Sentinels: Children of Valhalla (Sentinels Saga Book 1)

by Linn Schwab

  “No,” Jenny said, deciding she was probably right about that. “I don’t believe they would have, Commander. Not intentionally, anyway.”

  Robin felt a slight sense of awe as she quietly approached Virginia from behind. Jenny’s words continued to echo through her mind, filling her with respect and admiration. Anyone who’s ever flown with her knows she’s the best. She was the youngest ace in Sentinel history.

  “Virginia?” she softly uttered, deciding to make her presence known.

  Virginia turned around and greeted her with a warm smile. “Robin Starling,” she said with affection, “…the girl with two bird names. It’s no wonder they chose you to learn how to fly.”

  Robin blushed and looked down at the floor. Could that really be it? she wondered. No, she decided, it’s just a coincidence.

  “Um,” she stuttered, “Jenny said you might be able to give me some advice.” She looked up at Virginia and studied her appearance. Her face didn’t look a day over nineteen, but her eyes seemed to carry a heavy measure of wisdom. There was a certain calmness that surrounded her and seemed to pull Robin in to its soothing embrace. And there was a hint of sadness in her smile — an aura that suggested weariness and submission. It was as if she’d already seen into the future, and was just waiting for fate to catch up with her.

  “What kind of advice?”

  Robin shrugged. “Anything that might help me become a better pilot.”

  Virginia smiled in understanding. “I’m not sure what to tell you, Robin. I’ve had the same training as everyone else.”

  “But Jenny says everyone knows you’re the best.”

  “That hardly makes it the truth,” Virginia said, glancing downward uncomfortably.

  “Well,” Robin suggested, “maybe you can tell me why they think you’re the best.”

  Virginia looked at her in silence as she searched for a way to word her reply. “When I’m flying,” she began, “I don’t focus on any one thing. Somehow I can see what’s happening all around me, and I just seem to sense which action to take. It’s not something I think about, really. It’s just something that comes naturally to me. I wish I could tell you more, but I really don’t know how to explain it any better.”

  Robin frowned. “So it’s not something that can be learned, then, right?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just not sure how to teach it to you.”

  “Well,” Robin said in disappointment, “if you ever think of a way, will you promise to share it with me?”

  “Of course I will. I promise, you’ll be the first one I tell.”

  Robin beamed in satisfaction. She sensed she had just made another close friend. But there was still a promise she had to take care of. Somehow, she had to delve into Virginia’s thoughts and find out what was troubling her.

  “How long have you been in space,” she asked.

  Virginia shrugged. “Since I was your age. About ten years, now. Why do you ask?”

  “Well,” Robin probed, “do you ever get tired of looking out the window and seeing nothing but blackness and stars?” She stepped a little closer to Virginia and turned to gaze out into the heavens. “I mean, it was really pretty at first, I guess. But I already miss seeing the ocean. And I’ve only been here a couple of days. What do you see when you look outside?”

  Virginia slowly turned back toward the window and appeared to focus her eyes on something. “I’m not looking outside,” she sadly reflected, offering no further explanation.

  REVELATIONS 014

  Robin peered into the shower room. No one was present there at the moment. All of the other girls were still in the lounge, listening to the pilots recount their experiences. Good! she thought, slipping out of her uniform. This was just the thing she needed. A little free time to relax by herself while she thought about her conversation with Virginia.

  She closed her eyes and turned the dial, and hot water began to cascade down over her. She glanced around herself once more. It seemed eerie being in the shower all alone. The room was large enough to accommodate twelve, and since the girls all showered at the end of the day, there would normally have been several of them in here together. But for the moment, Robin had the place all to herself, and her thoughts were undisturbed by the chattering of others.

  What did Virginia mean? she wondered. Was she somehow comparing her inner self to outer space?

