When he looked confused.
"Jump means a nonlinear spatial displacement achieved by the simultaneous folding of local space-time," the first technician explained.
Jorghan studied the vessel with approval.
"How long until it’s ready for departure?"
"It’s ready now," the technician confirmed.
"Fully fueled, all systems green. The biomech pilot, her name is AJ-X08, she’s been briefed on basic navigation to your home world using coordinates we acquired from Imperial diplomatic data. She can get you there, though the route might not be direct."
"That’s acceptable," Jorghan said.
He turned to the two technicians.
"You were useful."
The technicians exchanged nervous glances.
The first one spoke carefully. "We’re engineers, not soldiers. We build things. We don’t make policy decisions or authorize military operations. We just... do what we’re told and try to survive."
"That’s what everyone says," Jorghan observed.
"Following orders doesn’t absolve guilt."
"No," the second technician agreed.
"But we’re hoping cooperation counts for something. We prepared the ship like you ordered. We’re giving you everything you need to leave Earth. That has to be worth something."
Jorghan considered this for a moment, then made his decision.
"You’re going to the Moorne mansion in the city. The one where the family used to live before building this estate. There’s a family waiting there: a woman named Lizbeth, her daughter Lily, and her parents, Margaret and David."
The technicians nodded, clearly confused about why he was telling them this.
"You’re going to transfer ownership of that mansion to them," Jorghan continued.
"Handle all the legal paperwork, establish them as legitimate owners, and ensure no one can challenge their claim. Then you’re going to provide them with financial support, enough money that they never have to worry about basic survival again. Use Moorne Corporation funds. Jamie Moorne is dead. His estate goes to Grace, and I’m speaking for her when I say those funds will be used to help the family."
He stepped closer, and both technicians instinctively backed up.
"You do this, and you live. You provide full support to that family, ensure they’re comfortable and safe, and I’ll consider your debt to me paid. But if I find out you’ve stolen from them, neglected them, or treated them as anything less than honored guests, I’ll come back and demonstrate what happens to people who disappoint me.
Clear?"
"Completely clear," both technicians said in unison.
"Good. Now show me the ship’s interior."
*
The boarding ramp extended with a soft hiss of hydraulics, revealing an interior that was high-tech. The walls had that same scaled texture as the exterior, and they seemed to pulse gently.
The main corridor led to a central chamber that served as a combination cockpit and living space. Comfortable seating arranged around a holographic display showing the ship’s systems and external environment. Compartments branching off from the central chamber, sleeping quarters, storage areas, a surprisingly well-equipped medical bay, and even something that looked like a small galley for food preparation.
And at the front of the central chamber, integrated into the ship’s structure in ways that made Grace feel slightly ill to look at, was AJ-X08.
She looked human. That much was obvious from the basic body shape and the facial features that were recognizable despite the mechanical augmentation. Flesh and metal and synthetic materials blended together so seamlessly it was impossible to tell where biology ended and technology began.
Her eyes glowed blue from time to time as if she were taking in her surroundings.
She turned her head as they entered, and her synthesized voice carried warmth despite its artificial quality.
"Welcome aboard, D-Triggon. I am AJ-X08, the ship’s artificial assistant. I understand you require transport to the Vael’thoria realm. I have navigation coordinates and can execute the journey once you’re ready to depart."
Grace stared at her with horror.
"What did they do to you?"
AJ-X08’s artificial eyes somehow conveyed sadness.
"I volunteered. I was dying of a genetic condition. The Moorne Corporation offered me a choice: die within months or become part of something greater. I chose this. It’s not a life I’d recommend, but it’s better than death. And honestly, this body is better than the one I had before. Quite flexible too.
There are worse fates."
Jorghan moved to the pilot’s station, examining the controls and displays with the quick comprehension of someone whose bloodline granted enhanced learning capabilities.
"How long to reach Vael’thoria?"
"Approximately forty-eight seconds with three jumps," AJ-X08 replied.
"We’ll exit Earth’s space, traverse through two buffer voids to avoid other planetary territories, then enter your home realm at a safe distance from major population centers. The route is not direct, but it’s secure."
"That’s acceptable," Jorghan confirmed.
"Seal the ship. Prepare for departure."
"Acknowledged," AJ-X08 responded.
The boarding ramp retracted with smooth mechanical precision. Status displays lit up around the central chamber, showing systems activating and power routing through the vessel’s mechanical systems.
Outside, the two technicians watched from a safe distance as D-Triggon’s engines began to glow with soft blue light. The ship lifted off its landing gear, hovering three feet above the warehouse floor, then rising higher as AJ-X08 guided it toward the exit.
The massive warehouse doors opened, revealing the night sky beyond. The ship moved forward smoothly, passing through the opening and out into the open air above the Moorne Estate.
Below, fires still burned in places where fighting had been most intense. Bodies littered the grounds. The estate that had been the center of the Moorne Corporation’s power was now just a ruin marking where Jorghan Sol’vur had passed through.
D-Triggon rose higher, accelerating as it climbed above the estate, above the city, above the clouds, and into the upper atmosphere, where stars became visible without atmospheric interference.
Grace stood at one of the viewing ports, watching Earth fall away below them, leaving behind everything she’d known for decades, again. Leaving behind the lie of her marriage, the betrayal of her son, and the life she’d thought she wanted.
Luke stayed cowered in one corner, his face pale, covered in blood.
Jorghan stood beside her, his shorter frame somehow still commanding presence in the confined space.
"That was something, huh," he said.
"How do you feel, Mother?"
"Good," Grace replied.
"I don’t want to go back. Forward is the only direction that matters."
The ship broke through Earth’s atmosphere into the void beyond, and AJ-X08’s voice announced their transition.
"Entering high orbit. Preparing for the first jump. Estimated time to Vael’thoria: forty-seven seconds."
Jorghan felt the familiar sensation of space surrounding him, the void he’d crossed alone earlier now traversed in comfortable safety. D-Triggon would carry them home, back to the settlements and the clans and the political situation he’d left behind.