Thomas dragged himself across the glass-strewn floor towards the door as the air above him blazed with golden energy, singing the hairs on the back of his neck. The beam raked across the top of the station, spraying red-hot debris all over him. It wasn’t until his nails scraped the door that he remembered that it was shut. He would have to stand up and stick his head into the raging inferno to reach the controls. He shielded his eyes and waited for it to end.

The roaring of energy came to a stop, replaced by the crackle of gunfire. The ringing in his ears made it hard to tell if that was really what it was, but he didn’t care. His mind only registered it as an opportunity.

The door hissed and slowly scraped open, but only partially. The steel had melted and warped from the alien’s earlier attempt to enter, and it could no longer slide back into place. Good enough.

He slipped one leg through and then an arm. A searing pain shot up his arm as his bare wrist was burnt by the white-hot metal. He choked back a scream, his jaw clenched like a hydraulic press. He pulled himself forward, stumbling awkwardly and landing on his knees. He stayed there for a moment, on his knees, waiting for one of the Idex who had undoubtedly heard that to find him and end him.

But they didn’t. They either didn’t care or had their hands full. Whatever the reason, Thomas was still breathing and no longer trapped in what had felt like a tomb. He breathed deeply and gathered his bearings.

I’ve done all I can, as far as the trains are concerned.

He looked around. The balcony was empty, as were the several arched hallways that emptied onto it and the spiral stairwell that led up from the loading bay. There was no sign of movement around him, human or otherwise, but he could hear voices echoing from somewhere in the loading bay. Their speech held the same silky, yet firm, intonations that the golden one had chanted with earlier.

Beyond them, he heard only silence.

They’re dead, then.

Deveraux and his men wouldn’t have left until the last train did, and Adrianna didn’t seem the type to be eager to go until her job was done either.

Maybe some of them had time to hide.

The thought gave him a droplet of optimism for their fates, but it was only a hope. They had barricaded themselves in here with the intention of the trains being their escape, leaving only a few avenues for escape. And just as Richard had found out the hard way, the Idex had likely already been lying in wait. Nothing could be done for them now, not with Itlin captured.

Thomas reviewed his options. He could go and hide, wait it all out until rescue came. The golden Idex had stated his intentions clearly. They were after Ithlin, and the humans were nothing to him. They weren’t going to seek him out.

A wave of fatigue washed over him, pinning him to the ground like fly paper. His hand went to his elbow, looking for his watch, only to instead find a jolt of anxious energy spurring him forward. Edd was still out there.

He could be on his way back right now, just about to stumble into all of this.

He crept down the spiral staircase, careful not to slip in the ash. The only way to warn his friend would be to make it into the maintenance tunnels. If Edd could hear anything down there, he’d be able to tell that something had happened. But with the rail line’s power restored, the sound of anything outside of the tunnels might be drowned out by the machinery.

Rounding the second bend in the stairs, his entire view was filled with the insectoid maw of a korokti. His heart nearly leaped from his chest. It flinched away from him but calmed as it saw that he wasn’t an Idex. Behind it were two humans, a dark-haired man, and a young girl, shaking and barely holding it together themselves. None of them dared speak.

Thomas jabbed his thumb back the way he had come, nodding his head in an exaggerated manner to get his point across. The man and girl gave him thankful looks and headed past him, but the korokti lightly touched his arm and looked fearfully back down the stairs. Thomas gave it a solemn nod. It dipped its head and clicked its mandibles with a look that was either sympathy or confusion and went on its way.

This is pointless. Why aren’t you going with them?

The stairs emptied into a small hallway that led straight into the loading bay. Thankfully, it was empty, but the voices were louder now, echoing off the stone walls. He couldn’t tell exactly how far away they were, but he could tell the aliens were close.

The ash on the floor cushioned his footfalls, silencing his approach. He racked his brain, trying to put together a plan. The hatches leading into the tunnels, or at least the ones he knew led to the tunnels, were located just beneath the loading platforms next to the trains, built into their sides. The main challenge would just be making it to one of them without being detected.