  She lowered herself to the floor and allowed the water to fall onto her head. “Mmm,” she sighed and relaxed her weary muscles. It was blissful not hearing other voices for a while — just the soothing sounds of unintelligent water. As the warmth from the water sank into her body, she recalled the way Virginia had smiled at her. It wasn’t a smile of joy or happiness, but it was warm and affectionate, and not entirely unemotional.

  Virginia still has emotions, she decided. Somewhere inside her, those feelings are still there. She just needs to reconnect with them. But another thought suddenly occurred to her. What if it’s better for her if she doesn’t? Perhaps the demands of being a fighter pilot were better managed without the additional burden of emotions. It was a deeply disquieting thought for Robin. Emotions seemed to be the very fiber of her being. If becoming a good pilot meant shutting them out, it would leave her with a gaping hole inside herself. It would leave her feeling … perhaps the same way Virginia was feeling.

  Well, she thought, a little discouraged, at least I have something to discuss with Jenny tomorrow. With thoughts of Virginia still running through her mind, she turned off the water and reached for her towel. As she made her way back into the bed chamber, she noticed Michelle had returned to the room and seemed to be resting on top of her bed. She was lying with her chin propped up on one hand, and gazing contentedly down at her pillow. What’s she so happy about? Robin wondered, tossing her hair back over her shoulders. Curious, she approached Michelle and discovered she was looking at a piece of paper.

  “Michelle,” she asked, “what are you looking at?”

  Michelle cringed and looked up at her in anguish. Reluctantly, she held the paper up so Robin could get a better look at it.

  Robin responded with a look of shock. “Where did you get that?” she asked, her voiced infused with a tone of disapproval.

  Tilting the picture so it was visible to both of them, Michelle focused her eyes on a portion of the image — a photograph of a man and a woman, smiling and pressing the sides of their faces together.

  “Isn’t he handsome?” she said, hoping to alter the course of the conversation.

  Robin placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head in irritation. “Michelle!” she demanded, forcefully insisting on an answer to her question.

  Michelle sighed and lowered her head in submission. “I found it in the archives back on Valhalla.” She glanced up and saw that Robin was still glaring at her. She frowned and lowered her head again. “I printed a copy so I could keep it with me.”

  Robin moved closer and sat down beside her. She gazed into Michelle’s eyes for a moment and allowed her expression of irritation to fade. “Why?” she asked, her eyes suggesting a mild state of confusion. Sentinels weren’t permitted to possess unauthorized materials. Michelle knew that as well as anyone did. What could have motivated her to risk getting into trouble? she wondered.

  Michelle took a deep breath and sighed in fascination, gazing down at the image in the photograph. “So I can dream,” she explained, “…that someday there’ll be men again.”

  Robin tilted her head in compassion and softened her voice to a comforting tone. “You shouldn’t torture yourself like that, Michelle. You know it’ll never happen.”

  “I know,” Michelle sadly admitted. “But sometimes, it’s just nice to pretend.” She looked up and tried to gauge Robin’s reaction. The lack of harshness in Robin’s expression helped to brighten her spirits a little. “Robin!” she said, sitting up straight in her bed. “Have you ever heard the stories? About ships full of men still floating around in space?”

  Ro
bin struggled to keep herself from laughing. “Now you’re really dreaming, Michelle!” she said, smiling and shaking her head in resignation.

  Michelle didn’t seem to be the least bit discouraged. “I know, Robin, but what if?” she pleaded.

  Robin weighed the possibility in her thoughts. “They’d all be at least a hundred years old,” she pointed out. But Michelle’s enthusiasm was somehow intoxicating, so Robin allowed herself to dream for a moment. She scooted herself a little closer to Michelle and gazed admiringly at the figures in the photo. There was something so appealing about the way they were touching, with the smooth skin of their faces pressed against one another. If only, she lamented, things had been different, and we could actually experience such things. But reality was quick to intrude on her thoughts and brought a swift end to her short–‌lived fantasy. “Besides,” she said through a frown of disappointment, “you could never get that close to them anyway. Our bodies still carry the virus that killed them, remember? Valhalla’s atmosphere is teeming with it.”

