The water extended as far as the eye could see. It was of a dark blue tint, with dashes of green. Its surface glittered under the sun as waves splashed against the shore. Seagulls cried in the distance as fresh air blew against their faces.

The two men sat on a bench, a few feet from the sea. It smelled of sand, iodine, and salt.

Rees had been surprised to find Halden at his door—and even more when the older scientist had dragged him out of his house and brought him here.

They hadn’t talked since they’d sat on the bench, some ten minutes prior.

It was Rees who broke the silence.

“I didn’t realize you were back. Marthus told me you’d gone to Assalin...”

Halden could hear the hurt in the younger man’s voice. He knew what that world meant to him. He and Lucy had planned to move there. They had planned it for years. It had been their dream—a dream shattered by tragedy.

“Don’t tell him,” he said softly. “He still thinks I’m there.”

“Why haven’t you told him?”

Halden did not look away from the sea. When Rees had asked him why they were coming here, he had told him he hadn’t seen water in ages—which was true. Despite all his recent travels, he hadn’t seen a single body of water on either world. Not even while he was traveling through time, he realized now.

There was also another reason, of course. He wouldn’t take any chances. Not knowing how the murderers had found out what Lucy knew, he thought it’d be safer to talk out here, in the open, away from prying eyes and ears.

“Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”

“Oh?”

Halden leaned forward, arms resting on his legs. He still wasn’t sure how to bring this up. Rees was in deep. He wanted to help him as much as he wanted to bring the murderers to justice, but how could he do that without setting off any alarms? He was also concerned about how Rees would react. It was likely the man would freak out if he knew that Halden knew.

But there was no way around it. He couldn’t help Rees if Rees didn’t know. Plus, he needed someone to confide in. Someone he could trust.

Was he being selfish?

No, he decided. It would be selfish if he was putting Rees in danger by talking to him, but it was the other way around. He was the one in danger if anyone found out. Rees was safe. He was the valuable one. The one with all the answers.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

He suddenly laughed.

“What’s so funny?” asked Rees.

Halden had just realized he was safe, too. The visor needed him. They wouldn’t do anything to him. He glanced at his wristpad. That chip was also protection. He could arrange for it to go to the media in the event of his death. Yes. That would ensure his safety, if it came to that.

“Nothing,” he muttered.

Rees clicked his tongue. “This is lovely, Halden, but I’m a busy man. What is this about?”

Halden glanced at the younger man. “Lucy,” he said.

A flicker of pain went through Rees’ eyes and he turned to look at the sea. His jaw tightened, too.

“What about her?” he asked sharply.

“It’s not your fault,” Halden said softly.

Rees stared at him.

“What?”

“You have to know that. It is not your fault. They did this, not you.”

Rees opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He frowned.

“I don’t understand,” he said slowly.

“Lucy made a recording. She told me everything.”

A long silence followed, with neither of them looking away. The seagulls sang and the wind blew softly. Halden could hear the waves crashing a few feet away from them. He felt the dampness in the air, too.

“You can’t be serious!” Rees’ voice cracked. “What... How?” He buried his head in his hands and started to cry.

Halden put a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.

“She told me everything,” he repeated. “And it’s not your fault.”

“But it is!” Rees cried out. He lifted his head, looking at the older man through misty eyes. “It is, Halden! I let it slip. I mentioned something about Lucy and only later realized it would tell them she knew! She’s dead because of me! It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

He burst into tears again.

Halden felt his throat tighten as he clenched his fists and stared at the sea.

“No,” he said. “It is not your fault. You should be able to talk to your loved one freely. To confide in her. Nothing justifies what they did to her. Nothing!” He looked back at the younger man. “You have to know that.”

Rees wiped his eyes, still sobbing heavily.

“I don’t know what to do, Halden. I hate myself so much for what happened to her. And for still working for them. It’s tearing my soul into pieces. What does it say about me that I still work for them? I am such a coward.”

Halden frowned. “Don’t say that.”

“But I am!”

“No. You had to make impossible choices. But that’s on them, not on you. They put you in that position.”

“Still, it’s...” Rees suddenly stopped, his eyes going wide. He jumped off the bench and started pacing. “No, no, no... This is not good, Halden. You can’t know about all this! Now they’ll kill you. I can’t have that on my conscience... You have to disappear! Go away. Go far. To the rim, maybe. Change your name. That’s the only way you’ll be safe.”

Halden shook his head. “I’m safe, Rees. They need me as much as they need you.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Halden didn’t know that he really was, but he had to convince Rees if he wanted to work with him.

The younger man returned to the bench.

“Alright,” he said, his voice still shaking. “Okay.”

“Breathe.”

“Right. Breathe.” He glanced at Halden with a small smile. “I’m kind of glad you found out. I felt so alone. Especially after Lucy died—”

“She didn’t die,” Halden said coldly. “She was murdered.”

Rees flinched. Nodded.

“Now,” said Halden, “we need to talk about what we’re going to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you want them to get away with what they did?”

Rees paled. “You can’t be serious! It’s the freaking government, Halden. The Imperium itself!”

“So? Does that mean they can do whatever they damn please and never pay for the consequences?”

“Yes!”

Halden looked back to the sea.

“I disagree,” he said softly. “And you’re gonna help me make them pay.”