"From the Void"
Part 4
Hollis stopped after what seemed to be hours of climbing. "What is it?" Colleen panted, digging her fingers into the hand hold more securely. "We've hit a ledge." he called down. She cursed softly. "Can you cut through it?" She heard scraping above her. "I don't think so." Colleen gritted her teeth in annoyance then let her breath out slowly. She was frustrated, hot, tired, and lost. It didn't combined to put her in a good mood. She reached down and pulled her blaster from its holster. "Put your head down, Hollis." she snapped before firing rapidly into the darkness above her. Chunks of the obliterated shelf rained down on her head and shoulders. She tried to duck her head so the worst of it wouldn't get to her but a piece sliced her forehead. There was a burst of pain then numbness followed by the warm wetness of blood at her temple. She stifled a gasp of pain. "By all of Chaos, woman!!! What are you doing?!" Hollis shouted at her. "Clearing the way." Colleen managed to reply sweetly. "Shall we continue?" Hollis bit back a scathing remark and grumbled under his breath about foolish women but resumed climbing. Colleen pulled herself up on the ledge after Hollis and collapsed. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony even though she was in good shape. She trembled with exhaustion. She gulped air into her lungs. She was pleasently surprised to find that the ledge was wide enough for her to stretch her legs out. But why was there a ledge there anyway? And where was there? The not knowing was almost as disturbing as the endless dark. Eternally the optimist she decided when she got out of this she was going to sit in the sun for a whole day. But first she had to actually get out. "Now's a good time to rest." she joked weakly. As if on cue her light sputtered and died, plunging them into total darkness. Colleen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. It was nothing to worry about. They still had Hollis' right? "Colleen?" "It's alright, Hollis." she tried to sound reassuring. "Let's just rest awhile." Silence answered her. She rested her head against the wall and let herself doze.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
"Okay. Here's the situation." J.T. Marsh said, pacing up and down the ranks of the gathered ExoTroopers. "It's been four days since Chaos' disappearence. Since then there has been no contact with anyone stationed there and no sightings of the ships." J.T. stopped at a viewport and gazed out at the inky blackness, broken only by the lights of the stars and the combined ExoFleet and Neosapien ships. He let his mind wander for a moment. Only three members of Able Squad had reported. Rita would never be left out and Bronski and Kaz jumped at the chance for a little action. Eve Hanley had accompanied Bronski after refusing to leave her fiannce's side. Only two other troopers had volunteered to go, Jennifer Kersh and Jace Styn. J.T. wished he had more experienced members but Nara couldn't be reached, Marsala was obligated to be present at the Senate, Maggie was on leave who knew where, and Alec...Alec was... He crushed the errant thought. He'd fail another member of his squad. This time his best friend. First Alice Noretti, now Alec. They'd been together since their days at the academy. He shook off his grief. More people were depending on him, he could feel their eyes on him, and he wouldn't let them down. He smiled slightly as everyone averted their eyes when he turned around. Knowing they still believed in him strengthened his resolve. "I want you all to make sure you know the consequences. You could be courtmarshalled." He paused a moment to let it sink in then smiled when he heard a quiet "Wouldn't be the first time." No one noticed when Alec and Maggie arrived. She was about to enter the hanger when she noticed the apprehension in his eyes. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked down at her. "Want to wait a minute?" she asked. He nodded slowly. He was still terrified of confronting what had happened. Maggie squeezed his arm reassuringly and they turned back to the hanger. "There were at least 350,000 people on Chaos when it disappeared. Along with two ExoCruisers, the Secura and the Eisenhower, and the Charlie-Five Jumptroop squadron. Maggie gasped in shock. What had happened while she had been gone? She felt Alec tense next to her and knew he felt the same way. "Colleen." she heard him whisper. "There's still time for any of you to back out. No one will hold it against you." J.T. emphasized again, directing the comment at Kersh and Styn. Kersh arched an elegant black eyebrow at him and smiled. Alec looked back down at Maggie, the fear replaced by determination. "We have to go." He stepped out from the shadows of the door and strode across the bay toward the small gathering. J.T. heard steps behind him and spun, blaster in hand. "Holy." Bronski muttered. Alec met J.T.'s stunned eyes down the barrel of the gun. "Do you have room for two more?" J.T. just stared in silence for a long minute. Then his fist caught Alec's jaw and he sprawled on the floor. A small murmur of sound went thru the group watching. Alec sat up slowly, rubbing his chin. The blow hurt like Hell. Maggie came running across the hanger. "Alec?" "I'm fine." he assured her. J.T. whirled on Maggie. "Can I speak to you, Lt. Weston?" he asked coldly befor walking away. Maggie looked at Alec helplessly the stalked after J.T. The hurt and dejection in his eyes made her heart ache in response. J.T. stopped well away from the squad. He heard Maggie stop next to him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Care to explain?" Maggie had planned for this. "Explain what? It's Alec, J.T. He's a clone, just like Noretti." "I know what he is!" J.T. exploded. "What is it doing