Stone’s hands glowed softly with healing magic as she knelt beside Mercer, her expression focused and calm. The faint shimmer of her spell flickered across Mercer’s pale face as the sharpshooter leaned against a crate. Kade could see Mercer's wound she had torn open start to knit itself closed. Healing magic may be a lifesaver, but watching the spell put someone back together like that was still weird, Kade thought.

  Kade leaned against a charred piece of machinery, watching the exchange with a critical eye. Stone moved with clinical care, but her fingers brushed Mercer's arm a moment longer than necessary. A medic was watching over her patient. Kade frowned, then dismissed it. Not her business. It didn’t affect the mission, and that was the only line that mattered right now.

  Stone moved on, her glowing hands pressing against an injured pirate’s leg. The man hissed in pain but didn’t resist, his face softening as the wound closed. Kade noted how the pirates’ earlier hostility seemed to wane, replaced by quiet awe or perhaps gratitude.

  "Healing magic. I wouldn't have believed it in a million years if I hadn't seen it for myself," one pirate muttered, his voice low.

  "Shut it," snapped another.

  A wiry man who stepped forward still had blood on his knuckles and ash streaked down one cheek. His close-cropped beard twitched as his jaw worked something out. Probably the odds of living, Kade thought. His eyes darted from Kade to the doorway, to the bodies, then back to her. His stance wasn’t aggressive, but it didn’t read as surrender either. He looked like someone who had survived this long by saying just enough and keeping his boots pointed toward the nearest exit.

  "I’m Stan Goldsmith," he said at last. His voice was rough but steady. "Guess that makes you the one in charge now. So… what’s the play?"

  Kade didn’t move right away. Her hand rested on her hip, near the cutlass hanging at her side. She looked relaxed, but anyone who’d seen real fighting could tell she was wound tight. Her gaze stayed locked on Stan as if she were calculating how much effort it would take to kill him if this turned ugly.

  "That depends," she said. "I’ve got some questions. Once I get answers, we’ll decide what happens next."

  Stan’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded. Behind him, the pirates exchanged uneasy glances. The undercurrent of what they weren't openly saying among themselves was palpable.

  "We just want to get out of here. Somewhere safe. This whole place… t’s cursed, or worse. The entire world is a hellscape now," a young pirate spoke up.

  "Safe isn’t free," she said coolly. "I’ll hear your answers first. Then we’ll talk about safe."

  "Do you know of any place safe? I've been sailing with Naomi since this whole thing started, and all we've seen are burning cities and death," Stan replied.

  Kade stood still momentarily, trying to decide how she wanted to play the conversation. Technically, the pirates were her prisoners, but she didn't have enough people to secure them properly. She didn't want to be responsible for the pirates getting slaughtered if she restrained them, and they could not defend themselves if more security constructions came wandering by. After a moment, she made up her mind. These people didn't act like hardened criminals. No, they acted like people who had just been through the cataclysm and were doing what they needed to survive.

  "We spent the first few days on the ocean trying to make it back. It wasn't pretty," Kade said. "The deep ocean will not be easily traveled soon."

  "From there, we've been trying to find survivors, supplies, and information in that general order. We kept finding information about an SMC fall back position and were hoping to find safe harbor. As you can see around us, you know how well that is working out."

  "Now it's your turn," Kade said.

  "The Window's Grin was one of those cheesy tourist sailing ships. You know, the ones that sail close to land but give you a taste of what it was supposedly like when sailing ships like her were the norm. I'll spare you all the details, but things were bad right after the Simulation Reboot. We were up in Boston, and all hell broke loose," Stan explained.

  "Naomi grabbed as many dock workers as possible, and we took off as fast. We scavenged for weapons and supplies as we made our way down the coast, looking for a safe port. Everything was going ok until Naomi hit level five and got her class."

  Kade crossed her arms and leaned slightly forward, her gaze sharp as she addressed Stan. "What’s Naomi’s class? How did things change once she got her class?"

