Ratigan stared at Kady as if he'd grown three heads. "You're asking us all to practically commit suicide," he hissed.
"Is it possible to use the time machine to go beyond time and space?" Hayley asked.
Ratigan paused, considering. "We would have to break the time machine mid-travel," he decided. "While it's still between the here and the there. That's the only way I can imagine using it to get to a place that's meant to be between. Which again, is suicide. We don't know if it would actually take us to where Kiara is, and even if it did, we would be stranded with no way to leave."
"No way to leave, until we figured out a way to leave," Basil said, and reached up to put a hand on Ratigan's shoulder. "At least if we could all regroup, we'd have a better chance of survival than if we just left her alone."
"Whatever it takes to save Kiara, I'm willing to try," Kady said, squaring his shoulders.
"Me too," Hayley confirmed.
Basil looked to Ratigan.
Ratigan growled, dragging a hand down his face. "This is what I get for turning a new leaf…" He grinned toothily. "Very well, I've faced worse odds. We'll either save Kiara or die trying."
"I wish I could come with you," Flik said. Atta came to his side, and the two held hands tightly. "But I don't think I can risk it all. I wish you four the best of luck."
"We understand," Hayley said, and hugged Flik. "Thank you for everything you've done. I promise, once we've saved Kiara, we'll come back and visit."
"We'll be happy to receive you," Atta said, and rubbed her abdomen. "If I have a daughter, I might name her after one of you."
"I'll be sure to tell Kiara."
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" Ratigan asked, leading the way to the time machine. "If we're embarking on a suicide mission, then we might as well get on with it." The remaining three exchanged looks and nodded before following. Basil picked up a discarded spear as he went, as did Kady and Hayley.
They all climbed aboard, shutting the waist-high gate behind them, and Ratigan got to work on the control panel. "I'll set our destination as the most distant future, practically the end of the universe. It always takes the time machine longer to travel forward in time rather than backwards," he said. "Once we start moving, we'll smash this control panel. Then we'll hang on for dear life and hope for the best." He stroked one loving hand down the side of the control panel before yanking on the activation lever and taking a step back.
The time machine hummed to life. There were a few moments of seeing all the insects wave goodbye before they faded, first into gray mist, and then the strange space that the time machine always passed through while traveling. Submerged in an ocean of colors and lights, nonsense images that always rose goosebumps on Hayley's body, as if they were half-formed demons clawing towards them before melting into sparks.
Ratigan took the spear from Basil, and hefting it high, threw his weight behind it towards the control panel.