They opened, and now there was no turning back.
Sick bay was a mess. The med staff were running back and forth, dealing with the numerous injuries we’d picked up in the fight.
I’d already checked, and thankfully there’d been no casualties. There were some fairly serious injuries, though, and I quickly realized we’d won that fight by a whisker’s length.
Sick bay was such a mess that I didn’t see her at first.
She saw me though.
As I stood there in the middle of the floor, waiting to catch a passing med tech who didn’t look too busy, she pushed towards me.
Before I realized it, she was right by my side, reaching a hand out to me. She brushed my arm with her fingers.
It was electrifying.
I jerked my head around to her, heart driving to a sudden stop in my chest.
“Shepherd?” A smile exploded over her face, her cheeks practically disappearing into her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
I opened my mouth, but couldn’t speak. The words wouldn’t come.
“You saved the Ra’xon.” She tilted her head low in a respectful nod. Then she flicked her gaze up to me. “And me. You saved me. I haven’t had a chance to thank you yet.”
“Alyssa…” I stammered over her name.
“I just wanted to thank you.” She dipped her head low again, that smile spreading over her lips.
I wanted to say I recognized that smile – that I’d seen it on the footage of her first day at the Academy. But I was wrong; I didn’t know that smile. It was different. It touched me deeper. It meant more.
I swallowed.
“I found out what you did off the ship’s log. If you hadn’t rammed that mine, the Ra’xon would have fallen.”
“I…” God, I had to string together a sentence. I had to say something. I couldn’t just stand there in the middle of this crowded med bay and stare at her all dumbstruck.
“You probably need to see a doc, ha? I’ll get out of your way.”
“No,” I said, surprised by my own forcefulness. Still, it broke the dam keeping me back. “Alyssa, it’s fine; this is only a routine check up to ensure I didn’t receive too much radiation. And… and… you’re welcome.”
She smiled again. Again it did different things to me.
I found myself taking a step forward before I really knew what I was doing.
Her eyes widened. Slightly. But the move was still there.
My mouth was dry, really dry. It felt like it had been replaced with sand.
I ignored it. “You don’t need to thank me though.”
“Why not?” She didn’t take a step back, though I was probably standing too close for comfort. Instead she tilted her head slightly and stared up into my eyes. “You saved my life, Shepherd. I want to thank you.”
There was something so earnest about her words, so forceful. I wanted to take a step back, but didn’t. Instead I brought a hand up, smoothed my hair, and took a stiff breath.
“If you hadn’t been there… I think I would have lost my mind,” she admitted.
My smile stiffened. “Are you okay now? What… what happened to you?”
She dropped my gaze suddenly and stared at the floor. “I don’t really know.”
“Is the Doc concerned?” I jerked my head to the side, suddenly searching the crowded room for the CMO.
“No. No, she’s not. She needs to do more scans, but she thinks I’m fine. It… it will just take some time to get used to the new implants.”
My stomach sank. Every pleasant tingle disappeared from my body as I remembered what had happened to her. “Alyssa, we didn’t find Axis on board, but I promise, I won’t stop until we track him down.”
She didn’t look at me. But she did smile. It was small, and it barely crumpled her lips, but it was still a smile.
We drifted into silence. The sounds of the med bay filtered between us, the groans of patients, the quick shuffle of feet, the beeps and whirs of medical devices.
I wanted to take another step forward, but couldn’t. That would leave me right in front of her, my arms pressed up against hers.
Eventually she lifted her head to look at me again. “Thanks again. I should probably let you go, though. I imagine the repairs will take a while. How long do you think it will take until the Star Forces send reinforcements?”
“There are no Star Forces ships around this sector. The soonest we’ll see any company is in ten hours. That will give us time to fix the Miracle’s propulsion systems. The Ra’xon is bruised, but we can still run just fine.”
“What about… the dig site?”
My stomach clenched. I’d thought about that too. In fact, I hadn’t stopped thinking about it. The prospect of finally finding out what had happened to my best friend was looming large in my mind.
“Are we going to send down a team to check it out? We have time before the Star Forces arrive, right?”
I cleared my throat and nodded. “That’s the Captain’s plan. We’ll form a recon team and head down there.”
She nodded slowly. Then she looked up sharply. “I should be on that team.”
“What?”
“Shepherd, I mean, Lieutenant Commander, I want to be on that team. I think you’ll need me.”
“You’re recuperating—”
“I’m fine. The Doc’s done all she can for me. And to be honest, I think I’ll be able to control my implants next time. I think what happened to me aboard the Miracle,” she swallowed hard, “was an initial reaction to the power of my new implants. It’s happened before when Axis gave me new implants in the past. I… I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to control myself next time. Plus, I won’t be fighting off a whole heavy cruiser again.”
I shook my head. “No, Alyssa, you have to stay here where it’s safe.”
“Just how much resistance do you expect down on that dig site?”
“None. We’ve already scanned it, and all personnel were evacuated to the Star Forces ships before we arrived.”
