Remembrance

by SJ Moquin

  “It’s not that. But…” Raiden looked behind them. “We didn’t think this through. I didn’t think this through, because there’s no way you should be out here after dark without permission. We should head back and report what we saw.”

  “Fine. I understand,” Gwelle spun, ready to march back home when his large hand grabbed her shoulder. She tried shrugging him off stepping backwards, but he grabbed her by both shoulders, pulling her close. Her hands came up between them, pushing at his hard chest.

  “Behind you,” Raiden hissed in her ear. She stumbled as he pulled her with him away from the overgrown roots of the tree. A flicker of light, a slithering glow coiling hinted all wasn’t what it seemed as she stared at the roots. “Come.”

  Raiden released her, tugging her by the hand just as the behemoth of a serpent reared its mossy green head blending perfectly into the base of the tree. Little glowing dots of green ran down both sides of its enormous head, down its long back where it blurred into the darkened roots, no longer sure if she saw a snake or tree.

  Raiden continued pulling her along the darkened path towards Nova-Zera. Gratitude warred with anger inside her. He’d saved her but blamed her for leading them on a senseless pursuit through the dangerous night forest. Once the fence loomed into sight in front of them, she tugged her hand free of his grip, jogging ahead. She didn’t have to look back to know he still followed her. His huffing and stomping let her know just how he felt. She squeezed back across the fence, no sooner straightening up when a gruff voice called out. Freezing where she stood, she turned to see two patrolling protectors turning a darkened corner just a few paces ahead.

  “Halt there! What are you doing?”

  Her mind whirred. Gwelle wondered if they’d seen her enter. Her eyes flitted to where Raiden stood just on the other side of the fence, not yet seen by the patrol. He shook his head, turning around. He was leaving her, alone? She couldn’t believe he’d let her face his peers on her own. Clenching her fists, she turned around, hoping an excuse would spring from her lips rather than the infuriated scream she felt fighting its way up her throat. Just as she opened her mouth, not sure what would come out, heavy stomping sounded outside the fence. The patrol turned just as Raiden crossed the logs.

  “Vargas! What’s going on here?”

  “Sorry, guys. I thought I saw someone sneaking OTG. Must have been a trick of the light, or you know, in this case, the dark.” Raiden laughed while chatting with his protector mates. She watched the staunch men relax, the weapons they carried now hanging at their sides as they shook their heads at his tale.

  “Next time be sure to call it in first, even if you’re not on duty, Vargas,” the older man said.

  “The commander called all protectors in until the grid is back up. Pass the word to those you see.”

  “I’ll report as soon as I see Ms. Airda home.”

  The men nodded as they moved on, leaving Raiden and Gwelle in the darkness. Not saying anything, the boy who’d just been chattier than she’d heard him, probably ever, trudged off toward her home.

  She followed, not because she wanted to, she told herself. It was her home, and they just happened to go the same direction, that was all. Raiden opened the door she’d left unlocked but didn’t step through. Instead, he backed away, waiting for her to enter. She meant to go in, shut the door, and forget the past few weeks he’d suddenly replanted himself in her life. But she couldn’t. That small part of her, the little corner of herself which had grieved the loss of his friendship, missed his random jokes, spontaneous laugh, and silent reassurance made her stop just inside the doorway. Turning, she saw him heading down the steps, leaving without a word about their strange adventure.

  “Why did you do it?” she called into the night as his boots hit the packed ground at the bottom of the steps.

  Raiden turned. Moonlight bathed his face, but not bright enough to see the green of his eyes. She watched as he shook his head.

  “The patrol? That was nothing…”

  “No. Why didn’t you turn me in? In your report? About the tree?” She continued clarifying until he understood.

  They hadn’t spoken about the expedition since returning a few weeks before, but it had stayed on her mind. He could have ruined her chances of returning outside the gates alone with one mention of her stubbornness, yet he hadn’t. The firm lines around Raiden’s mouth softened, his head tilting a slight bit.

