Endgame

Chapter Five

Chapter Five“I don't like it,” Maeve said.

Davin looked down at the schematic that filled the screen of the computer pad in his hand. “I don't either, Mom, but if Dad's right, the Nexus of Arantha is where the game is going to end. So that's where I need to be.”

His mother turned away, put her hands on her hips, and stared vacantly at the burned-out croplands. His eyes went to her foot, which was tapping on the ground in a rapid, staccato rhythm like a nervous beaver beating its tail on a log. “Of all the times to join the game, you had to choose now,” she muttered. “Damn your father.”

Davin didn't respond. He knew better.

Maeve sighed, then turned to face him. “I know you're ten times smarter than me, kiddo, but you're still my son. It's my job to keep you from harm.”

“I know, Mom. It's not like I'll be anywhere near the battlefield. In fact, from what Sen told me, Mount Calabur is the safest place on this planet I could be. The only entrance is inside Castle Randar, which is guarded like a fortress.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Her mouth pressed into a straight line. “Just promise me you're not going to stand on the Nexus without me there, all right? Sen and Mizar may have come through their … transformations just fine, but you're from Earth. There's no telling what might happen.”

“I promise.”

“How long do you need to collect the sensor rods?”

“If I use the excavator, maybe two hours.”

She nodded, concern still etched onto her face. “You have ninety minutes.”

“Got it.” He moved to ascend the ramp into the ship, but her voice stopped him.

“You really think we can beat Elzaria with … that?”

He followed her gaze to the schematic in his hand. “No. But it's the best contingency plan I can come up with.”

She managed a grim smile. “Screw that. I'll just shoot her in the head.”

“Works for me,” he said, and strode up the ramp into the ship.

* * *

After activating the control to lower the cargo ramp door in the stern of the ship, Davin proceeded to the hold. He unfastened the five magnetic clamps that held the excavator in place. A quick diagnostic revealed the large machine still functioned properly, except for the laser drills. He wouldn't need those to collect the twenty-six polycarbonate sensor rods. He'd set them up only days ago around the perimeter of the Ixtrayu's territory to warn them of any unwelcome visitors. However, Aridor had already announced that his personal guard would remain behind to provide protection for the village until they returned. Davin needed the sensors for something more important, so it fell to him to collect them.

The excavator's engine roared to life. Davin pushed the leftmost control lever forward and, with a jolt, the large machine trundled down the ramp. His eyes widened when he saw Nyla waiting, standing off to one side several paces away.

As soon as the excavator hit solid ground, Davin killed the engine and poked his head out of the cab. “Nyla! What are you doing here?”

She approached with obvious caution, no doubt unsure about the function of the noisy alien machine he now drove. “I was just going to ask you that,” she said.

“I, um …” He met her sad gaze, and his mind went blank. He knew exactly what it was like to lose a close friend, but he'd never actually watched it happen in front of him. She had, and he was at a loss as to how to approach her. “I'm going to collect the surveillance sensors.”

“Need some help?”

He blinked. This was the last thing he expected her to say.

“Uh, sure,” he said. “Climb on in.” He reached over, unlatched the passenger side door of the cab, and waited as she took the seat next to him.

Her eyes roamed around the cab, taking in the myriad controls and gauges. “Is this thing safe?”

He took a deep breath. Come on, Davin, it's not like you've never talked to a girl before. She's making an effort. You can too.

“Perfectly,” he said, gently patting the dashboard like it was a friendly dog.

She broke into a tight smile. “What are we waiting for, then?”

He grinned, and started the motor. The excavator came to life again and, with a slight judder, Davin steered it to the west. Five minutes later, they came upon the first sensor, which he'd placed right where the croplands met the tree line of the forest. Both of them exited the cab, and Davin retrieved the extraction clamp from the back.

Together they approached the four-foot rod, which stuck vertically from the ground. Davin tapped a deactivation code on the computer pad he'd also brought and, with a low boop, the micro-fiber lights at the tip of the rod went out. As Nyla watched, he fastened the extractor clamp around the rod and pressed a button on the panel. With a whir, the clamp turned the rod in a clockwise motion. Several seconds later, the rod was completely unearthed.