“So what’s the problem with me going down there? Shepherd, honest to god, I’m fine.”
“I just… I think it’s safer if you stay up here. We have no idea what we’ll find down there.”
“Which is why you should bring me along. I’m good with surprises.” She brought up a hand and flexed it.
I shook my head, but stopped half way through.
“Shepherd, please. I want to give back,” she said in a small voice, dropping her hand to her side. “I’m the one who brought us here on this mission. I want to give back. I can’t sit around in the med bay while everyone else risks their lives.”
“You did give back, Alyssa. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have taken the Miracle.”
“You’ll need me down there,” she changed track immediately.
I suddenly felt uneasy. She could be right, after all. We had no idea what we’d find down there, and having a telekinetic warrior with Alyssa’s skills could make all the difference.
Maybe my indecision was playing across my face, because she ducked her head forward, eyes widening to stare at me earnestly. “I need to find out why he did this to me.” She brought up her arms and gestured to her elbows. “Axis said there was some kind of wall down there. One only I could open. I want to find out if it was just another one of his mind games.”
“Alyssa, you need to rest. You’re still recuperating.”
“Fine. If I get the Doc to clear me, you’ll have no argument.” She suddenly twisted on her foot and darted through the crowd towards the CMO.
I swore under my breath and followed. By the time I reached them, the CMO looked up at me and nodded. “She’s got the all clear, Lieutenant Commander. As long as she doesn’t tax her implants too badly, I don’t see any problem with her going on recon down to that moon. And to be honest, I think the rest of us would feel a hell of a lot more comfortable knowing someone with her power is down there in case the Star Forces left any surprises.”
I hissed a frustrated breath through bared teeth. “Doc, do you really think this is a good idea? What about,” I slid my gaze towards Alyssa briefly, “what happened on the Miracle?”
“I think it was a combination of the drugs Axis gave her and the stress of the situation. Alyssa’s current bio readings are fine. I’d say her implants took a while to stabilize, but now they’re okay.”
“Alyssa said you were still doing more tests.”
“I am. But considering the circumstances, it’s still my professional opinion that she can accompany the mission.” With that, the CMO turned and continued treating a burns patient behind her. “Shepherd,” she spoke over her shoulder, “your radiation levels will have to be checked before you’re cleared for the mission, though.”
I shook my head while she wasn’t looking. Great.
I returned my attention to Alyssa.
She was looking at me defiantly. “I’m cleared,” she repeated needlessly. “So can I go?”
I let out a tense breath, suddenly aware of how sore I was. I hadn’t slept properly in days.
She didn’t drop my gaze.
“We’ll have to clear it with the Captain,” I managed.
She nodded sharply. Then she smiled, all the defiance slipping from her gaze. “You won’t regret this, Shepherd; you’ll need someone to watch your back. Plus, I owe you.” She nodded and turned around.
I locked a hand into my stiff trapezius and watched her go.
I’d better not regret this.
… I didn’t want to lose her.
Chapter 6
Lieutenant Commander Nathan Shepherd
We were cleared.
We were heading down to the moon.
Any security personnel and scientists who could be spared from the repairs were heading down with us.
I couldn’t deny my nerves. They congregated in the base of my spine, jittering against the bone.
Most of the other teams had already left.
It had taken awhile to inoculate me against the radiation I’d received during my unplanned spacewalk, but now I was good to go.
Both Alyssa and I were heading down together in a tiny two-person vessel.
I piloted while she checked main systems.
We were silent, but we still worked together well. She seemed to know what I wanted her to do without me having to say a word.
It was more than our similar training – we just gelled well.
“Initiating the landing sequence now.” I shifted back in my small pilot seat and tilted my head to take in the view.
The moon wasn’t large. It was tiny in many respects. And yet it was imposing. It felt like we were swooping towards a gas mega-giant.
My stomach curdled with apprehension, but I pushed it away with several deep breaths.
I watched Alyssa out of the corner of my eye. She was staring at the view screen with fixed attention smoothed over her brow, her hands frozen over her controls in mid-type.
My stomach gave a kick. “You aren’t regretting coming down, are you?”
She swiveled her head to face me. “No. I just….” She turned back to the view screen.
I watched her but didn’t say a word. Soon, as our tiny vessel levelled out, she shook her head and returned to her task.
In another few minutes, we landed.
The computer beeped and I took a deep breath. I pushed my hands flat into the console before me and rose. I twisted and nodded at her.
She was still staring at the view screen with fixed attention, her neck tilted back until a few of the bright lights from her console played across her elongated neck.
I cleared my throat. “Alyssa, we’ve landed. We need to put on our EV suits.”
She tucked her head down in a twitch and nodded.
I lingered, looking at her for another few seconds before I turned and grabbed our suits, handing her one.
We pulled the EVs on and locked our helmets in place.
Our ship was so small there was only one room – the cockpit. Lodged in the wall by the pilot’s side was the hatch.
