Chromium

12.1

Dia let out a harsh breath, "Gibson."

"He offered the emperor an alternative, a way to fight the Collective on equal ground. That's why the emperor broke a taboo, going against everything the Empire stands for. Of course, he had to keep it a secret. His entire power is based on fear, the illusion the citizens of the empire need his protection against the galaxy most feared bogeyman, a technologically advanced race that embodies everything the human race fears: To be replaced by machines, or worse, to become like them. The fool was so desperate he didn't realize his chief researcher was using him." He shook his head, "It's a pity that even that wasn't enough. Gibson is brilliant, a real genius, but his research progress was too slow. That's why I suggested we need help, maybe a new ally, to speed things up. "

Dia wrapped her arms around herself, "The Collective."

"It was just an attempt, we didn't really think they would accept our proposal. After all, we were asking them to share their technology with us. Imagine our surprise when they actually accepted."

Dia's stomach knotted, her lips quivering, "What did they want in exchange?"

It was Reyes who answered, "Not what, Dia, but who."

No.

Her body shook, just once. It was like a foreshock, the small tremor before the real earthquake.

The Umbra's gloved hands creaked when he raised the index finger, "The Collective requested only one thing: we had to find one woman. You, miss Zephyr."

Dia desperately shook her head, trying to deny it but the Umbra was merciless.

"You may not know it, but the Siren wasn't the first ship that trespassed on the Collective's space. The Empire tried to send small exploration vessels for decades. Do you know what happened to them?" Dia shrank back when his arm made a swish sound, cutting through the air like a blade, "Nothing, absolutely nothing. With the exception of the Mermaid, your mother's ship, the only thing the Collective ever did was disable their shields and hyperdrive before using a tractor beam to drag them back to the Delatory system. Care to guess why that time was different?"

Because I was on board.

"I did tell you, didn't I? Every great hunter needs a great bait. The emperor is no different. I don't know how he found out, but he knew about you, miss Zephyr. He kept you under surveillance for a while. Probably he was trying to discover why the Collective was so interested in you, but in the end, he was forced to act. The empire's economy was imploding. He needed an excuse, an enemy so scary that even the disillusioned inhabitants of the Fringe worlds would have no other choice but to rally around him. That's just a small part of the story, of course.  Suffice to say, you have all the interest in helping me. You've nowhere to go. Besides, I don't know what the Collective is planning to do, but I know the emperor played right into their hands when he decided to use Gibson's robots. The Empire will fall. It's inevitable."

She jolted awake, "W-What...what do you mean?"

"But don't worry, we can still save the human race, you and I." He said, once again avoiding the question, "All this, of course...providing you're able to find Gibson. You still have three days, miss Zephyr. Use your time wisely."

Dia opened her eyes wide, "Wait...what? How I should do that? Gibson is still on the planet and you can't just..."

However, the hologram flickered, and the Umbra's image suddenly vanished, leaving her alone with Reyes.

"Are you kidding me?" She turned, furiously glaring at Reyes, "What the hell is..."

"Calm down, Dia. It's not as bad as you think. Gibson already escaped. The Collective wasn't able to catch him."

Dia narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him, "How do you know?"

Reyes just shrugged, "Does it matter?"

Dia huffed, shoving her hair away from her face, "Yes, Reyes, it matters." 

"No, it doesn't." Reyes insisted, "What is important right now is to find Gibson. That's the only thing that really matters, Dia."

She rubbed her temples, "Fine. Let's just leave that aside for the moment." She conceded, but her tone was still filled with frustration, "How am I supposed to find him?"

"I wouldn't worry about that. Now Gibson knows about you, Dia." He explained, "I suspect he will contact you first."

Dia shivered, her shoulders sagging as she remembered what happened on the train.

"Don't worry. What happened on the planet..." He tightened his lips, "...won't happen again. We'll be ready this time."

Dia crossed her arms over her chest, "Yeah? Sorry but I don't believe you, Reyes."

Reyes looked hurt but Dia ignored the pang of guilt she was feeling and asked, "By the way...who are you, the Umbra's spokesperson?"

Reyes frowned, "Come on, Dia. You should know by now that the Umbra doesn't like answering questions."

Dia eyed him warily, but he just cleared his throat, "Is there anything you want to ask me about?"

Dia tried to stay focused but yawned, sudden fatigue overwhelming her.

She rubbed her eyes, "Many things, but they can wait. For the moment...just answer one question."

Reyes bobbed his head, "Shoot."

"The Umbra knew I'm valuable to the Collective. So, why didn't he hand me over to them?"

Reyes 's lips just curled a bit, but that slight smile seemed more real than his usual grin.

He stared at her for a long moment without saying anything. Then he went to the door, opened it but he didn't leave yet.

"I think you just answered your own question." He said, leaving her alone.