Idiot. Is this the best you can come up with?

His stomach tied itself into knots as he neared the hall’s exit and could hear the voices more clearly now, along with a metallic scraping noise. From the sound of it, they were likely somewhere to the right of the doorway, but he couldn’t be sure of the distance. A line of columns ran across the width of the loading bay, and if he was quick enough, he could use them for concealment.

It’s easily twenty feet to the nearest pillar, and you’ve seen how fast they move. No matter how quick you are, you’ll still be too slow.

His blood raced. There would be no way of knowing the aliens’ exact position without exposing himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn back. Somehow, the thought of going back to hide in the darkness scared him more than coming face-to-face with that golden killing machine again. It made him feel tired, very tired, as if he might fall asleep and never wake up.

The voices grew louder and more urgent, which meant something else must have gotten their attention. With his head hunched low, he crept as fast as he dared across the gap with his eyes fixed on his destination. Every step and sensation felt dialed up. His arm itched from where it had been burnt, begging to be rubbed or scratched. All he could do was quicken his pace.

He was just a few steps from the pillar when his foot slid backward in a dune of ash, pitching him forward and barely keeping his balance. The tip of his shoe landed on a patch of exposed stone with a singular clop as he tried to direct his stumble. He held his breath.

One voice grew louder than the others. One that he had heard before.

‘Ershumni.’

It was over. He had grown too panicked and impatient to cross the gap, and now, because of one stupid mistake, he was going to die. What had he been thinking? There had to be another way down to the tunnels that wasn’t so exposed that he could have found instead. Soon, he would just be another speck in a sea of ash, with nothing left to indicate that he had ever existed.

At least I won’t be here anymore. At least I won’t be alone.

But the end never came. The entire space lit up as an orange fireball bloomed from somewhere above, rocking the entire building and shaking Thomas back into the moment.

He chanced a look around the corner. Descending through the roof like a guardian angel was some sort of gunship. A gun mounted at its nose coughed burst after burst of blue energy at the Idex, who scurried to cover.

One blue bolt caught one in the back, staggering it. Another’s arm disappeared in a sapphire starburst.

Unperturbed, the golden Idex stood between the gunship and Ithlin, barking orders to one of his bronze armored underlings who was struggling to drag Ithlin away from the firefight.

The doors on the ship’s side slid open to disgorge a dozen new aliens into the fray. Thomas had never seen these newcomers before. They moved in a blur of blacks and reds and greens, splitting into three groups, with two moving to the sides and another charging head-on at their colossal foe with long and impossibly sharp blades.

Why are they charging straight at it? Shoot it from range.

More gunfire erupted from the gunship, this time from two humans wearing black fatigues who had emerged at either of its doors with machine guns. Both of them laid down a continuous stream of fire to suppress the now entrenched Idex, who were now letting loose with their own weapons.

The golden Idex danced around the hail of bullets and energy bolts, deflecting several blows from the blade-wielding aliens before impaling one in black-green armor through the gut. The warrior’s compatriots continued a barrage of hit-and-run assaults against him, with little success, losing two more in just a few seconds.

But he didn’t get the kills for free. The last of the blade-wielding aliens, in black and red plated armor, strode forward and met the shining titan, striking hard and fast. His blows did little to damage his opponent, but it did open the opportunity for several shots to land from the aliens flanking the sides.

Meanwhile, the smaller bronze Idex continued to drag Ithlin back towards the nearest cover, which Thomas was startled to realize was his pillar. The focus of the gunship and its crew was consumed entirely by trying to subdue the golden warrior.

I’m dead if I don’t do anything before he gets to me.

With everything going on, he could just as easily slip away and make it to the tunnels. He wouldn’t get another opportunity. But he owed the robot his life several times over now. And as Edd would tell him, you should never leave a tab unpaid.

