Chapter 16

Rain pattered against Cecilia's umbrella as she slipped through the empty streets. With the city in utter disarray after Okab's attack, a curfew was imposed until the situation stabilized. It horrified her how some people had used the tragedy to steal or cause harm. Did they not care about their fellow humans? The current death toll of Okab's attack was horrific, with over 3,000 casualties and property damage in the tens of millions. It'd take decades for the small city to recover.

The dark clouds reflected Cecilia's dreary mood, a gray storm that drowned everything in its path. Sometimes, she wished it'd keep raining until it washed everything away. Rose's wasn't good. Her left eye would never function again. And with the Altair infection—few were hopeful they could treat it in time.

Her best friend would die. It seemed inevitable to Cecilia. Yet, she clung to something foolish—a silly hope Macauley would somehow reverse this misfortune into a brighter future.

"This better work, Macauley!" Cecilia promised she'd make him suffer if this was some sick joke. Her steps faltered as she approached the apartment building. Except for a few lights, the squat building was dark. She had kept Macauley's mysterious message to herself, not even telling Sandage. It was foolish and risky, but Cecilia wanted to confront Rose's mysterious benefactor alone.

Her steps tapped against the wooden floor as she entered the building. It'd only taken a second for her to be buzzed inside. While somewhat worn down, the interior seemed inviting enough. She spotted a staircase and climbed the steps two at a time. Cecilia wandered the second floor until she reached 205. She didn't bother knocking, trying the handle straight away. It opened with ease, and the door swung open.

The room that greeted her was dark and bare, her steps echoing as she entered. Her heart raced, fearing a possible trap. It'd be so easy to kidnap her. Nobody knew where she was. This was a stupid risk. Why was she doing this?

"Hello?" It was clear no one lived in this apartment. Dust covered the counters, and she found no sign of life as she explored further. Down the long hallway, she spotted a faint light seeping through a door crack. Steeling her nerves, she approached the door and pushed it open.

"Hello," a man said, giving her a faint smile. He was overweight, though more bulky than fat. Cecilia guessed the man was in his middle years. He wore a white T-shirt with some superhero on it. 

"Hello, Macauley," Cecilia said, returning his faint smile. She put a hand to her purse, palming the pepper spray she'd brought along, just in case. While it'd been a reckless and stupid risk coming here, Cecilia hadn't come unprepared for trouble.

The bespectacled man laughed, amused by something. Cecilia frowned. "What is it?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not Macauley," the man spoke with an accent Cecilia couldn't place. "My name is Petrus Naboth."

"What?!" Cecilia almost dropped her purse in surprise and glared at him when she recovered.

"Macauley is a mutual friend. He asked me to fly to your country to help. Sorry if it's not what you were hoping for," Petrus said, giving a self-deprecating laugh.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Cecilia said, fuming. Hadn't Sandage complained about the constant misdirects when investigating Macauley?

"Ah, good. You're here, Cecilia. Glad you could join us," a distorted voice said, catching their attention. Distracted by Petrus's sudden appearance, Cecilia hadn't noticed the laptop sitting on a folding chair in an otherwise bare room.

"Will you ever show your face? How do you expect me to trust you?" Cecilia said, losing her temper. It was unlike her, but she'd had a difficult last few days.

The computer screen considered this. "I suppose it's all about faith."

"Faith is only blind trust. Rose will probably die," Cecilia said.

"Yes." Despite the distortion, the voice sounded sad. "She might. I've scanned the records Luyten V brought from the future. In the years humanity fought against the Altair, none ever survived exposure to the Altair infection."

"So it is hopeless!"

"That's not what I said. I think there might be a way, but it's desperate," Macauley replied.

"That's where my expertise comes into play," Petrus said, adjusting his glasses. "I'm a geneticist by trade."

"And how do you know Macauley?" Cecilia asked, her voice wary.

"He contacted me with some interesting information. A complete genetic sequence of the Altair genome. It's quite fascinating."

"And?"

"And a sample of Project: Bird Bath. I've been studying how it might break down Altair cells into something harmless."

"And it can cure Rose!" Cecilia's heart blossomed with hope.

"No. I'm afraid the chemical is toxic to humans. Heck, it's likely dangerous to the whole ecosystem. What was the US government thinking, using something so recklessly?" Petrus fretted as he caught Cecilia's expression. "But we have another plan."

"Well?"

"Did you know Rose shares a special connection with Luyten V?" Macauley said.

"I suppose," Cecilia replied, perplexed by the change in subject. "How is that relevant?"

