Nicholas Smith - Hell Divers

“After you land, you’re to rendezvous at the ITC HQ and campus. There are multiple buildings and warehouses in the area, but Samson has identified this building as your target.” Jordan pointed to a single structure. “We’ve preloaded the coordinates to your minicomputers. Once you acquire the fuel cells and pressure valves, you’ll return to the crates and send them back to the Hive .”

Ash cut in. “After you drop, we’ll move out of the storm and wait at a safe distance for you to return.” She loosened her grip and bent over the podium. “You have twenty-four hours to complete the mission, at which point we will move back into the storm. If we detect the beacons from the crates sooner than that, we’ll swoop in and retrieve them. Make sure you’re with them. Any questions?”

In the silence, Ash scanned the faces, stopping on X. If anyone could inspire the others, it was him.

“You want to say anything, Commander Rodriguez?” she asked.

The veteran diver stood and pushed in his chair, then walked to the front of the room and stood beside Ash. He ran his hand over the scar above his eye. She had seen him do it before when he was nervous.

“If we fail today, the human race is gone forever,” X said. “But we’re not going to let that happen, are we?” He brushed off his dented armor, using the time to command the gaze of everyone in the room. X had a presence about him—something Ash felt whenever he walked into a room. The thought of losing him made her throat constrict.

“Today we dive to a place no Hell Diver has ever returned from—a place that many of you have been told is cursed. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you Hades isn’t as bad as they say. Magnolia, Murph, and I have seen what’s down there. It’s nothing pretty. But like the rest of the surface, Hades isn’t cursed. And those things, the Sirens—they can be killed. You stay focused and alert, and you will survive. Those things may control the surface, but we still control the skies. Today, we’re going to make sure life continues up here.”

“Damn right,” Tony muttered.

“We aren’t going to let the Hive go crashing down to earth without a fight, are we?” X said, his voice louder now.

“Hell no, we aren’t!” Cruise shouted.

“We aren’t joining Ares !” another diver yelled.

“No,” X said. “We aren’t. Because today we’re going to dive faster, smarter, and stronger than we ever have before. Today we dive…”

The other divers roared in unison, “So humanity survives!”

The launch bay was teeming with activity. Technicians performed last-minute diagnostics on the drop tubes as divers hugged their family members goodbye behind an area cordoned off with rope.

X skimmed over the faces and sighed. Tin wasn’t coming, no matter how badly X wanted him here. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it would only hurt worse to see the boy before the dive.

X looked away and tapped the minicomputer on his wrist. The operating system that controlled his suit emerged behind the cracked surface. Everything looked good to go. The routine he had gone through ninety-seven times before had started, and the final count was ticking down.

Captain Ash walked through the launch bay, stopping to shake hands with each diver and wish them well. She stopped when she got to X, and pulled him aside.

“There’s something I need to tell you before you dive,” Ash said. “Let’s take a walk.”

X checked the crowd one more time, then followed Ash away from the other divers. He wasn’t feeling up for any more bad news, especially after Tin’s reaction to learning of the dive.

Ash put her hands on her hips and stared toward the portholes on the starboard side. “My throat cancer has returned,” she said.

He didn’t have any good reply to that. “I’m… I’m sorry to hear that, Captain.”

Ash continued looking at the windows for a few more seconds before returning her eyes to X. “I’ve had a good life. And I still have a few good months left. Maybe more. I’m not going to just roll over and die. I’ll use what time I have left to continue searching for a new home. Assuming you complete today’s mission.”

“We will, Captain,” X replied.

“I trust you,” she said, “and I want you to know that you can trust me, too. Whatever happens, Tin will be taken care of.”

“Thank you, Captain. I just wish he were here to say goodbye.”

Ash smiled and looked toward the crowd. X followed her eyes to a familiar shiny, peaked hat. Tin pushed through to the rope cordon and waved.

“He had a change of heart,” Ash said with a wink. “I may or may not have enticed him by telling him he could see the farm again. I’ll have an engineer take him to the emergency shelter there after he says goodbye. He can wait there until we maneuver back out of the storm. Figured another tour of the farm would help take his mind off things.”

“I appreciate that, Captain,” X said. “More than you know.” He felt a smile start on the edges of his mouth as he walked over to the rope. Tin, wearing a sheepish grin, reached out from the crowd.

X grabbed him and hoisted him over the ropes.

“I’m sorry, Tin,” he said. “I’m so sorry your life has been so tough and—”

Tin let out a groan. “Too tight. Too tight.”

“Sorry,” X said, putting him back on his feet and readjusting the foil hat he had knocked askew.

“I’m sorry about last night,” Tin said. “I’m just scared you won’t come back.”

X crouched down in front of him. “Even if I don’t, you won’t be alone. You can still talk to me. You can talk to your parents, too. We might not talk back, but that doesn’t mean we’re not listening.”

Tin looked at the ground and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small crumpled piece of paper and handed it to X. “Maybe this’ll bring you luck.”

X read the paper aloud. “Accept your past without regrets. Handle your present with confidence. Face your future without fear.”

A siren wailed in the distance. The first warning. They were almost out of time. “Thanks, Tin. This is perfect.”

Tin gave X a look that held a mix of fear and sadness. He hesitated as if unsure what to do next, then wrapped his arms around X again. He pressed his head against the hard chest armor. His curved hat scraped the stubble on X’s cheek, but X didn’t dare move. He patted Tin’s back and said softly, “It’s okay, buddy. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Please come back,” Tin murmured. Sniffling, he tilted his head back to search X’s eyes.

“I will do everything I can to make sure I do.” He knew in his heart this was true, even if it meant fighting the Sirens with a rusted blade and his bare hands.

Tin brushed a tear from his eye, sniffled again, and drew in a deep breath. “Promise?”

“I promise,” X said. He wrapped his arms around Tin once more and exchanged a nod with Captain Ash.

X winced at the second warning siren. The sound reminded him of what he was about to face on the surface below. He tightened his grip around Tin and let go a moment later.

“I have to go now,” X said.

Captain Ash grabbed Tin’s hand and led him back to the edge of the crowd. “Good luck,” she said, her gaze on X as she walked away.

X waved two fingers at Tin, then tucked the paper into his vest pocket. The other divers were already climbing into their launch tubes by the time he walked to his.

Ty helped X into his tube and closed the dome over the top. This time, X didn’t feel any of his normal predive jitters or the side effects of a hangover. His body was energized, his mind at peace, and he was focused on the mission. He had never been readier to do his duty.