by KG Stutts
Ember bent down to ensure Rudo was dead before calling to her team over the comm. “It’s over. Rudo’s dead.”
#
The team met up with her several minutes later. Everyone looked beaten up but none of the injuries looked severe except for Liam’s shoulder.
“You’re bleeding!” Liam exclaimed, gently touching her hand covering the wound.
“It’s nothing.” She shrugged it off. “I’m already healing.”
“Are you sure?”
Ember lifted up her shirt, just enough to show off her flat stomach. “See? The hole is already closing.”
His hand gently caressed her skin. “Amazing.”
“It’s nothing.” She waved it off. “Kind of tingles actually.”
She adjusted her shirt, turning attention to Morris. She waved her hands toward the console and stepped out of the way. “Morris, have at it.”
Morris ran his hand through his short hair before rubbing his hands anxiously. Monitors lit up as he typed several commands.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Nova asked.
“Not in the slightest,” he admitted. “But this is going to be fun.”
He used the planet’s orbiting satellites to coordinate with Rudo’s machine. Washington, D.C. appeared on the screen.
“Wow, it’s really frozen,” Ember remarked in awe.
Everything was ice. Rudo struck without warning when he used the machine. It looked like someone had hit pause on a holographic entertainment program.
“It looks so strange. Even the people are fozen solid,” Lewis said.
“Do you think they’ll be okay once Morris undoes this?” Liam asked.
Ember frowned. “I hope so.”
“Here goes nothing,” Morris muttered, pressing a few buttons.
The sky turned from grey to red, then bright red. A bright flash lit up the screen. As it dissipated, so did the ice. The people fell over, cars which had been frozen while in drive, crashed into one another. Snow quickly melted, but the ground wasn’t ready to absorb it. Water began to flood the area as people cried out. Steam seemed to fill the air from the ground and building. In a matter of moments, the water was gone.
“Uh, oh,” Morris murmured.
“What did you do?” Ember asked.
His hands worked vigorously against the keyboard. The sky went from red to light blue. Morris sighed in relief, leaning back in his chair.
“It’s going to be okay.”
“What happened?” Lewis questioned.
“I kind of made it go from below zero to over one hundred degrees in the matter of seconds,” Morris sheepishly said.
“Morris!” Ember exclaimed.
“Hey, this is a complicated system here.”
“And now?”
“It’s a brisk fifty-seven degrees.”
“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about giving people second degree burns.”
Chaos erupted as car accidents ensued. Confusion was wide-spread. It would take hours to get everything straightened.
“Can you make contact with Lunis Two?” Ember asked.
“Uh … yeah. Shouldn’t be a problem, actually.”
After several more keystrokes, the worried face of General Tom Blanchard appeared on the screen. Upon seeing Ember, he seemed to relax.
“General, I’m here to report our mission is a success,” Ember said.
“When the sensors reported D.C. unfroze, I had hoped. Is everyone all right?”
“We are in need of medical attention, but no one is dire.”
“Good to hear. Expect me in an hour.”
Ember bowed her head in a sign of respect to the military commander when General Blanchard arrived. A team of scientists followed behind and worked to restore California without harm.
“Yeah, sure. Now that I figured it out, they swoop in,” Morris murmured.
“Aw, buddy. It’s okay.” Nova patted his shoulder. “You saved Washington.”
Morris grinned. “I did, didn’t I?”
“Do you want to stay behind with the science nerds as they research, or do you want to come back to the space station with us?” Ember asked.
“No chance. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
#
“Earth owes you a great deal of gratitude,” General Blanchard said in the conference room.
“Just doing our duty, sir.” Ember stood at full attention, wearing a clean uniform.
“With the machine still intact, we’ll be able to use it for what we originally thought it was designed for. Earth will finally have a climate conducive to growing our own food again on land. Soon, we will no longer have to rely on other planets to sustain us.”
“That’s good news, General. But what happens now? Are we to go back in the stasis tubes?”