He looked at Nyla, who seemed impressed by the display of alien technology. “Pretty riff, huh?”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Pretty what?”

“Riff. It's an Earth word. It means 'impressive.' ”

“Oh. Then yes, it's riff. Very riffy.”

He laughed, and she smiled. “You want to do the next one?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

He unhooked the clamp, lifted the rod free, and tossed it in the back of the excavator. They both climbed back in, and he drove it two hundred yards to the south where the next one awaited. It took only a couple of minutes to explain the procedure, and a couple more for her to get the hang of it. Five rods later, she had it down.

Pulling up to the seventh rod, Davin caught her staring at him. “What?” he asked.

Her face reddened, but she didn't look away. “You're not what I expected.”

Instead of shutting the engine off, he let it idle as they stepped out again. He grabbed the clamp and set to work. “You mean, for a guy, or for an alien from the Above?”

“Both.”

He wasn't sure how to respond. “Uh, thanks, I guess.”

Mercifully, she changed the subject. “I like that you and Eleri are friends.”

He kept his eyes focused on the sensor rod, even though he could operate the extractor blindfolded. “Yeah, she's nice.”

“Yes, she is.” She shuffled her feet. “Is she the first girl you've ever been friends with?”

He stood up straight, his eyes drifting to the horizon as he became lost in thought. “No. When I was eight, my best friend was a girl.”

This seemed to surprise her. “Really? What was her name?”

“Emma. Emma Donnelly. We went to school together. She was in my Mechanical Engineering class. We built our first laser together.” He smiled at the memory.

She stared at him, obviously not understanding half the words he'd just spoken. “What … what happened to her?”

Acid roiled in his stomach, and he felt his body tense up. “I don't know. Two days before the Jegg invaded, Dad moved Mom and me to Sahara Base. We didn't tell anyone outside our families where we were going. I never got a chance to say goodbye to her.” With a wistful sigh, he shouldered the rod, strode to the excavator, and threw it and the clamp in the back.

The color drained from Nyla's face. “So she's … dead?”

There it was. The question he'd asked himself a thousand times. The strength drained from his limbs, and he had to grip the side of the cab to steady himself. “Probably. And if she's not, she's in some internment camp somewhere. There's no way to know.” He sighed. “If we win this game, and we can somehow beat the Jegg, maybe I'll finally find out.”

She placed a gentle hand on his arm. “You're a good person.”

He met her gaze, and in that moment, he saw her completely differently. Not as a thirteen-year-old kid. Not as a native of a primitive, distant planet. Not as the Protectress's daughter. He saw someone just like him.

They'd gone through hell, suffered pain and loss, and now faced a Herculean task. If he'd understood his father correctly, winning this game would depend on him and Nyla. She was a powerful Wielder, and he had the potential to be one as well. Despite his intelligence, even he couldn't fathom the possibilities.

“Thanks. So are you,” he said, blushing. “Listen, Nyla, there's something very important that I have to tell you.”

* * *

By the time they'd collected the last of the sensors and returned to the Talon, a large crowd had gathered outside the ship. Davin recognized most of them: Yarji the water-Wielder, Zarina the chava-keeper, and about ten huntresses, including Runa and Vaxi. A little further away, he spotted King Aridor, Mizar, Sen, and Rahne, as well as Captain Rabin, the man who had helped save their lives in the mountains. He couldn't see his mother.

“Looks like we're leaving,” he said.

“Yes,” Nyla replied.

With a final rumble, he drove the excavator up the cargo ramp and back into the hold. Both of them dismounted the cab, and Davin set to work putting the magnetic clamps back in place.

He fixed the first one, then noticed Nyla staring at him. He could tell she was still processing what he'd told her about his father's message.

“Look, Nyla, I … I know it's a lot to take in, but …” He trailed off.

She stepped closer to him. “Do you believe winning this game will save your world?”

All the moisture left his mouth. “I … I guess so.”

