《Luyten V》


 Chapter 1

    Pain lanced through Rosemary¡¯s legs as she dragged herself through the ruined building. She warily eyed the ceiling, fearing the rickety structure might topple at any second. Half had already collapsed, making her trek to the basement nail-biting.


    But Rosemary pushed ahead anyway. After all, dying early would doom humanity forever. She gave her left arm a quick glance and winced. The infection had already spread to her shoulder blade, the thick glowing purple undulations sickening to behold. Rosemary figured she had an hour remaining until the parasitic infection consumed her whole. But that didn¡¯t matter. She¡¯d complete her task well before then.


    ¡°Well, shoot.¡± Rocks had collapsed over the door leading to her destination. Refused to be deterred, metal squealed as Rosemary pushed against it with her infected arm. Sweat dripped down her brow as she forced open the metal door, beaming as she spotted what she hoped would be the home of humanity.


    ¡°There you are, girl. You can¡¯t imagine how pleased I am to see you.¡± She tapped at some keys, grunting in satisfaction as all systems read green. It won¡¯t do to send her creation if it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Still, doing this will doom me and everything I worked towards for the last twenty-odd years,¡± she mumbled to herself. This wasn¡¯t a decision she made lightly. Heck, this half-baked scheme might not even work. Or worse, doom all history in a paradoxical tangle. Still, she had little choice. The Altair had ruined her precious planet beyond repair. It¡¯s only a matter of time until they spread their infection across the entire galaxy.


    ¡°Macauley better be right about this.¡± With more taps of the key, everything was ready. She only prayed this would work. They hadn¡¯t exactly tested this yet. Oh, well. Nothing for it, she supposed.


    ¡°Hey, kiddo. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re surprised to see me,¡± Rosemary said in her final message. She couldn¡¯t send the Luyten V without explaining its purpose. ¡°Now listen to me carefully. The Earth¡¯s fate hangs in the balance.¡±


    ---


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the looks of this corridor.¡± The avatars on Rose¡¯s computer screen said. The animesque girl¡¯s eyes darted from side to side, her animated expression turning pensive.


    ¡°Creepy. Maybe you should turn back?¡± Rose said, tensing with her favorite Vtuber star, Stella Kilonova, as she explored further down the pitch-black corridor. The dilapidated industrial complex sent waves of unease through Rose, its metal rusted into an ugly orange.


    Rose hated horror games, never having the nerve to play one herself. She watched as Stella directed her character past some pitch-black window. Rose tensed, fearing something jumping out at any second.


    The horror came as expected, bursting from the window in an explosion of glass. The indescribable horror lumbered forward, and Stella screamed. Her avatar, a blue-haired girl with twin starburst hairpins froze, pupils widening in utter terror.


    To illustrate her fear, Rose posed a scared emoji with Stella¡¯s face in the chat. Similar reactions zipped through the chat log as the Vtuber¡¯s other viewers dreaded what might happen next.


    ¡°No!¡± Stella¡¯s player character tried fleeing for his life, but the monster moved lightning fast, its jagged claws lashing forward to gut him. Much to Rose¡¯s astonishment, the blow did nothing. The character bounced back several steps, but seemed otherwise unharmed. Huh, what was happening?


    In response, Stella broke into a high-pitched giggle, her avatar laughing and clasping her stomach. ¡°Gotcha!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rose posted her confusion in the chat.


    The monster attacked again with a terrifying single-minded determination. But its efforts to bash Stella¡¯s character proved futile, the video game character receiving no damage.


    ¡°Before I started the game, I entered a cheat code that made my character immune to all damage,¡± Stella said, amused at the monster¡¯s futile attempts to hurt her, and broke into another laughing fit.


    ¡°Hilarious,¡± Rose said, scowling and voicing her annoyance in the chat. Typical. Stella loved playing these unpredictable practical jokes.


    ¡°The monsters should never win,¡± Stella said with absolute confidence. Her chat remained unamused, many claiming she¡¯d ruined the game. They¡¯d been looking forward to her streaming this game. But, ever the entertainer, Stella showed other fun tricks you could do with this game, demonstrating amusing glitches if the player character hit a wall just right. She had an impressive knowledge of the game.


    After closing the game, Stella returned to her default star-filled background and answered some questions from her viewers. She answered each super chat donation with her usual humble gratitude. The cute smile of her avatar made everyone¡¯s previous annoyance with her evaporate like smoke.


    ¡°Rose!¡± Her mother said, yelling up the stairs.


    ¡°Yeah, Mom?¡± Rose yelled back.


    ¡°I need help with the groceries.¡±


    ¡°Okay, coming.¡± Rose frowned, but did as instructed. She¡¯d just watch the VOD repeat later.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Rose grunted as she lifted the bags onto the kitchen counter, panting as she finally relieved the weight.


    ¡°Mom, look at this.¡± Rose¡¯s youngest brother, Dan, said, holding up a collection of sticks he¡¯d glued together. Much to Rose¡¯s dismay, the sticky substance covered him everywhere.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, dear.¡± Their mom paused, her tongue clicking when she spotted her son¡¯s mess. Like her mother and little brother, Rose shared her mother¡¯s raven locks. Only her older sister had inherited chestnut hair. Typical. His perfect always needed to stand out. ¡°Look at you. Clean up before dinner, young man.¡±


    ¡°Must I?¡± Dan said, pouting.


    ¡°Rose, can you wash up your brother?¡± Her mom asked. ¡°I need to put away groceries and start dinner. Dad will be home soon.¡±


    ¡°What? I was in the middle of something. Make Sophie do it!¡±


    ¡°Sophie¡¯s studying right now.¡± Her mom replied. ¡°She¡¯s studying for her SAT. Lacerta University doesn¡¯t allow just anyone in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Wouldn¡¯t that be a crime?¡± Like her Miss Perfect older sister even needed to study!


    ¡°Rose.¡± Her mom¡¯s tone contained a warning.


    ¡°Okay. Come, Danny boy, let¡¯s get you washed up.¡± She led her brother by the hand to the bathroom.


    The dinner table was a hive of activity as they prayed and dug in. With her father home for once, her mom wanted a happy, idyllic family get-together. Danny was making a mess as usual, while her father sang Sophie¡¯s praises as she recounted a scholarship she¡¯d gotten for her fantastic grades. No one paid Rose much attention as she picked at her Parmesan-crusted chicken. Rose wished she could eat it in her room, as was her habit, and finish watching Stella¡¯s livestream.


    Family dinners are the worst. And her father hadn¡¯t even bothered asking about her week, like he didn¡¯t even remember his middle child existed. Noticing Rose¡¯s pensive expression, her mom elbowed her husband hard in the stomach.


    ¡°And how have you been, Rosemary?¡± Her father asked, finally getting the hint. His gaunt face extended into a facsimile of a smile. Rose had always thought her high cheek bones made him look downright skeletal.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°The usual.¡±


    Undeterred by this bland response, her father pressed the conversation. ¡°Mother tells me you¡¯ve been working on a special project. How¡¯s that going?¡±


    ¡°That? I finished it yesterday.¡± While not as smart as her perfect older sister, Rose had her talents. She¡¯d worked on it while listening to Stella¡¯s stream. ¡°Got it ticking down to the second.¡±


    Ever since she was little, the mechanical had fascinated Rose. Much to her parents¡¯ exasperation, she¡¯d loved taking apart anything she could get her hands on to learn how it worked. Then she¡¯d reassemble it, making the contraption work better than ever. Her newest project was building a working clock from random scraps she¡¯d collected.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. You¡¯ll have to¡­¡± Her father paused as his phone buzzed. He quickly dismissed himself to talk in the other room. After a quick apology, her father rushed out the door. There¡¯d been some commotion at work, and his immediate presence was required.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can show him later when he returns home.¡± Her mom said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Why bother?¡± But Rose shrugged it off. ¡°I¡¯m going to my room.¡± Her sister seemed ready to say something. But she closed her mouth, deciding against it. The door slammed behind her as she reentered her room. Much to her annoyance, Stella had already ended her stream.


    Rose flopped on her bed, not interested in doing much anymore. She listened as her makeshift clock ticked and tocked. She¡¯d always loved the sound of old-fashioned clocks. It reminded her of her grandmother¡¯s house, a wonderful jumble of random knick-knacks, many dating back a hundred years or more.


    ¡°Should I just go to bed early?¡± Rose wasn¡¯t interested in socializing. Unlike her perfect, beloved sister, she possessed poor social skills.


    Before she could decide, Rose almost toppled off her bed as her entire room shook. ¡°What the heck?¡± After the rumbling stopped, she regained her bearings.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Rose checked her phone, trying to figure out what had happened. They didn¡¯t live near a fault line, so it couldn¡¯t be an earthquake, could it?


    ¡°Are you okay, Rose?¡± Her mom yelled up to her, concern evident in her voice.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She shouted back. The rumble made her room a total disaster. Rose spent the next few minutes righting everything as she checked the newsfeed.


    ¡°Was it a meteor?¡± It must have been enormous to cause that kind of tremor. The news claimed it¡¯d crashed about four miles away from her house. The news advised that people stay clear of the crash site. Thankfully, it¡¯d only crashed in a nearby field. No one had gotten hurt.


    ¡°I have to check this out.¡± Rose grabbed a jacket, running out before her mom noticed she¡¯d left. At a hurried pace, she dashed towards the distance crash site.


    Spectators already filled the street as she approached. Police cars and police tape cordoned off the crash site. Officers waved people away, telling them to return to their homes. She tried peering around the crowd, but her short stature made the effort useless.


    ¡°I wonder what they¡¯re hiding.¡± A familiar voice said.


    ¡°Oh, hi Hans,¡± Rose said, her tone neutral. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± Unlike her, her classmate stood tall, almost dwarfing her by a foot. Some called him tall, dark, and handsome, but Rose only considered him a jerk. He was brusque with everyone by nature, especially to her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Before the meteor crashed, something like an aurora borealis lit up the sky.¡±


    Rose only snorted. ¡°No way. That¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°You think? They¡¯re hiding something. Why are they here, then?¡± He pointed to some men in black in shades. They looked like government types.


    ¡°Okay, you might have a point.¡± Rose scowled. She hated being wrong. ¡°But what are you saying? That it was a UFO? Now that¡¯s stupid.¡±


    Her classmate didn¡¯t reply, lost in his own thoughts. Annoyed by his rude dismissal, she tried to slip past the crowd to get a better glimpse of the crash site.


    But her efforts proved futile, a police officer pushing her away. ¡°Return to your homes. Nothing to see here.¡± Dejected, Rose did as instructed. She spent the night visiting various social media sites for more information. This mystery fascinated her. It was a bright spot in her usually uninteresting life. Whatever it meant, something interesting had finally happened in her incredibly dull town.


    ---


    ¡°What is this?¡± Agent Millar said, combing a hand through her blonde hair. ¡°It just crashed, but it¡¯s already cool to the touch?¡± Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t anything she¡¯d ever seen on Earth. But it couldn¡¯t be a UFO from space. That¡¯d be crazy! The ¡°meteor¡± sat in the crater, curled up in a ball, its form vaguely humanoid. Could it be some sort of weird new drone?


    ¡°Washington has already sent its best minds to the scene to investigate.¡± Her partner, Agent Gaddas, replied. He adjusted his shades for the fifteenth time, a habit he displayed when nervous. ¡°We¡¯re seeing about moving it. But I doubt it¡¯d be easy.¡±


    The UFO had to weigh at least 250 tons, standing almost the size of a two-story building. She frowned as something caught her eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I thought I saw a light.¡± Something on the UFO¡¯s surface had flashed purple. Not from the UFO itself, but from the odd grim covering it.


    ¡°What? D-did it just move?¡± She could have sworn the grim had just undulated.


    ¡°We have a problem, I think.¡± But her partner never finished his words.


    The odd ooze leaped from the UFO, plopping to the crater floor. Whatever the substance was, it was alive. Its body became more solid, taking the vague outline of a great cat. A single eye cracked open on its forehead, studying them with alien intelligence. Her partner reached for his weapon. But that¡¯d been a mistake. Sensing his hostile action, the creature lunged with impossible quickness. Gaddas didn¡¯t even get to scream as the monstrosity consumed him, the poor man flailing as the monster¡¯s body absorbed him on contact.


    Much to her confusion, the UFO lit up, emitting a sound like an engine starting. But Millar never got a chance to consider what the sound meant before the monstrosity pounced, her body dissolving in seconds.


    ---


    ¡°Did you see the crash last night?¡± Vera asked, leaning over to talk with Rose over her seat. Since class hadn¡¯t begun yet, students took full advantage to socialize.


    ¡°Not much,¡± Rose said, shaking her head. ¡°When I¡¯d gotten there, the FBI or whatever had cordoned it off already.¡±


    A sly look overtook her friend. Her mouse-like face turning mischievous, She knew something. Vera paused, waiting for her friend to squeeze the information out of her.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Rose said, finally relenting after an awkward few seconds of silence.


    ¡°I live nearby, right?¡± Vera said, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°I saw the lights everyone¡¯s been talking about. I was out walking Mr. Fluffy when it happened.¡±


    ¡°You saw something? Really?¡± The red-haired boy sitting next to her said, pushing up his glasses with a finger. His name was Georges, he¡¯d been her next door neighbor forever.


    ¡°Oh yes! And not a giant rock, either. More like a giant man forged from metal, like a titan from myth. It had battle paint over both eyes. Its face was something fearsome, like a demon!¡±


    ¡°Now I know you¡¯re pulling my leg.¡± Rose still wasn¡¯t buying the story.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Georges, however, seemed more inclined to believe this fanciful story.


    ¡°The light appeared way high in the sky! The figure fell at least fifty feet! It curled up into a ball to protect itself.¡± Vera said, continuing her tale.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s not from space? Wait, are you saying? It¡¯s a giant robot?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Vera wanted to elaborate more, but Mr. Lynn cleared his throat to get the class¡¯s attention to start class. He was a balding, middle-aged man with a slight limp in his left leg, a result of a terrible football injury thirty years earlier.


    Rose, however, was only half listening to the history lesson. Had a giant robot crashed in their sleepy little town? It sounded hard to credit, though it sparked the imagination. While taking her notes, Rose doodled tiny robots in the margins, each more fanciful than the last.


    ¡°Okay, class, read Chapters 3 and 4, and don¡¯t forget the chapter questions at the end. They¡¯re due tomorrow.¡± He wished to say more, but a sudden, ear-piercing crash interrupted him. It wasn¡¯t like the impact from yesterday. It sounded closer. Had a building just collapsed?


    ¡°One moment, class.¡± Without another word, Mr. Lynn retreated from the classroom. He spoke with another teacher, each reading something on their phones. The entire class was on the edge, their nerves fraying.


    ¡°A monster attack?¡± A student said, his phone out, despite this breaking the rules.


    ¡°What? Impossible! Monsters don¡¯t exist!¡± Another student cried, incredulous. Arguments broke out as everyone declared their own theories, each more outlandish than the last. After twenty minutes passed, their teacher returned, clearing his throat to catch everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Class, school is canceled.¡± While his outward expression remained calm, a fretful look hid behind it. ¡°In a calm, orderly manner, follow Ms. Sagan outside. A school bus will be ready for you.¡±


    This earned confused glances from his students, but his expression brooked no argument. ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain. We¡¯re taking you to somewhere safe. There¡¯s nothing to fear.¡±


    Someone screamed, and everyone turned to what Vera was pointing at through the windows. Her heart caught in Rose¡¯s throat, she froze like a deer caught in a headlight.


    The creature was enormous, dwarfing the surrounding buildings. It was a creature from a nightmare, a cross between a feline predator and a ferocious lizard. Spikes ran across its spine, its scales the ugly color of bruised flesh.


    ¡°Go, now!¡± Mr. Lynn said, pushing his students towards the exit.


    Rose screamed as the monster turned to face their direction. This was impossible. This had to be a nightmare. With a casual sweep of its tails, it demolished a nearby building. Dear God, she¡¯d passed that store every day without thinking, and now it was gone, history. The monster stomped in their direction, mouth open to gobble them whole.


    A deafening howl resonated through the school as the monster cried out in pain. A jagged line ran across its scales, blackened like coal.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Rose¡¯s breath caught as a red figure appeared from behind a building.


    Much to her astonishment, it was the metal creature Vera had described. Its appearance was fearsome. Yet Rose got the distinct impression of a metal sentinel, a guardian here to protect humanity. It wore armor shaped like a knight¡¯s chest plate, its body an orangish red hue. It stood even taller than the monster, strong and proud. The fearsome, proud face was like Vera described, with two horns pointing from its metal skull.


    Instead of dealing with the stunned monster, it stomped right towards them at frightening speed. Stupid. Why had she assumed the robot was there to protect them? Rose turned to flee, but a hand reached out and smashed through her classroom¡¯s wall. She collapsed, shaken by the sudden impact.


    The metal colossus¡¯s chest opened, revealing an impenetrable black void. A fretful Georges screamed her name, reaching out to grab her hand so they might escape. But tendrils shot out from the metal creature, grabbing Rose in a vice-like grip. Try as she might, they were impossible to escape from.


    ¡°Rose!¡± Georges¡¯ frantic plea was the last thing she heard before darkness consumed her.


    ----


    ¡°What the?¡± Rose shook her head, confused. Much to her relief, she wasn¡¯t dead. Something soft sat under her. Cushions?


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Everything was pitch dark. Rose flailed around, trying to find a light. Illumination suddenly blinded her as a screen turned on. A woman of early middle years greeted her, her raven-colored hair in a short bob.


    ¡°Mom?¡± No, but something about the face displayed on the computer screen seemed familiar. Wait. Rose¡¯s heart dropped into her stomach. This was her face, older, more battered but clearly her own visage!


    ¡°Hey, kiddo. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re surprised to see me.¡± An eye patch covered one of the dark-haired woman¡¯s eyes. She looked haggard, like she¡¯d suffered through terrible starvation. Yet, her single eye blazed with intensity, a candle that refused to be blown out.


    ¡°Now listen to me carefully. The Earth¡¯s fate hangs in the balance.There wasn¡¯t anyone else I¡¯d trust my Luyten V with. Use it to fight, defend the world. Or else, everyone is doomed!¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°What? What is this?¡± Rose stared, open-mouthed, dumbfounded by what she was hearing. This was a future version of her? What sense did that make? This had to be a nightmare! It was the only logical explanation.


    ¡°The enemy is called the Altair,¡± her future self grimaced, clutching her left arm. Dazed by the sudden, insane development of this conversation, Rose hadn¡¯t noticed the ugly purple growth attached to her future self¡¯s arm. Worse, the infection pulsated, growing and spreading as she watched. Adult Rose was hanging on by the thinnest thread, pushing herself to finish this one final vital message. Dear God, Rose was watching her own destruction.


    ¡°They appeared twenty years ago. From where? Nobody knows. There are theories, but outer dimensional physics is beyond me,¡± Future Rose grunted, gasping in pain. ¡°They seek to consume everything. Not just humanity, the planet, or even the solar system¡­ Everything. Period.¡±


    Alarms whirled as something impacted Luyten V. Rose winced as a violent moment jerked her hard in her seat. Her breath caught, her heart pounding painfully in her chest as the monster filled her viewscreen, acidic drool dripping from its mouth, scaring her robot¡¯s metal skin. The monster¡¯s mouth extended wide, revealing rows of jagged, needle-like teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve uploaded everything we have about the Altair onto Luyten V¡¯s computer system.¡± Her future self¡¯s pain intensified, sagging as she had trouble keeping herself afloat. ¡°Sorry, I have to leave you. I must send Luyten V back before I fade away. The Luyten V is our hope. Use it wisely, please. Good luck, Rose. And please protect Sophia for me, okay?¡± The scene went black.


    ¡°What?¡± She yelled, screaming for more instruction. But only silence answered her desperate pleas. Protect her sister? Why? Had something happened? But Rose didn¡¯t have time to process this dire message. Sirens howling as a claw tore into Luyten V¡¯s chest. The entire cockpit rumbled as it took blow after blow. Rose screamed, her hands rushing across the cockpit¡¯s countless buttons and levers, trying to find anything to save herself.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you add some instructions to this stupid thing, future me!¡± Rose grabbed what seemed like control sticks and tugged on them experimentally. The cockpit jerked as Luyten V took a sudden right turn. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something.¡±


    The monster pounced again, but a sudden left turn made Luyten V¡¯s arm smack into its head. The creature howled, crushing a nearby empty playground. A clumsy counterattack, but it¡¯ll do. ¡°Does this thing have weapons?¡± Dare she even risk it with people so close?


    ¡°Master basic movements first.¡± And the controls weren¡¯t as difficult as she first expected. They seemed intuitive enough, something she¡¯d design. Which, Rose realized, she had. With some fiddling around, Luyten V took its first tentative steps forward.


    The monster mastered itself, rising to its feet and howling at her. Its mouth opened too wide, and writhing purple tentacles wrapped around Luyten V¡¯s left arm, pulling her forward to clamp its nasty, jagged teeth onto her.


    Rose uttered some unladylike curses, throwing a fist into the monster¡¯s face. But this defiance only made it more determined to swallow her whole, metal grinding as the tentacles gripped tighter. Consecutive punches did more damage, but the monster refused to be deterred.


    ¡°Come on, you stupid thing. You must have more than this!¡± The cockpit bucked as the monster¡¯s mouth engulfed Luyten V¡¯s left arm, trying to shred it with jerky motions like a shark. Rose winced at every squeal and tear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this! I¡¯m just a twelve-year-old girl!¡± Tears leaked from Rose¡¯s eyes, convinced she was going to die.


    ¡°Huh?¡± A sudden light blazed to life, demanding her attention. The flashing button read Spectral Beam.


    ¡°What the heck.¡± It wasn¡¯t like she had better options. After pulling up a tab, she pressed a button with a thumb. A tear across the air was incredible, a beam lancing from Luyten V¡¯s forehead. The blast tore through the Altair monster like paper, leaving a jagged line of scorched flesh. Much to Rose¡¯s dismay, the red-hot beam also melted a portion of her town¡¯s radio tower.


    ¡°Oops.¡± Rose grimaced as the structure crumbled into a twisted metal heap, unable to hold its weight due to the damage.


    The monster staggered, somehow still alive despite the hole burnt through its torso. Instead of blood and gore, it oozed distorted pixels, like something from a video game. Its body became fuzzy, less substantial. Rose didn¡¯t hesitate, a fist impacted its head with a sickening crunch. She smacked it again and again, channeling her fear and rage into each punch. The blows reduced the pavement to a miniature crater before Rose stopped.


    Despite the punishment, the Altair refused to die. It stumbled back to its feet, its body already reconstructing itself. The pixels reforged together to create flesh again.


    ¡°Well, shoot. Now what?¡± Was this thing unkillable? Her future self won¡¯t have sent the Luyten V into the past without some way to win, right? In answer to her desperate plea, another light drew her attention.


    ¡°That should work!¡± Rose¡¯s mouth widened into a shark-like grin, eager to claim victory.


    ¡°Dynaspike!¡± A palm drove right into the Altair¡¯s face, light gathering from its chest and diverting itself into the attacking appendage. The creature recoiled as the palm slammed into its skull, squirming as it clamped onto its face. Rose¡¯s smile widened as she thumbed the button on her joystick¡¯s head. Pixels spattered in a geyser as a spike erupted from Luyten V¡¯s palm, driving right through its head. Energy gathered into the spike¡¯s head and unleashed its terrible payload. The Altair jerked as it coursed through its body before splattering to pieces as energy atomized it, the pavement melting from the heat and power of the special attack.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Rose¡¯s breath heaved as she tried to regain some composure. She stared in astonishment as the Altair monster pixelated further before vanishing into nothing, like it¡¯d never existed. If the visual damage wasn¡¯t there, Rose would¡¯ve assumed the entire incident had been only a terrible nightmare. With a thud, the spike retracted back into Luyten V¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I won.¡± A croaking laugh escaped her lips, unable to believe her eyes. Somehow, she¡¯d won. The system reported damage to Luyten V¡¯s left arm, but it otherwise seemed okay.


    ¡°Like that matters. I¡¯m never piloting this thing again!¡± Let the government figure this nonsense out! A worrying thought suddenly occurred to Rose. How would she escape this contraption?


    Much to her relief, a lever opened the cockpit to the open air. Luyten V bent down and escorted Rose out onto the pavement using the same tentacles it¡¯d used to kidnap her. Never did concrete feel so good under her feet.


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    ¡°Rose!¡± A fearful voice said, catching her attention. Much to her surprise, it was Hans, breathless as he approached her. He stared at her with wide, amazed eyes. He shook his head and composed himself back to his usual jerk self.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe,¡± Hans said, his voice returning to its usual gruffness. ¡°You fought that monster and won. What is that thing? Is this robot what crashed last night?¡±


    ¡°Heck, if I know!¡± Rose threw up her hands. ¡°Everything happened so fast!¡±


    ¡°Yet, you piloted it? And defeated that monster?¡± Hans asked more questions, ones that Rose couldn¡¯t hope to answer.


    ¡°Look!¡± Rose said, losing her temper. Was he going to suggest she was an alien spy or something?


    Before she could go into a tirade, several cop cars drove up to their position. Two cops opened their doors, gazing up at the giant machine looming over them. There was something threatening about the giant titan, fearing it¡¯d attack them if they dared harm its pilot. More officers appeared, and Rose feared she¡¯d have a long day sorting this mess out.


    ---


    ¡°So, um, am I in trouble?¡± The slight, black-haired girl said, fidgeting in her chair. ¡°I did kinda destroy school property.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Agent Sandage said, all genial politeness. ¡°In fact, we owe you a great debt for your service. You may have saved the entire planet, Miss Brahe.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rose shifted in her seat, both mollified and flattered.


    ¡°Humble girl. I¡¯d be preening myself like a peacock if I were in her position,¡± Agent Sandage thought, amused. It spoke well of her. The fact she even piloted that metal monstrosity was an outright miracle.


    ¡°In fact, the President says he wants to shake your hand for the service you did for your planet,¡± Sandage said. ¡°There¡¯s talk of giving you a substantial scholarship for your future education.¡± If Miss Brahe truly had a hand in Luyten V¡¯s creation, it¡¯d be wise to keep her future career under careful observation. She was a resource America couldn¡¯t afford to lose.


    Rose stayed silent for several moments before answering in a whisper, a hand trembling as she spoke. ¡°Did you see the video? The one from me?¡±


    Sandage released a breath. How could he forget? It¡¯d left a powerful impression on everyone in the agency. ¡°We did. While Luyten V¡¯s operating system is beyond anything we¡¯ve seen before, it was compatible with Lunettes 11, thank God. We pulled its crucial files without much issue.¡±


    America¡¯s finest minds were already combing over the files. Though, he wondered if they¡¯d even understood a quarter of them. The implications were staggering. Time travel? Alien invaders? Super weapons? It was beyond belief.


    ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s from the future?¡± Sandage understood the girl¡¯s trepidation, hearing the tremor in her voice. She¡¯d seen her future self¡¯s final words. That¡¯d unsettle anyone.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say. But the files date the year the Luyten V left as July 20th, 2046,¡± Sandage replied.


    ¡°Dear God, that¡¯s how long we have left?¡± Sandage thought. Sure, he¡¯d read the reports, but hearing it out loud brought its truth to harsh reality. He trembled with unchecked emotion, too. His David would be a fully grown adult, possibly already married with kids.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Rose lowered her gaze to the floor, troubled. ¡°I hope you guys figure something out.¡±


    ¡°We have the best minds working on the problem. There¡¯s nothing you need to worry about.¡± Sandage hoped his words would prove true for all their sakes.


    After asking further questions about the Luyten V and its operation, Sandage allowed Rose to leave. While his smile was reassuring, inwardly he was a bundle of nerves.


    ¡°Poor girl, she shouldn¡¯t have got caught up in this,¡± his partner Brown said. He¡¯d been watching the interview with Director Shapley behind a one-way mirror.


    ¡°Still, there¡¯s one point that bothers me,¡± the director said. ¡°Why did the Altair attack Rosemary Brahe?¡±


    A chill spiked down Sandage¡¯s spine. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Sure, the creature went on a rampage through the city, but its initial target was Ursa Star Middle School,¡± Shapley said.


    ¡°Are you saying it specifically targeted her? That¡¯s absurd! How would it know where Miss Brahe even went to school?¡± Sandage¡¯s heart almost stopped as a horrible realization struck him. ¡°The older Brahe was infected. She had a purple growth on her arm. Did it absorb her, take her knowledge, and hitch a ride as the Luyten V traveled through history?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility. I¡¯ve ordered Doctor Gold to scan the files she left about the Altair first.¡± The document was hundreds of pages long. It¡¯d take a considerable amount of time to read through thoroughly. While the document was sadly short of names on Luyten V¡¯s future creators, it mentioned some choice names. They¡¯d found the name Macauley mentioned more than once. Who was that? Was that their first or last name?


    ¡°Poor girl.¡± Sandage ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit. ¡°At least she¡¯s free of this mess. For now, at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± the director replied. ¡°She¡¯s the only one who¡¯s been able to pilot the Luyten V so far. No one else can even make it even respond to them.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s keyed to her DNA somehow. To keep her creation from entering the wrong hands, no doubt. Prudent of her.¡±


    The giant robot¡¯s appearance had already caused an international stir among the various world powers, with rumors running amok. Since the monster disappeared after its destruction, they didn¡¯t have direct proof it existed. Shaky phone footage and frightened eyewitnesses wouldn¡¯t be enough. Russia had already accused them of some elaborate cover-up for some new weapon. With the media whirled up into a frenzy, people were scared. He prayed the president¡¯s address of the doctored version of events would ease some of the public¡¯s fear and uncertainty. He¡¯d already heard crackpots screaming on the news about an impending doomsday. It might be, but they hadn¡¯t reached that point yet. Future Rosemary Brahe had given them a second chance.


    ¡°You¡¯re not suggesting we train her to pilot the Luyten V, right? A twelve-year-old girl?¡± Rose was only three years older than Sandage¡¯s own son, for goodness¡¯ sake!


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But we must consider all possibilities. We¡¯re talking about an alien invasion here. The possible destruction of the world. But that¡¯s a future problem. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± A slight smile crept on Director Shapley¡¯s face, the first he¡¯d shown since this grim crisis happened. ¡°We have twenty-odd years to solve the problem.¡±


    ---


    In the blackness of nothing, an eye opened. Indistinct shapes shifted, almost impossible to distinguish from their surroundings. They¡¯d fed well here, but it and its brethren were hungry again. They lived to consume. To starve was death. With nothing left remaining to eat, they needed to move elsewhere.


    A signal caught its attention, faint but a clear voice in the dark. Odd. Busy with the feeding, they hadn¡¯t had the chance to send feelers out yet to discover new feeding grounds. Yet, this message came from them, a promise of impending food. Along with a name of an enemy, one they should eradicate with prejudice, Rosemary Brahe.


    The portent of this message puzzled them. Yet it enticed them to a fevered pitch. It was a call they dared not ignore, along with an enemy that deserved their absolute attention. Yes, this new dwelling place would suit them nicely.


    But they would approach the matter with caution. The food was often devious and clever. This might be a trap to feed upon them instead. They would send scouts to clear the way, making their ingress into this new reality easier. Then the feasting would begin, sating their agonizing appetite until they searched for more plentiful fields. But they won¡¯t rush. They could afford to be patient. The anticipation heightened the taste of their prey.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really!¡± Rose said, biting back her annoyance.


    She¡¯d heard these questions a billion times, especially from the adults. They¡¯d insisted more than once she should seek a counselor. Her parents, even her usually lackadaisical father, had freaked out when they¡¯d learned she¡¯d fought an alien invader. Rose¡¯s mom had clutched at her for hours, fearing letting go of her baby. Her father, though, changed his usual tune. He¡¯d annoyingly bragged to everyone about his daughter¡¯s heroics, embarrassing her to no end. Now they started paying real attention to her? At least she had that accomplishment over her perfect sister. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of her sister, her future self''s warning returning in perfect clarity.


    What''s going to happen to you, Sophia? Rose¡¯s chest bubbled with worry. While they¡¯d never been close, she was still her sister. She fought back her anxiety about future disasters, redirecting her attention to her friend.


    ¡°Yeah, but the nightmares! I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯ve been sleeping much. I doubt I would after facing that creature.¡± Vera suppressed a shudder. The other students crowded around their school¡¯s hero, soaking in every word.


    ¡°Poor thing. If you need anything, feel free to ask!¡± Georges had been weird since the attack, too, doting on her. Did everyone think she was a fragile piece of porcelain?


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Rose said, her tone more insistent. ¡°I haven¡¯t had any nightmares, actually.¡± This earned her amazed looks from her classmates. In fact, deep in her heart, Rose had to admit the entire situation had been rather fun. What did that say about her?


    ¡°Settle down class.¡± Ms. Sagan said in her rich Brooklyn accent. She adjusted her thick spectacles with her palm. ¡°We can talk after class. Please open your Social Studies textbook to page 177.¡±


    Class passed by without issue, with no monster attacks to speak of. While the school had gotten damaged in the attack, it¡¯d been minimal. It¡¯d reopened days later. Despite this, everyone was still edgy, with rumors running amok about a possible alien invasion.


    The president¡¯s address about Altair had done little to diminish public fears. Much to Rose¡¯s surprise, President Okona hadn¡¯t denied the existence of the alien threat. Instead, he urged that humanity work together to fight this menace. While many nations offered their assistance, countries like Russia remained skeptical. To no one¡¯s surprise, the president hadn¡¯t mentioned the existence of time travel. Aliens were a hard enough pill to swallow.


    Rose¡¯s cheeks blushed bright pink at the memory of her public handshake with the President of the United States. They¡¯d concocted an outrageous story about her taking control of the Luyten V after its pilot¡¯s sudden, unexpected death, commending her as a hero. Thankfully, the public bought the story, with Rose receiving incredible praise for her heroic deeds. However, it didn¡¯t stop the conspiracy theories. The most outrageous one claimed she was a cloned psychic super soldier. Rose really hoped the turmoil would die already. She really didn¡¯t appreciate all the attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Rose said as she pushed through the front door. Since her mom worked as an architect, she was usually home. Instead of her mom¡¯s voice, her sister greeted her instead.


    ¡°Hey, Roe,¡± Sophia said, using the nickname her family had stuck her with. When she was first learning to talk, Rose had mispronounced her name as Roe, and the nickname stuck. They thought it was cute. Rose, however, found it somewhat exasperating.


    ¡°Hey, Soph,¡± Rose replied, her voice stilted. Since her future self¡¯s message, she¡¯d been rather awkward around her older sister. What was she supposed to do? The fact Sophia needed protecting at all was confounding. Yet Rose couldn¡¯t ignore the warning. An awkward silence hung between them before Rose finally spoke.


    ¡°Is Mom home? I tried texting her, but she hasn¡¯t responded yet.¡± Their mom had a bad habit of ignoring her phone or forgetting to turn it on. ¡°I wanted to ask if I can eat dinner at Vera¡¯s house tonight. We were planning on having a girl¡¯s night together.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but she¡¯s out with Danny, doing some shopping. Some sale or whatever. But she¡¯ll be home soon enough.¡±


    After a sigh, Rose nodded her thanks and left for her room. But an extended hand stopped her. ¡°Are you doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone keep asking that? I¡¯m fine!¡± Rose put a hard emphasis on the last word.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been different since the Altair attack. It¡¯s like you have a burden on your shoulders.¡±


    And Rose supposed that was true. Besides the government, nobody knew about the time travel nonsense or their possibly doomed future. Future Rosemary had entrusted her with saving the future. But what could she do? Even discounting the warning about her sister, everything was so overwhelming. Rose felt adrift.


    ¡°I¡¯m managing,¡± Rose replied truthfully enough. Fighting back turbulent emotions, she climbed the stairs upstairs. Stella was streaming in a couple minutes. Rose wanted to watch it before going to her friend¡¯s place. Vera had little interest in vTubers.


    ¡°Roe, I¡¯m here for you, okay?¡± Her sister said as Rose got halfway up the stairs. ¡°If you ever need to talk, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Rose only snorted. ¡°That¡¯s only because you¡¯re curious about the Luyten V.¡±


    But her sister only smiled. ¡°That too. That thing is truly a wonder. I find it remarkable the US developed such a weapon without anyone noticing. I¡¯m amazed it can even walk under its own weight!¡± Her sister wanted to be a physicist, and an engineering marvel like the Luyten V captivated her.


    Rose had a secret smile when her sister parroted the lie the news had given about Luyten V¡¯s existence. Still, the desire to unburden herself was heavy. But she resisted the urge. She¡¯d rather not go into it with her sister, of all people.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll manage.¡± Without another word, she returned to her room.


    ---


    ¡°Tsk. You¡¯re asking for miracles here.¡± The red-headed young man said. While scruffy looking, he had a rugged charm to him, a laid-backed attitude that made him charming. He leaned back in his chair, rotating the toothpick between his teeth. ¡°Ask for something more reasonable.¡±


    The flippant tone somewhat annoyed Sandage, but he was used to Gamow¡¯s cocksure attitude. It came from his ex-hacker background. They¡¯d caught him breaking into a high-security military database for fun. Gamow hadn¡¯t been as sneaky and clever as he¡¯d thought. Instead of throwing him into jail, they¡¯d offered him a high-paying government job. His talent with computers was remarkable, a certifiable genius.


