Chapter 5
"Do you know what this is?" Harper demanded, waving the cartridge in Gaheris's face.
The Nietzschean stood calmly with his hands behind his back, ignoring the blood that ran from a cut on his forehead where he had been hit by flying metal. "Flachar gave it to Fett, Fett gave it to me, and I gave it to you. Fett tells me you can make it into a weapon."
"But do you know what it is?" Harper turned away and started pacing the deck of the Machine Shop.
Gaheris remained in place, his head following Harper's nervous movements. "Does it look like I know what it is?"
"It's a PSB in a box!" Harper announced.
For a second the Nietzschean could have sworn that his heart had stopped. "That cartridge contains a Point Singularity Bomb?"
Harper nodded anxiously. "I'm more likely to blow ourselves up with this than anyone else! What do they expect me to do with this, huh?"
Gaheris shrugged casually. "I'm only here because someone has to protect you." He tapped himself on the chest. "Every instinct is screaming out at me to be with my wife and child, but I am here."
Harper stopped pacing, hearing roars of Magog outside. "You know what they're going to do to Veghn, right? Implant eggs in him, larvae that will eat him alive and squirm their way-"
Gaheris's pent-up rage boiled over. "Harper, focus!" he shouted in the human's face. "Our only hope of defeating the Worldship is, as much as I wish it were not, is you!" He slammed out an open palm, and Harper flew backward onto the deck. "Any hope of survival for myself and my family depends on you. Now pull yourself together!"
He realized he was sounding like the hated Tyr Anasazi, and softened his tone. "Please Harper. For all of us."
Preview of Chap6: (Trance/Dylan/Rommie) Trance realizes who they are really fighting against.