She kept the table a few centimeters in the air, and it was easy. She could have sent it slamming into the ceiling with the force of a gunshot, and that would have been easy too.
That wasn’t the point.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ Harrington snapped from behind her.
She knew his gun was raised and pointed right at her.
It was a metaphor for this entire situation. Here they all were, standing at the barrel of a gun, just before the Vex would emerge to wipe out the Coalition, and they couldn’t listen long enough to hear.
The stakes were higher than ever, and people couldn’t get passed their disbelief long enough to figure out whether her story was true.
Well, time to show them.
She kept the table in the air.
Harrington didn’t shoot.
Even if he had, the bullet wouldn’t have reached her.
She felt Carson by her side, his body ramrod straight as he stared at her.
Was he questioning her? Was he worried the entity was in control?
It wasn’t.
She stared across at Sharpe. ‘I think it was you who told us in one of our first classes that doubt must be proportional to risk. As a Coalition cadet, we’re meant to go out into the universe to face the unknown. We need to be equipped with an open mind tempered by reason. Well, is your mind open, Sharpe? You’ve done nothing but shout that this doesn’t make any sense. Well then, isn’t it incumbent upon you to investigate, not dismiss? What exactly do you think Carson and I have been doing? Where do you think we got this modified TI? Because we’ve travelled through time.’
Sharpe looked dumbstruck, but he still opened his mouth to protest.
She got there first. Pointing at the ceiling, the table rose several more centimeters. ‘Doubt needs to be proportional to risk, Sharpe, and we’re telling you an alien race known as the Vex are about to destroy the Coalition. You may not want to believe that, but believe this,’ she lifted the table a few more centimeters, keeping every glass of water on top perfectly steady as she did, ‘I’m possessed by an entity with the power to move any object, and with the power to infect the Academy’s computer banks and initiate the End Game Maneuver. It’s sentient, and it’s guilty. And it will do whatever it takes to fix its mistake. It’s currently being held back by this modified TI. But its damage has already been done. You may not believe time travel is possible, but you are dealing with something—the entity—that is an incalculable risk. So suspend your doubt. Do what we say. Prepare for an attack. If the worst that happens is no attack arises, you’ve lost nothing. If, however, you don’t prepare, and the Vex surge out of their timeline to take down the Coalition, you lose it all. Pick one,’ she let the table fall dramatically and sat back down.
Harrington was likely ready to shoot her.
She didn’t care.
She’d made her point.
It was time to see how people would react.
She watched Sharpe in particular. He was looking at her with such pale, sallow cheeks, and such obvious consternation plucking across his crumpled brow, it was hard not to look his way.
She’d give anything to know what he was thinking. In his eyes, no doubt she was still the worst recruit in 1000 years. The worst recruit who could lift a table half a meter into the air with nothing but her mind, that was.
The Captain was the first to speak. She stood carefully, pressing her fingers into the table before her, the move a pronounced one, as if she was checking to see if the damn thing was real.
After a long pause, she levelled her chin, narrowed her gaze, and stared at Nida. ‘Such a display was unnecessary, though . . . convincing.’
Her first officer went to speak, as did Sharpe, but Captain Singh raised a hand quickly and with such a note of authority, only the most mutinous of officers would have ignored her.
She stood there and focused all her attention on Nida. Again it felt like having a sun stare at her, a sun that was barely five meters from her and getting hotter by the minute.
Nida didn’t cower back. She clutched hold of her courage and furled it around her shoulders like a cloak. She’d fought the Vex, she kept repeating to herself, she could do this.
If she didn’t, she’d have to fight the Vex once more, wouldn’t she? The cost of ignoring her warning would lead to the same scenario she’d faced in the future: the Coalition lying in tatters, with more than half the fleet buried in the floating graveyard that was Remus 12’s orbit.
Except this time, it would be slightly different: she’d be here and so would Carson. They’d fight, side-by-side to do what it would take. Even if Nida had to rely on the entity and its power, she’d stop the Vex from destroying her home.
At that thought, she felt an itch cross her wrist. She knew what it was: a shadow of the entity. Though the modified telekinetic implant was keeping it at bay, she was still aware of its dull presence. Now, as she threatened to stop the Vex, the entity was stronger than usual. It felt like a powerful wave crashing against a levy. For now the levy would hold, but she knew she had to remain on guard.
She also knew she had to be quick. Time was not a luxury she could afford.
So as the Captain levelled her gaze at Nida, Nida did the same to the Captain. She didn’t shrink away nor push back into her chair—Cadet Nida Harper stood up for herself.
Singh gave a harsh, frustrated breath that echoed through the large room. It was clear the Captain didn’t know what to do.
‘Nida is right,’ Carson interrupted as he turned to stare directly at Singh. ‘The cost of believing us and preparing for an attack if one doesn’t come is worth it. The cost of ignoring us, will come at your own peril. Just think. Nida showed you what the entity can do when it’s controlled. I’ve seen what it does when it’s not,’ his voice, once strong, became hollow.
She turned to look up at him. His body was stiff, his shoulders hunched in as he let his hands drop loosely in his lap.
