I guard the entrance of ARC10 where thousands of civilians attempt to cram their lives into tight racks. The civs scuttle around like wayward ants, traipsing around the massive harbor, buzzing with excitement.

A small vibration buzzes through my PAHLM. A hum emits from Coodi as well. We check our notifications.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 4 HOURS - MARK

I find my VIPERs in my peripherals. For me, they appear like Invader beams in moonless nights. The civs don't acknowledge us—to them, we're as alien as the ship.

"Commander." Norbit approaches. "There's been a report of a disturbance in Quad-One."

"Check it out." I continue to monitor the crowd. "Coodi, go with him."

The two descend into the bowels of the ship.

I stand sentry with Love, my hands behind my back. We scan the crowd for trouble.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 3 HOURS - MARK

Two engines explode to life. The ARCs have been activated.

The roar startles the civilians. They drop to the ground while screaming, covering their heads.

The soothing purr of ARC9 whirrs over the cries of the people in the harbor.

ARC10 sounds nothing like that.

ARC10 sounds like copper chomping on aluminum.

ARC10 sounds like steel giving birth to titanium.

It's the worst racket I've ever heard. I flush because if there was any doubt before, it's now confirmed that ARC10 will be the official pariah of the universe.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 2 HOURS TO CLEAR

I note a pair of lovers to the side of ARC10. The woman wipes a tear off his face. He returns the gesture. They are statuesque fixtures in the middle of a river. A gold flash pulls my attention.

Hayomo appears on the east end of the harbor. She nods in my direction.

"How many aboard so far?" I ask Umpire.

He taps into his PAHLM. "One-zero-zero-three of two-zero-twelve."

I return to my vigil. "So far so good."

The engines growl louder. Civs cover their ears and scurry away from the horrible howl of ARC10 in idle. At last, the people of Earth are unified. They're finally moving in the same direction.

I hear Norbit's voice through my earpiece.

"Lorn to Norbit, send your traffic," I respond.

"Commander, continued disturbance in Quad-One. Requesting backup."

With a lift of my chin, I send Umpire off to deal with whatever the hell is going on. "Ump en-route."

"Copy that."

The earpiece crackles to silence again.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 60 MIKES

The people of Earth move at full throttle. I check on the couple splitting the streams of panicking civilians. He opens his arms to crush her body into his. She locks him in place with her hands gripping the shirt on his back. I can't hear her open-mouthed sobs over the boisterous fuss of the harbor. Their bags lie abandoned at their feet. Someone running toward ARC9 trips over one lover's duffle, trampling it.

Hayomo appears at my left shoulder.

"I sent for your father."

My heart flutters.

"I heard you didn't have an opportunity to tie your loose ends, so I will cover your post while you're gone. He should be here any min—" She hones her sights on a target over my shoulder. "There he is now."

I spin around to see Simon jogging through the hall beyond one of ARC10's perplexingly jagged angles. His glassy eyes leak at the edges when I fall into his arms.

"This isn't going to be so bad," he assures me. "Five years is a blink of an eye to some people. It feels like yesterday when you were the cutest, angriest spitfire I ever knew. Suddenly you transformed into this . . . superhero."

I throw my hands around his neck. His embrace squeezes the breath out of me.

"Best choice I've ever made was deciding to be your dad. Absolute best."

"Thanks, Dad." I choke on the brick-shaped words.

He holds me at arm's length. "I'm so proud of you. We're going to be fine, and I'm going to meet you on the other side in just a little while. When that happens, you and me, Kiddo, we're going to open up the best food joint on that rock. People and creatures from all around the universe are going to stop in, and we're going to finally live like fat cats."

"Okay, Dad."

"You can finally retire from the militia, and we'll live together, just you and me, and it will be better than ever."

"Okay, Dad."

"And Dean can come, too. If he wants."

"I'm sure he will."

"And the food will be locally grown. Home recipes using local produce. We've always wanted to offer that, remember?"

"Yeah." My heart breaks with each unsure promise spilling out unfiltered. But now there's a long pause. This new plan extends into the universe, landing on stars, leaving little clues for me to follow until we meet where his promises lie buried in the new world. His fingers tighten on my shoulders.

"You are a lot like your mother, but there is so much of your father, too. Your smile, your laugh, your God-damned stubborn streak."

