The empty pod gaped like a wound.

  Mina’s hand stayed pressed to the canopy, fingers trembling. She couldn’t let go—not yet. Arthur hovered close, but his presence was a blur.

  Roman was the first to move. He stepped closer, scanning the interior as though it might whisper an answer only to him. His jaw tightened.

  Mina shook the tears from her eyes, they came anyway but she held her sobs at bay.

  Val stepped to Mina’s other side, “Daiko’s probably dreaming too. Maybe this is his dream, which is why he’s not here. I saw this movie once—”

  “Wake up, Val,” Cenn said sharply. Val simply cocked her head.

  “I’m. Trying.”

  As they argued, Snake caught Mina’s eyes, but she couldn’t hold his gaze. She wanted to break down, could feel her body on the verge of tremors, and a small hope emerged. A sterile calm, with nothing but facts and figures. She clawed for it.

  Steady, she drew her eyes across the pod with renewed curiosity—this part of her had spotted something off earlier and now she could pay attention. The interior lining had been replaced and dust scattered as she inspected the stitching.

  Looking closer, she noticed the pod wasn’t attached to the wall anymore either. A small gap revealed severed pipe fittings, their edges cut with perfect symmetry. This hadn’t been a pod for a long time. It was almost like a bed.

  She felt no thrill of pride—only Erin’s words echoing in her head.

  Mina hates a puzzle she can’t solve.

  Oh, Erin.

  Coldness. Logic. Be here, be now.

  She turned at a noise behind her.

  Arthur poked his head out from behind the pod, “what are you looking for?”

  “Confirmation,” she hesitated only a moment before standing and raising her voice, “my dad’s pod has been altered—and I think he’s the one who did it.”

  The group paused to regard her. Murphy spoke first, “how do you know?”

  “I know his handiwork. And besides that,” she nodded to the trellises, “those are Jovian Magnolias—flowers grown on Alma Prime, they were my mother’s favorite.”

  Val perked up, ”you think he’s alive?”

  Mina could feel hope blossoming from everyone in the alcove, and Arthur seemed to grow three inches taller.

  “He’s not here, so logically he must be elsewhere.”

  They didn’t move right away, it seemed they were still processing a fact. She shook her head and walked toward the archway leading through the trellis wall.

  Murphy put a hand on her shoulder as she passed, stopping her, though she refused to flinch at the weight.

  “What else do you know?” he asked.

  She stared at his hand longer than was polite, then looked into his eyes with as much reproach that she could bear, “I told you everything I know.”

  Would he detain her? Could he?

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Where are you going?” Arthur asked.

  She slid out from under Suraj’s mitt.

  “I’m going to look for my dad.”

  “It might not be safe,” Murphy said. His words indicated a responsibility to protect her—to protect them—but his tone said otherwise.

  Roman walked past unbothered, “Let’s go, Mina.”

  Mina heard the rest of the crew follow as she walked through the trellis archway. Once on the other side, she paused. Like the section with the pods, it too had changed.

  Most of the hangar was hidden in darkness with small areas illuminated by dim bulbs. It gave the effect that they were underwater and these spheres of light were floating in the depths of a black ocean.

  Directly across from the alcove was section of the hangar that looked a meckanists garage. A forge to one side, a five-pronged skiff to the other, even a blast chamber big enough the whole crew inside. A dozen other pieces of recognizable equipment as well, though customized oddly. The equipment fanned out from a central point on the far wall, creating rows like church pews.

  “Oh it’s him alright.” Val said. Was she laughing? Her casual tone felt like a personal attack.

  Mina almost said something, then saw Cenn stalking behind the crew. The darkness clung to the contours of her face, and Mina’s anger eased slightly.

  As they approached the first row, they must’ve triggered a sensor for two lines of lights along the ground appeared, creating a path that lead deeper into the Razorback to either direction. None seemed eager to explore one way or another at the moment—not when the routes led to pitch blackness, and this workshop so clearly belonged to her father.

  They continued toward the wall, triggering yet another sensor. This time, several white lights shot from the ground where the wall met the floor, piercing the rafters and revealing a hulking metal mass attached to the wall.

  “Is that a spaceship?” Arthur asked in wonder.

  “Its…” Mina cocked her head, “I think it’s the meck pod.”

  “What?” Cenn said, confused, “If it is, it’s not the one we left with.”

  However, Mina was sure it was. The angles were the same, though the modifications were bold.

  Snake tapped her on the shoulder, eyes thick with concern.

  “I’m fine,” Mina said, perhaps a bit too harshly. Snake didn’t take it personally.

  “Mina,” Val called from the very base of the pod, “come take a look at this.”

  Mina avoided staring too long at the rows of equipment as she walked down the center aisle.

  The slab Val handed her was heavy—too heavy to carry in one arm—and she couldn’t set it on the nearby surfaces because of the thick cord tethering it to the docking station. She placed it back and tried to investigate further, but only a small loading bar appeared in one corner.

  “Is it dead?” Suraj said.

  “See the pretty little blinking battery?” Val said with alacrity. “That means it's charging.”

  “It’s rebooting.” Mina corrected, annoyed that everyone was so irritable. It wasn’t the time for all these emotions. “I’d guess all of this was in stasis, maybe even a night cycle. Our movement must’ve triggered a restart.”

  “And what is it?” Suraj looked up, but it was clear he couldn’t tell this was the same pod they’d brought from Dearth.

  “It’s the meck pod, I’m sure.”

  He took it all in stride. “How long till it reboots?”

  “I don’t know.”

  As he considered what to do, Roman called from a distance.

  “You guys do that. I’m going to explore.”

  Murphy turned toward the sound of Roman’s voice and Mina felt a rush of air.

  “I’ll come with,” Cenn said.

  “We’re going to stick together.” Murphy said again.

  “Sure,” Cenn said, “you stick here together, and we’ll stick over there together.” Cenn said.

  “Bye,” Roman was already walking down the lighted path—toward the front of the Razorback if she wasn’t mistaken.

  She didn’t wait for Suraj to start the argument she could see brewing. She strolled by the Bravista like he was a peddler trying to sell her something she didn’t need. Once she reached the lighted path, she turned in the opposite direction of Roman and Cenn, toward the back of the Razorback.

  “Wait for me,” Val called, and Mina heard her run toward Roman.

  “We shouldn’t split up,” Murphy said, as she left.

  “Go tell them that yourself,” Mina said over her shoulder, expecting to see Murphy following her, but it was Snake and Arthur instead.

  “It’s just us.” Arthur said.

  Mina had been intending to go alone—willing, even.

  “Let’s hope not.”

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