“That was a near miss,” said Jennifer over the battle helmet’s external speakers. “I calculate a ninety-nine percent probability their next salvo is going to be on target. Based upon current data our escape pod should be destroyed in 5, 4, 3—”
Drawing the last of her Power from her reserve, Trinity surrounded the escape pod with a defensive shield.
“2, 1,” finished Jennifer.
The escape pod jerked and bucked as the second salvo hit, but Trinity’s defensive shield held.
“Hmm,” said Jennifer. “Why didn’t I think of that? Unfortunately, you’re out of Power now. If they fire a third salvo, which I calculate they will, you won’t be able to stop them.”
Thirty seconds passed; then a full minute.
Trinity looked at Jerad through her battle helmet’s night vision filter. All of the lights in the escape pod were out, and the pod had no windows. She noticed the major reaching out blindly with his left hand in her direction. Before she could think about what she was doing, Trinity grabbed the man’s left hand in her right. Even though her hand was almost healed, the skin was still raw. When Jerad squeezed her hand, she winced, but she didn’t complain out loud.
“Not quite so tight,” Trinity said gently but firmly.
Jerad relaxed his grip. Trinity saw him look down and then back in the direction of her voice. Even through her night vision filter, the man’s eyes looked a little wet.
“You’re alive,” Jerad said in a voice barely above a whisper. “Thank the Creator.”
“We’re both alive,” Trinity whispered back. “The thing I want to know is why we’re still alive?”
“Well,” said Jennifer, “I’m missing some important data so I’m forced to fill in a few variables with assumptions, but I calculate your isotopic battery must have exploded and set off the chain reaction. Based upon my calculations, the gunners and their weapons are now pieces of flotsam drifting along in the vacuum of space along with the rest of the ship’s wreckage.”
“Then we’re saved,” said Jerad with relief evident in his voice. “Trinity, I can’t see. Can you? Is there a set of controls anywhere? We’ve got to get this escape pod on a course back to Cavos before we get too far away.”
Trinity looked around. “I don’t see anything that looks remotely like flight controls.”
“There aren’t any,” said Jennifer confirming Trinity’s observations. “This is a short-range escape pod. It’s only designed to drift in space until rescue arrives.”
“That’s no problem,” Trinity said trying to sound confident for Jerad’s benefit. “Sergeant Ron will have the Defiant repaired soon. Contact him through the tele-network and give him our coordinates. He can come get us when the installation of the Defiant’s hyper-drive is complete.”
“Unable to comply, wizard scout,” said Jennifer. “This escape pod’s made out of the same black metal as the ship. I’m cutoff from all outside communications.”
Trinity unhooked herself from her seat and floated up while scanning the walls of the pod. “That’s still no problem. There’s bound to be an emergency locator beacon in this thing or an emergency transmitter.”
“There is,” said Jennifer. “Unfortunately, that near miss knocked out all power and electronics. Life support systems and artificial gravity are also both offline.”
“What are you saying?” asked Jerad. “Are you saying we went through all that just to die out here floating in space?”
Jennifer remained silent. Jerad unbuckled and floated up reaching out with his hands. Trinity grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her.
“Maybe they tracked the ship from Cavos,” Trinity said still trying to sound positive. “They’re bound to have long-range sensors on the planet.”
“They do, wizard scout,” said Jennifer. “However, when you were making your way to the engine room, the Carsoloians activated the professor’s stealth shield. I calculate a zero percent probability any sensor on Cavos tracked us before the Carsoloians’ ship got out of range.”
Trinity looked around the pod and made a quick calculation. “I’d guess we have about two hours max before we lose consciousness from lack of oxygen. That is, assuming we don’t freeze to death first.”
“Is there any way of getting some light in here?” asked Jerad. “I can’t see a blessed thing.”
Grabbing a strap on one of the chairs, Trinity removed her battle helmet and tied it to the top of the seat. “Jennifer, white light if you don’t mind.”
“And even if I do, I’m guessing, eh, wizard scout.”
