Chapter 18: Unstable Lagrange

"You want us to get in that thing?" Diana asked as they stared at the armored contraption in awe. In its chest, a massive steel sphere with a wide open door stood like a gaping maw waited for them to enter. Royce walked forward, leading her along.

"Darling-" she whispered. "No-"

"This is my destiny," he looked at her wide damp eyes. "It's like- my life's been leading me here. Like I was born for this thing. Like I understand it. Like it's calling to me." She looked at him.

"I've felt it too."

"Tracer Prototype Three, this is Ash Cloud, U.N.F. strategic command - reporting new contact designated Luna One, Stratos-Class VIRM frigate approaching on lunar transfer orbit, time to intercept fifteen minutes!"

"On it," Ria beat back the violent pulsating voice in her head. "How are you hanging in back there,"

"I'm holding on," said the strained voice of an old woman behind her. "I don't know what we're going to do. They'll keep coming. Ishigami's in control of Ash Cloud. He's going to lock us out."

A man's voice echoed through their minds. She released the controls and clutched her head:

"Ah, Ria Sylvan, and the foolish Elder Ikuno. I would advise you not to interfere with my plan. I've personally requested the VIRM frigate to deal with the Klaxosaur who's about to flatten Genista base."

"Why?" she said outloud.

"They're stupid creatures. Sub-human monsters from the depths. They must be eliminated. I suggest you aid me in this task, then we can resolve our petty differences."

"Ikuno, can you increase attenuation?"

"I can try."

"Don't you dare-" came a booming voice from inside her own head. It continued to yell.

The voice grew softer and softer until all they heard was a light squeaking.

"Attenuation is at ninety percent. We won't be able to fight like this."

"At least my pounding headache is gone."

"I've got an idea," she started pressing buttons. Ria followed instinctively. "I like the way you think."

"Time to grab us a weapon."

"Are you ready, Darling?" she said as he secured the transceiver to his forehead and she settled into the seat in front of him on all fours.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He grasped the oddly placed handles which extended from her thighs.

Nothing.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know- nothing's happening."

She got up, turned around and stood in front of him wearing a skin-tight suit made specifically for the Shrike. They were alone in the dark heart of the giant machine.

She leaned over and gently kissed him. "Is that- better?" she asked. Every time she kissed him it felt like the first time. Every time better than the last.

"It's- certainly better, but nothing's happening."

"I don't know what's wrong." She buried her face in her hands and turned away. The tiny red horns on her head gleamed in the dim light from dark panel displays all around them.

I've got an idea. Maybe we don't need them.

"Diana." He peeled the white band off his head and stuffed it into a pocket.

"What are you doing?"

He reached up and pulled hers off as well. Then he struck his fingers through her long hair and slowly, immeasurably touched her quivering lips to his own.

Then the world exploded. A kaleidoscope of colors unraveled before his eyes.

Kimi sat behind a man hunched over in his seat. Above her was a cloudless sky. They were cutting their way through invisible shelves of air above a whitecap sea. A mile away, a black dome bobbed in the current.

"Is that- the thing?"

"Yes," Cho said.

"What's going to happen if it gets to the shore?"

"The last one destroyed a city."

She thought hard for a moment. "Why'd you do it?"

He was silent.

"I mean- why'd you take me with you- instead of one of the cadets?"

"I thought you'd be safer here than back there. And I told them that you were a pilot. They got no clue who you are."

She was taken aback.

"Captain Sobu! You still there? Or did you pull an Ishigami?" Cho keyed the radio.

A static hiss followed, "I got you on radar. Orito and Toji are manning base defenses."

"Where's Stylet?"

"Stylet is… shit- it's way off course. It's accelerating. I can't stop it. It's headed to L.T.O."

"Lunar Transfer Orbit! Shit- How is that even possible? Somebody pull a space heist?"

"No idea. It's being overridden. Physically."

"How the hell are we going to beat this thing without orbital rounds?"

They flew high above the black oblong bulge in the ocean and swept into a wide circular arc around the creature. "Come on, guys! Anything? Any ideas?"

"What's that?"

A small sparkle of light blinked near the shore.

"Sobu! Contact heading one three zero incoming, ten miles low and closing fast! What the hell is that?"

"No idea. It just overflew Serilona and passed Genista tower. It came from the Khanian mainland!"

"Shit- now what?"

"Evasive Maneuvers! Go to fingertip! Sobu- Cadets, get ready on the SAMs!"

"It's closing!"

She gripped the grey fabric on her legs.

"Fire SAMs! Everything you got. That thing's the size of a Tracer! It's not one of ours, right?"

"U.N.F. strategic command shows nothing on Earth. It's Khanian. No doubt about it."

A blur of blue, white and yellow metal swept past them in midair. He caught a glimpse of a face atop the body with piercing emerald green eyes.

Then several grey fluffy streaks zipped by in quick succession.

The mech stopped on a dime.

It hovered in midair trailing red-hot exhaust. In one fell swoop it slashed away the missiles with its yellow spear.

Then it dove at the monster below and harpooned it, splashing blue gunk a thousand feet into the air. The mech popped up, raised an arm to its eye in an expression that said 'see-ya!' and flew off toward the shore from whence it came.

It was all over within the span of a few seconds.

"What in the hell- was that?" Morisato shouted.

"I think it was- a Tracer?"

"It was Diana." Cho said solemnly. "She's gone back to the Khanians."

Kimi tapped on his shoulder, "What- just happened? Is it over?"

"No," he said, "Whatever that thing was- there'll be more. This isn't going to stop."

"Ikuno! I've got Stylet, how much power do we have?"

"Matter-antimatter reactor is holding at one hundred. You've got plenty of power."

"What about ammunition?"

"It's plasma armature. You can load it with anything. Rocks, metal scraps, orbital rounds."

"How many orbital rounds you got?"

"About two hundred in the quill."

"That should be plenty. Where's the frigate?"

"Luna One has reversed course and is heading out towards L-two!"

"The Lagrange point? What the hell's it doing out there?" She pushed the thruster control to maximum and felt the acceleration push her into her seat. The fluid did its job. She watched the g-meter climb past thirty and then level off.

There were no windows in the skull of a Tracer. Only scarce camera feeds, holographic displays and analytical plots of trajectories.

Flying the beast was a balancing act between attenuation of all systems including the alien voices which threatened to tear her sanity apart, and her own mental fortitude. Intrusive thoughts in hostile alien tongues lashed at her mind. The only thing she could control was the volume.

"Maybe it's setting up some kind of cargo depot?" Ikuno guessed.

"I guess that makes sense," she grasped a levitating sphere that controlled the mech's thrusters and locked in a trans-lunar injection. "Simple orbital logistics- if the bottleneck is a portal or gravitational keyhole, they'll want to set up a forward staging post for the invasion at L-two.

"Whatever it's doing, it knows exactly where to put itself so we can't hit it with projectile weapons. It's an unstable point which means it will repel any trajectory that gets close to the point itself. It'll take at least half a day to get there, even with max thrusters."

"Got any light reading?"

"The better question is – does this thing have a bathroom?" Ria released the sphere and crossed her arms in annoyance.