by A. R. Crebs
The violent tremors continued a few more times before Aria couldn’t handle it anymore.
“Stop! Stop!” She slapped the screen. “Just stop!” Tears fell down her face. A couple of short sobs gushed from her followed by a small wail as a warning message popped up, bringing a new image to the forefront. Troy’s brain wasn’t sending or receiving signals. The EEG wasn’t reading anything. In other words, he was brain-dead.
“Ohhhh,” she moaned, her chest heaving with her quaking breaths. “Ohhhh, no.”
Slowly, she placed a hand on Troy’s head, crying out in distressing groans.
“Troy,” she bawled. “My…my Troy.”
Aria wrapped her arms around him, weeping like a child. A hand clutched his hair as she rocked him, her body heaving with her violent sobs.
“Why?” she asked. “Why am I still alive?”
She pressed the side of her cheek to his forehead, closing her eyes.
“I’ve got nothing now. Nothing. You were all I had, Troy. You’re my everything.” The words were barely formed as she spoke. “If I could, I would take your place. I would rather be dead than live a life without you.”
Aria sat in silence, cradling her partner. She thought about his unresponsive brain. She imagined the emptiness that consumed his once vibrant personality. His mind was like a black room with all the light bulbs broken. As Aria held Troy, her hand tightly gripped his skull. The screen whirled and flickered to life. The model representation of his brain jostled and spun back and forth as readings scattered across the image, gathering a new set of information.
“Oh, God…please,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I would do without him. Don’t take him. Please don’t take him away from me.”
Aria did the only thing she could–pray. She prayed hard and relentlessly. The more she wished she could take his place, the weaker she felt. Perhaps she was dying. On the outside, she appeared fine, but maybe she was baked on the inside. Was it possible that she was nothing more than a ghost wandering the world trying to find Troy? Was she even alive? Was this what death was really like?
A series of alarms broke out across Troy’s DNAIS. Aria jerked out of her sleepy haze. She gave a quiet gasp and clicked on the screen. Troy’s mind was responding. It was coming to life, and one after another the cogs fit back into place. He was receiving blood; electrical signals were reading, and neurons and synapses’ were firing. The questioning for resuscitation appeared again, and she quickly accepted the request. Another electric shock went through Troy’s system, followed by a second. By the third zap, a loud strangled cry exploded from the man, and his olive eyes popped open.
Aria gave a surprised scream in response. Her heart nearly shot out of her chest as the man in her arms gave a sharp intake of breath, his eyes darting all around him. A faint laugh passed Aria’s lips, and she suddenly felt lightheaded. She dropped Troy and fell backward, her head slamming into the rocky ground behind her. Harshly sucking in air, she struggled to keep her eyes open as darkness consumed her.
“Aria!” his voice called out to her.
She couldn’t see, but his voice was like magic, pulling her back to him. No, not now. She wasn’t going to die now that he was alive. Aria lifted her hand in the air, smacking against something. Another hand held hers. Trying to gather the sight of the blackened-out silhouette of the man that kneeled over her, Aria gave an airy laugh.
“Who…who’s the hero now, huh?” she stammered.
She didn’t hear a response this time, but she welcomed the embrace that she received instead. She was glad he wasn’t asking questions because she didn’t have any answers. What had just happened was nothing short of a miracle. Aria weakly clung to the man; her eyes closed. She was exhausted, but she knew that they had to find a place to hide. They were, after all, stranded on Ives.
“Troy…are you okay?” Her hands remained clasped around his neck. She felt him nod, and for the time that was enough. “I’m so glad. We need to hide. We need to get somewhere safe,” she barely whispered.
The man remained silent but responded by lifting her in his arms. She was surprised he had so much strength. Aria decided that she shouldn’t question anything. They were alive, and that’s all that mattered.
Tearing her head away from the man only for a moment, Aria gathered her awareness. Her optic camera still worked, giving her a familiar reading.
“Keep heading that way.” She tried pointing a finger, her body bouncing against Troy’s chest. “You’ll come across the old vacation home. Maybe we can get some rest…for a while.”