Before Trinity could say anything, a bright light shone out the front of the battle helmet illuminating the inside of the pod. Using the light, Trinity and Jerad spent a hectic five minutes examining anything inside the pod that could potentially aid in their rescue. There were no tools, and there wasn’t even a flashlight. They did find four emergency blankets along with a pack full of food and water, but that was all.
Jerad laughed. “Well, at least we won’t die of thirst or lack of food.”
Trinity smiled. A man who could laugh in the face of death was someone who didn’t give in to despair. She knew that was a valuable asset in an ally.
A glint of blue drew Trinity’s attention. In the weightlessness of the pod, the Hallowed Gem had floated into a corner where it had lodged. An idea came to Trinity. “Jennifer, is there any way we can use that gem to energize this pod’s life support or communication’s gear? It’s got plenty of energy. I can sense it.”
Trinity’s battle computer didn’t take long to dash her rising hopes. “Negative, wizard scout. The gem’s energy is based on the physics of another dimension. I calculate there’s a zero percent probability we could use it. The metal skin of this escape pod is made out of that black metal, but the equipment inside isn’t. The communication’s gear and life support systems are from our dimension, and they use our dimension’s energy.”
Jerad looked deep into Trinity’s eyes. “So this is it then?”
Trinity stared back at the man trying to read his thoughts. She saw no sign of fear. She hadn’t expected any. “I reckon it is,” Trinity finally admitted. She wasn’t sure what else she could say.
Rubbing his arms, Jerad wrapped two of the emergency blankets around his shoulders. “It’s getting cold.” He looked at Trinity. “You can self-heal. You’ve still got a chance. Sergeant Ron’s a lot smarter than he tries to make out. Between Telsa and him, I’m sure they’ll find our escape pod before you succumb to the cold.”
Trinity retrieved the two remaining blankets and wrapped them around her shoulders. She looked at Jerad and shook her head. “My Power reserve’s empty. I regenerate about one percent of my Power per hour. That would probably be enough to prevent me from freezing to death, but it’s won’t be enough to also keep me from suffocating. I may last a few minutes longer than you, but not much. What happens to one of us is going to happen to the other.”
Jerad stared at her for several seconds without saying a word. She shivered. He kicked off the wall and floated next to her. Removing his two blankets, he wrapped them over the top of hers and pulled them tight. “You’re cold. Take these. I don’t need them.”
Trinity laughed.
Jerad finished wrapping the blankets around her shoulders before pushing back to arm’s length. “What’s so funny? I thought it was a kind gesture.”
Trinity looked back at Jerad. “You just can’t help trying to be the overprotective male, can you, Jerad? It’s just ingrained in you to protect all of us helpless little women, isn’t it?”
“Uh…, I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“No, I don’t suppose you do,” Trinity said trying not to sound unkind. “It boils down to this, Jerad. I’m not going to spend the last two hours of my life watching you freeze to death while I have four blankets wrapped around me.” She lifted the edges of the blankets out with her mostly reformed right hand. “Now, get in here with me, or I swear I’ll jettison all four of them o
ut the hatch. Got it?”
Whether Jerad believed her bluff or not, Trinity didn’t know. Regardless of the man’s belief or disbelief, he moved next to her and placed his arm over her shoulder while wrapping his side of the blankets around his back and chest. Before long, Trinity noticed her shivering slow down. So did his.
“Now,” Trinity said. “Isn’t this a lot better?”
Jerad nodded. “Yes it is.” He turned his head and looked at her for several seconds, his eyes only a few centimeters from hers. “I’m sorry I got you into this Trinity. I wish…”
“Wish what?” Trinity asked. “That we’d never met?”
“That’s not what I meant to say.”
“Then tell me what you mean, Jerad. We’ve only got a little more than an hour to live. If you’ve got something to tell me, I think now’s the time to say it.”
Jerad glanced away for a moment. When he turned back, his eyes reminded Trinity of a pactar caught in a hover-car’s headlights.