  The reminder sapped Michelle’s enthusiasm. Saddened and dejected, she pulled the picture up close to her chest and cradled it protectively against her body. “Please don’t tell anyone, Robin,” she begged.

  Robin gazed into her eyes with compassion. “Don’t worry, Michelle. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  Michelle gave her a grateful smile and slid the picture underneath her pillow. “Thank you,” she whispered sincerely. She leaned closer and rested her head on Robin’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re my captain,” she said. “It just wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  MINDY 015

  Robin awoke in a positive mood. Nothing could dampen her spirits today — not even the prospect of battleship laps. All she had to do was make it through lunch and she would get to spend time with her sister squadron again.

  As before, Major Richards was in the exercise room, waiting for the girls to line up in formation. “Good morning, Sentinels,” she welcomed them in. “Go through your stretching routine now, and then I want you to try two more battleship laps.”

  Robin rolled her eyes and started stretching her muscles. Alright, she told herself, I can do this. I can handle two battleship laps. As the girls started into their stretching routines, Major Richards stepped out of the room, leaving them to complete their workouts on their own. Seconds later, Jenny jogged in and stopped, drenched with sweat and breathing heavily. She flashed a quick smile at the younger girls. They froze and stared back at her in disbelief.

  “You’re doing battleship laps?” Sheri exclaimed in surprise.

  “Mm–hmm,” she answered with a shrug. She bent down and grasped onto her ankles, stretching her muscles as they began to cool off.

  Sheri shook her head in confusion. “Why?”

  “Because, I’d like to stay alive,” she explained. She stood up straight and thrust her arms upward. “It takes a lot of stamina to fly a fighter plane. That’s something you’re all going to learn very quickly. Some of the maneuvers we have to perform place a great deal of stress on our bodies. If your body can’t handle that stress, your chances of surviving are not very good. It’s very simple. Once you girls finish your training here, no one’s going to force you to keep yourselves in shape. So one of the best things you can do for yourselves is learn to appreciate physical fitness.”

  The young Sentinels glanced at each other in uncertainty. “How many laps did you just do?” Phoebe asked.

  Jenny took a deep breath and exhaled. “Five,” she answered with a smile of accomplishment. She pretended not to notice the girls’ jaws dropping open. “Well,” she said, wiping some of the sweat from her face, “I think I’m going to go take a shower.” She waved to ECHO 5 as she exited the room. “See you girls later. I hope you’re all still eager to learn.”

  Robin and Christy looked at each other in awe. “Five?” they both mouthed in silence together.

  “They are invincible!” Sheri declared. Her eyes followed Jenny out of the room.

  Mindy lowered her head in resignation. She closed her eyes and performed a quick census of her muscles, trying her best to estimate what they were capable of. She weighed their current state of readiness against the level of exertion required for a battleship lap. It was a simple calculation for her to perform: energy level divided by fatigue level equals number of laps… Why am I even bothering? she fretted. I already know I can’t do five. That’s the only thing that really matters. If I can’t do five laps, then I must be inadequate. She accepted this disheartening thought with only a modest trace of remorse. It did little to alter the state of her emotions. She’d already decided there was no hope for her, so this matter only served to reaffirm her conclusion.

  Mindy staggered through the serving line and picked up a tray with her breakfast rations. Somehow she had managed to complete the two laps and drag herself into the cafeteria. She set her sights on the nearest available seat and set her serving tray down on the tabletop.

  “I still can’t believe it!” Phoebe said as she hurriedly sat down at Mindy’s side.

  “Five laps!” Robin said in amazement, slipping into the seat beside Phoebe. “She didn’t even look tired to me!”

  “We’ve barely done five laps in the whole time we’ve been here,” Katrina observed. “How can anyone do five in a row?”

  Mindy looked down at her tray and tried to block out what the others were saying. As the other girls dug into their meals, Mindy just stared at hers with disinterest. Her stomach wasn’t asking for food, so she saw little point in trying to eat. And it wasn’t as if it really mattered anyway. She was convinced that she would be dead before long.

