Natalie stared at her for a few moments before she slowly reached down, canceled the firing orders, and placed the safety card back in its slot. She dismounted and tried to meet Jenn’s gaze, but it was too much, so she looked at the floor as she came to a halt. It was littered with drops of blood and bits of flesh no matter which way she looked. Disgusted by the carnage on the floor, she settled for staring at the outer docking bay door. Several seconds of silence passed until Jenn finally spoke.
“Thank you, Natalie. You saved thousands of lives today.”
Still not looking at her friend, Natalie shook her head. If she spoke, she wasn’t sure what would come out. Anguish? Despair? Would she ever be able to stop this madness?
“I met your brother, Natalie. I felt the fight they were in on another part of the ship and made the decision they needed my help first. I helped them keep the weapons offline, then Samuel helped me disable the rest of the ship and trap the remaining crew in place until we gather them up. I thought if they had been overrun and the weapons had been reactivated that many more people would die on the surface and I… ” Natalie waited for Jenn to continue. She seemed troubled. “Natalie, I’m sorry I let you down. I put you in a horrible position and I’m terribly sorry.”
Natalie finally looked at Jenn, but still didn’t reply. Natalie realized she still had her swords out to her sides with the points down as if she was waiting for more fighting to break out. She threw the swords from her and sunk to the floor, her back against the heavy weapon she had used to kill all those people. She pulled her feet up close to her chest and rested her head on her knees.
Jenn stood where she was for a couple minutes while Natalie sat and looked around the large room again. She seemed to be analyzing the area. After a while she knelt down and laid both of her hands on the smooth surface of the floor for a few moments before straightening again. Natalie knew Jenn couldn’t stop thinking about things. Her mind never turned off. She couldn’t help it. It was who she was. Natalie, however, felt like a zombie. Her mind buzzed with nothing but the deaths she was responsible for. It was as if her brain had flatlined. Part of her wondered if things would feel better if it actually did.
Jenn walked over to where Natalie sat and waited almost a full minute before she reached a hand out to help her up. “Natalie, I’m going to try to bring back Leah now. Will you please help me? I don’t know if I can do it alone. I need your strength. I need my friend and the only family I have left with me. Will you do it with me, please?” Her voice cracked slightly as she pleaded.
Natalie sat silently for a couple moments then reached her gloved hand up to Jenn and just held it there for a time without moving. She finally looked up at Jenn and spoke.
“My friend. For Leah.”
Jenn
Jenn walked onto the bridge of the ship with Natalie behind her. She had helped Natalie remove her entire armor suit and cuts and bruises were visible all over her body. Blood seeped out from her wounds and she still had some soot on her from the fire she had crawled out of earlier in the day. Her arms were badly burnt, and her hair was half singed away. Jenn didn’t know how the woman was still walking around. The nanites were keeping her alive, but she wasn’t sure how well they helped with the pain.
The physical pain was one thing, but Jenn was more concerned about Natalie’s mental state. The woman had been through so much that Jenn didn’t know if she would be able to fully cope with it. Jenn reached back and gently squeezed Natalie’s hand, infusing her with more energy as she did. Hopefully the nanites would help with the pain if they had more energy. Natalie gently squeezed back in acknowledgment.
The dimensions of the bridge weren’t much different from the rooms in the rest of the ship. It was roughly 25 feet wide and long like most other rooms. There were control consoles at the base of each wall with large display screens from of the top of the consoles up to the ceiling. The screens were dark and wrapped around the entire length of the room seamlessly, except for the one door Natalie and Jenn stood in front of. In the center of the room was another set of consoles that were situated around a table screen at their center.
Samuel was seated at one of the center consoles with the Senior Centurion standing behind him, helmet removed and arms locked behind his back. He turned as Jenn and Natalie approached, then knelt down with his head bowed in their direction. Samuel made no move.
