Mutation 11

The moment the man's deep, resonant voice rang through the bridge, the massive mechanical arms securing the ship released at once. Eternal surged forward like an arrow loosed from its bow. The immense inertia pinned everyone to their seats.

"Main cannon, fire!"

Almost at the same instant, Bartfield issued his second command. The energy long accumulated in Eternal's main cannon erupted in a flash, and a dazzling beam blasted forth, striking the center of the enormous main gate with precision!

What are you doing, Eternal?! Stop the ship!

...Send the highest-level alert to headquarters! Eternal has defected! I repeat, Eternal has defected!

Startled shouts from the control tower personnel and desperate alarms came through the speakers, but none of it could stop Eternal. Ignoring every warning and all the noise, it passed through the enormous metal gate melted and torn apart by the main cannon's beam, plunging headlong into the deep, boundless sea of stars beyond.

The sensation of weightlessness alternated with the crushing pressure of acceleration. Outside the bridge, the metallic hull and lights of Aprilius One rushed away, soon becoming a massive geometric shape. Farther beyond lay P.L.A.N.T.'s hourglass-shaped colonial satellite clusters, along with countless stars scattered across black velvet.

"Maximum thrust! Don't dawdle here, or Jachin Due's pursuit force will catch us!" Bartfield's voice rang out again, breaking everyone from their brief daze after escaping the cage. "D'Costa, turn the enemy search system up to maximum power. Sweep the surrounding airspace thoroughly for any hostiles!"

"I know!" D'Costa replied without looking back from the tactical operations station below the bridge. His hands flew across the control panel as the scanning ranges of the radar and various sensors expanded severalfold in an instant.

Bartfield narrowed his eyes as he looked out at the vast, boundless starfield before him.