A Light in the Dark

by A. K. DuBoff

  I nodded. “Not sure if I’m looking forward to that prospect or not.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Kaiden cut in.

  “Yeah, we have to survive our visit to the first planet.” I rose from my seat.

  Kaiden crossed his arms. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know, I know. One planet at a time—systematic investigation and all that.”

  “The scientific method has been drilled into me, what can I say?” He cracked a smile, but it didn’t touch his eyes.

  “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Soon.” I took a deep breath. “Should we get out of here?”

  Maris jumped to her feet. “Yes, please. The sooner you go do your thing, the better.”

  We headed for the exit.

  “I wish we’d done this a week ago,” I said.

  “A week ago, I would have called you a crazy person,” Kaiden replied.

  I frowned. “Actually, I think you did when I first mentioned it—in those exact words, no less.”

  “That sounds about right.”

  We walked through the bridge and out to the main corridor.

  “There’s something I don’t get,” Maris said when we were in the empty hallway.

  I looked over my shoulder at her. “What’s that?”

  “We got that shard of the Master Crystal… so, why haven’t we done a universal reset?” she asked.

  Kaiden and I exchanged glances.

  “It would be pointless right now,” Kaiden stated.

  Maris placed her hands on her curvy hips. “But why?”

  “Yes, the crystal gives us a control point,” I replied. “That does no good, though, when we don’t know where the Darkness is coming from. It would just spread again as soon as the reset is complete.”

  “But we know where it’s going and what it will do,” she insisted. “We can reset, evacuate the affected worlds, and then deal with the problem without everyone’s bodies getting turned to black soot while their consciousness is who-knows-where.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think a universal-scale reset would be nearly that straightforward.”

  “Agreed,” Toran broke his long silence. “Having worked on the interface stations for local crystals, I have a decent understanding of what it takes to get to an exact reset point. We have a crystal, but we don’t have an interface console for it. If we attempt a reset, we won’t have much control over where it resets to. Unless Colren knows something he hasn’t shared with us.”

  “Can you make an interface?” I asked.

  He released a long breath. “I could try. Unfortunately, the only way to test out if it works would be to use it.”

  I frowned. “And if it’s wrong…”

  “People could find themselves a decade too young, or it might be after the Darkness has already arrived,” he continued. “That kind of reset would place enormous demand on the crystalline network—I’m not sure how it would respond. I also have no clear idea of what will happen to us at the epicenter. We could be unchanged, or we might end up back in our old bodies, too. This wouldn’t be the kind of reset we’re used to.”

  “Maris does have a point, though,” Kaiden countered. “Wouldn’t it be better to save people now if we can?”

  “I’d think Colren would have jumped all over that idea if it was reasonable,” I said.

  “Agreed, and it’s not just about the risks,” Toran added. “There’s also a large logistical component. If we were to reset with the intent of evacuating the affected worlds, where would all of those people go to?”

  “And which worlds will the Darkness spread to next?” Kaiden added.

  “Wasn’t there information about that in the Archive?” Maris asked.

  I nodded, thinking back on what we had been told regarding the information the Hegemony had been able to extract using their mysterious ‘viewing’ device. As far as I knew, they had been able to use the remote hyperdimensional link with the Archive to anticipate which worlds would be infected by the Darkness, but the information was too vague to draw conclusions about specific timing. “Not enough details,” I replied. “We don’t know how long it will take to stop this invasion, so if we were to start evacuating people, how long would we be able to keep moving them around to avoid the spreading Darkness?”

  “Not to mention, is the crystal shard a one-time use thing, or do we get multiple shots to get it right?” asked Kaiden.

  “Good question.” I pursed my lips.

  Toran took a deep breath. “Given that, I’d say we should wait to use the crystal shard as a last resort. If we do only get one shot, we would need to make it count.”

  “Yeah.” I looked to him. “Maybe you should start working on a potential reset interface for the shard, just in case.”

  He inclined his head. “I suppose that would give me something to do while you and Kaiden go exploring.”

  “What about me?” Maris asked.

  “I guess you get to go back to lounging around and doing whatever you do when we’re not planetside,” I replied flippantly.

  Maris bristled. “I could use the time to test out my healing magic in the infirmary.”

  I wanted to ask her why she hadn’t been doing that for the last week rather than repeatedly going over the same skills with us in an empty cargo hold, but I kept the comment and eye-roll to myself. “Sounds good,” I replied instead.

  “Jump in T-minus ten minutes,” a female voice stated over the central intercom.

  “The commander moved fast,” Kaiden said.

  “We should get to the jump pods.” I picked up my pace down the corridor.

  Toran took a deep breath and shook his head. “No turning back now.”

  I smiled. “Hey, you’ll have it easy.”

  “Being the one left behind isn’t always easier—too much time to think and worry,” the large man replied.

  Despite his tough exterior, it warmed my heart that Toran was such a caring guy on the inside. I really couldn’t imagine having a better companion to watch my back. “We’ll be in comm contact,” I assured him.