“Get up you idiot,” Natalie scolded him. “We’re not your superiors. You’re free to do whatever you want now. If you don’t stand, we’ll finish that fight we started earlier and this time I won’t hold back.”
The Senior Centurion quickly stood up straight. He rubbed the top of his head with a gloved hand and his scarred eye seemed to twitch. “Free, you say? An illusion. We are all bound to you and your… friend now as much as we were with the Legion.”
“You’re such a dork,” Natalie fired back, pain hiding behind her icy glare.
Jenn laughed at her reply. Natalie looked at her and shrugged. Jenn was happy to hear her talk again. She was clever with a sharp tongue. Sometimes Jenn felt like she knew what Natalie was going to say before she even spoke. So much of their memories were shared now, it was hard to distinguish between them.
Jenn looked back at the Senior Centurion and began tapping her finger on her lips. There were so many questions. Why were these people indistinguishable from humans? Why did they all seem to speak the same languages which originated on Earth? Even the way they spoke and the things they said were familiar and in similar context with somebody from Earth.
“Samuel, have you gained access to the navigation and propulsion systems on the ship?” Jenn kept her eyes on the Senior Centurion as she spoke. She was sure he didn’t know how to take her yet. Didn’t understand the things she could do. He was perceptive and intelligent, though, and seemed to want to figure her out on his own without asking direct questions.
Samuel gave her a thumbs-up without turning to look at her. Jenn found it very unfortunate that Samuel couldn’t speak. She didn’t know much about him, but she could tell his mind was impressive. He would be a great asset even with the communication limitations.
“Excellent. Well done. Would you please navigate to the following coordinates at best possible speed? I’ll be able to give you more precise movement instructions when we arrive.” She read off the three-dimensional coordinates she had memorized years ago.
Samuel began entering the information in the control panel. They waited in silence until Natalie spoke up. “Your Earth friends may get pissed if they find out we’re taking the ship for a joy ride.”
Jenn waved her off. “Nonsense. This is our ship. We may let them use it later if they’re lucky.”
The ship lurched and shook slightly as the main engines engaged. Jenn felt a slight sense of movement as they lifted further into the atmosphere. Earth’s gravity was still strong here, but it would dissipate as they entered the Exosphere.
Natalie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Sorry, leaders of Earth. We’re keeping this ship for a while. Denver traffic can get pretty bad and we don’t like going through airport security. Oh no, you can’t play with the big guns we have up here either. Just be happy we don’t blow you all up.”
Jenn smiled. She loved it when Natalie was like this. “Goodness, Natalie. What is it the kids say these days? You’re so salty right now!”
Natalie looked at her, perplexed. “Oh, come on, Jenn! Can’t you see what we’re getting into here? At the very least they’re going to have a hard time trusting us after we do this.”
“I know, Dear. It will be worth it. I hope.”
“Yeah… me too.”
They hadn’t told the men what their mission was. Jenn still found it difficult to talk about with anybody except Natalie and it seemed better to explain everything only if she was successful. This moment had been years in the making. She had done the calculations for the energy she would need if they made it to the correct spot. It was the exact spot where the Earth was locat
ed in its orbital path when the accident occurred years ago. She just hoped she’d be able to detect something if she got close enough. Everything hinged on that one spark of hope.
Natalie must have realized what Jenn was thinking, because she walked over and put a burnt and scarred arm around Jenn’s shoulders. “We’ll get her back,” she whispered.
Jenn wiped away a tear she didn’t realize had formed and smiled, nodding. Natalie gave Jenn a gentle hug then pulled away to sit down beside Samuel. “So, Brother. Are we there yet?”
Samuel’s gaze darted to his sister, then away again as he shook his head without making eye contact. He typed feverishly and swatted at various buttons as they soared away from Earth. Natalie rolled her eyes, leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the console.
The Senior Centurion looked over, opened his mouth as if he were going to scold Natalie, then stopped short. He gave her a stern look of disapproval instead. Natalie held up her middle finger in reply.
