by Jason Letts
The shuttle detached from the ship and began to move closer to the big ball in front of them. At some point along the journey, he noticed that she was holding back tears and stifling a cry. It hit him in a way he wouldn’t have expected, like a weight on his chest that grew heavier with each moment. He knew that he loved her and that her pain was his pain.
There was a word on the tip of his tongue that he struggled to get out. He rubbed his jaw as he silently worked his mouth and lips to make the proper movements. It was right there, a word he could hear in his mind. She noticed him and appeared to be about to ask him if something was wrong.
“Brina,” he said, not nearly as cleanly as he would’ve liked.
Her jaw dropped open and her hands came to an immediate rest against the surface of the console. All he could do was look at her face as she got out of the seat and came over to throw her arms around him. This time she didn’t attempt to hold back the tears. She pulled back to look at him and lightly hold the sides of his face.
“Say it again,” she said, falling against him when he did. “Is it really you? I never thought I’d have you back, at least not in time.”
He glanced over at the windshield and recognized they had a problem. If they didn’t adjust course they’d have difficulty getting through the atmosphere. Brina caught his signal and reluctantly returned to her seat in order to execute the command. He wrangled his mouth into producing another utterance.
“When’d you become a pilot?”
She grinned jubilantly at the sound of his voice.
“I’d hardly call myself a pilot, but I had to learn something if I was going to keep coming up here. It was a way to get closer to my memories of you,” she said.
The shuttle descended toward a plain between a few steep hills. As they approached, he could see tents and buildings made out of clay or some other kind of brick. The landing pad was nothing more than lines painted on bare ground, but there were some people gathered around.
The shuttle hit the ground hard, knocking them around. Brina shrugged sheepishly.
“Told you I’m not really a pilot.”
But no real damage was done and they exited the vessel and met an expectant welcoming group. The look on her face said it all to them, and they immediately broke out in cheers. The names came to him slowly, Panic, Redhook, Lala, Aylward, Firth, and so on. Panic beamed so brightly and laughed when she wrapped him in a hug so fierce that it lifted him off the ground. It all felt so strange. Some part of him really didn’t believe that he knew these people.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Panic called out. “Before we get too carried away, we need to know it’s really him. For a Unified officer, what makes the impossible possible?”
It rang a bell and he said the first thing that came to his mind.
“A chance at getting laid?”
Laughter echoed around the area. Brina wrapped an arm around his side and gave him a squeeze.
“If that’s all it took to bring him back, I’d say we’ve got it covered,” she said.
There was something in Panic’s eye that produced another memory, one that wasn’t so happy. He recalled that at least for a time she had feelings for him. She seemed to notice him looking at her and conjured a more rueful smile.
“You’re not the only ones. I guess I’m stuck with what’s left around,” Panic said, pulling Redhook in close.
“Back hair and all,” he said, making Panic cringe. Her red hair rolled over her shoulders as she shook her head.
“The bear population on this planet has skyrocketed!”
The fun continued, and they began moving along a dirt path toward the encampment. Riki Lala walked next to him, her hands moving to accentuate her story.
“You should’ve seen what you did. When the satellite exploded, it set off the other two and created this ring around the star, which immediately began to increase in volume exponentially. It unleashed a shockwave that shattered the entire Detonan and Silica fleet and blew the Magellan and Incubator back into space. There was damage, but they managed to hold together. I just can’t get over that dazzling release of light and energy that utterly consumed all of those ships that were chasing you. They got what they deserved.”
He listened and smiled politely, more glad that they were happy about it than satisfied with what had happened.
“It’s wonderful to hear, but it doesn’t feel like I did any of those things,” he said. Panic nudged his shoulder.
“You’ve spent your whole life living in the shadow of your mother. Now you can have trouble filling your own shoes for a change,” she said.
The procession swelled as they came to the encampment and met more of the officers from the Magellan and the former Novans, who were much happier than they were cooped up in that desolate alien spaceship. Music, songs, food, drink, games, and much more whiled away the remainder of the day. Finally, the crowds dwindled and Brina showed him to where they would retire, a home of deep red brick with paneless windows.
“The miraculous thing is there are hardly any bugs here,” she said. “I know that doesn’t make up for how there are so many who’d rather be spending all of their time in space, but I’m sure they’ll get their chance someday. There’s already talk of creating a new Unified Academy and a mission to Detonus to see what supplies can be obtained. I see that look on your face. Let’s just be safe so I don’t have to lose you again.”
Far from feeling like he desperately needed to head into space, or would even know what to do there, he was still grappling with what it was like to have so much in his head that didn’t seem to belong. They entered the hut and he took a seat in a chair of thatched straw. One of the first things he noticed was a turtle on the ground chewing on a big, fat leaf.
“Am I really Loris Roderick? Is that me?” he asked.
