CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Mechanical bodies stumbled against seismic jolts. Undaunted in their advance, their crumbling minds focused on a singular purpose. Tugg's safe return preoccupied Ranna's thoughts, though he remained dubious about the sincerity of the android's promise. He had more than enough reason to doubt the reassurances of pirates.

  After traversing mile after mile of sulfurous underworld, the ceaseless march returned them to the Basilica. Volka's crew dispersed, clambering into the empty pods of the ship's hull, plunged back into unconsciousness to escape the whispers of insanity: the Tetraphage's lullaby.

  Accompanied by the twins, the hunters followed into the dimly lit core. Support pylons trembled, and wires released rogue sparks as each quake hit with increased ferocity. Khan's eyes darted in a panic, brandishing the expression of a scared child. The hulking golem clawed at the metallic surface of his skin, unable to satiate the constant, festering prickle that plagued him. The sickness had sunk its debilitating claws deep into his mind, and Volka knew that soon his brother would be lost to it, sentenced to exist in the emptiness between here and whatever came next. The only reassurance he could offer was the imminence of their success, though the planet's sudden volatility caused his certainty to sway.

  Ranna clocked movement in the distance, his augmented retina spiraling to magnify the scene. The transference chamber contained an occupant. He was appalled by what he found as they approached the transparent hemisphere. Affixed to the cold steel chair was not a stranger or loathsome Naval officer; it was Tugg.

  Four white eyes stared longingly through the glass at the familiar faces of his comrades. Although absent during the previous demonstration, Tugg was no stranger to Transference and knew the grim reality awaiting him.

  "What's this?" Ranna asked sharply. "We got the key. You said we'd go free."

  "Free? I promised a reward. A gift as prestigious as continuing the great work there is not. Considering your fish has been of no use so far, I would take this as a rather courteous gesture." Volka seemed almost shocked at their reaction. It was all that prevented the androids from succumbing to the sickness, serving a higher purpose. Despite their heaven being closer than ever, the mind-shattering insanity claimed crew members daily, requiring replenishment of their ranks on a near-constant basis.

  Snatched from his grasp yet again, Ranna mourned his freedom. Taking one last look at Tugg, he saw the desperation in his eyes and knew he was out of time. His arm swung back, fingers glancing at the Ion pistol strapped to Khan's belt. With his grip tight, he yanked the weapon from its holster and, in one continuous movement, swiveled his body into position. Like the hands of a clock, he whisked the gun upward. The barrel sliced through the air, and Ranna locked eyes on Volka with a murderous scowl. As the barrel passed over the android's chest, he pulled the trigger without hesitation. A sizzling blade of light erupted, followed by a second aimed directly under the android's chin. Volka's glowing circuitry went dark. Before his sparking corpse could even hit the floor, Ranna crouched with the gun aimed at Khan. Precision became an afterthought. Round after round screamed through the barrel until Khan's chest cavity had completely melted away, leaving only glowing spores of liquid metal blossoming in a cone behind him. Shaking, Khan looked down at the white-hot devastation for which the Ionic rounds were so renowned. The light in his eyes dimmed into nothing, leaving his body to collapse into a sizzling heap next to his brother.

  With the last of the lethal ammunition, Ranna made quick work of the Cybel entourage, leaving a pasture of molten ruin in his wake.

  Soran rubbed his eyes, trying to recover from the intense glare of the shots. His mouth sat agape, unable to recognize the man standing before him. The calm and collected outlaw he had come to know had vanished. Wrapped in a cloak of ionic mist, the smoke-shrouded gunman was a vague amalgam of his Captain — a ghoulish assassin.

  Explanations would have to wait as the sound of reinforcements rattled in the distance. Ranna liquefied the glass cage with the final shell in his pistol, and El rushed to the control console. After some minor code-breaking, she managed to release the restraints. An embrace of gratitude blossomed as the crew reunited, the relief of not being turned into a tin can shared by all. Soran scooped up Volka's weapon, aiming directly down a lengthy runway toward the room's only entrance. On the other hand, El was preoccupied with the plethora of jewels the Cybel so stylishly modeled, deciding to reappropriate as much as her deep pockets could hold. Tugg pointed the way to a staircase leading to the ship's highest point. At a glance, the perilous spiral seemed to be the only viable exit. Ranna grabbed the keystone chains from Volka's jacket, throwing them around his neck. With the synthetic mantra of the android horde closing in, the hunters departed the transference chamber, praying the staircase would release them from the Basilica's grip.