Jenn stifled a laugh with her hand and turned away. The Senior Centurion looked extremely confused. He shook his head and turned to Jenn. “What have you done to her?” He seemed incredulous that a member of the Legion would ever act this way.
“Much, I’m afraid. What you’re seeing right now, my dear Senior Centurion, is Natalie. Not the Praetorian Guard member who was programmed to obey, as you were. What you need to know is we share a great deal of ourselves with each other now and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help and protect her.”
The man nodded a few times after Jenn finished and seemed to accept what she said even though he didn’t understand it. Some of it had been for Natalie, anyway. Jenn wanted her to hear that Natalie was her own person now so she could start to come to terms with her independence and freedom.
Samuel raised a hand and showed one finger followed by three.
“Thirteen minutes until we arrive at your desired location,” the Senior Centurion clarified.
“Well done, Samuel,” Jenn said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
Natalie reached over and patted Samuel on the back. He recoiled from her like she had punched him.
The Senior Centurion stepped forward. “Praetorian, he doesn’t like being touched.”
“Right. I’ll keep that in mind.” She spoke to Samuel again and softened her voice. “I’m sorry, Samuel.”
Samuel straightened and looked at her for a moment, then went back to work on his console.
“Jenn, are you sure that our friends in the docking bay are still secure?”
“Quite sure, Natalie.”
“We need a name for Mr. Senior Centurion over there. What do you think, Jenn? How about ‘Baldy’?” Natalie asked, apparently serious.
“Natalie, please be kind to the man. He’s been through a lot, too. We’re all on the same side here.”
Natalie shrugged. “He looks like a ‘Baldy’ to me, but how about ‘Marcus’?”
The Senior Centurion looked over to her and replied, “If it quiets you down, I’ll take the name Marcus.”
Jenn nodded at the name. It would do.
“Marcus it is,” Jenn said. “Marcus, trust me, she wouldn’t be talking to you like this if she didn’t like you. Start to worry when she stops teasing you. Then you’re likely in some sort of trouble.”
Natalie gave Jenn a dirty look as Marcus nodded with a thin smile. Jenn knew Natalie was talking like this because she was nervous about what was to come. Rather than pace or fidget, Natalie used humor and sarcasm to cope.
Jenn, however, felt the need to move. She started to make a slow circuit around the center controls. Natalie, with her head leaning back and eyes closed, was making a show of being at ease. Jenn knew better, of course.
Samuel was still actively using the control panels. Jenn didn’t know what he was working on and she didn’t ask. She would give the man space and speak to him when he was ready. He seemed pleased with himself at the moment, flashing a quick smile and sitting forward in his chair. He gave no indication he was going to tell anybody what he was doing so Jenn just kept walking and waiting.
The Senior Centurion, Marcus, barely moved, his arms still behind his back. Though Jenn had given him no information, he was taking their mission seriously. He occasionally examined each of his companions in turn, as if to give himself some kind of status report on what was going on around him. The process seemed like second nature. Jenn wondered if the man would ever be able to decompress, even with his so-called liberation.
Jenn’s thoughts drifted back to what they were about to do. It inevitably brought back memories of the accident. She could still close her eyes and feel the bitter cold wind, see the swirling snow falling all around her. The image of the burning wreckage was seared into her mind as precise as a picture. She still had nightmares about it. She would run towards the vehicle to try and rescue them, all the while hearing Leah’s frightened cries. No matter how hard she ran she could never reach them to help. She would finally hear another voice rise above the baby’s cries. Her heart broke each time she heard Charles try to soothe Leah. “Everything will be okay, little one. Daddy’s here. Daddy will protect you.”
Jenn was facing away from her companions as she used a trembling hand to wipe away fresh tears. The dream gave her such a sense of helplessness that she could barely cope. Afterwards she always had one thought: even with all her powers, she still couldn’t save them.
Suddenly Jenn felt a hand slip into hers. It was warm, and gave her instant comfort. Natalie gave her hand a gentle squeeze and reassured her with a confident smile.
