Nicholas Smith - Wolves

Les led the group toward the closed hangar-bay door.

“You heard the captain; everyone, suit up.”

Layla helped Michael into his armor. They were face-to-face, close enough that no one but her could hear him.

“Do you think this is the right move?” he murmured.

“I don’t know what the right move is anymore, Tin. I mean, they found a place we can call home, but it’s going to cost us to take it for ourselves. And… I just don’t know. I’m afraid.”

Michael raised his left hand into the air so she could cinch the strap on his back securing his armor. She leaned in closer.

“I’m afraid we will lose our own humanity if we go to war for the Metal Islands,” she whispered.

“Me, too. But they have X, Mags, and Miles, and they killed Rodger. We have to fight them.”

“Maybe there’s another way…”

Michael turned so she could finish securing the clasps on his sides. He closed his eyes against another jolt of pain. When he opened them again, he saw Trey and Les embracing.

“I love you and will see you soon,” Les said. “Be careful.”

“I love you, too. Tell Phyl and Mom that I love them, too.”

Les hugged his son again and then put on his helmet, looking in Michael and Layla’s direction.

“You almost ready?” he asked them.

Layla and Michael finished suiting up in front of the hangar door. As soon as they had secured their helmets, Les hit a button on the bulkhead, and the ancient door cranked open, letting in a gust of wind and rain. It was coming down in sheets from the dark skies. Lightning rickracked across the eastern horizon.

“You sure this is safe?” Layla asked.

Katrina stepped up behind them, holding one of the black laser rifles. “Safe as we’re going to get,” she replied, opening the rifle’s battery compartment and removing the battery. “Les, I’d like you to take this up there and hold onto it. If we end up sending Hell Divers to the Metal Islands we will need at least one of these for the dives.”

He grabbed the weapon and threw the new sling over his shoulder.

“Keep that locked away,” Katrina said, handing him the battery separately. “A single bolt could cause a disaster in the skies.”

“Will do, Captain.”

Michael stared up into the black vault. They waited in silence, with nothing but the thunder and the creak of metal to fill the void of words.

Katrina put her finger to her earpiece and walked back into the hangar. “Yes, I copy you, Ensign White.

She nodded and said, “Okay, good news. We’re almost ready.”

Katrina rejoined the divers near the open door. “Ensign White thinks he can get the ship low enough to drop ropes.”

A whirring came out of the storm—a sound Michael knew well. The turbofans churned through the clouds as Deliverance lowered. He still couldn’t see the hull, but far above, the darkness seemed to lighten.

“Easy,” Katrina breathed.

Rays penetrated the darkness, and spotlights turned the USS Zion ’s decks bright as the daylight she had imagined all her life.

“There she is,” Layla said.

Michael watched the massive vessel descend, its thrusters firing periodically to hold the ship steady.

Overhead, the hangar door to the belly of the airship slowly opened, and he could see the blue glow of battery packs. Ropes dangled to the Zion ’s weather deck, and Les ran out to grab them.

He used carabiners to clip them to the deck cleats. The ship rocked slightly from the wave action, but remained steady overhead.

The first thing down was a supply crate.

Trey and Jaideep hurried over to secure it, then wheeled it on a dolly back into the hangar.

“Our fuel cell and food for the trip,” Katrina said. “Plus some extra ammunition.”

Next came the other divers. The blue glow of five battery units winked on above and started down the ropes, swaying in the wind and rain.

Les, Trey, and Jaideep waited to help them.

One by one, the new divers hit the deck. They ran to the garage with multiple weapons slung over their shoulders and more holstered on their hips and legs. Bandoliers stuffed with shotgun shells and belts of high-caliber rounds hung over chest armor.

Michael had never seen such heavily armed divers before, but they would need every gun and bullet for this mission. They would also need the contents of the crates Alexander and Jed carried. Inside were drones and other recon equipment from the armory on Deliverance . They also had EMP grenades that could be used to fry small and large grids.

He turned as Jaideep embraced his brother.

“I was so damn worried about you, man!” Vish said.

Jed, Sandy, Eevi, and Alexander stowed their packs and weapons in the hangar, then came together in a small group while Katrina walked over to the departing divers.

“Lieutenant, if there’s anything you want to say about this plan, now is the time,” she said to Les. “I need to make sure I can count on you to follow my orders once you get back to the Hive .”

“You can,” Les said. “Just take care of my boy.”

“Do what I can’t do, Captain,” Michael said. “Save X, Mags, and Miles. I wish I could help.”

A wave of dizziness rushed over him, and he closed his eyes to let it pass.

“I’ll do everything, Commander. You have my word.” Katrina reached out but stopped short of clapping him on the shoulder. She moved to Layla and gave her a hug. Finally, she went to shake Les’ hand. They embraced instead.

“Good luck, Les,” she said. “Remember, start with the militia, I don’t want panic to spread on the airships.”

“Understood, Captain. Good luck to you as well.” He looked to Trey one last time and gestured for Layla and Michael to follow him onto the deck. The rain beat down on the divers as they made their way out.

“We’ll secure Michael first!” Les shouted over the noise of the storm.

Layla moved into position. Once Michael was tied in, he looked up at the airship, raised his hand over his head, and rotated it in circles.

A winch started at the top, and he rose off the deck, swaying in the violent wind.

His earpiece crackled. “Commander Everhart, there’s something you should hear,” Katrina said over a private channel.

He looked down to the deck. Layla and Les were tying in to ride up next, clearly oblivious to what Katrina was saying.

“This is a recorded transmission from X.”

Michael’s heart leaped with hope when he heard X’s gravelly voice in his helmet.

“This message is for Michael. As you may know, I’ve found the Metal Islands. I know I told you not to come for us, but we’re here now and it’s everything Janga said it would be, plus some.”

The wind howled, making it difficult to hear.

Michael held the rope as it bowed in a gust.

“By the time you hear this, we will likely be dead,” X said. “But when you do come, prepare to face a brutal enemy—worse than the Sirens. Avenge Miles. Avenge Magnolia, and promise me that when you make this humanity’s future, you won’t resort to barbarism like the Cazadores. I dived so humanity would survive. I dived for this place. I love you, Tin. Be good, fight hard, and remember what you told me: Accept your past without regrets. Handle your present with confidence. Face your future without fear.” He paused for a moment. “I’ll always be here for you in spirit, kid.”

The transmission shut off, leaving Michael with goose bumps prickling his arm. He looked out over the swollen storm clouds, wondering whether this was how X felt when he was left behind all those years ago.

A tear rolled down his cheek. He took in a long, deep breath. This wasn’t the time to despair.