It worked; Sophie returned the smile before pacing over to the children, mussing Owen’s hair with a swift pat on his head. For less than a millisecond Alexia felt a strange reaction trickle through her system. She scanned the constant line of data running across her display. The code was odd, unlike anything she had seen before. It wasn’t full of symbols and numbers—it was a statement that repeatedly scrolled across the bottom of her consciousness:

You are feeling happiness. You are feeling happiness. You are feeling happiness.

She was, by every indication, evolving.

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

EMANUEL leaned over in the cramped bed and brushed his fingers across Sophie’s face, catching her gaze. “I really wish you would reconsider this.”

“No,” she said, pulling away.

Her monosyllabic response took Emanuel by surprise. He was used to her drawn-out sentences, often finding himself listening rather than contributing to their “discussions.”

With a sudden burst of confidence he wrapped his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her. Sophie closed her eyes and surrendered to the feelings racing through her body. She needed a break from reality—a break from the truth of what the world had become. A break from thoughts of death and loss.

“I have to go. You know I do,” she said between kisses. “If Secundo Casu is operational, then it may be humanity’s only hope.”

“That’s my girl,” he said. Emanuel pulled her closer, kissing her deeper. “You always have to be everything to everyone,” he whispered, pausing to take a breath. “But what about me? What about us?”

There was that word again. It was more than just a pronoun. To Emanuel, it meant a future together—a future she’d denied him before. Apparently, it had taken the end of the world to make her reconsider.

“There will always be an us,” she said, climbing on top of him and unfastening her bra. “There always has been, and there always will be, no matter what happens.”

Emanuel felt a tingle race down his legs. He brushed a strand of blond hair from Sophie’s face and held her gaze for several seconds. “You better fucking come back to me,” he said.

“We don’t have long,” she said, pulling her shirt over her head.

Emanuel didn’t respond. He knew the reality of the situation. This could very well be the last time he ever felt her touch. He pulled her down on top of him, crushing their bodies together. If this was to be the last time they ever made love, he wanted it to be the best time, too.

Alexia’s voice erupted over the intercom. “Sergeant Overton has ordered all hands to Biome 4.”

“No, no, no!” Emanuel cried as Sophie rolled off of him and pulled her shirt back on. He grabbed her hand and said, “I love you.”