Page 47 of Alien's Eternal Mate

“We did agree it was unlikely to have been created as a weapon. However, it can still help us get our people back.”

I opened up the plans for the flywheel we’d sketched out so far. The two of us bent our heads over them as I explained my idea to Ignio.

“You’re mad!” Ignio gestured at the flywheel. “This is the most incredible discovery we’ve ever had, and you want to destroy it?”

“Is this artifact worth more than getting our people back?”

Ignio sighed.

“Ignio…”

“Oh, all right. You’re correct. If it were my life on the line, I would want you to choose the artifact, but it is not fair of others to make that sacrifice.”

“There will be other discoveries, my friend. And we still have our notes.”

Ignio grunted.

“You’re right, of course. If the Engineers would lend us their assistance, this task could be accomplished much more quickly.”

I sighed.

“Yes. I will attempt to garner their aid.”

“How?”

My eyes narrowed.

“By doing something I should have done a long time ago.”

Leaving Ignio and the other Sages to work on the flywheel modifications, I stalked to the Engineer’s Vault. I suspected the Vault had once been the raised bridge section of the crashed Precursor ship. They had added to the T-shaped tower over the centuries of the village’s existence, creating a walled off miniature city.

The Engineers were the ones who repaired many of the devices that made our lives on the flying island possible. And they never let anyone forget it. They hoarded their knowledge and skills, as well as their technology, like mythical dragons.

I’d had enough of it. They were going to help me get my lifemate back, or they were not going to see another sunrise.

I reached the entrance to their vault, guarded by two Engineers equipped with armor and weaponry. They puffed up their chests at my approach.

“None may enter the vault without express, written permission from the Chief Engineer. You may obtain such permission at our offices on the town square, assuming the magistrate is in residence today. Otherwise?—”

I walked right between them and kept on going.

“Stop! Where do you think you’re going?”

The two engineers caught up to me. One of them put his hand on my arm. I struck him across the temple and he folded like a wet blanket.

I restrained myself, not wanting him seriously hurt. It would not do my position any good if I clobbered every Engineer I came across.

The other engineer took a step back, his mouth open wide.

“Take me to the Chief Engineer.”

Without another word, he led me into the vault’s lowest story. Inside, small teams worked to take apart and put back together devices recovered from the ruins. Some of them glanced up at me when I entered, but most were too engrossed with their work to even notice the presence of a stranger.

The guard escorted us to the top level, and then announced our arrival to the Chief Engineer.

We entered his office, not bothering to wait for a response. I wasn’t sure what I had expected, but the Chief Engineer’s office looked every bit the cluttered workshop as the rest of the vault.

A female Masari looked up from the circuit board she worked on. One of her eyes appeared grotesquely large due to the magnifying glass strapped to her head.

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