"Report, cadet," Zakharov asked as he walked to his chair in the control room.
"Provost, satellite data has shown sixteen remnant laser cruisers on a direct course to Deep Sea Lab. Twenty-seven Hive Chaos cruisers are also en route, but they are still thirty minutes until intercept. Remnant cruisers will arrive in about twenty. In addition, Gaian cruisers will be repaired within the hour."
Zakharov nodded. "How long before the EMP pulse is recharged?"
The cadet shook his head. "More then forty minutes, Provost. It won't do us any good."
Zakharov stood up. "Alright. Cadets, return to your quarters."
The entire room stopped and looked back at him. A low buzz of confusion started among them.
"Phase five is ready to begin. This is our last hope to save the remaining citizens of our faction. The University, and our people, will not be wiped out of existence on this day." He pointed to the door. "As you know, your quarters are all located below the waters surface. The reason for this is that the floors of this colony have been designed to detach and act as submersible vehicles. It was designed that way-" (at Yang's suggestion, Zakharov didn't add) "-so that our attackers will still believe the base is occupied, but not detect the underwater evacuation."
Zakharov waited for the murmur that followed to die down a little. "The research that's been collected at this base has helped us to build a ground level colony at the floor of the ocean. It has been tested and ready for colonization. I need to advise you, however, that we will be under the surface of the ocean for a long period of time. I know several of you might be wary at this; however, it is either this, or you will be among Deep Sea Lab when it becomes dust upon the water."
More murmurs. "I ask you to trust me. I do not know why Deirdre is so intent on eradicating us, but as long as I am Provost of the University of Planet, we will not be wiped out…we will survive."
The cadets cheered and clapped a little, but Zakharov knew that they were terrified. Abandoning the base meant that the University of Planet would be eradicated…at least, as much as Deirdre and the other factions knew. Well…Yang knew the plan.
In fact, Zakharov hadn't planned on releasing phase five until Yang had arrived, but it seemed no other alternative was available since the Remnant's of Earth were against him now too.
It seemed, sometimes, that Yang was the only one on planet worth counting on. With so many enemies and so few friends, the thought of turning to another faction was a joke, despite his attempts. They'd all been ignored. Oh well. Who needs the Believers? The Peacekeepers!? Bah. Peace isn't anywhere to be found on this sea.
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The room was empty, save for Zakharov and Shila. He hadn't gone to his quarters, because he had no plans to retreat to the floor level colony. The only was he'd be able to save the University was to fight his enemies as a ghost. Zakharov smiled at the thought. What would Deirdre think if she found out he was still alive when she tried ever so hard to kill him?
"Remnant forces are beginning to join formation, Prokhor."
Shila's words made his heart fall. The whole plan would be in vain if they were destroyed now. "How long until Yang's division arrives?"
"Nine minutes. Remnant forces are charging their lasers."
Zakharov's mind raced. "We need to stall. Patch me through to Meskha. She has to be on the flagship."
Shila nodded as she pushed the numbers into the monitor. The control room screen changed to show the face of the young faction leader. "Hello, Zakharov. How goes it?"
Eight minutes. "Just fine, Meskha. Yourself?"
"Oh, lovely. I was just asked by my friend here to help overtake you."
"And you don't think that navy out there already is sufficient enough?"
Meskha chuckled. "It seems like Lady Deirdre is having trouble. We've come to back her up."
Seven minutes. Zakharov could feel a rumble under his feet as the floors below him began to detach from the base. "Come now, Meskha, you've seen the schematics of this base. No wall, no guard. It shouldn't have taken so many laser cruisers to open up a whole in the side of my base."
"Better safe then sorry. We don't want to have to go get more. Takes too much time."
"Meskha, why are you here? Why are you helping Deirdre?"
Six minutes. "That's not your concern."
"Oh, but I believe it is. You and your bases were once a part of the University of Planet. Why are you helping her destroy your past?"
"An irrelevant history lesson isn't going to help either of us right now, Provost. She scratched my back, so I'm going to scratch hers."
"And what if, by helping her, you also condemn yourself in the afterlife?"
Meskha cocked her head sideways. "I didn't think you believed in the afterlife, Provost."
Five minutes…c'mon, Yang, hurry. "Well, I've been thinking about it a bit. After we die, perhaps our cells live on in some form to experience the positive or negative karma we've gathered in our life."
Meskha dismissed the idea. "I know that you're a scientist, and I know you have no interest in karma or anything of the sort. What I don't know is what stunt you're trying to pull."
Zakharov feigned looking wounded. "Stunt? I don't understand. I'm simply trying to survive, like all creatures, Earth or Planet, human or animal."
Four minutes. "I don't particularly care to argue nature with you, Zakharov. I am simply her to help a friend."
Zakharov's heart pounded. "She's not your friend. Someday she'll turn on you, just like she turned on me."
"You were polluting her land! Your experiments and creations were horrible monsters!"
Shila looked up. "His creations were not monsters!!"
Meskha looked down at Shila. "And who are you to interrupt two faction leaders in debate?!"
Three minutes. Shila ignored her. "All he attempted was to make life better for all people! Then Deirdre came along to destroy him, and he needed to destroy everything, everything to appease that witch!!"
Meskha stared at her. "Miserable child, you don't understand a thing!"
Zakharov stood up. "And you're not a child? How long have you been alive? Thirty-five years, maybe? What a joke. I've seen far better candidates for leaders then you, and everyone I've ever met is a greater leader then Deirdre."
Meskha fumed. "You dare speak against us both?!"
Two minutes. Zakharov smiled. Keep her talking… "If the shoe fits. It takes a brave woman to steal a mans base from under his nose, then go to a council meeting and buy votes to make sure it's legal. Some code of ethics you've got."
"You take that ba-"
She was interrupted by a severe rocking of the boat, the result of an explosion about its top deck. She looked shocked and cut the feed. Zakharov looked at Shila.
"I thought we still had two minutes left."
Shila shrugged. "Me too. I guess Yang is fast…Prokhor, we're receiving incoming from Yang."
Zakharov nodded to let it through. The masked face of a pilot appeared on the view screen. "Provost Zakharov, this is Chiza of the Bine. I have been instructed to extract you from Deep Sea Lab and bring you before Chairman Yang."
Zakharov nodded. Chiza went on. "Please make your way to aft shaft 11-4. A path has been cleared for your escape."
Zakharov nodded, and he and Shila quickly ran down the corridors. The decks above them shook…apparently a Remnant ship above was beginning to open fire.
They reached the section and were strangely unsurprised when they saw the gaping hole that exited to the sea. A Yang ship was waiting there for them.
"Please, Provost, make haste! The attack will greater soon!"
He nodded, and he and Shila quickly got into the cruiser as it sped off. Zakharov thanked the driver and his men, and then returned to sit next to Shila and stare into space. So much to think about…
~