    ¡°So, still no luck making the Luyten V respond to anyone else?¡± Sandage asked, dismayed. ¡°You can¡¯t change the DNA it responds to?¡±


    ¡°I tried that, but the stupid thing ignored my instructions.¡± Gamow threw up his arms, giving the towering robot a wary glance.


    The warehouse bustled with activity as various scientists tapped at workstations or examined their prized giant robot. It¡¯d taken considerable effort to move the massive monstrosity to a secure location. It was temporary until they moved it to a military base in Nevada. The location needed some alterations until it was prepared to accept Luyten V. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the damage the machine had received in its battle against the Altair drone had already healed like they¡¯d never existed. Another frustrating mystery they didn¡¯t understand.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The ex-hacker lowered his voice to a conspiratorial level. ¡°I swear that thing¡¯s alive. Have you looked into its eyes? They¡¯re way too human for my liking.¡±


    And Sandage glanced over and suppressed a shutter. Was it his imagination, or was the robot staring right through him? ¡°Wonderful. General Kuiper won¡¯t be pleased with that news.¡±


    ¡°I swear. I¡¯d almost think the Luyten V was created from alien technology.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± This observation caught Sandage¡¯s attention.


    ¡°How the heck did we advance so quickly in only twenty years? Sure, we were at war with Altair, fighting for our lives, but still.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to know that, Gamow.¡± The time travel issue was a carefully kept secret. But Sandage allowed the matter to drop, musing on the observation. ¡°Doctor Gold mentioned its composition was unusual, a metal he¡¯d never seen before.¡± Worse, despite having Luyten V¡¯s blueprints, they were way beyond anything they could currently understand.


    ¡°If they figured this out in the future, so can we.¡± Sandage forced a smile, hoping it to be true. Too much rode on their success.


    ¡°Well, if you need a replacement pilot, why not clone Miss Brahe?¡± Gamow¡¯s expression turned mischievous. ¡°Like Cecilia from Project Dolly.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to know about that either,¡± Sandage said, annoyed.


    But the ex-hacker only shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re paying me for suggestions, so I¡¯m giving you some.¡±


    ¡°Point.¡± Sandage fought back his irritation and signed. ¡°It¡¯s an idea.¡± He wasn¡¯t keen on throwing Miss Brahe into battle again, anyway. He rather liked the young girl and loathed seeing her getting hurt.


    ¡°With the world in danger, we can¡¯t discard anything offhand.¡± Sandage paused as a scientist tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Sir, you need to see this.¡± The young lady said, flustered.


    ¡°Okay?¡± He followed the scientist, with a curious Gamow following close behind. Displayed on the terminal¡¯s screen were short lines of text, but its contents made Sandage¡¯s heart skip a beat. What the heck?!


    ¡°Seek out William von Fraunhofer. He lives at this address. It should push you in the right direction. Your friend, Macauley.¡± Gamow said, reading the message out loud. ¡°Was this in the Luyten V¡¯s database? That¡¯s supposed to be a closed system!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t answer that, sir.¡± The female scientist said, wringing her hands. ¡°It just showed up a few minutes ago. I¡¯ve been here the entire time. There¡¯s no way someone could have assessed my terminal.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Sandage said, finally finding his voice. He furrowed his brow when he scanned the room. He found nothing out of place or anyone without the proper clearance.


    ¡°Macauley.¡± That was a name mentioned in Luyten V¡¯s database. What the heck was going on?


    ¡°Hm. Interesting.¡± Gamow played with his phone. It¡¯d only taken him seconds to find the info he¡¯d been searching for. ¡°He¡¯s a German immigrant who moved to the US ten years ago. Degrees in multiple fields, but specializes in biomechanics.¡±


    ¡°Biomechanics?¡± Like prosthetic limbs? But he supposed the clue was worth investigating. There was much about Luyten V¡¯s construction that the big-headed scientist still didn¡¯t understand. They discovered hints that the machine creature might contain some organic parts.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get in contact with him.¡± While Sandage loathed accepting help from such a mysterious, anonymous source, times were desperate. Still, who was this Macauley person? Why operate in the shadows?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find them, whoever they are,¡± Gamow said, reading his thoughts. ¡°I guarantee it.¡±


    ¡°Good. I hate surprises.¡± He jumped as metal squealed behind him. He turned to see the Luyten V struggling with its restraints. They snapped like twigs, and the machine monster stomped forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gamow said, alarmed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nobody¡¯s in the cockpit!¡± The female scientist cried. People scrambled as Luyten V plodded forward, its gait single-minded. Sandage winced as a fist smashed the garage door open, the metal crumpling like paper. With remarkable speed, the Luyten V dashed into the distance.


    Sandage cursed, tapping frantically on his phone. Was this another Altair attack? Impossible. They had another twenty years until they attacked! His blood chilled to freezing when he realized something. They still understood the barest minimum about the Altair. What if the first drone had contacted its brethren? Was this the beginning of the end?


    ---


    ¡°Now let¡¯s read some Super Chats!¡± Stella¡¯s avatar said, thrusting an enthusiastic arm into the air. This was Rose¡¯s favorite part of Stella¡¯s stream. The jokes, memes, and random questions always made her laugh.


    ¡°Thank you for streaming, Stella. With the world on the path of possible destruction, you¡¯ve always been a light that guided my day.¡± The vTuber read before breaking into a grateful smile. For an indie streamer, Stella¡¯s avatar possessed an impressive amount of animation. ¡°Thank you for the Super Chat! With things so scary, I¡¯m glad to help make your day brighter.¡±


    Stella¡¯s expression turned determined. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be here for you. I won¡¯t let these Altair do as they wish!¡±


    ¡°So brave.¡± In the chat, people theorized how Stella might accomplish this feat. Did she have some super weapon stored away from her home planet? Did she have her own super mech? Stella¡¯s vTuber gimmick was that she was an unknown alien from a distant planet. She was visiting Earth because humans fascinated her. Rose joined in with the fake speculation, laughing as her ideas became more and more fantastical.


    ¡°Huh? What! Impossible!¡± The vTuber tensed, her expression turning fretful. Rose wondered what Stella was talking about when the chat broke into utter pandemonium. Something about an alien attack in DC.


    Rose¡¯s phone was already out, and she stared at the news feed. It showed a blurry picture of a monster towering over buildings standing amongst rubble. Unlike the Altair she¡¯d seen before, this monstrosity was more shark-like, but it stood on four legs like a wolf.


    ¡°No! It can¡¯t be.¡± Rose continued to stare, ice flowing through her veins. This couldn¡¯t be real. The Altair were supposed to attack in twenty years! Not now! But Rose couldn¡¯t deny the nightmare had already arrived on Earth.


    ¡°Please, if you¡¯re in DC, evacuate to safety,¡± Stella said, trying to remain calm. ¡°Let our thoughts and prayers be with them. Help will arrive soon. I just know it.¡±


    Rose slumped in her chair, feeling helpless. She watched in a video feed, missiles being fired into the Altair monstrosity. The military unloaded everything into it, but it did little but annoy the monster. She winced as it smashed through their ranks like toy soldiers.


    She yelped as the ground shook, almost falling from her seat. Yet Rose wasn¡¯t afraid. She recognized that gait. After a couple of minutes, the rumbling stopped. Rose threw open her curtains to find what she¡¯d expected, Luyten V standing in her parkway. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t burst through her house like before. Rose was already bounding downstairs.


    ¡°You again!¡± Rose said, staring into the metal creature¡¯s eyes. While its face didn¡¯t show any emotions, it eyed her expectantly.


    ¡°You expect me to fight again, don¡¯t you?¡± Rose said, peeved. ¡°I¡¯m just twelve years old. I can¡¯t do this!¡±


    But the Luyten V only stared back, patient. Rose quivered with pent-up emotion. She wasn¡¯t really considering jumping into the Luyten V¡¯s cockpit, right? She stared down at her phone, watching as the Altair smashed through buildings, killing an untold number of people.


    ¡°Help is coming,¡± Rose repeated Stella¡¯s words, rubbing at her hair. ¡°I¡¯m insane. I¡¯m actually considering this!¡± But she had little choice.


    ¡°Rose!¡± Her sister said, staring at the machine parked in their parking lot with wide eyes.


    ¡°Tell Mom I¡¯ll be back soon. I guess I¡¯ll be having supper at home after all.¡± Rose sent Vera a quick text, canceling their hangout.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Sophia said, grabbing her sister¡¯s arm. But Rose only knocked it away.


    ¡°I must. I¡¯m the only one who can,¡± Rose said, determination bubbling in her chest. She¡¯d get into terrible trouble for this, but people mattered more.


    ¡°But..!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Sophia. Stay safe.¡± Luyten V¡¯s chest broke open, revealing the cockpit within. With a leap, the tentacles grabbed Rose and pulled her in. She waved her goodbyes, hoping this wouldn¡¯t be their last meeting. She hadn¡¯t a clue how the Luyten V worked.


    ¡°But DC¡¯s hundreds of miles away,¡± Rose said, accommodating herself to the controls. How will we get there? In answer to her question, a light burst into life. ¡°Booster jets? You can fly?¡±


    Without hesitation, she clicked the button. Back panels opened up, revealing twin booster jets, and they flared to life. Her sister fled as they hurled into the air, making a mess of the neighborhood. Rose laughed as they rose hundreds of feet into the air. The sensations of flying were incredible. With a toggle forward, they flew at a blinding speed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Luyten V! Let¡¯s smash that Altair and save DC!¡±

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Such devastation,¡± Rose said, her voice caught in her throat. Any excitement left over from her flight to DC evaporated, replaced with a knot twisting her stomach.


    The alien attack had reduced the once mighty city to a shambled mess. Monuments once cherished by millions of visitors were smashed beyond any recognizability. Rose thanked God the Altair had focused more on destroying government buildings rather than residential areas. It was a cruel reminder that the Altair weren¡¯t blind beasts. They were aiming to dismantle her entire country!


    Rose¡¯s hand trembled with pent-up fury, imagining the terrible death toll. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, Altair! Let¡¯s go, Luyten V.¡±


    A crashing sound caught her attention as they wandered DC, followed by an inhuman roar of fury. It wasn¡¯t hard to locate its source. Bombers zipped pass the Altair, each sleek craft unloading their entire payload. They attacked with their full destructive might, heedless of the damage it might cause to the nearby Capitol Building. Rose hoped everyone had evacuated to safety. While each detonation caused a ripple in its leathery hide, they inflicted only superficial damage. It astonished Rose that anything could survive such a bombardment so easily.


    The shark monster¡¯s baleful eyes glared at the fighter jets, opening its mouth to unleash a torrent of acidic breath. Rose watched in horror as anything touched by the acid melted through in seconds. While a few ejected in time, most pilots crashed to a fiery demise.


    ¡°Why you!¡± Heedless of the danger, Rose charged forward. The monster was caught by surprise by her reckless charge, making a satisfying crunch as Luyten¡¯s fist connected. The creature stumbled back, dazed.


    ¡°Ha! Bet you didn¡¯t like that!¡± Rose said, preparing for a follow-up attack.


    But the monster recovered quickly, leaping back away from the incoming punch. It snarled, opening its mouth to reveal rows of needle-like teeth. A green substance dripped from its gaping jaw. The cars beneath melted into metal sludge in seconds. Instead of another spray of acidic mist, a long tongue lashed out to grab Luyten V¡¯s arm. Rose moved to jerk away, but she hadn¡¯t been quick enough. The robot¡¯s arm sizzled as the tongue wrapped around its left arm, its acidic saliva already doing its deadly work.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Rose tried ripping Luyten V free, but the monster dragged her robot forward. Luyten V¡¯s fist smacked hard against the tongue restraining it, but each blow was futile, bouncing off its rubbery tongue. Rose¡¯s heart raced as the acidic appendage dragged her closer to the monster¡¯s waiting jaws.


    ¡°This thing is much stronger than the last Altair!¡± Distracted by her impending destruction, she almost missed the sudden call on her comm.


    ¡°Rose, is that you?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m rather busy at the moment.¡± The street underneath Luyten V¡¯s feet was getting totaled as she continued her attempt to create distance between her and the deadly maw. An empty street venture crumbled as her robot¡¯s toe connected with it.


    She clicked the button to activate Luyten V¡¯s head laser, aiming it at the monster¡¯s heart. But the Altair was crazy fast, leaping away to avoid the worst damage. Pixelation oozed from its singed head tail, but the injury only made the monster more determined to snap Luyten V in half with its massive jaw. Stupid, she should have aimed for the tongue restraining her instead.


    ¡°I think we can help,¡± Sandage said. ¡°We¡¯ve discovered some of Luyten V¡¯s functions.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rose said, fighting against the control stick as the monster pulled her closer. Unfortunately, the gem laser took time to recharge, she doubted she had the time to burn to wait for it to be ready again.


    ¡°At your right is a sequence of five buttons. Click them 2, 4, and 1,¡± Sandage said. ¡°That feature should turn the odds.¡±


    ¡°Um, okay,¡± Rose repeated his instructions, praying this would work. With a rumble, the Luyten V charged with incredible power. Steam shot from the vents around its neck, creating a cloud of white. The robot¡¯s inner temperature spiked, its overclocked system pushing its operation past its limits. The cooling system worked overtime, so the Luyten V didn¡¯t burn out its own innards.


    ¡°Yeah, I like this!¡± A fist crumpled the monster¡¯s thick scales like they were a styrofoam cup, the monster releasing her in its pained gasp. She wailed at the monster harder, reducing its pixelated face to a ruined mess.


    In desperation, it opened its mouth to hurl a cloud of acid into Luyten V¡¯s face. But Rose predicted it might try this, grabbing the edges of both sides and rending them apart with astounding force. The maneuver almost tore the beast in half with Luyten V¡¯s impossible strength. An alarm interrupted Rose¡¯s victorious cheer. A gauge showed that Luyten V was dangerously hot. Only minutes remained until she¡¯d got cooked alive inside her cockpit. She needed to finish this monstrosity right away.


    A dangerous, shark-like smile extended across Rose¡¯s mouth as she prepared to finish the monster off. Luyten V extended its arm back before thrusting a fist forward. It grabbed the half-fusion remains of the Altair¡¯s head as it tried repairing itself. Pixelatized goop bled from its ruined head as she squeezed.


    ¡°Dynaspike!¡± The sharp appendage erupted from the other side of the monster¡¯s head. It flailed as Luyten V unleashed its energy payload into it. For a moment a few wisps of pixels remained until they vanished into nothing.


    ¡°Phew. I did it!¡± Rose leaned back in her seat, relieved. Her eyes bulged at the mess Luyten V¡¯s overclock mode did to the surrounding streets. Its heat had melted concrete like butter, leaving a gray pool under Luyten V¡¯s feet. Nearby buildings that had survived the Altair¡¯s rampage had gotten reduced to charred cinders. Her robot¡¯s destructive power was terrifying. She hoped the people in those buildings had escaped to safety. She¡¯d need to be more careful next time.


    ¡°Next time?¡± Was she really considering piloting Luyten V yet again? Her Mom would kill her for even considering it.


    ¡°Good work, Rose,¡± Sandage said, interrupting her reverie. ¡°The target has been eliminated.¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°Just give me a few minutes. The Luyten V is still running hot.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll have someone ready to retrieve you,¡± the FBI man said. ¡°Thank you. You saved America from losing its greatest asset. DC isn¡¯t only a city but a symbol of the USA¡¯s strength and stability. You¡¯ll be happy to know both the President and the Senate escaped unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Is that why the Altair targeted it?¡±


    Sandage¡¯s voice turned grim. ¡°It might be. This attack may have been only to test our strength and soften us up.¡±


    ¡°Is it too much to hope its failure will make them reconsider attacking?¡± Sandage¡¯s silence spoke volumes. Rose only sighed. ¡°Figures. We¡¯re in it for the long haul.¡± And it was her job to fix this. Rose trembled from the weight of her mind-boggling responsibility. She just hoped she was capable of pulling it off.


    ---


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll get to it,¡± Sandage said before clicking off his phone. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking.


    ¡°Not good news, I imagine?¡± Gamow asked, playing with his toothpick between his teeth.


    ¡°No, the opposite. They¡¯ve pushed the bill through the Senate. We¡¯re part of the LUVOLT now.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Luyten V Operation and Logistics Team,¡± Sandage clarified. ¡°We¡¯re in charge of maintaining Luyten V and researching its capabilities. Make another if possible. Scientists all across the globe are already arriving to help. The politicians are pushing for the LUVOLT to be a global effort. Heck, even Russia is throwing in its support.¡±


    Gamow offered a shrug. ¡°The world is at stake. They can¡¯t deny the Altair¡¯s existence now with DC in ruins. Heck, Moscow might be next.¡±


    The current estimate is that over 140,000 people died in the DC attack. The rescue crews were still searching through the rubble, with the casualties expected to climb even higher. This made the attack three times worse than the German Blitz in WW2 against the UK. He suppressed a shudder, wondering how many people would die once the real monsters appeared?


    ¡°What now? Use the young lady as our secret weapon against the Altair?¡± Gamow asked. ¡°She¡¯s the only one who can fight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Sandage said, scowling. How had it come to this? The entire world was on her shoulders, an unenviable position for anyone. Rose was an emotionally unstable preteen. If she cracked from the pressure, they¡¯d all lose. Sandage howled in impotent rage, kicking aside a nearby chair.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Woah. Remind me to never get on your bad side,¡± Gamow said, unsettled by Sandage¡¯s loss of composure.


    ¡°Just. Come up with alternatives. See if you can find some way to trick Luyten V into thinking someone else is Rose,¡± Sandage said, somewhat embarrassed by his outburst. Talk about unprofessional.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s an idea,¡± Gamow said, stroking his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t change the lock, but create a skeleton key. Let¡¯s hope we can actually fool Luyten V. It¡¯s pretty smart.¡±


    ¡°Um, is this the right place?¡± A nebbish voice said. While the small man glanced around like a rat fleeing a hunting cat, his piercing green eyes shone with intense intelligence.


    ¡°Ah, Doctor von Fraunhofer,¡± Sandage said, taking the man¡¯s hand. Despite his diminutive appearance, his grip was firm. ¡°Pleased to have you join us.¡±


    ¡°Your call surprised me.¡± The scientist glanced around and whistled appreciatively. ¡°Quite the setup you have here.¡± He smiled as he spotted a familiar face reading through some data files. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Doctor Hubble? I haven¡¯t seen him since college! And I recognize other faces here. Quite a collection of minds.¡±


    ¡°The best the world can offer.¡± Their science staff had tripled since the DC attack, with each nation offering its best to solve the ongoing crisis. While Doctor von Fraunhofer was more fringe than Sandage liked, they couldn¡¯t afford to throw anyone away.


    ¡°And a child piloted this? Remarkable that she could control such advanced tech.¡± Fraunhofer parroted another lie they¡¯d spread around. The official story was that a rogue agent in the US government developed the Luyten V. However, everyone involved in the project had either died or disappeared, leaving them with only difficult-to-understand blueprints. It was a convoluted lie, but nobody wanted to admit Luyten V¡¯s true origins.


    Fraunhofer asked to examine the blueprints, and Gamow pulled up the info. He adjusted his thick spectacles and traced a line across the screen. ¡°These points here seem like some sort of nervous system.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Doctor Gold said,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°We¡¯ve seen nothing like it. He called it disturbingly human-like.¡±


    ¡°It is.¡± Fraunhofer pointed at the chest. ¡°And this is its primary power source. What is it? Nuclear?¡±


    Sandage winced. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure. It generates power. But the how and why are unknown. It doesn¡¯t even seem to produce any waste.¡± If they could replicate this, humanity would have the perfect clean energy source.


    ¡°Do we have any samples of the Altair?¡± Fraunhofer said, suddenly changing the subject.


    ¡°We do.¡± It¡¯d been quite the mess to keep it contained. The alien substance ate everything. Only certain polycarbonates seemed to resist its odd absorbing effects.


    ¡°The wretched stuff got spread around when that Altair drone attacked. Thankfully, we already knew about its dangerous properties and quickly contained them.¡± Gamow added.


    ¡°Already? Expert foresight on your case.¡± This earned a raised eyebrow from Fraunhofer.


    Sandage cursed. The ex-hacker spoke too much. He quickly changed the subject. ¡°Are you proposing a direct connection between Luyten V¡¯s design and the Altair?¡±


    ¡°Luyten V¡¯s heart¡¯s biochemistry is unusual, unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. It¡¯s silicon-based, not carbon. I¡¯m curious if the Altair shares similar properties.¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Sandage said, his voice halting as he spoke. Did the German doctor suspect something? Oh, well. They couldn¡¯t afford to walk on eggshells with the stakes so high. ¡°But a possible connection with the Luyten V is interesting. Our data on the Altair is still incomplete, however.¡±


    Since the Altair cells were so hazardous, tests were still in the early stages. Still, the eggheads were eager to compare the future Brahe¡¯s data against their own observations.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have a complete specimen. But I recognize the hazards of attempting such a prospect,¡± Fraunhofer said.


    ¡°We hope to change that. They¡¯re already preparing to capture a live subject.¡± Sandage had argued against it, saying it invited disaster. They ignored his warnings in the name of science, if they even survived to capture one. Luyten V had barely stood against a single adult scout drone. What would happen when they faced the full invasion? It didn¡¯t bear thinking about.


    ¡°Do you know someone named Macauley, by chance?¡± Sandage asked.


    Fraunhofer froze, a puzzled and guilty look passing over his face. ¡°I might? May I ask why you¡¯re asking?¡±


    Sandage crossed his arms, his expression brooking no nonsense. ¡°He¡¯s the one who recommended you. What¡¯s your connection?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Fraunhofer hesitated, taking a deep breath before continuing. ¡°He¡¯s a pen pal of mine. Brilliant in ways I can¡¯t even begin to explain. He¡¯s been an enormous help in my research.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s his email? I¡¯d like to talk with him.¡±


    ¡°When I say pen pal, I mean it. We contact each other through snail mail.¡±


    Sandage furrowed his brow. He exchanged a quick glance with Gamow. ¡°Like the old-fashioned way?¡±


    The scientist gave an enthusiastic nod. ¡°It¡¯s helpful with the various mathematical and chemical theories we like to exchange with each other. The letters are at least fifty pages long.¡±


    ¡°His address, then?¡± Sandage said, pressing the issue. Finally, a solid lead to this mysterious Macauley! The scientist rattled off an address, but it only created further questions. The PO box belonged to someone who lived in the middle-of-nowhere town in Ohio called Rendville. Still, whatever. It was a start.


    ¡°Thanks for your help. We can talk more about our mutual friends later. I have some errands to run. Gamow, can you show Fraunhofer around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a tour guide,¡± the ex-hacker whined, but did as instructed.


    In a few minutes, Sandage left the LVTG facility for the highway. His next appointment was almost a hundred miles away. The facility was more innocuous than the makeshift hanger he worked in, a generic military base not unlike the hundred others spread across America. But Sandage knew this facility hid many secrets.


    After showing his ID to the front guard at the checkpoint, they allowed his car inside. It took another verification and a DNA test to allow him inside access.


    ¡°Ah, good.¡± A woman in a lab coat said as he entered the high-tech lab. She was young, attractive, but he detected something sterile and stiff about the scientist, like she was putting on a false front of humanity. She was curt as she spoke, like conversation wasted time.


    ¡°Agent Sandage, welcome. This way.¡± The scientist gave him a vague wave before turning to leave, not even checking if her guest followed.


    ¡°Some welcome,¡± Sandage muttered under his breath before following. They led him down a confusing labyrinth of identical white corridors that he didn¡¯t even attempt to map. He wondered if this was on purpose to deter intruders.


    ¡°Here is the subject you requested.¡± She rapped at the door. On its surface was subject 4B. ¡°Cecilia, someone is here to see you.¡±


    Inside was a cell, but it was more colorful than the antiseptic building she lived in. Hundreds of drawings covered the walls, each of different animals ranging from domesticated pets to wild savanna grazers. They were impressively realistic, almost jumping from the page.


    ¡°Hello. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± the young lady said. Her age was around thirteen. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t get many visitors. So, uh, make yourself at home!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Cecilia. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Sandage said with his best welcoming smile. The girl was taller than he¡¯d expected, almost reaching his height. While friendly, he detected tension behind the girl¡¯s pale eyes. She guided him to a table and sat across from him.


    ¡°Sorry about Doctor Burbidge,¡± the girl said, pushing back her long blonde locks from her eyes. She had a button nose, but her facial structure was round and welcoming. Sandage guessed she¡¯d be a beauty in three or four years. Still, there was something about Cecilia. She seemed wiser beyond her year, almost an adult in a child¡¯s body. ¡°She¡¯s much nicer when you get to know her. Whenever we start a conversation, she almost talks my ears off.¡±


    Sandage couldn¡¯t imagine that, but appearances often deceived the unwary. ¡°Sorry to bother you, but I needed to see you. It¡¯s about a matter of vital importance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about my abilities. You¡¯re hoping they can help pilot the Luyten V.¡± The girl said, startling Sandage.


    ¡°What? Did someone leak the reason for my visit?¡± Sandage said, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re right. There are theories that your unusual properties might allow you to trick its recognition system.¡± They couldn¡¯t afford for Rose to be the only pilot. They needed a backup, just in case.


    ¡°No, no leak. I pulled it from your mind.¡± This really got his attention. The reports said she had unusual abilities, but this was beyond anything he¡¯d expected.


    ¡°You can read minds?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Cecilia replied with a gentle laugh. ¡°The human brain isn¡¯t like a book. You can¡¯t just open up and read it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you see all these animals?¡± Cecilia wore a secret smile. ¡°Many are ones I¡¯ve never seen before, not even in books.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve lost me.¡±


    ¡°When they cloned me, they hoped to enhance my abilities. They hoped to create someone beyond normal human restrictions.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ve read,¡± Sandage said, peevishly. The scientists who¡¯d done that experiment had done it without the US government or the scientific community¡¯s permission. It had left poor Cecilia homeless when the project leaked to the FBI. They¡¯d done their best to accommodate her, but that didn¡¯t stop the testing and examination of her unusual properties.


    ¡°Scientists are still theorizing how my abilities work. The best way to describe them is they allow me to tap into a universal subconscious. It is a vast library that contains all knowledge across all history. Every word spoken, thought, or written ends up in this library. I can tap into this knowledge, though what I learn is often random and difficult to parse.¡±


    Sandage furrowed his brow. ¡°Universal subconscious? Does such a thing exist?¡±


    Cecilia only shrugged. ¡°My creators called it the Akashic Records. It¡¯s a wellspring of unbelievable knowledge, including events that haven¡¯t happened yet.¡±


    ¡°You can read the future?¡± Sandage could only stare in astonishment.


    ¡°Partly. History is in constant flux, even in the past. I know you need me to pilot Luyten V.¡± The girl¡¯s expression turned deadly serious. ¡°For I know that in its next battle, its current pilot, Rosemary Brahe, will die.¡±

 Chapter 5

    ¡°You must understand, your daughter is the world¡¯s only defense against the Altair,¡± Director Shapley said, his tone measured.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Her mom¡¯s voice raised to a fevered pitch. ¡°You¡¯re not making my Rose a soldier! Besides, it makes no sense. Why is my daughter the only one that can pilot that demonic monstrosity?¡±


    The two adults continued to argue, neither giving an inch. As usual, nobody seemed to care what Rose thought. At least her father was more understanding about the reality of the situation. He tried to intercede on her behalf, trying to calm down his wife. Still, getting thrust into a war didn¡¯t thrill her, either.


    ¡°Thanks, future me! Thanks a lot!¡± Rose scowled. Still, if she didn¡¯t have a choice, she¡¯d fight. She could do this. After all, she destroyed those Altair without issue. An entire invasion? Piece of cake! She hoped.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the lady¡¯s room.¡± Without seeking permission from the adults, Rose abandoned the room and its tiring conversation. She wandered the government facility, curious about its workings.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Rose stared wide-eyed at the facility they used to conduct Luyten V¡¯s maintenance. Despite its flat, implacable features, the robot seemed to watch her with interest as she entered. The tech was bleeding edge, far beyond anything she¡¯d ever seen in her dinky little town. Some scientists eyed her with curiosity, but continued with their work.


    ¡°Fascinating, right?¡± A nearby scientist at a workstation said, interrupting her gawking. He was tall but well-built, with a bushy mustache fluttering as he spoke with a thick Russian accent. He smiled at her and waved for her to come closer.


    On the man¡¯s terminal were computations that boggled the mind, Rose having difficulty absorbing it all. ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°I heard you have quite a knack for the mechanical,¡± the scientist gestured to the project he was working on. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Rose peered closer. It appeared to be Luyten V¡¯s mechanical skeleton. ¡°It¡¯s masterful. The legs are thick and strong to support the Luyten V¡¯s weight, yet light and delicate enough to move like a human. I¡¯m amazed anything that size can even stand. Wouldn¡¯t the square-cube law work against it?¡± The larger an object gets, the greater the strain on the structure because of its increased mass.


    ¡°Clever observation,¡± the scientist replied, pleased. He extended a hand. ¡°Doctor Vasiliy Idelson.¡±


    ¡°Rose Brahe,¡± she grabbed the older man¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°What is the Luyten V made from? Steel couldn¡¯t hold that much weight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still a mystery,¡± Idelson admitted sheepishly. ¡°An alloy of unknown composition. Very unusual.¡±


    Rose nodded and asked other technical questions. Much to her satisfaction, Doctor Idelson was happy to supply the answers. While the advanced scientific principles were difficult to understand, Rose gained a vague understanding of how the robot worked.


    ¡°There you are,¡± an annoyed Sandage said, walking up to them.


    ¡°Just exploring,¡± Rose said without shame. If she designed this stupid thing, she deserved to know its inner workings.


    ¡°I¡¯m showing her how the Luyten V works,¡± Idelson said.


    ¡°Doctor Idelson, that confidential information,¡± Sandage scowled. He eyed the Russian scientist with a guarded, suspicious expression. Old prejudices died hard, she supposed. They were at war with aliens. Shouldn¡¯t they all be friends as fellow humans?


    But like Rose, Idelson held no shame. ¡°Ms. Brahe is a talented young lady. We should recruit her to the research team. Her input would be highly valuable.¡±


    ¡°Funny,¡± Sandage said, unamused. ¡°Come, Rose. Your parents are ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± But she smiled as Idelson gave her a conspiratorial wink. If she returned, she¡¯d love to speak more with him. It was rare to meet someone with a similar love for the unknown. She burned with the desire to tear apart the Luyten V and see how it all worked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be happy to know your mom ok¡¯d you to pilot the Luyten V,¡± Sandage said without preamble as they walked down the halls.


    ¡°Really? How¡¯d they convince her?¡±


    ¡°Director Shapley can be quite persuasive.¡± Yet, Rose detected this development didn¡¯t please Sandage.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Was he convinced she couldn¡¯t do it? It was an odd change, considering his encouragement when she fought with the Altair scout. Was something going on?


    ¡°I argued against it, but they went ahead anyway,¡± Sandage fought back the bitterness in his voice. Rose pressed the point, but the government agent refused to elaborate as they walked down the halls.


    ¡°Okay.¡± An awkward silence hung between them as they walked. It broke as Sandage said something else.


    ¡°Just know this, Rose,¡± Sandage hardened his jaw, his face filling with determination. ¡°We will do whatever it takes to protect you. We have your back, always.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rose blinked in confusion. Wasn¡¯t he against her a second ago? Whatever. Adults were weird and often contradictory. Still, the encouragement heartened her. With this awesome team behind her, how could she lose?


    ---


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Georges. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Rose stuck her head further into her book.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about you, Rose. Apparently, they¡¯ve recruited you to mold you into their personal soldier, brainwashed to do whatever they want!¡± her friend said, scowling.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Rose snapped back. It wasn¡¯t like she wanted this.


    ¡°Just leave her alone, Georges,¡± Vera said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Stop being so pushy.¡±


    ¡°So, it doesn¡¯t bug you that the government has a jack-booted thug trailing Rose wherever she goes?¡± Georges whispered, pointing to the black-suited man in the corner of their study hall.


    ¡°Mr. Brown? He¡¯s cool,¡± Rose waved towards her bodyguard, who responded with a slight nod. While on duty, the granite-faced man seemed more like a stone carved statue. While alone, however, she found him friendly and easy to talk to. They shared similar interests and enjoyed bouncing ideas off him.


    ¡°It¡¯s like Grandpa says, they¡¯re always tracking us.¡± Georges took on a conspiratorial tone. ¡°Did you hear about the secret chips they install in microwaves? Totally a way to spy on us.¡±


    ¡°How would that even work? Why would you even spy on someone from their kitchen?¡± Rose said, exasperated.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying,¡± Georges replied. ¡°Trust me. Things are going to get bad soon. They¡¯re already talking about a world government!¡±


    That particular conversation had recently gained some major steam, trending on many social media sites. With people scared about the Altair, some proposed that a single world government would better pool humanity¡¯s resources to fight them. Politicians were throwing their weight around to strengthen ties with their allies and once-rivals. While Rose didn¡¯t give it much credence, it was an interesting thought experiment.


    ¡°It¡¯s awfully convenient that the Altair showed up when our relationship with the Russians was at an all-time low. Grandpa says we¡¯re way too friendly with the Russians now. It isn¡¯t natural!¡± Georges continued.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Georges, stop parroting whatever your grandfather says,¡± Rose said, annoyed. Since Georges¡¯ parents died when he was three, he¡¯d lived alone with his grandfather almost his entire life. While a nice enough man most of the time, he seemed somewhat unhinged sometimes.


    Georges opened his mouth to continue his rant, but Hans stopped him in his usual curt way. ¡°Shut up, Georges. No one cares about your ridiculous theories.¡±


    Thank you. Rose sighed in relief. For once, they were in total agreement. Georges grumbled to himself, chastened.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m surprised they¡¯re still allowing you to go to school here,¡± Vera said, changing the topic. ¡°You¡¯d think they¡¯d lock in some lab somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Eh, they want some stability in my life. They said the normality would keep my spirits up.¡±


    ¡°Are they having you train?¡± Hans suddenly asked. ¡°Piloting the Luyten V can¡¯t be easy on your body.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. They have me up three hours early every morning for physical training.¡± Rose¡¯s muscles ached from being pushed far past their natural limits. Worse, they promised to amp up the difficulty. She really wanted to complain to her future self for putting her through this nonsense.


    Much to Rose¡¯s surprise, Hans¡¯ expression softened. ¡°Keep with it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rose blinked, surprised by the sudden kindness. Before she could comment, Hans had disappeared. She only shook her head. The world was getting crazy lately. It seemed like anything could happen. For reasons that ashamed Rose somewhat, she wished they remained that way. Despite the ever-present dangers, it was exciting,


    ¡°Hello, class,¡± Ms. Sagan said as they entered math class. They each took their seats, but their teacher didn¡¯t start the class as expected. Instead, a girl Rose had never seen before entered their classroom. The first thing that struck her was the newcomer¡¯s unusual size. Rose almost assumed the newcomer was a high schooler, the girl reaching almost her father¡¯s height.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Cecilia Burbidge. It is nice to meet you,¡± the tall girl gave the class a bow.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the formality?¡± Vera whispered to her. How the girl spoke was odd, stilled. The newcomer¡¯s clothes were simple, baggy pants and a pink sweatshirt. It was an unusual contrast to the prim and proper way she spoke. She didn¡¯t seem like someone from high society.


    ¡°I wonder if she was homeschooled,¡± Rose wondered. The newcomer seemed oddly wide-eyed as she entered the classroom, like she¡¯d never seen one before. While everyone was whispering about how strange their newest classmate was, Rose¡¯s heart warmed to the girl. The poor thing seemed lost as class began, having trouble concentrating with so many strangers around. Rose swore to lend Cecilia her notes later.


    ¡°Is this seat taken?¡± Rose said, sitting next to their newest classmate. The lunchroom bustled with activity, each student rushing to their usual click or friend group. Rose, however, chose a different option.


    ¡°Oh, Brahe. Um, hi!¡± Cecilia said awkwardly. ¡°Sure, why not!¡±


    ¡°Good. Are you adjusting well to Dee Middle?¡± Rose asked, biting into her garlic bread. While the lasagna wasn¡¯t anything special, garlic bread was impossible to mess up.


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± the other girl replied. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you join your other friends?¡± The other girl pointed to her pair of friends waving her over. But Rose only dismissed them with a shake of her head.


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m more interested in you. You¡¯re attending a new school. It can¡¯t be easy. Were you homeschooled before this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you could say that, Brahe.¡±


    But Rose only laughed. ¡°No need to be formal. We¡¯re all friends here.¡±


    ¡°Friends, but we¡¯ve just met?¡± The other girl looked down, blushing. Had this girl never had friends before? From her stilted position, Rose supposed Cecilia didn¡¯t hang out often with others her age.


