Frost’s room was as cold as I remembered it being. If it hadn’t been for my new advanced space suit, I’d have been freezing. Funnily enough, Manning seemed fine. I would have killed to have his natural resistance to everything.
The clicking of Frost’s fingers against her white desk was the only sound in the room. Her snowy desk and the purple ring beneath it were the sole sources of light. Other than the areas they lit, it was pitch black in there. Frost’s illuminated face hadn’t even looked up yet. She was too busy typing to notice that we’d come in.
Manning cleared his throat. “I hope you didn’t invite us here just so we could watch you work. You said General Alhabor was almost here, and yet we arrived before him.”
“I realize what I said, Theodore,” Frost said as she typed up a storm. “I did not lie to you. General Alhabor is almost here, but he’s never cared about being punctual. He’ll often go to the kitchen or take a nap before showing up to a meeting. I admit that it’s unacceptable, but he’s one of my greatest soldiers, so I can’t afford to punish him. Such is life.”
“Did you say, ‘take a nap’? Just how long are we going to stand here?” I asked. It was annoying that this general guy was fine with leaving us waiting.
“Hopefully, not long.” Frost looked up to say that to me then immediately returned to her screen. Wow! I felt so honored. “I assume he’ll be here soon. This is a serious matter, after all. Benjamin is not only his teammate but also one of his closest friends.”
I hated how much that statement reminded me of Laura. It added to my conviction that I should join this guy’s mission. He’d understand my objective better than anyone.
The door behind us slid open, making me flinch. A man in a dark green space suit stood in the doorway. No…the space suit had black and tan spots too. I thought it was camouflage. It was hard to make out because he was silhouetted against the light from outside.
“General!” Frost proclaimed. “This is the earliest you’ve ever shown up when I’ve summoned you. I knew you’d take it seriously. Allow me a moment to light up the room.”
I grunted as the room’s darkness shifted to light. The sudden flash stung my eyes. Frost’s desk even faded from white to black to reflect the change. I rubbed the pain from my eyes as someone stomped toward me. The floor rumbled with each step. When I lowered my hands, I saw Alhabor towering over me. He had dirty blond hair that was turning gray. His hardened eyes were hazel like mine, but his were greener. Of course they were. He had a huge circular medal pinned to his chest.
“The Epsilon Explorer, I take it? Madam President told me about you, but it’s still an honor to meet you in person!” He had a charismatic voice, one you’d hear in an infomercial. I gripped his hand, and he shook mine with the vigor of a thousand rabbits. I let go before he could yank it off. “I’m General Alhabor, and I hear you’ll be helping me with my mission.”
“Well, yeah, basically. I’m here to do whatever I can. Me and Manning both are.”
Alhabor’s grin grew as he faced Manning. “If it isn’t the sole survivor of Humanity’s Oath himself! Actually…I probably shouldn’t say that. What a strange title. Anyway, it’s a genuine honor to meet you too.”
Manning’s face twisted with discomfort. “I feel the same way. Wander and I have been looking forward to this collaboration.”
“And I look forward to helping with that mission you guys have. You want to rescue that girl who was taken by the AI, right? Man, I can’t wait to see Epsilon for myself. It’s the endgame for every soldier!”
His eyes lit up as he said that, bringing to mind Rebecca’s lust for battle and frightening me just as much.
“Now that everyone is present, allow me to explain the mission.” Frost hit something on her desk.
As I had come to expect, the purple ring below us flashed a multitude of colors before it spat light into the air. A holographic projection of a murky gray and brown planet popped up. Specks of blue popped up too, followed by white fluff that scrolled along the planet’s surface.
“Which planet is this?” I asked as I pointed at it. “I’ve never seen it before.”
Frost smirked like she knew the answer was good. “No one’s seen it…besides the Constellations. This is a recently discovered planet that I sent them to investigate. At first glance, it’s like any other discovered planet: a complete mystery. However, this mystery comes with water, clouds, and even an atmosphere! It’s fascinatingly close to inhabitable all on its own. Imagine what it’ll look like with atmosphere towers. Unfortunately, the reconnaissance mission was cut short by Sirius’ assailants: robots. Not the usual ones either.”
