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will have to
separate for a while. Tink shouldn’t be long, just a bit of stealth
work.”
    “ I don’t know if I can handle not having you by my side,
Tinkles.” Zane was genuinely concerned all of a sudden. First Mirko
and Zoltan had to leave due to the plan, now Tink. He hoped the
plan was working with them all being separated. He always
understood there was strength in numbers. Not so right now. It
seemed an individual could do more to stop a marauding planet than
a whole army of angry Banshan not yet possessed by
eternals.
    We’ll be all right, Zane. We just have to do a bit of sabotage
work once the power is disrupted .
    That’s what I’m afraid of , Zane
said.
    Why? Because it means you’ll be alone with me again? Motac’s voice sounded hurt.
    Zane
didn’t mean such a thing, but in a way, he supposed the eternal was
right. He preferred the company of Tink and Mirko to a shadow
being, especially in situations like this. “Look, let’s just get
this over and done with.”
    Within a
heartbeat, Tink had disappeared down an access tunnel, his
beautiful bubble butt and long tail the last thing Zane saw. Zane
had a nasty feeling, right at the pit of his stomach, as if it was
the last time they’d be together.
    He
swallowed hard.
    What do we have to do, Motac, to make sure whatever Tink has
to do isn’t done in vain?
    Go to the hatch on the left. I will guide you from
there.
    Right.
    Zane
crawled over toward the hatch in question. Straight away, Zane
could see a problem, and blurted. “There’s a lock on this
thing.”
    Yes, and so there should be. This is the main access tube to
the heart of the induction flow control room below. From inside
this, you can do all sorts of damage before you’re even
detected . A flicker of something strange
permeated the eternal’s words. If Zane didn’t know any better, he’d
say it was fear.
    We’ve been detected already, haven’t we?
    Why do you say such a thing, Zane? But
Motac couldn’t hide the register of his voice and the emotions it
radiated within Zane’s mind. There was a moment of silence, before
Motac added, With Tink going through the
other hatch to the power control room, an alarm was tripped, yes,
although it may take them a while to realise what’s going on. From
what I can tell—and see through your limited vision—the panels
below are reading such a thing.
    Hey, my eyes are just damn fine!
    They are…for a human. But not for an eternal. Now, we must act
fast if we are to give the work Tink will do a chance of
succeeding .
    Zane
looked at the panel on the hatch once more. It was like an LCD
display, but holographic in nature. “So what do I have to do?” he
whispered.
    The door can only be opened by the right
combination.
    Cool. Give me the code, then.
    It’s not that easy.
    Somehow I knew you’d say that.
    You still don’t trust me, do you, Zane. That’s why you didn’t
want Tink to leave. That’s why you doubt me even now. Haven’t I
proven myself to you already?
    Zane had to be honest. He touched the panel and hundreds of
geometric shapes danced around his fingers. Nope. A roll in the hay doesn’t make bosom buddies for life,
you know.
    Then we’re lost if you can’t bring yourself to trust
me .
    Zane had to cool the situation. He could tell Motac was both
angry and upset. Look, buddy, just get us
inside the hatchway, then we can talk. If there’s an alarm
sounding, this whole area could be crawlin’ with Banshan any
second .
    Motac
didn’t replay straight away.
    Again, Zane tried to backpedal. The thing about words, even
mentally projected ones inside your own mind to a being who was
living there — once
spoken, they couldn’t be taken back. He didn’t mean to be hurtful,
but he also couldn’t lie to himself. He didn’t trust Motac…not
completely. How was he to know if he really was a coalition
eternal? What if he was only giving Zane a false sense of self
awareness to make his capture easier in the long run? What if