Prologue
There was a crackle and buzz over the radio as the pilot adjusted the frequency, "Tower 91, this is Cyberian ship 47, do you copy?" she repeated. There was another pop over the channel and a long pause.
"Cyberian ship … copy … over" stuttered over the communication line.
"Tower 91, please repeat. We are picking up heavy static. Cyberian ship 47 requesting landing".
"We copy you. There is an electrical storm approaching. Landing request granted. Pad 12 is clear. Over"
The radio whined and buzzed, in front of them a bolt of lightning lit the dark sky and the aftershock rocked the small ship, "… ship 47 come in. Respond –", the radio cut out leaving silence. In the cockpit the pilot and co-pilot were frantically checking gauges, flipping switches and pushing buttons.
"618, have you seen anything like this?" the young co-pilot asked. His voice was calm and even, but 618 glanced over and she could see the terror on his baby face.
"91 is always like this. Rain, solar storms, electrical storms, it's always something". She sounded almost bored with it, having made this trip numerous times. "You'll get used to it". She added as the ship rocked again. She had only flown with 113 a few times and found him to be incompetent at the best of times and if it had been in her nature she would have dreaded flying to Quadrant 91 with him. But it wasn't. Still, she couldn't imagine how any of the 101 units would have made it long enough to fly in any of the upper level quadrants, let alone 10113 who could barely handle the 20 level quadrants. She sighed loudly, pulling the controls back steadying the ship. She missed 6596; he had been cool and level headed, as most 6 thousand units were, but he had been upgraded and she could only assume they had given her 10113 in hopes of having him decommissioned.
"618, I can't raise the Tower. They aren't responding" he said interrupting her thoughts. This time though panic was breaking through in his voice.
"113, calm yourself" she warned. "They have given us clearance to land on Pad 12".
"My instruments have gone off grid" he was furiously pounding on the keyboard. More lightning flashed outside and in the light the landing docks could be seen, but 113 was too busy to notice. "I can't –", he didn't finish his sentence when he heard the hum of the gun whirl up. He turned to look at the pilot, who now held her gun at him, one hand on the controls and her eyes focusing on her task.
"Pull yourself together. When we land, I am having you decommissioned; you were upgraded beyond your capabilities", she tore her eyes away from her gauges for a split second fixing her steely grey eyes on his. "If anything happens to those Units, I will be sure to let them know of your deficiencies. Focus on your controls". She turned back to her own, sliding the weapon back in its holster.
It was enough to force 113 to pull himself together and start his series of landing checks. The readings were all over as he fed them to 618 over the comm. until there was a loud crack outside the window and light filled the sky. "113, what is your reading?" 618 got no response. Her own gauges had flat lined and buttons were starting to dim. "Switch to manual override" she told her co-pilot. No response. "113, do you hear me?" The shuttle was starting to rapidly descend threatening to spin out of control.
Daring a glance to her right, 618 saw her co-pilot slumped over his controls. The front window of the ship had spider webbed and blackened. She managed to swear at him and went back to work.
5618 had been flying much of her last upgrade and it had taken all of her skill and experience to set the small craft down. It wasn't until she powered off the engines and switched the ship to auxiliary power that she looked up into the dark space before them. There was no tower, no landing lights, no units, no ships. "Tower 91, this is Cyberian ship 47, if you can hear me, we have gone down off course. Our gauges and instruments are off line. I am turning on our locator beacon. Co-pilot is decommissioned and I am going to check our cargo. Over and out". She sent the last transmission and undid the buckles of her harness.
5618 paused for a second to check 10113 for life signs before continuing down the aisle of the back of the ship. As she passed, most of the units didn't look at her, but she knew they were shaken from the rough flight and landing. "Stay in your seats" she told them unnecessarily before pulling the lever releasing the loading hatch at the rear of the craft.