PROJECT: CAYRO

Captain Clark:

September 5, 2025

13:33 UTC

The Autumn

Geostationary orbit following the Death Reckoning

The Autumn had followed the Death Reckoning into geostationary orbit, steadily gaining on them until the Orion Orbital Station loomed large in the front viewing windows of the bridge. The sight of it sent a cold shiver down my spine, the kind that claws its way through your mind, dragging memories you’d rather leave buried back into the light.

"Nathan, full stop and get us away from that orbital platform," I barked, my voice sharper than I intended.

As the ship came to a standstill, the memories of Project Orion surged forward with a relentless ferocity. It was like reliving the nightmare of claws ripping through flesh—except this time, the claws were ripping through my mind. The project had been theoretical back then, never intended for practical deployment. Or so I had believed. But now, here it was, a monstrous realization of our research, and I wasn’t sure if we could even stand a chance against it.

The Death Reckoning docked with the station, and I watched, a knot tightening in my gut. Even with the Autumn's new shields, I knew the station's laser cannons could shred us if it came to that. Pulling up the specifications Chris had managed to extract from the Death Reckoning's systems, I reviewed the station’s weaknesses, though the term felt laughable now. Without the fully functional A.I. on board, taking on the station would be nearly impossible. I had ordered Scuzball to take Star and Cayro back to Virginia, thinking it would keep them safe. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

As I scanned the files, I felt arms wrap gently around my neck, and Tiffany braced herself against my chair, her presence a small comfort amidst the chaos.

"Hey, are you doing better?" I asked softly, glancing over my shoulder.

"No, not really," she replied, her voice tinged with the sorrow that had never fully left her.

Star was like a daughter to her. After her mother’s death, Tiffany had stepped in, becoming Star’s adopted mother in every way that mattered. The memory of that horrible night flashed in my mind—a night that had shattered all our lives. Tiffany, the doctor’s wife Kate, and Captain Bracton’s wife had all been in that wreck. They had taken the Captain’s Ford Excursion out on a simple shopping trip, a mundane errand that had turned into a nightmare. On the way back, a semi-truck sideswiped the SUV on the driver’s side. The Captain’s wife was killed instantly, her neck snapping in a way that severed her spinal cord. Kate, the doctor’s wife, survived two agonizing days before dying from severe head trauma. Tiffany, miraculously, had survived with only a few cuts and bruises, but the internal damage had been far worse. She was pregnant with our child at the time, and the wreck caused massive internal bleeding. The doctors had no choice but to perform an emergency hysterectomy. The loss tore through us, bringing our relationship to a grinding halt. It was one of the darkest days of our lives, a day that brought us all to our knees.

I can still remember the look on Captain Bracton’s face that night, the darkness in his eyes sealing the fates of Star and Cayro. Everything had been ripped from him in an instant. And the doctor… Everyone thought he was on the brink of suicide. He watched helplessly as his wife suffered for two days, dying while he was caring for their daughter, Star, who was battling a rare and deadly disease. Her death left him hollow, struggling to be around his own child. It was only recently that he had begun to try to be her father again, though it was clear to everyone that he was still struggling. Star had become the spitting image of her mother, a living reminder of all that he had lost.

"I am sure they will be okay. Between the two of them, I’m confident they’ll be safe. Plus, they have that infernal AI, Scuzball, with them," I said, trying to comfort her, though I wasn’t sure if I was convincing either of us.

Tiffany’s arms tightened around me slightly, but she said nothing, the weight of our shared history hanging between us.

Tiffany didn’t let go of me. Instead, she kissed my cheek, lingering just long enough to send a shock of warmth through my skin. It had been years since we were together, but she refused to leave my side, even after all that time. Since we left the U.S., she had taken on the role of my executive officer, a position she filled with unwavering dedication. This was the first time she’d shown me any affection in over a decade, and the suddenness of it left me reeling.

That’s when I heard Nathan whistle.

“It’s about time the two of you solved your issues and made up,” he remarked, his tone teasing yet relieved.

Tiffany’s request to have her brother join the crew after he left the Marine Corps had come back to me. She needed him there after everything she’d been through, and though I had reluctantly agreed, I knew the decision had cost him his U.S. citizenship. Still, Nathan had become an invaluable member of our crew, and now he was watching with approval as his sister and I shared this unexpected moment.

“Maybe it is time we solved the issues,” she whispered in my ear, interrupting my thoughts. Before I could respond, she pulled my head to hers and kissed me. The years melted away as the woman I loved kissed me for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. I pulled her into my lap, holding her close as the bridge erupted in catcalls and cheers.

We broke apart, both of us breathing heavily, and I looked around at the crew, trying to regain my composure. “All of you, shut up,” I barked, though the embarrassment in my voice only made them chuckle more as they returned to their stations.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the moment aside and called down to Casey. “Have you found any weaknesses that we can exploit?” I asked, my mind snapping back to the battle at hand.

“No, Sir. The station is fortified with meter-thick high-grade titanium armor plating,” he explained, his voice grim.

