I laughed, partly because when he put it that way, it did sound rather insane. “When you say it like that, it does seem like a bit of a challenge.”
“A bit of a challenge,” he repeated dryly. “That’s one way to put it.”
“But it’s better than being stuck in that weather tower with dwindling supplies and no hope of rescue,” I pointed out. “At least here we have food, clean air, and the possibility of finding a solution.”
He was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right. Whatever their ultimate agenda, the D’tran have given us resources and opportunities we wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
“And if I can’t fix the weather towers?” I asked quietly. “If we find the Kythrans and it turns out they can’t or won’t help?”
Torven’s arms tightened around me, and I could feel the protective instincts flaring again. “Then we find another way. And no matter what, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The fierce certainty in his voice should have been comforting, but his words from earlier in the day had come back to tweak at me. If this mission failed, if Vikkat’s hopes were disappointed, whatwouldthat mean for our safety? The D’tran had been kind and welcoming so far, but desperate people sometimes turned dangerous when their last hopes were crushed.
Before I could say any more, there was a soft chime fromthe main chamber. Torven was out of bed and reaching for his clothes before I’d even processed the sound fully.
“It’s probably just someone bringing more supplies,” I said, but I was getting dressed too. After everything we’d been through, neither of us was inclined to be caught unprepared.
When Torven opened the door, we found Vikkat waiting with the two other D’tran from before. All three of them were armed and equipped for travel, with heavy packs and what looked like serious exploration gear.
“Ready to begin search?” Vikkat asked without preamble. “Storm clears. Weather stable for few days. Good time to move.”
“Now?” I asked, glancing out the window where I could see pale morning light filtering through the fortress’s upper levels. “We just got here.”
“Delay is danger,” Vikkat replied. “Weather changes quickly. Miss opportunity, wait many days for next chance.”
One of his companions spoke rapidly in D’tran, and Vikkat nodded before turning back to us. “Ghent says transmission intercept has found third escape pod crash in valley region.”
My heart leaped. “Third? Can you tell if anyone is alive?”
“Unknown. It is controlled by leader named Rezor.” Vikkat crossed his enormous arms with a grimace. “Not a friend.”
“Not a friend?” I parroted. “What does that mean? Isn’t he a D’tran, too?”
Vikkat nodded. “His land is dangerous area. Storm activity,unstable ground. Harder land. Harder people. They don’t associate with us.”
I looked at Torven, seeing my own mixture of hope and apprehension reflected in his expression. Our remaining crew members, including Cleo, could be alive, but reaching them would apparently require traveling through one of the most dangerous regions of an already adverse planet. To negotiate with a leader “harder” than Vikkat.
“Fine. We’ll address the towers first, then see about making contact with this Rezor person.” Torven rolled his shoulders. “What do you need from us?”
“Your scanning equipment. Advanced sensors to locate Kythran hideouts. Track them underground.” Vikkat’s expression was intense, focused. “Find them. Force them to cooperate with weather tower shutdown.”
“And if we can’t shut down the towers?” We’d gone over this a little before, but I needed more clarification on it. I needed to hear Vikkat say that it would be fine if the towers refused to give up their secrets. “If the system is too damaged or too complex for even the Kythrans to repair?”
“Then you help them learn,” Vikkat said simply. “Your knowledge of atmospheric systems. Their genetic access. Together, find solution.”
It wasn’t the most reassuring of replies, but refusing was not an option. I couldn’t shake the memory of Explorer Thex-Nol’s final journal entries. The Kythrans in his tower had been working hard at something. I was sure they were trying to shut down the weather control system when he arrived, and they’d still been working on it until the time they disappeared.
“How long will this expedition take?” I asked.
“Days. Maybe week. Depends on what we find.”
A week in the dangerous wilderness of a planet where the atmosphere was toxic and the weather could turn lethal without warning. But it also meant the possibility of finding our scattered crew members and potentially solving the crisis that was slowly killing this world.
“We’ll need to bring our equipment,” Torven said. “All of it. And we’ll want communications gear to stay in contact with the fortress.”
“Already prepared,” Vikkat replied, gesturing to the packs his companions carried. “Food, water, breathing apparatuses, emergency shelter. Everything needed for extended travel.”
I looked at the expedition gear, then at Vikkat’s expectant face, and the weight of responsibility settled heavy on my shoulders. These people were depending on me to help them solve a problem that had been plaguing their world for generations. They believed my knowledge of atmospheric systems, combined with Kythran genetic access to the weather control towers, could save their planet.