  “If you don’t already know why, there’s no use explaining it, Gwelle.” His words were almost a whisper in the dark around them. He didn’t wait for a reply or rebuttal. She stood in the doorway, mouth hanging open until he was out of sight.

  She turned, closing the door behind her as she entered the small house. The house sat quiet just as it had been before they’d left. Her mom must still be at the clinic. A sliver of moonlight reflected off something on the counter, catching her eye. She walked the few paces over to the kitchen; her fingers shook as she picked up the emplay. A small red string wrapped about its center, forming a bow around the shiny rectangle device. The same one she’d seen in the market earlier today. Only one person had been in her home today besides her mom and herself.

  Raiden Vargas.

  Shaking her head, she wrapped her fingers around the cold metal, clutching it tight in her hand. Her lips quivered, threatening a smile, despite telling herself she’d return the gift the next chance she got.

  ***

  Gwelle stretched, rolling over in bed the next morning. The whir of air sent her shooting straight up. The power is back on. A smile twisted at her lips as she gathered her clothes, heading for the bathroom just across the hall.

  She didn’t have to go intern today, although she did need to study a few texts about bioluminescence to help her further study the wild flora of Varax. They were still trying to figure out exactly why so many plants, and even animals, glowed at night compared to the reasons very few had on Earth.

  Pulling her long, dark hair over one shoulder, she quickly braided it then donned a flowing tunic and snug britches. The aroma of coffee pulled her from the bathroom sooner than expected, leaving her feet bare for the time being. They never had coffee. Her mom drank tea, and she didn’t care enough to fix herself a separate beverage. Whatever they had on hand worked for her most of the time, but after last night’s venture, the strong dark brew smelled heavenly.

  Gwelle’s feet stumbled, her mouth gaped open, and then closed as she composed herself. There in the kitchen sat her mother and Wyn Maxon, chatting away over mugs of the strong drink. Blinking a moment, the vision in front of her was very real as a broad smile broke across her mother’s face. What was her boss doing in her home at this ungodly hour?

  “Oh, I hope we didn’t wake you, Sweetie,” Nia called cheerfully. Her mom’s eyes drooped, tired from the long night, but her lips never lost their smile.

  “No. I noticed the power was back up. Did you hear what happened?” Gwelle asked, pouring her a cup of coffee.

  Gwelle stood on the opposite side of the kitchen island from her mom and Chief Maxon. She awkwardly drummed her fingers on the counter, waiting for her drink to cool. She’d never faced a situation like this before. Did she acknowledge the man as her boss or as her mom’s—friend? Her mother had never shown interest in another man since her father died. It’d never crossed Gwelle’s mind before. The cold, numbing tendrils of pain she’d tried tamping down started growing even after all these years. Seeing her mom smile was nice to wake up to, though. She looked younger, Gwelle thought as the smile broadened.

  “Wyn heard there had been trouble integrating Endeavor’s data into the core. It caused a temporary surge they were able to fix.”

  Gwelle’s eyes darted to the middle age man sitting in her kitchen. He ran a hand through his fair hair before shrugging. The scientist looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

  “He was a lifesaver helping get the generator up at the clinic.”

  “It was nothing. Really,” Wyn mumbled under hi
s breath, but smiled back at her mom.

  Gwelle fought the urge to run from the embarrassing case of googly eyes taking place across from her. It was bad enough when Lark and Knox did it, but her mom? Gah! She wasn’t sure she could handle it much longer.

  “What are your plans today?” her mom asked, passing a plate of pastries back to Wyn before stirring more sugar into her coffee. If that’s what you could even call it after the stratospheric amount of sweetener her mother added into it.

  “I’m heading to the hydroponics lab and then doing some studying.”

  “This is your day off. You should enjoy it,” her mom replied as her boss frowned at her.

  “Your mother is right. I need you back to work refreshed tomorrow. After all, you can’t lead your own expi if you’re exhausted, can you?”

  Her head jerked from her mom’s now-smiling face to that of the science chief. Was he joking? Had Mom finally agreed to ease up on her watchdog restrictions?

