Only Human (Themis Files, #3)(75)

No, we’ll both burst if they start shooting at us. We need to take the Koreans out. Can your robot fire at all? Those big bolts of light would come in pretty handy right about now.

[My copilot’s passed out. I’ll get out and see if I can wake her up.]

All right. I’ll send a small blast. Maybe they’ll get spooked.

[Whoa!]

What?

[Our leg’s gone. You obliterated our leg.]

I’ll buy you a new one. That thing was ugly as hell anyway.

[She won’t wake up, Dad. There’s a pool of blood under her legs. She needs help.]

There’s nothing you can do for her, Eva. Not right now. Look at the console. Find the button that looks like an equal sign with a dot above it.

[There isn’t one. They’re coming, Dad. The Koreans are coming.]

I’ll send out another burst. There. Did they stop?

[I don’t think so, no.]

You need to find that button, Eva. Themis hasn’t had a lot of time to recharge. She’ll run out of energy real quick. You’ll have to do it after that.

[There’s no equal sign!]

Look closer, Eva. It should be on the right.

[It’s not! There isn’t one, Dad!]

There has to be!

[The console’s different! I see the numbers you showed me, but there’s no yokits equal sign! Dot, or no dot.]

<Vincent, we’re showing the Chinese and Koreans closing in on your location.> Yes, Katherine, we can see them too.

<Are they firing at each other?> No, they’re not. I could be wrong, but I’d say you just lost a friend. It looks like the Koreans are going for Lapetus. They’re bringing in a bunch of trucks. I see large spools of cable.

<They want to tow Lapetus out of here?> Best guess is they want to drag him away from Themis.

<Why?>

So they can get to us. Themis is on her back. They can’t access the hatch unless they flip us over. They can’t do that with Lapetus on top of us.

<Vincent, you know I can’t let them take you.> You mean alive, right? Because they’ll “take me” regardless. I can slow them down, but you need to do something.

<There’s nothing we can do, Vincent. You’re on your own.> [Dad!]

Oh, shit. I see it. They’re tying cable around Lapetus’s leg and arm. Eva, I’ll send out another burst. That should get rid of those cables, but you need to get back to your station.

[I’ll try.]

It worked! I got rid of a few trucks, maybe a hundred men.

[I don’t think they got the message, Dad. They’re coming back.]

Are you strapped in?

[Almost. I can’t move my left arm. My shoulder’s busted.]

Well, it looks like they’re going after your good arm. See if you can shake it loose. No, wait!

[For what?]

Wait until the cable is fixed. You can take out whatever it’s attached to. And…Now! Now!

[Yeah! Take that, assholes.]

Can you see the Chinese?

[They’re coming. Some of them are at your feet. I just flung some sort of crane at them, but they don’t seem to care. Yokits! We’re moving, Dad! They’re dragging us away!]

They have you by the leg.

[Do something!]

On it. Cable’s gone! I should have gotten the crane too with that burst. Themis must be running low. I don’t think she has many more of these left in her. Oh shit!

[That doesn’t sound good.]

My helmet just turned off. I can’t see anything.

[Can you move?]

What? No! We’re out of juice. It’s just you now.

[What do you want me to do? I don’t know what I—NOOOO! They’re dragging us again. UGH!]

What’s happening?

[We just fell off Themis’s chest. We’re on the ground. The Chinese are moving in.]

Do they have cables?

[Yeah, bulldozers too. They’re going for your left arm, I think.]

They’re gonna flip us over.

[Soldiers are climbing on Lapetus. They’re on our back!]

Shake them loose! Don’t let them get to the hatch!

[I’m trying!]

Just move as hard and as fast as you can!

[Oh, no, Dad! They’re going to kill us if the Koreans get in. Please help me!]

<Vincent, this is Katherine. It doesn’t look good from where we’re sitting. Is there anything you want to tell us?> No, Katherine. I don’t have anything to tell you. If you have to push that button, I…You do what you have to do, but give me a minute first. I want to talk to my daughter. There’s time.

[They keep climbing! I don’t wanna die, Dad.]

I know, Eva. I’m here. I’m here with you. Just like last time, remember?

[I can’t see you. I wish I could see you.]

Close your eyes. I’m right there. See? You’re not alone, Eva.

[I’m sorry, Dad.]

You’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I’m proud of you, Eva. I’ve always been proud of you. I’m proud of the way you won’t let anyone tell you who you need to be, including me. I’m proud of the way you care about people. I’m proud of how you always speak your mind, how you don’t pretend to be something you’re not. You’re my daughter, Eva. I’m proud of that.

[No! Don’t—]