The Ice Warrior

Chapter 38

Silv could feel all the confidence she had displayed in suggesting the plan of action slip away. All due to the difficulties she faced in grappling with the complex guiding system that controlled the small shuttles. It was incomprehensible to her that she could direct them properly only using the gooey liquid her hands were still immersed in.

However, Evanescence was doing her best to help her out. She was far from the depressed ship that Silv had first gotten to know. However, Silv wondered if even the ship's patience had limits as she almost crushed one of the shuttles against a tree for the second time.

As if sensing her unease, her fears, Evanescence dimmed the lights in the control room, playing the most soothing music she had available.

"What happen?" Wir Eis asked, confused by the sudden change.

Silv found it strange that she was suddenly better able to understand the spaceship than the species which was predetermined to create a symbiosis with the ship. It only went to show how many lives the Government could destroy by its actions, human as well as non-human.

"She can sense that I am nervous about this, so she is trying to help me relax," Silv said.

"Let Evanescence guide." Wir Eis said.

Silv tried to do so. However, the soldier in her didn't allow her to give up all the power. There was a need deep inside her to be able to control something, if not her own life, then perhaps at least those shuttles that would lead to saving innocent lives.

"We're better when we work as a team. I just need time to adjust, that's all." Silv said through gritted teeth as sweat poured down from her forehead.

"Are Rose and the others in position?" Silv asked.

"Yes. Waiting distraction. If not work?" Wir Eis asked.

"If they don't call the guards from the borders to assist them, I am going to guide one of the shuttles here," Silv said.

"That difficult." Wir Eis said.

"Yes, I know. It will be tricky to keep the shuttles in two different places. That's why I wanted to try this first. Hopefully, they are just proud enough to believe that no one would dare breach sectors," Silv said.

Finally, Silv managed to line up the shuttles in the area where they were last seen with Evanescence's help. Then she proceeded to scatter them around, dropped the invisibility shield, and attacked.

It wasn't a grand scale attack since she didn't want to hurt the soldiers who were just doing their jobs, unaware that what they were fighting for was an unjust Government. It was just enough to get their attention and initiate a chase. It was just what she was hoping for.

"Wir Eis, tell me when they are close. They might need help fighting off whoever comes. Evanescence can move the shuttles by herself if I direct her to do so, right?" Silv asked, unsure if she understood all the finer points of flying a spaceship clearly.

"Yes. Yes, mental command enough." Wir Eis said.

"All right then. I'll back up grandma and the others when they come, so be on a lookout, please." Silv said.

"Yes," Wir Eis said as Silv diverted her attention to the task at hand.

Manipulating the shuttles while having no steering wheel, nothing firm to grasp, was more challenging than Silv assumed it would be. How was she supposed to gently guide the shuttles into a battle? It sounded like an impossibility. Yet, with Evanescence's help, Silv felt like she was starting to improve, which was lucky since the projectiles the soldiers used changed to air missiles, which had the capability of piercing the shuttles.

"I see them," Wir Eis said, what felt to Silv like hours later.

Quickly, Silv gave the commands over to Evanescence and received a low buzzing as a confirmation from her. Then she gently pulled her hands out of controls and hurried to get the weapons they brought to the alien ship.

"You stay here in case something goes wrong with my command, and I'll go help grandma and the others," Silv said.

As she went outside, she could see a large group of humans heading for the ship. Thus, she lowered the ramp fully so that they could run inside without any trouble. In the distance, she could hear gunshots, and she guessed those were the fighters in the group. She hurried there, knowing that was where her grandmother and the others would be.

As she ran towards them to help, she yelled at the passing people issuing commands.

"Head straight for the ship and go deeper inside to avoid being shot! Move it!" Silv yelled as she ran.

Soon enough, she reached her grandmother's side and started shooting at the soldiers who were trailing them.

"It took you long enough," Silv said to her grandmother through all the fighting.

"A few bumps on the road, that's all," Rose said without ever stopping to fire at the enemy while slowly retreating.

Before they knew it, Silv and Rose were separated, but neither one gave up the fighting. They all knew what the plan was and followed it.

That was when Silv saw him.

Denis.

Her once-friend. The traitor.

Her blood ran cold, and all she wanted to do was take her revenge. She needed to kill Denis, the same way he killed their friendship. Ruthlessly.

In her rage, Silv didn't see that the guy on her left had a clear shot of her.

All she saw was someone jumping in front of her and blood spattering the snow. She quickly disposed of the guy who took the shot. Only then did she notice that the body lying in front of her was her grandmother's.

"Arthur! Quickly! Rose is hurt!" Silv yelled though she couldn't see the AI anywhere.

In a matter of seconds, he was there picking up Rose's bleeding form. Then he proceeded to run towards the ship with Silv covering his retreat, her revenge forgotten, replaced by horror at the possibility of losing her grandmother.

Before her brain had the chance to go into full panic mode, they reached the ship. Arthur quickly carried Rose deeper inside while Justin and Joe stayed behind to close the doors and keep the soldiers busy for a bit longer.

"Grandma!" Silv sobbed, looking at the broken form of her dear grandmother.

"Silv, my dear. Your plan worked. I am so proud of you," Rose said as she slowly lifted her hand to touch Silv's cheek.

"You're going to be okay. There must be a healing chamber or something that can save you." Silv said, her eyes roaming the ship in the hopes of finding what she needed.

"No, my dear. No alien technology, please. I've made a mistake in allowing the augmentation to be implanted in me in the first place. My time has long ago come and gone. It's time for me to say goodbye to this world.

"I've had a long and rich life. I've seen many things, some of which I wish I had never seen. Some of which, including your birth, that made me happier than I thought possible. Maybe in the afterlife, I'll finally be able to see summer once again and leave behind this eternal winter." Rose said.

"You can't leave me! You're all I have left!" Silv screamed.

"You have friends, my dear, and Arthur will always be by your side, won't you, Arthur?" Rose asked.

"Of course, my mistress. Forgive me, my lady," Arthur said with what remarkably resembled a tear in his artificial eye.

"For what, my dear?" Rose asked.

"For not being there to save you," Arthur said, holding her hand.

"No one could have saved me. I've cheated death long enough. You make sure that you save my granddaughter, you hear me?" Rose said sternly, though there wasn't much strength left in her body.

"Yes, mistress, I solemnly promise to do so," Arthur said.