Chapter 12: Fire in the Void
The Cassiopeia shuddered as a laser from the Argo grazed its hull. Sparks rained from the bridge's panels, and sirens drowned out the crew's shouts. Lira clung to the comms console, her fingers flying across the keys, sending a burst of interference on the network's frequency. She hoped it would throw off Argo's aim, but the signal in her head flared, whispering, You cannot hide. We see you.
"Evade, Thorn!" Lira shouted as the ship rocked again. The captain, teeth gritted, maneuvered the Cassiopeia out of the line of fire. But the Argo was faster, its angular silhouette looming in the viewport like a predator cornering prey.
Ren, at the engineering panel, rerouted power to the shields. His mechanical arm trembled, but he didn't stop. "Lira, your plan's not working!" he roared. "They're still shooting!"
"Give me a second!" she snapped, her voice shaking with strain. She sent a new command, weaving fragments of her memories-library, medallion, her mother's voice-into the interference. If Argo was tied to the network, it might distract them. The screen flickered, and the firing paused for a moment.
"Got 'em!" Mira, the star-tattooed technician, exclaimed, watching the sensors. "Their sensors are glitching!"
The relief was short-lived. The speakers crackled, and a cold, mechanical voice from Argo cut through the noise: "Lira Kaine, surrender. You carry the key to the network. We cannot allow it to spread."
Lira froze. They knew about the network. And her. She recalled the signal's image: people in black uniforms burning documents, a three-rayed symbol. Argo wasn't random hunters. They were keepers-or executioners-of what her mother had created.
"Who are you?" she shouted into the transmitter. "Why are you after me?"
The response came swiftly: "We are the Order of the Three Rays. Your mother betrayed us. She stole the crystal to protect the network. We must destroy it-and you, if you stand in our way."
Lira felt the blood drain from her face. Her mother, a traitor? She remembered her words: The network will consume us if we're not careful. But why hide the crystal if she wanted to stop the network? And why was Lira the key?
The ship jolted again, and Thorn cursed. "Kaine, they're firing again! Do something, or we're all dead!"
Lira looked at Ren, his face taut but his eyes saying, You can do this. She nodded and patched into the transmitter, amplifying the signal. But instead of interference, she sent a message-not to Argo, but to the network. She closed her eyes, letting her memories flood out: her mother, the library, the medallion, her fear and hope. Avis, she thought. If you're there, help.
The screen flickered, and Avis's face-not the shadow's, but real, with her soft smile-appeared for a moment. "Lira," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm trying." The image vanished, but the sensors showed Argo veering off course, as if something had thrown it into confusion.
"What the..." Mira stared at the screen. "They're pulling back!"
Lira opened her eyes, her heart pounding. Avis was there, in the network, fighting. But the signal in her head grew louder, showing a new image: Earth, covered in ruins, the library where the medallion was hidden, and shadows waiting in the dark. Above them, the Three Rays symbol, carved in stone.
"They didn't retreat," Lira said quietly. "They're heading to Earth. They know where we're going."
Ren stepped closer, his hand on her shoulder. "Then we need to be faster. What's the Order of the Three Rays?"
Lira swallowed, her voice hoarse. "They're the ones who tried to stop the network. But I don't know if they're enemies or allies. My mother feared them. And if they're right, I might be the threat, not the savior."
Thorn turned, his gaze heavy. "You talk in riddles, Kaine. But if those guys want you, I'm not handing you over. Not because I like you, but because I don't take kindly to threats."
Lira nodded, warmed by Ren's words and even Thorn's gruff support. She looked out the viewport, where the stars gleamed like beacons. Earth was less than ten hours away. But the signal in her head whispered, You'll find the medallion. But will you find yourself?
"Mira," Lira said, turning to the technician. "Check the network's frequency. If Avis is there, I want to know how to pull her out."
Mira raised an eyebrow but nodded. Ren squeezed her shoulder tighter. "We'll find her, Lira. And the answers. Together."
The ship raced toward Earth, but Lira knew-Argo and the network were one step ahead. And somewhere in the ruins of her homeworld, the truth waited, one that could save humanity. Or destroy it.