I nodded at her. “You ready?”
She put her thumbs up, shifted past me, and typed the release code into the panel next to the hatch.
Again my gaze lingered on her.
That uneasy feeling was back. It was growing in my stomach like gathering grey clouds.
The hatch beeped a warning, a red light flashing above it. A second later, it opened, sliding back into the wall, a cloud of atmosphere hissing around it as our tiny ship depressurized.
While there was atmosphere out on that moon, it wasn’t enough to breathe.
Alyssa pushed off, jumping out of the cockpit and onto the barren grey-brown dust beyond.
I followed right behind her.
…
Alyssa Nightingale
I didn’t know why I was down here.
I wanted to be here, and yet I really didn’t.
My feelings were a confusing mix. I tried to tell myself it was just the after effects of my fight on the Miracle, but now I wasn’t so sure.
This moon… there was something about it.
We walked in silence for a while. There was no sound apart from the drone of our footfall and the constant hiss of my breath as it passed through my suit.
My EV was cramped. I hated these suits. No matter how advanced they claimed to be, they could never wick the sweat from between your fingers and across your back.
“I just received word – the other teams have made it to the dig site.” Shepherd drew to a halt beside me and put a hand up to his ear.
I jolted. “Are they okay?”
“All reports are fine. Looks as if the Star Forces left in a hurry. A lot of the equipment they left behind is malfunctioning, but there’s enough for us to tell what they were up to.”
I nodded. My neck was so stiff I swore it would tear off my shoulders.
Maybe Shepherd could tell how nervous I was becoming, because he took a deliberate and obvious step closer to me. “How are you holding up?”
“Fine,” I lied.
“At least that makes one of us. This moon is goddamn eerie.”
I smiled at his admission. Then I went right back to worrying.
Just why was I down here? Why had I demanded to be on this mission? Surely it was better, safer, for me to stay on the Ra’xon?
As soon as that thought arose, I pushed it away with a shake of my head.
I was down here now. It was time to make the most of it.
I needed to find out what had commanded Axis’ attention, what had drawn the Miracle all the way to this far-flung sector.
Just what was underneath this dust?
As my boots crushed it, I jerked my head down to stare at the grey-brown powder.
I shivered.
…
Lieutenant Commander Nathan Shepherd
There was something about this moon. Something about it that reached right into your hind brain and sent true fear pulsing through your body.
I kept swallowing. It was hard though, hard to find the breath.
The nerves pushed higher and higher in my gut until they welled in my chest.
I walked in step with Alyssa, the both of us in environmental suits. I could see her face through the clear visor, and I fancied her expression showed just as much fear as mine.
“You okay?” I hazarded.
She flicked her gaze towards me. “Fine. It’s just…” she trailed off.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Didn’t… didn’t your friend die down here?” she suddenly asked.
The memory flooded back to me. Like a punch in the gut.
I managed a nod.
“Sorry.”
“Yeah.” It’s not what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell her she didn’t need to be sorry for my loss. That Alyssa Nightingale didn’t need to be sorry for anybody else other than herself.
We walked in silence. I wanted to say it was awkward �
� a keen silence spread between us, after all. But I felt… comfortable somehow.
Some part of me wanted to point out that I still barely knew Alyssa. But that was wrong. Maybe I hadn’t known her for more than a few months now, but did that matter? The intensity of our experience made the duration of our relationship irrelevant.
I was starting to have feelings for her. There was no point denying that. Though it was weird to finally admit it while we were down here on this eerie moon, walking through this dark night, boots crunching over the moisture laden dust.
Did I love her? I couldn’t tell. All I recognized were the feelings that welled in my gut every time I thought of her. They were so goddamn intense, some of the strongest sensations I’d ever experienced.
A different kind of tension escaped through my chest as I turned my head gently to the side and watched her.
In the end, it didn’t matter what I felt, did it?
This couldn’t go anywhere.
Alyssa would take a long time to heal, and I had to give her space.
She wasn’t ready for a relationship, and maybe I wasn’t either. The both of us were knee deep in a goddamn war.
It was just as that depressing thought sank through my gut that I heard something.
It was the slightest crumbling sound, as if someone had stepped on a soft rock.
I shifted my head lightly to the side.
Something snapped towards me.
It was so fast I barely had time to track its movement.
I thrust myself backwards, but it stopped. A centimeter from my face.
Alyssa had thrust a hand out, her implants activating, a burst of gold light spreading from them and locking the thing in place.
The thing….
I jerked backwards, falling on my ass, scuttling away like a surprised crab.
My breath was a wheezing lump in my throat. “What the hell. What the hell?”
It was… some kind of… creature.
It was as white as powdered bone, its flesh moist and stringy. It had elongated limbs and a long face that tapered into a powerful jaw.
It didn’t have any eyes, just slits.
It was frozen there, locked in the air by Alyssa’s powers.
I saw the side of her face, and she was registering the same shock that tore through my heart.
The Crucible- The Complete Series Page 52
