Her hands were trembling, and he reached across and opened the comm link himself. Then sat down in the pilot’s seat and switched on the engines, felt the vibrations beneath his feet as the main thrusters engaged.
God, he hoped they were in time. He didn’t think Tannis could take another death. And it was his fault. If they had turned back as soon as they had heard from Skylar, then Janey would still have been alive. Or maybe not. He didn’t know anything anymore.
For a minute, there was no reply. The ship was ready for takeoff now and he turned his attention away. They were lifting into the air, and he had to concentrate on what Venna had told him about leaving the planet. They couldn’t do it without the engines, and he had to get out of there fast before they were affected.
He hit the boosters, and they shot skyward. They reached maximum speed within seconds and were beyond the planet’s atmosphere. The lights flickered and went out, the thrusters stuttering. Though they lost power, their forward momentum kept them heading in the right direction, then the lights came on and the engines burst into life.
“Come in, El Cazador.”
Silence. Then the comm unit flashed. “This is Temperance Hatcher, High Priest of the Church of Everlasting Life.”
“What do you want?”
“To destroy Trakis Seven.”
“And if I do that, you’ll let my crew go?”
“I will, but you have five minutes to comply and then the assassin dies.”
“How do we know you won’t kill them anyway?”
“Destroy Trakis Seven and we will release your ship. I’m a man of God, and the Lord does not allow his priests to lie.”
“Sanctimonious bastard,” Tannis mumbled under her breath. She was sounding stronger. Already the effects of the planet were wearing off. Callum wondered how long that would last before the sickness started to eat at her.
She was going to die, and nothing he could do would prevent it. Callum Meridian, all-powerful Leader of the fucking Universe couldn’t even save the woman he loved.
Because he did love her. If he hadn’t, if it had been some lesser emotion, then he would have ignored her demand to abort their plan. He would have carried her there, compelled her to take the Meridian treatment. But he hadn’t, because for once in his selfish life, he had followed someone else’s wishes instead of his own.
Maybe she would die not hating him. Instead of living forever and hating his guts.
She turned to him. “How long until we’re a safe distance?”
He checked the scanners. “We’re already there.”
“Then do it.”
Callum slowed their forward momentum and brought the ship into a smooth turn so she was once again facing the planet. Except it wasn’t a planet. It was a huge sentient organism. And he was about to kill it, and with it his chance of discovering more about what he was. What he was becoming. The future stretched out as an endless river of gray.
Tannis would die. And he would live forever.
“I’m sorry.” Tannis’s voice was soft.
“I know.” So am I, he added silently—though she didn’t need to hear that.
But someone did. Opening his mind, he reached out to the planet. He found Venna’s consciousness first. She was still disbelieving, and he decided it was better to leave her that way. He reached out further, found the soul of the plant.
I’m sorry.
Then he slammed his palm on the button and released the weapon. The ship shuddered under the force as the blast shot outward. A crimson bolt flared across the sky. It hit Trakis Seven within seconds, and the whole planet exploded in a huge fireball.
A scream erupted in the deep recesses of his mind.
Pain. Fear. Denial.
The organism had lived for maybe a million years, the final years alone and in exile, and it still didn’t want to die. The emotions swelled in his head, cramming his brain until he knew his mind would explode. He stared at Tannis, letting her fill his vision, and the last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him was her face.
…
Tannis stared in horror as Callum collapsed in his seat. She wanted to get up, and go to him, but she needed to finish this first. The monitor still showed the burning planet, and she pressed the keys needed to send the pictures down the live comm link.
“Are you getting this, you bastard?”
“We are. You have done God’s work. The Lord will thank you.”
“I don’t want the Lord’s thanks, just free my fucking ship, you asshole killer.”
“They are free to go. God is merciful.”
Tannis slammed her hand down, shutting off the comm link. She scrabbled to release herself from the harness and crossed over to where Callum slumped over the console. His pulse was weak, but present, and some of the tension relaxed inside her. She pulled him back, then reached across and adjusted the controls so they once again headed away from the planet.
Then she sat down in her seat and relaxed the hold she had on herself. Now, when there was no one to see her, she allowed the tears to spill over.