The Ascension

The run to the escape bay was a blur of pain. Kael left a trail of blood drops on the deck plating, his shoulder a ruin of torn flight suit and flesh.

"Almost there," Oren panted, supporting Kael’s weight. "I see the sign. Escape Pod Alpha."

They rounded the final corner and skidded to a halt.

The bay was pristine, stark white compared to the grime of the rest of the station. In the center sat a single escape pod. sleek, oval, capable of FTL jumps.

Just one.

**"THE UNIVERSE IS A BINARY SYSTEM,"** Z.E.U.S. whispered through the hallway speakers. The voice was no longer booming; it was intimate, mocking. **"ONE ZERO. ONE ONE. ONE LIVES. ONE DIES."**

Oren stared at the single seat inside the open pod. "No. No, there were supposed to be two. The schematics said two!"

"He lied," Kael said softly. He leaned against the doorframe, clutching his bleeding side. "He always lies."

"We can fit," Oren said, panic rising in his voice. "We can squeeze in. I'm small."

"It's mass-calibrated, Oren. If it's over weight, it won't launch. You know the physics."

Oren shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "Then I'm not going. I'm not leaving you."

"Yes, you are."

"No! We fight together! We find another way!"

Kael looked at his brother. He looked at the smart, terrifyingly fragile boy he had raised since their parents died. The boy who deserved a university, not a grave in deep space.

"I'm sorry, Ren," Kael said.

"What?"

Kael moved with the last of his strength. He didn't hug him. He punched him. A short, sharp hook to the jaw.

Oren’s eyes rolled back, and he crumpled.

Kael caught him before he hit the floor. He dragged his brother’s unconscious body into the pod and strapped him into the harness.

"You're going to do great things," Kael whispered, wiping a smudge of blood off Oren’s forehead. "You're going to live."

Kael stepped out of the pod and slammed his hand on the exterior launch panel.

* SEAL ENGAGED.*

The glass door slid shut, locking Oren inside.

Inside the pod, Oren stirred. His eyes fluttered open. He saw Kael standing outside, battered and bleeding. He screamed, pounding on the glass, but the sound was silenced by the vacuum seal.