“We’re here. It’s time.”
Natalie
Jenn decided more space was needed to do whatever it was she was going to do, so they made their way to the docking bay again. Natalie didn’t understand what Jenn was going to do, but she supported her and would help in any way she could.
Samuel and Marcus would stay on the bridge. Jenn had instructed them to remain in contact using the ship’s communications system, which Samuel had finally accessed. She would give them directions to guide the ship to a more precise location when she found… something.
The captive soldiers and crew were being held behind a large plasma field, as Jenn called them, in an area that took up roughly half the docking bay. She told Natalie it was a different type of field from the one she created in the lab and wasn’t being sustained by an energy source, so it would eventually dissipate. She said it would last as long as they needed it to. Natalie took her word for it, but kept an eye on the wall anyway. Looking through the field and seeing the roughly four hundred soldiers and crew of the ship made her uneasy. They had been disarmed by Jenn as she placed them behind the field, but Natalie knew they could still cause trouble if they weren’t watched closely. Most of them just sat on the floor or leaned against a wall looking uncomfortable. There wasn’t any capture protocol. If they failed a mission, they died. Now, captured and alive, Natalie knew they must be at a complete loss.
Some of the higher ranked soldiers stood closer to the field to get a better look at what was on the other side. The injured and dead soldiers were already transferred to another part of the ship or placed in stasis until they could get medical attention. Natalie hoped they would recover. Jenn helped however she could to keep the injured alive.
Jenn placed a hand on Natalie’s shoulder as they both looked at the captives. “My field will hold them. Have no worries about that. I don’t know what’s going to happen to them afterwards, but we’ll make sure they’re treated fairly.”
Natalie simply shook her head, turned, and walked away from the field. Jenn’s hand fell away as she left.
“Where do you want to do this, Jenn? Are you going to make anything blow up?”
“Over there will do.” She motioned to an open area in the center of the large room.
“So, I’m just going to stand back a bit because you didn’t answer my blowing up question.”
Jenn rolled her eyes, walked over to a cont
rol panel, and activated the communication channel to the bridge as Samuel had demonstrated to her. “Samuel, Marcus, can you hear us?”
“Indeed, we can. Samuel has indicated he is ready to navigate upon your instructions.”
“Very well, Marcus. Please stand by.”
The transmission was perfectly clear and loud enough to be heard from across the room.
Jenn’s shoulders rose and fell with a deep breath. She turned to Natalie one last time before she began. Natalie walked over and wrapped her arms around Jenn for a last encouraging hug. The women exchanged one more glance and Jenn turned, positioning herself about 15 feet from where Natalie stood.
Natalie couldn’t see anything happening, but she knew Jenn had started as soon as she closed her eyes and cocked her head like she was listening for something. Half a minute went by like that until Jenn moved her head and appeared to be looking at something with her eyes still closed. It was off to her left and through the floor. After a few seconds she shook her head and faced forward again. Whatever she found wasn’t what she was looking for.
More minutes passed as Natalie stood watching Jenn becoming increasingly tense and strained. Her muscles ripped in spots on her arms and legs. Her breathing became more rapid. Sweat formed on her forehead.
As Jenn continued, Natalie thought about all they’d been through together. There was an immense amount of pressure and anxiety connected to this moment. Jenn had to succeed. Not just for bringing Leah back alive. Of course, that was the most important thing that could come out of this, but she had to succeed to make everything Natalie had done seem worth it. All the torture, pain, and killing that had happened had to have some meaning for Natalie. If it was all for nothing, Natalie wasn’t sure she would ever recover. An integral part of her would be lost forever.
Another minute passed, and Jenn strained even harder. She was holding her breath, standing on her toes as her whole body strained and stretched out. Worry clouded Natalie’s brain as she counted to more than 30 before Jenn let out a loud gasp. She turned and pointed to a spot behind her.
The Harmony Divide- Never Alone Page 18