  "Pirate Queen," he said. "That’s what she called it. She bragged it was some rare class, I guess. That's what she said, anyway. None of the rest of us got anything special like that. Most of us are fighters, rogues, or some sort of variation of those."

  Kade’s expression didn’t shift, but she kept her focus on Stan, waiting for him to elaborate.

  "At first, it seemed like a blessing. She was already a good leader, but after that, it was like she could read the room before anyone spoke. She’d anticipate things, knew how to inspire the crew or, at least, she did at the start." He hesitated, then rubbed the back of his neck. "But the longer it went on, the worse things got. She claimed that nobody could be trusted. Even the ones closest to her weren’t safe. Everyone was out to take what was hers."

  After a brief pause, Stan continued. "And then there was… the fear. When she gave an order, it wasn’t just because she was the captain and you followed. It was like… you didn’t have a choice. You could feel it, like a knot in your chest, and you’d do what she said because the alternative was… worse."

  "She’s paranoid, and she has a class that scares the hell out of people. That’s it?" Kade said.

  "Not quite," Stan replied. "She’s mentioned a quest. A few times. Something about taking what’s hers, about ruling. She hasn’t said much, but you can tell it’s eating at her. Everything she does now feels like it’s part of whatever this thing is. She’s obsessed. It’s like the class gave her more than she can handle."

  Kade absorbed the information in silence, her mind working through the implications. Pirate Queen. It sounded like it would be a unique variant of her class. She knew the Corsair class was a balance of leadership and combat. But Pirate Queen? It sounded like something dangerous. While her class inspired, Naomi was about fear and control. Two different sides of the same coin.

  Stan glanced at his crew, then back at Kade. "Look, that’s all I know. She doesn’t share much, and what little she does is usually when she’s ranting. I just know whatever she’s after, it’s big. It’s got her convinced she’s untouchable."

  "You said Naomi brought her crew here for a reason. What’s her plan? What’s she after?"

  Stan scratched at his beard, his shoulders slumping as he sighed. "Like I said, she doesn’t tell us much. But from what I'm guessing, she wants this station as a base."

  "That's not exactly what she said," the young pirate from earlier spoke up. "She said she needed something here. She was never clear if she needed this place as a base or if there was just something here that she needed."

  "Given what we've seen of this place, how can it be anything other than wanting to use this place as a base?" Stan snapped.

  "And the Captain? What’s she need with him?"

  "When we got here, we ran smack into the automated defenses. Machines, traps, the works. She decided the captain of the only SMC ship we'd seen might have codes to shut them down or take control. She didn’t say it outright, but she’s convinced he’s the key to the station."

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  "And once she gets what she wants?" Kade asked, her tone steady, but her eyes cold.

  Stan looked away, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "She’ll kill him. Can’t have anyone left who could challenge her. After that…" He gestured vaguely toward Kade’s crew. "I’d bet she’s got her eyes on your ship. Horizon Talon would be the crown jewel of her fleet, with it being an actual sail vessel instead of the fake tourist trap version the Widow's Grin is."

  Kade didn’t speak immediately as she tried to assemble all the puzzle pieces. If Naomi succeeded, rooting her out of the base would be almost impossible. The automated defenses would make the station nearly impenetrable. Stan's throat clearing brought her back to the moment.

  "Look, we didn’t sign up for all of this," Stan said, his voice quiet. "When the Simulation dropped, everything turned upside down. We were just trying to get what we could before someone else took it. A lot of people were. Lines got crossed. Shots got fired."

  He shifted his weight from one foot to the next and looked down, then back at Kade.

  "We’ve done things we’re not proud of. It started as self-defense, or at least that’s what we told ourselves. But out here, it turns into might makes right faster than anyone wants to admit. We were following Naomi because she made sense at the time. She had a plan. Or we thought she did."

  He looked toward the others, then back at Kade again.

  "We’re not claiming innocence. Just... we’re done with the killing. We want a shot at surviving without having to take everything by force."

