“They must have severed the power!” cried Izairis.

Patton threw the switch over and over as Naecia slumped and removed the diadem. She shared a somber glance with Izairis, then went to an access port between the corridor and docks, opened it, and ducked through. They were shrouded in darkness, but there were lights further down the dock.

She sprinted to where the Scythin had launched themselves, and nearly fell in. A chasm had been made in the very structure of Aszerat as if it had been no more than soil before a plow’s blade. It was as wide as a ship and just as deep. A canyon of engineering and utility infrastructure ripped to shreds by an inexorable force. Flashes of light arced where the power coming from the city’s reactors had been severed. Naecia stepped out toward the edge of the docks and watched the behemoth streak toward the Timelance.

Patton caught up, panting. “They’re going to catch him.”

“I’m sorry, Patton. I am. But he doesn’t have the Chime,” said Naecia. “It’s still here. We have to keep it from them. They’ll be back for it.”

“He left it here?” said Patton. “Where?”

“I don’t know,” Naecia answered with a shrug. “He said you would. He said it was a place that would remind you of Saturday mornings.”

“What does that mean?” asked Patton. “Saturday mornings? Is there a dispensary here?”

“You better figure it out,” said Izairis, running up, checking the pad again.

“We have to tell him we lost power!” said Patton, pivoting anxiously. “He’s sitting out there waiting for us. He has to know that we’re not coming!”

“Coms are dead,” said Izairis.

Naecia tried her implant and shook her head. “Signal is too weak for mine – I need a relay and there’s no power.” Not being particularly good when it came to expressing emotional support for others, she moved awkwardly to embrace him, but was saved when he collapsed to sit on the floor. Izairis knelt and tried to give him comfort.

Naecia gestured to the canyon of wreckage. “We have to get the Switch to power, somehow. But there’s no way over that.”

Patton reached into one of the large cargo-pockets on his tracksuit and withdrew a shining white disc. He twisted the center portion forcing variously shaped metal keys to emerge from its circumference, then tossed it onto the floor.

“What’s that?” asked Izairis.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

I brought the Child out of bulkspace so that the others could find me. The nav showed the blue dot of the Timelance just getting underway from Aszerat. A few seconds later, it disappeared into bulkspace.

I tried hailing Naecia and Izairis but got only static in return. Either they were still trying to get the Switch to work or they were already dead.