‘You do not need to warn us about what the entity is capable of. The Coalition is very aware of what it can do.’
‘But do you know what it's prepared to do?’ Nida interrupted. She swallowed as she continued, ‘trust me, I am. It’s willing to go to any lengths to repair the damage it’s done. It doesn’t care who gets in its way, it doesn’t care what it has to destroy. All that matters is fixing the Vex timeline.’ As she spoke, she felt its emotion. All that shame and guilt, it came upon her, rising up from her belly like a cloud of smoke. If she let it, it would choke her.
Instead she hooked a hand over her shoulder and simply breathed. She took courage in Carson’s presence too. Seriously, without him, she’d be floundering. She was more than grateful not to be alone in this. And that her company was freaking Carson Blake, well that was beyond words.
Somehow, despite what she’d been through, she was still the luckiest girl in the Coalition.
‘We are taking top priority routes back to the Academy. This ship is equipped with experimental propulsion drives. We will arrive soon. The decision of what to do with this . . . news, will be taken by the Academy Council.’
Nida glanced at Carson.
He shot her a look too.
Did they have this much time to waste?
Did they seriously appreciate what they were up against?
Just as the pressure began to build within Nida, Carson did something surprising: he leaned over and covered her hand with his own. Right in front of everyone else, including Sharpe.
‘It’ll be fine,’ he promised, squeezing her hand.
She let herself believe him.
For now.
Chapter 10
Carson Blake
Facing off against Singh and her senior staff, Sharpe included, had been hell.
No one was ready to listen. This tale was too wild, too ludicrous. Heck, if he was being honest with himself, he’d admit that in their position, he’d do the same.
Of course you didn’t drop everything to believe a rando
m cadet’s tale that she’d travelled forward in time to witness the destruction of the Coalition.
A more likely explanation for Nida’s tale was the entity was having some insidious effect on her memory.
But what about him? He was Lieutenant Carson Blake, head of the Force, and apparently one of the Academy’s most promising graduates.
He thought he held more currency than that. Apparently he didn’t.
Or at least not with Singh.
When they made it back to the Academy, he’d beg Admiral Forest to listen.
He was currently in his room, pacing back and forth before the large, picturesque porthole that gave a prominent view of space flitting past beyond.
He’d taken his armor off, even his shoes. In bare feet, he walked back and forth, his toes sinking into the soft, thick pile of the carpet.
Though he could see his bed opposite, the covers and pillow practically beckoning him forward, he couldn’t sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the graveyard on and around Remus 12. All those Coalition vessels blown apart by the Vex’s surprise attack . . . It would take an age to wipe it from his memory.
Clamping a sweaty hand over his mouth, he stared at the view without pausing to actually see it.
His mind ran riot, assessing every possible plan it could.
He’d already decided if Admiral Forest didn’t believe him, he’d take matters into his own hands. He’d spring Nida from Harrington’s clutches, and they’d steal a ship if they had to. With the entity, they may just have a chance.
A slim one.
He winced. Of course he did. He knew what they were up against—he'd fought the goddamn Vex before. He also knew how desperate and cold they were. They would take any advantage given, exploit any opportunity they could.
The only way to fight them, would be to do so with the Coalition. They would be no match if they had to do this alone . . . .
Carson winced for about the fiftieth time, pushing his hand so far against his mouth, he soon tasted blood.
He didn’t let up until the intercom to his room buzzed.
It surprised him, and he jumped badly, before settling his heart, marching over to the doors, and opening them.
He expected to see Singh or Sharpe, or even the Chief Medical Officer here to question him more about Nida and her strange modified TI.
He was wrong.
It was Nida, with Harrington and a small security detachment right behind her.
He blinked back his surprise, and practically twitched as he waved her in.
Harrington marched in before she could, jostling into her shoulder as he scanned Carson’s room before coming to a stop somewhere in the middle, one palm lying flat over the gun in his holster.
Carson watched the man. Every move. From the tension playing across his jaw, to the steely look in his gaze.
Harrington didn’t trust Nida, and as the guy shot Carson a warning look, it was clear that distrust extended to him too.
After an awkward moment, Nida shuffled into the room, barely looking at him as she rubbed her shoulder.
Carson dearly wanted to rush over to her, and pull her into the world’s strongest embrace. They’d been apart too long. This crazy adventure had thrust them together, but now it seemed determined to keep them separate, and it was doing his head in.
He had to get her alone. There was so much to discuss. He also needed to assure her everything would be okay. Even if the Coalition didn’t believe them, he had no intention of giving up. And hey, considering they’d managed to defeat the entity multiple times before, maybe they could do it again.
They were a great team. She brought out his best qualities, always giving him the strength and will to continue, despite the odds.
Though he burned to tell her this, he couldn’t. Not with Harrington and half a security detachment watching his every move.
‘Stop wasting our time,’ Harrington suddenly snapped. ‘Say what you have to, so we can head back to the brig.’
Carson grit his teeth. In fact, he chomped on them so hard it was a surprise he didn’t bite right through his own jaw. ‘You want to stop pushing her?’ he shifted his head slowly to shoot Harrington a cold, warning glare.
Harrington didn’t budge.