here?!" Maggie blinked and took a step backward. "He's part of the squad." Fury crossed J.T.'s face. "Alec was part of the squad. That," he pointed to where Alec was standing alone, "is a clone who looks like him but that doesn't make him Alec!" "J.T.!" "I know you miss him, Mags. I miss him, too." he continued more softly. "But this is only going to make it harder for you to get on with your life." Maggie's eyes hardened in rage. "Forget it. We don't have time to argue. People need help on Chaos. Alec's clone, " she slurred the word in distaste, "wants to help." She spun on her heel. "You'll see that it really is Alec." she threw back over her shoulder. J.T. rejoined the group. He passed Alec with only a cursory glance. "Let's go people, we've got a job to do." Alec swallowed his disappointment and went to get his E-frame. What had he been expecting? To be welcomed back with open arms? Reality hurt. He palmed open the storage unit for his spare and did a quick check of the outside. He stepped into the cockpit and waited for the cyberjack to link up. Alec settled his shoulders in to the padding and initiated the start- up sequence. It felt like coming home, at least until the cockpit began to close. Suddenly, everywhere he looked he saw Typhonus. The remembered pain was so vivid it could have been real. He rested his head against the glass and closed his eyes, drawing a ragged breath. The neosapian's face burned behind his eyelids. "Alec? Are you ready?" Maggie questioned. He opened his eyes slowly. "Uh...yeah." She didn't look like she believed him but there wasn't time for her to comment on it. J.T. wanted to get out of there before someone caught on to what they were doing. "Systems check." he barked. Everyone called out affirmatives. "Then let's go." "Commander Marsh! I must speak to you!" Everyone exchanged worried glances. J.T. turned to face the man running towards them. Commander Gibbons skidded to a halt when he spotted the gun in the other man's hand. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, Commander." J.T. told him. "You'll have to catch me later." The E-frames lifted off the deck, leaving Gibbons red-faced and angry. "This is insubordination!" he sputtered. "You'll all be courtmarshalled!" "Wouldn't be the first time." J.T. quipped, then saluted mockingly and followed his squad into the darkness of space. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------
Jerron Knox was in love. Or this was how he thought it would feel. He was sure Nara felt something for him, too, even if it was just friendship. At least, he hoped so. He looked down at her still form. She was exhausted. She'd been talking to him and had just fallen asleep. He could feel the weariness pulling at him too, but he wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet. Jerron pulled a blanket over Nara then frowned. She was hiding something from him, and he was determined to find out what it was.
Hollis stopped after what seemed to be hours of climbing. "What is it?" Colleen panted, digging her fingers into the hand hold more securely. "We've hit a ledge." he called down. She cursed softly. "Can you cut through it?" She heard scraping above her. "I don't think so." Colleen gritted her teeth in annoyance then let her breath out slowly. She was frustrated, hot, tired, and lost. It didn't combined to put her in a good mood. She reached down and pulled her blaster from its holster. "Put your head down, Hollis." she snapped before firing rapidly into the darkness above her. Chunks of the obliterated shelf rained down on her head and shoulders. She tried to duck her head so the worst of it wouldn't get to her but a piece sliced her forehead. There was a burst of pain then numbness followed by the warm wetness of blood at her temple. She stifled a gasp of pain. "By all of Chaos, woman!!! What are you doing?!" Hollis shouted at her. "Clearing the way." Colleen managed to reply sweetly. "Shall we continue?" Hollis bit back a scathing remark and grumbled under his breath about foolish women but resumed climbing. Colleen pulled herself up on the ledge after Hollis and collapsed. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony even though she was in good shape. She trembled with exhaustion. She gulped air into her lungs. She was pleasently surprised to find that the ledge was wide enough for her to stretch her legs out. But why was there a ledge there anyway? And where was there? The not knowing was almost as disturbing as the endless dark. Eternally the optimist she decided when she got out of this she was going to sit in the sun for a whole day. But first she had to actually get out. "Now's a good time to rest." she joked weakly. As if on cue her light sputtered and died, plunging them into total darkness. Colleen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. It was nothing to worry about. They still had Hollis' right? "Colleen?" "It's alright, Hollis." she tried to sound reassuring. "Let's just rest awhile." Silence answered her. She rested her head against the wall and let herself doze.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
