Chapter Sixteen
“Hey sleepy, wake up,” said Byron.
Nestled in their bed, Bassan showed no sign of movement. He stroked his son’s head again, smoothing the wild locks. This time Bassan roused. He yawned and stretched his arms before rubbing his eyes with his fists. Byron smiled as his son blinked in confusion.
“Time to wake up,” he said, cupping his son’s face with his hand. “I think you’ve slept long enough.”
Bassan stared at him a moment before his eyes grew wide. “Where am I?”
“Relax,” said Byron. “You’re in our quarters. You’ve been asleep a long time.”
Panic crossed Bassan’s face and he struggled to sit upright. “The code!” he said, grasping at Byron’s arms. “Did it stop the probe?”
Byron laughed. “Yes, you downloaded the code, the leaders all declared peace, and the probe was s
