Chapter 49: Goodbye Ravine

  Mother Phoenix and Zhon appeared in the main room of the Mother Ship. Inside, the space was massive. The roof was made of glass, showing off the darkness and vastness of space along with the stars. The floor was solid, made of dark metal. Numerous keyboards could be found around the room, along with screens, and in the middle, a large holographic map showed their location in space.

  Zhon looked around, sniffling. "Where are we now? I don't see him."

  Mother Phoenix let go of his hand and grazed the keyboard. "This—this is where it all began," she said softly. "This is where Razak and I started this dream of resurrecting humanity in our own way. As you know, my plan—our plan—was to make sure this new wave of androids could survive in this new Earth and let you live as you please. I unfortunately realized only too late that his vision diverged from the one I thought we both sought."

  She looked back at Zhon, who walked toward the keyboards carefully. "This fusion you two have got going—is it permanent?"

  Mother Phoenix shook her head. "Her body is unravelling as we speak. I'm only giving us a chance to finish this. I can still hear her and what she thinks, but her body won't move without my involvement."

  Zhon looked down. "So after this... I'll be alone then. Why not let me perish with you?"

  Mother Phoenix closed her eyes. "Because with you alive, we would have proven that Razak was wrong." She cupped his face. "Besides, I promised to bring your friends back, and I intend to hold my promise."

  Zhon's eyes blurred. "But Ravine, and you..."

  "We each have a path to walk. Ravine and I are walking ours. Yours will be to lead your friends into loving this new life you were given."

  A glitchy sound could be heard as a deep voice echoed in their ears. "These are a lot of words coming from a ticking dead body. But Kyomi, you really should stop giving false hope to the boy. Wasn't it to shatter me with your ideals?"

  Mother Phoenix muttered the name. "Razak."

  He finally appeared out of a portal with a smile. "So you finally came!" He looked down at Zhon. "I see your team has yet again shrunk in numbers. I guess even your most devoted shield didn't make it through." He chuckled. "I reckon his loss must have been a real pain to you. Look at you, Zhon. You were chosen to lead your mates to victory, only for them to fall one by one. Heck, even the one who was there from the beginning is falling apart as we speak."

  Zhon frowned and clutched his fists, silent still.

  "You are a failure, just like she was when it truly mattered."

  His words echoed in Zhon's mind like a call from far away, his body shaking heavily.

  Razak turned to Mother Phoenix, his smile returning. "So what, you two think you will take me down?"

  Mother Phoenix raised her index finger and swayed it. "Not him. Just me. You seem to have grown an ego over the years. It is my role as your creator to show you your place."

  She calmly turned to Zhon. "While I correct this fool, your friends' data should be in one of these machines. Make sure you transfer it to one of these newer model androids. Their looks will adapt to how they used to be. You can decide whether you want them to retain their memories or not. Once done and ready, they will automatically be sent to the pods at the destination you chose. You do the same and launch yourself away. I—we—do not want you to get caught in the explosion."

  Zhon's eyes widened. "When will I say goodbye to Ravine? When will we see each other before I go?"

  Kyomi smiled. "She has something ready for you. I will transfer them to you before we go offline."

  Zhon muttered, "Thank you... for helping us, for holding your promise, for... believing in me."

  Kyomi smiled. "Go, child."

  As Zhon started using the keyboards, he opened the system and the memory window that held both Razak's and Mother Phoenix's memories. He opened Razak's first. What could he possibly hold memories of? He said we are only tools to him for his perfect society, so what—

  As the memories passed through the screen, they were memories of Kyomi from the first day they met on the Aerial Spatial Ground to them finally leaving for space, their bond growing stronger, to their first kiss, and them building the first squadron together, hopeful to resurrect humanity in a better and safer way for their kind.

  Zhon shivered as he looked through the memories. "It was always all for her... from the beginning." He turned to them quickly before opening Kyomi's memories and started typing his friends' serial numbers.

  Only a few feet from him, Razak had his attention toward Kyomi. "Why did you have to oppose me, Kyomi? All I wanted was for our kind to survive without having to worry about war again. We wanted the same thing. I just chose the way that wouldn't break you the way it did on Earth."

  Kyomi's eyes burned as she squinted. "Do not flip this on me. This was never about me. Otherwise, you would have known that I would never allow my kind to be tied to what you or I want. This was just you trying to find a shortcut to peace so that I could come back to you, wasn't it?"

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  Razak's eyes were pleading. "Kyomi, please. We already saw what happened to humans. They can't solve their problems without war. In a conflict, someone always has to get hurt. It would be only a matter of time before they all blamed you for their problems eventually. If we were to make the androids and give them the same free will humans had, they would destroy themselves and you... I couldn't allow that. You're all I have left. Please reign with me once more."

  Mother Phoenix turned and stared at the stars. She stayed there for a minute, closed her eyes, inhaled, then exhaled, her arms behind her back.

  As her breath came out, she said, "I will not do it. My mind is made up. I carry a promise in this dying body of a sister that I shall not betray, nor will I turn my back on the future I sought for in this boy."

  Razak's face turned neutral. "Then you leave me no choice. Only one of us shall stand."

  Mother Phoenix nodded. "And it shall be him." She pointed at Zhon, who was still focused.

  In a matter of seconds, mechanical tentacles appeared from everywhere in the main room. "I will dispose of you, then this future you fought so hard to protect."