“Never seen anything like them.” Alhabor glared at the floor. “Well, that’s a lie. When I saw them, I thought they were AI. Except they were not as colorful and were dumber. Even Kilos use strategy, but those guys? The only strategy they knew was brute force. That was how they took Sirius, so it shouldn’t be hard to get him back.”
“New robots?” Manning stroked his beard, deep in thought. “Ones without creators. That’s the same story as the AI. Could they be prototypes?”
Was Manning suggesting that, one way or another, there were more AI out there? Didn’t matter whether they were prototypes or variations because either possibility would be bad news for us.
“I hope to find the answer to that question.” Frost examined the hologram. Her eyes twinkled with curiosity. “Rescuing Sirius is our priority, but please discover what you can about these automatons as well. We’re on the verge of defeating the AI, and we don’t need new or old models taking their place when they’re gone.”
Helping Frost was a gray area, but learning about these new guys would help us too. I assumed that, once we got Sirius back, Frost would swoop in and populate this mystery planet with First Division citizens. As long as it was already uninhabited, I was fine with that. I just didn’t want another New Earth situation.
“That’s Operation Starfall in a nutshell,” Alhabor said. I assumed that was the name of our mission. “We fly to this mysterious little marble, rescue Sirius, solve the mystery behind these new AI, and call it a day. Then, after Sirius is all better, we head to Epsilon and get your friend back. Sound like a plan?”
“Sounds great, but there’s one more thing to take care of before we leave.” I gulped. This was going to be a long shot, but I’d feel guilty if I left without trying it. “Did Sirius ever tell you about his little brother?”
----------------------------------------
Frost was against my idea, but that didn’t stop me from trying. Alhabor, Manning, and I stood in silence as the elevator transported us to our destination. I clasped my hands together, but a sharp pain made me let go. My left hand was aching. It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d squeezed too hard with the bionic hand. Frustration pricked my stomach. I already knew I’d rushed myself, so why was this a surprise? I might not have been ready, but Laura hadn’t been ready to be captured in the first place. Nothing about this was fair…
“Humanity’s Oath,” Alhabor said as he slapped Manning’s back. Manning’s hands curled into fists for a moment, but I didn’t think Alhabor noticed. “You guys did some fine work back in the day. You know, when I accepted the opportunity to lead the Constellations, I had every intention of modeling it after your team.”
Manning grimaced. “I…appreciate that. Although, from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re the complete opposite of us. We were public, but you work in the shadows.”
Alhabor nodded. “You got me there. That was my only gripe with the concept of the team, but I understood why we had to keep our mouths shut. Forgive me for saying this, but Humanity’s Oath was a bit too public. The AI knew too much about you. That was how they knew to set that trap. Luckily, Frost has agreed to be open about us after we win the war. It’s one heck of a compromise, but you know her: won’t budge on anything once she makes up her mind.”
Alhabor tapped his foot like his patience was running out. Was he getting frustrated at the elevator or at Frost? Her best soldier couldn’t get through to her, but I could. How? Surely the Epsilon Explorer wasn’t more important than the Constellations’ leader. What exactly did she see me as?
“Perhaps your secrecy is for the best then,” Manning said. “Besides, it’s nice to know that my team inspired others to such an extent. We both grew up in the same time period, didn’t we? In the era that pressured children and teenagers into enlisting?”
“Definitely. That was an interesting time.” Alhabor’s voice had an edge to it now.
“Quite.”
Neither man wore an uplifting expression. Whatever time period they were talking about, it didn’t sound pleasant. Thank goodness I hadn’t been born in that era.
The elevator halted and slid open. We stepped out onto the white prison floor. The cells that lined the walls were exactly the same as before. The familiar eerie silence followed as well. Each cell was still hidden away by red walls, and they were just as creepy as before. We needed to make this fast.
“Did you know about this place?” I asked Alhabor as we marched toward Anderson’s cell.