Brina ran her hand through his hair and looked him square in the eyes.
“You are, but don’t let it go to your head,” she said with a furtive look.
Nearly a week later, the life he was getting used to changed abruptly when he was awoken in the middle of the night. A few candles were giving off enough light for him to see Brina standing there with a pained expression on her face.
“My water broke. It’s happening. You need to go get someone from the medical staff,” she said.
“Where are they?” he asked, already getting off of the cushion.
“Just go get them!” she ordered as she kneeled down and rolled against a pillow.
He’d seen some of the physicians and heard about what was going to happen, but where he needed to go to get them if she went into labor in the middle of the night never came up. Someone would have to show him the way in a hurry.
Tired, excited, and filled with anticipation, he bumbled out of their home and went dashing through the night for another cottage down the row. It had a cloth hanging over the entryway, which he brushed aside as he barged into the building.
“Panic!” he called, having difficulty telling exactly where she was. A groan emanated from the darkness. “The baby is coming.”
“Good luck with that. Congratulations,” she muttered over the sound of rustling blankets, but then some of her senses returned and it seemed to hit her. “Oh, wow! Right now?”
“I need your help finding one of the doctors,” he said.
After a few moments, she appeared before him, her hair a mess and her bedclothes disheveled.
“Let’s go, then,” she said, leading the way barefoot outside.
They said little as they hustled through the encampment for at least a kilometer. Everything was quiet and there was no one else around, leaving him with time to worry about how Brina was doing all by herself. What if something crazy happened and the baby was born by the time they got there?
They reached a straw-roofed hut and Panic took charge of rousing the doctor, a middle-aged man who didn’t appear to enjoy being yanked clean out of bed. But they were ready and on their way back within moments. Along the way,
they came across Riki who was walking along the pathway.
“Some people call it insomnia. I call it my personal bonus time to have for myself,” she said, joining them.
Farther along, Panic stopped to pick up a small stone and tossed it through an open window, producing a pained yelp from within.
“Get your ass up and get over here. We’re going to watch a baby being born,” she said, resuming her pace. Redhook came stumbling out and hustled to catch up with them.
Together they traveled to Brina’s home in the most direct way possible, even straight through other people’s homes. This added a few more to their posse, which grew to a crowd by the time they reached their destination. Most of their neighbors had gotten up at the sound of the intermittent shrieks.
They found Brina still propped up against the pillow, breathing heavily in a deliberate fashion and trying to remain cheerful. Her eyes widened when she realized that he’d returned with more than just a doctor.
“You brought…everyone,” she said, astonished.
Fortunately, the doctor insisted that nearly all of them wait outside, but Panic, Redhook, and Riki remained right at Brina’s side.
“Very dilated. I’m going to need you to start pushing when you feel contractions,” the doctor said.
“OK,” she said. “I already feel so gross. Everyone is here and my hair is a mess.”
“I don’t think anyone is here to see your hair,” Loris said.
Contractions and pushing went on for a half an hour, leaving Brina sweaty and exhausted.
“There’s no way I can keep doing this,” she said, panting a little.
Loris took her hand in both of his. Another memory came to him, one he thought she’d find useful as well.
“We have to keep fighting all the way to the end. Your fight is happening right now.”
She looked at him and nodded a little, continuing to breathe deeply. After a couple more hard pushes, the child’s head began to crown and soon a crying, healthy newborn came into the world. Relief and exhilaration coursed through the room.
“What is it?” Brina asked.
“It’s a boy,” Loris said as the doctor held him up.
“William. We have William. His grandfather would be so proud,” she said, her head collapsing back against the pillow.
The news made its way outside, where cheers and sounds of celebration erupted. They were no doubt anxious to see the newest member of humanity that was keeping them up in the middle of the night.
“We’re going to have to have a lot more of these if we’re going to get back to where we were before. This is just the beginning,” Riki said with a smile.
“I guess not everybody can be born in a glass tube,” Loris said.
Brina had a different take on the conversation.
“You mean to tell me I’m going to have to go through that again?” she asked, her words fading into groans.
And so it was that the journey of the Magellan ended and the human population began to grow once again.
The End of the Survivors Series
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FROM THE AUTHOR
I hope you enjoyed reading Sightless! While I originally intended for the Survivors series to be a trilogy, it felt right for the story to end it after two books. If you enjoyed the books, it would mean the world if you would write a review of them on Amazon. That more than anything will determine if I’m able to continue writing. I hope to continue bringing intriguing stories to you!
You’re also invited to share your reaction with me at [email protected].
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Letts is also the author of the Powerless Series, Cumerian Unraveling Trilogy, and Inevitable Trilogy. In addition to to being a writer, he’s a new father who enjoys spending time playing, reading, and hiking with his son.
Sightless: The Survivors Series © 2016 by Jason Letts
All rights reserved: no part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.