Raine checked Caelum's reins, running her fingers along the leather straps before giving them one final tug. "There's nothing wrong with him, Ysa."
Ysa frowned. "Really?" She glanced toward the Pegacampus. "Cause he's been moody all day."
Caelum was currently lying on the ground looking like he had personally given up on life.
Raine followed her gaze. "Yeah. I don't sense anything that pains him."
The Pegacampus let out a low grunt.
Ysa groaned. "Ugh. Then what's wrong with him?"
Raine scratched gently behind one of Caelum's legs. "Pegacampus are known to have days where they just don't feel like doing anything."
Caelum immediately leaned into the scratch.
"It happens," Raine continued. "Think of it as their cooldown period. A day or two of rest and they're usually back to normal."
Ysa folded her arms. "I suppose you're right."
Raine raised an eyebrow. "You've been riding him a lot these past few days."
Ysa looked away. "...Maybe."
"Ysa."
"Okay, fine."
Raine chuckled.
"I just hate when he's like this." Her voice softened slightly as she stepped forward and patted Caelum's tail. "Sorry, my boy." Another pat. "Guess I have been overworking you."
Caelum let out a pleased rumble.
Raine smiled and rubbed his head. "You're a good boy."
The Pegacampus closed his eyes.
"You deserve some rest."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Raine broke the silence. "So..."
Ysa immediately looked suspicious. "So?"
"Are you gonna go with Yve?"
Ysa sighed. "I should." Her gaze drifted toward the distant settlement. "I can't let her go home alone. It's dangerous."
"What if that creature's still there?"
Ysa nodded. "Exactly."
Raine folded her arms. "Can you bring my tablet back while you're there?"
Ysa looked at her. "Seems like we're letting these humans peek at our technology now, huh?"
"Not really." Raine shrugged. "I just want to connect with my friends."
Ysa blinked.
"Haven't talked to them in like a week."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Ysa's mouth. Then she pointed a finger at Raine. "Fine."
Raine grinned.
"But I'm telling you now—you should not tell them about our current situation."
Raine immediately groaned. "Oh, trust me. I wasn't planning to." She gestured around Havenwall. "It's kind of embarrassing."
Ysa snorted. "Little bit."
"Little bit?" Raine stared at her. "We're living in a human settlement."
"Temporarily."
"Reefville got destroyed."
"Temporarily destroyed."
"We don't even have proper housing."
"Temporary housing problem."
Raine rolled her eyes.
Ysa smirked. Then her expression became more serious. "And don't tell them I made a human friend either."
Raine froze. "...Emily?"
"Emily."
Raine pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh heavens."
Ysa pointed at her. "They'll just insult Emily."
"They probably will."
"Then I'm gonna have to defend her."
"Of course you are."
"Then they'll defend themselves."
Raine nodded. "And then you'll defend yourself."
"Exactly."
"And then everybody starts defending their pride and honor."
The two sirens stared at each other.
Then Ysa let out a long suffering groan.
Among sirens, defending one's honor was less of a cultural tradition and more of a highly efficient method of starting arguments.
And somehow, Ysa defending a human's honor sounded even worse.
Just then, Lysander arrived alongside several sirens. The others followed behind him, checking straps, supplies, and weapons as they prepared for departure.
Lysander glanced around the open area. "Are the Pegacampi ready?"
Raine rose from beside Caelum and brushed the dirt from her hands. "Mostly." She pointed toward the massive Pegacampus sprawled comfortably across the ground. "But I don't think Caelum is interested in going anywhere."
Everyone looked.
Caelum lay on his side, completely unbothered. His tail lazily swayed back and forth. Not sleeping. Not injured. Just existing.
Ysa sighed. "He's been like that all day."
Caelum's tail swished again.
Lysander stared.
The Pegacampus stared back.
Neither moved.
"...Right."
Raine folded her arms. "I checked him already. Nothing's wrong."
Ysa groaned. "He's impossible."
The Pegacampus made a pleased grunt.
Ysa narrowed her eyes.
Raine scratched beneath Caelum's jaw. "Don't discourage him."
The creature immediately leaned into the affection.
"See?"
Ysa rolled her eyes.
Lysander looked toward the other sirens. "We'll proceed with the original plan."
Several nodded.
"We're bringing a Tidecraft."
"Good," Ysa said. "Being on the surface is dangerous enough. You don't need suffocation becoming another problem."
Lysander nodded. "Agreed."
Ysa shifted her weight. "Well. Good luck, then."
The sirens looked toward her.