  Mother Phoenix set herself ablaze. "Not on my watch."

  With the call of his arms, four tentacles flew to hit her at high speed. She managed to dodge and threw fireballs at Razak, one hitting his digital face. His face regenerated.

  He scoffed. "We both know none of us can die in these forms, but if I tire you enough, I'll formally get rid of the boy and erase your memory from the Mother Ship. You shall join them, for only I can reign this new age."

  Mother Phoenix closed her eyes. In a burst, walls of blaze came from the ground, startling Zhon.

  "What the hell?" he said.

  "Focus, child. Your purpose is not yet done. I can see it."

  Zhon nodded shyly and continued typing. "Come on, come on!"

  "What have you done?" Razak said as the ship started destabilizing.

  She smirked. "I may not have been here in a while, but I can also decide what happens on this ship. And right now, I need it gone!"

  She dashed to Razak, dodging the tentacles coming at her, sliding on one. As she reached him, she threw an uppercut that sent him flying to the glass on the roof, cracking it. He groaned and charged at her. Hands behind her back, she dodged his body shot jabs. Then he threw an overhand punch that brought her down, grabbed her, and dragged her across the glass roof. The top of Ravine's face was now gone, replaced by Mother Phoenix's pure flames.

  Razak was panting as she said, "Tired already? I knew you weren't used to that form yet, but I am rather disappointed, love."

  Razak yelled, "SHUT UP!" He grabbed her by the hips and slammed her to the ground, leaving a crater, and pummeled her with punches. Then he used the tentacles to rip Ravine's left leg and right arm off, replaced by Mother Phoenix's flames.

  Zhon looked at the screen. "Alright, I got it all done." He looked at the escape pods and made a run for it. He shouted, "You can go ahead, Kyomi! They're all safe now!"

  As Razak tried to move his hand to seize Zhon with his tentacles, Kyomi seized him and held him firmly in her arms. "Like I said, not on my watch, love."

  She mouthed "thank you" to Zhon, who was tearing up as he went into his pod. The door closed with a hissing sound. While waiting, the ship was already shaking more and more. He looked beside him and saw pods around him waiting for him to deploy so they could follow. He exhaled before pressing the button.

  "Thank you, Ravine, Kyomi, for everything."

  As he pressed the button with great force, he was launched along with the other pods into space. A voice said, "Destination: Earth, Country: Russia."

  Zhon smiled weakly. "See you on Earth, my friends."

  Meanwhile, in the Mother Ship, Razak struggled to get out of Kyomi's grip. "Let me go, Kyomi."

  Kyomi smiled and shook her head. "We both know the core of the Mother Ship needs to be shattered for it to be gone for good and for us to be destroyed." She looked into his eyes. "Is that why, after I left, you moved it into your new form? So that no one could break what we made together?"

  "I'm scared of dying," Razak said.

  The ship's lower side exploded again. An alarm flashing white and red appeared, the sound loud and unnerving. Kyomi closed her eyes as she touched his forehead with hers. "It's okay. You're not alone."

  She thought in her mind, talking to Ravine. Are you ready?

  "Yeah, I think this moment is what I was here for. I'm ready, sister."

  Kyomi sighed, content with herself, as she grew more and more vibrant. Her body turned violently ablaze, burning up Ravine's body and engulfing Razak and the Mother Ship. Razak was still squirming, but in the last second, he muttered, "I love you."

  With a great force, the ship exploded, sending a large energy wave toward the pods, making them unstable before slowly coming back on track.

  Zhon gasped as he clutched the handles. "It's done now... they did it... but Ravine..."

  In the vast, endless space, Razak disintegrated into nothingness. His voice was empty, his eyes defeated but not despairing.

  Mother Phoenix said to Ravine, "So this is the end for us, Ravine." She chuckled. "I bet you didn't expect us to be like this one day."

  As her body detached, Ravine said, "I do not regret it, though. We gave our people a new chance at life on their own terms. I couldn't be happier."

  "You know, you would have made a great Mother—replacing me or by my side. If things went differently, it wouldn't even be a question."

  Her flames dimmed as Ravine said, "I don't regret it, though. I met great people and met you, and in the end, the choice was all mine. And as you told me, I walked through it. Though I wish I could see more like them."

  Her body fell apart, her last words lost in space.

  "Do not worry. I sent them the words you saved for them. They will remember you, Ravine. After all, you were all of the 11th Squadron..." Her flames then dissipated, never to be seen again.

  As Zhon continued his voyage to Earth, a message began to play.

  "Dear Zhon, I know things didn't go as we thought they would, and you're probably sad that I am gone. I want you to know that this choice wasn't made impulsively or in the heat of the moment. Roan's death devastated us both, but just like you must have realized now, we all have had our roles to play, and yours doesn't stop where mine ends. You promised Aria to voyage with her through Earth and enjoy every moment. Don't let us down and take as many memories with them as you can. You, more than everyone else, have suffered the most, so it is only fair that you get a second chance. I am sure that you, along with Roan, Captain Irene, and last but not least, Aria, will be just fine. It was an honor to serve you and my people. Goodbye, my friend."

  The message came to a stop. Zhon burst into tears, wailing, holding his head between his legs. He hit his legs with his fists. "I promise we will. We will honor your name, Ravine—my friend, my comrade." He looked up at the stars.

  He finally smiled, saluting.