Chapter 10

Everyone on the ship stayed absolutely still. No one moved. No one made a sound. No one even breathed. The power was shut off. The large window was open. The command ship fired another bright white laser at the ship. It looked like it was hit, but there was no debris to indicate it was. Sara watched from her seat. There was an occasional murmur. She stared at the ship. Slowly, it turned and started moving away from the destruction. She felt like she could finally breathe.

Once it was completely gone, the power came back on. The screens on the wall lit up. An older man with a security badge on his uniform started speaking from the captain's chair. His skin was just darker than hers. His face was clean-shaven. His hair looked like a flat bush of tiny curls.

"Everyone please remain calm. The command ship has left our airspace. We will be there to assist you momentarily."

When his face disappeared, a lot of crying ensued. She looked at a family of four. A husband and wife were hugging their two children. She had to look away. She felt the tears start to fill her eyes. She hadn't even thought of her own family until that moment. She didn't even think about them while she was running for her own life.

She was trying to meet up with Mark when she got caught by the alarm. She ran ahead of the panicking people to the TransArks. All she could remember was a large number forty-eight over the door and getting in her seat. As soon as people were strapped in, they had launched. She wiped her face and got up from her seat. Despite protests to stay, she left the other passengers. She made it to the bridge.

"Captain," she said. "Sara Whitfield."

"Mrs. Whitfield," he said. "What are you doing out of your seat?"

"I have important information regarding Captain O'Connor and his son. Permission to speak freely."

"Permission granted. What do you know about the Captain?"

"His son, Mark, is my friend. He called me before the evacuation to meet him and his dad at security. I think they saw the ship and were trying to warn me."

"Don't feel too special. How is that information beneficial to us?"

"That means they would have activated the alarm. It's likely they would have escaped ahead of everyone else."

"That may be the case, but until we can confirm that either heir is alive, I am assuming command, and you are to follow my every order, understand?"

"Yes, sir," she said.

He looked at her uniform.

"Academy?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm. Did your family make it?"

She hesitated.

"No, sir."

"I'm sorry. My wife was left behind, too. I hope they all made it to another ship out there somewhere. Since you're technically qualified, I would like your help with the masses. Lots of them are going to be emotional and lash out. Are you good with your weapon, soldier?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Help the guards keep them under control. People tend to listen to younger women in a uniform more than a man. I don't mean to sound condescending, but it's true. Beginning now, we're facing psychological warfare."

"What... kind of warfare, sir?" Sara asked.

"Well, we've opened all hailing frequencies. So far, we have had no response. We've only seen one ship escape, and we don't know who is on it or how to contact them. They activated their Space Fragmentation Drive and escaped."

"Why haven't we followed them?"

"Because... ours was damaged in the explosion. That big piece of rock that hit the ship caused it to malfunction. We're running a diagnostic to check for what needs to be repaired. Until we can get it fixed, we're stuck here. We don't have to worry about running out of air anytime soon, but without additional rations, we only have enough food for two days."

He got up from his seat.

