Chapter Sixty-One

Rosa and Evata rushed from their conference area toward Viktoriya’s bedroom.

The news had just reached them from the drilling site, and even Eva’s hands were shaking nervously as she reached for Rosa. She knocked softly as he placed a hand calmly on her back, then she tapped again before touching the entrance pad.

It took her a few seconds to register what was happening inside the room. Viktoriya was lying on her bed while CLEFF sat beside her, analyzing her. She was covered with sweat.

“She has a temperature,” CLEFF announced.

Her mom did not need any further information to rush toward her girl, pushing CLEFF out of the way. He stood and moved aside to his credit, allowing Eva to come along beside her daughter.

“Viktoriya?” she said frantically, her hands roaming her daughter’s body. “She’s burning up! CLEFF, bring ninety milligrams of Sothni. Noxx, call Dr. Bravermen, give them CLEFF’s scan,” she said as she ran out of the bedroom.

“Transmitting.”

Rosa, kneeling beside his girl, checked her pupils and temperature with his hand.

CLEFF returned with the medication and poured a small amount in a measuring cup, handing it to Viktoriya’s dad.

“Vik, hun, wake up, take this.”

“What happened?” Rosa turned to CLEFF.

“She said she needed to encounter the Spectrum. To see if there’s anything she could learn to further our cause, but, she started muttering things as if speaking to an entity, and her heartbeat increased. Her temperature rose. I’ve been trying to wake her since, but it was as though I was not even physically present; she would not respond. I, I believe her Spectrum encounter has taken an unusual toll and unexpected stress on her this time.”

Eva ran back into the bedroom with a cool, wet towel and placed it on Viktoriya’s forehead.

Rosa turned again to their daughter, placing his hand on her face.

Viktoriya jerked up from the bed and gasped.

“Wow! That’s cold!”

Her gaze widened, and her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe.

She looked around, surveying her environment. She was back in her room. She took in a deep breath. Then another, yet another, trying to steady herself. She swallowed as she raised her eyes to see her father kneeling beside her mother and CLEFF just behind them.

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Her mom let out a sigh of relief when she sat up. They had totally forgotten about the reason they were so hasty in going to her room in the first place, only to find her flushed and sweaty on her bed.

Eva’s eyes scanned every bit of her girl. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Viktoriya managed a nod, still gasping as if she had just finished running, drained of all energy.

“My ears are ringing. My throat is dry. But I’m fine.”

Eva squeezed her daughter into an embrace again, soothing her with a touch.

“Are you sure you are okay?” Evata asked again.

Viktoriya raised her head to CLEFF and let out a smile. She nodded as she said, “I am fine. Yes.”

“Here, take this. It will help.”

She gave both her parents a scrutinizing look that translated as if to say, what is wrong?

Once again, the worry returned to their faces, and Rosa leaned further toward her.

“We heard the news from the extractors,” her dad said softly, keeping his eyes fixed on her as though finding a reason to stop talking.

He did not want to bring her into the news from the site, especially not now. This was not the life he had imagined his child would grow into.

“They found an alien,” she muttered simultaneously with her dad.

Her dad’s eyes widened, amazed. She was special. He had always known it, but even though he could not exactly decide if that was a good thing at the moment, it was enough to put a smile on his face.

“Yes, hun, they just raised us on the secure line. We heard about it just before you came out of your experience.”

Her mom continued to scan her body for any sign of harm, although she did not even know what she was looking for anymore. She just continued to examine her, looking over every inch of her girl.

“Mom, I am fine. Stop handling me, please,” she said and slowly pulled from her grasp. Her mom finally retreated, holding on to just her hand.

Viktoriya looked to her father again. “We have to warn them not to let it take off. It will try to destroy the ark,” she said.

His eyes rose to hers, with his gaze speaking for him. “How did you know that?”

“I just saw it. When I was out, they told me,” she muttered.

“The Spectrum,” she added, as though expecting their next question.

“There is like a… Um, a Spectrum lady of sorts. Not really a lady, but like, an entity. Look, I know it sounds weird, but you have to bel—”

“Yes, we have to warn them,” her dad interrupted, turning to look into her mom’s eyes, pulling out his phone immediately.

They finally believe me.

Viktoriya recalled all that she had seen, explaining it to the two of them. The conversation and what she must do.

“You are different. Special. You are the only one from your planet.”

She knew instantly. If they were indeed Spectrum hunters out there, then perhaps she was the one who could stop them.

“I need to go to the site,” she said swiftly.

Her mom opened her mouth to protest, but Viktoriya said again, “I can only help from there. They can’t stop it without me. The arks will be gone. All of them.”

Her mom took in a deep breath.

This was going to be the life of her daughter, rushing toward danger rather than away from it. She could not accept that.

“Mom, you must trust me. They are here to destroy the ark. That is what they want; that is their purpose.”

“I do. I’m trying—I’m learning to trust you,” she said, then turned to Rosa.

“We do believe you, hun.”

Viktoriya must have noticed the change in the air as she muttered.

“We have to go before it’s too late, Mom.”

“All right, what should we do?”

Viktoriya rose slowly, pulling her brown sweater over her body, then tugging her leg inside her boot as the dropship landed in the rear area of their home.