"Okay. Here's the situation." J.T. Marsh said, pacing up and down the ranks of the gathered ExoTroopers. "It's been four days since Chaos' disappearence. Since then there has been no contact with anyone stationed there and no sightings of the ships." J.T. stopped at a viewport and gazed out at the inky blackness, broken only by the lights of the stars and the combined ExoFleet and Neosapien ships. He let his mind wander for a moment. Only three members of Able Squad had reported. Rita would never be left out and Bronski and Kaz jumped at the chance for a little action. Eve Hanley had accompanied Bronski after refusing to leave her fiannce's side. Only two other troopers had volunteered to go, Jennifer Kersh and Jace Styn. J.T. wished he had more experienced members but Nara couldn't be reached, Marsala was obligated to be present at the Senate, Maggie was on leave who knew where, and Alec...Alec was... He crushed the errant thought. He'd fail another member of his squad. This time his best friend. First Alice Noretti, now Alec. They'd been together since their days at the academy. He shook off his grief. More people were depending on him, he could feel their eyes on him, and he wouldn't let them down. He smiled slightly as everyone averted their eyes when he turned around. Knowing they still believed in him strengthened his resolve. "I want you all to make sure you know the consequences. You could be courtmarshalled." He paused a moment to let it sink in then smiled when he heard a quiet "Wouldn't be the first time." No one noticed when Alec and Maggie arrived. She was about to enter the hanger when she noticed the apprehension in his eyes. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked down at her. "Want to wait a minute?" she asked. He nodded slowly. He was still terrified of confronting what had happened. Maggie squeezed his arm reassuringly and they turned back to the hanger. "There were at least 350,000 people on Chaos when it disappeared. Along with two ExoCruisers, the Secura and the Eisenhower, and the Charlie-Five Jumptroop squadron. Maggie gasped in shock. What had happened while she had been gone? She felt Alec tense next to her and knew he felt the same way. "Colleen." she heard him whisper. "There's still time for any of you to back out. No one will hold it against you." J.T. emphasized again, directing the comment at Kersh and Styn. Kersh arched an elegant black eyebrow at him and smiled. Alec looked back down at Maggie, the fear replaced by determination. "We have to go." He stepped out from the shadows of the door and strode across the bay toward the small gathering. J.T. heard steps behind him and spun, blaster in hand. "Holy." Bronski muttered. Alec met J.T.'s stunned eyes down the barrel of the gun. "Do you have room for two more?" J.T. just stared in silence for a long minute. Then his fist caught Alec's jaw and he sprawled on the floor. A small murmur of sound went thru the group watching. Alec sat up slowly, rubbing his chin. The blow hurt like Hell. Maggie came running across the hanger. "Alec?" "I'm fine." he assured her. J.T. whirled on Maggie. "Can I speak to you, Lt. Weston?" he asked coldly befor walking away. Maggie looked at Alec helplessly the stalked after J.T. The hurt and dejection in his eyes made her heart ache in response. J.T. stopped well away from the squad. He heard Maggie stop next to him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Care to explain?" Maggie had planned for this. "Explain what? It's Alec, J.T. He's a clone, just like Noretti." "I know what he is!" J.T. exploded. "What is it doing here?!" Maggie blinked and took a step backward. "He's part of the squad." Fury crossed J.T.'s face. "Alec was part of the squad. That," he pointed to where Alec was standing alone, "is a clone who looks like him but that doesn't make him Alec!" "J.T.!" "I know you miss him, Mags. I miss him, too." he continued more softly. "But this is only going to make it harder for you to get on with your life." Maggie's eyes hardened in rage. "Forget it. We don't have time to argue. People need help on Chaos. Alec's clone, " she slurred the word in distaste, "wants to help." She spun on her heel. "You'll see that it really is Alec." she threw back over her shoulder. J.T. rejoined the group. He passed Alec with only a cursory glance. "Let's go people, we've got a job to do." Alec swallowed his disappointment and went to get his E-frame. What had he been expecting? To be welcomed back with open arms? Reality hurt. He palmed open the storage unit for his spare and did a quick check of the outside. He stepped into the cockpit and waited for the cyberjack to link up. Alec settled his shoulders in to the padding and initiated the start- up sequence. It felt like coming home, at least until the cockpit began to close. Suddenly, everywhere he looked he saw Typhonus. The remembered pain was so vivid it could have been real. He rested his head against the glass and closed his eyes, drawing a ragged breath. The neosapian's face burned behind his eyelids. "Alec? Are you ready?" Maggie questioned. He opened his eyes slowly. "Uh...yeah." She didn't look like she believed him but there wasn't time for her to comment on it. J.T. wanted to get out of there before someone caught on to what they were doing. "Systems check." he barked. Everyone called out affirmatives. "Then let's go." "Commander Marsh! I must speak to you!" Everyone exchanged worried glances. J.T. turned to face the man running towards them. Commander Gibbons skidded to a halt when he spotted the gun in the other man's hand. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, Commander." J.T. told him. "You'll have to catch me later." The E-frames lifted off the deck, leaving Gibbons red-faced and angry. "This is insubordination!" he sputtered. "You'll all be courtmarshalled!" "Wouldn't be the first time." J.T. quipped, then saluted mockingly and followed his squad into the darkness of space. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------
Jerron Knox was in love. Or this was how he thought it would feel. He was sure Nara felt something for him, too, even if it was just friendship. At least, he hoped so. He looked down at her still form. She was exhausted. She'd been talking to him and had just fallen asleep. He could feel the weariness pulling at him too, but he wasn't quite ready to go to bed yet. Jerron pulled a blanket over Nara then frowned. She was hiding something from him, and he was determined to find out what it was.