Nicholas Smith - Deliverance

Every cubic inch of soil inside the farm had gone through a rigorous decontamination process. Several farmers were already planting hybrid seeds into the brown expanse. In a few days, the first seeds would sprout, providing new food for the still-hungry population.

X stopped at the armory next. They had finally found a way to unlock the vault and had been rewarded with a bounty of weapons and ammunition. Enough to wage a war—or end a world. Again.

Dozens of nuclear bombs and missiles were still armed, and so far engineering hadn’t been able to find a way to unlock the weapons system. If it were up to X, he would dump them all into the ocean if he had the chance.

He sighed and pushed on to his destination. The clean white bridge bustled with staff, closely monitoring the screens. Officers surrounded the island in the middle of the room while others worked at stations along the bulkheads. New monitors and other equipment, salvaged from the surface, flashed data and images to the men and women running the airship.

Michael and Magnolia were standing at the helm, watching the main display with their backs to the entrance. Katrina was there, too, sitting in the captain’s chair. Voted in unanimously, she was calling the shots these days.

The room quieted as X strode toward the central island.

“Sir,” someone said, saluting.

X nodded back and forced a smile when Michael and Magnolia turned. Layla got up from a radar station, gritting her teeth against the pain. It was good to see her on her feet again after spending a month in the medical ward.

“We’re ready,” X said, glancing down at Miles.

Katrina hesitated, then nodded. “Let’s go.” On the way out, she looked over at Lieutenant Les Mitchells, her new XO. “You have the bridge.”

The former XO, Lieutenant Hunt, was currently serving time in the brig with Ensign Ryan for conspiracy. Their excuse of “just following orders” hadn’t gone over well with Katrina. She had wanted to execute them both, but Michael saved their lives, arguing that they needed to save every warm body they could now that Jordan’s reign of terror was at an end.

X wasn’t so sure, but it wasn’t up to him. His time as a Hell Diver and citizen of the Hive was over.

He walked out of the bridge and took a ladder to the lower decks, where the cargo hold was full to the brim with technicians, engineers, and other support staff, all of them working on the boat that would serve as his new home.

It sat on a track near the cargo doors, ready for launch. X examined the vessel for several minutes, admiring the excellent job the crew had done on it. When he had seen the ITC model on a raid several weeks ago, he knew it was the vessel he would take out onto the open seas. The twin hull was maximized for stability at high speeds in versatile conditions. It also sported a broad deck, perfect for walking around when not in the command center.

“She’s a beauty,” Samson announced. He walked over with a wrench in his hand and a wistful look in his eyes. “Fully equipped with two turbocharged engines and battery power that will keep you charged for extended periods. She’s even got two heads on board.”

Miles sat on his haunches, watching as an engineer finished welding on a panel to the hull—the final step to completion. The rectangular metal slab was painted with a silhouette of a Siberian husky, and the name “Sea Wolf”—X’s idea.

“That’s you, boy,” X said, crouching and pointing.

The dog tilted his head and looked up at X. His eyes were the color that the sky and the sea had once been. Someday, when the storms finally cleared and people returned to the surface, the whole world would be wrapped in that shade of blue. He patted Miles on his head and noticed that the dark fur was starting to turn gray.

We’re both getting old , he thought.

Samson smiled and dragged a sleeve across his sweaty forehead. “The Sea Wolf is one hell of a vessel, if I do say so myself. Those thick hulls will protect you from radiation and will manage smoothly in rough waters.”

“I just hope it’s as stealthy as it looks,” X said. “If I’m going to reach those metal islands, I’ll need to sneak up on the Cazadores.”

“And what about once you get there?”

X shrugged. “Guess I’ll kill ’em all.”

“That’s why I keep telling you to bring someone else with you,” Samson said. “But Miles will help, right?”

The husky wagged his tail and barked excitedly. Magnolia, Katrina, Layla, Michael, and Les gathered around to admire the boat. After a few minutes, the room slowly cleared, leaving the divers alone with Samson. They met in front of the thick glass windows built into the bow, where a command center would provide X with all the navigation tools he needed to find the metal islands.

The ship would do what Deliverance and the Hive couldn’t, traveling low enough to find the Cazadores’ fabled homeland, where the sun still shone.

“You’re sure I can’t change your mind about staying?” Michael asked.

X turned away from the boat to look at Michael. The skinny kid in the tinfoil hat had grown into a fine young man over the past decade. And now he was going to help Katrina lead humanity into a fragile, but hopeful, future.

“Nope,” X said. “It’s time for me to head out. Leave saving the human race to you young folks.”

Michael frowned. “You talk like you’re a hundred years old.”

“Besides, I kind of like it better down there than up here,” X said.

Katrina looked over at him. There was concern in her gaze, but nothing more. They were lovers once, but their time had long since passed. Her duty was to stay here and keep the remnants of humanity safe while he searched for a home on the seas. She reached forward to shake his hand, but he gave her a hug instead, patting her gently and kissing her on the cheek.

“Good luck, Captain DaVita,” he whispered.

“You too, Commander.”

Layla hugged X next. She sniffed and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand as they pulled apart. “I’m still mad at you for leaving,” she said.

“I know. Take care of Tin for me, will you?”

Then came Les. They shook hands and X said, “Thank you for everything you did.”

The tall lieutenant smiled. “Just following your lead, sir.”

He looked back at Michael, then reached out to embrace him. The boy had grown up strong, both mentally and physically. X wished he had been there for him while it was happening, but Tin had turned out okay anyway.

“You remind me of your dad,” X said, cracking a smile. “He’d be very proud of you. And so am I.”

They separated, and X heaved a long sigh as he looked at Magnolia. But instead of reaching out to embrace him, she grabbed a large duffel bag from Les.

“What are you doing?” X asked.

She grinned, and some of the old sparkle returned to her eyes. It had been dimmed by Rodger’s death, but nothing, not even the end of world, could keep Magnolia Katib down.

“I’m coming with. You didn’t think I was going to let you get payback for Rodger without me, did you?”

Miles looked up at X, then at Magnolia, apparently as confused as X was. X wasn’t sure how he felt about having human company, but he could tell by the look in Magnolia’s eyes that she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

An announcement played over the PA system, warning everyone to get to their safety shelters. Timothy’s holographic form emerged after the message. He smiled warmly.

“ Deliverance will undock from the Hive in five minutes,” he said. “Please prepare for descent.”

“Thanks, Pepper,” X said. He looked at the divers one last time and then picked up Miles. He carried the dog over to the ladder and climbed up to the deck.