Awareness came slowly. 

There was the void, inky blackness stretching out into eternity in all directions.

Then the awareness of the bitter, paralyzing, cold that played up and down the spine. There was no escaping the sensation as it permeated his being caressing his skin in a chilled cocoon. Abruptly, Red inhaled, his lungs aching with every breath he took.

His eyes slowly opened but everything was blurred. Where am I? Ember?

His hands moved as he shoved them forward. Glass? Glass doors, he pushed against them not expecting them to move but they slid open unceremoniously. He toppled forward, hitting the ground with an agonizing thud, knocking the wind out of his already struggling lungs. His jaw ached and he lay for a moment collecting his bearings.

Cryo-freeze. What the hell?

His limbs ached as his augments came online. He was waking up, his senses coming alive with his rebooted augments. He yawned and pulled himself to his knees doing his best to ignore the aches and pains he knew would soon fade.

Red paused and took in his surroundings. Besides the walls being white and sterile there was another cryo-tank in the room. His heart jumped into his throat, Red shakily climbed to his feet, lurching towards the tank. Half falling against the glass door, he peered in hoping against hope it wasn't Ember.

It wasn't. White and black hair greeted him as Amy Larsson stirred inside, her familiar, bilateral checkered costume showed clearly through the glass. Moving his shaking limbs, Red pulled the door open with so much force it rocked back and banged into his arm as he reached in to pull Amy out.

"Null, Lars?" He didn't know which of the beings that coexisted inside Amy was going to come out in charge, but he was hoping for a more level headed AI, Lars over the original owner of the body named Null.

The dual eyes, one a normal grey, and one completely black flew open. It was Null, who grasped his arm, her fingernails digging into his bare skin. She inhaled sharply, her eyes wide as she took in their situation. 

"How long?" She gasped. She tumbled out, and Red scanned her, she seemed ok, just thawing as he was.

He held onto her arm to keep her steady. Her gaze was wild as she took in their surroundings.

"How long?" She yelled again.

Red shrank back from her panicked expression. Years of training had taught him that panicking was the worst thing you could do. But he wasn't sure what she was asking him.

"I don't know," he whispered. The panic of what she was feeling was starting to sink in. Nova had found Cai stuck in a freezer deep in an Atlas base, with no idea how long the poor man had been inside. How long had they been in there? Was everyone they knew dead? Gone?

Null let go of his arm and sank to the ground, her arms wrapping around her shaking body as she shook. "No, no, no... Not again, no..."

Red sank down next to her and awkwardly put an arm around her as she leaned into him.

"Null---" Red started before hearing Lars's voice in his head. Lars had remained silent until now.

Red, he said. Null was in a cryo-tank before... For fifty years.

_______________________________________________________________________

Nova was empty.

He felt better physically than he had in months. The pressure on his mind was gone. But so was his link with Amy. They were talking about him, but he barely paid attention. The fact that he felt better meant that something precious to him was gone forever. The object of his pain, affection, or whatever, but he didn't want to live without her. Why couldn't he tell her that? Why was it so easy for Red and Ember? Nova would take the seizures over and over again if it meant he could get his Pirate Queen back. He starred at the white tiles on the floor. Even they were mocking him.

"He doesn't need the upgrade now," Cyril argued. "Look at him. Look at his scans, nothing is wrong with him. Why waste the parts?"

Ember standing over Nova, her eyes flashed. It was the attitude that told Nova exactly why Red had fallen for her. She was nice, angelic even, but pushed too far, even Ember had her limits. For someone of such short stature, she had a physically intimidating presence. The fact that she could kill you by just latching onto a person and running bolts of electricity through their being definitely counted in her favor.

"Because he's going with me," she snapped.

Nova sat up. Now we're talking.

"Ember, see reason," Cyril tried again, holding his hands up. Nova imagined he could hear sparks heating up under Ember's fingertips.

"You don't even know where they are--"

"You know where they are," Nova spoke up for the first time. "You put a tracker in Amy. Even if you don't know, I have a good idea of where they took them." He'd been there before, sneaking around deep in the underground base. It was where he'd found Cai, and this whole uncomfortable debacle between himself and Amy had started. 

Atlas.