Despite desperately wanting to stay awake, Aria felt sleep creep over her. Troy encouraged her to rest, pushing her head against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat and the simple gesture of his thumb running up and down her arm soothed her.
The next time Aria’s eyes opened, she found herself surrounded by darkness. Crickets chirped outside; a fresh breeze rolled by, carrying the scent of rain. There was a rumbling in the distance, and a series of quiet ticks and patters sounded. The woman sat up; her heart pounded. Where was she? Searching her surroundings, a pale light from the moon cast the room in a blue hue. She was lying on a pile of blankets atop a makeshift bed. Her boots were missing, and the grime had been washed from her body. As she took in the sight, she found that she was alone.
“Troy!” she shouted.
A chill air enveloped her, and she wrapped a blanket around herself. There came no response.
Panicked, she looked out the window beside her. “Troy!” she cried out again.
A shuffle in the doorway alerted her, and she brought her attention to the entry of the room where a tall shadow stood. A cloud blocked out the moonlight. Aria squint her eyes, trying to gather detailing of the person. He walked forward, feet crunching against rock and dry grass. As he neared, the light appeared again, and Aria finally released her held breath. It was Troy.
He held up a hand, showing her a water canteen. He shook it lightly. That was when she realized how thirsty she was. He passed the container over, his leather glove wet. Aria took a swig, eyeing the window as the rain outside gently poured. Not wanting to hog it all, she tried passing it back to the man, but he only shook his head. Tapping on his belt, he made her notice the second bottle at his side.
Aria eyed him suspiciously. “Not in a talking mood?” she asked.
Troy hung his head, his hands shoving deep into his pant pockets. He swayed about nervously, giving a casual shrug.
“You’re never like this,” she pressed the issue. “Even at your worst, you’re never quiet.”
Scuffing the toe of his boot against some splintered wood, he gave another shrug. Aria took a drink, watching the solemn man before her. What was he thinking?
“We’re alive, Troy. That’s all that matters. Not all hope is completely lost. We’ve survived. That means something, right?” she muttered.
Air passed through the man’s nose, and he nodded.
“So what’s the deal?” she questioned again.
The man ran his hands over his face. There was no aggravated groan, no whine, no curse words, nothing. Troy’s eyes held a hint of sadness as he forced a lackluster smile.
“What’s wrong?” Aria asked. Now things were getting a bit weird.
He shook his head and dropped into a seated position beside her on the bed. The light rain filtered off and on, the clouds fighting with the light of the moon. A single ray momentarily beamed into the old house, shining across Troy’s face. He had a large scar running from his ear down the side of his neck. It was a bullet wound, but somehow it had mostly healed already. Aria touched the line, gaping at the man in wonder.
“How?” she asked.
Troy shrugged.
“Damn it, Troy! Are you going to talk or not?” she hollered.
The man’s face finally turned into a sour expression. With his hands flying in her face, he signed to her.
‘I can’t talk.’
Though sign language had no v
olume, Aria could see his frustration.
“What do you mean you can’t talk?!” she exclaimed.
Grimacing, he signed again. ‘I can’t talk. Not since this.’ He ran a finger down his throat.
Aria shook her head. “No! You, you said my name when you first woke up. I heard it.”
He disagreed. ‘I didn’t say a thing. I tried, but no sound came.’
“Mental chip?” she questioned.
Troy turned his head, poking the back of his ear. His mental chip was damaged as well. Aria narrowed her eyes. She could swear to the moon and back that the man had called out her name. It was her sense of security as she blacked out. It was Troy, and he was alive.
“I heard your voice,” she whispered.
‘Impossible.’
Aria watched him carefully. His spirit was gone. Troy was defeated.
“We’ll get it fixed, Troy. We’ll get your voice back. Don’t worry.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.
He gave a harsh breath through his nostrils. ‘How?’
Aria was quiet, pondering.