  “So we can learn in real-time if something goes horribly wrong. Great.” Maris quipped.

  I smirked. “Guess we’ll just have to avoid it getting to that point, won’t we?”

  We descended the lift two decks to the level with our living quarters, lounge room, and jump pods. Several crew members were jogging down the hall toward their own pod rooms in preparation for the upcoming jump.

  When we reached the pod room, we stripped off our outer clothes and weapons, storing the items in cubbies behind each pod. Hyperspace jumps were by far the most disorienting experience I’d had since leaving home. The first several jumps, I’d loathed getting into the pod. This time, however, I was excited—though nervous—to finally be taking proactive steps to stop the Darkness. Everything up to this point had been efforts to safeguard worlds so they could be restored after the menace was defeated, but I felt like we hadn’t done anything to fight back. As risky as it was to visit an infected world, I hoped it would take us one step closer to defeating our faceless foe.

  “See you on the other side.” I reclined on the ergonomic couch in my pod.

  “Can’t wait.” Kaiden smiled at me from the next pod over while he got settled in.

  I secured my harness, then placed my arms at my sides and breathed steadily in preparation for the jump. Hyperspace was uncomfortable and disconcerting no matter how much I mentally prepared myself, but I’d found that being calm and centered did help minimize the bizarre synesthesia side effects.

  The announcer gave a final countdown through the speaker in my pod as the translucent hatch extended to seal me inside. Moments later, I was pressed against the floor of the pod as we transitioned into hyperspace. My heart felt like it dropped into my feet and my vision blurred. I kept my breathing as slow and steady as I could throughout the jump, entering an almost dream-like state
as we traveled without a clear sense of time passing.

  When we finally arrived, the pod hatch retracted and I unbuckled my harness. Shaking slightly, I propped myself up on my elbows until my head stopped spinning, and then I sat up the rest of the way.

  Kaiden had also roused. “Hey,” he greeted.

  “Hey yourself,” I replied, climbing out of my pod.

  “Ugh, I hate jumps,” Maris groaned while sitting up in her pod across from me.

  I steadied myself on my feet. “They really need a better jump system.”

  “The fact that FTL travel is possible at all is amazing,” Toran interjected. He shimmed his broad shoulders through his pod’s open top.

  “Yeah, yeah.” I stepped behind my pod to retrieve my clothing and weapons. I slipped the black pants over my white base layer and then donned the black, belted overcoat. Knee-high boots with purple accents and my Valor artifact—a sword—completed my ensemble.

  I pulled my long, fuchsia hair outside the coat’s collar when I’d finished dressing. “I hope Tami doesn’t freak out when she learns we’re taking another shuttle down to an infected world.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’ll be having a fit on the inside while never letting it show.” Kaiden grinned.

  “I don’t envy her maintenance crew having to deal with the mess,” Toran murmured.

  “Hey, we’re the ones who’ve been down on the frontlines,” I pointed out.

  He shook his head. “Elle, everything we’ve done up to this point is just a prelude. The real engagement is about to begin.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  Kaiden finished fastening his cloak. “You ready to do this?” he asked.

  I placed my hand on my sword hilt. “I was literally made for this mission.”

  Kaiden raised an eyebrow. “Really, you went there?”

  I shrugged. “Hey, who said you can’t try to have some fun while saving the universe?”

  2

  The four of us descended a lift to the hangar deck in the belly of the ship.

  “You don’t need to see us off,” I said to Maris and Toran, whose mouths were contorted into scowls as we walked down the corridor.

  “I still don’t like the idea of breaking the team apart,” Toran replied.

  I shrugged. “This will just be a quick scouting mission.”

  Maris scoffed. “Yeah, on a planet where everything wants to kill you.”

  “If something goes wrong, we’ll need people who are able to un-seal the Archive after this thing is defeated,” Kaiden said.

  “The likelihood of something going wrong increases exponentially if we don’t stick together,” the other man insisted.

  I stopped and looked him over. “You know… we don’t have to listen to the commander.”

  Toran raised an eyebrow. “Disobey orders and have the four of us go anyway?”

  “They weren’t ‘orders’ exactly,” Kaiden mused.

  “You two are going to get a hero complex if we don’t keep you in line,” Maris said while eyeing me and Kaiden.

  “I have no objections,” I said. While I’d been trying my best to act like a responsible adult, given the challenging circumstances we were facing, I was still the youngest on our team. If my older, wiser counterparts were okay bending the rules…

  Kaiden nodded. “I’m all for keeping the team together.”

  We continued down the corridor until we reached the double doors leading into the hangar.

  Technicians were in the process of completing a pre-flight check on our typical shuttle while the chief engineer, Tami, consulted a tablet nearby.

  “Long time no see,” I greeted when we were within earshot.

  Tami looked up, her eyes bright. “Hey there. Do I want to know why we’re prepping for a full decontamination protocol when you return?”

  I smiled. “Probably not.”

  The engineer sighed. “You’re going down to another infected world, aren’t you?”

