"From the Void"
Part 3
Jerron pulled his hat lower over his brown eyes to block the sun's brillant glare and turned back to the tractor engine he was working on. His eyes widened in surprise when he turned a bolt and it suddenly shot off, spraying him with oil. He put his hands up and took a step back. His foot hit air instead of metal and he cursed loudly as he fell. The impact with the ground knocked the air out of him and he saw spots dancing before his eyes. Nara saw him fall and rushed toward him. "Are you alright?" she asked, leaning over him. There was concern written all over her face. "Yeah." he answered quickly, bolting up. "I'm fine." She eyed him skeptically before walking away. Jerron watched her walk toward the dome and sighed as he stood up and went back to work.
Nara climbed back up the ladder and picked up her discarded hammer. Why had she invited this man to stay? She'd asked herself that same question a hundred times already. He was useful, she couldn't deny that. Maybe she subconsciously wanted company. Someone she could confide in. She smiled ruefully. Someone to keep up until the early hours of morning talking about the farm. After Marsala had left she'd felt so...abandoned. Maybe fate had brought Jerron Knox into her life. He was just as hurt as she was. Maybe more so. She watched as he pulled his hat off and wiped his forehead with his shirtsleeve. He ran his fingers through redish-brown hair before he put his hat back on. He looked toward her as if sensing she was looking at him. She waved to him and he lifted his hand in return. Nara smiled and went back to work. Not ten minutes later she felt a burning sensation run up her arm. Her hammer fell from her suddenly numb fingers. "Not now." she moaned to herself and clutched her arm to her chest. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. Tears dampened her cheeks and she knew that they were tinted green without looking at them. Slowly the pain began to ease until it was only a dull, easily managed, throb. What had brought that on?
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"We've been walking for two hours, O'Reilly." "I know." Colleen sighed in response. "I feel like we're going...in circles. HOLLIS! That's it!" "What?" Hollis inquired, baffled. "We've been looking for a way out of here by following this wall and hoping to find a door or something." she explained, shining her light on the wall beneath her other hand. "But what if the way out isn't down here? It's up there?" she pointed the beam up into the dark above them. "Of course. Like a garbage disposal." "Oh, that's a comforting thought." Colleen muttered to herself. She could tell Hollis was frowning at her in the darkness. "So. How are we going to get up there?" she wondered. Hollis looked the wall up and down. He was silent for a moment then pulled out a wickedly long knife and experimentally tried to cut a hand hold in the metal, leaving a deep gash behind. "Well, this should prove to be....WHAT!?!" She was interupted as the whole deck beneath her feet suddenly shifted, almost throwing her to her knees. She braced herself against the wall and waited but nothing happened. "What the heck was that?" "Maybe we're moving or maybe the ExoFleet has found us." Hollis supplied, as shaken as she was. "Maybe. Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the wall. Hollis moved past her and began to carve out hand and foot holds. Colleen looked up into the void. How high would they have to climb? She adjusted her half empty canteen and attached her light to her belt but left it on. She took a deep breath and began to follow Hollis up the sheer wall.
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Alec bolted up in bed, a cold sweat drenching his body from head to toe. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tightly, trying to stop his violent shaking. Algernon assumed the nightmares were a natural reaction of his body to dying and being reborn. He wasn't sure of course since the only other clone was Alice Noretti and she was dead again. Alec shivered again. He didn't really like to think about what had happened. To him the whole process was like going to sleep and then waking up. He looked the same. He still felt the same emotion and sensations. It was just unnerving. He tossed the blankets back and dressed quickly. He eased his door open and scanned the hall before slipping out and down the stairs and out the back door.
Maggie woke groggily to an annoying beep from one of the pouches on her belt. She yawned, coming fully awake, and pulled out a small metal square no longer than her little finger. It was flashing the urgent and report codes. Only three people knew how to access her personal channel and she doubted it was Alec or Algernon so that left J.T. Marsh. She turned the panel off and sat up. She dressed and crept down the hall to Alec's room, trying her hardest not to wake anyone. She looked around his empty room in confusion. Where had he gone in the middle of the night? She walked to the window and looked out. She spotted a figure sitting on a small rise a little away from the house.
