Page 91 of Call of the Fathoms

Alexia

She hated being back in this ship. It felt so wrong. She’d come so far from the person who had first chased him down, and yet, all Alexia could think about was who she used to be.

Soon enough, she would have to pretend to be that woman again. She would need to convince the people of Tau that she was the same Alexia who had left. She would need to be emotionless, capable of anything, unaffected by the world around herself because she knew that a little drug would take away any fear or anxiety she might have.

An icy feeling trailed between her shoulder blades. She’d have to take the drug again. Bracing herself against the control panel, she stared at the dusty glass at the front of the ship. She breathed out, seeing the steam of her own breath.

Of all the things she had prepared herself to do, she hadn’t thought about the injections. That’s the first thing they would do to her. A quick jab in the side of the neck, just to keep her calm and make sure that everything moved forward normally.She hadn’t had the drug in many weeks, at least as far as they knew. All the scientists would want to poke and prod at her. No one knew how someone like her would react to not having their “medicine” regularly.

The geneticists didn’t realize the people who were enhanced could even have feelings like she did. They chose not to believe because it was so much easier than the truth.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, she started hitting buttons on the ship to wake it up. The first thing she heard was the sound of the computer coming back online.

“State your designation.”

“It’s the same person as before, computer. Alexia, personal guard to Original Harlow. I have completed my mission and would like to return home.”

“Running diagnostics.”

Of course it was. She could hear the soft clinks of droids attaching themselves to the top of the ship. They got to work in no time, drilling into pieces of the ship where they would implant trackers, so Mira knew where she was at all times.

And of course, there were the droids in her pockets. Tiny droids the size of beads, made by Ace. She said they would do what no other droid could. They’d get in and out of the city, making sure to film every single detail so that the undines who entered the city would know where to go by sight and not just by reading a map.

These people had thought of everything, and now it all came down to her. Could she betray her own people? Absolutely. She needed her revenge like she needed breath. But whether or not she could convince the Originals she hadn’t changed, that would be the greatest and most difficult task of her life.

“Ship online,” the computer stated. “Protocol is to remain until the guard has completed duty.”

“I told you, I already did,” Alexia muttered as she started hitting override buttons.

“The nets and transport holds are all empty. Please seek out the target again.”

Fuck, she hated computers. They were always arguing at the worst of times, and she needed to go. “Ace, why didn’t you send me with a droid that could override this talkative bitch?” she muttered as she tried to get into the main system.

The problem was that she had to show up with something. A large squid, or perhaps a small whale would trick the computer to let her return to Tau, but she wasn’t sure how she was going to find one of those. They didn’t have a lot of time. The depthstriders were already getting antsy.

She couldn’t think with the damn glass covered like it was. She needed breathing room and space and all the other things that were required for her mind to think. Even if that ended up being a few moments of her staring into the abyss before she figured this out.

Maybe she needed a few moments with the darkness. Just to get her head back on straight.

“Computer, clear the front glass of all debris.”

A loud rumble started throughout the ship, and then it shook itself. She hung onto the back of her pilot’s chair and waited for the dust to settle.

There was something out there. Lurking in the gloom. Alexia could barely make out the shape, but it was there. Waiting for her to see it. Unsettled, she reached for the button that would flick on the headlights.

The lights came on and illuminated the massive undine in front of her ship. She gasped, already berating herself for having any sort of reaction when she should be practicing for Tau. But then she realized it was Fortis.

“You didn’t leave,” she said, a little stumped as to why.

But then he swam a little closer, those dark eyes seeing far too much. “I couldn’t let you go alone, virago. You know you’re going to need me.”

“Fortis, it’s too dangerous for you to come back with me. I know that. You know that. It’s just not safe.”

“You need a reason to return. They won’t let you back into that city without a good reason.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I’ve been thinking about this plan and why it made me nervous. It ends with them trusting that you didn’t leave for your own reasons. They won’t believe you. They won’t trust you. The moment you walk into that city, they are going to put a bullet in your head.”

He wasn’t entirely wrong. The risk was there. But she couldn’t have him coming with her and risk himself as well.

“They will tear you apart,” she said. “The only way to make sure there is no suspicion at all when I return is to come back with you, Fortis. Not with you following me. Not with anything other than your dead body, or your incapacitated being ready for them to dissect.”

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