  “The first one, in fact,” I replied.

  Her eyes widened. “We’re at Windau?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “That infamous, huh?”

  “Probably not to others. I had family here,” she revealed.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  She forced a smile. “Hey, each of us have family and friends at risk. All the more reason for us to work together to beat this thing.”

  “Do you ever get ruffled, Tami?” I asked. “When we’ve trashed a ship you’ve stayed calm, and even now you seem so collected.”

  The engineer laughed. “Oh, Elle, when you’ve seen as much crazy shit as I have over the years, you learn to keep things in perspective.”

  I cocked my head. “And what perspective is that?”

  “If you’re not going to die in the next five seconds, things could always be worse.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Kaiden agreed.

  She nodded. “So, the commander said just two of you are heading down, right?”

  “Change of plans,” I lied. “All four of us are going after all.”

  “Stronger together,” Toran added.

  Tami looked us over. “This is probably something else I shouldn’t ask about, huh?”

  “We’re just striving to give ourselves the best possible chance to succeed,” I replied.

  “Complementary skillsets, and all that,” Maris chimed in.

  “Well, your four packs are already in the common area of the shuttle, in addition to pressurized hazsuits for each of you,” Tami said.

  “Maybe just wait to report our departure to the commander until we’ve left,” I advised.

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I figured that was coming.”

  “You’re the best, Tami.” I grinned.

  “Better make this trip worthwhile.” She backed away from the shuttle. “Safe travels. I’ll give you a five-minute head start.”

  Kaiden ascended the ramp. “Plenty of time.”

  “Not like anyone else would be able to follow us, anyway.” I followed him on board.

  We passed through the compact common area where our supply backpacks had been arranged near the built-in dining table, and then continued down a short corridor on the starboard side to the bridge. I took my typical seat in the front right while Kaiden took the pilot’s seat on the left, with Maris behind him and Toran behind me. The shuttle’s automated systems would normally do most of the work, but the unique properties of the Darkness had a bad tendency to interfere with the navigation and stabilizer systems. If this planet was anything like the others, Kaiden would likely have to take manual control.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked. “Risk landing the shuttle or set it to drop us off and come back later?”

  “I maintain that landing it would be bad,” Toran stated.

  “But if we need to make a quick escape, we’d be trapped,” Kaiden countered.

  I nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too. Except, what if we do land the shuttle and need to make a quick escape, but the vessel has been compromised and we can’t use it anyway?”

  “That’s assuming we need to land at all,” Maris pointed out. “We can learn a lot just by flying around.”

  “True,” I admitted. “I guess we can play it by ear.”

  “Because things never go poorly when we do that.” Kaiden buckled his flight harness.

  “You have another idea?” I asked.

  “Nope, just laying the foundation for a future ‘I told you so’.”

  I rolled my eyes. “This relationship is off to a great start.”

  Maris raised an eyebrow. “Trouble in paradise already?”

  “Nothing about this is paradise,” I shot back.

  “Wow, thanks.” Kaiden started up the engines.

  “I don’t mean you, just the situation.” I reached over to pat his knee. “You’re great.”

  “None of this is relevant,” Maris huffed.

&
nbsp; I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Sorry, but I can’t promise new relationship-y stuff won’t creep in now and again.”

  “Oh, well aware of that.” Maris crossed her arms.

  I couldn’t tell if her exasperation stemmed from this exchange directly or if it was a more general frustration with the position we had been placed in with the Hegemony, but I owed it to the team to minimize drama. We were risking our lives, and the last thing any of us needed was unrelated interpersonal dynamics getting in the way of the mission. Nonetheless, Kaiden and I had already crossed a threshold by admitting we had feelings for each other that went beyond professional comradery. Neither of us seemed interested in going back to how things were before, so we’d have to find a balance between team morale and our own desires. Since it’d only been a week, we hadn’t worked out exactly what that would be.

  All I knew for sure is that out of all the people I’d met, he was the only one worth the effort. If that relationship could give me one shred of normalcy amid all the other craziness, I felt I could be that much more effective doing what I’d need to do. The fact that the ‘normal relationship’ was with someone who’d manifested magical abilities was beside the point.

  The shuttle followed autopilot commands across the hangar and through the electrostatic field out into space. Only blackness and distant stars were visible at first, but then the shuttle arced over the bow of the Evangiel and the planet of Windau came into view.

  Previous worlds I’d encountered that had been consumed by the Darkness had ribbons of swirling black snaking through the atmosphere, muting the normal luminescence of the planets against the dark backdrop of the void. In frightening contrast, I could hardly recognize this world as a planet at all. The Darkness blanketed every centimeter of the world, almost as though ominous clouds from a horrific thunderstorm now covered the entire planet. Unlike a storm, there were no flashes of lightning or calm patches of sky to break it up, only marbled shades of black and dark gray.

  “I suddenly feel much less-good about heading down there.” I gulped.

  Kaiden shook his head. “Pictures couldn’t do this justice.”

  “Why did I ever agree to come?” Maris moaned.