HAWK

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: DELIVERANCE (2/6)

'I don't understand,' Kas frowned. 'Is this a hallucination?'

'Is what a hallucination?' the firefly asked.

'I see you've met the bug,' Captain Mack said as he stepped back inside the console, now holding two black boots in one hand.

'I am not a bug,' the firefly said.

'Sure look like one.'

Kas looked from the firefly to Captain Mack. 'Wait, you can see it, too?'

'Not without the WASP mask, but I can still hear her.' He tapped his ear and Kas remembered the earpiece he wore during their first meeting. He knelt in front of Kas and began shoving the boots onto her feet. They felt a couple of sizes too large but Kas wasn't paying much attention - she was more focused on the firefly.

'What are you?' she asked it.

'My full title is auxiliary support for tactical research and intelligent defence,' it replied. 'But you can call me Astrid.'

'Astrid... like Eidol's AI, Astrid?'

'Yes. It's a long story.'

'And one we don't have time for,' Mack added.

'I helped Captain Mack to rescue you.'

'Force me to, actually,' Mack said as he finished fitting Kas's boots. 'Now stop talking for a minute, please, Astrid. Balera - try standing.'

Kas shimmied off the side of the bed and eased her weight onto her feet. Her legs felt much stronger thanks to the artifibre and she had no trouble staying upright. The boots' inner cushioning tightened around her feet and made them feel surprisingly secure.

'Can you walk?' Mack asked.

Kas nodded. 'I think so.'

'Good, then give me a hand out here.' He rushed out of the console and Kas followed.

Astell was lying on the ground, his arms and legs splayed awkwardly. Mack grabbed his arms and began dragging him towards the console.

'Get his legs,' he said. Kas obeyed and went to Astell's feet. She lifted him by his ankles, only then realising where Mack had got the boots from. Astrid hovered and watched as they bundled him inside the MI console and laid him down on the bed.

'That'll have to do, there's no time to strap him down. We have to go.' Mack hurried out of the console and glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Kas following behind him - but she hadn't moved. She was looking down at Astell, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

'What are you doing?' Mack growled.

'I told him I'd kill him if I got loose,' Kas said distantly.

'There's no time for this! Come on!'

But Kas couldn't look away. Astell had deceived her from the moment she'd met him, and her hatred for him was burning her up inside. She saw the nightstriker attached to his left forearm and grabbed it,. It came away with a magnetic click. She curled her fingers around the handle and the tip glowed blue.

'Balera!' Mack shouted. 'If you don't come right now, I'm leaving without you!'

But Kas didn't seem to hear. She stroked her thumb over the nightstriker's neck and the tip changed from blue to yellow. She stroked it again and the tip turned red. The weapon thrummed in her grip, ready to do some serious damage.

'Kas,' Mack said softly. Kas heard him as if for the first time and turned to face him. He didn't look angry or impatient, but disappointed. 'If you do this, you'll be as bad as they are. We can still get out of here, but we have to leave. Now.'

Kas turned back to Astell and bit her lip.

It would be so easy, just one quick whack...

'Get you later,' she said instead, and she turned and strode swiftly out of the console where a relieved Captain Mack was waiting.