‘We’re stranded. Hawk is destroyed. Aren is dead. We’re dead. Only a matter of time.’ His hands moved slowly, matching his gloomy resolve.
Aria reached and lowered his hands. Looking him directly in the eye, she spoke firmly, “We are not dead, Troy. We’ll make it out of this.”
Troy shook his wrist. ‘DNAIS isn’t reaching. Storms are blocking signals. Can’t send SOS.’
Aria abruptly looked to her wrist, trying to pull up a signal. All she received was static noise.
“Damn Ives and its storms…” she growled.
They sat in complete silence with one another. Aria’s thoughts drifted to Dovian.
“Why are we still alive?” she whispered.
Troy shrugged.
“Do you think it was his doing? Do you think he somehow spared us?” she asked.
Troy lifted his shoulders again before curving in on himself, resting his elbows on his knees to cup his face.
“You were dead. I woke up, and you were dead,” she spoke quietly.
Troy remained silent.
“You were brain-dead. Your vitals log told me so.” A whimper sounded from her, and she covered her mouth. “And look at you now. You’re alive. You appear perfectly fine. Well, except for your voice.”
He didn’t move.
“And why didn’t you tell me you had a pacemaker?!” she shouted.
Troy pressed his face deeper into his hands.
“Damn it! You could’ve been killed so many times now, Troy. What would have happened if I zapped you with an EMP on accident? It could have sent you into a heart attack! You should have told me!”
“Please stop yelling. Why are you always yelling?” Troy’s voice rang out in her mind.
Aria halted her lecture. “What?” she asked.
The man didn’t say anything.
“Are you sure your mental chip doesn’t work?” she asked.
Troy lifted his head, eyeing her carefully.
“You just spoke to me,” she sputtered.
‘I didn’t say anything,’ he hastily signed.
“I heard it.” She grabbed the side of his head, inspecting the large scar.
The man turned to her, grabbing her shoulders.
“You talk so much,” his voice called out again.
“There!” she shouted. “You did it again! I heard you!”
Troy irritably closed his eyes. “I’m not saying anything! You’re crazy!”
“I am not crazy!” she snapped.
Troy’s eyes opened wide. “You heard me call you crazy?”
She briskly bobbed her head. “Yeah. I think your chip is working.”
He gave an unsure smile. “I’m not trying to use my chip.”
She was bewildered. “Then…how?”
“I’m thinking.” He paused. “I think you can read my thoughts….”
“That’s impossible! No way.”
“What am I thinking about right now?” he asked.
Aria was hesitant to answer as a swirl of noises and images passed through her mind. She shook her head, trying to sort them all out. Then she gave a quiet laugh.
“What you always think about…cheeseburgers and beer!”
Troy finally gave a crooked smirk, wishing he could share a laugh with her. After another second, Aria’s face fell. Troy’s feelings and thoughts were spiraling around her, revealing much more than she had ever realized about the man.
“That’s really how you feel?” she asked.
The man gulped, trying to clear his thoughts. What was he thinking about in that split-second?
“Am I that unhappy all the time that it makes that much of an impression on you when I smile?” she asked.
He gave her a pitying look. “It’s always nice to see you smile.”
Aria detached herself from Troy, sinking into herself once again.
“Wish I could read your thoughts.” He leaned forward, resting on his knees.
“How is this possible, Troy?” she asked. “None of this is making any sense.”
Troy lifted his palms up. “Beats the hell out of me.”
“Maybe Dovian did something. Maybe he healed me somehow. Maybe it took a lot of energy, and I’m feeling residual effects?” she suggested.
“I’d rather not think about him right now, Aria.” Troy stood from the bed. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“He didn’t kill us, Troy,” Aria said. “We were right. He doesn’t want to do the things he’s doing.”
“The hell he doesn’t, Aria. For once, please stop justifying his actions.”