“Shit… keep working on it. We need to stop that information from getting to Langley,” I ordered. Tiffany slipped from my lap, returning to her station, but the lingering warmth of her presence left me wanting more. Now wasn’t the time, but I knew we’d have to talk later.

“Sir, that station is moving towards us!” Desiree yelled, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

“What?!” I snapped, my head jerking up from the monitor.

“Code red, prepare for battle!” I shouted, my pulse quickening as I saw the station’s cannons begin to charge. Without hesitation, I engaged the shields around the ship, the Autumn humming with the energy coursing through it.

“Captain, we have an incoming transmission from the station,” announced John, his tone as serious as I’d ever heard it.

“Put it on the main screen,” I ordered, bracing myself.

The screen flickered to life, revealing Vice Admiral John Cody, his expression stern and uncompromising. “Captain Andrew Clark of the SAF Autumn. I am Vice Admiral John Cody. This is your one and only chance to surrender, or I will be forced to fire upon you and your crew. If you surrender now, I will ensure that you will be granted fair justice and given an opportunity to defend yourself in front of the United States court system for your treason against the United States,” the Admiral explained in a swift, no-nonsense tone.

“With all due respect, Sir. We will not be surrendering to the U.S. military. We do not answer to the United States, nor do we fall under United States jurisdiction. We are an independent entity under the charter and protection of NATO and its countries. The United States military’s U.S.S. Death Reckoning attacked my ship, abducted one of my crew members, and stole information that rightfully belongs to the SAF. Delete the information that was stolen, and we will be on our way,” I replied, keeping my voice professional, even as the tension knotted in my chest.

“I am not at liberty to do that, Captain. Good luck, and may God be with you,” the Admiral stated before saluting me.

I returned the salute, the screen snapping off just as the weight of what was about to happen settled over the bridge like a dark cloud.

“Arm all cannons and missiles. Nathan, full reverse and evasive maneuvers. This is going to be a rough ride, guys,” I announced, watching as the station’s cannons began to fire.

The station launched a volley of laser fire, the deadly beams hurtling toward us. Nathan pitched the Autumn to the right, and one of the high-powered lasers barely grazed the shields, causing them to flare with a radiant blue hue.

“Fire starboard cannons!” I barked, my eyes locked on the station as our lasers tore through the vacuum of space, striking the station’s communications dish and shredding it to pieces.

The station retaliated with a second volley, and as the beams approached, Nathan pitched the ship to the left. But this time, one of the Death Reckoning’s lasers hit the shield dead on, the impact sending a shudder through the entire ship.

“Sir, shields down to eighty-six percent,” announced Desiree, her voice tinged with urgency.

“Nathan, full speed. Casey, aim for the Death Reckoning’s engines!” I continued, my voice steady but laced with the adrenaline surging through me.

The Autumn pitched back to the right just as our cannons fired again. The lasers hit their mark, striking one of the Death Reckoning’s engines dead on. But before I could even process the hit, one of the station’s lasers tore through our shields, the beam skimming across the top of the Autumn, ripping parts of the flight deck off and melting the bridge’s outer hull.

Alarms blared to life, the harsh sounds piercing the tense atmosphere as I felt a compartment near the bridge decompress. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control, we were in the fight for our lives.

"Get us the hell out of here!" I yelled, my voice barely cutting through the chaos as the ship shuddered violently around us.

The Autumn barely made it through re-entry. It had all happened so fast—too fast. Nathan had pushed the engines to their absolute limits as we punched through the upper atmosphere. The shields, thank God, had come back online just in the nick of time. Without them, I was certain the Autumn and her crew would have been nothing more than a pile of ash and debris scattered across the Pacific Ocean.

As it was, the ship hit the water with a bone-jarring force, the impact sending shockwaves through every deck. Nathan had managed to bring us down in the Pacific, but the landing had caused significant damage to the ship. The robotics lab, engineering, and the lounge beneath the hangar bay had all taken heavy hits. I couldn’t help but think about Star—if she had been on board, she would have been utterly pissed off and in tears. That lounge was her favorite reading spot, second only to the bridge. The thought of her usual sanctuary being reduced to rubble tugged at something deep in my chest.

Just before the ship hit the water, I’d ordered the neck armor to be ejected. The stress of the landing could have ripped it clean off, possibly separating the bridge from the rest of the ship. We were lucky—damn lucky—that no one had been injured. But the Autumn had taken a beating, and the cracks spidering across the large windshields in front of me were a stark reminder of just how close we had come to disaster.

"Nick, John, and Doc, I need you to do a deck-by-deck survey and report back with a full damage report. Desiree, make sure we still have propulsion. Chris, contact the Australian naval commander, Admiral Montely. He still owes us a huge favor," I ordered, my voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

As they scrambled to their tasks, I took a moment to look out at the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean through the cracked windshields. The sight was both a relief and a reminder of the price we’d paid to get here. Those windshields were going to be an expensive replacement, but it was a small price compared to what could have been lost.

Sighing, I steeled myself for what was to come. We were down, but we weren’t out—not yet. The battle wasn’t over, and there was still work to be done.