"I can bring my own ship down upon this place if I have to," Ember snapped. She edged closer leaning over Nova. "Give. Him. The. Damn. Surgery. Now."

"He'll have the surgery," a voice piped up from the back. It was Dex, Dag's son. Behind him were both his father, Dag, and mother Leah Doron. Leah held a hand on Dex's shoulder to move past him into the room.

"Cyril, I think this is enough. Let's do this, here and now. Time is wasting."

"But, Leah..." Cyril's resolve was weakening. 

"Do it," Leah said, tying back her long braided hair and turning to slip on some gloves. "Give him the upgrades. Red, Amy, and Nico risked life and limb for those parts. I understand Blue was a dear friend."

"Amy is a good friend," Dex said as he followed suit. "If you are going after her..." He trailed off his gaze meeting Nova's. "This is the best I can do to help."

On the table, Nova stared at the kid, and for the second time in his life, he had no smart ass comment to respond with. He nodded his thanks not trusting himself to speak. He'd thought he was going to have to argue the point, and even then he had doubted the surgery was going to happen at all. It was a risk he was willing to take. Tears threatened, he blinked them back pushing his hands over his pink hair. Shouldn't be crying when so many things were actually going his way.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. I've seen this kind of upgrade go wrong." Cyril turned to Nova, his expression unreadable. For the first time, Nova felt sympathy for the doc. He was losing, and yet he was going to give his rival a shot at getting the girl.

"Leah, Dex," Cyril muttered as he got his equipment ready. The room had long been prepared for the surgery Nova was going to undergo. Jack had stalled them.

Ember hesitated as she reached down and squeezed his hand. "Get through these moments, Nova" she whispered. "We'll get them back. I got a plan."

Nova smiled as Cyril slipped a needle into his arm. "Sure thing, Angel," he quipped as his world went black.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Ember waited.

There was nothing else for her to do. People walked by, some in confusion, dazed by the attack on New Elysium. Others helped clean.

She did none of those things. Ember was caught between wanting to help, and wondering if everyone here saw her as the enemy. She was the one known Neo-Tokyan on the station. She'd received plenty of angry looks already. No one wanted her help currently. They hadn't even let her into the orphans' ward to check on T, Alt, and little Juni. 

She was about to do something incredibly crazy, maybe stupid. But if that got Red and Amy back, then it would be worth it. At least that's what she told herself as she waited, watching the seconds drop by slowly.

Tick.

Angel. Her eyes flew open.

Nova? Are you out?

This is the worst hangover ever. 

His signal felt strange to her. The upgrades for him had been necessary, using the signals not meant for his current augments was killing his brain. Upgrading him had been necessary if he and Amy were to continue interacting. Her signal had been released properly, but Nova's had been cut off abruptly, leaving him with exposed, overheated parts, possible damaged to some of his cerebral cortex. 

So... Can you move? Sit up?

I don't know. I've never been an augur before. It's different. His voice faltered. There's this huge black space, a void. I see what looks like a star in the distance. It's moving... Is that normal?

I don't know. Are they finished, Nova?

No...

Damn.

I heard that. Let them put me back together, it's kind of gross you know. Do you think they shaved my head for this? I mean... My hair... His signal weakened.

Ember snickered. She couldn't help it. She knew Nova could be vain about his appearance, although deep down she wondered at how much of that was just a cover for the benefit of others. His ridiculousness had kept her distracted through some distressing times. Now wasn't any different.

Ugh, my hair... You didn't answer. Are we about to get our crazy on?

Maybe?

Are you finally going demon on me, Angel? You said you had a plan?

She winced and nodded forgetting he couldn't see her, staring at the floor, clenching and unclenching her hands. 

As soon as they are done... we're busting out of here.

That light is getting super close. I've been watching it for a few hours...

You've been awake for a few hours???

Lucid?

Nova! We could have left!

What? Are you going to stitch my head back up with Heisenberg as your assistant? Speaking of him, where is that old war machine?

He's stashed on my ship in sleep mode.

And the others?

On Amy's ship. Adam moved the Blackstar out, it's in orbit.

How'd you get him to cooperate?

I didn't commandeer his current out from under him. I think he's in love with Amy.

Everyone is, apparently. His tone was sullen.

Just let me know as soon as the last stitch goes in.

Why?

You'll see.

