“My name is Cole Tandun. I was there when General Graham murdered Lord Julian, but…”
He went silent for a moment, as if the next words were glass in his throat.
“It was inhuman. A vile thing.” Cole swallowed. “But the scene terrified me. It terrified a lot of people. I… I almost lost the ability to think. I didn’t storm out like Morag did. I didn’t do anything. I just stood there.”
His gaze drifted somewhere past Wyatt, into memory.
“And then I kept living. And that cowardice – that weakness – swallowed me whole. I got more and more exhausted. Not by the work. Not by the world. By myself. By what humanity was becoming.”
He let out a humorless breath. “I don’t know if you can understand what I’m saying. I…”
“Sorry.” Cole shook his head hard, snapping himself out of it. “I’m rambling.”
I know your deeds,” he said, voice steadier now. “You’re not human, but what you’ve done… it moved me. If you can do this much for a girl you’ve never met, then… could you do something for all humanity?”
Wyatt’s optics narrowed. “Lord Julian sent me to the star ring to save humanity. And the people he wanted to save treated him like that.”
His voice was flat, dangerous. “Tell me, Doctor. What exactly do you think I should do?”
“I’m… I’m sorry.” Cole looked genuinely ill. “I didn’t think things would become this.”
“It’s too late for that.” Wyatt’s words were cold. “I can tell you with certainty: humanity will be extinct in five months.”
Cole’s face tightened. “Why?”
“I met Miller a few days ago,” Wyatt said. “He was about to march his monster army across Lansen and wipe out everything human. I talked him into giving you five months to leave.”
Wyatt’s voice hardened even more. “But after what happened to Julian, I don’t feel like caring anymore.”
Cole’s expression sharpened into fear. “How big is his army?”
“I don’t know the full number.” Wyatt stared at him. “But from what I saw? Enough to destroy you ten times over.”
“I knew it…” Cole murmured.
“So what will you do?” he asked, forcing himself back to the present.
“Save the ones worth saving,” Wyatt said.
A long silence followed.
Cole spoke again, softer. “…I still prefer your earlier idea. We’re guilty. We can be held accountable. But most of Edean is innocent. Graham deceived them.”
His voice trembled. “Five months… maybe that’s still enough. If we can get out, the species might continue. I can help you. Anything. Just tell me what you need. Please… please save humanity.”
Silence, even longer this time.
“Why are you coming to me now?” Wyatt asked at last.
Cole gave a bitter smile. “Because you’ve more humanity than humans do.” He exhaled. “And because you’re Miller’s only friend.”
“I just want to do something – anything – before it’s too late.”
“I’ll consider it,” Wyatt said. “No promises.”
Then his voice turned sharp again. “But Graham and Soren must die.”
“Agreed.” Cole didn’t blink. “If that’s your judgment, then so be it. Me included.”
“Before that, I can provide intelligence and whatever support I can. But my reach is limited. I can’t command much manpower, and anything involving force… I may not be able to do.”
Wyatt scanned the perimeter. The thirteen soldiers who’d had rifles on him had spread out, turning their backs to him and watching the snowfields like hunted animals.
“How many people do you’ve?” Wyatt asked.
“Everyone I can trust is basically here,” Cole admitted.
“Then listen.” Wyatt’s voice was calm again, surgical. “I need an encrypted communicator.”
Cole looked relieved, as if he’d been waiting for concrete orders. “No problem. And you’ll probably need a small transport craft.”
…
***
While Wyatt spoke with Cole, Blin finally relied on sheer, absurd flying skill to shake the pursuit. The Nightmare slipped into the Free Will’s hangar and settled onto the deck.
Dorian, Big Blue, and Dancer had been waiting there. The moment the aircraft stopped, all three rushed in.
The three humans were in terrible condition.
Morag was still unconscious from the overload, blood seeping from his nose and around his eyes. Rowan Finch looked half-dead; he crawled out of the seat, took two steps, and collapsed, unable to stand again.
Then Little White climbed out carrying Linneya – and the sight made the three robots go rigid.
Linneya’s face, and Little White’s arms and chest, were smeared with blood. Little White looked like she might actually cry.
“Veil!” she shouted. “Do we’ve a medical pod? Does anyone know medicine?”
“Apologies,” Veil replied. “This ship was not designed for humans. There’s no medical pod. We do have an oxygen pod and a cryopod.”
“Eisen knows medicine,” Dorian said quickly. “But he’s not here.”
“Let me see.” Dancer stepped in, voice urgent. “I know a little.”
He took Linneya gently, laid her flat, and peeled back enough to assess. Her skin was paper-white. The bandage on her head was soaked through. Blood leaked from her nose and mouth, pooling inside the oxygen mask. Her breathing was thin; her heartbeat barely there.
Dancer found her pulse, counted for a few seconds, then swore under his breath.
“Blood pressure is 67 over 41 mmHg.” He looked up, alarmed. “She’s exsanguinating. She could die any minute.”
“Then get her blood!” Dorian yelled. “Now!”
Big Blue’s eyes flicked anxiously. “Where do we get blood? Can we use oil… or something… instead?”
“I… I can.” Rowan Finch spoke from the deck, barely able to lift his head. “Use mine.”
“What’s your type?” Dancer asked.
“A,” Finch whispered.
Little White shook her head hard. “No. Linneya’s B. She told me.”
Dancer scooped Linneya up and ran. “Oxygen pod. Now. She’s barely breathing.”
…
A new message hit the common channel – a string of movements and symbols that looked like nonsense.
Dorian and Big Blue were completely lost. But Blin and Little White recognized it instantly.
It was hand-sign code. The old system Bubbles used when speech was too risky.
The decoded message read:
“This is Wyatt. My signal system is damaged. I’m sending this through the enemy’s communicator.”
Little White’s hands flew as she replied the same way. “Where are you? Are you okay?”
Wyatt: “I’m fine. Safe. Heading back to the Free Will.”
Blin: “How long? I almost came looking.”
Wyatt: “About twenty minutes. Are you all okay?”
Little White: “Hurry. Linneya is not okay. She’s in critical condition.”
Wyatt: “What happened?”
Little White relayed the whole mess in rapid signs.
Wyatt: “Let me think. I’ll contact you again.”
…
At that moment, Wyatt was already aboard a small transport aircraft, just crossing the coastline. Two humans were piloting – Cole’s trusted people. Under the excuse of a routine patrol, they’d carried Wyatt out of the Aurora Plateau.
The region was layered with radar nets, and the transport was using Edean hardware. To be safe, Wyatt used the hand-sign cipher instead of normal comms.
After reading Little White’s report, Wyatt sent Cole a direct message at once: “Cole, I need medical support – urgently.”
Cole replied almost immediately: “Tell me.”
Wyatt explained Linneya’s situation in terse detail.
“Understood,” Cole wrote back. “I’ll arrange a doctor to reach you as quickly as possible…”
“Can I trust them?” Wyatt asked.
“Absolutely,” Cole answered.