Her hazel eyes blazed with determination. “Do you believe we can win?”

Davin felt a steely resolve sweep over him. “Yes. I do.”

She broke into a smile, and for a moment, her resemblance to Kelia was staggering. “Then that's what we'll do.” And then she walked down the ramp, leaving an open-mouthed Davin in her wake.

* * *

Standing several paces away, Davin watched as Liana embraced his mother. “Bring her back to us,” Liana said in a taut whisper.

“I will,” Maeve said. “I promise.”

Liana stepped back, standing at Eloni's side. “May Arantha guide and protect you,” the diminutive Councilor said. “… Protectress,” she added, and then the two of them walked away, disappearing through the northern entrance.

On top of the Plateau, dozens of Ixtrayu stood, watching them. Davin scanned their faces, one by one, his eyes eventually meeting Eleri's. She gave a slight wave and a smile. He returned both gestures before facing his mother, who had joined him.

“What is it, Dav?” she asked.

He sighed, not taking his eyes off Eleri. “You know, we spent over five years at Sahara Base. A whole third of my life.”

“I know.”

“But even though we lived there, it never felt like home.” He gestured at the Plateau. “I know it sounds strange, but this place … I feel like we belong here.” He faced her. “Am I making any sense?”

“More than you know, kiddo.”

His eyes widened in surprise.

She sighed. “You remember what you said to me the night before we left for the mountains? The night Bika and Zarina got married?”

He averted his gaze. “I said a lot of things. I was upset.”

“And you had every right to be.” She placed her hands on his arms, leaning in close. “Look, Dav, I have no idea how this is all going to play out. But before we go flying off into the unknown, I just wanted to tell you … everything you said that night was absolutely right.”

He searched his memories, found the one he was looking for, and gasped. “You mean, the part about Kelia being … in love with you?”

“Yes.”

“And you being …?”

“Yes.”

His jaw dropped. “Oh.”

“Are you okay with that?”

He gazed deep into his mother's violet eyes. She wasn't kidding. She was serious. “Does she make you happy?”

A tear formed at the corner of her eye. “Yes. She does.”

He drew her into a warm hug. “Then I'm okay with it.”

A choked sob escaped her throat. “I love you, Little Bug.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

* * *

Davin suppressed a chortle as his mother fastened the safety harness on King Aridor. His Highness had insisted on having a front-row seat for the quick trip back to Darad, and they'd happily indulged him. The harness was an unnecessary precaution, as they would only be traveling at five hundred miles per hour; the inertial dampeners would keep those aboard the Talon upright and steady, but better safe than sorry.

Since the Talon was designed to transport cargo and not passengers, there was no place to comfortably accommodate the large number of people making the journey with them. The huntresses, along with Lyala, Yarji and Zarina, were currently reclining on the dozen bunks in the crew room with the instruction to “hang on tight”, while Davin, Mizar, Sen, Vaxi, Nyla, Rahne, and Rabin sat upon stools or padded cushions at the back of the cockpit.

“Everybody set?” Maeve asked, scanning the faces of their allies. A chorus of nervous nods ensued.

Aridor clutched the harness strapped across his chest, which fit rather snugly over his armor. “How fast does this ship go again?” he asked.

Maeve grinned. “At full speed, fast enough to cross the continent in less than a second.”

His jaw dropped. “Less than a—”

“Calm down, Your Highness, we won't be going quite that fast. By my calculations, we'll reach Promontory Point in about thirty minutes.”

Aridor's smile stretched from ear to ear. “Well, then … proceed.”

Davin grinned into his palm. Oh, he's loving this.

“Yes, Your Highness.” His mother ran her hands over the controls, and the powerful thrum from the ship's engines increased in volume. Davin felt a faint vibration come through the metal deck-plates, and let out a breath.

Here we go.

Like the great bird it resembled, the Talon rose majestically into the air. Davin stole one final look at the line of Ixtrayu watching from the top of the Plateau, and then his mother eased the throttle forward. Seconds later, they were shooting across the Plains of Iyan, heading for Darad.