    ¡°Nonsense. We¡¯ve talked, so we¡¯re friends now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve read it takes years to develop a deep connection to someone. Yet, you¡¯ve only known me for seconds before calling me a friend?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    The girl looked down, fidgeting somewhat. ¡°Thanks. Everyone¡¯s been staring at me. They think I¡¯m some oddball.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just not used to you. Give it a few weeks. You¡¯ll just be another part of the furniture.¡±


    Cecilia stared at her hands before replying. ¡°You¡¯re not what I expected. You¡¯re upbeat, considering the scary stuff that¡¯s happened to you.¡±


    ¡°That?¡± Rose snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the Altair. Luyten V and I are becoming a great team. We¡¯ll smash them like the others.¡±


    This comment made Cecilia go quiet, her face going pale. She started quaking.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯re in over your head?¡±


    Rose saw the worry and sensitivity in the other girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°Look, I¡¯m just trying to make sure everyone¡¯s safe. With the Altair threat hanging over us like a noose, people need to know I¡¯m standing firm, that I¡¯m invincible.¡±


    This comment made Cecilia speechless. She stared down at her hands, troubled. Rose wanted to reassure the girl everything was okay, but Vera had lost patience and butted onto their table. Vera introduced herself and asked hundreds of probing questions that Cecilia had trouble answering. After the rather grim nature of their conversation, it was a comedic and welcome relief.


    ¡°And who dressed you?¡± Vera said, picking at the shoulder of Cecilia¡¯s plain sweatshirt. As usual, the girl liked to speak her mind and forgot about tact. ¡°They have no fashion sense.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cecilia looked down at her outfit. ¡°I suppose so. The doctor thinks that function takes precedence over appearance.¡±


    ¡°Doctor?¡± Vera asked, perking up with interest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have parents, so Doctor Burbidge raised me,¡± Cecilia replied. It explained the girl¡¯s remarkable intelligence. While socially awkward, she¡¯d answered every question the teachers had asked her with perfect accuracy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± Though it must be nice not having parents muck everything about. While she loved her parents, Rose had to admit they were often difficult. In their rush to attend to her other siblings, she¡¯d regularly get missed in the rush.


    Vera clicked her tongue. ¡°Yes, this won¡¯t do. After school, we¡¯re having an emergency shopping session.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Rose said, rolling her eyes. While she enjoyed shopping, she didn¡¯t share her friend¡¯s passion for fashion. ¡°Then we can watch Stella afterward.¡±


    It was her friend¡¯s turn to roll her eyes. ¡°Must we?¡±


    ¡°Stella?¡± Cecilia asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s an indie vTuber.¡± When the new girl responded with a blank stare, Rose clarified. ¡°Basically a streaming celebrity, but with more anime.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an internet thing,¡± Cecilia replied. ¡°I¡¯ve never really used the internet growing up. I was more interested in reading and drawing.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Both Vera and Rose stared at the girl like she¡¯d grown a second head. Did Cecilia live in a cave before today?


    ¡°Then you must watch Stella¡¯s stream with me,¡± Rose said, declaring this like it was a holy decree. ¡°She¡¯s doing karaoke tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Cecilia showed little enthusiasm to this pronouncement. She sighed as her new friends rambled at her excitedly, ignoring her meek protestations.


    ---


    Ever consuming nothing pressed against them as they traveled through the void. Nothing existed here, not even time. Even to the implacable Altair, the void was oppressive and lonely. To less single-minded and focused beings, they would¡¯ve long broken their sanity. But to the Altair, it only heightened their appetite when they arrived at something. There, they¡¯d gorge themselves on reality. This newest universe seemed the most appetizing, full of life and vigor. They¡¯d feed well. All they needed to do was wait for the scout¡¯s report.


    The odd, unknown scout had led them to a world brimming with intelligent, industrial beings. While their technology seemed primitive and non-threatening, the Altair wanted all their children to enjoy the fest. It won¡¯t throw away its numbers for only minimal gain. So it¡¯d sent the scout to soften up their defenses, filling the planet with despair, as they failed to fight even a single of their number.


    In the void, the Altair slept, conserving their energy for the feast. Only the Grand Intelligence stayed awake, planning and scheming until the Altair scout returned with news of its success.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± A jolt slashed through the Grand Intelligence¡¯s mind as its child died, consumed by fire. It wailed in pain and grief over the loss of its child. It¡¯d bravely thrown itself into an unknown world to gauge its strength. Rage filled the Grand Intelligence, lashing out in fury at the outrage. How did these tiny beings kill such a formidable foe as the scout?


    As the Grand Intelligence¡¯s outrage subsided, icy, frigid logic replaced it. Clearly, this planet has sharper teeth than it¡¯d first suspected. They would need to handle this Earth with delicate care to avoid senseless Altair loss. It read the flashes of insight the brave scout had sent through the void before its death. While fragmentary, the images of the Red Demon were clear to the Grand Intelligence.


    The countenance of this terrible foe was quite fearsome, its power mighty. But its readings were odd, of an almost familiar color. The demon didn¡¯t belong, somehow alien to this reality.


    Grand Intelligence projected a command to one of the mightiest of its three generals. And Okab the Terminator answered the call. Green floated before the Grand Intelligence, subordinate to its wishes. It nodded its understanding, compiling in perfect obedience. This child won¡¯t fail. It¡¯d destroy this new enemy through cunning instead of brute force.


    The Altair shifted in the void, waking from their slumber. They hungered after their lost voyage, eager to hunt. The Grand Intelligence coxed them, working them up into a frenzy. Once Okab¡¯s mission was complete, they¡¯d feed.

 Chapter 6

    Rose¡¯s lungs burned as she puffed, hating her life. But her bodyguard pushed her onwards, egging her forward with insults and encouragement. Nothing for it, and Rose increased her pace. Brown had promised they¡¯d only run another mile, so she took heart in that knowledge.


    ¡°And done,¡± Brown said as they passed a sign marking the final goalpost. She collapsed to the paved sidewalk, heaving for breath. A gentle wind flew through her sweaty hair, pure bliss after the torment she¡¯d suffered.


    Her bodyguard examined a watch. ¡°Not bad. You did better than last time. Good work.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± though she gave Brown the stink eye that the bodyguard patently ignored. She dragged herself over to a bench, concentrating on not throwing up. Her legs were relieved to be given a brief respite. Rose still hadn¡¯t completed her training for the day. Her bodyguard joined her, basking in the lovely, cool morning. He passed her a water bottle, and a drop slipped past her cheek as Rose gulped it down gratefully.


    Despite her exhaustion, Rose was enjoying the scenery. Since she was little, she¡¯d always loved coming to this park, captivated by the towering, majestic trees. While they¡¯d shrunk since then, Rose still loved being around nature. Green had always been her favorite color.


    ¡°Oh, what are you doing up this early?¡± A familiar voice. A chorus of barking followed his voice, and Rose glanced up.


    ¡°Hans?¡± Rose glanced up in surprise to see her schoolmate holding a dozen leashes. Each dog yipped and barked, tugging at their master in their excitement to meet this new person. They were a myriad of breeds of various sizes. A chihuahua barked the loudest, eager to be heard over its fellows.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Each dog leaped and barked, tugging hard at their leashes, but Hans remained firm, his face impassive.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of dogs.¡± Rose headed counted fifteen dogs. ¡°Do you do a dog walking service?¡±


    ¡°No, these are my own dogs,¡± Hans replied, nonplussed.


    ¡°Eh?¡± She laughed as the dogs licked at her, eager for attention. Rose made sure each pup got the equal amounts of pets. Brown smiled but kept a respectful distance. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked dogs.¡±


    But her classmate only shrugged. ¡°We have a large yard.¡± He called a command, and the dogs went to attention, pulling away from Rose. ¡°If you would excuse me.¡±


    Rose watched as Hans ran off with his hoard of dogs, mystified. ¡°Huh.¡±


    ¡°Nice kid,¡± Brown said.


    ¡°Not really.¡± Still, it surprised Rose she didn¡¯t know about Hans¡¯ love for dogs, despite knowing him almost her entire life.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Brown gave her a smile she didn¡¯t like. Was he insinuating something?


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about something so gross,¡± Rose departed from the bench and stomped away. She didn¡¯t even like boys her age. They were so immature.


    ---


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Sandage shot the girl in the cockpit an expectant look. If this worked as expected, they¡¯d have a trump card in the upcoming war.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Cecilia fiddled with the controls, her arms shifting around levers. Everyone in the hangar waited with bated breath, only to sigh in disappointment as Luyten V refused to budge. After another three attempts, they surrendered to the truth. The giant robot only responded to Rosemary Brahe¡¯s commands. Sandage fought back a curse, but this didn¡¯t surprise him.


    ¡°Well, dang,¡± Gamow kicked a nearby console in disappointment. ¡°I thought I had it fooled this time!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Cecilia said, jumping from the cockpit to the waiting floor below. ¡°I thought your theory about my unique brain chemistry was sound.¡±


    Sandage released an audible sigh. ¡°It was worth a shot.¡± Since the clone girl¡¯s augmented brain was unlike anyone else¡¯s, they¡¯d hoped its qualities would confuse the Luyten V recognition system.


    ¡°Now we have to throw Rose into battle,¡± Sandage clenched a fist, his palm going white.


    ¡°My future predictions aren¡¯t always right,¡± Cecilia hurried to say. ¡°It¡¯s just a snapshot of a possible future. Heck, we might not even be interpreting it right!¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± but Sandage wasn¡¯t happy with that answer.


    ¡°What is this future you see, anyway?¡± Gamow spun around in his chair, stopping himself to face Cecilia. ¡°You haven¡¯t exactly been clear about that. And do you see anything else?¡± The hacker¡¯s grin suddenly broadened. ¡°Like any hot babes in my future?¡±


    This inane comment earned a smile from the clone girl. ¡°Just bits and pieces. I can¡¯t really control what I get. Recent events are easier to receive. As for what might happen to Rose?¡± The girl¡¯s expression turned troubled. She paused, trying to gather the right words.


    ¡°I saw Rose in Luyten V¡¯s cockpit. It was a ruined mess, nothing but a pit of twisted metal. Rose was slumped in her seat. A tentacle had pierced through Luyten V¡¯s armor plating and Rose¡¯s chest.¡± The girl quivered, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. ¡°She wasn¡¯t breathing, pale as a corpse. Purple blemishes had spread across her body, the Altair infection already taking root.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Well¡­ shoot,¡± The hacker wanted to use stronger, but more coarse language, but Cecilia¡¯s presence stopped him. He opened his mouth to say something optimistic but closed it again. For once, Gamow was lost for words.


    Sandage only scowled, hating how Rose faced the same doom as her future self. It wasn¡¯t fair. ¡°There must be something!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be more helpful,¡± Cecilia hung her head. ¡°That¡¯s the only clear future image I¡¯ve gotten. The others are difficult and beyond cryptic.¡± She mentioned another future memory, but it only involved an empty airplane hangar. The only distinguishing feature was a unique model of plane she¡¯d never seen before. Cecilia explained most of her future visions were like that, vague images.


    ¡°Rose. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sandage hung his head, frustrated by his helplessness to stop this future. Worse, they weren¡¯t ever certain when the event would happen. A silence hung over the room. But then an idea struck him.


    ¡°Okay, scrap that. What can you tell us about the Luyten V itself?¡± Sandage said, pivoting the conversation.


    ¡°You have an idea, boss?¡± Gamow asked.


    ¡°You have access to knowledge across history, right?¡± Sandage said. ¡°There must be something you can find. Much about Luyten V¡¯s functions still remains a mystery.¡±


    Cecilia floundered for a second before gathering her thoughts. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see.¡± She closed her eyes, and the room watched silently as the girl concentrated. Even the scientists had stopped their work to watch the scene.


    But the cloned girl¡¯s face only twisted in frustration before sighing and shaking her head. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t get anything. I can¡¯t just pick whatever I want from the Akashic Record. It¡¯s more like its knowledge leaks into me.¡±


    ¡°How useful,¡± Gamow snorted, turning away in disinterest to play on his phone.


    No wonder the scientists who created her considered her ultimately a failure. They¡¯d tried squeezing useful knowledge out of her, usually lotto numbers or sports predictions, to no avail. But Sandage didn¡¯t lose heart. His gut told him she''d been given this knowledge for a reason.


    He gave the girl a reassuring smile. ¡°Anything. It doesn¡¯t matter if it seems unimportant.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m not sure knowing how Luyten V¡¯s fueling system works will help much,¡± Cecilia said, giving a weak smile.


    ¡°No, I think it just might. Write down whatever you remember.¡± Sandage handed over a notepad, eyes sparkling. These diagrams might have a greater impact than the girl realized. It was a good step forward to developing their own Luyten V.


    ¡°Okay?¡± Cecilia shrugged and scribbled down impressively detailed semantics, her line work clean and neat. She included not only its systems, but notes about how each piece worked.


    Sandage flinched, his head hurting as he failed to understand the tech. It amazed him Cecilia kept such knowledge in her head. ¡°Do you understand any of that?¡± He asked as she passed the notepad over.


    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s all an alien language to me.¡± She giggled before taking another piece of paper. The script was curly, with exaggerated hooks on most characters, yet its elegance flowed past the page. She beamed as she showed it to them. ¡°Alien language.¡±


    ¡°Are you for real?¡± Sandage asked, scratching his head as he tried to decipher what he was reading.


    ¡°Or it might be some future language. I¡¯m not sure. But it being alien sounds cooler,¡± the girl replied.


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°Not sure about that either,¡± Cecilia admitted. ¡°It¡¯s probably gibberish.¡±


    ¡°Again, like I said, useless,¡± Gamow snorted. ¡°It¡¯s like trying to read a cipher without the key. Why do we even bother with her?¡±


    This comment raised the engineered girl¡¯s hackles. While her ability was unwieldy, she wouldn¡¯t stand to hear it insulted. Cecilia stuck her tongue out at the man who¡¯d dismissed her. Furious, she scribbled other things on a notepad. Sandage marveled at the increased complexity of each diagram, the corners filled with random notes and comments.


    It didn¡¯t take the girl long to fill an entire notebook full of technical doodads. She beamed, pleased with herself. ¡°The Luyten V¡¯s coolant system, the pistons in its limbs, and how its vision works.¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± They had Luyten V¡¯s blueprints, but these diagrams and notes would help. ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Cecilia said, giving a soft smile. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t pilot the Luyten V, I can still help in other ways.¡±


    Gamow gave him a thumbs up and leaned over to whisper to him. ¡°Worked like a charm. Women hate being dismissed.¡±


    Sandage rolled his eyes but smiled. It was progress. While small, any bit helped. He¡¯d take any step forward.


    ---


    ¡°Well darn it,¡± Walter cursed, almost throwing his phone away in frustration. He¡¯d already paid too much for these accursed tickets. ¡°There isn¡¯t anyone else who can stand in for you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Hun. But Jeff¡¯s on vacation, remember?¡± Nancy replied, her voice consolatory. It did little to placate Walter¡¯s ill temper. They¡¯d planned for weeks to go to this show. He¡¯d forked out hundreds of dollars for the best seats, only for this to happen! Of all the rotten luck!


    Ugly words almost bubbled out of his mouth, but he forced back his temper. It¡¯d already cost him four girlfriends. Instead, he followed his therapist¡¯s advice and inhaled a calming breath. Walter forced a smile Nancy couldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s always next time. We¡¯ll catch them when Terror Peak tours again next year.¡±


    ¡°Sorry again,¡± Nancy said, her voice hurried but still apologetic. ¡°Need to go. Call you tonight?¡±


    Before he could reply, his girlfriend had already hung up. ¡°Great.¡± Walter kicked a nearby trashcan, almost toppling it over. ¡°Now what?¡±


    He was tempted to see the show alone, but Walker didn¡¯t have the energy, like a sailboat who¡¯d lost the wind. Instead, he took a stroll through a nearby park. It¡¯d be the one his last girlfriend, Trish, had always loved. They were welcoming but bittersweet memories. Trish was married now with a kid coming soon. No chance they¡¯d even get together again. Pity, she¡¯d had a dazzling smile. Still, he was happy for her.


    ¡°You know what¡¯d be nice now? Ice cream.¡± There was a seller nearby by the lake. He¡¯d sworn he¡¯d tone down his sugar intake this year, but this was an emergency. Walter promised he¡¯d do better tomorrow.


    The night sky was cloudless, giving him a lovely view of the stars as Walter trekked through the park. It made him sad that he couldn¡¯t enjoy the scenery with Nancy. A sudden rustling froze Walter in his tracks.


    Walter peered around for the source of the disturbance in sudden alarm. For whatever reason, his hackles had risen. His heart sped like a race car when he failed to find the source of the sound.


    ¡°Whatever. It was probably just a squirrel.¡± He told himself trying to calm down, still he hastened his steps towards the park¡¯s exit.


    ¡°There it is again!¡± Another rustle, but in the opposite direction. Walter caught a bush rustling to his right. While slight, he heard clicking sounds coming from an indeterminate source. Unsettled, Walter increased his pace, a palpable dread forming in his chest.


    The clicking sound got closer, its source coming right behind his ear. But when he glanced behind him, he found nothing but an empty park. Walter was running now, only wanting to escape whatever was chasing him. But his foot caught on an uneven sidewalk slab. Pain erupted on his forehead as he collided with hard pavement.


    ¡°Gah.¡± But Walter ignored the pain, rising into a run. But a shape stopped him, petrifying him in terror. He opened his mouth to scream, but that¡¯s been his last mistake.


    A rancid taste filled his mouth, his chest burning as the creature poured into him. Walter¡¯s eyes widened in horror as his chest expanded like something was filling him with air. The pain was unimaginable as the purple goop filled him to the brim and his body expanded into a ball. His mind shattered as the pain and terror drove him over the edge. It was a mercy when he finally popped.


    ---


    Fingers flexed as Okab the Terminator adjusted to his new form. He¡¯d need it to blend in with this world¡¯s inhabitants. Yes, this form would do him nicely for his upcoming mission. The Grand Intelligence wanted this universe, and Okab wouldn¡¯t fail.


    He glanced down at the remains of the face he¡¯d stolen. With the human''s DNA, Okab had become a perfect copy, indistinguishable from the original. Every freckle or blemish across his skin was a perfect match.


    In truth, he''d only needed a hair sample to enable his disguise, but this way had been more entertaining. These humans were such pitifully fragile creatures, yet dangerous, Okab knew. The Red Devil was a problem. The Grand Intelligence wanted it eliminated before the invasion happened in earnest.


    But that shouldn¡¯t be a concern. The Red Devil was only a creature of metal, piloted by one of these puny humans. Finding and destroying them should be easy. It¡¯d save him a needless fight with the Red Devil. No, killing the pilot was the easiest solution.


    After another glance at the mangled remains of his handiwork earned a smile before Okab went serious again. There wasn¡¯t time to dawdle. The hunt had begun.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Hello, Stargazers!¡± With considerable enthusiasm, the cartoon figure gave an enthusiastic wave. Stargazers were what Stella¡¯s fans liked to call themselves, apparently. Cecilia stared at the computer screen, somewhat mystified.


    Unlike Cecilia¡¯s bare, stark room in the facility, Rose¡¯s bedroom was alive with personality. Trinkets littered the floor, many disassembled into their component parts in neat piles. Cute stuffed animal toys decorated the shelves, a menagerie of rainbow colors. Multiple clocks ticked away in a perfect rhythmic symphony, never missing a beat.


    ¡°It¡¯s Superchat time. Ask anything you want.¡± The animated star paused. ¡°Within reason, of course. We don¡¯t want a repeat of the volleyball debacle.¡±


    ¡°Volleyball debacle?¡± Cecilia raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Rose said, waving a dismissive hand.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Cecilia stewed before the dam finally broke. ¡°Why are we watching some cartoon person answer questions? I don¡¯t get this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more anime than a cartoon, I¡¯d say.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what that means.¡±


    Rose breathed out a forlorn sigh, muttering under her breath to a higher power for guidance. ¡°We have a long way to go.¡±


    Cecilia grumbled to herself, annoyed at how everyone seemed to assume she was some sheltered cavegirl. While she had access to phenomenal cosmic knowledge, it didn¡¯t mean she knew everything. Besides, Cecilia figured that if the Akashic Record never bothered telling her about anime, it probably wasn¡¯t that important.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Think of Stella as an actress. She pretends to play an intergalactic traveler, and we all play along,¡± Rose said.


    ¡°...why?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s fun!¡± Rose smiled, beaming with energy. ¡°People watch Stella because she¡¯s entertaining. It¡¯s not much different from wrestling, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Wrestling?¡± Like the ancient sport? What did that have to do with anything?


    Rose rubbed her temple. ¡°Never mind. Just watch and learn.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the Superchat! Have I ever visited Japan?¡± Stella said, reading the blue that had appeared in her chat. The person had donated two dollars to their anime idol. Her digital avatar brightened. ¡°I have, actually! Many times. I love traveling! I¡¯ve been basically everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because she¡¯s an intergalactic space traveler,¡± Cecilia said dryly. She wondered why the person behind the motion capture invented that silly backstory for her digital avatar.


    ¡°No, I think she¡¯s being honest about that one,¡± Rose replied, confusing Cecilia further. Was everything the vTuber said fake or not?


    Stella continued. ¡°I¡¯ve visited many cultures across the years. But here¡¯s a secret: fundamentally, people are people, no matter where they live. They each have their hopes and dreams and people they love. That¡¯s what I like about humanity, that they¡¯re dreamers. They make mistakes, but everyone fundamentally wants a better future.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Rose asked, catching Cecilia¡¯s forlorn expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Cecilia turned away, her mood souring further. Future? What future? With the Earth on the brink of destruction, why was she wasting time watching some silly cartoon person instead of doing something to help defeat the Altair? Yet, what could she do? Cecilia flopped onto Rose¡¯s bed, dejected.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like vTubers, that¡¯s fine,¡± Rose said, closing her laptop. ¡°We¡¯ll do something else.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Cecilia asked, her voice shaking. ¡°The Altair are coming after you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it,¡± Rose said, catching on to the sudden shift in her friend¡¯s mood. She tossed an arm over Cecilia''s shoulder and pulled her in close. ¡°I try not to think about it. It¡¯s too big for me, so I avoid the issue. Not much else I can do, really.¡±


    ¡°But you might die tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I realized that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to watch all the Stella streams I can.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Cecillia asked, confused. ¡°Why bother with her?¡±


    ¡°Because I like her, okay?¡± Rose snorted, frustrated her friend wasn¡¯t getting it. ¡°I don¡¯t need another reason. If my time remaining is short, I¡¯m spending it doing what I love. Watching Stella, hanging out with Vera, being with my family, and hanging out with you. That sort of thing. Heck, I¡¯m even speaking with my sister more often!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Cecilia said, getting Rose¡¯s point. It made her feel guilty for rudely dismissing her new friend¡¯s interests. Rose was sharing what she loved, and Cecilia was acting like a total spoilsport.


    ¡°But let¡¯s talk about something else, please.¡± Clearly, Rose didn¡¯t enjoy discussing her mortality. ¡°So you don¡¯t like vTubers. That¡¯s fine. We can do something else. What do you do with your free time, Cecilia? Besides reading?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Cecilia faltered. There wasn¡¯t much else, really. ¡°Movies?¡± She hedged. It was a safe answer.


    ¡°Me too.¡± Rose clapped her hands together. ¡°I have some romantic comedies I¡¯ve been dying to get through. How about that?¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Sure.¡± While Cecilia had heard of the genre, she¡¯d never seen one. It wasn¡¯t to her surrogate mother¡¯s tastes. But hey, why not? She might actually like them.


    ---


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Rose asked as Cecilia sniffed, wiping away tears. On the screen, the couple held hands, the gesture tender and loving. After a brief, hesitant pause, they gained the courage to move in for the kiss.


    ¡°It¡¯s just... so beautiful. I¡¯m just happy they¡¯re together... after everything.¡± After fighting and arguing the entire movie, the couple finally realized they loved each other. Happy things always made Cecilia cry.


    ¡°That¡¯s how these things go.¡± But Rose smiled, pleased her friend enjoyed the movie. ¡°The pair squabble, spend forever pretending they can¡¯t stand each other, but eventually realize they can¡¯t live without each other. It blossoms into love and they get together. That¡¯s movies for you. Nothing like that ever happens in real life, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Rose checked the clock. ¡°How about another movie? We have until 9 before your doctor picks you up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± Cecilia nodded with enthusiasm. Rose scanned through her collection of DVDs.


    ¡°Hmm. This one¡¯s pretty cheesy. Let¡¯s see if this one makes you cry too.¡± Rose paused as she caught the expression on her friend¡¯s face. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Cecilia wobbled in her seat, using the corner of Rose¡¯s bed to steady her balance. She gasped as knowledge filled her. It wasn¡¯t like memorizing for a test or studying a subject. No, it was more like someone had jammed a needle into her brain and injected it with the liquid fire of universal knowledge. Accessing the Akashic Record was never a pleasant experience.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Cecilia said, regaining her bearing as she stared into Rose¡¯s concerned face.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rose said after a hesitant pause. ¡°Do you often get dizzy spells?¡±


    Cecilia took a breath, recalling what she¡¯d learned. It returned with crystal clarity, every word and image etched into her brain forever. She never forgot anything the Akashic Record told her.


    ¡°Sorry, Rose, but it¡¯s best if I get going,¡± Cecilia said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rose eyed her with concern but didn¡¯t press the issue. She left the room while Cecilia called Doctor Burbidge to pick her up early.


    ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t stay?¡± Rose¡¯s mother asked. ¡°We¡¯d love to have you over for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Aww! But I wanna play!¡± Rose¡¯s little brother said, throwing a miniature fit. He¡¯d taken an instant liking to his sister¡¯s new friend. It¡¯d been a chore to convince him the girls wanted alone time. ¡°You promised!¡±


    ¡°No, I should go. Sorry, Danny, maybe next time.¡± Cecilia said, resigned. The boy pouted, but nodded, making her pinky promise to honor that.


    What she¡¯d seen in her vision couldn¡¯t wait. Besides, it reminded Cecilia she didn¡¯t belong with normal people. No matter how much she pretended otherwise, Cecilia could never live a normal life.


    ¡°Well, come over whenever you like!¡± Rose said, taking Cecilia¡¯s hand in hers. Rose¡¯s guilelessness made Cecilia¡¯s heart pang with guilt. She knew nothing about Cecilia¡¯s true nature or her connection to LUVOLT. Even if it was indirect, Cecilia had lied to the girl by omission.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Doctor Burbidge asked as Cecilia climbed into her car.


    ¡°It was fun,¡± Cecilia replied, but her voice trailed off.


    Rose¡¯s family had been too kind to her. But what¡¯d they think if they learned the truth about her? Even at school, Cecilia felt like she was playing dress-up, pretending to be someone she wasn¡¯t. Cecilia was a clone, a freak with powers beyond their understanding. Powers beyond even Cecilia¡¯s understanding. What did that make her, she wondered? Cecilia brooded as they drove to the LUVOLT facility in silence.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Doctor Burbidge said as they approached the checkpoint. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see if what you¡¯ve learned is important enough to drag us here at this hour.¡± The sun had reached its zenith, red light stretching across the horizon, breathtaking in its fiery glory.


    ¡°It will be.¡± Cecilia paused before speaking again. ¡°What do you think about Rose?¡±


    ¡°She seems like a nice, courageous girl. Brilliant, too, from all accounts,¡± her surrogate mother replied.


    ¡°I think she might be the future. We need to protect her at all costs.¡± Cecilia swore she¡¯d do anything to protect her new friend.


    ¡°Back again?¡± Sandage said, furrowing his brow. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend. Why aren¡¯t you out enjoying yourself? Unlike some people, you aren¡¯t forced to be here.¡±


    ¡°I had another vision.¡± This caught the agent¡¯s attention. He stood to attention, his focus centered on her.


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    It was uncanny. The Akashic Record might have provided them the key that they needed. But Cecilia wasn¡¯t under any illusions that it¡¯d directly helped her. Its visions were too random for such a fantastical notion. There was no higher power watching and aiding them. Such an idea was unscientific. ¡°I may know how to create a weapon for Luyten V.¡±


    ¡°Really? How?¡± Sandage furrowed his brow.


    ¡°But we¡¯re talking about technology far beyond our technical understanding!¡± Cecilia paced the room like a trapped animal. ¡°Heck, we barely understand how the Luyten V functions! There¡¯s no way this will work!¡±


    ¡°Cecilia, deep breaths. Let us worry about the logistics,¡± Sandage said, trying to placate the irate girl. ¡°Just tell us what you learned. We¡¯ll work out the rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Despite the agent¡¯s reassurances, Cecilia was a bundle of nerves. While this new weapon gave them some modicum of hope, she feared it existed to mock her, that her contribution would end up pointless. Cecilia spent the next half-hour scratching away at notepaper until her fingers went numb. She caught the agent¡¯s expression when he scanned through her notes.


    ¡°I realize it isn¡¯t exactly a weapon, but it¡¯s tough and destructive,¡± Cecilia said defensively.


    Sandage, however, only gave her a toothy grin. ¡°But it should do. I¡¯ll give the order for construction right away. Besides, it¡¯s stylish. If it means clobbering the Altair, I¡¯ll take a killer squeaky toy!¡± Despite herself, Cecilia grinned along with him. His exuberant energy filled her, and she couldn¡¯t wait to see the Altair get their teeth kicked in.


    ---


    The building was all clamor and noise as a shadowy figure slipped in. The floor creaked with every step, its wooden boards bending under their weight. Okab¡¯s ears burned as he entered the room. Unlike the peace of the endless dark or the harmonious bustle of his kind, these humans had no rhyme or reason. They chattered for the sake of chattering, little else. Okab scrunched his face in distaste, but he bore the clamor for the mission. This establishment seemed the best place to begin his search. It stood near where the Red Devil fought with his brethren. The establishment served as a meeting place for humans. Someone must know something.


    ¡°May I help you, sir?¡± A female human said behind a counter. Her outfit showed a grotesque amount of bare skin, no doubt to attract the opposite sex of her kind. Her floral artificial scent made Okab¡¯s nose twitch in distaste.


    ¡°Information.¡± Okab coughed out the unfamiliar language like it tasted like ash. It was so inelegant compared to the telepathy of his people.


    ¡°Information?¡± The female screwed her face. ¡°Look, I run a safe, clean establishment here. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re searching for some bounty or whatever. Ask someplace else.¡±


    But Okab continued like the woman hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°The Red Devil, who pilots it?¡±


    ¡°The what? You mean the Luyten V?¡± the woman narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡±


    ¡°Who pilots it?¡± Okab repeated, his face twisting into a snarl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will,¡± the woman replied. ¡°I want you to leave my establishment. Go before I call the cops.¡±


    ¡°Who pilots it?¡±


    ¡°You heard her.¡± Another human said. The tall male dwarfed Okab by two feet, his burly, hairy arms thick like tree trunks. A human worker drone, no doubt. The man took an intimidating pose, standing mere inches away from Okab. When Okab didn¡¯t respond, a burly hand pushed against him. Despite their size difference, the more diminutive Okab didn''t even wobble.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The man¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion. With his considerable strength, the blow should have knocked Okab to the floor. ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Pest.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The man screamed, his face twisting in pain as Okab grabbed the arm accosting him. With a simple jerk of his hand, Okab snapped the offending appendage.


    So weak. That¡¯s all it took to cause crippling pain? The man whimpered in agony, gripping his mangled arm. Liquid poured from the limb, exposing parts of bone that made the humans pale in horror and disgust.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Fear filled the man¡¯s eyes, staggering away in terror. In his haste, he toppled over his own legs and landed hard on his wound. These foolish humans can¡¯t even control their own limbs?


    The female screamed, making Okab flinch. He so disliked loud noises. At least the crowd had gone into stunned silence. The woman released a startled gasp as a hand clasped around her wrist, its grip like iron. Her futile attempt to rip herself free only caused the woman more pain.


    ¡°Please, take anything from the till. Just leave, please!¡± The woman said, sobbing as Okab increased the pressure.


    ¡°Who is the Red Devil¡¯s pilot? You will answer me.¡±


    ¡°Anything, just don¡¯t hurt me!¡± After some difficulty navigating some mechanical device with one arm, she showed him a picture of some foundling girl standing next to a white-suited man with dark skin.


    Okab stared down at the mulling human whimpering under his gaze. She¡¯d long surrendered any chance of freeing herself from his grip and sobbed to herself uncontrollably. These humans were so soft. All it¡¯d taken to break her spirit was a little pain and intimidation? Okab¡¯s mouth twisted in contempt. If this was humanity¡¯s metal, they¡¯d fall to the Altair in hours. He doubted the Red Devil¡¯s champion would offer any tougher resistance. But first, he¡¯d clean up this scum. He was doing the cosmos a favor.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°A trip?¡± Rose asked, her spoon pausing before her mouth. Milk dripped from it into the cereal bowl below.


    ¡°Yeah, I thought it¡¯d be nice to go to the city for the weekend,¡± her father said. ¡°Get out after everything that¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay?¡± Rose turned to where her bodyguard was lurking in the corner. Brown sipped at his orange juice as he considered the suggestion, before shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. I¡¯ll need to clear it with my superiors, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°This weekend?¡± Her sister furrowed her brow. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t have any plans.¡±


    ¡°Trip! Trip!¡± Danny pounded his fists against the dinner table, almost spilling Rose¡¯s cereal bowl. Her mom¡¯s quick reflexes put the kibosh to her overexcited five-year-old''s antics, using her hands to restrain him.


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea, Hun,¡± her mother said. ¡°But will they allow you away from work, dear? You know how Mr. Zwicky can get.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rose deflated. She feared her father would get pulled away for some business deal again. It was pointless to get her hopes up. Still, a shopping trip with her mom and siblings sounded nice.


    ¡°No!¡± Everyone jerked in surprise as a fist slammed against the table. Milk spilled from Rose¡¯s bowl onto the tablecloth. Rose, however, was too shocked to notice.


    ¡°No, we are having this trip,¡± her father¡¯s tone was emphatic. ¡°I don¡¯t give a da¡­¡± Her father sucked in a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. ¡°My work keeps me too distant from you guys. I can¡¯t allow that , not with everything happening!¡±


    ¡°Dad.¡± Had the Altair attacks affected her father more than she¡¯d realized?


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a wonderful idea, Chris,¡± her mother said, taking her husband¡¯s hands.


    She smiled as he kissed her on the lips. ¡°I don¡¯t say enough how much I love you.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you don¡¯t.¡± She kissed him back. Rose looked away in embarrassment. Still, she was happy for them. She¡¯d worried their marriage had gotten too cold, fearing the worst. ¡°Still, won¡¯t Zwicky get upset with you? Don¡¯t you have a major deal you¡¯re working on?¡±


    ¡°Frank can handle it,¡± her father said defiantly. Rose marveled that he was so willing to stand up to his boss. Usually, her timid father kowtowed to his wishes. Heck, he didn¡¯t even seem concerned about what this defiance might do to his career.


    ¡°Are we sure he isn¡¯t an impostor or something?¡± Sophia whispered to her. ¡°Like an Altair took over his brain.¡± Rose fought hard to resist laughing.


    ¡°Besides, I have too much planned to worry about work!¡± her father continued. ¡°Like the Twins game on Saturday. I¡¯ve already bought tickets.¡±


    ¡°Have you now?¡± her mother raised an eyebrow, false accusation in her voice. Her father hadn¡¯t made this decision spur-of-the-moment. ¡°That sounds like a lovely idea.¡±


    Rose bubbled with excitement. She loved baseball and hadn¡¯t seen the Twins play live in forever. Her little brother let out a series of excited squeaks, equally thrilled by the prospect. Sophia pretended to be aloof but hid a secret smile.


    ¡°And I have a dozen other activities planned. I hear the zoo has recently revamped its lion exhibit. It might be fun checking out,¡± her father continued.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re a genius,¡± her mom kissed her husband on the cheek. Her father responded with a radiant smile, the happiest she¡¯d seen him in ages.


    ¡°We needed the trip,¡± Rose thought. It was strange to consider the Altair had brought them closer all together, the monstrous aliens healing a festering wound they¡¯d never realized was there. Rose couldn¡¯t wait for the weekend.


    ---


    ¡°What a mess,¡± Sandage stared at the scene before him, glad he wasn¡¯t there in person. The crime scene¡¯s miasma stunk something fierce. ¡°What could have caused this?¡±


    Agent Flamsteed ran his fingers through his hair, considering how best to answer. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. An eyewitness saw a dark-haired man covered in dark stains leave the crime scene but vanished before the witness got a good look at him.¡±


    ¡°Vanished?¡±


    ¡°Disappeared like smoke,¡± Flamsteed replied before shrugging. ¡°But it was dark, and the witness wasn¡¯t exactly sober.¡±


    ¡°That any single person did this defies belief. The Altair must be involved. It¡¯s the most logical explanation.¡± The bar was a gruesome scene, the worst Sandage had ever seen. It was difficult to tell if the remains scattered across the crime scene had even been human.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure,¡± Flamsteed said after a moment¡¯s consideration. ¡°We¡¯ve yet to find any telltale signs of their involvement. In the previous Altair attacks, we found fragments of their flesh contaminating the scene to spread their corruption. Here? We¡¯ve passed through the crime scene a dozen times yet found nothing.¡±


    Then the Altair weren¡¯t involved? Sandage frowned, that answer not satisfying him. Were the Altair trying to keep a lower profile? Not well, but still avoiding making it obvious. The implications were disturbing. They still didn¡¯t know how intelligent the alien invaders were.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Another thing. We found this on one of the victim¡¯s phones, a Carolyn Drake.¡± The other agent revealed a phone in an evidence baggy.