  “Are you serious, Chief Maxon?”

  “Yes. And I’ve told you, just Wyn.”

  “But I’m still just an intern. Are you sure you want me as lead botanist on the expi?” Why was she arguing with him? This was everything she’d wanted.

  “I’m positive. You’ve proven yourself a lot over the past year. Besides, it’ll be a great experience. Be ready to leave for a three-day excursion tomorrow morning at 05:00.” Wyn flashed her an almost too broad smile, but his words were contagious, and any doubts forming were wiped away. Wyn looked between her mom and where she still stood, mug of coffee halfway to her mouth. A slow smile spread across Gwelle’s face.

  “I heard how well your last trip went, so I thought it was time to relax the rules a bit. I know I can be a bit overzealous in wanting to protect you.”

  Sadness filled the gaps in her mom’s words. No one knew more than Gwelle why her mom held her tightly when she said goodnight, or why she checked on her, or why she ensured nothing happened to her only daughter. She was the only family Nia Airda had left. It had been smothering at times and had caused a bit of strife between them in her earlier teens, but she understood, now more than ever.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Gwelle finished her coffee, chatting with her mom and Wyn as she did for a few more moments before her boss rose to leave.

  “I’m going to let you get some rest,” he said to her mom as they walked towards the door. “And I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow. Oh, and since you and Vargas worked so well together, I’ve requested he lead the escort,” Wyn called to her just before walking out the door.

  All the excitement rushing through her pooled in her stomach, and it sent a rolling feeling upwards. It was the same feeling when she’d been a girl and spun too fast for too long. Afraid she was going to fall, she’d reach out laughing before she crashed to the ground. Was she crashing? Blinking, she realized her mom had been saying something to her.

  “I’m sorry. What?”

  “I said, be careful, Gwelle. Don’t be in too big a hurry to prove yourself and do something foolish.” The frown returned to her mom’s face.

  Gwelle knew what she was thinking, the same thing was running through her mind. Gwelle’s lips twisted down. She was thinking back to the foolishness of the mission which had ended her father’s life.

  “I promise, Mom.” And she meant it. At least, now at this moment she did.

  When face to face with Raiden and his infuriating smug smile, she couldn’t promise she’d remember anything. That was the truly terrifying thing. Gwelle was still excited about the upcoming expedition, but now for a whole other reason. She hated herself for the errant thoughts already. Shaking her head, she watched her mom head to bed, promising she would keep her head this time and not let the boy she’d once called friend, best friend, have another chance to hurt her.

  Chapter Seven

  Discoveries

  Gwelle peered into the surrounding forest. Tall trees blurred as they sped past. They would stop soon to set up base camp, and then the real work would begin. She thought back to early that morning, when she stood in the mist, before the sun rose, to scatter it. Gwelle and the two other botanists had already loaded their gear into the two armored rovers designated for the mission when the protectors arrived. Rix Asama and Kana Logan had finished their internship the year before Deliverance arrived on Varax. Rix had been on several expis over the past year, unlike herself. Raiden and another protector marched up and geared out, ready to escort them out of the compound. With little left to do, Gwelle hung back, waiting to see which rover each man would assume control of. She had no intention of getting stuck on her own with Raiden all day.

  Despite her former friend trying to catch her eye the entire time he was placing gear in the back of the vehicle, she wriggled her way into the opposite rover with Specialist Oweins. She really had nothing to do with protectors while on Deliverance, so couldn’t tell exactly how long he’d been in the guards. The only thing she knew about him was he was a few years her senior. He talked, too. A lot. She rarely spoke throughout the morning, but that didn’t mean there was any lack of chatter in their rover. She was glad when they pulled to a stop, not just to exit the stifling interior of the armored vehicle, but for the quiet the surrounding nature offered too.

