The Flawed Design by A.R. Knight

Author:A.R. Knight
Format: epub

Leo had it right. His idea was pretty far out there. We walked all the way back to the freight elevator, then took the only other path. The one marked Airlock. Much like the one I’d been stuck in outside the University, the airlock presented itself as clean, white, coated with warnings. The narrowing walls broke up their panels with inventory lockers, most already emptied.

“We ransacked these a long time ago,” Leo said as we walked. “Space suits had good fabric, materials we used for parts. None of us thought we’d be going outside again.”

“Why?” Delta asked. “Starship might have needed you to fix something.”

“Nothing the Voices couldn’t get a mech to do. Remember, it all might look like garbage now, but when I came down here, Starship was stable. Hell, I’d put myself in charge.”

“For all the good that did,” I muttered.

Leo sighed, “Younger me kept thinking I’d be able to make everything great with a little more power, a little more control. Now I know better.”

The airlock itself waited for us behind a thick pearl-white door. A lever on the right side waited to open our portal. A narrow glass window looked into the antiseptic space beyond, containing some bars to hold onto and a long grapple line for any would-be space walkers.

“Now what?” Delta asked.

“Now you two take the scenic route,” Leo said. “I’ll open the airlock. You two go outside, walk up Starship to the top, and get back in there.”

“Outside?” I asked. “As in, space?”

“Pretty sure that’s the only thing outside Starship right now,” Leo replied, his eyes twinkling in a way I found a little menacing. “Look, there’s ladders everywhere out there. Couldn’t be easier. Follow the rungs to their end.”

“How will we get the airlock open up there?” I asked. “Can we do it ourselves?”

“That’s where it’ll get tricky. These guys were designed to keep the outside, well, out. You’d always need a partner to let you back in,” Leo replied, putting a hand on the lever. “Though I bet if Delta can get that blade all the way, she might be able to carve a path.”

“Taking a crazy risk,” Kaydee mused, lounging against the airlock door. “Leo being Leo right there.”

What other choice did we have? Every minute brought Alpha closer to the Voices, closer to controlling every bit of Starship. Once he had that, Alpha could wipe Beta, Val, and the other humans, could fill every hallway with his mechs. We’d get destroyed or assimilated. Leo and his Forgers too.

“We can do it,” Delta announced. “Let’s go.”

I nodded at Leo, “You heard her.”

The man was only too happy to push the lever down. The airlock swung open. Delta led the way, Alvie and I following. As I went by Leo, I stopped.

“I heard Clara. I know what your group is trying to do,” I said, “but farther aft, there are others struggling to survive. They could use your help.” Leo winced, so I continued. “Think about it. You can’t afford to hide anymore.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.