PROJECT: CAYRO

Star Zaraki:

September 5, 2025

07:15 CST

45,000 feet by 26 miles northeast of Victoria TX.

I could feel Cayro weakening with every passing second, his blood loss growing more severe. His body leaned heavily against me, stumbling and losing balance as I struggled to keep us both upright. I pressed my shoulder into his chest, using every ounce of strength I had left to steady him. My hips and legs worked furiously to keep the skyboard steady as we soared toward the Autumn. If we didn’t reach the ship soon, Cayro wouldn’t make it. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I would make it. The air was thin at this altitude, making every breath a labored effort. With his suit linked to the board, I knew that if he fell off, the board would cut out from under me, leaving us both plummeting. He was incredibly heavy in his suit, and I was certain I didn’t have the strength to hold him up and pilot the large skyboard simultaneously.

Just as I felt Cayro’s body begin to give out on me, I spotted the distinct shape of a white skycar heading toward us. It was the same skycar Desiree and I had spent countless hours trying to get functional, only to give up in frustration. The skycar flew past us before banking left and circling back. As it came up alongside the board, the passenger door slid open, revealing an empty cockpit. There was no one piloting it. We had always suspected the skycar was capable of remote piloting, but we’d never managed to figure it out. A voice I didn’t recognize crackled through the speaker.

“Get in,” the voice ordered, leaving no room for hesitation.

At this point, I didn’t care about the details. I just needed to get Cayro back to the Autumn before it was too late. His weight made the maneuver difficult, but I moved the board as close as I could to the skycar, shifting my body to the right side to gain leverage. With a final, desperate effort, I threw both of us into the vehicle. Cayro landed sprawled across the pilot and co-pilot seats, while I landed on top of his blood-soaked body. The door slid shut behind us, and the skycar pitched to the left, throwing me against the pilot-side door.

“Umph, ow,” I muttered, rubbing my shoulder as I looked up. Through the window, I watched the skyboard spiral down before it soared back up alongside us, now riderless. It disappeared from view before I heard a loud thud on the roof of the skycar, followed by a couple of clicks.

“What the hell was that?” I asked aloud, my voice tinged with frustration and exhaustion.

“That was Cayro’s tactical glider locking in place on the roof,” the strange voice replied, as calm as ever.

“Oh,” I said, raising an eyebrow as I glanced up at the ceiling. “Interesting.”

I looked around the cabin, taking in the strange contents. Three large transport boxes were secured where the back seat should have been. One box had a red medical cross on it, while the other two were labeled SUITS and RATIONS. On top of the boxes was a two-man tent and two backpacks. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized them—one was mine, used for carrying things when I went off the Autumn. The other was Cayro’s, the same backpack he had brought with him. What in the world? Why was the skycar packed like we were going on some extended mission away from the ship?

“What is going on?” I asked aloud, confusion and anxiety rising in my chest.

The radio snapped on, and the Captain’s voice came through, steady but urgent.

“Star, Scuzball has been ordered to take you to Virginia. We don’t have time to bring you back aboard the Autumn. There’s a large medical kit in the back of the skycar for you and Cayro. You’ll find everything you need to patch him up, including a few blood packs for a transfusion. We’re about to initiate trajectory flight to follow the Death Reckoning. We need to prevent them from getting the information they have on you back to Langley. I’m sending the AI that the Autumn now has with you. It will guide you on how to complete the augmentation programming that you’ll need.”

His words hit me like a sledgehammer. Virginia? Augmentation? My mind raced, struggling to catch up with what was happening. We were being sent on some mission, separated from the Autumn, and Cayro was barely hanging on. And now I had to save him—somehow—and complete whatever augmentation the Captain was talking about.

“But Sir, Cayro needs medical attention now! He’s lost so much blood!” I exclaimed, my voice trembling as I fought to keep myself from breaking down. I didn’t have the energy for another breakdown—I had already cried enough on the other ship.

“Star… you have no choice. Plus, you have the medical knowledge and experience of a physician’s assistant. You can handle Cayro just fine. This is an order. You are not to come back to the Autumn. We are the decoy,” the Captain explained, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Frustration boiled over, and I growled at the radio, feeling utterly powerless. I’ll make him pay for this, I vowed silently, seething with anger.

“Scuzball, get them to Virginia,” I heard the Captain order before the radio cut out, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake.

“You asshole!” I yelled, though there was no one left to hear me. My voice echoed in the small cabin, filled with the desperation and fury I could barely contain. Before I could stew in my frustration, a white cat with a black tail materialized on the console screen, startling me.

“This is for your own protection, 1st Lieutenant Zaraki,” the A.I. said in a maddeningly professional manner.

Mouth agape, I stared at the cat from my dreams. “You!” I blurted out, disbelief coloring my voice.

“It’s good to see you again, 1st Lieutenant Zaraki,” it responded, its tone infuriatingly calm.

“I am not a lieutenant,” I ground out, my patience wearing thin.

“Understood, Lady Zaraki, but now is not the time to discuss that. You need to help Cayro,” it replied smoothly, deflecting my anger with ease.

Gritting my teeth, I shifted my focus to the task at hand. Using my legs for leverage against the door, I managed to push Cayro into the co-pilot seat. Straddling his hips, I listened intently as the A.I. walked me through the process of removing his helmet. My heart pounded in my chest as I worked, relieved to hear his shallow breaths—proof that he was still hanging on.

Leaning between the seats, I reached for the large medical box and flung the lid open. My hands tore through the contents until I found the quick clot. “This is going to sting, Babe,” I whispered, my voice trembling as I pulled Cayro up against my chest. Using my teeth, I ripped the packet open and shoved the quick clot into his wound.

His reaction was immediate. His body arched back, slamming me into the dashboard as a deep growl tore from his throat. His eyes flew open, glaring at me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. They were the same bright, eerie yellow I had seen through his visor aboard the ship, and the sight of them filled me with a sudden, inexplicable fear. He bared his teeth at me, his canines longer and sharper than before—nearly half an inch longer.

What the hell? I thought, my mind reeling as his body sagged back into mine, passing out once again. When did his eyes turn yellow? And what was with his teeth? Was this because of the augmentation?

Leaning him against the seat, I reached back into the box, quickly gathering what I needed before returning to him. I had to get the suit off to properly treat the wound. As I worked, a flash of light outside the pilot-side window caught my eye. Glancing up, I watched as a set of rocket tails flared to life in the distance—the Autumn launching itself into space. Another set ignited moments later as the Death Reckoning followed suit. The sonic booms of both ships echoed through the sky, their powerful engines propelling them toward the stars.

The sight was surreal, a stark reminder of the chaos unfolding all around us. But there was no time to dwell on it. Cayro needed me, and I had to focus. Whatever was happening to him—whatever changes the augmentation had wrought—I would deal with it. But first, I had to keep him alive.