When Luck Runs Out by Terry Mixon

Author:Terry Mixon [Mixon, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781947376366
Published: 2020-11-06T22:00:00+00:00

21

Talbot got to Persephone’s bridge about the same time as the ship flipped back to Twilight River. The destroyer had pushed her engines hard and made record time.

The admiral was in the center seat and turned to face him as he entered the bridge. “It’s good to see you, Talbot. I was getting worried. What’s this I hear about my wife still being stuck in there? What happened?”

He stopped next to the admiral’s chair and grimaced. “I thought we were all going to get out, but she got separated from us at the last minute. If I had to guess, she went off to look at something and got stuck. Carl went back in with a couple of marines to get her.

“Nothing I saw down there leads me to believe that she’s in imminent danger, though there’s some risk. The machines still work, so it’s possible that she’s gotten into something dangerous.”

Talbot took a deep breath and shook his head. “I don’t know if you’ve had time to look at the report I sent, but the technology down there is amazing. I’m pretty damn sure it transferred several of us to a planet closer to the galactic core than humans have ever been. We’re talking about tens of thousands of light-years in an instant. It was like magic.

“We found an ancient city where the one building I looked at still had an operating machine inside of it that kept it clean. Hell, it managed to synthesize food and water after millions of years. The water was still perfect, and even the food was edible.”

Admiral Mertz rubbed his eyes. “It sounds amazing, but it’s a distraction that I think we could do without right now. I’ve got some bad news for you too. Kelsey made a deal with Julia and switched places with her to go on this mission. Against my orders, I might add.”

Talbot shook his head. “You really should’ve watched more of those old Terran vids. That was a trope in movies with twins.”

“Probably. Still, it’s done.”

He found himself frowning. “While I shudder to think about what my wife can get into while I’m not looking, why would you stop her from going? She’s the best-qualified person we have to lead it. When I went down into the obelisk, she was already going to be the one leading it. What changed?”

His brother-in-law stood and gestured toward the hatch. “Let’s take this to the wardroom. I have something that I need to tell you.”

As soon as the wardroom hatch had closed behind them, he asked the question that was on his mind. “Why exactly was my wife not supposed to go on this mission?”

“I really wish she was here to tell you herself,” Jared said, “but you deserve to hear the truth. She’s pregnant.”

He found himself blinking in shock, the words not making a lot of sense. “Pregnant? She has a contraceptive implant. How is that even possible?”

Jared nodded. “The EMP knocked out her contraceptive implant, and she must’ve gotten pregnant very shortly after that since she’s about five months pregnant.

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