Connor dropped the gun to his side, and leaned his head back on the ground, reassured, safe, and breathing easy. The last few explosions went off, and the red and white dust spreading across the sky was lighter than a feather but not as light as his shoulders.

The three looked stunned. And Thomas hadn't realized his gun had fallen when he went to help Axel off the ground when he returned. He was too exhausted to notice, they all were.

"Connor," Stephanie breathed. She couldn't continue. She saw Connor as her younger brother, and she couldn't bear the thought he had just killed his. It reminded her too much of herself, except this was no accident.

Teresa rubbed Connor's head, her other hand on his chest, not knowing what to say.

Stephanie was about to continue when Thomas stepped in front of her. "He tried to kill you, son. I would have defended myself as well." He carefully grabbed the gun and tucked it back into the back of his pants.

Connor, sore and stiffer than lead, looked to Thomas, and tears dropped from one of his eyes.

"He left you on Mars, not caring if you lived or died," Teresa said.

As Connor wiped his face, "I'm back on Earth?"

"Yes," Teresa said. She set aside the switch, embraced Connor, and rested his head on her lap. "Stephanie brought you back."

Thomas leaned into Stephanie, "Any way to get us out of here?"

Stephanie nodded with uncertainty. Thomas was still as stunned as she was, but he hid it better, and he knew things might get more tragic if they stayed for much longer. Just in case.

"I saw some jeeps when I came in earlier," he whispered. "Just take it easy while I bring one around."

There was a peaceful silence among the three. A sense of relief wrapped feelings of guilt. Connor looked at the dark sky bathed in a red mist. Eventually, the red and white flurries reached them like snow falling from the sky, making everything quieter.

"What happened?" Connor whispered.

Teresa and Stephanie looked at one another. They didn't know if he was talking about the red dust falling, what he had just done to his brother, or how he got back from Mars. But it felt right to remain quiet, and Teresa kept caressing his head, and Stephanie knelt next to him. Their comfort settled him.

"We'll be leaving soon," Teresa transferred the blue jewel back to Stephani's switch, its rightful home.

"Like hell you are."

Stephanie shot up, shocked, as Mr. Furyk pointed a gun at her.

She lifted her hands high. "Just don't shoot. We're unarmed."

Teresa covered Connor's head with her arms and brought him closer to her chest.

His silhouette faded in the red snow. But the gun was clear as day as he adjusted his aim and pointed it at Connor.

"Don't do it," Stephanie stepped in the way.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Teresa crawled and twisted to get Connor's head out of the shot.

"You're in no position to lecture me. You're too much of a liability even with him in custody." He brushed the red and white dust off of his mustache, a rare gesture of his.

Mr. Furyk tightened the gun, and Teresa gasped and tucked in to cover as much of Connor as she could.

"I'm sorry!" Stephanie said. "I am so sorry."

Mr. Furyk hesitated.

"Please, he's innocent."

"Dad."

Mr. Furyk lowered his gun as he was in near disbelief.

"How dare you call me that now."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Henry. I miss him too. Don't use Connor to punish me."

He lifted the gun again and pointed it at Connor's head, covered by Teresa.

BANG.

Teresa tensed, a jolt through her body, but Mr. Furyk fell to the ground.

Stephanie screamed and ran over to her father. "Dad!" She began tapping on his cheek. "Dad!"

But he was gone. The red snow peppered his face and his partially closed eyes.

No way. Teresa covered her mouth with a hand, unfrozen from believing he had shot her to kill Connor. The man who looked after her to see her as a mere obstacle. Stephanie had said Teresa was his favorite yet showed no qualms about discarding her and Connor. She about nearly stood, but Connor's weight reminded her to sit still. Stephanie had her hand on her father's shoulder, and with that sight, Teresa decided never to talk about the subject. She looked to be in too much pain.

Mr. Furyk's eyes opened, and he grunted as he lifted his gun.

"No!"

Drops of energy that the gold switch retained drenched what they could of her father in light, and red dust billowed.

She collapsed on her hands, her braid fell onto the cement, her head leaned into his heart, and her tears passed through. Touching but not touching the last member of her family, surrounded by him, and without any energy left, he'll soon move apart and scatter across space. She had always felt guilty for killing his son, her brother. Now, her plan to progress humanity, to make up for what she had done, will never be witnessed by the man she wanted forgiveness from. And during his last moments in his Lucid Passage, he cursed her.

Connor stood with Teresa's help, rubbed Stephanie's back, and embraced her. She held onto his arm and wiped her tears on his suit.

An officer, someone they hadn't seen before, walked over, his rifle hoisted over his shoulder.

"Who are you?" Teresa asked.

He didn't answer directly. "He killed my lead officer." My friend. But it wasn't revenging the officer that eased his mind. He did his sworn duty, and he was proud. He protected the country's most valuable technology, Stephanie and Teresa.

Silence passed as Thomas arrived and parked the jeep, and stepped out. It was a somber scene. Stephanie wept over a pool of blood guarded by Connor, Teresa, and an officer. He bent down to Stephanie and patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Stephanie managed a whisper, "We should go."

They followed a quiet understanding while helping Stephanie off the ground.

As Connor followed Teresa into the Jeep, he noticed Teresa's injury when her torso-wrapped suit slid out of position after she sat on the cushion. "You were shot?" Connor had only been looking up at Teresa's face since he landed back on Earth and hadn't noticed the blood stains down her leg and the sutures until now. He didn't panic, as she seemed fine, she only looked tired.

"Yeah. Principal Bailey patched me up."

It dawned on what they went through to get him back to Earth. They risked their lives for him multiple times. Connor managed to get his arms and torso out of the spacesuit, and he took his shirt off and put it on Teresa. It wasn't much, but she appreciated the gesture as she laid across the back row seat, rested her head on his lap, and tucked her anti-grav suit into her arms like a teddy bear.

"I owe you one," he said.

"Nah."

Thomas helped Stephanie in and waved for the officer to get into the back of the jeep. And they drove through the red haze of the dark desert. Connor didn't look behind. His brother receded in the horizon on the airstrip as his suffering was behind him.