Chapter 98 - The Binary Choice
The cabin groaned loudly as the aircraft entered a violent descent. Without a pilot, the automated flight systems were struggling against the worsening gale over the North Sea. The ocean was less than ten thousand feet below, a dark, churning sheet of liquid iron waiting to swallow them.
"Forty seconds, Claire," Margaret whispered, stepping back until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with the console. Her eyes were wide, dilated with the mad arrogance of someone who believed herself immune to consequences. "What will it be? The loyal dog of a dead republic, or the heiress to the world?"
Claire looked down at Arthur’s lifeless body, then at the terminal screen, which was flashing yellow: *TARGET LOCK CONFIRMED. TRANSMISSION SEQUENCE 80%.*
"Do you remember what you said to me at the gala, Mother?" Claire asked softly.
Margaret’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "What?"
"In front of two hundred decorated veterans, you took the microphone, looked down from the stage, and said that having a daughter who lived in the dirt and crawled through blood was the greatest shame of your life." Claire took one slow, deliberate step forward. "You said I was nothing. A shadow that didn't deserve a seat at your table."
"And I meant every word," Margaret spat. "You could have been a queen. Instead, you chose to be an animal!"
"No," Claire said, her voice turning as cold as the Arctic storm outside. "I chose to be the consequence."
Instead of lunging for the console or aiming for Margaret’s head, Claire shifted her aim downward by six inches.
*BANG. BANG.*
Two rounds slammed directly through the wrist of Margaret's left hand—the hand holding the biometric transmitter connected to the dead-man switch. The sheer kinetic impact tore the transmitter free from her flesh, sending the severed device skidding across the floorboards toward the open cargo bay stairs.
Margaret shrieked, a high, piercing wail of agony and shock, falling to her knees as blood poured over her designer coat. "My hand! You... you savage! What have you done?!"
Claire stepped over her mother without a glance, her fingers flying across the terminal. Her black visor reflected the tumbling digits of the encryption code. With twelve seconds left on the countdown, Claire drew her combat knife and jammed the blade straight through the motherboard of the primary transmission antenna, twisting the steel until a bright blue shower of sparks erupted from the deck.
The screen went black.
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*TRANSMISSION FAILED. CARRIER SIGNAL TERMINATED.*
Behind them, the aircraft gave a terrifying shudder. The altimeter spun wildly through five thousand feet. They were falling out of the sky.
