The waveguide system depended on a lot of factors to determine effective range. In theory, barring any outside influence, the range was effectively infinite. You could target a ship or planet, or just about anything else, from across the universe if you had its coordinates. In reality, well, things were more complex. You had to know the coordinates, of course, which meant it had to be in range of some kind of scanner system, and then you had to factor in outside influences.

Gravity fields would affect the range and accuracy. So, this close to Earth and the Moon, the computers were already dealing with a three-body system once you factored in the Sun. That made targeting calculations incredibly complicated, and would likely limit the practical range to only a couple light-minutes.

That was still a massively long distance, and a very decent standoff range, but it was far short of the ranges achieved by the Odyssey and Odysseus in previous deep-space engagements.

A waveguide from the Earth’s surface would have all that to deal with, plus the unknown effects of firing through atmosphere.

Frankly, Gracen was just as happy it wasn’t her facility to command.

She had enough problems.

She had problems.

Gaia watched, from all points and at all times, as her world, her people . . . herself, in a very real way, was being slowly dismantled. Torn piece from piece, and being replaced with those abominations that were slowly hacking her to death.

Death.

It was a discomforting and alien thought. She’d never really considered that she might die, if she were honest with herself. Philosophically she had pondered the afterlife, but only as something that happened to others.

Now, though, it was all too real, and she wished that she had pondered it just slightly harder. Maybe she would have figured it out.

She stepped through space and onto the decks of the Odysseus as the ship hung in low orbit, flitting through every space at once, before settling on the quarters assigned to Captain Eric Weston. He was in the shower.

“Oh Captain, my Captain,” she said in a musical tone, smiling as he jumped and covered himself. “Believe me, I’ve seen it before.”

He glared at her.

It was cute, actually. If she were human, she might be attracted to it, and him, but she’d done that before and there was nothing there for her.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed, looking around, annoyed and worried.

“Just . . . saying goodbye,” she told him, her smile holding ethereal qualities. “I wish you all success in your future, Captain. I had hoped I might witness it.”

Eric wrapped himself in a towel, looking on at her in confusion. “I . . . Gaia . . .”

“Avenge your fellows,” she said, her tone growing icy cold. “Avenge them and me. These abominations do not belong in this universe. End them.”