“As fast as you can!”

They sprinted down the tunnel, slipping and sliding over the gore left by the gun. It was dark there now, with no timer from the Codex, nor torches to light their way. But even in the dim darkness, he still tripped over pitted surfaces where the bullets had sprayed.

They emerged into the moonlight. It was dark that night, the small white satellite moon almost entirely hidden behind the larger red one.

Cade pressed the toy’s left eye twice and muttered a silent prayer. Quintus watched him silently.

“What will happen if this does not work?” Quintus asked.

Cade closed his eyes. “Then Abaddon will find out what I’ve been planning. He’ll torture me for information. Rip me apart atom by atom. Maybe he’ll kill you all in front of me as revenge.”

Quintus grinned. “So we will … piss him off … right?” he asked.

Cade chuckled at Quintus’s grin. “Yeah, I guess we will.”

Quintus punched him on the shoulder. “Worth it.”

They stared at the waterfall. Still, nothing happened.

“Maybe we can dig for it,” Cade whispered.

He hurried to the pool, praying that the ship would emerge. But still, nothing.

He stared into the water’s inky depths. No movement. Not even a hint.

“Useless…,” Cade whispered, lifting the toy and pressing the left eye twice again.

Instantly, the water lit up. He could see the rocks upon the bottom, white light glowing between the cracks.

“Oh … oh damn,” Cade said. “Get back!”

They fell over themselves backing away as rocks and water exploded outward, and an enormous, sleek black machine exited the water.

It was nothing like Cade had expected. A cigar-shaped craft, complete with what might have been a cockpit of dark glass at the front tip.

The ship spun slowly, before floating closer and settling on the grass alongside the lake. And in the moment it stopped, the back end opened up, splitting in two and widening.

Cade gaped at the sight, even as water poured out from the interior, nearly knocking Cade over. With it came an object. Once the deluge had stopped, Cade picked it up.

It was a helmet. Similar to what an astronaut might wear, complete with sun visor and what looked like flashlights on either side.

“You will fly in this?” Quintus asked as Cade stared at his reflection in the mirrored surface.

He hardly recognized himself. He appeared so much older now. His eyes ringed with deep black, his skin waxy and bloodless. His hair was a rat’s nest, and his facial hair patchy. He might as well have been looking at a beggar.

“Cade?”

Cade glanced up and nodded. “I think so. Just gotta get the bomb in there now.”

Even as he spoke, he could hear shouting coming from the tunnel. For a moment he was worried; then he saw the Romans emerge from the dark hole, yelling one another instructions on how to maneuver the bomb.

It was so much larger than Cade had expected. The thing was going to take up most of the ship.