  Kade didn’t answer right away. She studied Stan’s face and the hollow-eyed pirates behind him. None of them looked like warriors now. Just people who had seen too much, done worse, and were trying to stop the bleeding before it got any deeper. Maybe she would have done the same in their place. Maybe she already had.

  She pushed the thought aside. Regret could wait.

  Kade’s gaze swept the armory as she weighed their next steps. The room was a chaotic mess of broken crates, scorched walls, and abandoned supplies. Most scattered firearms and munitions which were now useless under the Simulation’s rules. But there might still be something salvageable.

  "Secure the armory," she said sharply. "Barricade the doors, sort through the gear, and figure out what we can actually use. I want this room ready to fall back to if we need it."

  "In the meantime, I'm going to take a few moments and decide what we're going to do with you lot," Kade said, looking at Stan and the rest of the former pirates. "I need a minute to think."

  Her team moved quickly. Webb, the Marine who had fought beside her earlier, shoved a heavy steel crate in front of one door, grunting as Holt joined to help him. Mercer, still wincing from her injuries, began sorting through a pile of scattered weapons. She pulled out a few knives and a pristine crossbow, nodding to herself as she laid them aside. Stone worked in tandem, checking supplies and muttering about the lack of medical kits.

  The pirates hesitated before reluctantly pitching in, dragging crates and stacking debris to reinforce the entrances. A grim silence settled over the room, broken only by the scrape of metal and the occasional clatter of supplies.

  "Nothing says character growth like pirates doing manual labor," Mercer muttered as she pried open another crate, tossing aside a broken rifle and moving on to the next.

  Stan stood by Kade, waiting for her to decide about what to do next.

  "There’s something you need to know," he said quietly.

  "Spit it out," Kade replied.

  "When we left Naomi’s crew, they’d just found the control room," Stan said. "A massive set of secure doors sealed the entrance. We couldn’t get in. But Naomi… She’s not the type to give up. Whatever she’s after, I guarantee she’s working on a way through those doors. "

  "And you think that she's at her end game? Once through those doors, she’ll finish what she started," Kade said grimly, finishing the thought for him.

  Stan nodded. "Yeah. I don’t know what’s behind those doors, but I can guess it is bad news for the rest of us."

  Kade absorbed his words, her jaw tightening. If Naomi was as close as Stan believed, there was no time to waste. Naomi was at the finish line. They couldn't beat her there, so they needed to take her prize away from her. Kade couldn't wait any longer before deciding on what to do. She couldn't take the pirates with her, and she couldn't tie them up. The only option was to let them leave unabated.

  Finally, she said, "You’re free to go. Take what you can carry and get out of my sight."

  The pirates hesitated, unsure if her words were a trick. But when Kade gave no further reaction, they scrambled to grab whatever supplies were within arm’s reach. Mostly knives, rope, and scraps of gear that might fetch something in trade. In a matter of moments, they vanished into the dim corridors beyond the armory, their footsteps fading into the distance.

  Kade was a bit surprised to find that Stan had remained behind. The rest of his group had wasted no time in leaving when given the opportunity.

  "I’ll take you to the control room," Stan whispered.

  "I’m not doing it for you," he added. "I’ve done enough wrong under Naomi. This… it’s the least I can do to start making it right."

  "Appreciate it. Just don’t make me regret this," Kade replied.

  Before she could say more, Stone emerged from an office tucked into the corner of the armory. A large, battered book and several file folders stamped with "Eyes-Only" clearance were in her arms. She moved quickly to Kade’s side, her expression a mixture of urgency and curiosity.

  "I found these in a secured drawer," Stone said, holding the documents. "It looks like operational records and advanced research logs. There are even references to Project Catalyst in here."

  Kade took the book and folders, flipping through the first few pages of a folder. The language was dense, but phrases jumped out at her: covert initiatives, classified objectives, and even references to the Simulation. Her grip tightened on the pages.