"Well I've been told that it can be very dangerous to her but I suspect what might kill Rose could actually save her. We can use it to exercise the infection plaguing her," Macauley replied. "By entering Full Synchronization Mode to its final level, their bond should destroy the Altair corruption, like using chemotherapy to kill cancer."

"Really? Won't it kill Rose too? She can barely handle stage one. The fourth and final stage might kill her outright!" Cecilia said.

"I know," Macauley said, genuine sadness entering his distorted voice. "But it's a risk we'll have to take."

"What makes you sure it'll even work?" Then a sneaking suspicion crossed Cecilia's mind. "Or is there something you aren't telling me?"

The shifty expression on Petrus's face told her she was on the mark. They both knew something, and Cecilia glared at them. "Well?"

"The thing is, everyone's so focused on understanding Luyten V's operations, they've overlooked its origins. That's why Macauley contacted me. I already know about the Luyten V being from the future." Petrus replied. "See, Macauley and I have been suspicious about Luyten V from the start. It's an impressive machine, but how was it developed in only twenty years? It's a major boost in our current technological understanding, all while under an alien invasion?"

"Maybe I helped somehow?" She paused, realizing she'd almost spilled her secret to total strangers. Cecilia readjusted her words. "I mean, I do plan to become a scientist one day!"

But Macauley seemed amused by her comment. "Perhaps. But we have our suspicions. Did you know that Luyten V isn't one hundred percent mechanical? That it has some biological components? From your expression, I see you do. Let me be frank with you, Cecilia. I believe Luyten V is an altered clone of an Altair."

This took Cecilia's breath away. "How is that possible?" Did that mean Luyten V wasn't safe? Would it turn against its creators one day?

"I believe it possesses Altair and human DNA, specifically Rose's. She used part of her genetic code to create it. Quite a genius, that girl is," Macauley replied.

"Rose said they share a connection, but the Luyten V was created from her specifically? That's insane!" Cecilia's mind reeled, struggling to understand the implications of this.

"We hope the fusion will purge the Altair corruption. Only Rose is capable of doing that," Macauley said.

"But what if they can't split? What if the Altair corruption infects Luyten V too?" Cecilia said.

"It's a dangerous risk, but I can't think of another way to save your friend," Macauley said, his words solemn.

"And what do you expect from me, exactly?" Cecilia said, crossing her arms. "To steal her body and put it inside Luyten V? Why not convince Sandage to do this? I'm just a girl."

"Sandage doesn't trust me," Macauley said, his tone frank. "And I'm not sure if he'd authorize this risky experiment."

"Well, you aren't getting any help from me," Cecilia replied.

"Sorry?" Macauley said, flabbergasted.

"You ask too much," Cecilia said, pushing her advantage. She had no patience for Macauley's games. She wanted him to commit for real. "And we're not doing this alone. We're getting Sandage involved in this. And it's not just a meeting—you're showing your true face as well. Enough hiding. Do that, and I'll help you."

The laptop stood silent for several long moments before a distorted chuckle escaped its speakers. "You drive a hard bargain, Cecilia. You have a point. Very well. Call Sandage. I'll show my face when he arrives."

"Really?" Cecilia blinked. She couldn't believe that worked.

"You're a good friend, Cecilia." Macauley said after another moment of silence. 

"Well, uh." Cecilia blushed, unaccustomed to compliments. "Thanks." Still, she hardened her resolve. She couldn't shake the feeling that Macauley might pull a trick on them. His secrecy made her instinctively distrust him. Hopefully, she'd finally get some real answers.

---

The mood among his kin was solemn as Tarazed floated into the hive home. Beyond the skittering of his siblings, the void was as silent as the grave. Throughout the hive mind, their grief was raw. The anguish of millions of souls drove even a being like Tarazed to heartache.

"I am here, Grand Intelligence," Tarazed said to the air.

"Good. Much needs doing. I…" Through their link, rage bubbled within their leader, hotter than Tarazed had ever felt. Its usual brilliant, vibrant purple was corrupted with other colors, spilling into the mix. The grays and reds flowed and ebbed, chaotic and violent.

"Somehow, the race called human has destroyed Okab." The Great Intelligence said. "Our connection was severed. It happened suddenly, too, like he'd been torn from our loving grasp violently. I don't understand how this is possible. Even Death could not have caused this."

He'd sensed his brother leave the link as well, but the Grand Intelligence had suffered the loss more keenly. Its pain had resonated throughout the hive mind, waking the entire swarm. 

"Indeed." The news of Okab's unusual fate surprised Tarazed. It was odd his fellow general would disappear from their link so abruptly. Surely they'd at least receive some dying message from him?