"But our biggest enemy right now isn't starvation. It isn't even the Drax. A war has started within the people, and I'm sure you've started feeling it like everyone else. Today, we have started war... with isolation."

~~~

Something tickled his nose. It smelled like old socks. His face twitched. Even though it was a small movement, it felt painful to make. Ignoring the screaming in his body, he picked his head up. It had been lying lopsided. The crick in his neck was definitely there, but he didn't think it was broken. It just really hurt to move. He moved to get rid of the tingling in his right side. After squeezing his hands and flexing his feet, the tingling went away. He finally opened his eyes.

Red. The first thing he saw was lots of red. His vision was only a little blurry, but he knew what that red was. He wanted to imagine it was bright, red flowers in the full bloom of the spring. He was in a sim that had plants like that before. He couldn't block out the smell of iron. He didn't even try to hold it in. He threw up.

When he stopped heaving, he rubbed his eyes. The images were getting clearer to him. The red was connected to bodies, both human and animal. The harnesses didn't help the people in the front of the ship. Wires and insulation were hanging from the ceiling where part of the ship had ripped away in the front. He looked around, hoping to find someone alive on the bridge. After looking for a minute, he concluded that there was no one else alive. He looked down in a panic at Blaez and Edon still strapped in their seats.

He struggled to get the clasp off. When he did, he forgot he was sitting on a slope. He slipped from his seat and rolled out of the ship's starboard side. He hit the ground in a heap. The wind was knocked out of him. He coughed and tasted something like a salad in his mouth. He picked his head up and looked at the ground he fell on. It was some kind of green, velvety grass. It was wet, too.

He could hear the wolves barking for him to come back. He got up and looked at the slope of the ship. He could probably climb it, much to the dismay of his muscles. His whole body felt like it was bruised. He pulled the cuff of his uniform down. Yup. He could see purple and blue starting to form where his body was pressed by the straps of the seat. He stretched as much as he could, which made him feel wimpy.

He climbed up the floor. He touched a spot of blood on the floor. He looked over at the body of the woman that was steering the ship. He wiped the blood off on his uniform and kept climbing. He reached Edon and undid the strap himself. The wolf went sliding down and landed on its feet on the ground. Mark reached up and got Blaez loose. He slid down with him. Blaez shook his coat. They both seemed shaken up but unhurt. Now that they were free, Mark took in a deep breath of the fresh air.

The ground they were on was covered in the green carpet. There was a very small clearing where the ship had landed. It wasn't big, maybe a hundred feet in a rough circle. It was just enough space to let sunlight break through the tall trees. He could hear birds singing somewhere in the trees. Mark, despite the aching pain in his chest, smiled a little. The sun was rising from the east. He could feel the warmth touching his exposed skin. His Silver Suit adjusted to the change in the climate. It was humid and getting hotter as the sun rose.

He looked at the wolves. Kneeling, he pulled them together in a hug. This feeling was not artificial. It was real. All of it was real. He didn't want to think of the death sitting behind him or his father floating somewhere in space. He wanted to keep this warmth and hold it with his wolves. They seemed to relax when he held them. They felt full of life now that they were in an environment that was more suitable for them.

Mark heard a scuffle and turned around. Aiden was looking down at the ground.

"This is so cool," he said. "Guys, come on down!"

One by one, they slid down the slide and looked around, touching the plants and the ground. The last one to come down was a girl with short, brown hair and chapped lips. Her eyes were hazel like her hair.

"Mark," she said. "That's you, right? You need to come inside."

"What's wrong?"

"It's James's father. He's hurt really badly."

She helped him climb back up. He winced when she pulled too hard.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Are you hurt?"

"Nothing time won't heal," he said, though he was already regretting the second climb.

The ship was sitting in a diagonal position, so they had to walk the hallway against the wall. They passed the cafeteria and lockers to where the passengers were. James was holding his father's hand. He was still strapped in the seat.

"James!" Mark said.

"Oh, god. You're okay," James said.

"What happened?"

"He got banged up when he was trying to turn the ship back on. He burned himself pretty good. His pulse is weak."

Mark climbed the rest of the way and put his fingers on Dominic's neck.

"His pulse is weak, but it's there," he said. "We need to get him out of here. Help me with him."

They got him out of the seat and carried him by his stomach to try not to touch the burn. They moved as quickly but carefully as they could. Mark tried not to show he was also in pain, but he wasn't doing a good job. They were able to get to the bottom after climbing down what was left of the bridge. They laid him on his stomach.

"I told you he was a goner," Aiden said.

He walked up to them. He scratched his nose and put his hands in his pockets.

"He'll die in a day."

"Shut up," James said. "He'll be fine."

"Look at him," he said. "He's pathetic. It's just as well. If all of the adults are gone, then there's no one here to control us."

"That man just saved your life," the girl said. "You're just gonna give up on him?"

"He put me in jail for stealing a bagel," he said. "Do you know how long they lock you up for stealing a quote-unquote 'precious' resource?"

"Six months," Mark said.

"Exactly. I was on my last month when someone pushed the big, red button. I never got to see my family, and I probably never will. He can go to hell."

"I thought you hated my father for that," Mark mentioned.

"I hate anyone that wears that insignia on your shoulder. I hate anyone with power."

He turned and walked away.

"Well, everyone except me," he muttered under his breath.

The others didn't hear. James was ready to throw hands with Aiden. Mark stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Don't. Save your energy."

"What are we going to do?" James asked. "We don't have any medicine."

"What about the medkits in the storage?" Mark asked.

"The storage compartment was damaged in the fall," the girl said.

"I'm sorry," Mark said. "I never asked your name."

"Veronica. Most people just call me Vera."

"Vera. How did you know we lost the storage?"

"Because I saw the supplies get thrown out when we hit the trees," she said. "He," she pointed at James, "didn't see a damn thing because he had his eyes shut."

"I was trying not to die," he said matter-of-factly.

"Either way, the supplies are two or three klicks back to the southwest. I think that was our food, too."