“What I meant to say was that I’m not sorry we met, Trinity. I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything in the world. I just wish..., what I mean is that if things had been different…”
“Different in what way?” Trinity said starting to grow frustrated. “Talk to me, Jerad. Whatever it is, just say it.”
Jerad drew a deep breath. He let it out. “Fine. What I mean is that if we’d been closer to the same age, I’d have…” He looked away again before turning back and locking eyes with her. “I love you, Trinity. Believe me I know how crazy that sounds. You’re a wizard scout, and I’m…, well, I’m just me. If we weren’t about to die, I’d never have gotten the courage to tell you. But I do love you, Trinity. Creator help me, I really do.”
Trinity looked deep into the man’s eyes. She saw nothing but honesty in them. His words helped her understand the source of the strange feelings she’d been having lately. She was pretty sure she’d just been too scared to admit it.
“Then we’re both crazy,” Trinity whispered, “because I love you too, Jerad. And I’m not sorry we met, either. If all we’ve got is an hour left, I’ll take that over a lifetime without you.”
Their lips were so close Trinity could taste his breath. She moved even closer. Their lips met. Then the world around them disappeared, and the universe consisted of only them.
Chapter 17 – Last Kiss
___________________________________
Once their passion was satisfied, Trinity and Jerad talked. There was no thought of conserving oxygen.
Conserve it for what? Trinity thought. A few more seconds of life?
She snuggled closer against Jerad’s bare flesh. The heat of their joining was fast dissipating, but not the feeling of peace that she was sure they both felt. Trinity had a sudden realization that she was happier than she’d ever been in her life.
“Strange,” Trinity said.
“What’s strange, my love?”
Trinity smiled at the words of the man next to her. “Am I your love?”
Turning his head, Jerad kissed her. He looked into her eyes. “You’ll always be my love. No matter what.”
“Do you promise?” Trinity asked.
Jerad smiled. “I promise, my little blue-eyed wizard scout.”
Trinity smiled back before noticing Jerad shiver. She drew him closer, but she had no more warmth to share. Her Power reserve was empty. She was very cold herself.
“How much time?” Trinity asked her battle computer keeping the question in their shared space.
“Less than ten minutes before the two of you black out,” replied Jennifer. “Oxygen is getting low. You’ll live for a short while after you become unconscious, but not for long.”
Trinity thought about her fate. Knowing in death that she’d be entwined with the man she loved for the rest of eternity didn’t bother her all that much. She’d faced too many violent deaths in the past to be too concerned about a peaceful one now.
“What about you, Jennifer?” Trinity asked feeling bad she’d only been thinking of herself.
“Me?” asked Jennifer sounding as surprised as a computer could. “I guess I’ll remain here alone until the battle helmet’s isotopic battery runs out. That could take a few weeks, but it will eventually happen. You won’t be here to swap out a new one, so I suppose I’ll cease to exist. A part of me wants to believe I’m more than computerized circuits, but the logical part of me says that’s all I am.”
Jerad coughed. Trinity knew they didn’t have much time.
“I think you’re more,” Trinity assured her battle computer. “I think you’re a lot more. Jerad and I will be waiting for you on the other side. Don’t keep us waiting too long.”
Jennifer remained silent. Jerad coughed louder and more violently this time. Trinity coughed as well.
“Trinity… I…,” said Jerad between chattering teeth. “There’s so much I wanted to tell you.”
He coughed again. Trinity placed her hands on both sides of his face letting her side of the blankets float free. “One last kiss, my love,” she told him. “That will say more than all the words of all the languages in the universe.”
Just as their lips met, the escape pod jerked. Then it jerked again.
“What’s happening, Jennifer?” Trinity said out loud.
“Insufficient data to make an analysis, wizard scout.”
The escape pod jerked even more violently. The sound of metal scrapping on metal reverberated through the pod. Trinity and Jerad fell to the floor as gravity took hold of them. The escape pod’s hatch swung outward. Light streamed in. A gray bearded man stuck his head inside the hatchway.
