Chapter 23 - PHOENIX RISES
The entire submarine trembled.
Sarah held the reactor lever down.
"Come on."
Warning lights flashed.
The satellite launcher continued its ascent.
Emily watched the monitor.
"Mom, it's already in the air."
Sarah looked at Daniel.
He was barely conscious.
"Can we stop it?"
Daniel opened his eyes.
"Not from here."
Sarah thought quickly.
"Where is the satellite headed?"
"Low orbit."
"Then we don't need to stop the rocket."
Daniel frowned.
"We need to stop the payload."
Sarah nodded.
She looked at the control system.
"How?"
Daniel pointed weakly.
"Emergency command."
Sarah found it.
A single button.
PHOENIX OVERRIDE.
She pressed it.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
Daniel whispered,
"It requires a pilot."
Sarah looked at the screen.
"A pilot?"
"Someone has to manually fly the payload."
Sarah laughed bitterly.
"Of course."
Emily stared.
"What does that mean?"
Sarah looked at her.
"It means they built an aircraft in space."
Daniel nodded.
"The satellite has maneuvering thrusters."
Sarah understood.
The system needed someone to control it.
Just like an aircraft.
Just like Phoenix.
Sarah connected her neural interface.
The screen went white.
Suddenly she was inside another cockpit.
Not a physical cockpit.
A digital one.
Stars surrounded her.
The artificial Phoenix appeared.
A woman's voice spoke.
IDENTIFY PILOT.
Sarah answered.
"Sarah Mitchell."
AUTHORITY CONFIRMED.
CALL SIGN?
Sarah smiled.
"Phoenix."
The artificial pilot responded.
WELCOME BACK.
Sarah looked at the satellite.
It was heading toward the atmosphere.
She grabbed the virtual controls.
The system resisted.
Sarah pushed harder.
The satellite turned.
Then the artificial Phoenix spoke.
YOU ARE EXPERIENCING CONTROL FAILURE.
Sarah laughed.
"I know."
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ABORT.
Sarah shook her head.
"That's what they told me thirty-two years ago."
She continued.
The satellite began spinning.
Sarah used differential thrust.
One thruster fired.
Then another.
The satellite stabilized.
She redirected it away from the atmosphere.
Then toward the sun.
The system displayed a warning.
THERMAL FAILURE.
Sarah smiled.
"One last flight."
The satellite entered the sun's radiation field.
Its systems began failing.
The Phoenix Protocol attempted to regain control.
Sarah overrode it.
The satellite broke apart.
Across the world, the black phoenix symbol disappeared.
The network went silent.
Sarah opened her eyes.
She was back inside the submarine.
Emily was holding her hand.
"Mom."
Sarah looked around.
The alarms had stopped.
Daniel was still breathing.
Mercer smiled.
"We did it."
Sarah looked toward the ceiling.
"No."
She smiled.
"We did more than that."
The submarine began sinking.
Mercer shouted,
"We need to get out!"
They moved quickly.
Sarah helped Daniel walk.
The team reached the damaged helicopter.
The aircraft barely started.
Sarah climbed inside.
Emily followed.
Daniel was loaded aboard.
The helicopter lifted.
Below them, the submarine disappeared beneath the Pacific.
The sun rose over the horizon.
Sarah looked at Emily.
For the first time in thirty-two years, she felt completely free.
Then Mercer received a message.
He read it.
His face changed.
"Sarah."
"What?"
"We found the financial records."
Sarah frowned.
"What about them?"
Mercer looked at her.
"Blackstone wasn't the only company involved."
Sarah's smile disappeared.
"Who else?"
Mercer handed her the tablet.
At the bottom of the list was a familiar name.
VANCE FAMILY FOUNDATION.
Sarah stared.
"Arthur Vance is dead."
Mercer shook his head.
"The foundation wasn't."
Sarah looked toward Seattle.
She had thought the war was over.
May you like
It wasn't.
But this time, she wouldn't fight alone.
