Critical Path

Charlie knelt by the table. “I’ll keep this brief, as it’s complicated right now. If Aimee is to be believed, because of my actions, a croatoan ship, a planet destroyer, is heading for Earth. We need you to leave immediately and bring back Mike. Tell him we need another bomb. If they’re telling the truth, and I have to be honest, right now I see no reason for them to lie about this, then we’re in serious trouble, and I need to act.”

Both women stared at him for a few seconds before Layla spoke. “Wait, what? You want to take a bomb on a ship that has the ability to destroy a planet, that isn’t even here yet? What the hell…”

“There’s a transport gate on an alien planet,” Charlie added. “We need to destroy that gate. Without it the croatoan ships don’t have the ability to get here. We’ll be safe for the foreseeable future. Some local croatoans are trying to fix a craft for us to transport the bomb. It’s a one-way mission.”

“And we’re both going,” Denver said.

“Local croatoans, a planet with a transport gate, you’re insane,” Layla said. “You believe all this? Where’s all this coming from, Aimee, Augustus?”

“Hagellan,” Charlie said. The name had a neutralizing effect on Layla. Her mouth hung open and she flopped back on the couch.

“So, you know this creature?” Denver asked.

“Augustus mentioned Hagellan a couple of times, usually when threatening us. The main council didn’t interact with me and those like me in stasis; that privilege was left to Augustus. Is Hagellan here?”

“Yeah, he’s overseeing this crashed ship’s repairs and planning the mission, apparently,” Denver said.

“What about this other planet? Does one-way mission mean suicide mission?” Maria asked, her face pale.

“We’ll find out when we meet him tomorrow,” Charlie said.

“Jesus Christ, Charlie, why can’t the goddamned aliens just—”

“Layla,” Charlie said, raising his voice. “We could talk for hours about this, but it won’t help. I’ve considered every angle. You need to trust me on this. Take Maria and bring back Mike. Tell him we need a bomb. I simply can’t take the risk of them lying or telling the truth. If they’re setting me up, then fine, but if not and I choose to do nothing, then it won’t just be me that loses out.”

Maria gazed into her goblet, sloshing her tea round in a circular motion. Denver leaned forward and held her wrist. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head and sighed. “I hardly understood a word of what you were discussing. In Freetown, I had purpose and felt like I made a difference. I’m out of my depth here.”

“Which is why we want you to go back. All we ask is you bring Mike to us; we don’t want to get you in any deeper,” Denver said, his voice low and caring.

“Thank you,” she said, “I’m sorry I’m of no more use. I’m better at Freetown, helping those people rebuild their lives—kind of how I’m trying to rebuild mine.”

Charlie closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Another good person screwed up by the croatoans. The moment Maria had a glimmer of hope and aspiration, after spending most of her existence as a slave, the aliens threatened to violently rip it away. But staying at Freetown would be best for her. He didn’t want her bumping into a clone of herself—the poor girl had enough confusion to deal with already.

“You’re making the right decision,” Charlie said. “Go back and do some good. Layla, I think you should do the same.”

Layla stood and walked to Denver’s side. She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so, Charlie. If he’s going, I’m going. I won’t let you both do this without me—and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Denver looked up to her. She rested her hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him. Layla had made a pleasing transformation since being a croatoan patsy—though whether she could be completely trusted, only time would tell.

“It all depends on what Hagellan has got to say,” Charlie said. “We can’t make any concrete plans until we’ve got all the facts. If there’s no chance of coming back, not even a glimmer, and we can’t survive on the planet, then neither of you are going.”

Denver sprang up and started to say something.

Charlie cut him off. “My word is final. You two,” he said, pointing to Maria and Layla, “can you please return to Freetown and bring Mike to us? The quicker we get moving on this, the better.”

In the tense silence, Maria and Layla both nodded their agreement.

“Good. Hopefully this will all work out.”

Hopefully.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Augustus paced around his office, fuming about being under house arrest.

An armed guard remained outside the door and two more outside the ludus. But what Aimee didn’t know was that particular guard by the door was one of Augustus’ trusted spies.

He thought about his future strategy. He needed to move quickly.

After the two incompetent idiots failed him in Aimee’s chamber, she allowed him to be humiliated. He had more class in his little toe than that self-important whore. He wouldn’t make her go through the same indignity, though; a swift death would be more appropriate.