Page 51 of The Program

All the other women had gathered to see me off, including Karmella and Driselle. They carried their babies close to their chests as if protecting themfrom even so much as a falling leaf, but they’d dragged themselves out to the clearing with the rest of us specifically for this moment.

They were putting all of their faith in me, even if they didn’t entirely trust me just yet. We were still working on building that foundation, but it would go a long way to help when I brought their children back.

‘I’ve got this,’ I answered, addressing them all.

‘How long until you’re back?’ Grace asked from where she and Christine were clinging to one another.

‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘But what Icansay is that I’ll do everything in my power to bring them all back safely as soon as I can. I’ll keep you updated through Libby and the holo-tab.’

‘Good luck,’ whispered Christine, and Francesca stepped forward to give me a quick hug. It was slightly awkward, since we weren’t exactly close and we’d never so much as touched before, but it was still a great comfort and a boost in confidence that she was trusting me with this.

‘See you soon,’ she said, then walked away. The others trailed after her one by one until I was left alone in the clearing with nothing but the ship.

I shoved my emotions into a box in the back of my mind and boarded the ship, pressing the button that closed the hangar door behind me. It was a small vessel, at least compared to The Carina. It had plenty of space for travelling in comfort with an array of rooms that ranged from the kitchen and cafeteria, entertainment spaces, and a variety of bunks. Some were an almost carbon copy of the bunk I had stayed in on The Carina, while others were more spacious and extravagant, clearly meant for the more important passengers.

Despite the size difference, this ship was still large. While it only had three levels compared to The Carina’s dozens, it was large enough to carry all the children alongside Reece and Adara. There was more than enough space, and not for the first time I wondered if this was one of The Program’s ships they’d used to set up on this planet.

I made my way to the cockpit where I settled into the pilot’s seat. Straps exploded from it in a flurry of material as soon as I sat, holding me securely in place and I had to fight back the panic that resurfaced from being held down. Most of my triggers from my time in The Program were from being shackled, physically restrained, or paralysed. I hated not being able to move.

I pressed the button on the end of the right armrest and the straps reverted back inside the chair. Knowing I had the option to remove them myself went a long way in reducing my fears, and I relaxed into the chair once again.

I didn’t react as badly when I found myself strapped in one more time, though I still didn’t like it. Now, though, I was able to focus on starting up the engines. I’d already plotted the course for the journey, adjusting the controls so my destination wasn’t notified to my incoming arrival.

The ship’s navigation systems predicted the trip to take around three days, but when I pulled up the plan it seemed that Nova Station had moved a significant distance since yesterday. Now, the trip was only predicted at around a week.

That meant they were moving farther from us, and I wondered if that had anything to do with the facility here. Were they abandoning their efforts here? Where were they taking an entire military base?

I shook those thoughts from my brain, though I made a mental note to inform the women when I talked to Libby. Right now, I needed to focus on getting those kids back and freeing the people I cared about that I’d left behind. Maybe I could cause enough damage to Nova Station in the process that I could delay them, or even derail their journey entirely.

Either way, my focus needed to be on getting there first.

The ship lit up with a gentle hum as I started it up, and within the next few clicks I was rising into the air and gaining speed.

I didn’t have to do much. The autopilot took care of most of the job. All I had to do was input directives and the ship did the rest. Soon enough, I was blasting through the planet’s atmosphere and into the cold vastness of space, leaving the unusual planet and everyone on it behind.

For a brief moment before the ship’s magnets kicked in to enforce the artificial gravity, my hair floated serenely around my head as if I were drifting in still waters. But then the whir of the magnets increased with a jolt to the ship and it fell back down in a mess over my face.

I checked the autopilot and the ship’s navigation systems one last time to ensure everything would be smooth sailing before I pressed the button to release myself from the chair. As soon as the straps rescinded I felt like I could take a deep breath again and ended up yawning from my rushed attempts.

Without waiting another tick, I practically smacked the button on the console that connected me to Libby’s holo-tab and waited with bated breath for her to answer.

At first there was nothing, the connection stalling, then buffering… and finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Libby’s beautiful features filled the screen.

‘You made it,’ she breathed, her relief almost tangible despite the distance.

‘I made it,’ I confirmed. ‘I’m on course with an estimated arrival in seven days.’

I expected her to be excited, to take the forward momentum of the mission as good news. Instead, she looked as if she was going to be sick.

‘Artemis…’

‘What?’ I asked, immediately alert. ‘What is it? What happened?’

She blew out the air from her lungs on a long breath, her cheeks puffed, and when her eyes collided with mine they were brimming with guilt. ‘It’s Dave Junior…’

I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. ‘What’s wrong? Is he okay?’

‘A, I’m so sorry, but I can’t find him.’

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