Ember, that star... is incoming.

Are you sure it's not just a fluke?

I... I think it's looking at me. Oh... They are finished.

It was all Ember needed to hear. An explosion rocked the hallway and the power went out. Ember was thrown off of her feet. Her distraction was working a little too well.

What was that?

Uh...

Is that part of the plan?

Ember didn't answer. She closed her eyes and stood, reaching out to The Ember parked in low orbit. The ship responded to her call, descending to her designated location. It was going to be close.

Angel, I'm not liking this plan of yours.

Shut up, and be ready to move.

I'm strapped to a surgery table on my stomach.

Close enough.

She darted in. Leah and Cyril were standing next to the table, eyes wide. Dex was in the back midway between peeling bloodied gloves off.

"Is he through?" She asked, staring at Nova's head. Nova was face down, his head was stitched up, she noted grimacing that he did indeed have a shaved line down the back of his head. Nothing that wouldn't grow out quickly but underneath his dyed purple hair he'd have a healthy scar. His eyes were closed, he was still sedated. She reminded herself to put another stash of pink bandaids with Purple unicorns on them on the Blackstar when they got the chance. It was a ridiculous thought to have at the moment. But then again this whole situation was spinning out of her control.

"What's happening?" Cyril said, peeling a glove off. "Are we under attack again?"

"I'm not sure," Ember lied. "Power is out to this level though."

This was the hard part, how to get Nova away from Leah, Dex, and the doc without hurting them.  

"Trust me!" She grabbed the gurney Nova was strapped to and started pulling towards the door.

Ember, ---light is here.

Not now! She snapped, not sure what he was getting at. Perhaps he was woozy and needed time to get better. He'd do it on her ship though not on New Elysium. 

But---

Three things happened at once. Cyril made a grab for the gurney, the lights snapped on and the door slammed open.

Everyone froze. The man who entered was someone Ember didn't recognize and she could tell by the looks on their faces that none of the Dorons recognized him either.

Cyril did. His hand lifted and pointed but not in fear... He was angry. "You... Can't be here."

"What's the matter, doc?" The big man slurred the name like an insult. "Am I stopping you from making yet, another mistake?" His blue eyes were cold as he glanced over the room taking each of them in and finally stopping to rest on Nova. "Looks like I'm just in time."

"This isn't a mistake, Ash, you don't understand," Cyril pointed at Nova. "He needed the upgrades."

 "You know when someone's light goes out, they don't usually come back on," Ash snapped moving forward. He was tall, taller than even Ember's brother Jack, with dark brown hair accented at the temples by a splattering of gray, his 6'5" shrinking the room with each step.  I saw Blue go out... and then I see his signature return a few weeks later? Naturally, I'm curious as to who is hawking his parts."

Ember moved in front of him and he stopped staring down at her, with a piercing glare.

Ember, that light is him. Fuck me. He's-- He's an augur.

The room felt heavy as a sudden weight descended on Ember. He pulled at her augments from the inside opening her up, and she resisted standing there, being high-grade military tech herself, she had some safeguards in place against such an attack. She still felt the strain of his pull. Augurs were hardcore tech, generals on a battlefield, also considered so dangerous they too were slaughtered like Vespers instead of merely being imprisoned. He was a victim of the purge just like she was. 

His eyes widened at her rebuttal so he changed tactics and Nova screamed into the floor where he was strapped down.

Ember froze and the man used the moment to advance further into the room, having already guessed that Ember was a vesper he went after her first. He was already in her head and she could feel Nova's pain through the connection. It was as if they were the only three in the room, time felt slower here as if they'd passed into the realm of Cyberspace.

She didn't back away, instead allowing him to see her fear on her face, for she would be a fool to not admit she was terrified. His giant hand clasped around her throat, lifting her off of her feet. Screams echoed around her, her head was pounding so much she couldn't tell if it was her screaming or someone else. Whatever he was doing, both of them could feel it.

More than one way to skin a cat, he said into her head. Ember bristled and grabbed his arm and closing her eyes as the electric charge zipped through her hands. She knew it would hurt but didn't expect the pain signals to pass through all three of them.

Nova screamed and twisted on the table again. She screamed with him.

