Mevine’s voice faltered. A flush of red crept across his cheeks. Byron could hear the crew moving crates out of the cargo hold. He needed to assist with the equipment, if only to prevent damage to his ship. He couldn’t leave Mevine in such a state of agitation, though. Byron approached the science officer and grasped his good arm.
“That’s what friends are for, Mevine,” he said, reassuring the lad with his thoughts as well. “Now, come on, boy genius. You’ve a code to crack.”
The young man’s eyes brightened. “Yes, sir.”
Retrieving all Cassan personnel required four shuttle trips. Garnce’s last load comprised of security officers from the city and the alien site. The evacuation was far from complete, though. Byron had time for a quick bite of food before the shuttles returned to the surfac
