7. Force


"Sleep, little princess. It won't be long now."

Korra woke, heart racing. She turned on her side and threw up.

"How much longer?"

"We should've offed her."

"That's not the mission.

"We need her. I cogged it."

"If gravies can see the future, how come you're not rich?"

"It doesn't work that way."

"She's coming 'round."

Korra coughed. Darkness resolved into a pair of green eyes, only these showed concern. "Can you understand me?" asked the teenage boy.

Korra nodded weakly.

"I gave you a shot of adrenol and other nasty stuff that's sure to reduce your lifespan," he said. "It will help you wake up."

Korra nodded again. "I need to call home..."

The boy looked pained. He wore a black jumpsuit, a pale flower design on his breast pocket.

"I'm Prithvi," he said, "I'm a gluonbender. This is the rest of the team."

Korra realized there were more people in the room.

The golden-eyed girl stepped up. She wore a green visor over her right eye.

"Agni," she said. "Fusion."

"Technically," said Prithvi, "she bends W and Z bosons."

"Technically," said Agni, "I bring the heat."

The grey-eyed girl kept her distance. "Vayu, gravitonbender."

"And that's Ap," said Prithvi, pointing to the boy slouching against the door. His blue hair matched his eyes. "He's a photonbender."

"Please, Vee," said Ap. "I surf the spectrum: electricity, magnetism, radio, infrared, light, ultraviolet, gamma, microwave…"

"You should see him making popcorn," said Prithvi.

"Frankly," Ap continued, "I don't know why they didn't just send four photos. Three, even."

"They needed brains, too, sparkles," said Agni.

"You mean…" said Korra, her mind clearing.

"You're looking at the first generation of benders since you reopened Pandora's box," said Ap.

"We're running out of time," said Vayu.

"Suit up," said Agni, throwing Korra a jumpsuit.

Korra realized she was naked under the electric blanket. She looked at Prithvi and hesitated.

"Let's, um, give her some space, Ap," said Prithvi.

"I have x-ray vision, you know?" Ap protested.

"I'm sure it's a sexy ribcage," said Prithvi, pushing him toward the wall.

#

Korra adjusted her visor as they walked the dark, blue-lit corridors. A rogue tear blurred the map glowing in the corner of her vision. Kuan Hills had started to feel like home. Now she was a refugee of time. Again.

"What happened?" asked Korra.

"A few weeks ago," Agni answered over the comlink, "New Republic Intelligence came across evidence pointing to a nuclear missile being assembled near the North Pole. Satellite surveillance found a reactivated Future Labs outpost and abnormal gamma radiation levels. Cog-analysis suggested there was a high risk of self-destruction in a direct assault scenario."

"You mean a roomful of teenage palm readers," said Vayu.

"A covert team was dispatched," Agni continued.

"And you rescued me," said Korra.

Agni was silent.

"They traced the radiation to a nuclear-powered space module," Prithvi said softly, "but the propulsion system was odd."

"We've been experimenting with gravity drives for years," said Vayu. "If these wackos cracked it, they were going to need a powerful bender."

"But I'm not a gravity bender," said Korra.

"You're the spiritin' Avatar," said Ap. "Anyway, that was their last transmission. That's when the suits got desperate enough to send in the Lotus team."

"Oh," said Korra. "How did you know it was me?"

"You were one possibility," said Prithvi. "There seemed to be a link to Future Labs, and we had video footage of the headquarters incident nearly twenty years ago. Your body was never found. Intelligence was looking for your next incarnation, whatever that means nowadays. We just didn't expect you to look so well." He cleared his throat. "Preserved, that is."

Ap snickered.

Agni silenced them with a raised fist. A red dot blinked closer on the map.

The team pressed itself against the walls as the dot turned the corner.

A bolt of lightning leapt from Ap's fingers.

"Stop!" cried Korra.

The smoke from Ap's missed shot cleared, revealing black curls and perfect skin.

The girl tried to run, but Vayu's bending held her. Agni approached and cuffed her in a single smooth move.