‘It’s okay,’ Nida actually put her hands up, taking the tiniest step towards Carson.
She had a pleading expression on her face. A complex one. Right now, she was likely going through hell. No one believed her. Worse, in fact, she was being treated like a prisoner. There’d be no one to turn to, no friendly face, except for him. But with Harrington breathing down his neck, Carson could hardly show Nida the compassion she deserved.
Or could he?
Okay, he probably shouldn’t pull her into a passionate kiss, but screw it, he wasn’t going to stand here and let Harrington intimidate him.
So he held out a hand to her. He didn’t know why. It wasn’t like he had anywhere to take her. They were stuck on this ship together.
Still, the move was instinctual.
The Carson from a few months ago would never have done it. The Carson from a few months ago would not have fraternized with a cadet, at least not in front of a superior.
Right now, it didn’t matter. The rulebook had been thrown out the window the moment they travelled through time. From that point on, they’d been forced to rely on each other.
So yeah, he was going to hold a hand out to her, if only to remind her she wasn’t alone.
Though she looked unsure at first, as he continued to hold his hand aloft, she took it.
Her hand was warm against his, the barest of trembles crossing through her fingers and palm.
He wrapped his fingers around her own, not caring that Harrington shot him a questioning look and cleared his throat.
‘You alright?’ Carson asked her.
She paused in silence as she stared at the ground by his feet. She looked lost in thought as her eyes swung back and forth.
‘Nida?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. I just wanted to see you,’ she managed.
Harrington grumbled. It was loud, and made Nida jump. ‘I thought you said you had something important to tell him,’ he gestured towards Carson. ‘Are you wasting our time?’
‘Hey,’ Carson dropped Nida’s hand reluctantly as he turned his full attention on Harrington.
The guy was big, loud, and sure of himself. He was probably a great security officer. But right now, he was getting on Carson’s nerves.
The whole Coalition was.
‘We’re heading back to the brig,’ Harrington flicked his hand towards the door, ‘now that you two have held hands—’
Rather than turn pink and feel ashamed at his public display of affection, Carson simply shook his head. ‘You want to stop?’
Harrington raised an eyebrow. It was a slow move, deliberately designed to be intimidating. The guy also flicked the tip of his nose with one curled up knuckle. ‘What is that, Lieutenant?’
‘Commander Harrington, we both know the Captain has ordered you to watch Cadet Harper, not abuse her. Now I don’t really care if you don’t believe us, you’re going to afford her the respect she deserves.’
Harrington snorted dismissively.
Carson didn’t let up. ‘She hasn’t been charged with anything, she isn’t your prisoner. And even if she was, you’re a goddamn commander in the Coalition. You should be above belittling people.’
‘Don’t you tell me my job, Blake.’
‘If you don’t want to be reminded, stop acting like a scared idiot.’
‘Excuse me? I’ll report you for that.’
‘Go ahead. I’ll report you for threatening your charge. The Captain told you to watch her, not shove her through doorways and constantly put her down. I’ve done the same damn course you have, Harrington, and I know a security officer is at their worst when they treat those under their care as less than them.’
Before Harrington could react, Nida stepp
ed between them. ‘Okay,’ she kept her hands up, ‘that's enough. Carson,' she looked at him, and though at first the move had been strong and filled with defiance, he watched her shoulders drop, 'I just . . . it doesn't matter. They said we'll reach Earth soon, and I wanted to convene to discuss,' she flicked her eyes towards Harrington warily, 'our story.'
Harrington considered her coldly. 'Tale, you mean.'
Carson wanted more than anything to punch the guy, but settled for drawing his hand into a fist instead.
Nida looked at him and shook her head pointedly. 'Whatever you want to do, I'll help—'
'Is that a threat?' Harrington snapped.
Before Carson could shout at the guy, or just plain attack him, Nida whirled on her foot and placed her hands on her hips. 'No, Harrington, it is not a threat. Nothing I have done so far has been threatening. Carson is correct: the Captain told you to watch me, not berate me. While you can't follow orders, I can. I'm here to tell the Lieutenant here that when we reach Earth, I'll defer to his judgment,' she raised a hand sharply, 'before you snap that's a threat, it isn't. Neither Carson nor I have attacked you. We simply want to get our story across. Now, how about you walk me back to the brig before you blow that vein in your head or have a stroke?'
Carson was dumbstruck.
Not as flabbergasted as Harrington though. He looked ready to flay the cadet alive. Instead he grumbled to the security team and marched towards the door.
For a brief moment, Carson made eye contact with Nida. He wanted to shoot her a smile, but settled with crumpling his lips in and half shaking his head. 'Way to go,' he mouthed.
She quickly looked mortified at what she'd done—it would have been the first time she'd bad mouthed a superior—but soon turned on her foot to leave.
He seriously didn't want to see her go, but there was nothing he could do.
Not until he reached Earth.
There, he'd do everything he could to make them believe.
Watching her leave under guard gave him the resolve he needed to stiffen his back and tell himself this wasn't over.
He was going to do what it took to save the Coalition and get Nida back.
Whatever it took . . . .
Ouroboros- The Complete Series Page 74