Tajlon brought the transport through the atmosphere on a trajectory to touch down in the Lost Mountains. He knew the Solar Wave with his grandmother, Mara, and Soshe should already be there... somewhere. They passed through a thick cloud cover. Once through the clouds, a giant deformed mushroom cloud could be seen. It was drifting to the south of their destination, drifting straight toward Novaland.

He decided there must have been a second nuclear blast as the first cloud would be thinned out by now. The Theopians had been mining uranium for at least a decade and would have enough radioactive material to build a hundred bombs by now. The question was how many they would use. The forces from Trabest had the technology, but very limited materials. If they were smart, they would cede territory to the Theopian forces and negotiate a truce to stop the madness.

This would be a far different Beldora than that of his idyllic childhood. Tajlon fought back the tears. He never expected to be running from his own father, or more accurately the monster his father became while on the Sora. This was not the legacy Jejliard would ever have predicted from their research at NORC. Tajlon felt more than a little responsible for it all. The least he could do was try to help. First, he must survive and then he could set about restoring a peaceful civilization on Beldora.

***

Greyla sat across the cockpit from Tajlon. She still held a rifle in her hand. Her grandfather was dead, and the rifle made her feel connected to him. These weapons were all she had left of their life together. At least some of them had escaped from the Sora. She knew part of her would forever be there with Jejliard and the others.

She fought mixed emotions and knew she still loved them both. Greyla grieved over leaving Hal and the Raemolles behind. Hal was resourceful, but there was no guarantee he would make it. Tajlon was facing away from her, but she picked up on his sadness. She got up and stood beside him. He was still so very young, only eighteen, with his whole life ahead. It was to be a very unhappy life she feared. They shared a mutual embrace.

***

"Radiation levels are detectable, but not dangerous," Tajlon said. "With the winds pushing it away, we still have a chance. They still have a chance."

"How will we find Mara and the others?" Greyla asked.

"I'm searching for any signal. The Wayless Sea is below us. Radio contact is virtually impossible."

"So, no clue really."

"We'll find them, Greyla," Tajlon replied hugging her more tightly. "I won't give up until we do."

* * *

"I'm going to have to find a new seal for the door," Hal said after making sure the hanger was empty "There's materials in the mech lab. William, get two or three strong members of the crew who don't have family to look after. Ask them to come along with us and help carry some things?"

"Sure, but we'll need to be quick about it." Raemolle answered.

"I'm not staying without either of you here," Danlea spoke up. "I'm coming with you."

"It's too dangerous, darling,"Raemolle protested. "You're safer here. Keep watch over the corridor and wait for us."

"It's dangerous here in case you haven't noticed," Danlea said. "And the guards know where to find us now."

"Let her come," Hal said. "It won't hurt to have an extra gun. Our hands will be full."

Danlea didn't hesitate and headed down the ramp before Raemolle could object.

They picked their way through the maze of corridors to the mech lab, expecting to be found out at any moment. The ship seemed strangely empty and quiet with half the crew gone and the other half sequestered on the damaged transport.

They found some left over door framing, a quick set cement compound, and a handful of tools. The crew shouldered the framing materials. Hal and Raemolle carried the rest.

"Not perfect, but I can damn well seal the door one time," Hal said. "We may have to break out with a pick axe once we land."

"Fine by me," Raemolle said. "If I ever get to solid ground, I don't plan to step foot on this transport again."

Danlea led the party with her rifle poised and ready. They had almost made it back to the hanger when she held up a hand in warning.

"Guys, wait," Danlea whispered. "Trouble up ahead."

They sidestepped down a back hallway and listened as a shuffle of boots went by in the corridor leading to the hanger.

"What do we do now?" Raemolle asked

"We wait," Hal said.

They didn't have to wait very long until the sound of gunfire met their ears.

"Damn it!" Hal said. "It's no good. Put down the supplies, men. We won't have a chance to use it."

"The ship didn't waste any time regenerating the guards, did it?" Raemolle remarked.

"So what is our alternative?" Danlea asked.

"There isn't any," Hal replied. "Not for getting back to the planet anyway."

The gunfire intensified. Danlea was trembling with fear. "There's no way we can win this is there?"

"Look. I don't like it, but our few rifles won't make a difference. I know another place we may be able to hide," Hal said. "Follow me."

He led them down another maintenance passageway, and they came out on a docking platform. A couple of small round pods sat at the ready.

"Son of a... I didn't know Widhbo got around to finishing the supply pods," Hal said and then chuckled. The others looked at him for an explanation.

"These are prototypes. Widhbo plans to make several for the efficient transport of goods to and from the surface of a planet."

"But will they transport us?" Danlea asked.

"They will. Sadly, it won't help the rest of the crew stranded here, but they are equipped with life support systems," Hal said, "Meet plan B, folks."

* * *

We're getting a signal!" Greyla ran to the radio. It was scattered and full of static, but she recognized Danlea's voice.

"Danlea, it's Greyla. Where are you?" Danlea called out. "The transport was attacked again before we could make repairs. We're managed to escape on a supply pod."

"Who else is on it with you?" Greyla was filled with dread.

"William... " static cut her off.

"I lost you. Come again," Greyla called out. "Danlea, who else is on it?"

Tajlon and Greyla waited a small eternity. The next transmission was broken, weak and fading, but they heard it.

"William and Hal. Three of the crew. Nobody else...," came Danlea's strained voice. "We can't make it to the Lost Mount...." and she was gone.

"Where? Where are you going to land?" Greyla asked into thin air. The radio was out. Transmissions were fried, but Greyla was overwhelmed with relief. "Hal is with them, Tajlon, Hal made it!"

"I knew Hal would figure out something," Taljon said.

***

Tajlon was searching for the pod on his radar screen. He caught a fleeting signal that trailed off toward Novaland. He did a few mental calculations. The computer in his head was superior to the one on the transport.

"They lost too much time getting away and can't possibly make it to the Lost Mountains at their point of entry." Tajlon said to Greyla who was squeezing the dead mic in her hand. "Their best chance is to reach Novaland before the cloud does."

"And then what? The radiation will kill them." Greyla said, tears began streaming down her face.

Tajlon put his arms around her. "Maybe not. There's a bunker...." his voice choked with emotion.

"Where?"

"Inside the mountain." Tajlon replied. "Behind NORC. Dad only completed building it last month, Hal knows how to get in."

The Wayless Sea was living up to its reputation with a front moving across from the north. Strong turbulence rocked the transport bringing them back to the reality of their own situation.

"I need to circle around to get in front of the storm that's building over there, then I need you to take over while I brief the crew and prepare to land," Tajlon said." Just hold it steady on the course I've set."

"Got it," Greyla said taking his place when he went to the lower deck.

"There's lifeboats stowed beneath the floor panels," Tajlon said. "Get them ready in case we have to land in the water. There's a storm brewing. Our first priority is to make it to land and find a cave entrance. The caves lie along the northern shoreline."

"What about the other transport?" a woman asked.

"We don't know their status at the present time," Tajlon replied. "I'm sorry, but we may never know. If they do manage to make repairs and take off, the difference in departure time and the orbital path of the Sora will force them to seek refuge in another location."

The crew went about the task of preparing the lifeboats and braced themselves for a rough landing. They knew quite well the dangers posed by the Wayless Sea.

Tajlon went back to the helm and relieved Greyla.

"If we don't make it down there, at least we did our best," she said. "We're on our own, aren't we?"

Tajlon put his arm around her as the transport made its final approach. "We are. But at least we have a fighting chance. Friend or foe, no other fools will come looking for us here for a very long time."