She felt herself falling, the ground catching her in a painful embrace as she hit, landing on her back. Medical equipment rained down around her. Dazed, the threatening blackness was pushed back as her augments fought to bring her back to a fighting state. She was on her feet in half a second.

"Tell me, Neo-Tokyan," he snarled from the ground, burn spots on his sleeve from where she'd touched him. "Did you do it?"

He spat at her from the ground but groaned. She'd knocked him flat but not enough to kill him. 

"It wasn't her, Ash." Cyril had positioned himself in front of Leah and Dex. "No one here did it, we are trying to save Nova's life."

Ember darted forward, grabbing Nova's bed. "I'm sorry."

"Ember, wait!" Cyril called, but she was pulling Nova, gurney, and all out of the room leaving a bewildered Leah, Dex, and Cyril in her wake. 

"You couldn't have unstrapped me first?" Nova said in disbelief as they flew down the hallway. "I'm face down on a bed..." He stopped talking.

Ember reached the end of the corridor that led directly outside. 

"I'm sorry, Nova, there was no time."

"This is almost worse than the band-aid incident," he said ruefully. 

She bumped through the door, rear-end first yanking the bed behind her. The bed banged into each set of doors as they went through. "Sorry," she said with each hit. 

"I think he's following us."

They were outside and there was her vessel sitting at the doors on the landing pad that wasn't quite the right size for it. Some were pointing at it, others weren't paying any attention to it all. Ember shoved Nova forward as the rear doors lowered at her presence.

The doors closed with a hiss behind her and Ember pushed Nova back towards the front of the vessel, pulling at the straps in a hurry as she told the ship to take off. The ship rumbled around them and took off for lower orbit. Mentally exhausted she checked her settings, setting the vessel to auto while simultaneously unstrapping Nova. The cables that connected to her vessel came snaking out implanting directly into her back with a loud snap. Her fatigue was lessening the longer she stayed connected but she still needed sleep.

"Ember," Nova said pulling himself further off of the bed now that he was unstrapped. "He's here."

"On my ship?" Ember paled and stepped away immediately opening herself up to all areas of the ship. 

"Where?"

"Here," Ash strode out from behind the doors. "You were a bit caught off guard, Neo-Tokyan." There was no mistaking the malice in his voice. 

"I was busy," Ember snapped. Energy crackled through her body as she drew on the full power opened to her.

"I always wondered what it would be like to fight a vesper," Ash said,  dropping into a defensive crouch. 

A glass wall slammed shut between them... 

"You can't hide forever, Neo-Tokyan," Ash shouted coming up to the glass. "I know what you are and--"

The doors opened behind him and whatever he was about to say was cut off as he dropped to the floor desperately trying to keep from sliding out of the rear. Ember stood behind the glass watching impassively as Ash clawed his way in a useless attempt to stay alive. Nova's gurney dropped out of the ship. 

Ember slammed the rear door closed just as Ash lifted into the air his head slamming into the doors. He slid to the ground unconscious.

"Clearly you don't know what I am," she said to his unconscious form.

The big man stirred weakly, but when he looked up his glance didn't contain any trace of fear, just a whole lot of reckless stupidity. He wanted to die, Ember realized. He was Red, she realized. He'd lost everything somehow.

"We're going to rescue our friends," she said evenly. "You can either go out of the air lock or teach Nova everything you know about being an augur."

"Ember, I don't think--"

"We may need his help to get Red and Amy," she snapped, her shell cracking a bit.

"Red," Ash said from the floor. "The Red, the Butcher of New Caledonia... Anderson Station... Insurrectionist, formerly Captain Scott?"

Ember snapped her mouth shut. "You know him?"

"Everyone knows him, Neo-Tokyan. Too bad, he gets all the credit, half the shit he didn't do. Tell me, did he actually kill men, women, and children on New Caledonia? Not that he has any issue killing people, but butchering? That's not usually his style."

"Karnak?" Nova crossed his arms. "What?" He withered a bit under Ember's glare. "I hear that one tossed around all the time."

"Karnak?" Ash laughed. "He was there, but he and Dag didn't blow it up. Jack would have loved that."

"How do you know?" Ember asked wondering why she was listening. None of this mattered. She needed coordinates from Nova, not a discussion on Red's checkered past.

"Because, Neo-Tokyan, I did."