CHAPTER 94
WHILE WE WAITED, Jeff, Reader, and Tim fielded “why aren’t you here?” calls, the others helped or hindered with V.A.R.I.S. Relocation, and I was on a conference call with the captain of the Treeship, a female Faradawn named Othala, her chief engineer, who was a male Faradawn named Abralox, and Tevvik. Because the best weapon in the world wasn’t going to work if we couldn’t get onto the Aicirtap ships.
The Vrierst didn’t have enough of their metal balls, called cryex, to power a large enough blasting weapon that could be mounted on the helicarrier. Or rather, they did, but only just enough, and if we used them all, then they had no way to escape, because ethereal and cloudlike though they were, they could be shredded, and the Aicirtap had already proved that with half of their people.
Tempting though it was to tell them that they needed to give us what they had and trust us, the fact was that if we weren’t successful, we were going to have to load as much of humanity as possible onto the various alien ships that were here now and flee right along with everyone else. And the Vrierst ship had landed in the waters outside of D.C. and had room for refugees, meaning that we could evacuate the Embassy and White House to that ship.
So we were trying to determine if we could use, borrow, or recreate the beaming tech the Faradawn had. Abralox and his team were working with the other Vata to get this integrated somehow with the helicarrier. Didn’t know if they’d manage it in time, but Tevvik assured me they were doing their best.
The gate system was getting the workout of its existence, sending people and materials all over the world, but those at the Dome said that everything was holding up just fine. So one thing was going right.
Turned out that “all we’d need” was a dozen. Well, it was a lot better than none, or just one unwieldy one that four could use. Meaning it was time to pick the twelve people who were going to go in as Earth’s shock troops.
Anyone without hyperspeed was out, so despite Adriana, Buchanan, Len, and Kyle insisting on going, they were vetoed.
“Right now those going are me, Jeff, and Siler. I need volunteers.”
“I’m in, Missus Martini, and son, don’t start. I’m going to protect all of our people, but my current and future grandchildren most of all. It will be up to you to manage our people’s evacuation from the Embassy and White House—James and Timothy will be far too busy dealing with preparing troops for the fight.”
Felt my stomach clench. “I refuse to allow the Aicirtap to touch Earth soil.”
White smiled gently at me. “Well, that’s why we’re going, Missus Martini, is it not?”
“We’re going too,” Lorraine said, as she, Claudia, and Abigail stepped through a floater gate. She grinned at my shocked look. “You’ve been on with Jerry. He’s not a tomb when you don’t tell him to be. Our husbands called us and told us the plan.”
“We’re in,” Claudia said. “And we don’t want to hear it from you. We already had to crush Mahin, and learn some new Farsi curse words, by telling her that she had to stay at the Science Center. But, James, she’s prepping to fight on the ground. So are the rest of our people.”
“I am going,” Rahmi said, as Rhee and Gower came through a different gate.
“We are, too,” Gower said, indicating himself and Rhee. “And, Jamie, before you start, this is the best way I can protect our people right now, and you know it.”
“We know,” Reader said as he hugged his husband. “But we don’t have to like it.”
“Like has never had anything to do with what we’ve had to do,” Gower reminded him.
“This is what we came here to do,” White added. “To protect this planet that is the only home most of our people have ever known and the world that allowed us to stay when our own rejected us.”
“Girls and Paul, you all wound me by thinking I’m not jazzed to have you all be a part of this show. But that only makes ten, and we need two more.”
Another floater shimmered into view and Butler walked through it, along with someone else I hadn’t expected, Cameron Maurer. “Your small but dedicated android strike force is here to help,” Butler said. He nodded to Kozlow. “I hear you helped save my life. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Kozlow said. “Ah, sorry to ask, but where are those of us staying here on the island going once we’ve blown this place up?”
“Into the Vata ships. Per Othala, the Treeship is pretty full, and even though they’re offloading their people, they can beam them back in, since everyone’s tagged at a genetic level. They’ll take anyone who’s in the ships with them, but they won’t have room for much more.”
We didn’t have nearly enough ships for evacuation of an entire planet. Meaning that, once again, we’d just have to be successful. Well, having two androids had to be a help, right?
“I’ve downloaded all military history into both myself and Cameron,” Butler said. “Every tactic ever used in human or A-C history, and the Vata were kind enough to allow us to download their military history as well.”
The download was important for Maurer, who’d been a career politician before Cliff and his cronies had gotten their evil talons into him. And it might be the thing that saved us, too. Yay for androids. Had to sort of thank the memory of Antony Marling again. He’d been the Head of the League of Crazed Evil Geniuses for a while, but he’d also really been an artist in his own weird, dark, twisted way.
“My mother says that she knows as long as you’re leading we’ll make it, Kitty,” Maurer said. “She also said that she has everyone you personally care about either in the Bunker or with her, prepared to go in case of evacuation, the entire K-Nine squad included.”
“I love your mother.”
“I will be going with you as well,” Wruck said.
“Sorry, Martian Manhunter, we don’t have a weapon for you.”
He laughed. “I am the weapon. And I can talk to those of my kind who are on the Z’porrah ship. Most of our people use their shifting ability to avoid frightening the locals, so to speak. Or else we use it to impress them. And, of course, to survive on alien worlds. It’s time I showed at least some of our people how to use the power we have naturally for guerilla warfare. I’ve already had V.A.R.I.S. reprogram herself to listen to and obey Charles.”
Wanted to tell him no, that he needed to stay here and stay safe and protect people, my family in particular. But that was what my team was doing—protecting everyone. And I couldn’t ask him to be less or risk less than the rest of us. “Works for me.”
My phone beeped. A text from Tevvik. The beaming situation was solved due to a suggestion from one of the Q’vox scientists who’d been called in. At least in a way. But it was something that could be done quickly. Shared that it needed to be done for thirteen of us, including two androids, and was thankfully told that wouldn’t be an issue. If they could get the core of the devices to work, which wasn’t yet a given. Chose not to share this last part.
“The Faradawn have come through in a pinch, so we can assume that we’ll have beaming capability by the time the weapons are done. So, Colonel Butler, what’s our plan?”
He looked like he was trying not to laugh, which was kind of cool to see—it meant his human side was really still there, because machines didn’t usually have a sense of humor. V.A.R.I.S., for example, was a particularly dry Operating System. Maurer looked amused, too. Go Team Android and Android Repair. We had this.
“After reviewing all of three different races’ military histories,” Butler said, very clearly trying not to laugh, “and regardless of anything else and paramount to every rule, idea, or suggestion, the bottom line is this: Follow the leader who always wins and do what they say regardless of whether or not you feel their plan is correct or will work. So, Kitty, what’s your plan?”
Everyone stared at me. I had nothin’, because without the beaming tech confirmed, any idea of mine wouldn’t work.
A Poof appeared before me. Mous-Mous, Jamie’s Poof. It mewed at me, then coughed something up. A Z’porrah power cube. Picked the cube and Mous-Mous up. “Oh, I like where your head’s at.” Snuggled the Poof and got a mighty purr in return.
Mous-Mous then mewed again, this time angrily. Got the distinct impression that, even though Harlie was the Head Poof, Mous-Mous was one of the Top Poofs in Charge, because twenty other Poofs appeared, Harlie and Poofikins included. And each one of them barfed up a power cube.
My music chose this moment to start up again—Panic! At the Disco’s “Victorious.” I’d heard that on repeat long enough during the endgame of Operation Madhouse to know exactly what Algar meant. This time on the very first try. I could be taught.
Smiled brightly. “Well then, we’re going to do what’s always worked. We’re going with the crazy.”