“Of course! I’ve put a few criminals in these cells. Looking at this place makes me feel accomplished.” Alhabor glanced at me. His eyes widened at my frown. We weren’t on the same page here. “Oh, but, of course, looking at this would upset any civilian. That’s what being a soldier is all about: shouldering the upsetting things so they don’t have to.”
Manning nodded to himself, confirming Alhabor’s statement. I knew Manning had only joined Humanity’s Oath because Upton had done so first, but I wanted to hear his thoughts on being a soldier. I knew he’d previously thought that the war was unwinnable. I wondered whether he still felt that way.
“This is it,” I said as we approached Anderson’s cell. I hit a button and cleared the red solidios wall. It revealed Anderson. He was sitting with his back to us and didn’t seem to have noticed we were there. His messy hair gave him the appearance of an inmate. “If we can’t convince him now, we’ll have to leave him here. I tried earlier, so now you’re up, Alhabor.”
“I’ll do my best, but I’ve never actually met him before. Unfortunate that our first meeting is taking place in a prison.” Alhabor tapped the solidios, spreading wisps of red around his finger. “Anderson! A word, please.”
Anderson growled as he turned around. “Locke, Manning, and some macho guy. What do you want now?”
“Name’s General Alhabor.” He pointed to his medal. “I serve with Sirius. I’ve been told that you can help us save your brother. What do you think about that?”
Anderson shot me a glare. “Freaking Locke. After everything I’ve done, you still want my help?! If you really work with Ben, then you’re powerful enough to get him back all on your own. You don’t need these losers. And Locke, where’s Genki? Why don’t you ask her for help?”
“I can’t ask Laura because the AI took her!” I shouted in an explosion of anger. He didn’t get to mention her without knowing the full story. “She’s gone! That’s why I want to rescue Ben. When he’s back, he can help me save her. You need to come with us too, because I need all the help I can get. You know she’d sock me for coming to you, but I don’t have a choice. I don’t know what else to do.”
I don’t know anything without her.
Red burst around me as Anderson slammed his fist into the solidios wall. The thump kicked my heart into overdrive, but I wasn’t afraid. Epsilon had shown me that a bully was nothing compared to a monster.
“You let those assholes take Genki?” Anderson shouted. “How could you? She was supposed to be safe with you!”
“You think I let her go on purpose?” I returned his glare. If it hadn’t been for the solidios, our noses would have been touching. “You take on the king of all AI and let me know how that goes for you. Hey, if you come out with both arms, then you already did better than me!”
I’d been angry plenty of times in my life, but this was different. I wanted to wrap my hands around Anderson’s neck and squeeze it until someone pried me off. I wanted him to hurt. The last time I’d felt this way had been when I’d electrocuted him for what he’d done to Nessa. Well, for what he’d caused to happen to her.
Why had I even come here?
Anderson’s expression softened. “Locke—”
“Shut up. It was dumb to try this. We can do this without him, so let’s just leave.”
I turned to leave, but Alhabor grabbed my arm. He shook his head, asking me to stay. Then he crossed his arms as he stepped closer to the solidios. Anderson turned away from him.
“Sirius told me about you,” Alhabor said. “Only I’m having a hard time associating you with his image of you. He said you were a good kid and an aspiring cook. Now how does someone like that end up in jail? Wouldn’t you rather show him that he’s right about you instead of disappointing him by wasting away in here?”
Anderson squirmed and groaned. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually listened to an adult. He had been a rebel long before me.
“If I may?” Manning said. “When Mr. Oak was in my class, he showed the same potential as Wander. He’s intelligent, but he chooses to waste his intellect in favor of his brawn. I truly believe he can be a force for good if—”
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
“Shut up!” Anderson covered his ears and stood up. “Crazy adults always judging me. I’ll go if it makes you all quiet. Plus I don’t trust you goody-goodies to rescue my bro. You need someone who’s not afraid to do whatever it takes. When are we leaving?”
“Now,” I said. “Stand back, and I’ll let you out, but don’t try anything.”