  She caught Raiden staring at her across the small clearing. A lopsided smirk played on his lips, almost as if he knew what she’d just been through for the past few hours. Once they pitched the tents, the three botanists consulted over their strategy for covering the shaded area on the map in front of them. Excitement bubbled up inside her. Even though most of the land this close to Nova-Zera had been studied, most of this area remained unexplored.

  She’d been certain she would spend the next decade ensconced behind those tall walls, safely nestled in the lab if her mom had anything to do with things. Maybe her mom understood more than she gave her credit for. Or maybe she should be thanking Wyn Maxon who’d been able to get the impenetrable Nia Airda to drop her defenses. Either way, she was happy to be out here.

  The rest of the afternoon flew by. As lead botanist on this expi, she not only had to consult with each botanist, mark off areas to cover on their plexes, and make entries in her field journal, but she had to ensure everything went perfect. Tomorrow the field work began in earnest, so tonight, once the cold meal was over and equipment tucked away, Kana and Rix would head to their respective tents, tired from the bumpy journey.

  Just before she ducked inside the small tent, she caught Raiden’s eye. He stood across camp, solemn and stiff, staring at her. The soft glow from a trail of mushrooms up the tree behind him cast a pink hue over his skin, making it hard to read his features. Was he upset she blew him off this morning and avoided him all day? She couldn’t tell. Letting the flap fall, she made quick work of climbing in her bedroll and turning to one side, trying her best to ignore the quick pounding inside her chest.

  Sleep did not come easy. She tossed and turned. Every small sound outside jolted her awake just as her eyes fluttered closed. This was, after all, her first time away from home. Away from the safety of the community, whether aboard Deliverance or inside Nova-Zera’s sturdy walled settlement. She’d been taught survival basics just as all the colonists had once they left the safety of their ship which now orbited Varax.

  The skeleton crew stationed aboard the ship rotated every few months. Deliverance now served as a beacon for the other ships and a first line of defense monitoring both skies and land should a natural disaster occur. No one spoke about the prospect of other beings sharing this vast universe with them. She’d learned in school that if there were other beings, aliens, they would have known by now. Surely traversing the stars for almost one hundred years, they would have run into them or been contacted.

  She listened to the crunch of boots pass the tent every few minutes, stifling a yawn as she did. Raiden and Oweins would alternate through the night taking turns protecting the small camp from predators. Knowing that they were out there finally lulled h
er back to sleep and chased the odd ramblings from her mind. Gwelle was awoken suddenly by sounds from outside her tent. The gray light seeping through the white canvas told her it had been longer than she thought, and dawn fast approached.

  “Hey!” The one-word greeting was the only warning she got as Kana burst into her tent as she finished gearing up. “Are you ready for today?” Kana bounced around the small tent, her red hair flying about her face. Despite being older, Gwelle forgot this was Kana’s first time outside the gates on an expi too. Rix was more experienced, having already completed five missions.

  “I am,” Gwelle said, returning the girl’s smile.

  “Breaky is ready, and then we’ll head out. Vargas will be with us while Oweins will go with Rix up towards the ridge. We’ll stay in the valley.”

  Gwelle already knew the plans, but simply nodded. It was no use voicing her dislike of which guard would be with them. She’d already tried and got nowhere. Raiden was determined to speak with her and after their adventure through the forest the other night, she was just as determined not to let that happen. Just because she’d been civil with him the few times they’d been near each other recently didn’t mean she’d forgive him, or that she could, she thought, with a hitch in her chest.

  Later that afternoon Kana and Gwelle hiked through a lush, wide-open valley, tall trees surrounding them on all sides. Raiden stood armed, scanning the perimeter of the field. This region was relatively calm, with no known predators unlike to the south of Nova-Zera. Gwelle shivered at the thought of the large night prowlers, beasts as large as Earth’s horses, with rows of razor-sharp teeth and vicious claws. Feral, ferocious, and virtually unstoppable by its tough outer hide, they were nothing to play with. Nothing in Earth’s database of predators could measure up or prepare the first explorers who came across the dire lyx, quickly dubbed night prowlers for their preferred hunting time and style.