EvO (Darverius, House of DaR #16)

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

VIN

“ Frack ViN , why didn’t you overpower him or something? EvO had absolutely no business going out there. He would have never authorized one of us to do the same.”

“ Rafe , don’t think for a moment that doing just that didn’t cross my mind, it did, but you should have seen him. EvO was going out there one way or another, so instead of fighting him. LeX and I both did all we could to make sure he made it back in one piece, and I be damned, he pulled it off.”

“ But you said he got hurt in the process?”

“ Yeah , he was pretty roughed up, but LeX put him in a healing sleep. His legs looked a little rough, but LeX says he will be fine. What you and I need to do is get us the hell out of this Nebula before he decides to play the hero again. I will not go through that stress again. I am scared that another pod will start to fail. He will jump right out there, tempting the fates once more.”

“ Master ViN , Rafe , I may have a solution to the issues you are discussing.”

“ We’re listening, Destroyer .”

“ You’re both aware that the Nebula is forever changing, making it almost impossible to map. However , I have found a way to anticipate its upcoming changes.”

The control center suddenly gets quiet, all ears turn towards what she has to say. “ Don’t leave us hanging here, Destroyer .”

“ I have been mapping our course as programmed, but when the organism started attacking our outer haul and other sensors. I instantly started trying to figure out where it came from and how it was surviving in such conditions. The growth is a type of fungus that I believe did not originate inside the Nebula . It was on a piece that either entered involuntarily or was consumed by the mass of this Nebula as it floats aimlessly through space.

“ As of this moment, its spores are covering every inch of my outer haul including all the pods and the Mechanical bots. It seems to either grow or die when subjected to extreme changes in temperatures. When we enter into a cold patch, it attaches to anything putting off warmth, suggesting it needs heat to survive. That’s why we have never encountered this issue in the depths of space, because the extreme cold kills it. When we exit out of the Nebula , this threat should be instantly resolved. Making it possible for us to bring the pods inside.”

“ Don’t get me wrong, that’s great news, Destroyer , but I thought you were going to tell us how to get out of this mass of colors.”

“ Forgive me. I got slightly distracted, if my calculations are correct. We are about to venture into a highly volatile region of the Nebula . This implies that there should be a nearby sun. If its heat can reach the core of the Nebula to such an extent, assuming that my sensors have not been compromised. We should be able to escape this Nebula within two risings if we maintain our current course.”

“ What are you not saying?”

“ We will exit on the complete opposite side from where we entered. That means we would have to travel all the way around the Nebula in order to get back to our original location. You should also be advised that part of the galaxy is also uncharted, so we will once again be flying blind with no previous charts to navigate from. With that being said, exiting on the back side of the Nebula will also prevent us from sending out any messages good or bad, unless probes are sent ahead of us to help link us up to SCOUT sooner.”

“ I have a feeling there is another BUT to this, especially since you said that spores thrive in the heat.”

“ You were listening, Master ViN . The spore will grow rapidly if I turn us into that extreme heat. To what extent, I have no clue. There is a chance that we could lose thrusters altogether and possibly even a few more pods if they are infiltrated fully. However , if we successfully make our way out, their threat will be gone rather quickly.”

“ How long will it take if we turn around? Resuming the route back, we have been on this entire time.”

“ Because of the constant changes within the Nebula . We may never get back out. I have become a part of the Nebulas core. Every time I try to break out of its hold, it simply reforms around us.”

“ Why was I not notified of this? Did EvO know?”

“ Things have been quite distracting here lately, and I never got a chance to discuss this with him. Before his injuries and confinement occurred.”

Rafe has been pacing this entire time. “ What are the odds either way, Destroyer ?”

When she doesn’t respond instantly, he stops looking at me. I shrug my shoulders, growling lightly, as I already know the answer in my mind, they’re not good either way.

“ Answer the male, Destroyer .”

“ Master Rafe , if we push ahead, we have approximately a fifty-seven percent chance that we will be able to break free of the Nebula’s hold and escape without major damages to the thrusters. If we stay, I will run out of fuel and we will perish completely within an Orbital rotation. I have been conserving fuel for quite some time now already. Captain EvO was aware of this issue.”

“ And there is no way you can contact SCOUT , or anyone closer?”

“ It would do us no good, Master Rafe . They couldn’t reach us even if I did. The constant changing of the Nebula would keep me from giving them the correct coordinates, and that alone would hinder them from ever finding us. Within a short amount of time, they would also be subjected to the same dangers we are currently in. We knew the odds when we entered the Nebula , and I was present during all communications when the hazards were discussed. The Nebula was, and still is, a ever changing entity. We are at its mercy.”

“ Holy Frack , I was not prepared to hear all that, Destroyer … ViN , what in the frack are we supposed to do now?”

“ What does my Ember say, damned if we do and damned if we don’t. ”

Rafe plops down in his chair in front of the main console, as I stand in the middle of the room staring out at the never-ending colors, I have come to hate. “ Destroyer , you have sealed off as much as you can to prevent the organism from compromising your haul and the pods, correct?”

“ Affirmative .”

“ Well , I am going to take this burden on alone and pray the Lord of Light guides you … and my decision to get us out of here quickly. Get us out of here as quickly as you can, Destroyer . I would rather try and fail … than do nothing, knowing that we are headed for untimely death, eventually. Tell us what we can do to help you?”

“ I need my main controls unlocked. In the circumstances where I must take evasive measures. There’s not always time to ask. I understand your hesitation, Master ViN , as my new programming is still in its learning stage. It is logged in my main hard drive. That I have failed to see several dangers around us already because of this learning curve. You give me these controls would eliminate that factor in the future.”

I walk over and plop down in the captain seat, my thoughts heavy as the Destroyer pleads her case.

“ Nevertheless , Master ViN . I always have the crew and its passengers’ safety in mind. I am the best pilot for this mission if it is to be done successfully. You also need to be made aware that in order for this to succeed, I will need to shut off all unnecessary operations and equipment. Pushing through the outer mass of this Nebula will force my thrusters to their maximum capacity, at that time the entire ship will darken and only the life support in certain areas will be fully functionable.”

I don’t take long considering her words, as we all agree on one single point. Getting the frack out of here, now that we have accomplished our mission. I refuse to lose my mate, crew, and brother because of the unknown ahead. “ As second in command of the Destroyer . I give the ship full authority to access all its controls. Don’t make me regret this.”

When the ship instantly accelerates, Rafe looks over at me. He starts to ask me something when the door to the helm opens and in walks my alluring mate, Ember .

“ ViN , I was beginning to get worried; you said you would be right back.”

Patting my leg, I motion for her to come to me. “ Come , sit with me, I have a few things to discuss with you.”