    Sandage¡¯s blood went cold as he saw the picture on the screen. It was Rose standing with President Okona. He released a ragged breath. ¡°One heck of a coincidence. One I don¡¯t like at all.¡± He cursed, wishing he hadn¡¯t agreed to allow the girl and her family to go on a weekend trip to Minneapolis. They were leaving tomorrow morning. Still, it might be safer if his charge left town for a couple days. He¡¯d have agents scour the girl¡¯s home for any suspicious characters.


    ¡°Good work finding this. Aid the capital police however you can. Find this dark-haired man. But keep this quiet. We don¡¯t know if he¡¯s an Altair or not. We don¡¯t want to scare people needlessly.¡±


    Great, more bad news! He was still stinging after the failed attempt to track the owner of the P.O. box of Doctor William von Fraunhofer¡¯s pen pal. A third party picked up the mail for Macauley, then mailed it to another distant address across the country. He cursed this mysterious benefactor for sending his agency on this bizarre wild goose chase, but he wasn¡¯t discouraged. Sandage swore he¡¯d hunt this person to the ends of the Earth, if only to heal his wounded pride.


    Another no-name town in Ohio, huh? Run all you like, Macauley. You¡¯re never escaping me!


    ¡°Anyway, in the meantime, Put extra guards on Rose,¡± Sandage considered calling her back home but decided against it. He didn¡¯t want to cause Rose undue worry. That girl deserved a normal day out. ¡°Report anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the junior agent said, running off to make the necessary calls.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a bad feeling.¡± And the Luyten V¡¯s new weapon wouldn¡¯t be ready for another month.


    Sandage gave the LUVOLT headquarters a call. ¡°Gold? I want you to hurry production on Project: Pierce, work triple shifts if required.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a real slave driver, you know that?¡± Doctor Gold said, annoyed. ¡°You realize we¡¯re working with technology the world¡¯s never seen before?¡±


    ¡°We have no choice.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gold said, his voice sobering as he caught Sandage¡¯s tone. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything, but we¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± Sandage sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. His body drooped, the last few sleepless nights taking their toll. Since the first Altair attack, he hadn¡¯t been sleeping well. ¡°We¡¯re counting on you. Good luck.¡±


    Sandage heard a smile behind the scientist¡¯s voice. ¡°Will do. You can count on us. We¡¯re all eager to save the world.¡± Sandage only hoped it¡¯d be enough.


    ---


    ¡°Rose, did you pack the extra snacks?¡± her mom said from the backseat. Rose yawned. The sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, its red rim visible on the horizon. As usual, her father wanted to leave bright and early.


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡± The grocery bag Rose held made a satisfactory rumble as she shook it. ¡°Everything¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°Soph, could you load the water for me?¡± Inside, Rose heard her mom fiddling with their brother¡¯s booster seat. ¡°Just put it in the back.¡±


    Busy with her phone, Sophia hadn¡¯t noticed. Rose elbowed her ribs to get her attention. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Water bottles in the back,¡± Rose said, hiding a smug smile. ¡°Wait till we¡¯re in the car to play with your phone.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia returned with a wrapped pack of water bottles, grunting under their weight as she loaded them next to the groceries they¡¯d already packed.


    After an hour of organized chaos getting everything ready, they loaded into the van. Not wanting to interfere with their family trip, her bodyguard¡¯s beat-up brown Mustang tailed behind them.


    Feeling somewhat anti-social, Rose stuck in earbuds and listened to her music. While gentle nature sounds played, she watched the scenery zip past. It was a lovely day, the grass richly green and the sun brightening the cloudless sky. Rose emptied her mind, just enjoying the ride.


    ¡°Rose?¡± A voice called, rousing Rose from her reverie. She pulled out her earbuds.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering how you¡¯ve been, Rue?¡± Her sister asked. ¡°How are things at school?¡±


    Surprised her sister wanted to chat, Rose answered. ¡°About as usual. A school fair¡¯s coming up. They¡¯ve partnered me with Georges. He¡¯s working pretty hard to impress me. He insists on daily visits to check the project¡¯s progress!¡±


    ¡°From your tone, I can tell you¡¯re not exactly pleased with him,¡± her sister replied ruefully.


    ¡°Georges can be a lot,¡± Rose made a vague gesture with her hand.


    ¡°You know he¡¯s had a crush on you since forever?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I¡¯d like Georges more if he backed off and respected my space. ¡°It¡¯s like he thinks if he isn¡¯t constantly attentive to me, I¡¯ll forget his existence!¡±


    Sophia laughed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Some boys can be dumb like that. In high school, this one boy became obsessed with me simply because I smiled at him once.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Rose said, scandalized.


    ¡°Fraid so. I ended up telling him upfront I wasn¡¯t interested in him. It wasn¡¯t pretty. He wasn¡¯t a bad guy, but he didn¡¯t understand boundaries. Teenage years are the worst for romantic stuff. Nobody knows how it works.¡±


    ¡°Joy.¡± And she¡¯d have to deal with that nonsense soon, too.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll each figure things out. Georges is still immature. Just tell him how you feel about his behavior. You should deal with this sooner rather than later before he becomes even more hormonal and crazy.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Rose hesitated, knowing it¡¯d devastate her friend. It might ruin their friendship!  But she realized the wisdom of her sister¡¯s advice. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll tell him sometime soon.¡± She¡¯d better deal with it now, not wanting to tolerate this unwanted behavior for years. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly wise, Soph.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what elder sisters are for, Rue.¡± Sophia ruffled her little sister¡¯s hair. Her smile turned sad. ¡°I¡¯ve missed this, just talking with you like this. I¡¯ve let school distract me for too long. When I leave for college in the fall, we won¡¯t see each other as often. I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± Rose looked down, her mood turning dim. ¡°With everything going on, it¡¯s made me realize how distant I¡¯ve been, too. I¡¯ve been lashing out at you because of my frustrations. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, I understand. You¡¯re thirteen, Rue. I was that age once. Dear Lord, I¡¯m already sounding like an old lady.¡± Both sisters shared a laugh. ¡°So, what¡¯s your science fair project about? Knowing you, it¡¯s something special.¡±


    Rose warmed to her sister as they chatted. It reminded her how much she looked up to her older sister. A pang stabbed her heart when she realized how much she¡¯d miss Sophia once she left for college. Still, they had ample time during the trip to compensate for lost time.


    ---


    Okab¡¯s nose scrunched up as he explored the human dwelling, disliking the ever-present tree scent, as if the humans didn¡¯t stink enough. His prey dwelled in a modest two-story building. Its contents sparked some curiosity from the Altair general.


    It seemed the humans living here had offspring, which they did their best to accommodate. Okab stretched down to pick up a toy that resembled an Earth animal with a long gray trunk in place of its nose. It squealed as he squeezed it, no doubt to entertain a human baby¡¯s developing brain.


    Unlike the Altair, who were born fully formed and intelligent, humans spent their first dozen years helpless and feeble. It was a miracle their species survived this long.


    Okab wondered if this development period came with special advantages. The general shook his head, dropping the toy on the carpeted floor. Understanding the human species wasn¡¯t his mission.


    From the home¡¯s scent, it¡¯d been vacant for the last day. Rose¡¯s family must have gone somewhere. Okab cursed. Had his prey realized someone was pursuing them? But Okab decided against such an idea. If that were true, they¡¯d leave a trap to destroy him. His prey hadn¡¯t left their home in a hurry, meaning they were still unaware of any impending danger. But where would these humans go?


    Should he wait here until they returned? No, that wouldn¡¯t do. Before entering, he¡¯d observed some humans watching over the building and dealt with them. While this pathetic species didn¡¯t possess a hive mind to notify them of these guards¡¯ demise, someone would notice their absence. No, it was best to continue the pursuit.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Okab spotted a calendar displaying the planet¡¯s lunar cycle pinned to a wall. Someone had written notes for daily activities in a neat scrawl in each square box. On the box representing this day, it said ¡°trip to Minneapolis¡± for the upcoming few days. It listed various activities, each marked with a timestamp. Okab tore the calendar from its pin on the wall, showing an array of jagged teeth as he smiled. Rose was in his sights now.


    Okab leaped onto the motorcycle he¡¯d taken from a human and revved its engine. He marveled at its simple mechanical power, the machine¡¯s rumbling excited something deep within him. This motorcycle was the only thing he¡¯d enjoyed since arriving on this worthless, noisy rock. The Altair general laughed as he sped away from Rose¡¯s home in delight at the machine¡¯s raw power and speed.

 Chapter 9

    A grin grew across Rose¡¯s mouth, extending ear to ear. She nibbled at her popcorn, eager for what would happen next. With the bases loaded, this was the Twins¡¯ chance to turn around the game. They were down four points, but this might change the tide.


    The rest of the audience seemed just as eager, cheering their beloved Twins on with all their hearts. Her dad waved a foam finger enthusiastically, yelling at the top of his lungs. In normal circumstances, her father¡¯s antics would embarrass Rose. Today, however, she joined him in his silliness. It was a welcome change from his usual dour and stress-filled attitude. He¡¯d needed this vacation more than she¡¯d thought. But there was one minor problem keeping her from totally enjoying the situation.


    ¡°Dang it!¡± Rose lifted from her seat, edging around her sister. ¡°Sorry, I need the ladies¡¯ room.¡± She shouldn¡¯t have drunk so much water in the car. Of all the times, but nature called.


    ¡°Do you want me to accompany you?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can go alone. Enjoy yourself,¡± Rose replied. Besides, Agent Brown was watching her back, like a guardian angel. He waved at her from a nearby seat, following as she left.


    After drying her hands, Rose made a quick escape from the bathroom. She eagerly hoped the Twins would lead by a point upon her return. Huh? She froze as she passed a familiar face at a food stall.


    ¡°Hans?¡± Rose said, startled to find her classmate here, of all places.


    ¡°Rose!¡± she gasped as a large form pulled her into a smothering hug. Brown moved for his holstered weapon but stopped when Rose waved him away.


    ¡°Ms. Lowell! It¡¯s nice to see you again!¡± Rose said, detaching herself from the larger woman. Unlike her son, Ms. Lowell was a bundle of unsuppressed energy. The older woman had always treated Rose like the daughter she¡¯d never had. While silly, Rose found it endearing.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here to watch the Twins play too?¡± Ms. Lowell said. ¡°Is your mother here, Rose?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all here,¡± Rose replied. ¡°Dad wanted to have a family outing.¡±


    ¡°We must have dinner together. I insist. Don¡¯t you agree, Hans?¡± Ms. Lowell said, directing the question to her still-silent son.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± While Hans¡¯ usually stoic expression gave little away, Rose detected a hint of exasperation.


    ¡°Mom won¡¯t mind.¡± A quick text message confirmed Rose¡¯s assertions. Both parties agreed to discuss restaurant arrangements after the game.


    ¡°Wonderful. I know how fond my son is of you, Rose,¡± Ms. Lowell said.


    ¡°Sure?¡± How did she get that impression? And as usual, Hans¡¯ face gave nothing away. What was he doing? He ought to be mortified by such a suggestion! Rose only rolled her eyes. Adults had such funny ideas about kids and their feelings. At least her mom hadn¡¯t suggested anything about Hans and her. The very idea!


    ¡°How about we switch seats?¡± Ms. Lowell said.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been forever since your mom and I talked! And Sophia¡¯s such a dear!¡± Hans¡¯ mother said. ¡°You two can watch the game together while us grownups talk!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Rose said, relenting. She couldn¡¯t deny her mother¡¯s wishes to chat with an old friend. She¡¯d tolerate Hans¡¯ presence for her sake.


    ¡°Oh come on! A baby could hit those pitches!¡± Rose yelled at the top of her lungs. The game wasn¡¯t going well for her favorite team, and she angrily crunched down her peanuts. When she caught Hans staring at her, Rose snapped at him. ¡°What?¡±


    But the boy didn¡¯t reply, only giving her an amused smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re having fun,¡± Rose said, her tone terse.


    ¡°Have you been a fan of the Twins long, Rose?¡± Martin, Ms. Lowell¡¯s current boyfriend, asked. He was a somewhat overweight man with balding salt and pepper hair, though he dressed well. Rose had heard that Martin was a semi-successful businessman.


    ¡°Grandpa Brahe used to watch it with me whenever I visited his place,¡± Rose replied.


    ¡°Used?¡± Hans asked, curious.


    Rose¡¯s mood sobered and tears pricked her eyes. ¡°Yeah, he died a year ago. Cancer.¡± She stayed silent, not wishing to discuss it any further.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Hans said, surprising her. ¡°I know how that feels.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Hadn¡¯t Hans¡¯ father died when he was young? It couldn¡¯t have been easy. They sat in companionable silence as the game progressed. Rose reacted in her usual manner at every upset, much to Hans¡¯ amusement.


    ---


    ¡°We have a few tickets left. Though they¡¯re not the best seats in the house, gotta warn you.¡± The woman behind the counter said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Okab replied with a drawl.


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a shame you arrived this late. It¡¯s already the eighth inning. The game¡¯s about wrapped up.¡± The woman lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°And I¡¯m not optimistic about the Twins¡¯ chances, if you get my drift.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Okab said, his voice more forceful.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He¡¯d already wasted too much time hurrying over to the stadium. Traffic had worked against him, delaying him to this intolerable hour. Worse yet, with the game ending soon, it wouldn¡¯t give him much time to search for Rose. This sporting event had drawn more people than Okab had expected. Despite his best efforts to hasten his entry, the human continued to chatter, unbidden.


    ¡°Ever since Kepler got injured last month, the team¡¯s never been the same. He was their heart, you know. His can-do attitude pushed them to victory. Don¡¯t tell my husband, but I¡¯ve had a small crush on him since forever. His big blue eyes? They seem to stare right at you. Phew, it¡¯s like I¡¯m in high school again!¡±


    What was this human blabbing about? Did this human not understand simple instructions? Okab wanted to enact swift retribution, but three security guards were eying him, wondering if he might cause trouble. While they proved a laughable threat, Okab didn¡¯t dare try anything. It might alert his prey to his presence.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t worth my time,¡± Okab said, walking away. Besides, he had a better idea.


    ¡°Um, sir? Are you sure? I can¡­¡± But Okab had already walked out of speaking range. The security guards relaxed as he left the stadium. The humans foolishly thought he¡¯d gone forever.


    Outside, he scanned the surroundings and smiled. After ensuring he was being unobserved, he leaped onto the entryway roof in a single, silent bound, creeping low to remain hidden.


    While there wasn¡¯t any guarantee his target would use this particular exit, his vantage point gave him a perfect view of the parking lot. Okab guessed she¡¯d leave in one of those motorized vehicles. He stood motionless as he waited, not even pretending to breathe. One could almost confuse him with a statue with how still he stood.


    And his patience paid off. Okab¡¯s mouth widened to a predatory grin as he spotted a girl who matched Rose¡¯s description. The girl was all scraggly limbs, only standing up to Okab¡¯s chest. It seemed laughable she¡¯d be any threat to the Altair, but fierce intelligence hid behind her blue eyes. Was that why the humans had chosen her as Luyten V¡¯s pilot? Why they picked a child to pilot their greatest weapon mystified Okab.


    A group of humans of similar appearance accompanied her, laughing and speaking with her. This must be her family. A tiny human accompanied them, a fragile little boy who needed to be guided by the hand to avoid getting lost as the crowd streamed from the stadium.


    After some discussion, they entered a green van and slowly navigated the parking lot to the exit. Satisfied with himself, Okab leaped from the roof to the paved street below. People yelped in surprise at his sudden appearance, wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them. The Altair general paid them little mind, navigating the crowd to his motorcycle. Soon, he¡¯d have his target and leave with this wretched planet.


    ---


    ¡°Hey!¡± Martin said, waving over her family as they exited the stadium.


    ¡°Quite a game, huh?¡± her dad said, his tone light, although Rose could tell he was just as annoyed about the Twins losing.


    ¡°They played pretty well in the first half, but they lost all momentum. Right, Hans?¡± Rose asked, realizing she hadn¡¯t gotten his opinion on the game yet.


    ¡°They played as usual,¡± Hans replied in his usual deadpan manner. ¡°I¡¯m not optimistic about them surviving to the postseason.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Rose gave an emphatic nod. She cursed that Kepler had gotten injured. The team seemed rudderless without him.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you two had fun together,¡± her mom said. ¡°I¡¯ve been talking with Ms. Lowell. How does Mexican sound to you kids?¡±


    ¡°Works for me.¡± Spicy food sounded nice.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay with me,¡± Hans added.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Sophia said.


    ¡°Mexican? Okay.¡± Her brother kicked a nearby rock, not too enthused by the prospect, but he¡¯d accept it. He didn¡¯t like spicy foods at all and hated how they smelled. Luckily, the restaurant would have a kids¡¯ menu for little ones with picky tastes.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± her mom said. ¡°I¡¯ll ride with Ms. Lowell. Hans can join you on the ride down.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rose rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Do you watch baseball often?¡± Hans asked out of the blue as they got into her parents¡¯ van.


    ¡°Whenever I can,¡± Rose replied, helping get Danny into his booster seat. ¡°I¡¯m actually into fantasy baseball. I like the math involved, though my parents don¡¯t let me gamble.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a real wiz with math,¡± Sophia said in a conspiratorial whisper.


    ¡°I should hope so, considering I¡¯ll invent a giant robot in the future!¡± Rose said, but froze when she realized she¡¯d said something she shouldn¡¯t have. The secret had just slipped from her mouth unbidden. That was the problem with big secrets. They wanted to escape.


    When everyone gave her a strange look, Rose clarified. ¡°I mean, I hope to create one. I¡¯ve read Luyten V¡¯s specifications. It¡¯s interesting stuff!¡±


    ¡°Here we go,¡± Sophia said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Hans said, curious. While her older sister zoned her out, the boy listened in interest as she explained what she¡¯d learned about the giant robot.


    ¡°Advanced far beyond our era, almost like alien technology,¡± Hans said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe anyone just invented such a machine without the greater scientific community learning about it.¡± He still hadn¡¯t forgotten about Luyten V¡¯s strange arrival weeks earlier.


    ¡°Beats me.¡± Rose squirmed as Hans stared at her. It was like he saw through her lies. Unlike Georges, the boy wasn¡¯t speaking crazy conspiracy theories, just noting inconsistencies that had been bothering him. They sat in awkward silence for the rest of the trip, Rose terrified she might have revealed all by accident. What else could go wrong today?


    At least Hans had gone quiet and stayed that way as they drove to the restaurant. Then he surprised Rose as he suddenly spoke. ¡°That motorcycle has been following us since we left Target Field.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Baffled, Rose turned to glance behind her, but a hand stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Hans said, his voice firm.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Sophia asked, furrowing her brow.


    ¡°Yes. Rose, contact your bodyguard,¡± Hans said, refusing to answer any other questions.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rose thought he was overreacting, but Han¡¯s expression told her this might be serious. She sent Agent Brown a quick text message about the mysterious motorcyclist. His response sent ice flowing through her veins.


    ¡°The light-haired college-aged man riding a black motorcycle?¡± From the rearview mirror, she saw her bodyguard¡¯s brown mustang a few cars behind them. ¡°Yeah, I clocked him four streets back. I was just about to contact you. We¡¯re going to try to lose him. Hand your phone over to your father, Rose. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already contacted backup. We¡¯ll get you out of this.¡±


    ¡°Dad, please read this,¡± Rose said, passing over her phone. Her heart raced, painful as it trumped hard enough to beat out of her chest. Someone was chasing after them. Her family was in serious danger!


    Her dad furrowed his brow as he accepted the phone. His confusion turned to terror as he scanned through her bodyguard¡¯s message. ¡°Oh. Oh! Oh!¡± Panic flashed in his eyes, realizing how much danger they might be in.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Sophia said, pulling herself away from her phone.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s following us,¡± Hans replied, his mouth a firm line.


    ¡°What?!¡± her older sister said, fumbling with her phone in surprise.


    The entire car jerked as they took an intersection to their right. Her father¡¯s mouth sat in a hard line, furious anyone would dare hurt his children.


    ¡°Careful, Dad. He might catch on that we¡¯re on to him!¡± Rose said.


    ¡°Right.¡± Under her father¡¯s breath, he muttered encouraging words to himself. But Rose saw the fear behind his determination. This was beyond anything he¡¯d ever expected to happen.


    ¡°Daddy?¡± Danny asked in concern, his young mind sensing the sudden tension in the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, son,¡± her father said, composing himself. He drove into a side street, taking them miles from their previous destination. ¡°We¡¯re just taking a small detour.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still following us,¡± Hans said with surprising calm. Despite his impassive expression, Rose detected fear behind his eyes.


    Her father muttered a sequence of curses under his breath. ¡°Seems we¡¯ve got our answer. This guy¡¯s definitely following us.¡±


    ¡°Who is he, Russian? The mob? Rose is valuable. Are they after a bargaining chip to get Luyten V¡¯s technology?¡± Sophia asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Her father sighed in relief as he passed into an outer district. Around them werecar lots, storage units, and random warehouses. These streets weren¡¯t as busy as the inner parts of Minneapolis. They took another left, but the tail still doggedly pursued them.


    ¡°Good.¡± Her father sighed in relief. ¡°Agent Brown said two cop cars are approaching to assist. Don¡¯t worry, kids. This will soon be all over.¡±


    Sophia relaxed visibly, but Rose shared a look with Hans. Some instinct told her the danger had only begun. Fear twisted her guts, and Rose fought back nausea.


    Police sirens blared as the cop cars approached. One lowered their window to address the motorcyclist. But the driver barely seemed to care, still more intent on following Rose. When the cop saw his protestations weren¡¯t getting any effect, the officer became more forceful. This finally got their pursuer¡¯s attention. If only he hadn¡¯t, what happened next would haunt Rose¡¯s nightmares.


    Blood spattered against the cop car¡¯s windshield as the vehicle careened out of control. It hit the cars driving behind it, creating a massive pileup. Sophia screamed. Rose, however, only stared in shock, stuck rigidly to the spot.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Danny innocently asked, unaware of the danger. However, Rose knew precisely what was happening. The Altair had found her.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening!¡± Sophia hyperventilated with fear, her pupils wide.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Danny asked, but nobody answered him.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Rose lied, taking her brother¡¯s hand. ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting us out of here.¡± With a screech, they sped away at high speed, regardless of traffic laws. Rose flinched as gunfire rang out as the police opened fire on the mysterious motorcyclist.


    ¡°What is he?¡± Sophia asked, her voice shaking. ¡°The bullets aren¡¯t even bothering him!¡± Despite several shots going into his skull, their attacker didn¡¯t even flinch. There wasn¡¯t even any blood.


    That had been a mistake. Each cop car spun out of control as its driver died. The Altair attacked with such speed that Rose was uncertain about what had occurred.


    ¡°Please God.¡± Rose closed her eyes, repeating those simple words. Every worst-case scenario flashed through her mind. This was everything her future self had warned about.


    ¡°Hey, careful. Any tighter, and you¡¯ll break my hand,¡± Sophia said with a weak smile. Without realizing it, Rose had grabbed her older sister¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to you!¡± Rose said, determination crystallizing in her heart. She refused to be a helpless victim. She refused to allow her sister or anyone else to die! Rose swore she¡¯d change fate, even if she had to tear it apart with her bare hands! She opened her phone and furiously tapped at the screen.


    ¡°But what can we do?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Your giant robot¡¯s miles away.¡±


    ¡°It can fly, right?¡± Hans said, finally speaking. He had his hands clenched together in fists, wrought with tension.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Danny asked, concerned about the fear his sisters were displaying.


    ¡°Thought so!¡± A wolfish grin stretched across Rose¡¯s features. Agent Sandage had just confirmed what she¡¯d suspected. Sensing the danger to its pilot, the Luyten V had launched itself. From the trajectory and speed of its flight, her robot would be here in approximately ten minutes. They only needed to survive that long.


    Despite driving at full speed, the Altair motorcyclist continued to gain from them. Seeing how bullets had no effect, her bodyguard became bold and rammed his car into the motorist¡¯s vehicle. At the speeds they were driving, the much smaller vehicle careened off course and crashed into a ditch.


    But her father didn¡¯t relax his hold on the steering wheel, pushing his vehicle even faster. Rose caught a blur as she glanced back, and then screamed as something solid landed on the roof. It bent under the weight of whatever had landed on it.


    ¡°Was that a bird?¡± Danny asked, confused. His little head glanced up, frowning as he noticed the dent in the roof.


    They screamed as hands tore into the ceiling above them, rending it apart like a sardine can.


    ¡°Found you.¡± A youthful face stared down at them, but nothing human showed behind its eyes.


    ¡°Get off, you¡ª¡± Her father swore, swerving the car in a zigzag motion to try to rip their unwanted passenger free.


    ¡°Hey!¡± the Altair said, glaring at her father as he struggled to keep hold of his perch. Despite her father¡¯s efforts, he remained firmly in place.


    ¡°What a nuisance. Best I just kill you right here,¡± the stranger said, raising a hand. Despite not holding a weapon, his empty hands seemed more dangerous than a tank.


    Desperate, her father did something crazy. He purposely drove into a utility pole. The impact jerked Rose forward painfully, like the hands of God had shaken her. The car hissed, smoke rising from its engine. Her father groaned, groggy, his nose bleeding as he pulled away from the airbag that had erupted to protect his head from the steering wheel. But the impact had done its job, throwing their attacker dozens of feet into a patch of rocky terrain. Was this it? Had the Altair died from the impact?


    Not caring about the Altair¡¯s fate, her dad struggled to start the car so they might drive to safety. But it failed to start, the engine crying out pitifully.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Brown asked, running up to their vehicle. In his hand was his service pistol. His car stood parked by the side of the road.


    ¡°I think so.¡± The seatbelt keeping her in place had saved her life, but it left her sore. She¡¯d feel that in the morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Sophia said, straightening strands of hair that had come loose.


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± Hans said.


    ¡°That was fun!¡± Danny said, laughing. But any mirth faded as Rose saw their attacker standing right in front of their van, his face unamused. Could nothing hurt this monster?


    ¡°Enough.¡± As he raised an arm to attack, a bullet struck him right in the skull.


    ¡°Get going!¡± Brown fired another round into the Altair, using Rose¡¯s family van for cover. Rose¡¯s heart raced. Her bodyguard was sacrificing himself to save her!


    Her father uttered an oath as he tried again and failed to start his van. Rose gasped as the Altair smacked her father across the head, his body going limp.


    ¡°No!¡± Rose stood rigid. Had her father just died? This must be a bad dream, right? This couldn¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going anywhere. And you?¡± the Altair said, sending Brown a baleful glare. This was it. Brown was going to die next! Sirens blared in the distance, but they wouldn¡¯t arrive in time to save them.


    With impossible speed, the Altair threw a devastating haymaker at her bodyguard. But Brown was just as quick, ducking under the blow and continuing to fire into the Altair¡¯s chest. Still, it did nothing, Brown howling as a backward blow sent him flying against a nearby fence, bending it. He didn¡¯t rise again, and Rose was unsure if he was breathing.


    ¡°Rue, we have to get out of here,¡± Sophia said, tugging at her arm. Hans dragged her over to his seat with surprising strength, giving her sister a nod.


    ¡°Sophia, what¡¯s wrong? What happened to Dad?¡± Danny asked, his fear palpable. He realized something was wrong.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Rose said, slowly emerging from her terrified stupor. ¡°But what about Dad, Hans, Danny?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s after you, right? It should leave them alone,¡± Sophia argued. But Rose only frowned, not convinced. She didn¡¯t protest as her older sister dragged her from the van. Hans shook his head, indicating she must leave.


    ¡°Go! Run as fast as you can!¡± Sophia said, giving her a push.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Rose asked, heart beating a mile a minute. Was she planning on doing something foolish? No, not more pointless sacrifices!


    But Rose didn¡¯t argue. Fear told her she had little choice. She wanted to scream against the heavens, demanding it bring back everyone she¡¯d already lost. Instead, she put her bodyguard¡¯s training to good use and ran like the devil himself was chasing after her.


    ¡°Really?¡± the Altair said, amused. Instead of chasing after her, he allowed her to gain some distance. Her pitiful attempts to save herself amused him.


    ¡°Leave my sister alone!¡± Sophia said, slamming something hard against the Altair¡¯s skull. Was it their car scraper?


    ¡°You humans,¡± the Altair said, amused. Rose continued to gain some distance, but the Altair didn¡¯t seem too concerned. ¡°You try so hard to protect your own kin. Bullets and a car crash barely hurt me, but you insist on fighting me anyway, just for a few precious seconds. You have tenacity. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    Rose waved at a nearby car that was driving in the other direction. Not caring if she got hurt, she ran right in front of the vehicle. Maybe if she got into this car, the Altair would abandon his attack on her sister and focus on her.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter?¡± the aged driver cried, furrowing his brow.


    ¡°Harold, what¡¯s wrong?¡± his wife asked, a matronly old woman. ¡°Has there been an accident?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Jane. What¡¯s the matter, young lady?¡± the man asked, all kindness.


    Before Rose could reply, something hurled into her rescuer¡¯s vehicle, throwing it end over end. Rose gasped. It was the bumper of their van.


    ¡°But in the end, it is futile,¡± the Altair said, standing behind her.


    Instead of being scared, fury flared in her heart. She hurled every insult in her vocabulary while inventing new ones. It was too much. Those nice people didn¡¯t deserve what had happened to them; none of his victims had. She refused to allow more people to get hurt because of her. Rose glared at him, daring him to try something.


    Her sudden defiance took the Altair aback. Rose only glared at him harder.


    ¡°Humans. You make no sense!¡± the Altair said, shaking his head. ¡°Your madness alone makes you a dangerous species. You literally would rather die than surrender. Remarkable.¡±


    Then Altair¡¯s expression turned thoughtful before his mouth widened into a grin that extended far past his face. ¡°Why not! You deserve a reward! I¡¯ll show you my true form. I wonder if your little defiance will continue to stand, then!¡±


    A scream escaped Rose¡¯s lips as she stepped back, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing. The disguised Altair¡¯s body expanded like an inflatable balloon, skin tearing as his innards became too large for his flesh. Finally, his outer layer burst apart entirely like a garment torn because its owner had gotten too large. Unlike the previous Altair, this monstrosity was all sharp angles, resembling nothing like any animal Rose had ever seen. Its face was beak-like, its tip sharp enough to pierce a building. Worse yet, the monster continued to expand until he dwarfed a six-story building.


    ¡°Well, are you still feeling brave, little human?¡± Okab¡¯s eyeless face smiled a cat-like grin at her, its voice booming like a loudspeaker. Rose howled in pain, falling to her knees.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Rose¡¯s courage failed her as she gapped at the monstrosity that had once seemed like an ordinary man. How had he even grown this big? Where had he gotten the mass?


    ¡°Rose, run!¡± Her sister cried from somewhere nearby, but her limbs failed to work.


    Police sirens flared as more cop cars drove onto the scene, but they stared out their vehicles in wide-eyed shock at the monster they hadn¡¯t a chance to fight.


    Rose watched her battered, but alive, father drag himself from the remains of his vehicle. Hans helped him, giving Rose a desperate look.


    ¡°You!¡± Rose screamed in helpless fury. While her father¡¯s survival brightened her heart, it didn¡¯t matter. This creature would destroy them all, and she couldn¡¯t stop it. In frustration, she kicked at Altair¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Still fighting?¡± the monster said, amused. Rose yelped in surprise as two fingers tore her from the ground, she flailed helplessly in the creature''s grip.


    ¡°Rose!¡± her father called, his voice equal parts fear and despair.


    Her heart stopped as she stood right in front of Altair¡¯s mouth, its rancid breath making her gag. Rose put on her bravest face, defiant to the end.


    After an amused chuckle, Altair opened his mouth, eager to consume this morsel alive and screaming. Then the sound of roaring engines caught her attention.


    ¡°What?¡± the monster howled in pain as a beam lanced into its chest, hurling it back. Rose screamed as she fell dozens of stories to her doom. But a gentle tendril grabbed her and whipped her inside her rescuer.


    Rose shook her head, disoriented, and gasped as she found herself in the warm embrace of Luyten V¡¯s cockpit. ¡°You sure took your time!¡± But she was smiling, relieved she¡¯d just escaped death.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Luyten V!¡± The robot roared as it got ready for combat. Rose joined in eager to make this jerk pay for threatening her family.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Altair¡¯s eyeless face squinted at Rose¡¯s rescuer, puzzled. ¡°Where¡¯d you come from? How could they order your¡­ never mind. I¡¯ll destroy both of you at once! Know the name of your destroyer, Okab the Terminator, General of the Altair!¡±


    ¡°General?¡± Doubt flashed in Rose¡¯s heart. She¡¯d assumed this guy was only another small fry, not a bigwig bad guy. But she shook her head. She¡¯d kick this guy¡¯s butt, too.


    The earth trembled as Okab blocked the devastating punch Rose had thrown at her opponent. Sirens wailed as Okab used his needle-like nose to slash across Luyten V¡¯s chest. While it hadn¡¯t pierced, damage systems reported it had left a deep gash. Ticked off, Rose shot a beam from Luyten V¡¯s forehead point-blank. But with incredible agility, Okab only leaped away.


    For a creature of his size, Okab moved with cat-like grace as he slashed his arm at her. It left another deep gash in Luyten V¡¯s carapace. Rose caught the Altair with a sudden punch, but each edge on Altair¡¯s body was a deadly blade, and metal squealed as it sliced into Luyten V¡¯s hand.


    Rose cursed. She needed to be more careful where she hit this monster. Altair was slippery, too, always seeming to be somewhere else when she tried attacking him. Much to Rose¡¯s dismay, she realized the Altair was only playing with her. Okab seemed to enjoy toying with her as she struggled to defend herself.


    ¡°Darn it!¡± Rose slammed her console in frustration as another punch caught one of the Altair general¡¯s edges. The monster had jerked his body that way on purpose to spoil her attack. Meanwhile, Okab was picking her apart piecemeal, leaving ever-deepening gashes across Luyten V¡¯s armor.


    ¡°What now?¡± Should she go to overclock mode? It might catch the monster off guard. But the Altair was so quick that overclock mode might boil Luyten V¡¯s systems before they inflicted any real damage.


    Before she could decide, Okab rocked as something collided with his head. Had that been an explosion? Another flash lit up the Altair general¡¯s ear, followed by a series of explosions. On her radar, she noticed several figures zipping towards them. Were they aircraft bombers? As Rose puzzled this out, her phone rang.


    ¡°Hey, Rose! Thought you might want some backup!¡± Sandage, the older man¡¯s smiling face, said as she arranged her phone to be visible across the console as she piloted Luyten V.


    ¡°What are you thinking? You¡¯re only going to get people hurt!¡± Rose said, scolding the LUVOLT agent.


    ¡°We won¡¯t let you face this monster alone. The Altair scout caught us flatfooted, but now we¡¯re prepared.¡± Sandage said, Rose watching as another explosion struck Okab. Much to her disappointment, it did little beyond annoying the monster.


    ¡°But your attacks still aren¡¯t doing anything,¡± Rose said.


    Sandage let out a long sigh. ¡°So it seems. We¡¯re testing what¡¯s effective against these monsters. Those were experimental weapons. They did little, sadly. But now we know. Pity Project Bird Bath isn¡¯t ready, but we¡¯ve learned a few things.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Strike now while the monster¡¯s distracted.¡±


    ¡°The monster¡¯s name is Okab. He¡¯s a general of the Altair.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± This took Sandage aback. ¡°The monster spoke to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a real cruel jerk, too. These things can think like humans.¡± Though, how their minds worked puzzled Rose. Did it have a brain? Did it grow as Okab grew in size?


    ¡°Hmm. Thanks for the intel. Gold will love to hear about this. Anyway, get going. Those jets are getting low on missiles. Back up is almost an hour away.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She¡¯d seen monster movies before and knew what happened to tanks and the like after they failed to scratch the giant monster. Still, the massive payloads annoyed the Altair, leaving tiny scorch marks across its armor.


    ¡°No time to hold back!¡± With a flick of several switches, Rose activated overclock mode. Sweat trickled down her neck as her robot charged. With the monster distracted by the incoming missiles, it hadn¡¯t seen her next punch coming.


    ¡°What?¡± Okab said in surprise as a punch created a deep crack along his armor, the Altair general staggering back. Another punch to the jaw laid him out flat, dazing him. The monster clearly hadn¡¯t expected the sudden boost in power.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to finish this.¡± Sweat drenched her as the cockpit¡¯s interior temperature kept rising. By her estimate, it rose about 10 degrees every 30 seconds. If it went over 100 degrees, Rose feared her chances. Luyten V¡¯s palm sparked with energy as she got ready to unleash her finishing move on the prone Altair.


