The Ice Warrior

Chapter 34

It soon became clear to Silv that Evanescence reacted to her even smallest movements, and that had caused them to have an unsteady start. The good thing about it was that the Government soldiers couldn't aim at the ship properly, but neither could Rose and Justin.

Also, Silv's lack of skill in gentle movements necessary for the maneuvering of such a large ship caused Evanescence to scrape against the hanger doors. When that occurred, Silv was grateful, more than ever, that Evanescence didn't have any pain receptors on the outside surface. If that weren't the case, both of them would've been in a lot of pain.

"Relax. Remember. Slight gentle movements." Wir Eis warned when the ship brushed another wall.

It was clear from his stance that he was ready to take over, but Silv was not prepared to let him do so. She had a feeling that she could do much more, that they just needed time to adjust to each other.

"We are good, just stretching out," Silv said, which only made Wir Eis even more confused since he knew his ship didn't have any limbs to stretch.

"Silv, my dear, we would really appreciate it if you could steady the ship. We can't do much with these sudden movements." Rose said, her annoyed image materializing in front of Silv's nose.

"Not helpful, grandma. I need to concentrate. This isn't as easy as you might think. The process is very delicate." Silv snapped back.

"Very well, you just do your best," Rose said, not wanting to further antagonize her granddaughter.

As the image disappeared, Silv focused all her thoughts on gently moving her fingers one by one, coaxing the ship into slow and smooth movements as that was necessary to exit the hanger.

"What about the outside door?" Silv asked Wir Eis as she finally managed to stabilize Evanescence.

"Wir Eis do that." Wir Eis said.

He pressed a device that appeared to belong to the long-gone human technology, and the side of the hanger opened, revealing a cargo elevator.

"Use that. Get to the surface." Wir Eis said.

Silv did as he said though it was a challenge to settle the ship inside the elevator without causing it any further damage. Furthermore, the progress of the elevator was much slower than Silv liked, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Sei Eis, engine okay?" Wir Eis asked, opening up communication between him and his sister.

"Yes. Small problem. I solve." Sei Eis said.

"Good." Wir Eis said pleased that things were going according to plans.

Seconds after they ended the call, there was a loud shaking in the ship's rear part that made Wir Eis's whole body shudder. Silv barely kept herself in her position at the controls.

"What that?" Wir Eis asked.

Silv focused on the back part of the ship and was annoyed to discover that a soldier had managed to get a clean shot at them although Rose and Justin were doing their best to keep them occupied.

"We've been hit. There is no structural damage, just a few scratches. I guess Evanascnece is stronger than the human weapons. It didn't penetrate beyond the mechanical exterior." Silv informed Wir Eis.

He breathed a sigh of relief but wasn't as relieved as Silv was. Perhaps because he knew that the fighting never stopped, they might escape the blows of smaller weapons. However, there was always the danger of bigger ones managing to blast through.

Soon, Silv burst out of the hanger and lifted the ship high up in the air, where land weapons couldn't have any chance of reaching it. However, there she left the ship hovering in the air, unsure of the direction they should take.

"That was awesome! At first, it was quite a bumpy ride, and I didn't think you'd be able to tame the beast..." Justin said, appearing in the control room.

His words were interrupted by a loud grumbling of Evanescence, not appreciating his choice of words.

"I apologize, I didn't think you would be able to control the ship." Justin corrected himself upon sensing the ship's distress.

After all, he didn't want to anger a being who was much larger than him and on whom they depended on for survival. He might have been young, but he was not a fool.

"You did an excellent job, my dear," Rose said.

"Thank you, but I have a feeling that this is just a start," Silv said.

"You might be right. The Government is not known for giving up. As soon as they understand what happened here, they will try to find a way to bring the ship down. If they have all the files about it and I think they do, it's only a matter of time before we are in danger." Rose said.

"What shall we do now?" Silv asked, feeling lightheaded from all the additional stimuli she was receiving from Evanescence.

"Cloaking." Wir Eis said.

That was when Silv felt a thin film enveloping the outer surface of the ship. It clung to it so firmly that Silv couldn't help but think of it as skin.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It make the ship invisible." Wir Eis said.

"Well, that will definitely be helpful," Justin said, his eyes sparkling in wonder.

"Where should we go?" Silv asked.

She wanted to direct the ship to their next location since she was pretty sure that once she shared where they wished to go, Evanescence could lock on the position. That way, the ship could continue on without Silv's help. Though she didn't want to admit it to anyone, she was more tired than ever before.

Her eyes were drooping, and random unconnected and meaningless thoughts kept circling her mind. That was a dangerous state for any kind of activity, let alone telepathically leading an alien ship.

"Is the ship fully operational?" Rose asked Sei Eis, who arrived with Arthur the moment the question was asked.

"No," Sei Eis responded.

Rose waited for the alien to elaborate, but Sei Eis seemed to be unprepared to do so. Her aversion to humans didn't seem to be any better.

"Arthur explain." Sei Eis said as she left the room.

"Arthur, could you please elaborate on her statement?" Rose asked, annoyed by the alien's blatant disregard for manners.

"What she wanted to say is that though the ship might appear fully functional, it is not. We've repaired most of the crucial parts. However, some sections are still not working perfectly and causing few hiccups here and there." Arthur explained.

"Anything else?" Rose asked, knowing her AI well enough to see that there was more to what he was saying.

"Well, not about the mechanical part. However, since Evanescence is partly sentient, it appears that some of the functions are hindered by the emotional pain caused by the loss of the last ice warrior." Arthur explained.

"Is there something we can do about it?" Rose asked.

"No, nothing can be done until the next ice warrior is found," Arthur said.

"Alright, then we'll work with what we have. Arthur, you and Justin go fix all the mechanical glitches. Perhaps that will make the ship run smoother." Rose said.

"What about us?" Silv asked.

"I think it's time for us to keep a promise," Rose said.