He pulled the pistol from his jacket and took aim at the back of its torso, resting its barrel against the side of the pillar to ease his shaking hands.

I don’t need to kill the bastard; I just need to give him one more thing to worry about.

He pressed the trigger again and again, missing at least half of his shots. But he saw sparks fly and a loud ping as some of the bullets bounced off its armor.

The alien pivoted to face him, dropping Ithlin and pulling its staff from its back to disintegrate him. It was only then that he became aware that the bangs of the pistol had been replaced by clicking.

Shit.

A crater exploded from the alien’s chest as a supersonic projectile burst through it from somewhere behind it. It collapsed into a lifeless heap onto Ithlin.

“Wastes of life, all of you!” the golden Idex roared. With his massive boot, he kicked the red and black alien’s chest, sending it backward to smash into the side of the loading dock. Shouting orders to the surviving Idex, he retreated towards Ithlin but stumbled as the gunship landed a shot on his thigh.

With a growl, he unleashed a torrent of energy from his staff, disintegrating one of the door gunners before hobbling towards the far side of the loading dock. The gunship and its band of rescuers made no move to follow but fired vengeance at their backs.

Thomas ran to Ithlin and nearly pulled a muscle trying to shove the two alien corpses sprawled on top of her. A firm mitt of a hand pulled him back. The black and red warrior stepped in front of him and used their boot to nudge the bodies off of her. Their armor was comprised of banded plates; each one forged in a uniform professionalism.

“I’ve long wondered if I would ever see your kind break their vows of pacifism.” His voice boomed with an inhuman resonance from beneath a dome-like helmet. Using a small blade of energy, he cut through the restraint, binding her hand. “I am disappointed to have missed the spectacle.”

“Vows aren’t made with the intention of being broken.” Ithlin whirred to her feet. Her eyes drifted to the dead Idex. “But there are always exceptions.”

The warrior grunted from beneath his helmet. “Only for those who deal in half-measures. Come, we must get you back to the Atrium.”

“We must tend to the survivors. The Idex focused their assault on the logistical center, but their initial bombings have likely left countless wounded throughout the settlement.” She turned to face Thomas until the warrior’s hand grasped her shoulder, although not unkindly.

“So long as you remain here, you will be endangering them. You were their target, not them.” He nodded at Thomas. “Reinforcements and aid are coming for them, but the only way to guarantee their safety is if you leave.”

Ithlin went towards the door through which the Idex had fled. “Very well," she sighed, “But we will take those that we can.”

She looked at Thomas.

The warrior slashed his hand in protest. “This human does not require immediate care. A more optimal purpose for him- “

“Maruch, he is coming with us, as are any other survivors that are nearby. Tend to your wounded while I tend to mine.” She turned back to Thomas, ending the debate. Maruch watched her for a moment before walking away, muttering in his native tongue.

“Ithlin, there are three survivors up in the hallway behind the operator’s station," Thomas said. “I’m pretty sure there are two down in the maintenance tunnels, too. Edd and one of the soldiers went down there to repair the trains’ power systems.”

Ithlin’s eyes flickered. “Master Ga- Thomas, I am sorry.”

Thomas blinked in confusion, a tightness in his chest. “Sorry for what?”

She was silent for a moment. Her voice was stiff, forcing the words out. “Your friend is no longer with us. I am sorry. I saw him emerge from the tunnel and engage the Purificant himself…”

Thomas’s eyes stung, and his chest felt like a vice. Ithlin’s words became meaningless amidst the buzzing of thoughts in his head, and in the next second, he found himself stumbling through the ash toward the closest hatch. It was open.

“Edd!” He kept calling the name over and over into the void inside, with only his own echo to answer him. Grabbing the top of the ladder, he moved to climb down into the tunnel. Edd had to be hiding out down there, somewhere.

She only met him once. How could she know?

But as he pressed his shoe into the ash at the lip of the hatch, he felt the sensation of plastic crunching beneath his weight. Looking down, he saw the cracked face of a worn, digital watch.