    But Okab recovered quicker than she¡¯d expected, Rose yelping in surprise as a sudden tail whip knocked Luyten V off balance. The Altair general skittered away to a safe distance, assessing his opponent.


    ¡°No. Not yet, Rosemary Brahe. I think that¡¯s enough for today,¡± Okab said. ¡°I realize I must reassess my approach. You are a dangerous foe. I¡¯ll leave for today, but watch yourself. You are my prey. I won¡¯t stop until I destroy you!¡±


    With the speed of an oncoming freight train, Okab sped away from Minneapolis to parts unknown. Rose gave chase, deactivating the overclock system as Luyten V tore great swaths through an empty field. But Okab dove into the ground, tunneling so deep that Luyten V hadn¡¯t a chance to give chase. Rose slammed her console in frustration, knowing she¡¯d lost a good moment to defeat a dangerous foe.


    ¡°Dang it! Okab must have seen Luyten V¡¯s capabilities and assumed the worst.¡± He hadn¡¯t known that Luyten V could only use that mode for a few minutes at best. She¡¯d surprised and sucker punched him, but he won¡¯t be so careless next time. In their next battle, he¡¯d play for keeps.


    ¡°Fine then, so will I!¡± They needed to get stronger. Overclock mode was a last resort at best. Rose patted Luyten V¡¯s controls lovingly. ¡°Luyten V, if we don¡¯t unlock your secrets, I fear we don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    She¡¯d come too close to losing everything. Rose smiled, showing a feral grin. Next time, she¡¯d be full of nasty surprises, too.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°Rose!¡± her mom said, holding her tight enough to squeeze the life from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom, okay?¡± But Rose didn¡¯t protest her mom¡¯s affections. Her sister held her hand, her grip firm. Even Danny stood close, eyeing Rose with wide, amazed eyes. He¡¯d seen her exit the Luyten V. His sister owning a giant robot was the coolest thing ever to his five-year-old mind.


    The hospital was a hive of activity. The waiting room was filled with guests and people suffering from various ailments. Her father and Brown, her bodyguard, were brought to Fairview Hospital for examination. They still hadn¡¯t learned the extent of their injuries yet.


    ¡°What a mess,¡± Hans¡¯ mother said. ¡°Who would have believed such monsters exist?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting Hans involved.¡± Guilt stabbed into her heart. Rose knew that she was the Altair¡¯s enemy, but Okab¡¯s sudden attack was beyond anything she¡¯d expected.


    But Ms. Lowell only smiled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. None of us are safe with monsters like those running about. Don¡¯t you agree, Hans?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe, Rose.¡± Hans glanced down, self-conscious.


    Huh? Was he worried about her? Was that guilt she detected? His mother only nodded, pleased. They sat in silence, Rose fidgeting as they waited for news.


    An hour later, a nurse greeted them. ¡°Mr. Brahe has suffered a concussion, but he should be fine. We want to keep him overnight for observation, but we predict he¡¯ll recover fully.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness,¡± her mom said, dabbing at an eye with a handkerchief.


    ¡°And Agent Brown?¡± Rose asked, her tone pensive. He¡¯d been in rough shape when the ambulance had taken him away. It was a miracle he¡¯d even survived the encounter with Okab.


    ¡°He¡¯s had worse,¡± a familiar voice said. Rose turned to find Agent Sandage standing in the hallway.


    ¡°Mr. Sandage? What are you doing here?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°After my best man got injured? And you almost got killed?¡± Sandage said, a slight smile on his lips. ¡°And stay cooped up in an office? Never.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, dear. He¡¯ll be out of action for a couple of weeks, but he¡¯ll be okay,¡± the nurse said, her words compassionate. ¡°Would you like to see your father, young lady?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Rose said, barely holding back her excitement.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Danny said, bubbling with energy. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell him about the robot and how Rose smashed that monster real good.¡± Though he hadn¡¯t seen much, he could surmise what had happened.


    ¡°He¡¯ll enjoy that. We¡¯re proud of you, Rose. I still don¡¯t like you piloting that monstrosity, but I see how it¡¯s necessary.¡± Her mom¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Next time you fight that creep, show it no mercy.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rose said, slightly unnerved by her mom¡¯s intense gaze. She looked ready to jump into her own giant robot and kick some butt.


    She was about to enter her dad¡¯s room when Sandage gestured for her to stop. ¡°Sorry to keep you from your father, Rose.¡± He said, ¡°But may I speak to you for a brief moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Go on ahead. I¡¯ll clear up any gaps you make in your story,¡± Rose said. Her sister rolled her eyes but smiled.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Rose asked the LUVOLT agent as they entered a private alcove. ¡°Is this about the debrief?¡±


    ¡°No, that can wait,¡± Sandage replied. For whatever reason, he seemed more glad to see her than usual, almost desperate. Had he been that afraid for her? ¡°I just wanted to check on you. Are you doing okay?¡±


    ¡°Besides almost getting killed by a sadistic monster? Fine. I¡¯m managing.¡±


    ¡°If you ever need to talk, I¡¯m here. No one your age should deal with this nonsense.¡± Anger flared in Sandage¡¯s eyes. ¡°If only I could pilot the Luyten V instead. But I¡¯m not able¡ªyou are. Just know you¡¯re not alone, okay? LUVOLT has your back.¡±


    Touched, Rose hadn¡¯t a clue how to respond. She decided on a simple ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Now get going. Your dad¡¯s waiting for you,¡± Sandage said.


    Rose nodded before turning to follow her family, but she paused. ¡°We need to get stronger. I doubt Luyten V can win with its current abilities.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Sandage watched her back as she retreated deeper down the hospital hallway.


    ---


    ¡°Damn. What a mess.¡± Sandage scowled. Rose was too brave. The world didn¡¯t deserve her. But she wasn¡¯t wrong. The Altair General proved how unprepared they all were. He feared even Project Bird Bath would prove for naught.


    ¡°To look on the bright side, Cecilia¡¯s prophecy proved wrong! Rose survived her last fight.¡± But did her contest Okab really count as a fight? It was more like a skirmish. He feared Rose wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet. He¡¯d need to ask Cecilia about this later.


    Sandage suppressed a yawn. ¡°I need a break from work.¡±


    When was the last time he had a solid night¡¯s sleep? Or spent some real quality time with his son? Five years? But duty called. He¡¯d need to bring Rose to the nearest FBI headquarters for her debriefing. With Okab lurking around, it couldn¡¯t wait. Then he needed to submit his report to Washington. Sandage made a mental note to grab some fast-food coffee as they drove down. He suspected he¡¯d suffer another long night. His phone buzzed catching his attention, and he almost dropped it as he read the sender¡¯s name. The text had come from Macauley.


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    ¡°The situation has changed. We need to meet. Meet me at this address tomorrow at seven A.M.¡± The mysterious sender was directing him to some office building in downtown Minneapolis. He considered the possibility the meeting with his mysterious benefactor might be a trap but decided against it. In this dire situation, his safety hardly mattered. Sandage swore he¡¯d risk anything to save his son and humanity.


    ¡°Still, what is this Macauley character thinking?¡± Why the constant hiding and misdirection? It only heightened Sandage¡¯s curiosity. Finally, this mystery would be cleared up.


    ---


    Okab stretched, enjoying the creak of his false human bones. A chill wind whipped through his hair. The days were growing colder in this section of the planet. The winds were piercing in their intensity.


    He gazed down at the city below from his perch on the skyscraper¡¯s roof, surveying the humans as they scrambled around for their daily business. From this distance, they seemed like ants. But ants had purpose and intelligence behind their actions, not the frantic, desperate scurrying humans did. Did this species understand how lost and guideless they were? It was almost pitiable.


    Still, Okab continued his people-watching. He wished to understand everything about this species before he destroyed them. His mind wandered to Rose, wondering what she was doing. After her kin had almost died, would she surrender or fight harder? Part of him regretted that he hadn¡¯t engaged her in an intelligent conversation. She fascinated him. Why did the humans pick this girl to be their champion? It made no sense yet intrigued him.


    A buzz in his head alerted Okab to the contact of his Altair brethren. Not the Grand Intelligence, but another of his siblings. Curious, Okab engaged the link.


    ¡°The humans still live,¡± was the brusque reply to his inquiry.


    ¡°Hello, Tarazed,¡± was Okab¡¯s amused reply. Tarazed, the Abomination was as blunt as ever.


    ¡°You had a chance to destroy their greatest weapon. You retreated.¡±


    To this, Okab could only shrug. ¡°She was stronger than I thought. I didn¡¯t want to risk myself pointlessly.¡±


    ¡°She? That is a pointless label. These creatures are food, little more.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Okab replied, somewhat annoyed.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t spread our infection across the planet, either.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to nag me this entire time? The Grand Intelligence trusted me with this task. I have this well under hand.¡±


    ¡°We hunger, Okab,¡± Tarazed replied briskly before cutting the connection.


    ¡°Nice talking to you, too.¡± Okab fought back his annoyance. Tarazed hadn¡¯t changed. A pain in the neck as always.


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Okab rose from his seat on the roof.


    He eyed the humans scurrying around and laughed to himself. He hadn¡¯t forgotten these people were food, yet they also fascinated him. From what he understood, they had a rich history. Maybe he should try their museums next. Learning about their past might help him better understand how to destroy them. And some hotdogs would be nice too. He¡¯d grown quite fond of the taste of relish.


    ---


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t need to worry about me,¡± Brown said with a slight chuckle. Though not actually family, Rose had been allowed to visit her bodyguard. Beyond some bruises and a head wrap, the big man seemed otherwise fine. Rose thanked God he¡¯d allowed such a miracle to happen. Others were not as fortunate.


    ¡°Just get well soon, okay? You still need to train me to death. With the bad guys getting worse, I need to get stronger.¡±


    Brown took her tiny hand and squeezed. ¡°I¡¯ll always be behind you, okay? I believe in you. I¡¯m proud of you, Rose. You¡¯re the world¡¯s greatest hope.¡±


    Rose blushed. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it. You¡¯re a brave girl. Next time you see this Okab character, smash his face in, okay?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Rose said, nodding as she fought back tears. It was so stupid. Why was she crying?


    After spending another half an hour with her bodyguard, her temporary bodyguard, Gauss, returned her to her family. Unlike Brown, Gauss didn¡¯t engage her in conversion. Instead, his sharp eyes searched for trouble, his hands never far from his service weapon. While Rose appreciated his diligence, it seemed excessive. She frowned, noticing some oddly serious characters lounging about the hospital. More security, she suspected. With Okab sneaking about, they weren¡¯t taking any more chances. Rose sighed. Would her life ever return to normal? With that depressing thought, she rejoined her family in the waiting room.


    Rose¡¯s nose detected the takeout her group had ordered in her absence, her stomach grumbling when the scent struck her. It reminded her she hadn¡¯t eaten supper yet, and gladly accepted the Shrimp Lo Mien with a grateful smile. While she ate, she watched the Stella stream on her phone. Her favorite vTuber was playing a classic Nintendo game Rose had only heard about. While not a retro gamer, she enjoyed these older games without 3d graphics. It amazed her what detail they had using only sprites. She laughed as Stella missed a jump and grunted in annoyance as her character fell to his death. These old games looked so hard!


    ¡°Rose.¡± Her mom said, getting her attention,


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Rose replied. She didn¡¯t protest as her mom pulled her into a hug. She put away her phone.


    ¡°I just wanted to hold you.¡± Her mom held her tight, swaying with Rose¡¯s movements. Gentle tears trickled down Rose¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯ll be okay,¡± Rose said, tapping her mother¡¯s back.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Her mother released a mournful sigh. ¡°Why you though? Why did you have to be Luyten V¡¯s pilot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Fate¡¯s stupid.¡± Wasn¡¯t that the truth? She¡¯d never asked for this! She cursed her future self for getting her into the mess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡± Her mom whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t been the best mom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be in this mess. I should protect you, not vice versa.¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s hurting,¡± Rose thought. It was frustrating. She had a giant robot, for goodness¡¯ sake. She shouldn¡¯t be this weak. As they drove back to the hotel, Rose brooded on this. A buzzing caught her attention. Rose frowned as she saw the message''s sender. She wanted to dismiss the unknown sender as spam, but the message addressed her by name.


    ¡°Huh? Meet me at this address tonight?¡± Her phone map told her it was an office building a couple blocks from her hotel. Was this a trap? Had Okab somehow got her phone number? When she sent the message to Sandage, he gave an odd reply. He said he¡¯d accompany her.


    ¡°What the heck was going on?¡± Unnerved, she tentatively agreed. Rose hoped she wouldn¡¯t regret this.


    ---


    Rose¡¯s eyes wandered the streets as they walked past some bland, nondescript buildings. Her nerves were taut, fearing an ambush from every which direction. Luyten V sat somewhere close, but it wouldn¡¯t help much against a sudden attack. Sandage and Gauss were on full alert, hands placed against their service weapons, ready to use them at the first sign of trouble.


    Her nerves didn¡¯t lessen as they entered the building. Rose wondered what she was doing here. She should be watching Stella¡¯s stream instead. The building inside didn¡¯t seem particularly special either. She saw signs for a massage parlor, an insurance agency, and a psychic palm reader. They passed a vending machine and climbed up a set of stairs.


    ¡°This way,¡± Sandage said, guiding them to an unused office space. The door was unlocked as the agent pushed it open. After checking the coast was clear, he guided them inside.


    The hum of a screen caught their attention, coming from a far room. Rose furrowed her brow and continued forward. Beyond the computer sound, there was nothing here beyond dust.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Rose called out. They waited but got no response. When they approached the far room. Rose blinked when she saw inside. Beyond the old laptop sitting on a folding chair, the room was bare. On its screen was a generic wallpaper and the default icons you¡¯d see on a new computer.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Show yourself, Macauley.¡± Sandage said, voice hard.


    ¡°Apologies. I was in the middle of something.¡± A distorted voice said. A black box appeared on the laptop¡¯s screen, the flat line inside it oscillating as it spoke. ¡°It was hard to get away. Welcome.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Macauley?¡± Rose asked. She frowned. The distortion made it difficult to tell the speaker¡¯s gender. Yet, Rose found something about its cadance familiar. Had they met before somehow?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve all joined me today.¡± Macauley replied.


    ¡°Why the secrecy? Why not meet up in person?¡± Sandage asked, not hiding his annoyance. He glared at the black box on the screen.


    ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is stopping the Altair threat. You¡¯ve seen their power. And they won¡¯t stop here. They¡¯ll spread out from this planet and consume the entire universe.¡± Macauley¡¯s blunt assessment sent a chill down Rose¡¯s spine.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Sandage said, reluctantly conceding the point. ¡°Well, what do you have to offer? It appears that you know significantly more than we do. You have access to technology even the US government doesn¡¯t possess.¡±


    ¡°However, my resources are more limited than yours. We must rely on each other for the planet¡¯s survival.¡± The computer replied.


    ¡°Then give us everything,¡± Sandage said, stepping forward.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Sandage¡¯s voice hardened.


    ¡°Several reasons. All good ones. I don¡¯t want to overwhelm you with knowledge you can¡¯t begin to understand, anyway.¡± Macauley said.


    ¡°That makes sense. We barely understand the Luyten V!¡± Rose said, thinking out loud. Sandage scowled but didn¡¯t argue.


    ¡°Exactly! Clever assessment, Rose.¡± Macauley said, distorted voice chipper.


    ¡°Okay, what are you offering?¡± Sandage asked, somewhat downcast.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been studying Luyten V¡¯s plans,¡± Macauley replied. ¡°And I¡¯ve made a breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Rose said, brightening.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted you here, Rose. So we might discuss it.¡± Macauley said. ¡°It comes with some risk.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Rose asked, worry creeping into her spine.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been using Overclock Mode wrong. It¡¯s actually a start-up sequence to a more powerful mode, Full Synchronization Mode. It allows Rose to fuse with Luyten V¡¯s system, becoming one being. The risks are great, however. Enough damage to the Luyten V¡¯s system will likely be fatal.¡±

 Chapter 12

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rose,¡± her father said, catching his daughter¡¯s attention. The car ride home had been quiet. Even the usually boisterous Danny hadn¡¯t made much of a fuss. Rose herself had been staring into the distance, not engaging anyone. Her meeting with Macauley had left her with much to consider.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°This whole weekend vacation was a harebrained scheme from the start,¡± her father said, rubbing his thick mop of hair. Because he was still recovering from a concussion, his wife had taken the wheel instead. ¡°I¡¯d hoped for better. You all deserved better.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dad, don¡¯t beat yourself up,¡± Sophia replied. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. I still had fun. We need to do this more often, without the alien part, of course. I won¡¯t see you as much when I leave for college.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I had fun too!¡± Rose said, giving her father an emphatic nod. ¡°Besides, the attack worked in our favor. We¡¯ve learned something about the enemy! Besides, I¡¯d rather Okab attack me out in the open instead of at home or at school. ¡±


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Her father still didn¡¯t seem that happy. ¡°You three are growing up so fast, and I fear I¡¯m not seeing enough of your lives. And now this Altair nonsense? I¡¯m out of my depth! There! I admit it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dad.¡± Rose sympathized. She barely felt in control of anything anymore either, any sense of normalcy was slipping from her grip like wet soap.


    An idea struck her. While the future remained dark and uncertain, she would enjoy today with everything she had. She refused to let that stupid Altair ruin her vacation. ¡°How about we sing some songs?¡±


    This earned a smile from her father. ¡°We haven¡¯t done that since you were in second grade, Rose.¡±


    ¡°I thought, what the heck?¡± Rose replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m up for it,¡± Sophia said.


    ¡°Songs!¡± Danny said, enthused by the prospect.


    ¡°What about you, Mr. Gauss?¡± Rose asked her bodyguard, whose massive frame took up much of the van¡¯s backseat.


    ¡°If I must,¡± the man said begrudgingly. Unlike Brown, he didn¡¯t seem to like children as much. Still, he took his role as guardian seriously, willing to go the extra mile if needed.


    Her mother laughed, pleased. ¡°Should I start? ¡®Row, Row, Row Your Boat.¡¯¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re starting with that one?¡± Rose had hoped for a pop song, but she didn¡¯t complain and continued the chorus.


    They laughed, sang out of key, and made general fools of themselves, but Rose loved every moment. She wanted to end this vacation on a high note, if just to spite Okab and his monstrous kin. For this brief moment, she forgot about them and her troubles. Today was a family day.


    ---


    ¡°You will be most pleased,¡± Doctor Vasiliy Idelson said in his thick Russian accent. ¡°We have made a major breakthrough.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Sandage asked, intrigued. He¡¯d welcome some good news. He needed it after the Minneapolis debacle.


    The higher-ups were hopping mad over Rose¡¯s close encounter with death, mostly blaming him. Not that Sandage disagreed. He¡¯d approved the trip, after all. Still, it wasn¡¯t a total loss. The revelation that the Altair were intelligent, thinking beings had sparked a wildfire in the scientific community. Some politicians were hopeful about a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis. Sandage himself wasn¡¯t holding his breath.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gained a better understanding of the Altair¡¯s structure,¡± Doctor William von Fraunhofer said. ¡°We¡¯ve discovered the Altair are digital creatures.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sandage said, his voice flat. ¡°We don¡¯t live in The Matrix, Doctor von Fraunhofer.¡±


    ¡°No. But the Altair are alien beings beyond anything we¡¯ve ever seen before. They literally come from a different reality,¡± von Fraunhofer replied.


    ¡°Okay, but digital beings?¡± It made Sandage¡¯s head spin.


    ¡°It¡¯s a far-out theory, but a credible one,¡± Idelson said. ¡°Using a sample of their cells, we were able to digitize it, a perfect copy. It ruined the computer we uploaded it onto by becoming an unstoppable virus, but it worked.¡±


    ¡°What?! No one told me about this dangerous experiment!¡±


    ¡°We were careful,¡± von Fraunhofer quickly added. ¡°The computer we used wasn¡¯t connected to any network. Anyway, it explains much about their structure that we didn¡¯t previously understand.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it explains the pixelation when they die.¡± Still, this revelation was beyond absurd. ¡°Can we use this against them? Like design a computer virus, or some counter agent?¡± Sandage said, throwing out random ideas.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Idelson replied. ¡°But we¡¯ll look into it.¡±


    ¡°Keep at it. Good work.¡± Any lead was welcome, in Sandage¡¯s opinion, even if it was totally bonkers crazy. He paused as he noticed Cecilia watching them. ¡°Perfect, exactly the person I was looking for.¡±


    Cecilia gave him a stilted nod, ushering him over. ¡°Can we talk somewhere in private?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± A pit gathered in Sandage¡¯s gut as he guided the cloned girl to an office room and locked the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°In the next fight, Rose will die,¡± Cecilia replied, her visage pale.


    ¡°You said that before, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I got another vision. My first one was brief, but this one had greater detail. This one showed a digital clock on a nightstand. It displayed 4 PM on October 9th.¡±


    Sandage released a startled gasp. That was only six days away.


    ¡°Thanks to my time with Rose, I recognized where it will happen: right outside her house. Okab was there, standing over the ruined remains of her house.¡± Cecilia shuddered, clearly having seen something unpleasant.


    ¡°Okay.¡± But Sandage didn¡¯t despair. Instead, it only made him more determined. He gave Cecilia a confident smile he didn¡¯t feel. ¡°That just gives us the perfect opportunity to ambush him. Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hello. I need to speak with General Kuiper. It¡¯s urgent.¡± Sandage wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d explain his future knowledge, but he¡¯d devise something. It was best Cecilia¡¯s odd abilities remained a secret. ¡°Sorry to bug you at this late hour, but we have a situation.¡±


    Convincing the general was the least of his problems. They needed an effective strategy against the Okab. Luckily, inspiration had just struck. ¡°I have an idea how we might make Project Bird Bath more effective.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Why is everyone staring at me?¡± Rose asked as she passed through her school¡¯s front door.


    ¡°You¡¯re a double hero now. It should be expected,¡± Vera replied.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Though Rose had to admit, the looks of expectant awe were making her queasy. She¡¯d known she¡¯d gained a reputation since becoming Luyten V¡¯s pilot, but this was getting crazy.


    ¡°And if I fail them, they¡¯ll hate me!¡± Rose thought, fighting back panic. But she kept her expression cool, doing as Brown had advised her. If she pretended to be confident, real confidence would come.


    ¡°A lot of suited types have been hanging around here lately. One might assume you¡¯re the president or something,¡± Georges said, warily eying the black-suited men scattered across the halls.


    Gauss followed close behind them, eyes on constant alert. Not that Rose could blame him. They¡¯d learned the terrifying truth that Altair could steal human form. Rose¡¯s eyes constantly scanned faces, searching for any hint of another secret monster.


    ¡°Ignore them. Consider them as, um, wallpaper,¡± Rose replied. Instead of calming Georges¡¯ worries, it only increased his anxiety.


    ¡°Cecilia!¡± Rose waved to the taller girl, who responded with an enthusiastic wave back. It was a major improvement from their more awkward interactions when Cecilia first joined their school. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t share their first class together, but they¡¯d speak later at lunch.


    It amazed Rose how calm everyone was when the latest Altair attack was only yesterday. Were they trying their best to pretend everything was fine so they wouldn¡¯t always be afraid? Rose envied them. She didn¡¯t have that luxury. Sandage had announced they¡¯d do a Luyten V training session later tonight.


    The day passed without much incident, though Hans had invited himself to eat at Rose¡¯s table, most unlike him. Despite his typical silence, Rose sensed his worry for her. Despite herself, she liked his company. Shame Vera saw it differently, making insinuations that caused Rose¡¯s cheeks to blush despite her protests. Georges was huffy the entire time, making his displeasure known. He shot Hans scathing glares the entire lunch period. Cecilia watched the scene with amusement, exchanging a few words with Hans. Despite their lack of conversation, they appeared to get along.


    ¡°Hey, Rose, mind if I join you?¡± Cecilia asked as she walked with Rose to the LUVOLT facility. Gauss trailed her as usual, thankfully not butting into her personal life.


    ¡°Uh, sure. But I won¡¯t be able to hang out much tonight,¡± Rose replied. ¡°Agent Sandage is having me do drills in the Luyten V all night.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Cecilia said. ¡°There¡¯s something I wish to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Instead of replying, the taller girl began to figit. Clearly, she didn¡¯t want to ask what was on her mind.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ please promise me you won¡¯t freak out. That you won¡¯t think of me differently.¡±


    ¡°Never. As long as you¡¯re not secretly an Altair, or something,¡± Rose joked. Much to her surprise, her levity only made her friend more anxious. They walked in silence for several minutes as Cecilia gathered her courage.


    ¡°This is something serious!¡± Rose thought, making her more curious. She cursed as they approached the warehouse that had become LUVOLT¡¯s makeshift headquarters. ¡°Sorry, but here¡¯s where we part ways. Agent Sandage isn¡¯t patient about delays. You¡¯ll have to be quick about what you want to say.¡± She waved at the guards, who greeted her with a nod.


    Much to Rose¡¯s surprise, Cecilia walked confidently forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can speak inside.¡± She gaped as the guards allowed them both inside without protest.


    ¡°Cecilia, what¡¯s going on?¡± Rose asked, a million questions ready to flow out.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated, but I¡¯m a member of LUVOLT, too.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Rose gaped, lost for words.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. My past is complicated.¡± Cecilia paused, steeling herself for her next confession. ¡°I was designed in a lab as a prototype super-soldier¡ªthat was the plan, anyway.¡±


    Rose¡¯s eyes only boggled, disbelieving her own ears. She remained speechless, her brain sluggish as she processed this information.


    ¡°Rose, Cecilia. Good,¡± Sandage said, walking up to them. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do tonight.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Cecilia is a designer baby?¡± Rose finally asked.


    ¡°You told her?¡± Sandage said, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°She needs to know,¡± Cecilia said, her tone defensive. ¡°I¡¯m sick of keeping secrets from Rose. And she needs to know she might die in five days!¡±


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s going on now?¡± Rose rubbed her temple. ¡°Please explain from the start!¡±


    Rose listened again, hoping her ears were working properly. ¡°Okay, I think I understand where you¡¯re going. It¡¯s a lot to take in.¡± Cecilia was an unusual girl, but a clone? And she caught glimpses of the future? How was this her life now?


    ¡°So you¡¯ve told her everything. Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Though, Sandage hadn¡¯t tried to stop Cecilia from spilling her secrets.


    ¡°I had to! I¡¯m tired of keeping it from Rose,¡± Cecilia said defiantly. ¡°Besides, Rose needs to know what¡¯s going to happen!¡±


    ¡°Okay, just keep this between ourselves, okay?¡± Sandage replied. ¡°Your origin is a national secret.¡±


    Rose gathered the thoughts, putting everything together. She threw out a stab at the dark, but guessed it was probably the truth. ¡°You say I¡¯m about to die? Let me guess, in my next fight with Okab, I¡¯m toast?¡± Rose said, her words calm despite the dire pronouncement. When she caught Cecilia¡¯s surprise, Rose only laughed and shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard to guess. It¡¯s written all over your face!¡±


    ¡°How are you so calm about this?!¡± Cecilia sputtered.


    ¡°Since Luyten V arrived, my life has been nothing but one long horrible rollercoaster. It¡¯s just another bump on the ride. Rose wanted to live day by day. Let future problems work themselves out.


    Cecilia only stared at Rose, unsure she¡¯d heard her friend properly. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Besides, the future can change. Luyten V is proof of that. I mean, it came from the future, after all. I was the one who designed it.¡± It was nice to spill that secret. If her friend was going to be totally honest, so would she.¡±


    ¡°You designed it in the future, Rose?¡± Cecilia bit her lip. She muttered to herself, more confused than alarmed. ¡°I knew Luyten V was from the future, but this¡­¡±


    ¡°Again, please keep this between us! That¡¯s a national secret too!¡± Sandage said, exasperated.


    ¡°Still, this isn¡¯t the same thing. The Altair Records¡­¡± Cecilia tensed, biting her lip harder. ¡°They are the archive of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Books can be wrong,¡± Rose replied.


    ¡°Not these,¡± Cecilia shot back, more insistent. Rose¡¯s unimpressed huff only incensed her further.


    ¡°Girls, girls,¡± Sandage said, calming the tense air between them. ¡°We can worry about changing the future later. Let¡¯s focus on our current problems first. Okab¡¯s coming, and we need to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Rose said, nodding. While not happy, Cecilia gave a reluctant nod. ¡°Mr. Sandage, you know more about operations than I do. Will Luyten V¡¯s new weapon be finished before Okab attacks?¡± She had overheard the engineers talk about it.


    Sandage flinched, pained to give bad news. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯ve finished construction, but the circuitry is complex for something of that size. The military is on high alert, but we all know their limited effectiveness.¡±


    Rose pondered this, frustrated. There must be some way to use this knowledge to their advantage. There was Luyten V¡¯s Full Sync mode, but its abilities were untested. Five days gave them a tight window to learn its capabilities. Worse, even Macauley was unsure if Rose¡¯s young body could survive the process.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to push harder, train harder.¡± If everything else was out of her control, she¡¯d focus on what she could affect.


    ¡°Rose?¡± Sandage asked as his charge stood up.


    ¡°Keep thinking. I¡¯ll be in Luyten V training,¡± Rose said, her voice full of determination. If she was about to die, she¡¯d make Okab pay for it.


    ¡°Rose,¡± Cecilia said, her voice concerned.


    ¡°Just keep your eyes open for more visions, or however it works. Let me do my part. Five days isn¡¯t much, but I¡¯ll make it work,¡± Rose said, feigning more confidence than she felt.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t alone in this, Rose¡± Sandage said. ¡°We have some experimental weapons we plan on trying out.¡±


    ¡°Cecilia, we got this, okay?¡± Rose said to her friend¡¯s worried expression, grabbing her hand and squeezing. ¡°We¡¯re changing fate. That¡¯s why Luyten V exists.¡± By God, Rose swore she¡¯d do everything in her power to save everyone. The future wasn¡¯t written. Or at least, Rose prayed to God this was true.

 Chapter 13

    Rose¡¯s stomach turned as she took the sudden right turn, her laser beam primed. Dirt went flying as Luyten V¡¯s heels dug deep furrows in the ground. She adjusted the targeting computer, her fingers blurring as she made lightning-quick adjustments.


    ¡°Fire.¡± The beam lanced from Luyten V¡¯s forehead gem, the target bursting into flames as her attack struck it dead on. With a quick adjustment to the targeting computer, the drone sneaking up behind her exploded.


    ¡°Phew.¡± Her console reported all targets neutralized. Rose wiped away the sweat on her forehead. Her mind felt sluggish, exhausted by the demands of the training.


    ¡°Nice work, Rose,¡± Sandage said, pleased. ¡°That¡¯s enough for tonight.¡±


    ¡°How did I do?¡± Rose asked as Luyten V¡¯s tentacles deposited her on the warehouse floor.


    ¡°All thirty targets destroyed with a 67 percent accuracy rate. Well done,¡± Sandage said, checking his tablet.


    ¡°I just hope it¡¯ll be enough.¡± They¡¯d run this obstacle course for over four hours today, with each subsequent obstacle becoming more difficult. She accepted the water bottle a tech person offered her.


    ¡°I know,¡± Sandage said, his tone solemn. ¡°But I have some good news. We¡¯re ready to attach the enhancement I told you about.¡±


    ¡°For Project: Bird Bath? Will it actually do anything?¡± Rose asked. Like any military in a monster movie, their efforts hadn¡¯t been very effective.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re testing it,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°Gold is confident in its success. Though the Altair structure is odd and doesn¡¯t comply with what science currently knows about biology.¡±


    From what Rose understood, the structure of the Altair that came with Luyten V and the scout that attacked Washington, D.C., were different. This made developing a counteragent challenging, though Doctor von Fraunhofer had promised they¡¯d made some major breakthrough in understanding the Altair. They¡¯d just have to pray their efforts would be good enough. Only two days remained until the fated day of Okab¡¯s attack.


    ¡°I want some ice cream or something,¡± Rose complained. With all this stress and uncertainty, she deserved a treat, darn it all!


    This earned a smile from Sandage. ¡°Sure, my treat. There¡¯s a place on Main, right? I think they should still be open.¡±


    ---


    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Sandage asked as they picked at their ice cream. Rose had taken two scoops of strawberry and mint, while Sandage had cotton candy and cookies and cream. Gauss got his own ice cream too, but he¡¯d gotten a chocolate malt instead.


    ¡°Holding,¡± Rose replied, though it wasn¡¯t hard to detect the stress in her voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Sandage said, not pushing the issue. With Okab¡¯s attack imminent, he knew his charge was under a great deal of pressure. Rose herself wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Strained¡± was the best way to describe it, she supposed.


    They licked their treats in silence before she finally spoke. ¡°How¡¯s Brown doing?¡±


    ¡°His hospital stay ended two days ago. He¡¯s staying with his sister while he recovers. She lives close by. Though it¡¯ll be weeks until he returns to duty.¡±


    ¡°Good. I miss him.¡± While Gauss was nice enough, he wasn¡¯t the same as Brown¡¯s calm, protective presence. Pity there wasn¡¯t time to visit him. If she survived the next few days, she¡¯d insist on seeing him.


    A sudden flash in her memory reminded her of something: Stella was doing a karaoke stream tonight in about five minutes. Rose opened her mouth to ask to be brought home, but she closed it. While part of her wanted to rush off to watch her favorite VTuber, she couldn¡¯t leave Sandage hanging. Besides, it was only one stream. She¡¯d watch the VOD later.


    ¡°Besides, Stella doesn¡¯t even know I exist, really.¡± Rose thought. And the occasional Superchat didn¡¯t change that. But Sandage and Gauss¡ªthey were real, tangible. With danger lurking nearby, she¡¯d rather hang out with real people.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Sandage asked.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Rose replied. ¡°Thinking about it, what did you do before this Altair nonsense? If it¡¯s not super classified, of course.¡±


    ¡°The truth? My life wasn¡¯t all that exciting. I mostly did intelligence work. Helped local police solve certain crimes, that sort of thing.¡±


    Rose¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. ¡°Like hunt down serial killers?¡±


    Sandage released an amused snort. ¡°Someone¡¯s been listening to too many true-crime podcasts.¡±


    This earned a blush from Rose. ¡°Well, no. But Vera loves talking about them. And weird cults. I have no clue why she finds them so fascinating.¡±


    They joked and talked, and Rose relaxed. She found it nice to learn how ordinary Sandage was, and how they had both gotten thrust into this craziness. As they spoke, a call interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°Sorry, Rose, but I need to answer this.¡± Sandage turned away to address his phone. Rose shrugged and tossed away the bowl she¡¯d used for her ice cream. Her curiosity peaked as Sandage became more excited.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°Finally, some good news!¡± Sandage said, alight with happiness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense. What is it?¡±


    Sandage lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°Luyten V¡¯s new weapon is close to completion. They pushed ahead the schedule, and it should be ready for testing tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Still, the device was only a prototype. How it performed in the field remained to be seen. Still, she¡¯d take any good news. ¡°We should get another ice cream to celebrate!¡±


    ---


    ¡°Careless.¡± Okab shook his head, amused at how his prey seemed oblivious to the danger lurking amongst them. Rose and a big man were sharing some treat in a shop, talking and laughing amongst themselves. Okab got closer, straining his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation. He was careful to remain casual. Another big man was keeping an eye out for trouble, trained to spot danger.


    ¡°Typical human chatter,¡± Okab said, annoyed. Why didn¡¯t humans talk about anything interesting? They would rather babble about nothing. Were they completely ignoring the threat he posed? Rose appeared too relaxed for someone with the cloud of danger hanging over her head.


    ¡°Humans.¡± Okab rolled his eyes. Still, he didn¡¯t move to attack. Police and military had increased their presence in the city, prepared for any trouble. There wasn¡¯t any guarantee he¡¯d destroy Rose before they intervened and she escaped. Besides, despite his fellow general¡¯s impatience, Okab wasn¡¯t in any hurry to attack. Part of him was curious about what defenses the humans might devise to counteract him.


    ¡°What a frivolous girl,¡± Though Okab, he¡¯d observed most girls her age acted that way. It amazed him how human children seemed oblivious to the troubles of their world, living in a na?ve fantasy. He turned to leave when a snippet of conversation caught his ear.


    ¡°Luyten V¡¯s new weapon is close to completion. They pushed ahead the schedule, and it should be ready for testing tomorrow,¡± the big man said. He¡¯d spoken low enough that none of the nearby humans should hear him. However, he hadn¡¯t counted on Okab¡¯s keen senses.


    Okab walked away, a pep in his step. A new weapon? Fascinating! And they were testing it tomorrow? A grin stretched across his disguised face. How about he gave them a true field test tomorrow? While Okab was patient, he wasn¡¯t that patient. No point playing around any longer if this weapon didn¡¯t turn the tide.


