll keep you covered.” Grayell turned back to the doors checking his rifle.
Ryann nodded and set off down the steps, Eve at his side.
“Not you Eve,” muttered Grayell without looking round. “I need you here in case the drones try to override the door controls.”
Ryann took one end of the field stretcher, struggling under the weight of Beck as he and Dane carried him over to the Marianne.
As they reached the ramp, he saw Angelique hurrying out towards him, followed closely by Mara Kobo. He allowed Mara to take the stretcher from him with a nod, as Angelique flung her arms around him.
“Oh God Ryann! What the hell have you been doing? We were so worried about you! What were you thinking?”
Ryann didn’t know what to say. He stared at Angelique in a daze. A part of him was so thrilled to see her, to feel her embrace. But then saw Mara Kobo returning down the ramp, and he felt another surge of unformed rage tearing at him.
“I was making a difference” he retorted, and turned to head back over to Eve.
He stopped in horror.
Eve stood at the controls to the barricade, her back to him. But standing close behind was Grayell, and as Ryann looked on his father was already raising his rifle towards her.
“Eve!”
Ryann cried out at the top of his voice, sprinting desperately towards them. Eve turned, that gentle smile still upon her face. But then her expression faltered at the sight of Grayell.
“I’m sorry Ryann,” said Grayell in a grim voice. “But she’s not real. She’s a part of all this, just like those drones, the Queen — just like Locke. There’s no way she can come aboard the Defiance — she would lead the Lumina straight to us — they would see everything she sees.”
“Ryann?” Eve’s voice was frail and full of fear.
Grayell lifted his rifle.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
The shot rang out, and Ryann skidded to a halt, staring on in disbelief.
For a brief moment, Eve looked to Ryann, her hands held across her stomach, and her expression of disbelief mirrored his own.
And then, as though in slow-motion, she slumped to her knees, falling backwards into the dust.
Ryann heard his own voice call out in a scream of pure anguish.
He ran forward, crashing down at Eve’s side, tearing off his helmet, reaching out and cradling her body in his arms.
She breathed in shallow gasps, staring up at him as she fought for breath, the fear written starkly across her features.
Dimly, Ryann heard his father’s voice behind him, but he couldn’t see past his tears.
“It’s for the best Ryann. She was never real. It’s all an illusion. She’s not real.”
“You’re a goddamn murderer!” he screamed without looking around. Carefully, he removed Eve’s helmet; she coughed weakly as he lay her head back in his hands, a fleck of blood running across her lips.
“Just hold on Eve,” sobbed Ryann, trying to staunch the wound in her stomach. “You’re going to be okay — I promise — I’ll save you.”
“Your father’s right Ryann,” sighed Eve, and she gasped in pain once more. She tried to lift her hand to his face, but the effort was too great. “It was just a dream — I’ll never be free.”
“You won’t die Eve,” croaked Ryann. “And if I can’t save you now — then I’ll find you — wherever you are — I’ll find you, and save you — I promise.”
Eve smiled through her pain, her gasps becoming steadily fainter until the light seemed to go out of her face and she lay still, her dark eyes blank and staring.
Ryann’s tears fell upon her face and he sobbed freely.
“I will find you again Eve,” he whispered through his tears. “I promise.”
He leant down, his face up close to hers; he felt a chill rising up from her skin.
“Ryann! No!”
He heard his father call out in alarm, but he didn’t care about a thing now — nothing in the world mattered any more.
He leant forward and kissed Eve lightly upon the forehead.
It was as though an explosion ripped through his body — as though the galaxy in all its entirety was suddenly collapsing in on top of him. An unstoppable torrent of images and sounds leapt out at him — worlds, faces he had never seen — as though a million experiences throughout a million lifetimes engulfed him, all within the space of a single second.
He had one final glimpse of Eve’s face before he felt himself torn
