Page 66 of Rupture

“Sixty-five percent?” A harsh laugh exploded from Duke. Sweat darkened his collar. “Are you kidding? Is that meant to be reassuring?”

“I thought with Luca in the med bay there would be less dissent, but clearly I was wrong.” Ethan’s frown deepened as he glared at Duke, but Duke just swore under his breath, turning away to pace the space behind them.

“Did Nik and Cade have any luck with comms on the surface? The OSC might have an alternative solution.”

Ethan shook his head at Rose. “OSC isn’t responding.”

Liev grimaced. “Well isn’t that?—”

“Convenient.” Ethan inclined his head. “It won’t be the first time they cut us off to contain the situation.”

“Fucking widow,” Liev muttered.

Rose gripped the edge of the display table till her fingers hurt. Sixty-five percent. It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing. And right now, with Luca unconscious in the med bay and the clock grinding down on life support, it was the best chance they had.

“Can’t we just blast them again with the magnets?” Liev asked.

Silence lay heavy between them. The holographic display cast shifting patterns across faces as it rotated, marking seconds they couldn’t afford to waste.

“Knocking them out would only be temporary again.” Rose released the table, spinning the image of the desalination tank with a flick of her wrist. “We need a permanent solution so we can complete shuttle repairs and evacuate knowing we’re not leaving a ticking bomb down here.” The image expanded to fill the display, the massive tanks dominating the life support hub like sleeping giants. “This is our best bet.”

Finn rested his hands on his hips, straightening to his full height. His expression hardened with determination. “Let’s do this.”

38

Finn peeredinto the cavernous desalination tank, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness.

The entrance hatch was barely wide enough for one person, opening into a space that soured his mouth with the taste of metal and stale water. The upper access hatch, used to monitor water levels when the tank was full, loomed above him like a dark eye.

Water dripped steadily, the sound amplified in the emptiness. With Ethan’s help, they’d discharged most of the tank through the main venting pipes, leaving only an inch of standing water that reflected his light in broken patterns.

“You really think this will hold them?” His boots sloshed through the shallow water as he crossed to the far wall. He rapped against the metal, the sound hollow and resonant.

“Airtight and watertight,” Rose said. “Just need to get them in there.” She turned away from the tank, her borrowed Wellington boots squeaking on the wet floor as she crossed to the trolley they’d brought from Thea’s lab. The wheels rattled and squealed as she pulled it closer, theglass canisters clinking against each other, the protective overalls she wore swishing with a rustle.

The canisters were filled with a green liquid.

The Ceto bacteria.

The liquid slopped lazily against the sides of the glass with an unsettling, organic motion. Finn could easily have believed it was sentient.

He shook his head. The extended time in the Io was messing with his head. Making him see things that weren’t there. As one of the Wolves, he knew better.

Ethan approached, scrubbing a hand over the top of his head. His expression was grim in the harsh light of their portable lamps. “I don’t like this one bit.” He squinted up at the curved ceiling as if it might collapse on them at any moment. Worry muted his voice.

Finn glanced at Rose, then back to Ethan. “Rose knows what she’s doing.”

Reality was, they were out of options and out of time.

Even though he had concerns.

The plan had too many variables, too many possibilities for disaster. The swarm could revive too quickly, move too fast. Rose had no idea if they would be more aggressive after the EMP blast. The thought made his stomach heavy.

He’d checked the med bay before collecting the bacteria. Luca was still unconscious, even though his vital signs held steady. Finn owed him. Luca had risked his life to protect Rose.

“They’ve been bred on this specific bacteria,” Rose said, her voice echoing in the vast tank. “They’ll prefer it over anything else, and this—” She swept a hand at the glassware, the green liquid, shifting within. “This is the last of the supplies in the entire habitat. If they want to keep reproducing, they’ll come for this as soon as they’re able.”

“Let’s hurry and get this crap into the tank.” Finn hefted the first canister as he moved to help her while Ethan headed over to the hub doorway, taking watch over the corridor, his back to them.

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