    ---


    Rose adjusted her controls, aligning everything properly for when they attached Luyten V¡¯s new weapon. The action took little effort, her fingers working automatically. While Rose wanted to claim it was due to the heavy-duty training she¡¯d undergone, it was more like the pair of them had gained a symbiotic link. She was at ease in Luyten V¡¯s cockpit, perceiving it as an extension of her body rather than a mechanical device.


    Since they¡¯d started her training in earnest, Rose had developed a stronger connection to Luyten V. It had only taken a simple mental command to summon it to her side and pull her into the cockpit. She wondered if she could summon it from across town? It flared her curiosity about how their mental link worked. Was it because Luyten V recognized her DNA, or some other connection? Even after weeks of study, the scientists barely understood how their link worked.


    ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re really even a robot,¡± Rose mused.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m ready on my end,¡± Rose replied. ¡°You can show the surprise already¡ªstop keeping me in suspense!¡± The fact her new weapon had come in a vision from Cecilia¡¯s mysterious Altair Records only heightened her curiosity. The girl in question observed from the sidelines, eager to see the fruit of her efforts.


    Thick metal straps fell from a sheet-covered object the length of Luyten V¡¯s arm. Sandage watched on like a proud parent, guiding the techs¡¯ efforts from his position on a nearby catwalk.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Rose exclaimed as techs pulled the sheet from the device, its red surface glimmering with fresh paint. This wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Attaching Luyten V¡¯s Devil Drill,¡± Sandage said.


    Cranes lifted the device from the cement floor with cables thicker than Rose¡¯s entire body. They strained under the weight but held firm. They lifted it up to Luyten V¡¯s left arm, fastening it onto the appendage with an audible thud. Through her control stick, Rose sensed the added weight. She stared at her new weapon, marveling. The arm extended past Luyten V¡¯s hand into a drill head longer than a basketball court. The jagged edges of the blade were sharp, ending with a wicked-looking three-prong edge.


    ¡°Devil Drill?¡± Rose said, raising an amused eyebrow.


    Through her comm, she heard Sandage¡¯s shrug. ¡°The Luyten V has earned the nickname Red Devil. It seemed appropriate.¡±


    ¡°A drill, though?¡± Still, she marveled at its power as she activated the device, whirling at speeds that would make a tornado blush. It would do some serious damage if it connected with an enemy.


    ¡°Okay, it wasn¡¯t designed as a weapon exactly. But it works against the Altair¡¯s healing factor¡ªmuch more effective than any cut or blunt trauma,¡± Sandage replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool.¡± She waved around the new add-on, getting used to its added weight. The left arm was an interesting choice, it wouldn¡¯t interfere with Luyten V¡¯s Dynaspike, her most powerful weapon.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. We¡¯ll attach the Project: Birdbath prototype next, but first it requires some fine-tuning. That can wait, though. Let¡¯s do some combat drills with the Devil Drill first¡ªpardon the pun,¡± Sandage said. ¡°First, we¡¯ll test its penetrative power.¡±


    Before Rose could reply, Luyten V rocked as the entire building shook. She adjusted Luyten V¡¯s controls, keeping its balance. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The building rumbled again, the sound of screeching metal echoing painfully. Was something trying to tear the hangar apart?


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! Why here? Why now?¡± Cecilia said fretfully, her visage going pale.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± an operator said as she studied her monitor.


    ¡°What?!¡± Sandage said in alarm. ¡°He can¡¯t be attacking now! Why?¡±


    To answer the LUVOLT agent¡¯s worst fears, a section of the hangar¡¯s ceiling tore away to reveal the nightmarish visage of Okab¡¯s monstrous face. With a rumbling thud, he leaped from the roof, almost crushing several techs as they scurried away. With his towering height, Okab¡¯s head scraped against the hangar ceiling as he lumbered forward.


    ¡°Perfect. It seems you¡¯re already ready to begin,¡± Okab said, his monstrous mouth extending into a terrifying grin. ¡°Let¡¯s test that new toy of yours!¡± Not even finishing his sentence, the Altair general slashed out with an extended claw.

 Chapter 14

    ¡°Woah!¡± Rose suddenly jerked Luyten to the right, avoiding Okab¡¯s claw. It seemed her training had paid off. She surprised her opponent with a sudden right hook, the warehouse rumbling as the Altair struck the ground.


    ¡°Get out of here!¡± Sandage yelled, guiding techs and scientists to the nearest exit. They rushed in an almost blind panic, but the LUVOLT agent''s authoritative voice kept them in order.


    ¡°That means you too, Cecilia,¡± Sandage said to the stunned girl staring at the battle from the catwalk. But she continued to stare in wide-eyed mesmerization. Rose had little time to worry about that, Okab¡¯s needle-like beak snapped forwards leaving a deep gash across Luyten V¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°You!¡± Rose couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d gotten thrown into yet another battle out of nowhere. What happened to her fated, doomed day? What would happen now? She was really starting to despise time travel and prophecy.


    Her drill arm whirred to life, slashing at her opponent. Okab howled as a piece of his armor got ripped apart, leaving a nasty shredded gash that oozed purple goop. Much to Rose¡¯s dismay, the wound patched itself together almost immediately, the skin stretching across the wound like some twisted bandage. Still, she¡¯d hurt him.


    Luyten V rumbled as she took a sudden blow from behind, her opponent easily maneuvering around her. She tried fighting back, but Okab always seemed a step ahead. As powerful as Luyten V was, it couldn¡¯t match the Altair general¡¯s speed.


    ¡°I need overclock mode again.¡± It frustrated Rose how much she depended on it. Of course, its real name was Full Synchronization Mode. But Rose hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface of its true power yet. They¡¯d tried pushing her through the full sequence, but it¡¯d only caused her to pass out. That¡¯s why she¡¯d been doing basic training with Luyten V. Sandage had hoped it¡¯d give her the necessary resistance to activate Luyten V¡¯s true power.


    ¡°Dang it!¡± Her mind raced as Okab''s sliced against Luyten V''s armor. Like a cat, the Altair general enjoyed toying with his prey. While she¡¯d scored a few lucky hits, they¡¯d only been grazing, superficial ones.


    ¡°Is that the best your human ingenuity can do?¡± Okab taunted. ¡°You hurt me, but you¡¯re as sluggish as ever. I hoped for more from humanity¡¯s champion!¡±


    ¡°Why, you!¡± It seemed she had no choice. She needed to use the first sequence in Luyten V¡¯s Full Synchronization Mode. Stage 2 still remained too difficult. And the final stage? Out of the question.


    ¡°If I surprise him, I might land a killing blow,¡± Rose thought as she tapped the keys to start the first stage. But then a voice caught her attention.


    ¡°Cecilia. We need to go, now!¡± Sandage said, tugging at her friend¡¯s arm. But she stood rigid in place, her eyes a void. Was she having one of her visions? Fed up, the LUVOLT agent hurled the tall girl over his shoulder and rushed to safety.


    Before Rose could wonder about what had happened to her friend, Sandage contacted her through her phone. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Keep him busy. The techs tell me they can get you Project: Bird Bath in about ten minutes,¡± Sandage said, huffing as he carried the unwanted weight on his back.


    ¡°Ten minutes against Okab, are you serious?¡± Rose said, annoyed. ¡°And you still haven¡¯t explained what this Project: Bird Bath thing is!¡±


    ¡°I realize that. But hold on, we¡¯ve got your back!¡± With that, he hung up the call.


    ¡°Typical!¡± Her annoyance was mitigated as her drill scored on Okab¡¯s right leg. The Altair general had gotten careless and paid for it. If he¡¯d been a split second slower, he¡¯d have lost the limb. While it hampered him, he remained devilishly quick.


    Still, the wound closed with terrifying speed. The Altair general was on another level from the scout she¡¯d faced earlier. Worse, he intuited her attacks, using his long arms to strike from places she couldn¡¯t easily retaliate. She grunted in frustration as her drill slipped past Okab by a hair. Sirens howled as Luyten V took another blow to the head.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working.¡± Rose tapped the sequence for stage 1 of Full Synchronization Mode, starting it for real. Sweat trickled down her forehead as Luyten V¡¯s inner heat rose to scorching levels. And this was still nothing compared to the intensity of Stage 2.


    ¡°Gah!¡± Okab howled in pain as the unexpected burst of speed allowed Luyten V to land a clear blow on his shoulder. Another blow struck his chin with Luyten V¡¯s open palm, dazing him. But with incredible resiliency he recovered in seconds, darted back then circling her with cautious steps. A truck crumpled like an aluminum can as the Altair general trotted over it.


    But then it was Okab¡¯s chance to surprise his opponent, twisting like a contortionist around her next blow. The blow to Luyten V¡¯s chest drove her clear across the warehouse, smashing through a nearby wall. A tree crumpled as she righted Luyten V and took a battle stance. The night sky was clear as Rose prepared to fight for her life.


    Thankfully, the compound was outside the city proper, so few people would get hurt. Still, people, mostly soldiers, were scrambling to safety. The entire installation was in chaos.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to stop playing around.¡± Okab joined her outside and leaped at her with astonishing speed. A foot smashed into Luyten V¡¯s torso, dirt exploding as she stuck the ground hard. Metal creaked as the Altair general stepped on her chestplate, the pressure of Okab¡¯s strength incredible.


    ¡°He¡¯s been playing with me this entire time,¡± Rose realized in horror. She yelped as the metal of her cockpit distorted before her eyes. She fired a beam from Luyten V¡¯s forehead and Okab jerked away, releasing her. With unsteady feet, Luyten V stood up.


    ¡°Though you possess some power, it¡¯s not enough to threaten the Altair. Yes, I think I¡¯m satisfied. I¡¯ve sampled your strength long enough. We¡¯re ready to harvest your world.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Sirens drowned out Sandage¡¯s words as Rose fought on, but efforts remained ineffective. Much to her horror, she realized he¡¯d been studying her fighting style. But she fought on anyway, even though the heat of Stage 1 threatened to make her pass out.


    ¡°Damage him!¡± Sandage said, his words urgent.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Okay, why?¡±


    ¡°No time to explain.¡±


    Easier said than done, but she pressed her opponent harder, not letting up for a second. There! With a kick, she struck out with a leg. He dodged, but couldn¡¯t avoid a palm strike from above. Staggered, she landed a clean blow with her drill on her opponent¡¯s torso.


    ¡°Firing!¡± Then a vicious gray liquid shot out from nowhere, hitting where the Altair general had gotten injured. Moments passed as Rose waited for any reaction, but to her disappointment, the wound healed as quickly as before. Yet, she sensed something was wrong.


    ¡°What?¡± Okab unleashed an unearthly howl, his monstrous visage twisted with agonized pain. He rocked his head in random directions, tormented beyond reason.


    Before she could capitalize on this opportunity, the Altair general rushed off at a rate Luyten V couldn¡¯t match. Not that she didn¡¯t try. Even with her boosters, he still outdistanced her. Okab¡¯s agonized screams echoed in the distance, sending a wave of unease through Rose.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It was an anti-Altair chemical. It¡¯s meant to break down their structure. This, however, wasn¡¯t what we expected.¡± Sandage also seemed troubled.


    ¡°Should I wait on standby?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°No, return home for debriefing. We¡¯ll have the experts analyze the results. Are you okay? You took quite the beating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little shaken up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. See you back at base.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡± But she kept a vigilant watch as she flew back. She worried Okab would change his mind and return for round two.


    ¡°Hey, maybe it will destroy him, and it¡¯s the last we¡¯ll see of him!¡± Yet, Rose sensed their troubles had only begun. Whatever the case, she was eager to check up on Cecilia. Something had happened during Okab¡¯s attack, and she was curious about what vision her friend had.


    ---


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to fret, I¡¯m fine,¡± Cecilia said, giving Rose a fake smile. Inside, her innards were a whirl of chaotic emotions. She used the cot she was sitting on for support. Her latest vision from the Altair had sent everything Cecilia knew topsy-turvy. It played in her mind, both mocking and enticing.


    ¡°Cecilia!¡± Rose said, pulling her from her distracted thoughts.


    ¡°Sorry, Rose, a million miles away. But what about you? You¡¯re the important one here!¡± Cecilia looked at her concerned friend¡¯s face, amazed she¡¯d survived another encounter with the Altair general. ¡°What happened in your fight against Okab?¡±


    ¡°He kicked me around, again.¡± Rose¡¯s frustration with herself was evident in her voice. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure what happened. They used Project Bird Bath on him, and he fled.¡±


    ¡°Really, why?¡±


    ¡°Ask Sandage. He knows what that stuff was meant to do.¡± And speaking of the devil, Sandage entered the rest area, phone in hand.


    ¡°Oh, good. You¡¯re awake, Cecilia. How are you feeling?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t matter. What happened to Okab? Apparently, he fled after you used Project: Bird Bath on him?¡± Cecilia asked, standing to her feet.


    ¡°The chemical was supposed to attack the structure of the Altair cells and break it down, according to Gold, anyway,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°Of course, since they are so large, we weren¡¯t sure how to make it an effective weapon. Still, they theorized it¡¯d at least mess up their ability to heal themselves. What happened today? Doctor Gold isn¡¯t sure. At least it deterred him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± Rose said. ¡°Putting Okab under that amount of pain seems cruel. And it didn¡¯t seem like it was breaking him down to me.¡±


    ¡°Must I remind you we are at war?¡± But Sandage¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t in the rebuke, and he sighed. ¡°As for where he¡¯s disappeared to? Unknown. He started burrowing into the earth, and we lost track of him.¡±


    ¡°So Rose¡¯s death is still a possibility.¡± Cecilia had hoped today¡¯s attack would prove her vision false. Instead, she felt it made it even more likely.


    ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t know that,¡± Sandage replied, though Cecilia heard the worry in his voice. ¡°We¡¯ll keep alert for any trouble.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Cecilia hid her doubt, not wanting to further alarm Rose.


    ¡°Enough about my impending doom. What was your vision, Cecilia?¡± Rose asked, taking a shockingly light stance about her possible death.


    Instead of responding, Cecilia kept quiet as she gathered her thoughts. The others waited for her to speak, but their curiosity was palpable.


    ¡°I saw myself in a cockpit. It wasn¡¯t anything like Luyten V¡¯s cockpit, more like a ship or plane. It had technology beyond anything I¡¯d ever seen before.¡± Whenever a vision involved her, it was always in the first person. Frustratingly, it restricted her with whatever her vision-self did. She couldn¡¯t go around and explore. ¡°When I looked outside, I saw stars, clearer than I¡¯d ever seen them.¡±


    ¡°A spaceship!¡± Rose bubbled with excitement, bringing a slight smile to Cecilia¡¯s lips. Her friend¡¯s enthusiasm was always infectious. ¡°Did you see alien language anywhere?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± In fact, it was the alien language she¡¯d shown Sandage earlier. Still, what it meant was beyond her.


    ¡°Okay, aliens.¡± Sandage took a breath, both baffled and amazed. ¡°Were you scared? Were you possibly held captive by the Altair?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Cecilia replied. ¡°I seemed pretty calm in the vision.¡± But frustratingly, it ended right as someone entered the cabin she¡¯d been sitting in. Whether they were human or alien, she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Hey, maybe we have aliens as allies in the future!¡± Rose said, beyond enthused.


    But Sandage only sighed and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Like we need more craziness. Washington is going to have a meltdown!¡±


    ¡°What kind of outfit were you wearing? Was it a sparkly space jumpsuit like in the old movies?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°No, I was wearing my normal clothes,¡± Cecilia said, shooting the idea down, much to Rose¡¯s disappointment.


    ¡°Okay, sketch out what you remember. We¡¯ll figure out what to do with it later.¡± The LUVOLT agent wandered away, muttering and cursing about aliens. He pulled out his phone to make some calls.


    ¡°Why the long face? This is great news! Soon, you¡¯ll be meeting aliens!¡± Rose said.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Cecilia wanted to mention to her friend about her possible impending death but decided against it. Harping on the point won¡¯t help anyone.


    ¡°Good news. We¡¯ve moved your family, Rose,¡± Sandage said, coming back. ¡°We¡¯ll keep them safe, whatever happens tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something, I suppose,¡± Rose replied. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for tomorrow? I want to live long enough to see these aliens of yours, Cecilia. Are we continuing with Project: Bird Bath?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s talk about it. The higher-ups are impressed by Okab¡¯s reaction,¡± the LUVOLT agent replied. ¡°We¡¯ll see what results the chemical had when Okab resurfaces. In the meantime, we¡¯ll keep you here with Luyten V at the ready.¡±


    ¡°Good plan. If I stay here, Okab will have no reason to attack anyone else,¡± Rose replied, nodding. ¡°Then, hopefully, my house won¡¯t get wrecked. Should we continue training with the Devil Drill?¡±


    ¡°No, focus on resting. Both you and the Luyten V need it. Stage 1 took a hefty toll on you.¡± Cecilia saw the LUVOLT agent was right. Rose looked worn out, exhausted. Not that her friend would admit such weakness.


    ¡°I think you were rather spectacular with your new weapon. Your talent for combat always amazes me, Rose.¡± And Sandage wasn¡¯t wrong. Rose showed a considerable ability to adapt during combat, capable of adjusting her strategies on the fly.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Rose said, somewhat self-conscious. She grabbed Cecilia by the hand. ¡°Come on. Stella is doing a karaoke stream soon. We can sing together!¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Cecilia said, somewhat mystified.


    It was Cecilia¡¯s turn to be self-conscious. She¡¯d never sung with someone before, usually only humming to herself in the shower. And she only knew classical music. Still, Cecilia smiled as she joined her friend and huddled around her phone.


    It occurred to Cecilia that she might have a destiny that¡¯s very different from Rose¡¯s. It might be up to her to protect humanity if the worst happened tomorrow. But whatever the case, she¡¯d make the best of their time together.


    ---


    Pain. That was Okab¡¯s world¡ªpain. Trees shattered into shards as he writhed and screamed. The agony persisted, even after almost a full day.


    Ugly purple welts had grown across his stomach, each a torrent of pain when touched. They¡¯d already spread to his upper chest, creeping across his flesh like an infection. Through the haze, Okab feared what would happen if it spread to his brain. Would it put him out of his misery or drive him to even greater heights of torment?


    But that wasn¡¯t the worst of his pain. Complete silence echoed in his mind, devoid of the hive mind¡¯s whispers. He¡¯d been torn from his family, from what gave his life meaning, leaving Okab lost and alone. With his brethren, his torment might be tolerable. Separated from them? He was better off dead.


    Humans! It was all humanity¡¯s fault! They did this to him! They drove him to this! A sob escaped Okab¡¯s lips as the full weight of his emotions became impossible to control. The full weight of his hate and sorrow mingled together, a cacophony of chaotic emotion.


    Rose! Rose! Rose! She was the culprit! If he¡¯d done his job, this wouldn¡¯t have happened! He¡¯d allowed her to grow powerful enough to threaten him, and he¡¯d paid the price!


    ¡°Rose!¡± Okab howled into the night, his voice making the nearby trees sway with its intensity. He screamed again, even louder, venting his hatred. The world would burn for her crimes. Nothing would remain of humanity but rubble. The feasting of Altair no longer mattered. What mattered now was vengeance!


    ¡°Rose, you and your entire town will be the first to burn!¡± Okab struggled to his feet and stomped off, eager to destroy all that stood in his path.

 Chapter 15

    Rose suppressed a yawn and stretched. Deft hands quickly returned to their work, slipping the pieces into place. They slotted together perfectly, their mechanisms working together as intended. Rose beamed as she attached the battery and the clock hand moved in perfect order.


    ¡°There, done.¡± Rose smiled to herself, pleased with a job well done. It hadn¡¯t been easy, but she¡¯d gotten those parts from twelve different clocks to work together. That online lot had been worth the price. Now all she needed to do was put the working parts into a more attractive casing.


    ¡°I wonder if I should sell my work online?¡± Rose wondered. She wouldn¡¯t mind the extra cash. It¡¯d be perfect for her next shopping spree with Cecilia, and to buy more random junk she might use for something.


    Another yawn escaped her lips. She¡¯d spent the previous night with Cecilia watching Stella¡¯s old karaoke streams. It had been a lot of fun, though they¡¯d stayed up later than expected. Still, it¡¯d been nice to spend her possibly last night with her friend. It was a shame Vera wasn¡¯t there with them, but the facility¡¯s security would never allow it. Even if a shapeshifting Okab wasn¡¯t on the loose, Rose doubted they¡¯d let some random preteen enter their top-secret facility.


    A notification caught Rose¡¯s attention. Her mom was texting her for the hundredth time, wanting to keep tabs on her daughter. After evacuating her family from their home, Rose¡¯s mom was unsurprisingly worried. But Rose texted back that everything was fine.


    It was a quiet, almost boring day. It was a school day, but Okab¡¯s impending danger led to that being canceled. She¡¯d spent half the day hanging out with Cecilia, but her friend left to run errands with her guardian. It left Rose with an overabundance of free time.


    ¡°Should I call Vera again?¡± Rose wondered, then shook her head. Maybe a quick nap wouldn¡¯t hurt. She checked the time and frowned. It was almost three pm.


    ¡°One more hour left.¡± She frowned. A sudden unease spiked through her spine. She¡¯d tried to pretend that the fated hour of doom didn¡¯t worry her, but it¡¯d been gnawing at her bit by bit.


    ¡°Should I just be sitting in Luyten V¡¯s cockpit, just in case?¡± Despite LUVOLT and the army¡¯s redoubled efforts to uncover the Altair general¡¯s location, they still hadn¡¯t located him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call him. See how the search is going,¡± Rose said, checking her contacts page. Before she reached her contacts, her phone buzzed.


    ¡°Oh, Sandage. I was just about to call you,¡± Rose said. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s clear here,¡± he replied. ¡°Just checking up on you. How are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°The usual. Nothing¡¯s changed, though¡­¡±


    ¡°Though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m holding up the best I can.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve got your back. And¡­¡±


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Rose asked as Sandage suddenly trailed off.


    ¡°We¡¯re detecting sudden seismic disturbances.¡±


    Rose furrowed her brow. ¡°But we don¡¯t live anywhere near a fault line. Is it Okab on the attack?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± A deafening explosion interrupted Sandage¡¯s words. Rose jerked away from her phone, wincing in pain.


    ¡°Sandage!¡± But she didn¡¯t get a reply. Her stomach dropped as she heard a booming roar, animalistic and frenzied.


    ¡°Rose! Rose!¡± The monstrous voice screamed. Furious wouldn¡¯t even describe how angry the voice sounded. It sounded like its owner was pressed past their breaking point, driven well over the edge.


    ¡°Sandage!¡± But no reply came, only the sound of senseless destruction. Her hand quivered, overcome with emotion.


    ¡°Rose!¡± Gauss¡¯s familiar voice broke her from her trance. The big man wore a firm frown. Behind his stoic exterior, fear hid behind her bodyguard¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Right, everyone needs me!¡± Rose was already running outside her guest quarters.  Rose switched to her news app, and a pit formed in her stomach at the headline. Okab was loose in her town, destroying everything in his path. She gasped at the destruction in the photos.


    Familiar places she¡¯d passed hundreds of times had gotten reduced to rubble. Rose stood transfixed in horror, unable to believe her own eyes. The army tried fighting back, but were crushed in seconds. She flinched as a helicopter exploded into a nearby building. Her mind raced, wondering what was happening.


    ¡°Okab knows where I am. Why isn¡¯t he attacking here first?¡± Instead, Okab was causing senseless destruction. While she didn¡¯t claim to understand the Altair¡¯s alien mind, it seemed out of character for the general.


    ¡°Did Project: Bird Bath do something to him?¡± Rose wondered.


    Techs were already on standby, giving her the go-ahead to activate Luyten V. While the hangar was still in rough shape after Okab¡¯s attack, it still had the facilities to maintain her giant robot. Its chest unit was wide open and ready to accept her, already sensing the danger. It amazed Rose how the robot seemed to sense her moods. She planted on the cockpit seat and tapped at the controls. With a hiss, the cockpit door closed. After a quick check of Luyten V¡¯s systems and the okay from the techs, she launched.


    Without haste, Rose rushed her steps as she approached her possible doom. However, those steps faltered as she approached the city proper. The damage was hideous. No words could describe the damage Rose saw. Even the troubling sights she¡¯d seen in Washington, D.C., hadn¡¯t matched this. Or was it because this was her home, and the destruction hit closer to her heart?


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this, Okab.¡± Her hands tightened on the controls hard enough for it to hurt. And it was so senseless, too. Guilt stabbed at her heart, knowing this was because of her. People were getting hurt because of her.


    Tears stung Rose¡¯s eyes, but she fought back her grief. Payback came first. She¡¯d destroy Okab, whatever it cost. If dragging the Altair general to the underworld kicking and screaming cost Rose her life, so be it.


    Rose¡¯s eyes were flint as she spotted her prey. He stood among the wreckage of her neighbors¡¯ houses. Just as Cecilia had predicted, her final battle against Okab was over the wrecked remains of her home. But that mattered little to Rose.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead, Okab.¡± She gritted her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to bury you.¡±


    ¡°Rose! Die! You die!¡± Okab¡¯s words were spat with such vitriol that she could barely understand him. Whatever Project: Bird Bath had done to the Altair general, it had broken him. It left his skin an ugly blemish, a festering wound that refused to heal properly. Rose felt a measure of pity for the poor creature. It didn¡¯t stop Luyten V¡¯s fist from implanting into Okab¡¯s face.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°You!¡± Spittle flew from Okab¡¯s mouth as he launched his counterattack.


    She ducked under a wild swing to the head and weaved past a vicious claw slash. Okab was fast, impossibly quick. He¡¯d abandoned all civility, fighting like a frenzied animal. Her systems blared as claws left deep grooves into Luyten V¡¯s chest plate.


    ¡°You killed them all, Okab,¡± Rose said. Nothing could have survived the onslaught the Altair general had unleashed, homes reduced to little beyond rubble. The creature had taken obvious joy in leaving no survivors. ¡°That means I don¡¯t have to hold back.¡±


    With deft fingers, she launched the sequence to Stage One of Full Synchronization Mode. The Temperature within Luyten V rose to unbearable levels. But Rose barely noticed; the heat was nothing compared to her boiling blood.


    ¡°Because of you, Sandage might be dead!¡± Her drill connected to Okab¡¯s chest, leaving a gash oozing purplish blood. Only a quick back step had saved Okab from being drilled through.


    ¡°Rose!¡± And the monster continued howling her name as he launched at her. Despite his broken mind, he still possessed a predator¡¯s sharp instincts.


    Alarms blared as Rose struggled to fight off her opponent. Okab¡¯s speed seemed to increase with every strike. Had this Altair general been holding back this much in their previous fights? She grimaced as her laser beam struck open air, cutting a deep cavern into her community. She leaped back, trying to gain some distance as she planned her next move.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working.¡± She scowled as Luyten V¡¯s foot landed on her garage, smashing it. Through her monitor, she spotted what remained of her mom¡¯s car.


    ¡°Heh, it seems fate really has it out for me,¡± Rose said, fingers dancing over her console again. Alarms howled as a claw tore deep into Luyten V¡¯s shoulder, almost severing the limb. It struggled to move, making her new weapon basically useless. A claw flew past her chest, leaving a deep groove in the armor plating. Okab took out her right leg next, crippling her maneuverability. The creature had her cornered, taking his time as he ripped her apart.


    ¡°I can¡¯t win!¡± She slammed a fist against her console, despair creeping into her heart. Her robot rumbled as it took another nasty slash across the chest. Still, she refused to give him the satisfaction. Luyten V still had weapons. There must be something they could do.


    ¡°Helpless.¡± An idea struck Rose, and her console room cooled as she powered down all systems, making it appear that Luyten V had died.


    ¡°It takes 0.5 seconds for Stage One of Full Synchronization Mode to start up.¡± That was her window of opportunity to launch her sneak attack. The rest depended on how Okab would react to this ploy.


    Though he didn¡¯t have a proper face, she sensed his triumph. Still, he remained wary, his animal instincts flaring. Rose¡¯s heart stilled as she prepared for Okab¡¯s killing blow.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Come after me. I¡¯m taking you with me,¡± Rose¡¯s palms were sweaty as she gripped her controls tightly. And once she put her mind to something, nothing could deter her¡ªnot even death.


    Then Okab loomed over her, his claws raised for the finishing blow. Rose¡¯s fingers were already moving. Her world became pain as a blade pierced her, slicing right through Luyten V¡¯s chest and into her. Liquid dripped down Rose¡¯s eye like crimson tears. But she could only laugh.


    ¡°Got you!¡± Luyten V flared to sudden life, the illumination blinding her one remaining good eye. But it was glorious.


    Okab jerked back, sensing the danger. But Luyten V¡¯s remaining arm flared with energy as Rose pumped everything into this final blow. Her opponent tried using his needle-like nose to block the attack. It shattered like dust under Luyten V¡¯s sheer ferocity. A hand implanted on Okab¡¯s face, his posture stiffening in terror.


    ¡°Dynaspike!¡± The Altair general erupted in purple fluid as Luyten V¡¯s spike pierced through his head. His body squirmed and jerked, struggling to get free, but her robot held him tight with its fingers. He fell limp, and Luyten V finally released him.


    Through an undamaged screen, Rose saw the Altair general¡¯s body disintegrate into pixels, dissolving into its base components. Despite her pain, it fascinated Rose. The Altair were truly wondrous, terrible creatures.


    ¡°Mission complete.¡± Rose choked out a pained laugh. When she glanced down, she saw the purple growth across her chest wound, mixing with her life fluid. The Altair infection had taken to her, just like her future self. What a joke. ¡°So, it seems Cecilia¡¯s prophecy turned out right after all.¡±


    Yet, Rose found she wasn¡¯t scared. No, she was sad she couldn¡¯t do more to protect her friends and family. The Altair wouldn¡¯t stop at Okab. The Earth still wasn¡¯t safe.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to leave it to you, Cecilia.¡± Still, her friend was a worthy successor. It¡¯d work itself out.


    ¡°Just let me rest.¡± Rose closed her eyes. Sleep would be good right now. It¡¯d be a nice cushion from the pain.


    ¡°She¡¯s over here!¡± An indistinct voice said. Why were they being so noisy? Couldn¡¯t they tell she was trying to sleep? She¡¯d just defeated an Altair general. Didn¡¯t she deserve some rest? That was her last thought before darkness overcame her.


    ----


    ¡°There¡¯s been an attack!¡± Cecilia said, heart racing a mile a minute as she watched a nearby TV screen. Other shoppers stood stock-still, eyeing their phones in shock. In the distance, smoke rose from Rose¡¯s neighborhood.


    She knew it! She knew her visions were never wrong, and now the worst had happened. Her body shook uncontrollably, forcing her to use a nearby table for support. Tears leaked from her eyes as her emotions went haywire. She¡¯d just lost her best friend, the only friend she¡¯d ever made in her short life.


    But then strong arms enveloped her, holding her tight. Cecilia looked up to discover Dr. Burbidge, her usual stoic face brimming with pent-up tears. Her guardian said nothing, allowing her ward to sob into her shoulder. The streets broke out into chaos as the ground rumbled beneath them. In the distance, Cecilia stood transfixed as she caught a faint sight of red facing something inhuman, but it slipped out of view.


    ¡°Cecilia.¡± Dr. Burbidge lowered down to her level and stared into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Rose too, but we can¡¯t stay here. Rose wouldn¡¯t want to see you get hurt. We¡¯ll call Sandage. There might be some way we can help her.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The words came out in a pathetic blubber, but her caretaker got her intention. With kind hands, she guided Cecilia into her car.


    With everyone else trying to rush to safety, panicky, desperate drivers crammed the streets. They soon found themselves stuck in the street with countless other cars. Dr. Burbidge beeped her horn, but it did little to aid their progress.


    In the backseat, Cecilia wallowed in her misery, wincing as she heard the distant contest of titans.


    ¡°No answer from Sandage or the general,¡± Dr. Burbidge said, frowning at her phone. When she caught Cecilia¡¯s expression, she offered her charge a wan smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just busy.¡±


    Minutes passed in the vehicle in silence, her guardian tapping her phone. Cecilia had her own phone, but she didn¡¯t have the heart or courage to check the news app.


    Then everything went deafeningly silent as the battle of titans stopped. Cecilia strained her ears but heard neither the sounds of battle nor any movement from the giant warriors. In her heart, Cecilia knew what had happened: the fight had concluded.


    Okab wasn¡¯t continuing his rampage. Had Rose won the fight? What did that mean?


    ¡°Ah, good, Sandage. I thought we¡¯d lost you,¡± Dr. Burbidge¡¯s clipped voice said. ¡°Are you okay? She paused, listening, before nodding in satisfaction.


    ¡°Okab is dead,¡± her guardian said out loud. ¡°Rose defeated him.¡±


    ¡°But Rose!¡±


    Dr. Burbidge paused, listening to her phone. Her expression turned worried. ¡°She¡¯s alive, but seriously injured. And¡­¡±


    ¡°The Altair infection has taken hold of her,¡± Cecilia said, already knowing the answer.


    Her guardian threw her an optimistic smile, though it didn¡¯t hide her worry. ¡°They¡¯ll be able to treat her. She isn¡¯t gone yet.¡±


    Cecilia looked down, not saying anything as Dr. Burbidge finally untangled the car from the traffic jam. It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived at a hospital.


    The place bustled with activity as medics desperately tried to attend to the untold wounded. Okab¡¯s attack had caused serious damage to the city. Sandage greeted them. He had a bandage over his forehead, and his arm was in a sling.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks,¡± the LUVOLT agent said in greeting. ¡°Okab launched a sneak attack on our military forces. General Kuiper dragged me out of the mayhem.¡±


    ¡°What about Rose? Is she¡­?¡± Cecilia couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    ¡°She¡¯s stable. Her left eye got seriously damaged, but her other wounds weren¡¯t as severe as they looked.¡±


    ¡°But the infection?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that,¡± Sandage said, his mood sobering. ¡°They have Rose in a coma. It¡¯s the best way to keep the infection from spreading. There haven¡¯t been many cases of this disease yet. Our knowledge about it is still limited.¡±


    ¡°Can they cure her?¡± Dr. Burbidge asked.


    ¡°We hope so.¡± Sandage gave them a hopeful smile.


    ¡°Can we visit her?¡± her guardian asked next.


    ¡°You¡¯re not family. But to heck with it,¡± Sandage replied. He guided them to a special ward, using his clearance to pass some guards.


    There Rose was, entombed in a glass quarantine chamber. She laid on a hospital bed like Sleeping Beauty, waiting for a prince to come and wake her up. Doctors in hazmat suits tended to her, monitoring her vitals. Cecilia gasped as she spotted the purple growth on her abdomen¡ªa cancer already beginning to spread.


    Outside the chamber stood Rose¡¯s family, each frightened for her safety. Tears weren¡¯t hidden. Even little Danny seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, watching his older sister with worry.


    Rose¡¯s mom spotted her, and they shared hugs and tears, taking comfort in each other¡¯s presence. They stood in silence, taking comfort from each other. Eventually, nurses guided them into a waiting room for refreshment and rest. But Cecilia wasn¡¯t hungry. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever eat again. Her guardian gave her space, allowing her to grieve in her own way.


    ¡°Without Rose, the world is doomed.¡± Cecilia thought. There was no hope of saving her from the Altair infection.


    Cecilia howled and kicked a nearby seat. It flew across the room, startling the others. She hated herself, wishing she could have prevented this somehow. She had the keys to amazing cosmic knowledge, but what use was that now? Why had fate granted her this curse? It had done nothing to help any of them. Rose¡¯s mother moved to talk to her, but Cecilia only stomped off. No one pursued her.


    In the bathroom, she stared at the mirror and the ugly, gangly, horrible girl staring back at her. She was a freak, a monster created in a lab. Cecilia didn¡¯t bother denying it. The scientists who¡¯d created her thought they were playing God, making something capable of changing the world. Instead, they¡¯d only created a freak with useless visions. What use was she to anyone? She put her hands on her head, sobbing convulsively.


    In the bathroom¡¯s silence, her phone buzzed. She grabbed it, ready to hurl it across the room. But the caller caught her attention. Macauley?!


    With shaky hands, she answered the call. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°We can save her.¡± A familiar distorted voice said. ¡°But you¡¯ll have to trust me, Meet me at this location.¡±


    Her phone buzzed and she scanned the texted address. ¡°You¡¯re sure this isn¡¯t just BS?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend too,¡± Macauley replied. Huh? What did that mean? Did he know Rose personally somehow? ¡°We¡¯ll get through this, Cecilia. See you soon.¡±


    Cecilia stared at her phone. Was this all a joke? Was his promise even possible? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said, resolve hardening. ¡°I¡¯m saving Rose, no matter the cost.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Rain pattered against Cecilia¡¯s umbrella as she slipped through the empty streets. With the city in utter disarray after Okab¡¯s attack, a curfew was imposed until the situation stabilized. It horrified her how some people had used the tragedy to steal or cause harm. Did they not care about their fellow humans? The current death toll of Okab¡¯s attack was horrific, with over 3,000 casualties and  property damage in the tens of millions. It¡¯d take decades for the small city to recover.