Troy glared at the corner of the room, his hands curling into fists. He couldn’t help but think about it, think about Dovian and Aria together in the hotel. He thought of how much she laughed when she was around the Sorcēarian. He couldn’t help but think of Gavin, think of how torn up Aria was inside about his death. Troy was no comfort. He provided no security for her. And despite all of his efforts, throughout his entire life, he had done nothing but failed her. When it came down to it, Troy couldn’t rescue her as Dovian heartlessly aimed at his head and fired the pistol. Troy wanted nothing more than to save Aria. He had no idea what Dovian had done to her, but judging by her shock, he had tried to kill her, too.
“We’re alive when we shouldn’t be, Troy. That says something. I’m not justifying him. If Dovian wanted us dead, we’d be dead. No doubt about it. How else would we be alive right now?” She stood from the bed, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I know you lost your voice. But maybe it was necessary to keep you alive.”
Troy turned to her. His mouth opened as he tried to speak, but no sound came. “Aria. Dovian didn’t save me. You did.”
Aria scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s true. When he sent his energy through me, I felt the last amount of life drain from my body. At that moment, I went from feeling scared to completely relaxed. He made it so easy, Aria. So easy to give up and die.” Troy lowered his head, staring at the floor between their feet. “I left you, Aria. I left you to die alone. Despite my efforts, I’ve only failed you.”
“You didn’t fail me, Troy.” She placed a hand against his cheek, but he didn’t meet her gaze.
“I was gone, feeling nothing, dreaming of nothing. I was surrounded by darkness. It was like a deep sleep. For a moment, I no longer existed. Then, I heard you call. I heard you saying my name. Suddenly, I was being pulled forward. I felt…odd. Like a blast of light washed over me. There were tingles throughout my brain that went through my entire body. Next thing I knew, you were leaning over me, and I was waking up.” Troy’s brow wrinkled. “You saved me, Aria. I have no idea how, but your voice was like magic. I heard strange words flow from you that I’ve never heard you speak, and you pulled me back.”
Aria stepped away. “You think I healed you?”
Troy rubbed the back of his head. “Felt that way…to be honest.”
<
br /> Aria looked at her hands. Perhaps Dovian had somehow transferred some power to her. In that last moment, as he held onto her, maybe he placed something inside her that she didn’t feel at the time. Was she capable of temporarily housing his power? It still didn’t make sense. He had told her that he could only heal someone if he physically touched them. His weapon was an extension of himself, and only he could use it. All of Dovian’s power belonged to him and no one else. Then, there was the armor Camery had designed for Aria and Troy. He said he infused the armor with Dovian's DNA instead of morphine. Was it possible that his DNA was still in her body? That didn't explain why Troy couldn't heal himself.
As Aria concentrated on the idea, she saw a blue tinge to her hands. Gasping, she tugged off her leather fingerless gloves. Prickles of blue light surged over her fingertips. Holding her hands up in the shadows, she noticed that it wasn’t the moon casting the glow. Aria was emitting light. Troy warily watched her.
“What’s happening to me?” she whispered.
Anxiously, she wrapped her hands around Troy’s neck and clenched her eyes shut. The man stiffened under her touch. Nothing happened at first, but soon an electric prickle crackled over his neck. It tickled like the fibers of a feather against his skin. The woman concentrated, her thoughts forming over a prayer. It seemed to work last time, perhaps it would work again. As she said a simple prayer, wishing for Troy to be healed, asking for assistance, blue light flowed from her palms and washed over the man’s head and neck. Troy gave a deep breath, feeling a sense of peace.
Aria could mentally visualize the healing process. Troy’s vocal cords reattached accordingly, nerves moved, skin cells rearranged, and soon everything shimmered with sparkling white light. Opening her eyes, Aria watched as the glow dissipated. Afraid to move, she kept her hands wrapped loosely around the soldier’s neck. Timidly, Troy wrapped his hands around hers, lowering them.
“Well?” she asked apprehensively.
He gave her a mysterious look, cocking his head to the side. “I think it worked,” he said in a raspy voice which sent him into a fit of coughs.
Aria gave a quick laugh and wrapped her arms around him. Troy held her against him. He cleared his throat, the sound loud in Aria’s ear.