"I can't go with you."
Raine already knew where this was going.
Ysa continued. "I have to escort my stupid sister."
A few smiles appeared.
"And retrieve her stupid laboratory toys."
More smiles.
"For her stupid boyfriend."
That finally broke the group. Several sirens snorted. One nearly laughed outright.
Lysander blinked. "That is an impressive amount of stupid bitterness for a single stupid sentence."
Raine immediately added, "And a concerning amount of stupid jealousy."
A few chuckles spread through the group.
Ysa crossed her arms. "I am not jealous."
Nobody believed her.
"Besides," she continued, "Yve already knows humans have short lifespans."
The smiles immediately returned.
Ysa shrugged. "Maybe Dylan is simply nearing his end."
Silence.
Then every siren looked at her.
Lysander stared for a moment. Then nodded thoughtfully. "You should tell your sister that."
Ysa frowned.
Lysander's expression remained perfectly serious. "That would certainly cheer her up."
A snort escaped Raine. Another came from one of the younger sirens. A second later half the group was laughing.
Ysa looked around. "...You're all annoying."
"Runs in the family," Raine replied.
That earned another round of laughter.
After a few more rounds of banter, the laughter gradually faded.
The sirens began mounting their Pegacampi, leather straps were checked, weapons secured, supply packs fastened.
Nearby, the Tidecraft was loaded with provisions before Raine climbed aboard and settled into the command position at the rear of the convoy.
As the convoy assembled, the atmosphere shifted. Less joking. More purpose.
Lysander raised a hand.
The Pegacampi stirred. Then the convoy moved. Hooves thundered against the earth as dozens of sirens rode toward the settlement gates.
The orange evening sky stretched endlessly above them, painting the clouds in gold and crimson. Within moments they were gone.
Riding toward whatever waited beyond the horizon.
Ysa watched until the last silhouette disappeared into the distant clouds.
Then—
"Hey."
She turned.
Yve approached from the direction of the settlement, carrying a satchel over one shoulder. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah." Then Ysa's gaze shifted past her. Her eyes narrowed. "...What's he doing here?"
Duncan raised a hand. "Good evening to you too."
Ysa pointed. "No. Why are you here?"
"I'm coming with you."
Ysa blinked. "Why?"
Duncan adjusted the strap of a bag hanging from his shoulder. "Because I have a few things I'd like to retrieve myself." He paused. "And because if we're planning to build anything useful around here, we desperately need an energy pulser."
Ysa frowned. "An energy pulser?"
"Yes."
"Those things are huge."
"They are."
"How exactly are you planning on bringing one back?"
Duncan smiled. "I'll see if I can get the Autonomous Resonance Craft operational."
Both sisters immediately looked at him.
Ysa's eyebrows climbed. "The ARC?"
Yve looked equally surprised. "I thought they decommissioned those."
"They did." Duncan emphasized.
A brief silence followed.
Then Ysa let out a low whistle. "Stars above..." She shook her head. "Haven't ridden one of those in decades."
Duncan nodded. "Council didn't want surface civilizations seeing technology they couldn't explain."
Yve folded her arms. "Do you think it'll still work?"
"I have faith."
Ysa immediately laughed. "That's artificer talk for 'I have absolutely no idea.'"
Yve smiled despite herself.
Duncan pointed toward the distant convoy. "So we transitioned to simpler designs."
Ysa looked toward the Pegacampus-drawn Tidecraft. Then back to Duncan. "You mean we downgraded."
Duncan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well, we had to."
Ysa and Yve looked at him.
Duncan gestured vaguely toward the distant horizon. "Humans eventually learned how to communicate over long distances."
Ysa nodded.
"Then came those sonars, those monitoring stations." Duncan sighed. "And then they started planting all kinds of technology all over the ocean floor."
Yve folded her arms. "Yeah, well..." She shrugged lightly. "What can we do..."
Duncan pointed at her. "Exactly." Then he dropped his hand. "Fortunately," Duncan continued, "it didn't take us very long to learn how to bypass most human detection systems."
Ysa smirked. "Human technology isn't exactly difficult to fool."
"No." Duncan shook his head. "But the High Primarch wasn't willing to risk it." His expression flattened. "So the order came down."
Yve already knew where this was going.
"Conceal all A.R.C. platforms." Duncan nodded. "And develop alternative methods of long-distance travel that wouldn't trigger human detection systems."
Then Ysa nodded. "Yeah." Another pause. "...I kinda see why you're upset."