    The dark clouds reflected Cecilia¡¯s dreary mood, a gray storm that drowned everything in its path. Sometimes, she wished it¡¯d keep raining until it washed everything away. Rose¡¯s wasn¡¯t good. Her left eye would never function again. And with the Altair infection¡ªfew were hopeful they could treat it in time.


    Her best friend would die. It seemed inevitable to Cecilia. Yet, she clung to something foolish¡ªa silly hope Macauley would somehow reverse this misfortune into a brighter future.


    ¡°This better work, Macauley!¡± Cecilia promised she¡¯d make him suffer if this was some sick joke. Her steps faltered as she approached the apartment building. Except for a few lights, the squat building was dark. She had kept Macauley¡¯s mysterious message to herself, not even telling Sandage. It was foolish and risky, but Cecilia wanted to confront Rose¡¯s mysterious benefactor alone.


    Her steps tapped against the wooden floor as she entered the building. It¡¯d only taken a second for her to be buzzed inside. While somewhat worn down, the interior seemed inviting enough. She spotted a staircase and climbed the steps two at a time. Cecilia wandered the second floor until she reached 205. She didn¡¯t bother knocking, trying the handle straight away. It opened with ease, and the door swung open.


    The room that greeted her was dark and bare, her steps echoing as she entered. Her heart raced, fearing a possible trap. It¡¯d be so easy to kidnap her. Nobody knew where she was. This was a stupid risk. Why was she doing this?


    ¡°Hello?¡± It was clear no one lived in this apartment. Dust covered the counters, and she found no sign of life as she explored further. Down the long hallway, she spotted a faint light seeping through a door crack. Steeling her nerves, she approached the door and pushed it open.


    ¡°Hello,¡± a man said, giving her a faint smile. He was overweight, though more bulky than fat. Cecilia guessed the man was in his middle years. He wore a white T-shirt with some superhero on it.


    ¡°Hello, Macauley,¡± Cecilia said, returning his faint smile. She put a hand to her purse, palming the pepper spray she¡¯d brought along, just in case. While it¡¯d been a reckless and stupid risk coming here, Cecilia hadn¡¯t come unprepared for trouble.


    The bespectacled man laughed, amused by something. Cecilia frowned. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but I¡¯m not Macauley,¡± the man spoke with an accent Cecilia couldn¡¯t place. ¡°My name is Petrus Naboth.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Cecilia almost dropped her purse in surprise and glared at him when she recovered.


    ¡°Macauley is a mutual friend. He asked me to fly to your country to help. Sorry if it¡¯s not what you were hoping for,¡± Petrus said, giving a self-deprecating laugh.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me!¡± Cecilia said, fuming. Hadn¡¯t Sandage complained about the constant misdirects when investigating Macauley?


    ¡°Ah, good. You¡¯re here, Cecilia. Glad you could join us,¡± a distorted voice said, catching their attention. Distracted by Petrus¡¯s sudden appearance, Cecilia hadn¡¯t noticed the laptop sitting on a folding chair in an otherwise bare room.


    ¡°Will you ever show your face? How do you expect me to trust you?¡± Cecilia said, losing her temper. It was unlike her, but she¡¯d had a difficult last few days.


    The computer screen considered this. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s all about faith.¡±


    ¡°Faith is only blind trust. Rose will probably die,¡± Cecilia said.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Despite the distortion, the voice sounded sad. ¡°She might. I¡¯ve scanned the records Luyten V brought from the future. In the years humanity fought against the Altair, none ever survived exposure to the Altair infection.¡±


    ¡°So it is hopeless!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said. I think there might be a way, but it¡¯s desperate,¡± Macauley replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s where my expertise comes into play,¡± Petrus said, adjusting his glasses. ¡°I¡¯m a geneticist by trade.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know Macauley?¡± Cecilia asked, her voice wary.


    ¡°He contacted me with some interesting information. A complete genetic sequence of the Altair genome. It¡¯s quite fascinating.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And a sample of Project: Bird Bath. I¡¯ve been studying how it might break down Altair cells into something harmless.¡±


    ¡°And it can cure Rose!¡± Cecilia¡¯s heart blossomed with hope.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid the chemical is toxic to humans. Heck, it¡¯s likely dangerous to the whole ecosystem. What was the US government thinking, using something so recklessly?¡± Petrus fretted as he caught Cecilia¡¯s expression. ¡°But we have another plan.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Did you know Rose shares a special connection with Luyten V?¡± Macauley said.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Cecilia replied, perplexed by the change in subject. ¡°How is that relevant?¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯ve been told that it can be very dangerous to her but I suspect what might kill Rose could actually save her. We can use it to exercise the infection plaguing her,¡± Macauley replied. ¡°By entering Full Synchronization Mode to its final level, their bond should destroy the Altair corruption, like using chemotherapy to kill cancer.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Really? Won¡¯t it kill Rose too? She can barely handle stage one. The fourth and final stage might kill her outright!¡± Cecilia said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Macauley said, genuine sadness entering his distorted voice. ¡°But it¡¯s a risk we¡¯ll have to take.¡±


    ¡°What makes you sure it¡¯ll even work?¡± Then a sneaking suspicion crossed Cecilia¡¯s mind. ¡°Or is there something you aren¡¯t telling me?¡±


    The shifty expression on Petrus¡¯s face told her she was on the mark. They both knew something, and Cecilia glared at them. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°The thing is, everyone¡¯s so focused on understanding Luyten V¡¯s operations, they¡¯ve overlooked its origins. That¡¯s why Macauley contacted me. I already know about the Luyten V being from the future.¡± Petrus replied. ¡°See, Macauley and I have been suspicious about Luyten V from the start. It¡¯s an impressive machine, but how was it developed in only twenty years? It¡¯s a major boost in our current technological understanding, all while under an alien invasion?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I helped somehow?¡± She paused, realizing she¡¯d almost spilled her secret to total strangers. Cecilia readjusted her words. ¡°I mean, I do plan to become a scientist one day!¡±


    But Macauley seemed amused by her comment. ¡°Perhaps. But we have our suspicions. Did you know that Luyten V isn¡¯t one hundred percent mechanical? That it has some biological components? From your expression, I see you do. Let me be frank with you, Cecilia. I believe Luyten V is an altered clone of an Altair.¡±


    This took Cecilia¡¯s breath away. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Did that mean Luyten V wasn¡¯t safe? Would it turn against its creators one day?


    ¡°I believe it possesses Altair and human DNA, specifically Rose¡¯s. She used part of her genetic code to create it. Quite a genius, that girl is,¡± Macauley replied.


    ¡°Rose said they share a connection, but the Luyten V was created from her specifically? That¡¯s insane!¡± Cecilia¡¯s mind reeled, struggling to understand the implications of this.


    ¡°We hope the fusion will purge the Altair corruption. Only Rose is capable of doing that,¡± Macauley said.


    ¡°But what if they can¡¯t split? What if the Altair corruption infects Luyten V too?¡± Cecilia said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous risk, but I can¡¯t think of another way to save your friend,¡± Macauley said, his words solemn.


    ¡°And what do you expect from me, exactly?¡± Cecilia said, crossing her arms. ¡°To steal her body and put it inside Luyten V? Why not convince Sandage to do this? I¡¯m just a girl.¡±


    ¡°Sandage doesn¡¯t trust me,¡± Macauley said, his tone frank. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯d authorize this risky experiment.¡±


    ¡°Well, you aren¡¯t getting any help from me,¡± Cecilia replied.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Macauley said, flabbergasted.


    ¡°You ask too much,¡± Cecilia said, pushing her advantage. She had no patience for Macauley¡¯s games. She wanted him to commit for real. ¡°And we¡¯re not doing this alone. We¡¯re getting Sandage involved in this. And it¡¯s not just a meeting¡ªyou¡¯re showing your true face as well. Enough hiding. Do that, and I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    The laptop stood silent for several long moments before a distorted chuckle escaped its speakers. ¡°You drive a hard bargain, Cecilia. You have a point. Very well. Call Sandage. I¡¯ll show my face when he arrives.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Cecilia blinked. She couldn¡¯t believe that worked.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, Cecilia.¡± Macauley said after another moment of silence.


    ¡°Well, uh.¡± Cecilia blushed, unaccustomed to compliments. ¡°Thanks.¡± Still, she hardened her resolve. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Macauley might pull a trick on them. His secrecy made her instinctively distrust him. Hopefully, she¡¯d finally get some real answers.


    ---


    The mood among his kin was solemn as Tarazed floated into the hive home. Beyond the skittering of his siblings, the void was as silent as the grave. Throughout the hive mind, their grief was raw. The anguish of millions of souls drove even a being like Tarazed to heartache.


    ¡°I am here, Grand Intelligence,¡± Tarazed said to the air.


    ¡°Good. Much needs doing. I¡­¡± Through their link, rage bubbled within their leader, hotter than Tarazed had ever felt. Its usual brilliant, vibrant purple was corrupted with other colors, spilling into the mix. The grays and reds flowed and ebbed, chaotic and violent.


    ¡°Somehow, the race called human has destroyed Okab.¡± The Great Intelligence said. ¡°Our connection was severed. It happened suddenly, too, like he¡¯d been torn from our loving grasp violently. I don¡¯t understand how this is possible. Even Death could not have caused this.¡±


    He¡¯d sensed his brother leave the link as well, but the Grand Intelligence had suffered the loss more keenly. Its pain had resonated throughout the hive mind, waking the entire swarm.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The news of Okab¡¯s unusual fate surprised Tarazed. It was odd his fellow general would disappear from their link so abruptly. Surely they¡¯d at least receive some dying message from him?


    ¡°The humans did something to him.¡± While Tarazed had no love for Okab, he acknowledged his brother¡¯s skill as a hunter.


    ¡°They did! Go! Find out how! Destroy them! Kill the one they call Rose!¡± The Grand Intelligence paused, mastering its emotions. The Altair hadn¡¯t suffered such a grievous loss in years. Instead of letting its grief and anger roar out of control, the Grand Intelligence tempered them, stoking the flames for the moment they would exact a terrible vengeance on humanity for this crime.


    ¡°Somehow, humans have destroyed Okab,¡± the Grand Intelligence repeated, its tone icy. Wild emotion gave way to cold logic. Tarazed approved. ¡°What happened is unclear, but the humans have created a new weapon against us. Investigate, sabotage it. Acquire a sample of the weapon they used against Okab. They have found a weakness that we must eliminate. Nothing must threaten the Altair hive.¡±


    ¡°And find this Rose and her Red Demon,¡± the Grand Intelligence commanded, anger rekindling in its voice. ¡°Destroy them utterly. Make sure none of her kin survive.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Tarazed spoke only was necessary.


    ¡°Now, my children,¡± the Grand Intelligence said, its tone soothing. ¡°Patience. Your desire for vengeance is my desire. But not yet. The Altair are eternal. We can afford to be patient.¡± Through their connection, Tarazed sensed their frenzy, their hunger. The Altair were awake, and they were ravenous. ¡°Worry not. The feast will come very soon. We shall suck the marrow from humanity¡¯s bones.¡±


    ---


    ¡°Thanks for calling me, Cecilia. I¡¯m glad we¡¯re finally getting some answers.¡± Despite the late hour and being bone-weary from his pressing duties, the LUVOLT agent was alert and awake.


    As Cecilia had expected, he was eager to learn their mysterious benefactor¡¯s identity. He¡¯d rushed over as soon as she¡¯d called, no questions asked. Unsurprisingly, Sandage seethed in fury about Macauley going behind his back to have a secret meeting with Cecilia. He had made his opinion on the matter abundantly clear.


    ¡°Well, Macauley. How about you show yourself already? We¡¯re all gathered together. Now, how about the grand reveal?¡± Sandage said, not hiding his impatience.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Petrus asked, mopping his brow with a handkerchief. ¡°You realize who you¡¯re revealing your identity to? This guy¡¯s a fed.¡±


    ¡°A fed that could make your life very unhappy, Dr. Naboth.¡± Sandage had been less than impressed with the scientist since their introduction. ¡°And I¡¯ve heard of you. Your unethical experiments were the reason you were kicked out of your university.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecilia said, shocked.


    Petrus scrunched up his face before releasing a resigned sigh. ¡°I suppose I deserve that. You¡¯re right, I was. I¡¯ve been trying to make up for it. Macauley offered me a second chance, and I took it.¡±


    ¡°Everyone deserves a second chance,¡± Macauley¡¯s distorted voice said. ¡°I understand your skepticism, Sandage. But I promise you, Petrus is quite sincere.¡±


    ¡°We shall see,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Petrus. This is for the best.¡± Macauley said. ¡°I want to do this. Trust is a two-way street. The stakes are too high. If I want them to trust me, I must show them I¡¯m all in on this endeavor, too.¡±


    The screen on the laptop turned totally black. They waited in silence, wondering what would happen next. Cecilia strained her ears, listening for Macauley to show up in person. Beyond her beating heart, she heard nothing¡ªnot even faint footfalls.


    Cecilia flinched as the dark screen flashed back on, replaced by a colorful star field. It was awe-inspiring: a swirling nebula with a red splotch among countless pinpricks of beautiful lights. She blinked, confused about why it had switched to this image.


    ¡°Okay, here I am!¡± A familiar, cheery voice said. Cecilia¡¯s eyes bulged, wondering if she¡¯d lost her senses.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± Sandage said, equally flabbergasted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you that streamer Rose is obsessed with?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± A blue-haired girl with twin starburst hairpins beamed, giving them a friendly wave. ¡°Stella Kilonova, here at your service!¡±


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidding me!¡± Cecilia stammered. ¡°No way that¡¯s true!¡±


    Petrus adjusted his glasses. ¡°Not quite what I expected.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sandage said, rubbing his temple, fighting off a massive headache. ¡°This just creates more questions! It¡¯s unbelievable to me that some random streamer has access to impossibly advanced technology beyond anything we have currently! Or that you know government secrets!¡±


    ¡°And hold on! You lied, Macauley!¡± Cecilia said, her temper flaring. She should have seen this coming¡ªmore games! ¡°You said you¡¯d show your face. A VTuber is just another mask, a cartoon avatar of a real person! Show yourself for real!¡±


    But Macauley¡ªor Stella¡ªonly laughed, amused by Cecilia¡¯s outrage. Sandage didn¡¯t seem impressed either.


    ¡°But Cecilia, this is what I look like,¡± Stella replied, performing movements that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for a VTuber. It was too smooth, too seamless. The anime-like avatar moved like a real person. ¡°This is my true appearance!¡± She gave them an exaggerated wink.


    ¡°What?!¡±

 Chapter 17

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Cecilia gapped, utterly flummoxed. Stella, the silly indie vTuber Rose adored, was literally her avatar? Someone wasn¡¯t puppeting her with motion capture?


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m not human. Please don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± The cartoon girl lifted a finger to her lips. She gave an exaggerated, conspiratorial wink.


    ¡°Why is this my life now?¡± Sandage rubbed his temple, appearing ready to cry.


    ¡°Hmm. You did not prepare me for this surprise, Macauley,¡± Petrus said, eying the vTuber with immense curiosity.


    ¡°No wonder we couldn¡¯t trace you,¡± Sandage said. ¡°Your trail didn¡¯t exist in the physical world.¡±


    ¡°How? Why? Where do you even come from? Are you an AI?¡± Questions spilled from Cecilia¡¯s lips like a leaking pipe.


    Cecilia stared, mesmerized, as Stella shook a disapproving finger at them. ¡°Now, that I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°What?! You said no more secrets!¡± Cecilia said, temper flaring.


    ¡°Yes, we deserve some answers, Stella,¡± Sandage¡¯s words were sharp as daggers. ¡°What is your intent for humanity?¡±


    ¡°Hey, a girl has her secrets. It¡¯s rather rude to demand them from me,¡± the VTuber said playfully. ¡°And please, call me Macauley. That¡¯s my real name.¡±


    ¡°What about our deal?!¡± Cecilia shot back.


    ¡°This might be hard to accept, but please believe I have humanity¡¯s best interest in mind. I love humanity!¡± Macauley replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe,¡± Sandage said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Always the skeptic, Sandage, but I suppose I can¡¯t blame you. You are former FBI. It¡¯s your job to distrust people. Then I will help you understand my motive. I have two reasons to help you defeat the Altair. The first one you might call selfish. Humanity is the universe¡¯s first line against the Altair. If they break into our universe, they¡¯ll spread like an infection until they consume everything. We can¡¯t afford them to gain any foothold in this universe.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Sandage admitted. ¡°The Altair are a threat to your people too, whoever they are. And the other?¡±


    ¡°With the stakes so high, I¡¯d be foolish to throw away such a powerful potential ally. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the human saying goes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept that, for now,¡± Sandage said. ¡°While I don¡¯t trust you, Macauley, we need each other. Are there others like you on my planet?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m by my lonesome,¡± Macauley replied. ¡°Guarding humanity has been my responsibility for many years. Consider me as your guardian angel!¡±


    ¡°So we can¡¯t depend on your people¡¯s help, then.¡± Cecilia said, brow furrowing. Or did they even exist? Macauley hadn¡¯t outright said they exist.


    Sandage rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Washington will love this. What are your kind called, Macauley?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unpronounceable. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Macauley replied, her tone sly.


    ¡°We must call you something!¡± Sandage said, losing his temper.


    ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t worry about it. Onto business!¡± Macauley explained her detailed plan to rid Rose of the Altair infection and its potentially lethal consequences. ¡°What do you think of my proposal for saving Rose?¡±


    Sandage gritted his teeth but regained his composure. ¡°I¡¯ll have my people look into it. It won¡¯t be easy to approve. You¡¯re asking a lot.¡±


    ¡°I realize that,¡± Macauley said, her tone forlorn. ¡°But I warn you, the Altair won¡¯t take their general¡¯s death lying down. They¡¯ll retaliate soon.¡±


    ---


    ¡°More questions.¡± Cecilia released a frustrated sigh as they departed the apartment building. She shared an umbrella with Sandage, huddling up close to him. To an observer, they¡¯d appear like father and daughter. ¡°I thought bringing Macauley out in the open would solve some mysteries, but it¡¯s only created more!¡±


    ¡°True, but we¡¯ve gained some answers.¡± Sandage wore a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s a victory in my book.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but now everything¡¯s so much more confusing!¡± And Cecilia was still furious that Macauley had reneged on their deal. She¡¯d revealed less than she¡¯d promised and complained as much to Sandage.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s enough for now. I have to admit, how you handled the situation impressed me.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a hard negotiator. A talent that¡¯ll serve you well if you go into a future career in business.¡± Sandage¡¯s comment earned a blush from Cecilia.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m surprised you allowed her identity to stay hidden for so long. Why didn¡¯t you drag it out of her?¡±


    ¡°I was fine with Macauley keeping her identity secret because I didn¡¯t want to push our mysterious ally further than she was comfortable with. I was content to wait patiently, gathering what I could from an occasional careless word. No one can remain vigilant forever. She¡¯d make a mistake, and I¡¯d use that to discover her identity. Though, this recent revelation makes me realize that was more difficult than I originally presumed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shoot. I didn¡¯t mean to mess up your plans,¡± Cecilia said, realizing she¡¯d disrupted his operation by accident.


    But Sandage only laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Though, I¡¯m not looking forward to telling my superiors about this. Not that my reports don¡¯t already sound like the ravings of a madman. I miss the days I was investigating white-collar crimes and the occasional terrorist plot. Life seemed so much simpler back then.¡±


    This earned a smile from Cecilia. After her horrible last few days, it felt nice to smile again. ¡°Too right! Still, will you try Macauley¡¯s experiment? I¡¯m not hopeful it¡¯d even work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not in my hands. People much smarter than I will discuss its prospects. While Rose¡¯s coma is keeping the Altair infection at bay, it¡¯s slowly spreading across her. The doctors informed me that Rose has only two weeks to live unless a cure is found.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Cecilia¡¯s mood darkened, her chest aching in pain. Macauley¡¯s ill-begotten plan seemed like an impossibly long shot.


    Much to her surprise, Sandage¡¯s strong arms pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°Hey, Rose isn¡¯t gone yet. We¡¯ll find a way through this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better.¡± Adults often told lies like that, reassuring them with empty promises.


    But the LUVOLT agent gave an emphatic shake of the head. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because we must hold onto the hope Rose will survive. I¡¯m not giving up on her, and neither should you. While the situation might seem bleak, that¡¯s no reason to give up. No, it¡¯s important to fight harder than ever. I won¡¯t let Altair win, nor let Rose perish. Neither should you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Cecilia clutched Sandage¡¯s arm, using his strength to bolster hers.


    ---


    ¡°Well, that was something,¡± Petrus said as they watched their visitors leave.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking my real identity rather well,¡± The vTuber said, eyeing her companion curiously. ¡°There¡¯s far less spluttering and stammering than I expected. I thought you might  even declare that I was lying.¡± It was one reason she disliked revealing herself. Humans had funny ideas of what they constituted as real. Total denial of the reality of the situation wasn¡¯t completely unheard of.


    ¡°I figured it might be something weird like this. That agent wasn¡¯t the only one who tried tracking you. I even hired a private eye. What he found? Nothing. You¡¯d think a person would leave some visible trail. While I¡¯m surprised, this revelation didn¡¯t seem out of the realm of possibility.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an interesting guy, Petrus.¡± It was one reason Macauley had approached him.


    ¡°Still, will they go for it?¡± Petrus asked. ¡°LUVOLT has the world¡¯s best minds, but they¡¯ll debate themselves into inaction.¡±


    ¡°Not an unlikely possibility.¡± On her screen, Macauley¡¯s avatar crossed her arms, eyes closed in thought. She¡¯d have to devise a way to get them moving. Still, she had faith they¡¯d act. Rose was blessed. Many people cared and loved her. Besides, that girl was a survivor.


    ¡°Sorry, but I must get going. The wife doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here. With all this skulking about, I¡¯m worried she¡¯ll think I¡¯m having an affair with another woman.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Macauley gave him a wink. ¡°I have no interest in making any moves on you. I¡¯m a rather solitary lady by nature.¡±


    This earned a chuckle from Petrus. The disgraced scientist moved to depart, but paused as he caught Macauley¡¯s change in expression. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Odd,¡± Macauley accessed a program she¡¯d hidden in a top-secret listening post up in Washington State. With the impending Altair invasion, the government had increased its interest in listening to space. ¡°Fascinating.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. A satellite has picked up odd signals from outer space.¡± Macauley scanned the report again. Because of the station¡¯s automation, she was the first to read these reports. She displayed the report in a text box on her screen. ¡°Take a glance.¡±


    Petrus adjusted his glasses and read the text on the screen. ¡°It¡¯s just jumbled noise, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    But Macauley tapped her chin. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t random. These signals have mathematical formulas baked into them. Someone is trying to communicate.¡±


    ¡°The Altair? Your people?¡± Petrus asked, studying the signals with a more careful eye.


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Macauley said, growing more excited. ¡°This is someone completely new!¡±


    ¡°Possible alien allies?¡± Petrus stared at Macauley. ¡°Have they noticed the Altair invasion and wish to help?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to find out,¡± Macauley said, beaming. In her head, she planned what message she¡¯d beam back to them. There were risks, of course. The aliens might have ill intentions, but the Earth was already in serious trouble. Extending an olive branch might be just what they needed.


    ¡°Will you tell Sandage about this?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Not until I can make clear communication with our new friends.¡± Though her efforts to send her own signal might attract attention. Oh, well. She wished to speak with these alien visitors first.


    Eagerness bubbled in Macauley. What were they like? What language did they speak? Could they develop a common ground for communication? The mathematical principles were a start. She couldn¡¯t wait to learn more.


    ---


    In the void, time was immaterial. It was a place of utter silence. To even beings like the Altair, it was maddening. They hibernated for this reason. But to Tarazed, the void¡¯s silence was exhilarating. It was devoid of any distractions, allowing pure focus on the goal ahead.


    ¡°Welcome.¡± Tarazed sensed the two minds probing him, allowing them to interrupt his contemplation.


    ¡°We have headed your call, General,¡± Denebokab said with his usual respectful poise. His presence was a black thunderclap, a powerful rumble in the hive mind.


    But Tseen Foo spoke with less respectful defiance, more intrigued than anything. In contrast, Tseen Foo was a pink song that flittered and swayed like a falling leaf on a windy day. ¡°What¡¯s this about? I was having the most fantastic dream! And you were there, Tarazed, demanding I stack blocks into a tower. It was stressful. You yelled at me when they kept toppling over.¡±


    Tarazed ignored Tseen Foo¡¯s usual ramblings and continued. ¡°Okab has fallen.¡± This declaration brought a twang of sadness to his brethren, dampening their color in the collective. ¡°I have called you because we must eradicate Rose of the Red Devil, whatever the cost. You will assist me in this.¡±


    ¡°And the Grand Intelligence told you to bring us along?¡± Tseen Foo didn¡¯t hide his doubt. ¡°You¡¯re pushing your duties onto us, Tarazed.¡±


    ¡°While the Grand Intelligence wishes to avoid risking our brethren unnecessarily, this is a worthy goal. The lower hive buzzes with rumors about Rose of the Red Devil. She is evil incarnate.¡± Denebokab said. ¡°Your choice to include me in your plan, General, honors me!¡±


    ¡°What a butt-kisser,¡± Tseen Foo replied, exasperated.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Denebokab¡¯s presence within the hive mind became venomous, injecting red into his usual black cloud.


    Before an argument could break out, Tarazed spoke first. ¡°For the hive¡¯s sake, Rose must die. We must crush humanity before it becomes a bigger threat. They have already developed a counteragent against us¡ªone capable of stripping an Altair from the hive mind.¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± The other two Altair recoiled in shock. Such a possibility was inconceivable to them.


    ¡°You understand the mission¡¯s importance,¡± Tarazed said. ¡°The mission needs your skills as hunter drones. I wouldn¡¯t ask this of anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Denebokab¡¯s black regained its color, deepening as his resolve hardened.


    ¡°Count me in,¡± Tseen Foo said, anger expanding like a bubble within his pink. While prone to goofing around, the hunter was both skilled and ruthless. He¡¯d stop at nothing to complete a job. ¡°Rose of the Red Devil is dead.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Tarazed replied, pleased. He could trust these two to fulfil this difficult mission. ¡°We leave right away. But we won¡¯t attack immediately. We will determine the most efficient way to eliminate Rose and her allies. Then we will destroy them before they even understand what¡¯s happening to them.¡±


    The two hunters nodded their agreement, eager to fulfill their assignment. Pleasure filled Tarazed, pleased to have such capable assistance. He would learn from Okab¡¯s mistakes. Humanity would crumble to dust, and then the Altair would feed unopposed.

 Chapter 18

    ¡°Request denied,¡± Director Joseph-Louis Shapley said from his desk, fingers steepled.


    ¡°I see,¡± Sandage said, his expression devoid of emotion. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t already seen this coming. ¡°May I speak freely, sir?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Have Doctor Gold and the other scientists reviewed Macauley¡¯s proposal?¡±


    ¡°They have. They tell me it is too risky. It might kill the girl rather than help her. I can¡¯t say I trust its source, either. An honest to god alien on my planet.¡± The director¡¯s mouth hardened when he mentioned the word alien.


    ¡°True, she¡¯s not exactly trustworthy, but we must explore every avenue to save Rose¡¯s life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, Joe. We aren¡¯t rejecting your idea out of paranoia of the unknown alien. But you must understand, Rose is too important an asset to risk needlessly.¡±


    ¡°Will you reconsider if a cure isn¡¯t found in a week¡¯s time?¡±


    The edge of the director¡¯s lips twisted into a smile. ¡°As a last resort? One last-ditch effort to save the girl¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not unreasonable. I understand your position, Joe. You care for Rose. So do I. But I¡¯m not making any unnecessary gambles unless forced to.¡±


    ¡°So much is at risk.¡± Sandage rubbed his hair, ruffling his mess of black curls. ¡°What should we do about Macauley? Frankly, sir, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t have me committed for what I wrote in my report.¡±


    ¡°These are strange times, Joe. Strange times.¡± Shapley leaned back in his chair, releasing a tired sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate these aliens butting into Earth¡¯s business. Lord knows how long Macauley has been meddling on our planet. Humanity should solve its own problems.¡±


    Sandage thought back to when Macauley named herself Earth¡¯s guardian angel. ¡°Her intentions for humanity seem benign, at the very least.¡±


    ¡°President Okona has ordered a full investigation into the matter. I¡¯ve put some agents onto the case myself. Agents Maria and Edmond are searching through Stella Kilonova¡¯s VOD archive for clues.¡±


    It was odd hearing a vTuber¡¯s name on the former FBI director¡¯s lips. It earned a smile from Sandage. ¡°The Herschel twins? Good idea.¡± The pair were efficient and effective, though he pitied them for having to watch through hundreds of hours of streams for their investigation.


    ¡°There might be hints of her involvement elsewhere. We just haven''t noticed.¡±


    ¡°Project Blue Book might have something,¡± The project had been an Air Force-led investigation into extraterrestrial sightings and other unusual phenomena in the ¡¯60s and ¡¯70s. It¡¯d been a dud, from what he understood. But Sandage couldn¡¯t rule out they¡¯d learned more than they''d reported.


    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here!¡± Gamow entered the room with an exaggerated swagger.


    ¡°Oh, is that your next assignment, Gamow?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°UFOs have always interested me. I never expected we¡¯d have an actual open investigation into aliens, though,¡± replied the hacker.


    ¡°Gamow will be working with someone involved with the original project,¡± the director said.


    ¡°Really? They must be in at least their late 80s by now.¡±


    ¡°True, but he¡¯s a trustworthy man,¡± the director replied. ¡°Major Wolf Blaauw.¡±


    ¡°The name is unfamiliar.¡± Sandage racked his brain but came up blank. Project Blue Book was well before his time.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be in town tonight,¡± Shapley said. ¡°Offer him any assistance you can. Dismissed.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡± Cecilia asked as he departed the director¡¯s office. Had she been looming outside the entire time?


    ¡°It¡¯s a no-go,¡± Sandage replied with a slight head shake. ¡°It¡¯s too risky.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Cecilia visibly sagged, but Sandage threw an arm around her.


    ¡°Hey, it isn¡¯t over yet. They¡¯re still working hard to find a cure. It¡¯s about more than just saving Rose¡¯s life.¡± She wasn¡¯t the Altair¡¯s only victim. Many others depended on finding this cure.


    ¡°It¡¯s just frustrating,¡± Cecilia replied, allowing herself to be led away. ¡°At least with Macauley¡¯s plan, we had something.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Sandage shared similar frustrations. He wanted to scream to the heavens how unfair it was for someone of Rose¡¯s tender age to suffer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get some supper. And besides, you still haven¡¯t finished your homework. Just because the world might end doesn¡¯t excuse skipping your school work.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about that?¡± Cecilia peered at the LUVOLT agent with suspicion.


    ¡°Little escapes me. FBI, remember.¡± Sandage said, shaking a finger.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Cecilia said somewhat petulantly. Clone bio-engineered girl or not, she was approaching her adolescence, rebelliousness and all. Though, from her height, a person might assume she was already in high school.


    The mess hall bustled with activity as they entered. Various techs and scientists commingled as they ate, their mood boisterous. But Sandage detected a hint of nervousness within the room¡ªa forced cheer. They all knew Rose¡¯s dire situation, doing their best to keep spirits up.


    A portly woman in a hairnet waved at them as they approached, a broad smile appearing when she spotted Cecilia. ¡°Hello, Cecilia. How are you today, dear?¡± The woman reminded Sandage of his wife¡ªopen and motherly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ms. Harvey-Smith.¡± Though, Cecilia¡¯s tone was sour.


    ¡°Worried about Rose, no doubt.¡± The lunch lady replied. ¡°The girl¡¯s got us scared too. I miss her. I¡¯ve also enjoyed seeing you scamper about. Makes this stuffy government facility more lively.¡±


    Sandage smiled at the absurdity of the statement. He never imagined they¡¯d need to depend on a bunch of children, but life often had such odd turns. And he didn¡¯t mind their scampering around, either. ¡°What¡¯s on the menu, Emma?¡±


    ¡°Fried chicken and potato soup.¡± The woman gave Cecilia a wink. ¡°But in your case, I have a special treat, Cecilia. To help boost your spirit!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± This caught the girl¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Some home-cooked brownies with chocolate chips, your favorite.¡± Harvey-Smith handed Cecilia a Tupperware container of the dark bars.


    ¡°Did you clear that with the director?¡± Sandage wouldn¡¯t throw a fuss, but there were regulations.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Demanded to have the first of them, the greedy boy,¡± the lunch lady replied, earning a laugh from Sandage.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Cecilia said sheepishly. ¡°Do you want one, Sandage?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re your treat. Enjoy them.¡± The girl nodded, eagerly tearing open the container and biting into a brownie.


    ¡°After your supper, Cecilia,¡± Sandage said, his tone chiding.


    ¡°Right.¡± The girl¡¯s cheeks flushed, placing aside the remainder of her treat for later. Together, they got their supper and sat down at an empty table.


    Quiet passed between them as they ate. Since Cecilia wasn¡¯t in any mood for conversation, Sandage didn¡¯t press her. Still, they sat in companionable silence. It struck him how she¡¯d never had this growing up, mostly eating alone in a room or cell. She¡¯d had no family to share meals with. He pitied the girl.


    ¡°How would you like to come to my house for dinner sometime?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°Huh? Uh, well, I suppose,¡± Cecilia replied, unsure. ¡°If that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be perfect! My wife, Jocelyn, would love having you over! She¡¯s a marvelous cook! And you¡¯d love my son, Johannes. You¡¯re close in age.¡± The problem was timing. Both their jobs made scheduling difficult, but he¡¯d find a way. Cecilia deserved some normalcy.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Cecilia said, warming to the idea.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Already, Sandage studied his mental calendar for the perfect date. Next week, Tuesday wouldn¡¯t be a bad option. Luckily, his house was only a three-hour drive from the LUVOLT base. They could spend the night and return in the morning. Johannes would love to see him. Despite his demanding job, Sandage always found time when he could. And with the Altair situation, every second was precious.


    ¡°How about¡­¡± Sandage paused as he caught the vacant look on Cecilia¡¯s face. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Minutes passed with no change from the girl, but then Cecilia shook herself awake, her expression startled. She gripped the table hard to steady herself.


    ¡°Another vision?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Cecilia seemed lost for words. ¡°In it, I met someone strange, right here in the LUVOLT base. He wore a mask¡ªno, a helmet, and a sleek white bodysuit. His accent was odd. We were talking about Luyten V¡¯s construction. The stranger was studying the robot with great interest. He asked if it was possible to make another Luyten V. That¡¯s where it ended.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Sandage considered Cecilia¡¯s words, which struck his imagination in different directions. ¡°You said he had an accent?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t like anything I¡¯d heard before. He spoke with elongated Rs and Ts. His voice was listless, but not unemotional. Measured would be the better word, like he was considering each word before he spoke it.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating. I wonder if it¡¯s connected to the aliens in your other vision?¡± And making another Luyten V? That was an exciting prospect. It might mean Rose wouldn¡¯t hold the burden of protecting the Earth alone.


    He paused as he caught Cecilia¡¯s expression. ¡°Is something the matter? This is good news.¡±


    ¡°No Rose in my vision. I couldn¡¯t even tell if she still lived,¡± Cecilia said sourly. ¡°I¡¯ve had other visions, but Rose didn¡¯t appear in those either.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that just confirms she isn¡¯t dead for certain. It means her future is still unwritten,¡± Sandage said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Cecilia said without much enthusiasm.


    ¡°Once you finish your brownies, we can have you sketch out our visitor.¡±


    ¡°After?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Enjoy your treat. You deserve it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too nice, Mr. Sandage,¡± Cecilia said, somewhat self-conscious. ¡°The scientists who created me wouldn¡¯t have cared about such a trivial matter. They would have immediately interrogated me about every detail.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not them,¡± Sandage¡¯s reply earned a blush from Cecilia, and she enjoyed each bite of Harvey-Smith¡¯s gift. Unlike her creators, he never forgot she was only a child.


    ¡°A new Luyten V, huh?¡± He marveled at the possibility.


    ---


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t know that Rose already had a guest,¡± Cecilia said as she entered, spotting the boy sitting across from her hibernating friend. Inside a glass tube, Rose slept with a serene expression, but it was impossible to ignore the ugly purple blight spreading across her middle.


    The dark-haired boy stared up at her, his expression unreadable behind his dark green eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can join me.¡±


    ¡°Hans, right?¡± Cecilia asked. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they allowed someone who¡¯s not family to visit Rose.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Sandage says that being around friends will help Rose recover,¡± her schoolmate replied. Cecilia waited for him to say more, but he didn¡¯t. She¡¯d seen him around school, and he wasn¡¯t that talkative then, either.


    The silence became awkward, forcing Cecilia to fill it. ¡°Rose would be glad to know you visited. I will tell her when she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°If she wakes up,¡± a dark thought argued. But Hans only nodded. He was a silent sentinel, here to protect Rose from any danger.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, Hans,¡± Cecilia said, somewhat self-conscious. ¡°You really care about her.¡±


    ¡°I do. I admire her. She¡¯s the toughest person I know. She¡¯s going to make it through this.¡± Hans spoke with conviction like Rose¡¯s survival was a done deal.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± They sat in companionable silence. Finally, a question broke through. ¡°Have you known Rose long?¡± Thinking about it, Rose barely talked about him. And when she did, it was rarely complimentary. It confused Cecilia why he was so loyal to her when her friend barely seemed to care about him.