My laugh disperses as the last few minutes are swept under a rug of movement.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 40 MIKES

"Go, Dad. I'll see you soon. We've both got really important missions ahead of us. This is the gig of a lifetime for you."

The loud screech of the harbor's massive metal doors spears the madness, inciting more frenzy.

"Dad. They're locking down. Go now."

Simon holds me again.

"I love you, Janika. Be safe. Don't do anything stupid."

"I always try."

He kisses the top of my head and searches my eyes as if they're crystal balls. On his retreat out the harbor door, I detect another figure jogging toward me.

"Did you really think you'd leave without saying goodbye?"

I gulp down my despair, the turmoil from Simon's departure still plucking dissonant notes on my heartstrings. The sight of Dean strums a painful song on broken chords.

He stands an inch away. I can't meet his eyes. Not yet. Instead, I stare into his uniform, at the tag on his chest with FREYER written in bold, white letters. I trace the name with my finger before I bite the bullet.

"I didn't want our last meeting to be awkward or painful, but I have something to tell you." I finally pull together my courage and hold his bright gaze. "Your book is boring."

"Yeah? And how would you know? I've never seen you sit still long enough to make it past a cover." He kisses me, my shoulders in his hands. I pull him deeper into me, damning us for a second, not caring who witnesses. We're lost in the traffic of civs shoving themselves into the ships.

When I open my eyes again, Dean's team stands behind him. They're ready, marching into place, herding the last of the civilians into ARC9. When I check over my shoulder, McCroy, Flatts, Coodi, and Avant wait in the same formation. Their expressionless faces and massive weapons become a startling reminder that this is it. It's time to go.

"Before we go our separate ways for the first time in our lives—" he says with a gruff voice, "I want to tell you it's been an honor serving in Earth's Militia with you. I look forward to what we're going to accomplish together when we land on NOHA."

This is my undoing. There are too many futures I can't live up to. "Dean—"

"And when we arrive, I want to be with you. Contract or no contract. I want to have a marriage with you like they did in the Before Days. I want that. We don't need their mandates. All they need to know is I want to be with you—only you, Nika—for the rest of my life."

Words fizzle into steam as I try to form them.

"I love you," he whispers into my lips as I cling to his jacket. I force myself to stay calm because I will find him again. This will not be the end. I will have time to explain—the worst time to come clean is when your gun is loaded with goodbyes.

The ARCs, the civs, our VIPERs, and our mission wait. I want to remain here in Harbor 10 on Level 10 of the URE deep within the planet Earth if it means residing with Dean forever.

But that's another impossibility. It's one more broken wish to add to the pile.

For a final time, he holds my face in his hands. Tears frame his hazel eyes.

If he can imagine our future, so will I.

He departs. I lose him to the remnants of the crowd.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 30 MIKES

I rush to my post as shrill cries pierce the rumble of the chaos.

The lovers hold their place in the harbor. They slowly break apart. Hands on arms, fingers digging into skin, she begs. Her lips form familiar words—no, I can't, don't go, it's not fair, stay with me. These seem like words he's heard before. He holds her tight one more time before shoving her away and running up the ramp past me. Her arms reach out for a second before dropping to her sides when he disappears into ARC10. She meets my gaze.

I send her away with one pointed glare where another man grabs her bag to lead her away.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 20 MIKES

The gauges initiate. I hear the gears whining, ready to secure our ports. My team has boarded. Hayomo joins them inside the ship.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 10 MIKES

Sirens wail. Red lights spin around the walls of the cavernous room, warning us that our brief stay in the URE is at an end.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 5 MIKES

I'm the last member of ARC10 on the ground. Over my shoulder I find a solitary figure guarding the ARC9 hatch. Dean. We both wait for the signal to commence our final walk-up.

He faces me.

"I love you," I mouth to him.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

SECURE HATCH: 2 MIKES

ARC10 shudders as East and North hatches shut.

There's no one left on the ground but me and Dean.

***LAUNCH STATUS***

HATCH SECURE MARK: 1 MIKE

Together, with our rifles in our arms, we take the final steps on the Earth toward our separate ships.

We hesitate at our hatches and catch each other's final gaze, while the engines roar around us.

In unison, we march into our vessels.

The platform ascends.

ARC10's main hatch seals behind me with a resounding clang.