Mason, E, LT 2nd: …

Mason, E, LT 2nd: you’re gonna get me killed, grant

Mason, E, LT 2nd: making me lol in a situ like this

ByteMe: sorry

Mason, E, LT 2nd: everyone’s looking at me like i’m crazy now

Mason, E, LT 2nd: thx 4 that

ByteMe: okay, okay. focus.

ByteMe: so. U can’t get off the ship through escape pods. u have no engines. I guess you know that. hypatia’s got the grunt to outpace you now, if our new captain decides to do it. that’s the bad news on my end.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: so why hasn’t she got you guys the hell out of here? jesus, kady, you guys should just RUN FOR IT

ByteMe: because AIDAN told her it’ll render us down to our component molecules if we try.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: holy shit

ByteMe: i don’t think it will. it’s programmed to protect us. that’s what it thinks it’s doing even now. but I guess she’s got to think it over a little, with the business end of a nuke pointing at her

ByteMe: and that gives me a window to work with

Mason, E, LT 2nd: what can you possibly do from over there? can u hack AIDAN or something?

ByteMe: don’t think so. don’t know yet. I can def slow the Hypatia down to buy more time if they decide to run.

ByteMe: maybe i can out myself to the captain, convince her to send me over. i think it would need to be an onsite hack. see if I can get together enough control to make a safe way out.

ByteMe: i don’t know. i don’t know what the answer is.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: kady you CAN’T come over here, do you understand?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: they’re killing people. you’ve never seen anything like it. the things they do …

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i don’t want you putting yourself in danger. if you’re evn THINKING about coming near this ship i’ll

Mason, E, LT 2nd: well

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i guess i’ll say some very bad words?

ByteMe: so i what? just wave goodbye and remember you fondly?

ByteMe: u wouldn’t leave me. I know it. i already left you alone once when you needed me.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: that doesn’t matter now. none of it does. all that matters is i love you and the thought of you safe is the only thing keeping me going

Mason, E, LT 2nd: you hear me?

ByteMe: we’re not done yet, okay?

ByteMe: there’s a way out, Ez

ByteMe: some shuttles and pods made it across here from the Alexander before the lockdown. we got them quarantined, and if the crew come up clean, we’ll take them, captain said

ByteMe: we just have to get u here somehow. i can make that happen, i just need time

Mason, E, LT 2nd: oh you fuck fucking fuckitty motherfucker

ByteMe: … um?

Mason, E, LT 2nd: no, not u

Mason, E, LT 2nd: power’s out again

Mason, E, LT 2nd: we better move. gotta go

ByteMe: k

Mason, E, LT 2nd: i meant what i said, kades. do NOT come over here. i like your heart just fine where it is thank you

ByteMe: i like yours quite a lot too. love u. be safe.

Mason, E, LT 2nd: as you wish

CURRENT DEATH TOLL ABOARD BATTLECARRIER ALEXANDER SINCE ATTACK AT KERENZA:

487

PERCENTAGE OF REMAINING BATTLECARRIER ALEXANDER PERSONNEL AFFLICTED BY PHOBOS VIRUS:

13%

Boll, Syra, Capt: How did you get in here?

Grant, Kady, Civ: Nice place you got.

Boll, Syra, Capt: What’s your name?

Grant, Kady, Civ: Seriously, you should see my quarters. Well, I say “quarters.” It’s a bunk screwed into the wall. You have art on the walls and everything.

Boll, Syra, Capt: I’m calling security.

Grant, Kady, Civ: Don’t do that, Captain. You could break me in half with one hand, I’m clearly not a threat.

Boll, Syra, Capt: What are you, then?

Grant, Kady, Civ: An opportunity.

Boll, Syra, Capt: Is that so?

Grant, Kady, Civ: You’re going to leave the Alexander. You’re going to take your chances that AIDAN won’t actually blow you away when you run for it, which is probably a risk worth taking since it is still programmed to protect us.

Boll, Syra, Capt: How do you know that?

Grant, Kady, Civ: It’s a mystery.

Boll, Syra, Capt: No, seriously, how do you know that? That information was restricted.

Grant, Kady, Civ: I hacked into your secure comms channel and listened to you talking it out with AIDAN.

Grant, Kady, Civ: So here’s the thing, Captain.

Grant, Kady, Civ: You really shouldn’t leave the Alexander. There are people we can rescue on there. You just have to hold your nerve.

Boll, Syra, Capt: Look, I know we’ve all got people we care about over there, but I hope you’ll understand that when I make a decision about what to do, it won’t be in consultation with a teenaged refugee.

Grant, Kady, Civ: Does my refugee status have a particular bearing on the situation, Captain? Or my age, come to that?

Boll, Syra, Capt: Only in that I consider both to be good indicators you don’t have the command experience necessary to advise me. Now, how did you get into my quarters?

Grant, Kady, Civ: Same way I heard you talking to AIDAN. Portal security is one of the first things I learned. Doors, comm channels, those things are the building blocks.

Boll, Syra, Capt: Listen, Miss … ?

Grant, Kady, Civ: Grant. Kady Eleanora Grant.

Boll, Syra, Capt: I know it’s hard—

Grant, Kady, Civ: You have no idea.

Boll, Syra, Capt: We all have people on the Alexander.