    ¡°From the first grade. I remember the first time we met, though I suppose she probably doesn¡¯t remember it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± This got Cecilia more curious. She leaned in close, eager for more details.


    ¡°It happened in the first week of school. I bumped into her in the playground and forgot to apologize. Rose got angry with me and pushed me face-first into the sand. The teacher, Miss Shoemaker, was furious at both of us.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I suppose Rose does have a temper.¡±


    ¡°She does,¡± Hans replied, though his voice hid a slight smile.


    But Han¡¯s story left Cecilia even more confused. She was hoping for some cute story with a hint of romance. It didn¡¯t explain at all why he liked Rose at all. She waited for Hans to elaborate further, but he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Does this guy never talk?¡± Cecilia thought. No wonder Rose liked to complain about him. Should she ask him more directly? But would that be prying? She straightened as the boy studied her with a thoughtful gaze.


    ¡°You seemed surprised to see me here. Why? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re family, either.¡± Hans asked out of the blue.


    ¡°Um, well.¡± Cecilia sputtered, realizing she didn¡¯t have a good answer. Hans¡¯s gaze seemed to pierce right through her. ¡°We¡¯re good friends, so Mr. Sandage made an exception for me too! It¡¯s no big deal!¡±


    Hans didn¡¯t respond, and nervous sweat dripped down Cecilia¡¯s back. That hadn¡¯t actually answered his question. Finally, he spoke again. ¡°You speak of Agent Sandage as you know him personally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s, uh, my guardian!¡± Cecilia said, trying to find the best excuse. She mentally slapped herself, realizing that the lie wouldn¡¯t work. How had she allowed herself to talk herself into saying that? Doctor Burbidge was her legal guardian. They were even spotted together at school.


    ¡°Well, kinda,¡± Cecilia said, recovering. ¡°Doctor Burbidge and Mr. Sandage are long time friends. He¡¯s kinda like a father to me! They sometimes allow me on the base to visit him, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m here now!¡± Again, Hans said nothing, infuriating Cecilia no end. No wonder Rose got so short with him!


    Thankfully, Sandage walked in, breaking the awkward moment. Behind him was a much older man, his dark skin weathered from many years.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve made a new friend, Cecilia,¡± Sandage said, smiling.


    ¡°Right,¡± Cecilia replied sourly. ¡°Who¡¯s the man with you?¡±


    ¡°Major Wolf Blaauw. He¡¯s another specialist LUVOLT has recruited to help with the Altair situation,¡± Sandage replied.


    ¡°Ah, so this is Rose,¡± Blaauw said, waddling into the chamber with her sleeping friend. ¡°Poor girl. She¡¯s brave to fight the Altair all by herself. She deserves better than this.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Sandage said, his tone solemn. While he always kept up a brave face, Cecilia could tell Rose¡¯s condition hurt him dearly. ¡°Sorry, Hans, but I need to borrow Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hans said, nodding. Instead of getting annoyed at such a terse reply, Sandage smiled and led Cecilia out of the room.


    ¡°So annoying,¡± Cecilia muttered under her breath as the door closed behind them. ¡°No wonder Rose dislikes him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t say that,¡± Sandage said, wearing a secret smile. ¡°I¡¯m curious where they¡¯ll be in a few years.¡±


    ¡°Ah, young love,¡± Blaauw said, amused.


    ¡°Love?¡± How¡¯d they get that impression? Adults were so weird.


    ¡°Now, young lady, they tell me you have something important to show me,¡± Blaauw said, getting to business.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cecilia asked, curious.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already briefed the Major about your abilities. He used to be a member of Project: Blue Book. Have you heard of it, Cecilia?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°The U.S. government set it up to investigate UFO phenomena,¡± Sandage replied.


    ¡°Got nowhere, though,¡± Blaauw said, his tone bitter. ¡°People were too stubborn to admit the obvious truth! But this Altair situation shows what fools they were! Pity they didn¡¯t listen. We might¡¯ve been better prepared for this current invasion!¡±


    ¡°UFOs? Like aliens?¡± Cecilia asked. They entered into a conference room, Sandage closing the door tightly behind them. ¡°Have we been visited before?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Back in ¡¯59, a strange craft crash-landed on Earth. People thought it was Russian, but its script matched nothing ever seen on Earth!¡±


    ¡°¡¯59? I¡¯ve heard of the famous Roswell crash in ¡¯47, but nothing about this one,¡± Sandage said.


    ¡°Because they covered it up! The Roswell incident wasn¡¯t actually anything dealing with aliens. This, however, was the real deal! Saw the craft myself! We believe it was an unmanned probe.¡± Blaauw shook his head, forlorn. ¡°The parts disappeared after various scientists took them. Tried searching for them, but each trail ended up cold.¡±


    ¡°Was it actually unmanned?¡± Cecilia said, musing out loud. ¡°What if it had a non-organic crew?¡±


    ¡°Clever thinking. Good work, Cecilia,¡± Sandage said, impressed. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s how Macauley came to this planet.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Macauley,¡± Blaauw said. ¡°I read your report. Can¡¯t say I really understand it. She¡¯s a digital creature of sorts?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Sandage offered a slight shrug. ¡°Your theory has merit, Cecilia. Now look at this, Major.¡± The LUVOLT agent pulled a piece of paper from a manila folder. It was a script Cecilia had seen in her vision.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. Where did you find this?¡± Blaauw stared at the alien writing with awe. ¡°This matches what we discovered in the alien probe!¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Cecilia said, getting excited.


    Sandage smiled, pleased. ¡°Now we are getting somewhere. Cecilia, please describe the ship in your future vision. I¡¯m curious if its design matches the probe.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Cecilia tried her best to describe the ship¡¯s interior and the strange metal used in its design. The construction was oddly angular, the cockpit almost shaped like some eagle¡¯s skull.


    Blaauw pondered her description for several long minutes, recalling details from decades ago. He stroked his wispy goatee before nodding. ¡°While the design is unfamiliar, I recognize the metal you describe.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a distinct possibility these are the aliens from your vision,¡± Sandage said.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s disturbing that this race seems to have known about our species for a long time, yet they¡¯ve done nothing to help us so far.¡± Cecilia said. The world hadn¡¯t exactly been peaceful since the ¡¯60s, maybe they¡¯d decided it was too risky to make contact.


    ¡°I¡¯m of two minds on that,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°It means they likely want to leave us alone. Allow us to develop without their interference. Still, they would have been real helpful during, say, the AIDS crisis. That wasn¡¯t a political or developmental problem, but a humanitarian one.¡±


    ¡°We best be careful. These people aren¡¯t us. They are a completely new race with different values and beliefs. Don¡¯t judge them by our limited human understanding,¡± Blaauw said.


    ¡°Point,¡± Sandage said, nodding.


    ¡°Is Macauley their agent?¡± Cecilia said, musing out loud.


    ¡°Best keep speculations to a minimum, like the Major said,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°Our next point of action is trying to contact them. I¡¯ll see if I can locate those probe parts. They might lead to contacting our new friends.¡±


    ¡°I might be a decrepit old fool, but I still have friends.¡± Blaauw gave a toothy grin. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can help push that along.¡±


    Cecilia watched as the two adults planned their next action with a grin on her face. It seemed they were finally getting somewhere.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°What do you wish to discuss?¡± Macauley asked the computer screen. Once again, Macauley had lured her to the same dingy apartment building. The mysterious alien entity was alone this time, her assistant Naboth off elsewhere.


    At first glance, Cecilia seemed alone, too. That was an illusion, however. Through a wiretap, Sandage overheard every word, ready to assist if something untoward happened. While they doubted Macauley would try anything, Cecilia was in a dangerous part of town. Sandage refused to send her there all alone. From a hidden earpiece, she could converse with the agent.


    The reason for the deception was simple: Sandage figured Macauley might be more careless with her words if she spoke with Cecilia instead of him. A simple but clever gamble, in her opinion. Contacting the streamer hadn¡¯t been difficult. A PM with Cecilia¡¯s name had sufficed to get the vTuber¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You seem knowledgeable about many things.¡± Cecilia pulled a piece of odd metal from her pocket and placed it before the open laptop. ¡°Have you seen this before?¡±


    Sandage and his contacts had worked hard to find the fragment from a crashed alien ship from the ¡¯70s. Written on its curved surface was the alien script Cecilia recognized from her vision. Unfortunately, it was only a section of the ship¡¯s hull. Still, Dr. Gold and the other LUVOLT scientists had shown great interest in its strange, alien material.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The digital being scratched her chin, peering at the fragment with open curiosity. ¡°Is that some sort of alien language?¡± Macauley¡¯s expression gave nothing away, all cheerful exuberance as usual.


    ¡°Is it from your people?¡± Cecilia asked, cursing when she realized she¡¯d asked too directly.


    ¡°My people? No.¡± Cecilia examined Macauley¡¯s digital face for any sign of a lie. She found none, much to her frustration. The alien was too difficult to read. ¡°But, hmm. I wonder if I should tell you.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡±


    ¡°Is Rose still in a coma?¡± Macauley asked, abruptly changing the subject. ¡°Considering I haven¡¯t seen her on any of my streams, I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s still infected with the Altair¡¯s disease. Did LUVOLT¡¯s director not approve of my plan?¡±


    Cecilia reeled from the sudden change in topic. Inwardly, she fumed at the alien¡¯s evasiveness and told herself to remain cordial, despite her feelings. ¡°No. Director Shapley said it was too risky. He was only willing to use it as a last resort.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he cutting it close? From the doctor''s estimates I¡¯ve read, Rose has only about three days left to live.¡±


    ¡°We realize that,¡± Cecilia said, her jaw tense. ¡°Unless you¡¯ve found a better plan in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. Petrus and I still believe it¡¯s Rose¡¯s best chance.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Despair stabbed at Cecilia¡¯s heart, knowing that Rose¡¯s chances were getting slimmer by the second. Heck, Director Shapley might have waited too long to enact Macauley¡¯s plan.


    Sensing Cecilia¡¯s worry, Macauley¡¯s digital countenance softened. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not over yet. Hope will get us through this.¡±


    ¡°Hope?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s what keeps us going, no matter how bleak things get. Do you believe in a higher power?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± What an odd question. Why would she?


    ¡°I do, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s abandoned us yet. Say, how about you visit me tonight? I have a special surprise for you,¡± Macauley said, abruptly changing the topic again.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°About 10, I¡¯d say. I promise it will rock your world entirely!¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI guess,¡± Cecilia replied, flummoxed.


    ¡°Good. See you then!¡± Macauley¡¯s computer screen cut off, leaving only a black screen.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that,¡± Cecilia said, feeling stupid. She hadn¡¯t even cleared it with Sandage or anything!


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Whatever Macauley has to offer should be interesting,¡± Sandage said from her earpiece. Cecilia rejoined him in a parked nondescript van outside the apartment building. Inside its rear was a station filled with advanced surveillance equipment. On one monitor, she saw Sandage through the wire she still wore.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like talking with that person.¡± The alien¡¯s evasiveness annoyed Cecilia to no end. Whatever. She hoped whatever Macauley had to show her wouldn¡¯t be something stupid. She¡¯d seen the streamer¡¯s propensity for pranks and told Sandage as much.


    Her comment earned a smile from the older man. ¡°She has a mischievous streak, but my gut tells me she has our best interests in mind. Not that I trust her, but I don¡¯t think she means us any harm.¡±


    When she saw Cecilia¡¯s skeptical response, Sandage only shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s like Gauss. She can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡± It wasn¡¯t like the Earth was threatened with extinction or anything! ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right.¡±


    ---


    ¡°It¡¯s bright. I hate it,¡± Tseen Foo said, complaining as they climbed the hill. ¡°Why must it be so bright? These eyes absorb too much light!¡±


    As they passed a group of humans, the crowd scattered upon seeing the three figures approach. It might have been because they sensed the predators among them. But Tarazed knew it was more likely because they noticed their torn, ravaged overalls.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Tseen Foo had been overeager when he dealt with the three workmen they encountered upon entering this universe. Tarazed hoped they wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention before they found more suitable clothing. Still, these human disguises would suffice as they searched to eliminate Rose. Their workmen¡¯s bland appearances made blending in easy.


    They passed a row of what Tarazed assumed were food services, watching as the humans babbled nonsense at each other in their loud, guttural language. He glared at them with contempt, wondering how they accomplished anything with such an ineffective means of communication.


    Curious, Tseen Foo snatched a food item from a passing man and his mate, taking a bite.


    ¡°Hey, my burger!¡± the human protested.


    But the disguised Altair ignored him, chewing on the food item for several moments before spitting it out in disgust. ¡°And you call that food? Its nutritional value is pathetic!¡±


    ¡°Hey, man, I know it¡¯s not good for you, but it tastes good,¡± the human replied, but Tseen Foo was already pushing past him.


    ¡°Would you stop complaining and acting out!¡± Denebokab snapped, finally losing his temper. ¡°We¡¯re trying to complete a mission here!¡±


    ¡°And these legs are the worst! It¡¯s so hard to get the right balance! Can¡¯t they grow wings or something? It¡¯d be so much more convenient!¡± Tseen Foo said, ignoring his colleague. ¡°They have the technology. Can¡¯t they alter their DNA to something more useful?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Denebokab replied, considering. ¡°Maybe they feel fine with their bodily structure? They¡¯re well-tailored for their environment.¡±


    ¡°Hence why humanity is doomed to extinction. They smell, eat bad food, and don¡¯t have the sense to evolve into something useful!¡±


    Before a further argument could break out, Tarazed interrupted them. Not a single word was spoken aloud, as Tarazed found speaking actual words beneath him. ¡°Enough. You know your mission. Gather intel about Rose of the Red Devil. When the sun sets, meet at our arrival point. Don¡¯t cause any trouble unless your life is threatened. And get less conspicuous clothes. I don¡¯t want to cause any incidents with the local authorities.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the pair said in unison, with both their minds and mouths. As one, they broke apart for the operation.


    It took some effort, but Tarazed secured unobtrusive clothes to blend in. He¡¯d snatched them from a man distracted with a clothes-cleaning machine. They were surprisingly warm and sturdy, but Tarazed supposed that made sense for a species with weak, delicate skin lacking natural protection.


    In his search for clues about Rose of the Red Devil, Tarazed wandered the human city, observing the Altair¡¯s latest prey as they lived their daily lives. He noted they were a species that had turned their technology to making their lives easier. For example, they developed processed food to fill their seemingly bottomless stomachs. Their vehicles helped them travel in relative comfort at impressive speeds. They even carried devices to amuse themselves throughout the day. This species thrived because of its technology.


    ¡°These humans seem to need constant distraction and bustle,¡± Tarazed observed, wondering how this weakness might be exploited.


    After some wandering around, Tarazed drew a mental map of the city. Some areas attracted many humans, while others were sparsely populated. The reason became apparent: some sections of the city catered to services humans wanted, like food or entertainment, while others were for industrial needs, such as factories or storing supplies. Since humans preferred recreational areas, Tarazed stuck to those.


    When he spotted a building popular with the locals, Tarazed stepped inside. The interior was less appealing, filled with loud, boisterous sounds that hurt his ears. Somehow, the conversations were even less coherent than other human interactions. The patrons of this establishment were unusual¡ªless lucid than others of their species. The reason soon became apparent: each human drank from cups filled with a vile-smelling liquid.


    ¡°It must be intoxicating.¡± Like many other species, humanity seemed fond of fermented drinks. A human at the counter tried catching his attention, but he ignored them.


    ¡°Useless.¡± Tarazed turned to leave, but a metal box caught his eye. It showed a man reading what was clearly news, with text flashing in a moving banner beneath him. This program must be how humans convey intelligence to each other.


    Intrigued by what humans deemed important, Tarazed stood and watched. It might convey something interesting about his target. But he soon found himself disappointed. The man on the screen was talking about some trivial local matter regarding farming. Then another human discussed something even less interesting: the weather. Despite his disinterest, Tarazed kept watching.


    The Altair general jerked as something bumped into him, spilling a nasty, reeking liquid onto him.


    ¡°Hey, man! Don¡¯t stand in the middle of the room, moron!¡± A heavyset human said, face flushing red in agitation. ¡°You spilled my beer.¡±


    A flicker of annoyance crossed Tarazed¡¯s expression before vanishing. While it rankled to have filthy human beverage splashed on him, the offending human meant little in the grand scheme of the Altair¡¯s master plan, amounting to little more than an annoying buzz. Tarazed¡¯s stare of utter indifference didn¡¯t change as returned to the screen.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you!¡± the human said, clearly disliking being ignored. But his words fell on indifferent ears.


    ¡°And now a quick update on Rosemary Brahe''s status. The Luyten V pilot remains in critical condition after her fight with the Altair attack last week. We¡¯ve been told she¡¯s stable, but there is little change in her struggle against the Altair infection. The nation¡¯s thoughts and prayers are with her as this brave hero fights the alien contamination. She is quarantined in a hidden facility for safety reasons. President Okona is planning to visit her tomorrow to discuss possible treatments with the doctors there.¡±


    ¡°Infected.¡± The word caught Tarazed¡¯s attention. It seemed Okab¡¯s efforts hadn¡¯t been in vain. The Grand Intelligence need not worry about Rose of the Red Devil¡ªshe was destined to die. Even the most advanced civilizations had failed to cure the Altair¡¯s cells. Tarazed doubted this primitive backwater could accomplish anything different.


    ¡°Then I should instruct the Grand Intelligence to begin a full assault as soon as possible,¡± Tarazed thought. Without the Red Devil, the humans were hopelessly defenseless. But he would destroy the weapon first, just in case another human attempted piloting it.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you.¡± A hand shoved Tarazed, and he turned to meet the offender¡¯s gaze. The human¡¯s bravado faltered immediately under the weight of Tarazed¡¯s piercing stare¡ªan expression devoid of emotion, which yet froze him in terror. A primal fear seized the man, like he¡¯d entered a predator¡¯s domain.


    ¡°On second thought, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The human released a nervous laugh before scurrying away like a frightened rodent.


    Tarazed remained impassive, dismissing the altercation from his mind. He, however, took quiet satisfaction as the lesser creatures scattered from his path as he exited the building. It was time to reunite with his subordinates and finalize an attack strategy. They would be pleased to learn that the Red Devil was no longer a viable threat. The pair were already waiting for him at the park. Some humans walked along paved paths, but the Altair paid them little attention.


    ¡°I found much success!¡± Tseen Foo declared, waving enthusiastically as Tarazed approached, radiating self-satisfaction.


    ¡°I also discovered useful information,¡± Denebokab said more quietly. He presented a bound collection of pages¡ªa book. The title read Mobile Metal Heroes. ¡°The store clerk told me this book contains all known human knowledge about giant robot combat. It should provide valuable insights into how the Luyten V fights.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Tseen Foo interjected, eager to one-up his colleague. ¡°I learned that Rose is badly sick. She¡¯s infected with Altair cells. I even got a list of local medical facilities. I say we crush them all. One of them is bound to have her in it.¡±


    Tarazed fought the urge to groan, his patience thinning.


    ¡°Denebokab, that book you¡¯re holding is fiction,¡± Tarazed kept his tone as level as possible. ¡°None of it is real. My guess is it¡¯s a fanciful description of what the writer imagined giant robot combat would be like.¡±


    ¡°What? Humans write things that aren¡¯t real?¡± Denebokab¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s absurd!¡± He stared at the book as if it had grown limbs.


    ¡°It¡¯s the way of lesser creatures,¡± Tarazed replied dismissively. ¡°They cling to falsehoods to distract themselves from their meaningless lives.¡±


    Denebokab, instead of showing disdain, appeared intrigued. He opened the book and began reading with open fascination.


    ¡°And as for your idea, Tseen Foo,¡± Tarazed continued, ¡°it would be counterproductive. I also learned that Rose is infected with our cells, but she¡¯s being treated in a secret facility, not a normal hospital. Your plan would only alert the humans that we¡¯re after her and accomplish little beyond pointless destruction.¡±


    ¡°We could do it anyway,¡± Tseen Foo suggested. ¡°It¡¯d keep them distraught and distracted. The destruction would send terror through their tiny brains. And they¡¯d have nowhere to tend their injured when we attack.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Tarazed¡¯s voice kept firm. ¡°I have a better plan¡ªone that¡¯ll lead us directly to our target. The leader of this country will soon visit her. We¡¯ll trail him, discover her location, and strike.¡± He allowed himself a thin smile. ¡°As a bonus, the death of their president will plunge this land into chaos¡ªperfect conditions for the Altair¡¯s full assault.¡±


    ¡°Excellent idea, General Tarazed,¡± Denebokab said, briefly glancing up from his book.


    ¡°It¡¯s serviceable,¡± Tseen Foo conceded, though his tone sounded disappointed. ¡°But it¡¯s lacking in general mayhem. Can I at least kill their president?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Tarazed replied without hesitation. As long as they accomplished the mission, the details mattered little.


    ¡°Nice,¡± Tseen Foo said with a grin, his eyes alight with anticipation.


    The plan was in motion. Rose of the Red Devil would die, their leader would fall, and the country would burn. Tarazed would ensure the humans learned the futility of opposing the Altair.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°This better be good!¡± Cecilia said, rubbing her arms for warmth. As usual, the Midwestern weather had taken a sudden, sharp turn into terrible. Along with Sandage, they stood waiting in an empty field on the outskirts of town. Wheat stalks waved in the sharp wind like swaying leaves.


    ¡°I¡¯m rather excited myself,¡± Unlike her, the LUVOLT agent seemed unbothered by the cold. Unlike Cecilia¡¯s more eastern roots, Sandage was born here. ¡°Macauley sure knows how to make things interesting, huh?.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one word for it,¡± Cecilia replied dryly. Ever since she¡¯d entered their lives, the VTuber had turned them topsy-turvy.


    After a couple of minutes, a familiar face appeared. The chubby man waved at them as he approached. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Doctor Naboth. Any idea what your friend has planned?¡± Sandage asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I do. You know what Macauley¡¯s like.¡± Petrus wore a backpack¡ªa rather garish one, in Cecilia¡¯s opinion, pink with smiling cartoon sunflowers.


    ¡°That figures.¡± Was it because the alien distrusted people or just enjoyed messing with them?


    The German scientist glanced at his watch. ¡°You¡¯re early. The rendezvous time is ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°I was curious who¡¯d come first¡ªus or Macauley¡¯s mysterious surprise.¡± The LUVOLT agent glanced around. ¡°Still no sign of it. This open field makes it difficult to approach unawares.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably some stupid prank,¡± Cecilia¡¯s bad temper souring further as a sudden chilly wind struck her, grabbing herself tighter for warmth.


    ¡°We shall see,¡± Sandage said.


    They waited in silence for whatever would happen next. Three minutes before the rendezvous time, Petrus¡¯s phone buzzed.


    ¡°I see.¡± After checking the message he¡¯d gotten, Petrus pulled out a laptop from his ugly backpack. When he opened it, Macauley¡¯s bright smile greeted them. Her digital avatar winked at them, giving them an enthusiastic wave.


    ¡°Hello, all. I¡¯m pleased you made it.¡± She seemed unbothered by Sandage¡¯s presence, despite asking Cecilia to come alone.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Macauley? What¡¯s this surprise you mentioned?¡± Cecilia asked, getting to the point.


    ¡°Patience! They haven¡¯t arrived yet. I hope they come, at least,¡± Macauley replied.


    ¡°What?¡± What was the streamer babbling about?


    Sandage only raised an eyebrow. ¡°This grand meeting¡¯s more a wish than reality?¡±


    ¡°Hope makes the world go round. They¡¯ll come,¡± Macauley said, beaming.


    ¡°Unbelievable.¡± Cecilia mumbled to herself.


    She peered around, but nobody made themselves apparent. If this mysterious party was supposed to come, they¡¯d be here already.


    This was a waste of time. Cecilia opened her mouth to say so, but flinched when a bright light blinded her. With only the moon illuminating the night, she¡¯d gotten used to the darkness.


    ¡°What gives?¡± Cecilia said, squinting. She frowned. For whatever reason, the light was coming from above. A plane? She gasped as she glanced up at the object emitting the light.


    ¡°Just in time,¡± Macauley said, pleased.


    ¡°No way¡ªimpossible!¡± Cecilia¡¯s mouth dropped open in utter astonishment.


    ¡°Fascinating.¡± With his open hand, the German scientist stroked his chin.


    ¡°That is something,¡± Sandage said, amazed. ¡°I hope they are friendly.¡± His arm reached for his sidearm, ready for any danger that might crop up.


    The ship that floated above them was unlike anything Cecilia had ever seen before, sleek in its appearance, almost bird-like. No, an aquatic creature would be a better description¡ªa strange metal dolphin. The metal titan was huge, larger than a battleship. Its hull gleamed in the moonlight, reflecting off its scale-like surface. With surprising ease, the UFO landed in a nearby clearing with a gentle plop.


    ¡°Welcome to Earth,¡± Macauley said as a hatch on the ship¡¯s side slid open.


    Cecilia gasped as a figure walked down the landing ramp, recognizing it from anywhere. How could she not? She never forgot anything the Akashic Records told her.


    ¡°Greetings, representatives of the Planet Earth,¡± the masked figure said in a strange, lilting voice. He towered like a giant gazing down at children, standing over 8 feet tall. Gold and silver markings striped across one shoulder of his armor, a seven-sided star of interlocking lines, a mark displaying high rank. ¡°We come in peace.¡±


    Behind this person, guards in similar garb followed. Unlike their leader, the guards¡¯ armor was rough and worn. While polished to a sheen, the evidence of battle was still apparent. Each wore a sidearm of futuristic design. Though alert, they kept their hands away from their weapons. Seeing no immediate danger, Sandage relaxed but remained watchful.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Agent Joe Sandage. I am an employee of the U.S. government. Despite my lack of diplomatic training, I will do my utmost to ensure your visit is treated with respect and honor.¡±


    It impressed Cecilia that her friend could rattle off such an elegant greeting on such short notice.


    ¡°Well met, Agent Joe Sandage. My name is Prince Imrele Aindreit of the Kristra Republic,¡± the alien leader¡¯s massive, metal hand enveloped her friend¡¯s. ¡°We are the Ectutai people. We hail from a system you call Tau Ceti.¡±


    ¡°A prince?¡± Cecilia said, gasping. She fretted, wondering if she should bow or something. What would happen if she disrespected a member of royalty? She¡¯d ruin everything!


    But a hand from Sandage steadied her. ¡°Humanity welcomes you, Prince Imrele Aindreit. Our governments have much to discuss. Our races face grave danger from a mutual foe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Macauley told me as much. We have detected spatial anomalies around your planet. Our scientists assumed they were experiments by your people, but Macauley has informed us differently,¡± the prince replied. ¡°Where is this Macauley? He told us he¡¯d meet us here.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Macauley said from the computer screen, offering a friendly wave and a broad smile.


    Behind his mask, Prince Imrele seemed to frown. ¡°Is this some sort of digital avatar?¡±


    ¡°No, your Majesty. This is how I look,¡± Macauley replied cheerfully. ¡°Consider me a digital guardian angel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± This took the prince and his entourage completely by surprise. ¡°Are you an AI?¡±


    Sandage just sighed. ¡°We have much to discuss. But would you like to talk somewhere more comfortable, your Majesty? We have a base nearby with more proper accommodations. Not pretty, mind you, but it should suffice. Or would you rather discuss this on your ship?¡±


    The prince continued to stare at the figure beaming on the computer screen before he finally tore his eyes away. ¡°A location of your choice would be perfect. I wish to see more of your planet. It¡¯s intrigued me for years.¡±


    ¡°It has?¡± Cecilia blurted. Inwardly, she cursed herself for speaking out of turn.


    The prince appeared unconcerned. ¡°Yes, we have long known about Earth and humanity. Out of respect for your autonomy, we haven¡¯t interfered. We Ectutai believe in self-determination.¡±


    ¡°Very kind of you, your Majesty,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°Our history is sadly filled with incidents of governments meddling with weaker, less advanced ones for self-interest. The results were never pretty.¡±


    The mask of Prince Imrele bobbed in agreement. ¡°It has been a hard lesson our people have learned as well, Agent Sandage. Our species share much in common. But come, show me this base of yours.¡±


    ¡°They sure know a lot about us,¡± Cecilia whispered as they entered Sandage¡¯s car. Behind them, the Ectutai used small car-like craft to follow.


    ¡°For quite some time, apparently.¡± Sandage replied. ¡°Can¡¯t say it makes me comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Can we trust them?¡± Cecilia asked.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Sandage turned the question back on her.


    ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Cecilia floundered for a second, but soon regained her bearing. ¡°They seem more straightforward than Macauley. I think we can.¡± Odd the Akashic Records showed her about the Ectutai exactly when they needed it. Almost like it¡¯d done it on purpose. Which, of course, was total nonsense.


    ¡°You wound me,¡± Macauley said, startling her. Petrus and his laptop had entered the car¡¯s back seat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own vehicle? And who said you could come along?¡± Cecilia asked sourly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it later. And miss this? Never!¡± The large man¡¯s eyes were practically lighting up like fireworks in his eagerness.


    ¡°And I¡¯m your key to getting into the LUVOLT base?¡± Sandage asked.


    The once-disgraced scientist only shrugged. The agent shook his head, forlorn. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll vouch for you, but you¡¯re both making an account of yourselves. There will be a cost.¡±


    ¡°A cost?¡± This made Petrus suddenly nervous, tensing further as Sandage smiled like a shark at him.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s my guess too,¡± Sandage said, changing the subject. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ll need them to fight the Altair. Rose can¡¯t fight them alone. ¡®Enemy of my enemy is my friend,¡¯ as they say. But I have a question for you, Macauley. How did you contact them?¡±


    ¡°Easy. I intercepted simple messages from them, and we¡¯ve been chatting¡ªthough through very basic means. Basic mathematical principles. I was hoping to advance to more complicated methods of communication, but Rose¡¯s increasingly critical condition made me do something more drastic. In every known human language, I sent a message laying out the entire Altair situation. I guessed they¡¯d understand at least one.¡±


    ¡°And how long were you planning to keep your new friends to yourself?¡± Sandage asked dryly.


    ¡°Hold on. You weren¡¯t even certain they¡¯d answer?¡± Cecilia said, dumbstruck.


    ¡°It was a risk, but I¡¯m persuasive. And I might have used technology a little beyond humanity¡¯s current capability to further catch their interest. Still, the arrival of an actual prince surprised me. I was expecting some dull science types.¡±


    Suddenly, Macauley cursed. ¡°Dang it, I should have played some rock music. That¡¯d really help the scene. Like that First Contact Star Trek movie. Live long and prosper?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Cecilia replied, baffled.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a shame the Ectutai don¡¯t have a special handshake. But I think I¡¯ll leave the first contact stuff to President Okona. It¡¯s a nice coincidence he¡¯s coming to town.¡± Sandage grabbed his phone and made a call. ¡°And I really pray the media haven¡¯t learned about the Ectutai¡¯s spaceship yet. One leak and it¡¯ll be chaos!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± If some radar or telescope caught the alien ship, they¡¯d tell someone. Who knew how humanity would respond to their new cosmic neighbor?


    ¡°Don¡¯t use your phone while driving, please,¡± Macauley said.


    ¡°Too bad. You¡¯re the one who threw this first contact bombshell on me,¡± Sandage snapped. ¡°The director needs to know about this!¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± Macauley replied. They listened as the agent rattled off the situation to his superior.


    Sandage flinched, pulling his phone away as the person on the other end raised his voice. He reiterated his point, confirming everything he¡¯d seen the last hour. After a quick conversation, Sandage hung up.


    ¡°Well?¡± Cecilia asked.


    ¡°The director isn¡¯t happy, but he¡¯ll do his best to accommodate our guests. Some good news,¡± Sandage replied. ¡°The President is already in town, and he¡¯s getting briefed on the situation. Director Shapley hopes he¡¯ll be at the base before we arrive.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Cecilia had noticed they¡¯d missed a street that would have taken them directly to the base. ¡°So we¡¯re taking the long way.¡±


    ¡°Might as well show them around town first,¡± Sandage replied.


    Cecilia hoped they wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention. The nighttime streets held few drivers, but the strange, alien vehicles drew gawkers. People pulled out their phones, making videos of these strange crafts.


    In short order, they arrived at the base, where an impressive entourage awaited them. Soldiers stood at attention in formation, ready to receive their guests with respect and honor. Among them stood a familiar, dark-skinned man wearing a friendly smile.


    The alien crafts came to a halt, and their group also stood to attention. Somehow, they recognized the person who greeted them.


    ¡°Hello, and welcome to Earth. My name is President William Okona, leader of the country you have graced with your visit. I hope this is the start of a new era for both our peoples.¡±


    The president was surprisingly short in person, and the prince¡¯s armor dwarfed him as he stepped forward. But the alien¡¯s body language was friendly as the pair grasped hands, exchanging their greeting as equals. An electric tension hung in the air. A chill running down her spine, Cecilia feeling like she just witnessed history. Lights flashed as photographers captured the moment.


    Not to be rude, the president approached Macauley and Petrus next, offering his hand to the overweight scientist. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well, Doctor Petrus. I¡¯ve seen your work. It¡¯s a fantastic read.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the German scientist said, somewhat abashed.


    ¡°And it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Macauley. I¡¯ve heard much about you,¡± the president said, addressing the person on the computer screen. ¡°Humanity owes you a debt for your assistance against the Altair threat.¡±


    ¡°A debt I¡¯m glad to take. Humanity deserves it. The Altair are monsters that will destroy everything if not stopped,¡± Macauley said with surprising seriousness.


    ¡°That¡¯s the history part taken care of,¡± Sandage said as the president ushered the prince inside. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for the dull, political, stuffy adult part.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°A meeting that will extend far past your bedtime, Cecilia,¡± Sandage said.


    ¡°But¡ª!¡± They still hadn¡¯t asked the Ectutai about a potential cure for Rose¡¯s condition! And she had a million other questions.


    ¡°In due time, but some of us have school tomorrow,¡± Sandage replied.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Cecilia said sourly. She hated being treated like a child. And school¡ªafter all this?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you the cliff notes,¡± Sandage said, fighting back a yawn. ¡°You¡¯re lucky. I¡¯ll probably not get any sleep tonight.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Cecilia said, admitting defeat. She fought back her own yawn. She guessed the night would be uneventful as the adults talked.


    ¡°This marks a new beginning, a new era.¡± It was anyone¡¯s guess what would happen next.


    ---


    ¡°Um, Tarazed,¡± Denebokab said with some trepidation. ¡°What now? This changes everything!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself. It changes nothing,¡± Tarazed replied. This unforeseen development, though unexpected, only proved a minor setback. Still, for alien visitors to appear at this junction was a troublesome bother.


    ¡°Who cares! We¡¯ll just smash them too,¡± Tseen Foo said, pulling both arms over his head and yawning. ¡°Let¡¯s just rush in and obliterate them all! Problem solved.¡±


    ¡°Hold,¡± Tarazed growled, needing time to consider.


    When President Okona had suddenly absconded from his hotel to visit the base holding Rose, the Red Devil, it had been a welcome change. But that he greeted previously unknown alien visitors upended the entire situation.


    The Altair had assumed humanity was an isolated prey species with limited technological capabilities beyond the Red Devil. But these new creatures possessed space travel. Who knew what technological they might possess? These interlopers, though they would eventually fall like humanity, could become bothersome. These delegates seemed important, and their demise could summon their people¡¯s wrath. Tarazed disliked so many uncertainties.


    ¡°We should attack!¡± Tseen Foo insisted. ¡°They¡¯re right there: the aliens, Rose, and the president. We¡¯ll crush them in seconds! We have nothing to fear from these mongrels. Besides, these aliens¡¯ technology doesn¡¯t seem all that impressive!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we don¡¯t know how far-reaching their empire is,¡± Tarazed replied. And these alien interlopers might have other allies they could bring to bear. So much for their easy incursion into this universe.


    ¡°These humans are suspicious and distrustful people.¡± Tarazed thought out loud. ¡°They love to squabble and backstab at every opportunity. There is no guarantee they¡¯d even accept the help of these alien visitors.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Either way, they still faced the same problem. These aliens were likely already aware of the Altair¡¯s existence. The Grand Intelligence needed to be informed about this, but first, they¡¯d gather intel on their new foe.


    ¡°Attack tonight,¡± Tarazed decided.


    ¡°Really?¡± Denebokab asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Tseen Foo almost jumped for joy.


    ¡°We will destroy Rose and President Okona if possible, but our primary objective is to test the weapon capabilities of this new enemy. Don¡¯t take unnecessary risks. Retreat if necessary. Tseen Foo and Denebokab, attack from each end of the facility. I will locate and strike the alien ship. We move in four hours.¡±


    These minor races always needed sleep¡ªan easy weakness to exploit. Best to strike when they were at their least capable.