“No, Ember. President Packer has dismissed all charges against Amethyst. You and your team are to be celebrated as heroes and Major Ross’ fallen comrades are to be given special honors.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders, smiling warmly at her. “How are you feeling?”
“Fully healed and ready for the next commission.”
“That’s my girl.”
Ember returned his grin. “Yes, I am.”
“Well, you’ve been granted a little time off if you want to take a vacation.”
“I’ve got no place in particular to go.”
“How about traveling with Major Ross?”
“Dad.” Ember looked at him scornfully. “Don’t think because we’re getting on better terms you can stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Ember, I know it’s difficult for you to let me in, but don’t be afraid to open your heart to him. Liam loves you very much and I would be willing to bet the stars on my collar the feeling is mutual.”
She glared at him for several moments, unhappy he was butting into her love life, but softened her expression. “Thanks, Dad.” It was still weird to call him anything other than General but it felt good to have her father back.
“You certainly don’t have to. It’s just a suggestion from an old man. Take it from me, Ember. When you find something special … don’t let it go.” His eyes glazed over as he spoke. “I lost mine a long time ago. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t miss your mother. Time is a special commodity which we don’t have a lot of. Don’t waste it.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
#
She met up with Liam in their room, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
“You don’t know how difficult it’s going to be to leave you,” he muttered as he kissed her neck.
“What do you mean?” She pulled away from him, studying his expression.
“My assignment here is over. I’m supposed to report to Washington in two days.”
“General Blanchard … my father granted us some leave. Would you like to go on a vacation with me?”
“Are you serious?” His eyes danced with excitement. Ember nodded. “Hell yeah! Let’s go!”
He kissed her lips, running his hands down her arms and sides. Their shirts were discarded as they started toward the bed.
Suddenly the room started to spin. Ember pulled away, trying to focus. Her heart started to race and she was out of breath.
“Ember, what’s wrong?”
Her hand went to her right side, the same spot where she had been stabbed by Rudo. The wound was re-opened after being fully healed. Thick, yellow fluid seemed to ooze out of her, coating her hand. Her entire body went limp, too weak to sit up. Liam called to her but she couldn’t respond.
The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Liam’s terrified brown eyes.
#
Ember groaned as she started waking up. She felt sorer than she had in a long time. Every muscle in her body was stiff. Her body protested as she tried to stretch. Her eyes fluttered open, quickly adjusting to the bright light.
She was in a hos
pital bed. Sterile white walls, gray floor, and a TV perched in a corner. Liam sat in a chair next to the bed, looking bored at the TV.
“Hey,” she said, surprised how weak her voice sounded.
He spun around in his chair, smiling. “Hey!”
“What the hell is going on?”
“Ember, I don’t want you to freak out …”
“Why would I -“
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blood bag connected to an IV in her arm. She gasped as she pointed to the bag.
“That blood is red!”
“Yes, Ember, listen to me -”
“Why is that blood red?”
“Honey, calm down -”
“Don’t tell me to calm down! Liam, what the -”
Liam covered her mouth with his hand. “Okay, I understand you’re freaked out, but you’ve got to listen to me. Now I’m going to take my hand away. Are you going to listen?” Ember nodded. “Good.” He dropped his hand, stroking her cheek. “We’re still figuring a lot of it out. What we do know is whatever was on the knife Rudo stabbed you in was … well, for a lack of better word, poisonous.”
“Poisonous?”
“Yeah. It attacked your blood cells. It was fast working and nearly killed you. The only way to save you was …”
“Was what?”
“With a blood transfusion.”
“I don’t understand.”
Liam sighed. His lips brushed against her temple before he sat back down in his chair.
“Whatever that yellow stuff was targeted the cells affected by the Genesis Project. Then it destroyed everything else. So the doctor did what he had to do to save you.”
The wheels in her head turned as she considered his words. Her heart dropped into her stomach as realization washed over her. “My blood is no longer purple. Are my eyes?”
He swallowed. “No. They’re blue.”
Hot tears flowed down her cheeks. Rudo said he had something special planned for her. And that something made her ordinary again.