I hit the red button on the control panel beside Anderson’s cell. The solidios wall turned completely red before it faded away. Anderson forced his hand past the barrier’s previous position, confirming that it was gone. He stumbled out of the cell and came face to face with me. While the creep was a little taller, I had no intention of backing down from a confrontation with him anymore.
“You going to behave?” I asked.
“Not if you’re going to keep being this annoying.” Anderson bumped my shoulder as he walked past. “Focus on saving Ben. Don’t worry about little ol’ me.”
What had I done? I knew Anderson genuinely wanted to help Ben, but he was known for changing his mind. Heck, our friendship had ended because, one day, he’d decided that he would rather ruin my life than be in it. In hindsight, that alone should have disqualified him for this job. Not that it mattered now.
The elevator ride back was beyond unbearable. Anderson and I stood with our backs to each other. I only knew that because I glanced back at him a couple times. It must have been awkward for Manning and Alhabor, but it would have been much more awkward if we had been talking. An unspoken wave of relief washed over everyone when the doors opened. This was going to be awful.
We stepped out into the First Ship’s white parking bay, where exploration and lite ships were lined up like auto show entries. Alhabor led the way, ignoring the massive ships. Looking at them gave me glimpses of joy, but nothing substantial. Ships had been my whole world. I’d even had one, but I had lost it along with the cruiser that my family had given me. I had lost a lot of things that I had felt responsible for protecting.
President Frost stood in front of a huge battle ship that was black with white specks, like space. Once we took off, it’s surface would basically become camouflage. Since it was a battle ship, it was around the size of an exploration ship but far sleeker. It had larger wings for the purpose of storing weapons like missiles and plasma cannons.
“Gentlemen, allow me to introduce the Canis Major!” Alhabor motioned to the ship as he grinned. “When the Constellations team members are all together, this is the ship we use. And, when we’re not together, this baby is all mine.”
Frost’s brow furrowed when she saw Anderson. “You convinced him to come. Impressive. Does he understand that he has nothing to gain from this aside from a momentary reunion with Sirius?”
“Are you trying to talk him out of it?” I asked.
“I didn’t ask for anything out of this.” Anderson stomped up to Frost. He was still wearing the purple jumpsuit, so he didn’t have any weapons to use against her. “I don’t care about helping you losers. I just want Ben safe, and I wanted out of that stupid cell: the one I didn’t deserve to be in. Seriously, I was just trying to do what you wanted and bring Locke back. It was him, those rebels, and that giant woman that took it too far!”
Oh no.
Frost’s gaze snapped to me. “What is he referring to? He mentioned rebels and this ‘giant woman’ during interrogation as well. I dismissed it at the moment, but now I have you to elaborate on his words.”
When Frost had asked me a few weeks before, I’d told her that Anderson had unjustly attacked my friends and I. Thanks to her fondness for me and Anderson’s failure to file a proper report, she had believed me. I guessed I was partly to blame for his getting locked up. He had assaulted me and hurt my friends, but, in a sense, he had been doing his job. It was honestly debatable whether he deserved to be jailed or not. However, if I admitted that, I risked exposing the fact that I had been in league with the Oppressed.
I also risked exposing the fact that we were the ones who had freed Rebecca, but Anderson would have told her that too. It was likely he hadn’t realized that the woman who’d kicked his butt had been the same one he had been tasked with protecting. That really was his fault then.
I fidgeted with my fingers. “Well, I did get some help from the rebels that were with us when Anderson attacked. They were meant to look after us and make sure we didn’t escape. I guess one of them was the giant lady? I don’t know, I was busy trying to find a way out of the situation.”
“Locke, you lia—”
“Hey, Anderson needs a new space suit!” I said as I motioned to his jumpsuit. “Do you have any spares in the ship, Alhabor?”
“Sure! We’ve got a few in the armory. It might be a little big on him though.”
“Good enough. You should go help him calibrate it. Get going, Andy.”
I shoved Anderson with my right hand. He yelped in annoyance as he stumbled forward. My old hand hadn’t had that kind of strength. Alhabor gripped Anderson’s shoulder before he could protest and steered him toward the ship. Thank goodness. His big mouth had almost ruined everything.