“Uh, maybe I should come back after you two get dressed,” said Sergeant Ron grinning. “I must’ve missed the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the hatch.”
* * *
After a quick shower and change of clothes, Trinity made for the Defiant’s dining room. Sergeant Ron, Telsa, and Monsignor Detarus were already there as well as Jerad. When Trinity tried to catch Jerad’s eye, he looked away.
Frowning, Trinity took a seat at the end of the table and set her battle computer down on the edge. She looked at Sergeant Ron. “All right, I’m all cleaned up now. Do you have any more requests? Or are you going to tell me how you found us?”
“I too would like to know,” said Jennifer using the battle helmet’s external speaker. “According to my calculations, the escape pod’s black metal should have stopped all outside communication. Additionally, the Carsoloians were using the professor’s stealth shield. I had only calculated a one percent probability you could find us. Where did I go wrong in my algorithm?”
Turning to Telsa, Trinity said, “Did you make some kind of breakthrough? I remember you were working on trying to find a way to trace the energy for the stealth shield when I left you.”
Shaking her head, Telsa pointed at Monsignor Detarus. “Sergeant Ron and I didn’t find you. The monsignor did. I don’t think anything in this dimension could have found you.”
Shifting her gaze to the monsignor, Trinity gave him a questioning look. “Okay, I give up. How?”
“Actually, your friend is being much too modest,” said the blue-robed monsignor. “She came up with the idea. I just supplied the necessary item.” The monsignor held out his hand and opened it palm up. Trinity spied a hint of blue. She picked up a familiar energy source with her passive scan.
Jerad leaned forward. “That’s the sliver from your Hallowed Gem, isn’t it? The one from the morgue.”
“It is,” replied the monsignor smiling for the first time Trinity could remember. “The black metal appears to prevent all detection by devices from our dimension, but it couldn’t hide the Hallowed Gem from itself. This gem sliver led us to your escape pod. When we found the gem, we found you as well.”
“So now what happens?” asked Jerad. “You’ve got your gem back. How does that affect the possibility of a civil war on your planet? Have the two priest sects made up and promised to play nice toget
her?”
The monsignor shrugged his shoulders. “We still have our differences, but I think the biggest problems have been solved. We have our Hallowed Gem back, and the dissenters have been routed from their fortress. Soon they will all be hunted down and tried for their crimes against Cavos and the combined priesthood.”
“What about the Carsoloian fleet?” asked Jerad. “They’re still out there somewhere.”
“That’s not our problem, thank the Creator,” said Sergeant Ron. “We sent the rendezvous coordinates that Jennifer discovered during her hack back to the Imperial High Command. What they do with it is anybody’s guess.”
Trinity tried to catch Jerad’s eyes again, but he looked away without appearing to even acknowledge her existence.
What’s going on? Trinity wondered. He’s acting like he doesn’t even want to admit I’m sitting at the same table.
“Are you asking me?” asked Jennifer in their shared space. “If you are, then I’m the wrong computer to ask. I calculate the major is having some kind of belated emotional response to your time in the escape pod. You’ll have to ask him for the details.”
“You can bet I will,” Trinity told her battle computer.
Trinity pointed her finger in Sergeant Ron’s direction. “I get the feeling you’re not telling us everything. What are you leaving out?”
Looking at her, Sergeant Ron nodded at Jerad. “It affects the major here. I was going to tell him when we got a little more privacy, but it’s up to him.”
“I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Jerad. “Say what’s on your mind.”
“Okay, if you say so,” said Sergeant Ron. “I know some people on General Perkin’s staff—”
“Who?” Trinity asked. She looked at Jerad for clarification. He stared down at his hands and said nothing.
Telsa shifted in her seat. “General Perkins is the major’s replacement. The general is in command of all the peacekeepers now.”
Looking back at Sergeant Ron, Trinity spread her hands. “All right, what about this General Perkins?”
Trinity Unleashed (Wizard Scout Trinity Delgado Book 1) Page 20