To The Ends of The Universe (ONC 2024 ✔)

Chapter 9: The Plan

Hands rubbed against her back, waking her from her slumber. Cracking an eye open, two glowing eyes stared at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "Good morning."

"Hmm," Eileen groaned, slamming the flower stuffed pillows against her head.

Ursus chuckled. "Still not a morning person?"

"I want coffee."

"I'm afraid there is no coffee."

"Ugh," she groaned again. "Why did you bring me to this forsaken land?" With another chuckle, Ursus pushed himself out of bed. Turning her head, Eileen let herself admire the physical form before her. Her disgust grew at the sight of the tracker. "I still hate that stupid tracker."

"I know you do." He sighed. "But I have to keep it on for a reason."

"Why? Because of some stupid law? Funny how the council wants to keep you in locks and chains but yet dump their problems into the hybrids in blame. What happened when you were taken away? You had bruises and your lip was busted. Don't tell me-"

"Enough, Eileen." He shook his head. "Enough." His guilt grew at her hurt. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it anymore." He started to get dressed. Running his fingers through his hair, he couldn't meet her gaze. "Come on. We need to see if the others are awake."

Throwing the covers off, Eileen went to get dressed. There were so many questions and emotions going through her mind. Her jaw clenched at the injustice of it all. Making their way back up to the meeting room, everyone was gathered around the table.

Bowls of weird and vibrant colored fruits, things that looked like nuts, and large insects of various kinds were laid out before them.

"Ah," Dovovan chuckled. "About time the hybrid lover joined us." Eileen turned to tell him off and faltered. For a split second, her eyes widened at the sight of his left eye. Wait, why was...

"Don't start picking fights, Donovan." Pavel's voice snapped through her thoughts. "We need to work together if we're going to get this done." Reluctantly, she took a seat beside Ursus.

His eyebrow rose. "You guys already have a plan?"

"I was able to analyze the fungi sample." Tapping his screen, Pavel pulled up a blueprint of the fungi's genetics. "I was right in assuming that it's been genetically modified to spread quicker."

"Fungi like this also have a hive mind mentality," Etta spoke up. That's when Eileen noticed the bow on the table beside her."They're all likely to gather in one place to release their spores simultaneously."

"If we can destroy the location of infection before that happens—" Pavel cleared the hologram"—then it's our best bet to slow the infection down."

"So basically contact tracking." Her school had taught them the method in case a pandemic ever was to break out again. "Using the creatures to follow them back to the source."

"Yes, but there are smaller infections growing throughout the forest." Pavel pulled up another map. The branches shook when Eileen ran her hands through them. "From my calculations, the main infection should be somewhere close to the smaller pockets of infection, but I just don't know where."

"Well," Ursus frowned. "What are some of the reasons they would return to the main infection?"

"Food, gathering to spore, and shelter." Etta ticked the reasons with each finger.

"Wait, I have an idea." Eileen pointed to Pavel's watch. "Can you pull up the DNA again?" With a few flicks, Pavel pulled up the code. "Is it possible to use the sample to create some sort of disguise? To get the centipedes into thinking we're one of them?"

"Arthropleura," Etta corrected. "And it may be possible. If we can play a wounded Arthropleura sound in a fungi-covered disguise, they may lead us back to the main infection."

"And then what happens?" Donovan countered. His gray eyes glowed with annoyance. "A cave is going to be full of those things. I doubt we can go in there with blasters firing. It's like a tickle to them."

"The Arthropleura are sturdy but the fungus isn't. In fact, it's highly flammable." Etta smiled. "If we can get to the heart of the cave and catch it on fire..."

"Then we can blow the fungus up and stop it from sporing!" Pavel finished.

"But who—" Donovan countered. "—is going to go inside and blow up the fungus?" His gaze flickered to Eileen. "I say the human should do it."

"Wait, what?"

"That's not an option, Donovan."

His eyes flashed at Ursus."So, you would endanger the life of the future prince or the future heir of the Quies?" His gaze snapped back to Eileen. "Tell me Ursus, would the council be pleased that you valued a human's life over your own people?" Pavel's head tilted at the challenge. Even without saying the words, the implication weighed heavy on them all. You're not important. To everyone else, she was a worthless human.

"Donovan, that's enough." Pavel's cold voice cut through the silence. "We all have to work together to complete these challenges." Gray eyes narrowed to slits. "Not drive each other apart."

Narrowing his own eyes back at Pavel, Donovan turned away. Eileen's hands clenched. Her mind thought back to the insect towering over Ursus. Shame burned her cheeks at the memory of just how powerless she was. Now, I'm not so powerless anymore. "It's alright." All eyes snapped to her. "I'll do it." Besides, it wouldn't be a loss if something happened to me.

"Eileen, you can't go in." At Ursus's pained expression, she looked away. "If something happens then..." He trailed off.

"Nothing is going to happen." Just because I'm human doesn't mean I won't go down without a fight. Her hands clenched. "I'll be in and out before you notice."

"Then it's settled," Donovan leaned back. "You'll be our Arthropleura bait."

"No, she won't." Ursus snapped. "You can't be serious, Donovan!"

"Oh, I am serious. If you still want to be stubborn then let's ask the others as well." His gaze snapped to Etta and Pavel. "What do you guys think?"

Etta shrugged her shoulders. "It would be best if she did it."

Ursus turned to his brother. "Pavel?" He pleaded. "You don't really think so as well?"

"Ursus," Pavel sighed. "Donovan has a point. We all technically can't afford to take that risk."

"And Eileen can?" Ursus spat. "Oh, so you'll accept hybrids as equals but toss humans aside like garbage?"

"That's not what I'm saying!" Pavel countered. His jaw clenched. "Besides, we never asked for you to connect with a human in the first place. You should have known better than to take that risk!"

You should have known better. Eileen frowned. Why? Why should he have known better?

Ursus chuckled bitterly. "Alright then, I see how it is."

"Ursus, wait, that's not-" But he was already storming out of the room.

"Ursus!" Pushing her chair back, she followed him. "Ursus! Ursus wait!" She grabbed his arm. "Ursus, they have a point."

"No, they don't." He turned to her. "They don't have a point. Eileen, you may feel like you're worthless but you're not. You mean more to me than you can ever imagine." His eyes bore into hers. There was so much love, so much begging, so much pleading it shook Eileen to the core. "So you get in there and you get out you hear me?" He closed his eyes. "Promise me you'll come back to me. Promise me, I won't lose you."

Reaching up, she pressed his forehead to hers. At her touch, the tension eased from his shoulders. "You don't have to worry about me." She wasn't going to lose him either. "I'm going to blow up that fungus and come back."

"You promise?"

The words left her lips with ease. "I promise."