"Great. So we're out of food and medicine, our house has holes in it, and the ship is toast. Aiden's right. We're gonna die."

"We are not gonna die," Mark said sternly.

"What are we supposed to do? Cry or something?" Vera asked.

"Your dad knows the protocol in a situation like this," he said to James. "When he gets better, he can lead us to somewhere safe."

"But he's not the leader," James said. "You are."

"Maybe, but I don't know what to do. I wasn't trained for this."

"Then you have just about as much training as the rest of us," Vera said. "Look, I don't know jack shit about you, Mark, but look at these people. They're just kids. They don't have a sense of leadership or direction. Most of them have been locked up for at least a year. Whatever bit of training they had in school is pretty much gone. They need someone strong to lead them. It has to be you."

"This is happening too fast," Mark said. "I haven't even had a chance to... it's just too soon, okay? I need to think."

"Don't wait too long," she said, "because if they don't listen to you..."

"Freedom!" Aiden yelled from the top of a boulder. The other teens cheered him on.

"...they'll listen to him, instead."

Mark sighed. This was just getting better and better.

"Okay. I'll... talk to them."

He looked up at Aiden still on top of the rock.

"Hey!" Mark said. "That's a good vantage point. What do you see?"

"Uh... I see trees, more trees, and even more trees. Wait... I see a hole. It's an asshole! Wait, never mind. It's just you."

The teens laughed at his banter. Mark blew hot air out of his nose. This wasn't part of his training. Time to start something he was terrible at doing. Giving orders.

"Our supplies are gone," he said. "I'm going to put together a search party. You want to come?"

"Nah. I think I'll just stay here. Guard the herd."

He jumped down.

"Maybe... make some new friends."

He pulled a girl close to him. She laughed nervously.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Put together some patrols. Change shifts every four hours. Keep a lookout for some animals so we can have something to eat."

"And... I'm taking orders from you... why, exactly?"

"Because I'm trying to keep us alive," he said. "We don't know what's out there. We don't even know where we are. We can't afford to be reckless just because we're excited to be on the ground. The sooner we can start taking care of business, the sooner we can have fun."

Mark moved closer to Aiden so he could whisper in his ear.

"Does that sound like a good plan?"

He seemed a little intimidated by Mark being so close. He took a step back.

"Yeah. Sounds like a good idea."

"Good. I'm going to need a few volunteers. First, has anyone here performed first-aid?"

No one moved for a few seconds. A girl with blonde hair tied in a French braid walked forward.

"My mom was a doctor," she said. "She taught me a few things."

"Name?"

"Judy."

"Great. I need your help."

She followed Mark to Dominic. He was still unconscious.

"He got burned really bad," James said. "Can you help him?"

She knelt. She put her hand over the burns.

"It's warm," she said. "Really warm."

"Is that good?" James asked.

"No. That's bad. That means infection. He needs medicine if he's going to survive."

"That's a distance away," Mark said. "Will he last that long?"

"How far away is it?"

"It's about two or three kilometers," Vera said. "Maybe more. I'm not that great with distance."

"He doesn't have long. If he gets an infection, he's going to die."

"Okay. I'm going," James said.

"You should stay here," Mark said.

"Why? I want to help my dad."

"You can," Judy said. "Here, help me move him."

They moved him to a shaded area under a tree.

"We can't get to a bed, so this will have to work for now," she said. "Help me get the shirt off."

They ripped the charred shirt, careful not to touch the burns.

"I need moss, and lots of it," she said.

"Moss? How is that gonna help?" James asked.

"Do you want your father to live or not?"

He didn't argue.

"I need big pieces. Smaller ones make a mess."

They got their hands dirty and peeled off large amounts of moss off the rocks scattered around the place. She took each one and laid them across Dom's back. He didn't flinch. Once his entire back was covered with the moss facing down on the burns, she wiped her hands on her pants.

"I need something to wrap his back with to hold the moss in place."

Vera looked back at the ship. Loose pieces of insulation and cables dangled uselessly.

"What about the insulation foam?" She asked.

"That's perfect. Bring me a large piece."

She ran over and jumped up. A large piece tore off. She picked up a cable lying on the ground and gave them to Judy. She wrapped the foam with the wires and looked at her work.

"It's crude, but it'll work. I think," she said. "He still needs medicine. There's got to be some burn ointment in the medical supplies. He needs some painkillers, too. When his nerves get feeling back, there's going to be a lot of screaming."

"Can you stay here and watch him? If something happens, I want you here for it."

"And what about... them?"

She looked back at the others. Aiden was picking up fallen branches, testing their durability on the ground. A few were mimicking him, finding their own weapons.

"That's why James is staying," he said. "He's your personal bodyguard. Think you can handle that?"

"Sure," James said. "Whatever gets him better."

"Vera," Mark said. "You want to come along?"

"I... think I'll stay. See if I can salvage anything from the ship. Maybe I can get it working again."

"The ship is trashed," James said. "What could you do with it?"

"I could get the landing gear to activate," she said, "so we can have a place to sleep tonight. Get your dad in a real bed."

"That's a great idea," Mark said. "I want a report of what needs to be fixed when we get back."

"You're probably not getting a report, but I'll tell you what I can see is broken."

"Same thing. I'm trying to be professional."

"Don't. It doesn't suit you."

He ignored her.

"Hey, listen up! I need some people to come with me to gather supplies that fell out of the ship. Three volunteers are all I need. Who wants to come?"

Two guys and a girl approached him. The girl had tattoos on her face, and one of the guys had piercings on his.

"Grab a backpack from a room," he said. "Grab one for me, too, if you can."

"I got you," piercing said.

When they left, Judy approached him.

"You're hurt, aren't you?" She assumed.

"It's just some bruising," he said. "I'm fine, really. No broken ribs or anything."

"How's your breathing?"

"Normal."

"Any swelling?"

"Nothing. I'm okay. Just sore."

"Don't push yourself," she said. "Bruises take longer to heal if you don't rest."

"I'm one of few people here with a weapon," he said. "I don't trust many people with weapons right now. Branches are one thing. Swords are another. Keep an eye on them."

He looked at James.

"Does your comm work?"

"Yeah."

"Let me know if anything happens," he said. "And watch him closely."

Aiden looked at them and waved with a smile.

"I don't trust him."