Ultima Ratio

Chapter 72: Together

Danya was on the roof of the airplane, and apparently, she refused to come down.

It was just as well; Akira was barely maintaining her consciousness as it was. So after briefly talking with Sam and apologizing for worrying him, she took the chance to get some rest, only waking when Elodie removed the depleted IV and checked her vital signs.

They stopped in the Indian Ocean, several kilometers south of Australia. From what Akira heard, they were making a point to pass through other magnetic anomalies to throw any pursuers off their trail before they redirected to Pali Uli. Not only that, Izzy had noticed that all of Concordia's land-based allies were in close proximity to each of those areas. If the UN still managed to track them there, at least their plane could be mistaken for one belonging to actual Concordians.

The island was their best destination for two major reasons. First, they needed to get off the grid, and the only place they knew of was the elusive Pali Uli. While the UN military knew of its existence, the group hoped that they wouldn't be desperate enough to risk losing their sparse resources against both Danya and the unnatural elements that surrounded the island.

Which led to the second reason: Pali Uli was likely tied to Victor Garza more than they realized. The island's defensive system proved it, and whatever technology created the unnatural anomalies was eerily similar to what Concordia had pummeled the planet with for nearly the last fifteen years. Danya herself had said Garza fled there after his first failed attempt at the war, but it wasn't until later that the group wondered if there was more to the story.

For instance, what if Garza created Pali Uli as his own personal sandbox where he could play make-believe as a god?

It was a disconcerting notion, made even more so by how likely it was. Regardless, the team was on their own personal mission now, and they needed to find Garza before the military found them. Even if Garza himself wasn't there, the island could hold more clues on where he might be. After all, if Garza had left Danya on the island, it was possible he left something else as well.

All in all, it was a great plan and clearly well thought out, and Akira made a mental note to profusely apologize for doubting any of them.

As soon as they touched down on the calm ocean water, Akira carefully climbed out of the aircraft and to the top of the hull. While she trusted her sole's electromagnets to hold her if she fell, she didn't trust her malnourished and dehydrated body to do what she wanted, and she didn't want to be dangling off the plane by her feet.

Danya was curled up in the middle of the upper hull, sitting with her knees hugged tightly to her chest and her face buried behind them. At the sight, Akira's heart ached with guilt, and she silently hoped that she wasn't too late to repair the damage she caused.

"Can I join you?" Akira whispered, slowly shuffling closer.

When Danya merely curled in on herself even more, Akira stopped where she was and sat down a meter behind her.

For a while, neither of them spoke, and Akira listened to the gentle waves lap against the plane as she processed her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Danya," Akira said, deciding that if there was anything Danya needed to hear, it was that. "I hurt you, and you didn't deserve that."

Akira stared down at her fidgeting fingers, imagining Danya's touch against them instead of her own.

"I'll be honest," Akira continued, pushing through her fear. "For a while, I thought Quyen was right. That you were only using me for your own goals, and not because you actually cared."

She sighed softly, squeezing her fingers as she chastised herself for such ridiculous notions. "But I realize now that was such a stupid thing to believe. Ever since we made our deal, everything you've done was because you cared about me. And in Eden, I was so scared that I made a huge mistake that I didn't even think about how you felt."