Alec could hear Maggie coming up behind him and leaned back on his elbows, gazing at the sky. Her footsteps were distinctive. Long, determined, and measured. Just like her. "Sorry if I woke you. Old habits die hard. I used to come out here as a kid when I needed time to think." he said softly. "Why didn't you tell them about...?" she asked suddenly, appalled that she'd said it. He was silent for a minute. "Because they love me for me, not the body I'm in. It wouldn't matter to them." Alec responded. He looked up at her, his eyes probing. "Does it matter to you, Maggie?" Her throat had suddenly gone dry. "Alec, I...I..." She froze, for some reason she just couldn't say the words. "I'm sorry." "So am I. What did you need?" he replied, turning away. Maggie swallowed convousively. "J.T. sent out an urgent message. I need to report. You can stay if you want." she answered finally, not daring to look at him. "I have to go back soon anyway." he said, standing. "I'll go get my stuff and leave my mother a note." Maggie watched him walk back to the house in misery.
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Avery Butler steepled his forefingers in front of him. "Takagi, huh?" he asked, bemused. "Is that a problem?" "A problem?!" Butler let out a short bark of laughter. "You'll be doing me a favor Commander Marsh. I'd rather have him out doing something useful and giving someone else a headache for a change." "Is he that bad?" J.T. asked and smiled slightly. Same old Kaz. "He's not a bad kid, just not cut out for the responsiblity of leadership. Yet." "That's Kaz for you. Thank you, Captain Butler." J.T. said, standing. Avery also stood. "You're going after the aliens aren't you?" he ventured. "Off the record? Yeah. On the record? What aliens?" J.T. answered. "Bring my platoon back, J.T." "We'll do our best, Avery." J.T. assured him softly.
Jerron pulled his hat lower over his brown eyes to block the sun's brillant glare and turned back to the tractor engine he was working on. His eyes widened in surprise when he turned a bolt and it suddenly shot off, spraying him with oil. He put his hands up and took a step back. His foot hit air instead of metal and he cursed loudly as he fell. The impact with the ground knocked the air out of him and he saw spots dancing before his eyes. Nara saw him fall and rushed toward him. "Are you alright?" she asked, leaning over him. There was concern written all over her face. "Yeah." he answered quickly, bolting up. "I'm fine." She eyed him skeptically before walking away. Jerron watched her walk toward the dome and sighed as he stood up and went back to work.
Nara climbed back up the ladder and picked up her discarded hammer. Why had she invited this man to stay? She'd asked herself that same question a hundred times already. He was useful, she couldn't deny that. Maybe she subconsciously wanted company. Someone she could confide in. She smiled ruefully. Someone to keep up until the early hours of morning talking about the farm. After Marsala had left she'd felt so...abandoned. Maybe fate had brought Jerron Knox into her life. He was just as hurt as she was. Maybe more so. She watched as he pulled his hat off and wiped his forehead with his shirtsleeve. He ran his fingers through redish-brown hair before he put his hat back on. He looked toward her as if sensing she was looking at him. She waved to him and he lifted his hand in return. Nara smiled and went back to work. Not ten minutes later she felt a burning sensation run up her arm. Her hammer fell from her suddenly numb fingers. "Not now." she moaned to herself and clutched her arm to her chest. She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. Tears dampened her cheeks and she knew that they were tinted green without looking at them. Slowly the pain began to ease until it was only a dull, easily managed, throb. What had brought that on?