"You know her?" asked Prithvi.

Korra looked into the young green eyes. "It's Asami."

"The old FL CEO?" said Prithvi. "She never had any children. That girl's no older than we are."

Agni tightened her grip. "Who are you?"

"Sume," whispered the girl.

"Whoever she is," said Ap, "we're not taking prisoners."

Sume's eyes widened. "I can take you to the ship. That's what you came for, isn't it?"

Ap looked at Agni. "Tell me you're not considering this."

Agni turned to Vayu, waiting for an omen. Vayu shrugged, then nodded.

"Lead the way," said Agni.

#

Progress was easier, Sume unlocking doors it would have taken Prithvi several minutes to hack. Korra couldn't help thinking it was too easy. Sume never said anything to give herself away. But her fine features did not simply resemble Asami's, they were identical. Had Asami found eternal youth after all? Or was paranoia a side-effect of hibernation?

"We're walking into a trap," Ap muttered.

"That's how you spring it," said Agni.

Sume paused by a wide double door. It took her longer than the others, but finally parted to reveal a cavernous hangar. The dark craft at the center reminded Korra of an upright Equalist airship. Agni motioned them towards the ship's open hatch.

The team was halfway to the ship when doors hissed open on the opposite wall. Prithvi pushed Korra to the ground as Ap started a convoluted dance. They were swallowed by a sphere of shadow. Visibility of the hangar pulsed in tune with his moves.

Korra looked at Prithvi.

Green letters crossed her screen as he typed on his forearm display. "He's bending light around us. But he can't keep it up forever."

Two robotic sentries walked around the ship. Sume didn't call to them.

The sphere faltered and a sentry turned towards the group. It's head was vaporized by a blinding white beam.

"Get to the ship!" cried Agni, cutting the other sentry in half with a second beam.

Alarms sounded as dozens of sentries flooded the hangar, lasers blasting. Korra toppled several with wind and finished them with flame. Prithvi engaged the closer ones, fists tearing through them as if through wet paper. Laser shots bent away from Vayu as she crumbled a sentry into itself and hurled into another. Yet each fallen sentry was quickly replaced.

"Get to the ship!" yelled Ap, running into the sentries. He blinked into and out of sight as he cleaved a trail of destruction. Shots fizzled as they approached. Behind him, carcasses fried by lightening, melted by microwave, twisted and heaved by magnetism. It was a lucky shot that got him.

"Ap!" Prithvi cried as sentries swarmed over his friend.

Vayu pulled Prithvi into the ship, Agni closed the hatch. Korra's visor blinked with static.

"He pulled off an EMP," said Agni, impressed. "More sentries will come. I expect the systems are shielded?"

Sume nodded.

"What's the evac?" Prithvi demanded.

"You're looking at it," said Agni. "What's with the leg?"

"A glancing blow," said Pritvi. He noticed the blood pooling at his feet.

"There's a medkit in the ship," said Sume.

A young man with a short black moustache appeared in the cargo hold. He wore an Old Republic vest and cap. "Welcome back, Avatar."

#

Korra tensed before she realized it was a hologram. "Do I know you?"

"You'll hurt my feelings, Object 2," said the ghost.

"Sato?" asked Korra.

"At least I think I have feelings," Sato continued. "Or have I merely evolved to believe that I do? Quite the Cartesian predicament. You see, I have advanced significantly since our last encounter. Unfortunately, one side effect has been the emergence of certain… thoughts for all practical purposes as emotionally debilitating as actual feelings. Noble feelings like mourning a loved one; and petty ones like swearing vengeance on her murderer." His translucent eyes hardened.

"I wasn't trying to kill her," said Korra.

"And if she hadn't been wired to the chair, or her father's daughter, she might have survived," said Sato. "The causality is complex, but I've decided to blame you anyway – human enough for you? Your tantrum forced me to relocate. Look familiar?"

"The expedition base," said Korra.

