Memories of Hel

by Jason Dodge

  ~Few can hold their own so well against so many of those things. I have to apologize for your present condition, though. One of their vessels directly impacted yours after we fired on it.~

  Cechsa tries to form a question, but the man cuts her off. ~Your neck was broken. You’ll be down for awhile.~ She begins to realize that the man is not simply talking to her, but is in her head. A telepath. As she feels her grasp on her own consciousness fade, she manages to form a question in her own thoughts. “Allen… Allen Bruekner. Is he okay?”

  She hears a spoken voice in the distance, which she vaguely recognizes as Anara. “Time for the debrief, Yatrell. Let the woman rest.”

  The man finally steps into view and she hears him again, his tone betraying sorrow as she struggles to listen. ~Don’t let what happened here destroy who you are. Don’t let them break you. You have amazing potential, and through your own strength of will, you’ve given yourself a second chance at life. Don’t screw it up.~