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"We've been walking for two hours, O'Reilly." "I know." Colleen sighed in response. "I feel like we're going...in circles. HOLLIS! That's it!" "What?" Hollis inquired, baffled. "We've been looking for a way out of here by following this wall and hoping to find a door or something." she explained, shining her light on the wall beneath her other hand. "But what if the way out isn't down here? It's up there?" she pointed the beam up into the dark above them. "Of course. Like a garbage disposal." "Oh, that's a comforting thought." Colleen muttered to herself. She could tell Hollis was frowning at her in the darkness. "So. How are we going to get up there?" she wondered. Hollis looked the wall up and down. He was silent for a moment then pulled out a wickedly long knife and experimentally tried to cut a hand hold in the metal, leaving a deep gash behind. "Well, this should prove to be....WHAT!?!" She was interupted as the whole deck beneath her feet suddenly shifted, almost throwing her to her knees. She braced herself against the wall and waited but nothing happened. "What the heck was that?" "Maybe we're moving or maybe the ExoFleet has found us." Hollis supplied, as shaken as she was. "Maybe. Shall we?" she asked, gesturing to the wall. Hollis moved past her and began to carve out hand and foot holds. Colleen looked up into the void. How high would they have to climb? She adjusted her half empty canteen and attached her light to her belt but left it on. She took a deep breath and began to follow Hollis up the sheer wall.
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Alec bolted up in bed, a cold sweat drenching his body from head to toe. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them tightly, trying to stop his violent shaking. Algernon assumed the nightmares were a natural reaction of his body to dying and being reborn. He wasn't sure of course since the only other clone was Alice Noretti and she was dead again. Alec shivered again. He didn't really like to think about what had happened. To him the whole process was like going to sleep and then waking up. He looked the same. He still felt the same emotion and sensations. It was just unnerving. He tossed the blankets back and dressed quickly. He eased his door open and scanned the hall before slipping out and down the stairs and out the back door.
Maggie woke groggily to an annoying beep from one of the pouches on her belt. She yawned, coming fully awake, and pulled out a small metal square no longer than her little finger. It was flashing the urgent and report codes. Only three people knew how to access her personal channel and she doubted it was Alec or Algernon so that left J.T. Marsh. She turned the panel off and sat up. She dressed and crept down the hall to Alec's room, trying her hardest not to wake anyone. She looked around his empty room in confusion. Where had he gone in the middle of the night? She walked to the window and looked out. She spotted a figure sitting on a small rise a little away from the house.
Alec could hear Maggie coming up behind him and leaned back on his elbows, gazing at the sky. Her footsteps were distinctive. Long, determined, and measured. Just like her. "Sorry if I woke you. Old habits die hard. I used to come out here as a kid when I needed time to think." he said softly. "Why didn't you tell them about...?" she asked suddenly, appalled that she'd said it. He was silent for a minute. "Because they love me for me, not the body I'm in. It wouldn't matter to them." Alec responded. He looked up at her, his eyes probing. "Does it matter to you, Maggie?" Her throat had suddenly gone dry. "Alec, I...I..." She froze, for some reason she just couldn't say the words. "I'm sorry." "So am I. What did you need?" he replied, turning away. Maggie swallowed convousively. "J.T. sent out an urgent message. I need to report. You can stay if you want." she answered finally, not daring to look at him. "I have to go back soon anyway." he said, standing. "I'll go get my stuff and leave my mother a note." Maggie watched him walk back to the house in misery.
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Avery Butler steepled his forefingers in front of him. "Takagi, huh?" he asked, bemused. "Is that a problem?" "A problem?!" Butler let out a short bark of laughter. "You'll be doing me a favor Commander Marsh. I'd rather have him out doing something useful and giving someone else a headache for a change." "Is he that bad?" J.T. asked and smiled slightly. Same old Kaz. "He's not a bad kid, just not cut out for the responsiblity of leadership. Yet." "That's Kaz for you. Thank you, Captain Butler." J.T. said, standing. Avery also stood. "You're going after the aliens aren't you?" he ventured. "Off the record? Yeah. On the record? What aliens?" J.T. answered. "Bring my platoon back, J.T." "We'll do our best, Avery." J.T. assured him softly.