  The walls seemed to be closing in on Mindy. She could feel their presence as if they were already upon her. Their intentions had become quite clear to her: their purpose was to squeeze, and to weed out the weak. And they could sense that they were getting very close to breaking Mindy.

  They can see right through me, she thought, glancing at the walls around her in suspicion. I can sense that they’re in there watching me — Sentinels who have fought and died already. They don’t approve of my presence here. They know I can’t do the battleship laps. They know I don’t understand the lectures. They can tell I don’t really belong here, and that my weakness is going to end up hurting Robin and the others.

  “Mindy?” Robin asked with concern. “Are you alright?”

  Katrina and Phoebe both fell silent and took a closer look at Mindy. She hadn’t eaten a single bite of her food and tears were forming in both of her eyes.

  “Mindy?” Robin tried again.

  Mindy sniffled and glanced at Robin, then jumped up and darted out of the room.

  “Mindy!” Robin called. She tossed her fork down and ran after her. Katrina began to stand up as well, but Phoebe signaled her to stay put.

  “Wait!” Phoebe advised. “I think we’d better let Robin handle this. We’d only make Mindy uncomfortable.”

  Katrina sighed and nodded in agreement. “What do you suppose is the matter with her?”

  “I don’t know. She has seemed a little more quiet than usual. I hope it isn’t anything serious.”

  Katrina reflected in silence for a moment. “You know what,” she suggested, “Mindy’s always been very emotional. And Robin’s always had to pay special attention to her, right?”

  “So?”

  “So, have you noticed the way Robin’s been talking to Jenny? It’s like the two of them have been best friends all their lives.”

  Phoebe’s eyes shot open. “You don’t suppose?”

  Katrina nodded. “Maybe Mindy’s feeling a little hurt.”

  “Or frightened! She’s always been very dependent on Robin. How would she react if Robin wasn’t there to help her anymore?”

  A disheartening thought suddenly occurred to Katrina. What would happen if we lost Robin in combat? She gazed somberly into Phoebe’s eyes. “Phoebe,” she said, “how would any of us feel about losing Robin?” The tw
o of them stared down at the table in silence. Suddenly, their food didn’t seem very appealing.

  “Mindy, wait!” Robin pleaded, chasing her sobbing friend through Volaris. Eventually Mindy entered a closed–‌off corridor, and Robin was able to corner her there. “Mindy,” she pleaded again, “why are you running away from me?”

  Realizing she couldn’t get away, Mindy turned to face her and surrendered. “I want to go outside,” she whimpered.

  Robin could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She now sensed she understood what was happening. Mindy was having a nervous breakdown. “Mindy,” she insisted, “you can’t go outside. You’re in the middle of space right now.” She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Mindy.

  “I don’t care,” Mindy said, allowing Robin to get a hold on her.

  Robin glanced back over her shoulder. There was a row of auxiliary airlocks just beyond the next corner. “Oh my god!” she cried in realization. Mindy had been trying to get to the airlocks. She had simply taken a wrong turn. “Mindy,” she sobbed, “you’ll die if you try to go outside.”

  “I don’t want to stay here,” Mindy cried. “I want to go back to Valhalla. I want to see Jojo and all the other dolphins. I miss our old bedroom at the academy. I miss the little birds that used to come sing by our window.”

  “We can’t go back, Mindy,” Robin insisted. “We have to stay here and protect all those things.”

  Mindy shook her head and whimpered, “I can’t do this, Robin.”

  “Yes, you can. I’m going to help you. And so are the others. We’re a team, Mindy. We have to stick together.”

  Robin felt panic setting into her. She’d been fortunate to catch Mindy this time, but she knew she couldn’t hold onto her forever. If Mindy was determined to go outside, there was nothing in her power she could do to prevent it.

  “Mindy, don’t leave me,” she pleaded. “We need you.”