Chapter One
Haven was in shambles. The lights flickered in some areas - in others, they would never come on again. Now and then an explosion in some distant chamber would break the ominous silence for a moment – but only for a moment. Bodies of elves and sprites littered the floors of decimated tunnels, like so much mudman refuse. And in the middle of one of these death zones was Holly Short.
If Commander Root could have seen her now, he would not have known her for the spirited and principled Recon officer she had once been. Now she was simply a shell, motionless and expressionless, slouched against the wall of the tunnel with her bruised and bleeding legs stretched outbefore her. Her LEP suit had more tears than seams. She had been coerced into "volunteering" a month before, a time when every fairy who could hold a gun suddenly felt the ardent desire to "volunteer." The Council still liked to pretend that such uniquely human policies as conscription were below fairy ethic.
After Holly had sat in silence for some time (and whether she were even aware of her surroundings could hardly be determined), Trouble came lumbering down the tunnel, gun in hand, jumping some bodies and kicking others to the side when they grew too numerous. At last he came to where Holly was and pronounced her name urgently.
"Holly!" he said. She didn't reply; her face didn't even register a sign that she had heard him. Her eyes stared blankly at the opposite wall of the tunnel, just as his had stared a few days earlier – but, then, the life behind his eyes had really been gone – Holly's eyesonly looked it.
"Holly!" said Trouble again, this time shaking her rather roughly by the shoulder. Holly's eyes came into focus and she saw him – recognized him, he was sure–but said nothing.
"Holly, what's the matter with you?" he asked impatiently. "Don't tell me you're shell-shocked now! You had plenty of opportunity to be that way a few days ago."
For a moment Holly just looked at him blankly. Then her countenance slowly broke into an eerie grin ,and she gave a little maniacal chuckle. Through all the terror of the last month, Trouble had been brave and unflinching, but now his spine tingled with an indefinable fear. But just as it had appeared, the smile and the madness disappeared, and she was just Holly again.
"What are you doing here, Trouble?" she asked him, frowning.
"What do you think? I've come to find you. We need all the officers we can get up top, everyone who can fire a gun, but we're running seriously short of ones with experience. So come on, let's get going!"
"No," said Hollyquietly and unequivocally. "I'm not coming."
"What are you talking about, Short? Get up, and get a move on," he said, the anger seeping into his voice.
"I told you I won't," said Holly, growing angry in her turn.
"Are yousaying you're just going to sit here and relaxwhile your people fight and die?" stormed Trouble.
"My people?" she scoffed. "Who are my people? I don't know anymore. I don't think I ever had a people."
Trouble was becoming enraged. All of his good men and civilians were dropping by the hundreds while one of the best officers sat philosophizing? He came to a decision; grabbing her arm, he yanked her to her feet.
"We're going, Short," he said brusquely. "Don't think you're going tomope here while Haven –"
His words were cut short as Holly suddenly jabbed her elbow hard into Trouble's kidneys,snatched her Neutrino 2000 from its holster, and pointed it at his chest as he crouched in pain, winded.
"There is no haven," she said with a voice of iron. "And I won't come with you."
When Trouble recovered enough breath, he rasped out a scornful reproach: "What has that mud boy done to you? You're no fairy at all. Stay down here and die if that's what you want." He turned and limped back the way he had come, nearly doubled over in pain.
When his footsteps ceased to echo, Holly's gun hand began to shake and she dropped the Neutrino and fell to the floor. Drawing her knees to her chest, she began to sob.
Worlds had collided, and there was nothing left.