Naecia made some rough calculations to figure out the largest amount of power she could run to the machine in the shortest amount of time, then isolated four cables the size of her arms and began capping off the excess. When Patton and Izairis had finished removing the resistors, Naecia began making the connections. “Patton – go check the monitors. See if you can find out where the Scythin are.”

He saluted and trotted toward the doors at the far end of the corridor that led out toward the transway station. He stopped before pushing them open and turned back. “You guys feel that?”

Glove, Naecia subvocalized, causing the armor around her fingers and hand to split along the bottom and peel backward, exposing her skin. She put it to the cold floor. A low vibration left no doubt. “We’re too late.”

Somewhere, an explosion went off. “Izairis, where is Ben?”

As the rumble grew steadily louder, Izairis called up a map on a data pad connected to the Odiat’s nav. “Not showing up. He’s in bulkspace.”

The noise increased to a tectonic rumble – like an avalanche pouring through the guts of Aszerat.

“They’re at the docks!” Patton squealed.

Naecia fumbled with the cables, trying to force her makeshift connections beneath the drive, but the fit was imperfect and kept slipping. Finally, one twisted in as it should, locking soundly. Then the next. Outside, it sounded like the Scythin were tearing the city in half. If she could get the final two connections in, they could fire. Naecia reached to the other side. Third connection made. One more.

The sounds of metal being twisted and torn boomed through the corridor.

The carapace’s augments ground loudly as she worked to force the final coupling. “Patton, go to the breaker!” she yelled over the noise, pointing to an open metal cabinet near the end of the corridor. “When I say flip it, you flip it!”

Patton threw on Izairis’ helmet and ran down the way.

The walls shook. The coupling snapped into place. Naecia leapt up and pulled the axon diadem tight to her forehead. “Where is Ben?” she asked again.

Izairis consulted her data pad. “Here! He’s out of bulkspace!”

The ground roared. “How close are they?”

Izairis showed her the dock feed on the pad, just as the Scythin wave crashed through it, cutting another gouge through the substructure in the direction of the Timelance.

“As soon as they’re off city, we’re going!” shouted Naecia, preparing her mind to receive and transmit an unthinkable quantity of data.

The boids leapt from the docks, through the atmospheric barriers, and into open space where they formed the manyheaded razor worm. The last of the Scythin debarked and it was completely silent.

“Flip it!” shouted Naecia.

Patton did.

The lights flickered and died. Dim emergency lighting sprang on.

The machine’s display remained dark. “Oh no! No no no!”

“What happened?” called Patton from the breaker.