“I suppose this is farewell for now,” Frost said as she looked over me and Manning. “I truly am sorry for all of this. I feel somewhat responsible for your friend being taken in the first place.”
“Yes, we all do.” Manning lowered his glasses and shot a glare at Frost. “It’s fortunate that we survived that situation at all. This operation is bound to be more successful by comparison. After all, we’re running out of people to lose.”
Manning marched toward the ship, leaving me alone with Frost. His passive aggression levels were higher than ever. That ‘giant woman’ comment from Anderson must have set him off. Frost just seemed lost, like she didn’t know how to respond. If only I could explain that Manning was upset because she had experimented on his friend.
“Don’t mind him,” I said. “He took Laura’s capture the hardest. She was like a daughter to him. Hopefully, everything will go back to normal when we rescue her…”
I was getting too good at lying. I was even fooling myself. While I had no idea what would happen after we got Laura, I knew that nothing would ever be normal again. Eventually, I might even have to make Frost answer for all the crazy stuff she’d done. I wasn’t looking forward to that.
“It’s fine.” Frost brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Unexpected, but harmless. What about you? I feel guilty for not doing more to help you with your issues. Are you sure you’re well enough to embark on a quest of this magnitude?”
“Don’t worry about it. If I wasn’t feeling up to it, I wouldn’t have volunteered.” I clenched my jaw as a knot tied itself in my stomach. Would lying always be this easy? “When I come back, let’s get more ice cream. That wasn’t so bad.”
Frost giggled as she ruffled my hair. “That would be wonderful. Best of luck, son.”
I nodded as I stepped toward the ship. Since Alhabor and the others were already on board, the entry ramp was extended for me. Battle ships were more like exploration ships than I’d thought. My metal feet clanked against the metal ramp as I stomped into the parking bay.
I was greeted by five of the sleekest, prettiest, and most expensive cruisers, lined up side by side. The ships didn’t excite, but these? I had to clamp my mouth shut to keep from drooling. An extra vehicle was bigger than the others, but, before I could place it, I realized I wasn’t alone. I couldn’t believe I almost hadn’t noticed Manning standing in the corner.
“Do not fall for it, Wander.” Manning’s arms were folded, and he was glaring at the floor. For how long had he been fuming? “After everything we’ve seen, you cannot fall victim to Frost’s affections.”
“Manning, she’s like thirty years older than me.”
“That’s not what I’m referring to! Frost treats you as though you were her own son, and it’s weakening your guard. Perhaps you just miss the companionship of your own mother, and that is fine. What isn’t fine is clinging to someone who captured one of our friends.”
I took a step back. “You think I’m cool with Frost now? Manning, we need her army to help get Laura back. I’m just pretending to be on her side.”
“We agreed to do the same when we joined the Oppressed, and look what happened.”
“This is different! We just need to be in her good graces for a while. I know it’s hard to ignore what she did to Rebecca, but we have a mission. What’s so hard to understand about that?”
Manning scanned our surroundings, presumably to confirm that we were the only two people there. Alhabor and Anderson were up in the armory, so we were safe. Manning reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He tapped it a few times, and then he showed me the screen. On it was a series of text messages between two people. Obviously, one was Manning. But the other was listed as “Becca.”
“I’ve been in contact with her this whole time.” Manning wore a downcast expression as he put his phone away. “As I’m sure you guessed, your injuries were too severe to be treated back on Earth. Hers weren’t. She’s been recovering there ever since.”
“How…how does she have a working phone?”
“They secured one for her on a mission. Surge won’t allow her to keep it for much longer. We can only speak for another day or two before he confiscates it. Perhaps longer if she offers resistance, which is guaranteed.” Manning grinned to himself, but his grin immediately wavered. “This is all because of Frost. Only Upton, Rebecca, and I remain of Humanity’s Oath, and, thanks to her, we can’t even be together. My new goal isn’t to cure Upton of his affliction, it’s just to reunite with him and Rebecca.”