"The humans did something to him." While Tarazed had no love for Okab, he acknowledged his brother's skill as a hunter. 

"They did! Go! Find out how! Destroy them! Kill the one they call Rose!" The Grand Intelligence paused, mastering its emotions. The Altair hadn't suffered such a grievous loss in years. Instead of letting its grief and anger roar out of control, the Grand Intelligence tempered them, stoking the flames for the moment they would exact a terrible vengeance on humanity for this crime.

"Somehow, humans have destroyed Okab," the Grand Intelligence repeated, its tone icy. Wild emotion gave way to cold logic. Tarazed approved. "What happened is unclear, but the humans have created a new weapon against us. Investigate, sabotage it. Acquire a sample of the weapon they used against Okab. They have found a weakness that we must eliminate. Nothing must threaten the Altair hive."

"And find this Rose and her Red Demon," the Grand Intelligence commanded, anger rekindling in its voice. "Destroy them utterly. Make sure none of her kin survive."

"Understood." Tarazed spoke only was necessary.

"Now, my children," the Grand Intelligence said, its tone soothing. "Patience. Your desire for vengeance is my desire. But not yet. The Altair are eternal. We can afford to be patient." Through their connection, Tarazed sensed their frenzy, their hunger. The Altair were awake, and they were ravenous. "Worry not. The feast will come very soon. We shall suck the marrow from humanity's bones."

---

"Thanks for calling me, Cecilia. I'm glad we're finally getting some answers." Despite the late hour and being bone-weary from his pressing duties, the LUVOLT agent was alert and awake.

As Cecilia had expected, he was eager to learn their mysterious benefactor's identity. He'd rushed over as soon as she'd called, no questions asked. Unsurprisingly, Sandage seethed in fury about Macauley going behind his back to have a secret meeting with Cecilia. He had made his opinion on the matter abundantly clear.

"Well, Macauley. How about you show yourself already? We're all gathered together. Now, how about the grand reveal?" Sandage said, not hiding his impatience.

"Are you sure about this?" Petrus asked, mopping his brow with a handkerchief. "You realize who you're revealing your identity to? This guy's a fed."

"A fed that could make your life very unhappy, Dr. Naboth." Sandage had been less than impressed with the scientist since their introduction. "And I've heard of you. Your unethical experiments were the reason you were kicked out of your university."

"What?" Cecilia said, shocked.

Petrus scrunched up his face before releasing a resigned sigh. "I suppose I deserve that. You're right, I was. I've been trying to make up for it. Macauley offered me a second chance, and I took it."

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Macauley's distorted voice said. "I understand your skepticism, Sandage. But I promise you, Petrus is quite sincere."

"We shall see," Sandage replied. "And now?"

"Don't worry, Petrus. This is for the best." Macauley said. "I want to do this. Trust is a two-way street. The stakes are too high. If I want them to trust me, I must show them I'm all in on this endeavor, too."

The screen on the laptop turned totally black. They waited in silence, wondering what would happen next. Cecilia strained her ears, listening for Macauley to show up in person. Beyond her beating heart, she heard nothing—not even faint footfalls.

Cecilia flinched as the dark screen flashed back on, replaced by a colorful star field. It was awe-inspiring: a swirling nebula with a red splotch among countless pinpricks of beautiful lights. She blinked, confused about why it had switched to this image.

"Okay, here I am!" A familiar, cheery voice said. Cecilia's eyes bulged, wondering if she'd lost her senses.

"It can't be," Sandage said, equally flabbergasted. "Aren't you that streamer Rose is obsessed with?"

"Yep!" A blue-haired girl with twin starburst hairpins beamed, giving them a friendly wave. "Stella Kilonova, here at your service!"

"Y-you're kidding me!" Cecilia stammered. "No way that's true!"

Petrus adjusted his glasses. "Not quite what I expected."

"Okay," Sandage said, rubbing his temple, fighting off a massive headache. "This just creates more questions! It's unbelievable to me that some random streamer has access to impossibly advanced technology beyond anything we have currently! Or that you know government secrets!"

"And hold on! You lied, Macauley!" Cecilia said, her temper flaring. She should have seen this coming—more games! "You said you'd show your face. A VTuber is just another mask, a cartoon avatar of a real person! Show yourself for real!"

But Macauley—or Stella—only laughed, amused by Cecilia's outrage. Sandage didn't seem impressed either.

"But Cecilia, this is what I look like," Stella replied, performing movements that shouldn't have been possible for a VTuber. It was too smooth, too seamless. The anime-like avatar moved like a real person. "This is my true appearance!" She gave them an exaggerated wink.

"What?!"