Duncan exhaled and shook his head. "Still can't believe they passed on my designs and went with that." He pointed toward the tidecraft parked nearby.
Yve followed his gaze. "Yeah..." she admitted. "To be honest, I prefer your designs. That thing is slow."
"Right?" Duncan immediately pointed at her. "They went with Adalcrius' design." He shook his head in disgust. "Adalcrius. Even his name sounds ridiculous."
Yve laughed.
Ysa snorted.
Duncan folded his arms, sighing dramatically. "Nobody appreciates visionaries."
Yve laughed again before straightening. "Well, we should get going."
Duncan nodded. "Fine."
Ysa looked around. Then her eyes narrowed mischievously. "Still sure you want to leave your boytoy behind?"
Yve immediately sighed. "He's not my boy toy."
Ysa smirked. "Uh huh."
Yve rolled her eyes. "He's at the medical building helping with the renovations."
Ysa grinned. "And?"
"I already said goodbye." Yve started walking. "Now come on."
Ysa and Duncan followed behind her.
The two tidecraft rested near the edge of the settlement, their smooth metallic hulls reflecting the fading orange light of the afternoon.
Without a word, Yve approached the nearest one.
The side hatch sensed her presence. A soft hiss escaped the seals and the door slid open.
Yve stepped inside. A moment later, her tails unfurled behind her, the elegant fins spreading naturally now that she no longer had to maintain a human disguise.
Ysa climbed in after her. She dropped into the seat beside her sister and immediately relaxed, her own tails unfurling across the floor.
Outside, Duncan entered the second tidecraft.
A series of lights flickered across both vessels. Systems awakened. Low vibrations hummed through the hulls.
Then the engines engaged. A deep, resonant hum filling the air.
~~~
Meanwhile, far beyond the clustered superstructures of neighboring galaxies, beyond regions of space so ancient that even stars had forgotten their names, beyond the expanding walls of the vast universe, Corintha arrived at her destination.
She raised a hand.
The waterfall before her rippled. The shimmering curtain parted down the center, revealing an opening.
Corintha stepped through.
The world on the other side was vast.
Rows upon rows of elevated platforms stretched across the enormous chamber. Thousands and thousands of workstations floated in perfect alignment, each occupied by an individual focused on streams of impossible information.
Galaxies rotated above some tables. Entire star systems hovered above others. Complex webs of glowing symbols flowed through the air like rivers.
Every workstation monitored something. Every individual served a purpose.
Corintha walked through the chamber without slowing. Eventually she reached one of the stations.
A male figure sat before it. His skin shimmered faintly with hues of silver and violet. Deep purple eyes reflected countless streams of information dancing across the display before him.
Corintha placed the tablet onto the edge of his workstation.
Knock. Knock.
The man immediately stood.
He bowed deeply.
Corintha gestured toward the tablet. "Perform an OMNISCAN on this coordinates."
His voice echoed through the air. Curiously, his mouth never moved. "As you ordered, Master Corintha."
The man picked up the device. His eyes flickered across the information. Then he inserted the tablet into a slot within the workstation. The surrounding displays immediately reacted.
Symbols ignited. Layers of data unfolded. The workstation expanded, projecting thousands of interconnected windows into the air.
The operator's hands moved rapidly through the holograms.
Corintha turned to leave. "Report back to me once the results are complete."
"Understood." The man paused. His eyes drifted toward one of the newly opened displays. For a moment he frowned. Then he looked toward Corintha. "Should I conduct a complete planetary scan since the emergence of life on…" His gaze returned to the data. Then he read aloud. "Earth?" The operator blinked. "Or would you prefer a narrower search parameter?"
Corintha didn't even turn around. "Scan every life form that has lived there within the last one hundred thousand years."
The operator straightened. Even by the standards of the facility, that was an enormous request. Yet he simply bowed. "As you command."
Corintha finally glanced back. "And where is the analysis I requested yesterday?"
"It is nearly complete, Master." His fingers moved across several floating displays. "Final verification remains underway."
Corintha watched him for a moment. Then nodded once. "I expect it alongside the OMNISCAN report."
"You shall have both."
The moment the words left his mouth, the workstation exploded into activity.
The operator initiated the transfer. Entire libraries of information moved, flowing across the network in a torrent of data.
Corintha observed it for only a second longer. Then she turned. And left.
The waterfall doorway closed behind her.
Inside the chamber, the operator stared at the growing scale of the search request. A small notification appeared on his display.
Estimated analysis completion time: 45 minutes.
The operator blinked once. Then quietly returned to work.