Manning continued to frown as he wiped his glasses with a cloth. Poor guy. Right after learning that Rebecca was alive, he’d lost her all over again. When her phone got confiscated, he’d lose her a third time. Why wasn’t Manning allowed to be happy?
I patted his shoulder. “Remember: we’re at rock bottom. The only way we can go is up. We’ll see everyone again, but, for now, we’ve got each other.”
The corners of Manning’s mouth curled up. “Correct. Somehow, we’ll come back from all of this. Come along. Let’s go see if Mr. Oak’s found something that suits him.”
I was so proud of that pun that I gave him my widest smile in a month. I’d taught him well.
From what I’d read about battle ships, they had smaller living spaces than exploration ships. That made room for all the weapons. Heading out of the parking bay immediately took us to an area where weapons lined the walls. Nessa would have loved it here…
A series of what I assumed to be solidios chambers in the back displayed space suits. A few chambers held nothing at all. Alhabor and Anderson must have just passed through there. As we approached the door leading to the next room, muffled shouting warned us of the danger ahead. It sounded like we’d found them.
“Because I don’t want to wear this anymore!” Anderson yelled as Manning and I walked into what looked like the cabin area. White doors lined the black walls, which were decorated with white specks. Anderson stood in a suit with the same starry theme. He was gazing at his hands like he’d just learned that they shot lightning. I could relate. “This isn’t mine to wear!”
“What is going on in here?” Manning asked.
Alhabor looked up at us. Judging from his slumped stance, he had just finished explaining something about the suit when Anderson had freaked out. Not surprising. The starry suit he was wearing must have been the standard ensemble of the Constellations. It was odd that Alhabor’s suit was a green camouflage one instead. But that probably had something to do with his being the leader.
“Nothing much, just a bit of an overreaction.” Alhabor rubbed his neck as he motioned to Anderson. “I gave the kid his suit, and he asked why we even had a suit in that size. First of all, that’s on a need-to-know basis, and, secondly, I told him anyway. Get this: Sirius had hoped to recruit little Andy into the Constellations right out of high school. This is his suit! Sirius was spot-on with those measurements.”
“Ben…” Anderson’s expression worsened as he looked over the suit. “Why?”
Now I understood. Sirius had trusted Anderson with the future of his team, but Anderson had proven that he hadn’t been worthy of it. Sirius didn’t know that yet, but Anderson already knew it better than anyone. He’d let many people down, but his disappointment of Sirius was the one that stung him the most.
“How could Sirius assign Mr. Oak to the team if you’re its leader, Alhabor?” Manning asked.
“Well…the boys like to joke that Sirius is just a mission away from being promoted to my position. There are times when they’d rather listen to him than me.”
“Ouch,” I said.
“Nah. I know they’re just messing around. And Sirius is pretty good with a plasma lance. If he replaced me, I wouldn’t complain.” Alhabor’s expression went blank. The issue seemed to bother him more than he was willing to let on. I reckoned he literally meant that he wouldn’t complain if he got replaced. It’d be pretty unprofessional. “Maybe after he’s safe, Frost can finally give him that promotion. That’d be a nice welcome-back present, wouldn’t it?”
Alhabor laughed as he marched down the hall. His laughter sounded forced, like he was a campy superhero.
The kitchen was dead ahead, just like it was on all ships. I was so ready to chow down, but then Alhabor headed down a hallway to the left instead. He had psyched me out in the worst way. My stomach grumbled as I gazed into the kitchen. Alas! It wasn’t meant to be. I followed Alhabor into a dark room with a few glowing screens. Red reticles took up the screens. Both had colorful control panels beneath them and joysticks in the middle. We must have been in the left wing of the ship.
“Welcome to the left battle station, gentlemen.” Alhabor motioned to the entire space. “Aschere and Sothis usually take this station. That’s why it smells like dirty socks in here. Sorry about that.”
Anderson’s eyes lingered on the control panel. “Where’s Ben’s station?”
“Other side of the ship, kiddo. All battle stations are in the wings. You could easily sprint from one wing to the other. The best part is that both wings are connected to the cockpit. Want a demonstration?”