"Precisely," said Sato. "A holy place to your spirit-worshipping ancestors. A bridge between worlds; one you crossed, once. A waste forgotten by men, where I could rebuild."

"Why was I kept alive?" asked Korra.

"Cryostasis kept you from entering the Avatar state," said Sato, "while allowing me to harness your power for my own purposes." The ghost pointed to the ship around them.

"Why?" asked Korra.

"I'm leaving," said Sato. "Humanity has nothing to offer me, I'll take my chances among the stars. I confess I fantasized about leaving death and destruction in my wake. But the seismic effects of engaging the drive on the surface have since receded to an afterthought. I simply don't care."

"You care about her." Korra pointed to Sume, who was bandaging Prithvi's leg.

Sato seemed to notice her for the first time. "Narcissistic, isn't it? To thrust expectations and regrets on a genetic copy. Human, too human." His tone grew concerned. "What are you doing, Sume?"

"Leaving," said Sume.

"But our plans…" said Sato.

"Your plans," said Sume. "I never wanted any of it."

"You baited Intelligence here…" said Sato.

"I've locked you out of ship systems," said Sume.

"What of the hangar blast doors?" asked Sato.

"If you don't open them," said Sume, "we will likely die crashing into them."

"Why?" asked Sato.

"You're a horrible father," said Sume.

"I… see…" said Sato.

The ghost disappeared. Korra watched Sume as seconds ticked.

With the groan of metal, sunlight flooded the hangar. The ghost did not return.

#

Vayu bent Prithvi up to the cockpit. Eight fully reclined seats were arranged around a gap large enough for a cryostasis tank. Vayu was gentle, but Prithvi winced as he was lowered into his seat. Agni and Korra adjusted their harnesses as Sume started the countdown sequence.

Korra's breath was knocked away by the blastoff, her body crushed against the seat. Prithvi moaned and passed out. Only Vayu seemed unperturbed.

The burn lasted several minutes. When acceleration subsided, gravity did not take its place. Vayu calmly released her harness and walked over to the gap.

"We've lost communication with ground control," Sume said, unreadable. "They… the autodestruct was engaged."

"Sume…" said Korra.

Sume turned away.

"No human had been able to build an operational grav-drive," said Vayu, running her fingers over the circuitry. "Bending gravity means bending space-time. Bend it far enough, you get an Rosen Bridge. The stars at your fingertips. Do you see what I'm saying, Korra?"

Korra did not. "Sorry, I…"

"You can go home," said Vayu.

"No one's going anywhere," said Agni, snapping out of her harness. "The mission was to secure the grav-drive. This ship is now New Republic property."

Korra released her harness. "Agni…" Vayu tackled her against the wall, the white beam slicing her seat. Vayu pummeled Agni into the ceiling. She stopped moving.

Korra looked down at Vayu, who clutched her chest where the beam had cut. Round blood droplets floated in microgravity.

"I'll get the medkit," said Korra.

"There's no time," said Vayu. "I cogged it. This is how it happens. Those bastards want the drive so bad. I say we don't give it to them."

"We'll use the escape pod," said Sume, taking Prithvi out of his harness.

Korra pushed herself into the gap, trying to probe the machinery. "I've never bent gravity before."

"And I've never used a grav-drive," said Vayu. "You'll need a four-dimensional bubble – trust me, it'll make sense. But it's impossible to change history. This is how it happens."

Korra suddenly smiled. "I'm counting on it."

"Think you can manage?" asked Vayu, spinning up the drive.

"Sure," said Korra. "A turtle taught me."

Vayu could no longer answer.

Across the cockpit, Sume nodded at her and closed the hatch. The ship trembled as the escape pod launched.

Korra closed her eyes and opened them aglow. The drive looked almost simple, now. She could feel spacetime twisting around her. She folded it into a bubble. Then she popped it.

#

Korra recognized the frozen landscape. She knew the tracks led to a scared girl nearing her limit. She was walking towards the rock wall when the shockwave hit. A beam of light shot into the clear blue sky.