  "Dammit! Someone knew something about the Simulation ahead of time. We guessed that already, but here it is in black and white." She said.

  "Anything that helps us right now?" Mercer asked from across the room.

  Stan cleared his throat yet again, drawing her attention back. "Naomi’s already found the control room doors. She’s probably close to getting in. She doesn’t let obstacles stop her. If this isn't immediately helpful, you need to move fast."

  "There’s probably something in here that could help, but we’re out of time. Still…" She tucked the files into her pack. "I wish we had time to dig into this. I’ll have to sift through it once this is over."

  "Alright, everyone," she said. "We’re moving out. Pack what you can carry, and stay sharp. Things are about to get a lot worse."

  The group fell into formation, their movements brisk but tense. Kade took one last look at the armory. She knew she needed to be focused on stopping Naomi, but the implications of what they’d just uncovered made her think there were more dangerous things than Naomi. Shaking off the thought, she filed it away as above her pay grade and turned her attention to the more immediate problem of rescuing the captain.

  "Let’s go," she said, stepping toward the door.

  "There's an old service tunnel a few hallways over, judging by the corrosion and fire signs. It leads right up to where the control room entrance is. That's how we slipped away," Stan said.

  He broke off into a jog, and five minutes later, the group arrived at an unremarkable section of the hallway except for the one panel that had been bent outward. Stan stopped for a moment to peer into the tunnel before slipping to wait for the rest of the group just inside.

  "It is a straight shot from here," Stan said.

  Kade gestured for the group to follow Stan into the service tunnel. The narrow passage starkly contrasted the cavernous spaces they had passed through earlier. Here, the air was damp and thick, with the metallic tang of rust mingling with the faint scent of mildew. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, the sound faint but constant, and their muffled footsteps added to the oppressive quiet.

  The light filtering in from the main hallways barely illuminated the walls, which were streaked with grime and corrosion. Kade kept her eyes trained on the uneven ground ahead, noting the places where rusted bolts jutted from the floor or shallow puddles glistened.

  Stan stopped just past the midpoint of the tunnel, motioning for Kade’s team to take the lead. He stepped back without protest, his expression hard to read. Kade caught the movement and felt her muscles tense. She thought that if this was a setup, he’d chosen a hell of a place for it. Her mind briefly entertained the idea of a double-cross but dismissed it just as quickly. They didn’t have the luxury of doubt.

  She signaled to her Marines to press forward, stepping past Stan without hesitation. The tunnel’s walls felt as though they were closing in, the confined space forcing Kade to keep her shoulders close to her body. A place like this offered little room to maneuver. If an ambush came, it would be brutal.

  The muffled sound of voices reached her ears, faint at first but growing louder with every step. She paused to listen, straining to catch any identifiable words, but the noise was too distorted by the thick walls. The tones were unmistakable, though. Sharp commands, the occasional shout of protest, and the dull clang of metal striking metal.

  She ran her fingers through her hair as she listened closely. The noise ahead wasn’t just fighting. It was pressure. Orders barked too sharply, footsteps scrambling, the clang of weapons moving without rhythm. It sounded like people being pushed past their limits. Her instincts kicked in. She raised her hand to signal the group to stop. They froze immediately. Discipline no longer needed reminding. No one moved. No one spoke.

  Kade glanced back at Stan. He stood just behind the team, his expression grim but steady. He didn’t flinch or try to explain himself, and Kade felt a grudging sense of relief. If he were going to betray us, he’d have done it by now. But that doesn’t mean he’s not holding something back.

  The sounds ahead shifted. What had once been steady, filled with the noise of tools and quiet movement, suddenly broke apart into raised voices and the unmistakable clash of combat. Something had changed. Either someone made a move or someone ran out of patience.

  Kade pressed her lips together. Whatever was happening, it was unraveling fast.

  "Get ready," she whispered. "I’m going to take a look."

  If you want to read ahead, you can! The rest of Book One and the first chapter of Book Two are already up on Patreon. Come check it out if you're curious about what’s next.