He motioned to a bright hallway in the back of the room. I should have noticed that earlier. Alhabor led us into the hallway. It was white and felt more like an endless corridor than a passageway.
When we finally exited the hall, we entered a space that I immediately recognized. The aisles of seats and the huge windshield in the back made it obvious that we’d reached the cockpit. It was bigger than the cockpit of my last ship and had more seats. I smiled to myself as I felt the soft cushioning of one. Old memories flooded into my head. It sucked that we hadn’t been able to make very many good memories in the Eachtra before losing it, but I’d treasure the ones that I had. Well, I’d treasure each one except for the one of the time I made us crash.
The cockpit smelled even worse than the previous room, which led me to believe that this was the part of the ship in which the team’s members spent most of their time. It seemed they didn’t believe in air freshener. The room’s black ceiling was decorated with white specks like everything else on the ship. It felt like I was under a starry night sky.
“Take a seat, everyone,” Alhabor said as he sat in the captain’s chair. Thank goodness I wasn’t leading this mission. I wasn’t ready to be back in that chair. “Next stop: the mystery planet. We didn’t get far before Sirius was snatched, so be ready as soon as we land.”
As usual, I sat beside a window even though we were still in the First Ship. So all I saw was a bright wall. I couldn’t believe it was mission time again. Hopefully, it would go better than it had the last time. I wasn’t asking for much.
“Hand me a weapon, and I’m good.” Anderson sat in the row across from mine. He was still looking over his suit, as if it might explode at any second. “And hurry up! My bro’s waiting for us.”
I felt a twinge of annoyance at his rudeness, but I couldn’t be too mad. Not when I had previously shared his mind-set.
“Seat belts!” Manning sat beside me and pulled his strap over his chest. “I feel as though they aren’t brought up enough. Safety first and all that.”
I nodded as I reached for mine and grabbed the buckle with my bionic hand. It shook like a blender as I dragged the strap over my chest and locked it in. It took all of my willpower to do that without letting go or having it slip out of my grasp. Unfortunately, my hand continued to shake even after I released the buckle. My breathing became shallow as I watched it shake. What was happening?
“Calm.” Manning patted the back of my hand with his own. He smiled down at me, as if nothing was wrong. “Everything is all right, Wander. Just relax.”
Relax? Sure. I think I could do that.
I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. It was something that I did so often that it probably didn’t affect me anymore. I’d be surprised if it actually did anything. I took a peek as my blue hand slowed to a halt. I bent the fingers and made a fist. The shaking had stopped. I looked up at Manning and caught Anderson turning away at the last second. He’d seen the whole thing?
“Thanks, Manning,” I said. “That was…terrifying.”
“Nothing you won’t come to terms with.”
I hoped that was true. It’d suck if something similar happened when we were in the field. I’d endanger everyone, which was the last thing I wanted.
“Get ready!” Alhabor said as he tapped the monitor. “It’s warping time!”
I gripped my armrests as reality took hold and stretched me out. I welcomed the numbness that followed. I didn’t need the light or sound, so I smiled as those were stripped from me. I felt like nothing more than another star drifting in the endless dark. No matter, no soul, just energy. Existing. I’d have loved for that to last forever…but Laura needed us. Fantasies weren’t meant to last.
I sighed as the environment rushed back. These warps got shorter every time I experienced them. Manning rubbed his neck and stretched, showing that he hadn’t minded the warp either. On the other side of the cockpit, Anderson coughed and grumbled as he went limp against his seat belt.
Alhabor laughed. “Looks like Andy doesn’t warp too often. To us Constellations, it’s nothing more than a really long blink. You’ll get used to it in time, but, for now…check it out.”
He pointed at the windshield. The murky planet that Frost had shown us appeared to be plastered to the glass. It was even grayer and muddier up close. I’d been on a sandy planet and a decayed planet but never a murky one. This was bound to be a unique experience.
“We’re here.” I unbuckled myself and stood up. I didn’t care that we hadn’t landed yet. This planet was about to decide everything. How could I remain seated? “Almost. Almost there, Laura.”