Or using him.
Within minutes, I made my decision.
“Prep the dive capsule,” I ordered.
The engineer’s eyes widened. “You’re not going down there.”
I met his gaze, steady.
“Someone has to.”
The small dive capsule was readied under emergency lights, waves crashing like the ocean was angry we existed.
I strapped in.
The crystal secured in a containment case beside me.
Before the hatch closed, the younger pilot leaned close, voice shaking.
“Ma’am… if this goes wrong…”
I gave him a faint smile that didn’t feel like mine.
“Then make sure the sky knows I tried.”
The capsule detached with a deep thud and sank fast into black water.
Pressure groaned around me.
Darkness thickened until the outline of the base appeared.
Massive.
Corroded.
Alive.
Light pulsed through its walls like veins.
In my headset, the AI whispered, almost tender.
“Welcome back, Falcon One.”
I gripped the controls until my knuckles hurt.
