Title: And Then the Rain
Chapter 1: Very Different Lights
Rating: PG-13
Characters are not mine. I am just borrowing.
F/F content.
The interesting and terrifying thing about the newly terraformed planet was how much it resembled Earth, and how very different it was as well. Life sprang up in familiar, but varied patterns, and it all started when one of the scientists realized that the beetles, which were supposed to be of one particular species, had become an entirely different species almost over night.
The new planet that was meant to be flawlessly designed decided it was not at ease being a mere copy. This created problems for those that were mapping it out for human habitations. There were new wonders, and many new dangers to be discovered. And some bright spark decided it should only take a few years of people adventuring around to discover all the little pitfalls.
Iria Winner sat in her office and read the latest mail from her family. There were lots of photos from her sisters, and one peculiar postcard from Quatre that let her know he was doing well, but not to pry. She never did.
She took a breath and watched the blue and red glow from the fireflies milling about outside. The lovely light was accompanied by the sound of a set of frogs that the two biologists at the outpost were fighting over naming rights to. The frogs made an odd sound that was less of a croak and more of a hiccup. Not having spent much time on Earth Iria found the noises charming.
As she finished with her mail she wondered when the next set of adventuring scientists would arrive. The conversations on her end of the planet were becoming fairly dull, though every so often a member from the next outpost, or even further would travel through with data on new discoveries from their neck of the woods, or swamp, or mountain.
Iria brushed a length of blonde hair from her face and behind her ear. She wasn't sure how she managed to get picked for a swamp, but she was beyond grateful that she hadn't been tossed in the desert.
She wanted something new and got it in spades.
The computer on her desk chirped at her to let her know she had an incoming call. The signals around the planet were pretty stable, but the communication back to Earth, or the farther colonies were still very spotty.
She turned her camera on and raised an eyebrow.
"Quatre? What can I do for you?"
Her brother grimaced and then said, "How quickly can you get out to these coordinates?"
She eyed the numbers on the left hand corner of her screen.
"Very fast. What do you-"
"Bring medical supplies and flare gun," Quatre said hurriedly. "Fire the flare when you are a mile out."
She nodded, and hated the rushed way in which he spoke.
She grabbed the keys to a jeep and told the rest of her team to get the medical bay ready. Then she left with one medic to help her out in case she needed another pair of hands.
The fireflies changed colors and the jeep sped past them, purple and green stars in the dark of night.
In her head Sally collected a blur of memories after having been shot. She remembered thinking it was a shame that trouble should be started on a planet that was meant to be a second start for some people. That as new and untamed as the frontier planet was, how beautiful and full of hope it was.
The rest of the pieces went in and out like waves. There had been a fire fight. There had been an explosion. She had been carried, and somewhere Quatre's face had become more feminine than usual.
She opened her eyes lazily and realized she had an oxygen mask over her face. It was hard to focus her vision.
"Sally," a voice said softly. "Dr. Sally Po?"
Sally nodded vaguely and shut her eyes.
"You've been shot," the voice said, "but more than that you've had a severe allergic reaction to the local pollen in the air."
She found herself grinning.
"Yeah, it is pretty funny for a Preventer to be nearly killed by plants," the voice said. "I'm sure you'd like to get better, and you will in a few days. Until then, I'm afraid you'll just have to sleep it off."
And suddenly, Sally felt herself drifting off, and her eyes closing.
Iria looked through her notes on her current patient's chart. Quatre had punched in some impressive access codes to unlock Sally's medical records for viewing. She was impressed that he had done it so quickly, but by the look on his face he was obviously close to the woman.
She bit her lip and nodded.
"Well?" Quatre had hardly left her side at all.
Iria smiled. "She'll be fine. She just needs rest and a few more allergy shots." She read a few more pieces of information and sighed. "She's quite impressive, your, Sally Po."
"She's merely a co-worker," Quatre stated quickly.
"Quatre, you're a Preventer. I know it, and it's fine. Talk to me like I have full clearance."
"Do you?"
She huffed and shook her head. Then she reached over to her computer and typed something in. Her personnel file popped up.
"Code name...Winter?" His brow furrowed and then he laughed. "It would be you. Why-"
"Well, why didn't you tell me. Do you think they'd just send teams of scientists out here without some Preventer presence?"
"No, I-" He looked at her oddly and then said, "She's actually my superior officer. A friend of mine from before, with the Gundams…he'd kill me if I let anything happen to her."
Iria nodded. "Then I'll make double sure Sally gets back to Earth in one piece."
He nodded and smiled. "I just can't get rid of you can I, Iria? You'll always be there to help me out."
"Always. Even when you don't think I can."
To be continued...
