Past and Present
Chapter 1
By: Tracy Reager
This is my first Crusade fic, please read it and give me a review...good or bad. I don't own any of the characters except Crystia; they all belong to JMS and the other wonderful people who created Babylon 5 and Crusade. ****There are spoilers for Crusade and the Technomage books, so if you haven't seen/read them...you've been warned!!
Words italicized mean emphasis. Words in and thoughts. ENJOY!
Past and Present
"Destination reached. Do you wish to jump into normal space?"
"Yes." Galen woke from his sleep. He slowly sat up on his bed when he felt a pull meaning he left hyperspace. He walked to the control center on his flyer. He truly loved everything about his ship; it was full of surprises, just like his order. Very few people besides Technomages knew their ships could form their own jump points. They are smaller than the average White Star, but have more technology. Even the crew on the Excalibur didn't know a fraction of the things his ship could do, and they were even linked together for a few days.
That was another thing that was on Galen's mind, the Well of Forever. Ever since going there he couldn't get Isabelle out of his head. He didn't know why. He made the journey to the Well, said goodbye to her and fulfilled his promise...he didn't understand why he couldn't get her out of his head.
Galen was startled from his daydreams by a voice coming from the planet. It was their control tower giving him permission to land. Galen didn't know why he came all the way out here to Proxima 3. Maybe it was because he and Isabelle had stopped here briefly on their mission. They had spent the afternoon walking around the open-air markets, enjoying the food and festivities. Later they watched the sun set from on top of a hill; it was a beautiful night.
"Ship, start landing cycle." Galen told the computer. When the flyer was secured on the ground he left, making sure to lock up before walking into the hills.
"Well Isabelle, I'm here, on the mountain where we first kissed. I don't know if you can hear me where ever you are." Galen spoke into the wind. "I don't really know how I ended up here, I just got in my ship and left. I can't stay for long; I don't like to leave the Excalibur for too long, they seem to get into more trouble when I'm not there. Funny thing, for the longest time trouble seemed to follow me, now it happens when I'm not around." Galen just let his thoughts come out, not paying any attention to the world around him. "I've been thinking about you for the past few weeks. I hope you found some peace in seeing the Well of Forever. It was a wonderfully beautiful place. My only regret was lying to Matthew about why I wanted to go there. I didn't really think he'd understand, so I lied. I'm not sure if he will completely trust me again." Galen stopped talking and started to pace around. "I...I miss you Isabelle. I try to imagine that you are watching out for me
somewhere and that one day I will see you again. I miss holding you, being in your company, studying with you, helping you understand something in a book. It's just not the same without you, I thought I would be able to move on, but I haven't. I guess that's why I've been so cranky lately." He paused and sighed. "There is this woman named Dureena on the Excalibur with me. She is wild and full of fire, but at the same time she is filled with such sadness and grief. I think I'm developing feelings for her and that scares me." Galen started to do mind-controlling exercises. It felt strange to have to resort to counting numbers after all this time. Ever since he became one with the tech, he didn't have a need to control his emotions with these exercises. "What should I do Isabelle?" He didn't really expect an answer, but it felt good to talk about things.
"Who are you talking to?" A small voice quivered. Galen looked around the surrounding area, but found no one in site. Then he saw a bush move.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Please don't hurt me sir, I was only wondering who you were talking to?" A girl emerged from the bushes. She was only about twelve or thirteen and looked very pale and thin. "Where are you from? I don't think I ever saw you here before."
Galen didn't know what to do about the girl. He was so wrapped up in thought that he never heard her approaching. "Why are you following me?"
"I wasn't following you, I always come up here to watch the sunset."
"Shouldn't you be at home, I'm sure your parents are worried?"
The girl put her head down and turned away. "My parents were killed during the Shadow War, I've been on my own for the past six years." She sat down on the ground and buried her head in her hands.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Galen felt very sorry for the girl. He wanted to help her, but didn't know how. "Don't you have anywhere you could go, relatives, friends?"
"No, and even if I did, I don't have enough money for a ticket off of this planet."
"Then how do you survive?"
"I do odd jobs, the kind nobody else wants. I buy food with that money and I live in and abandoned building. It's not much but it keeps the weather out."
"Do you have any special talents?"
"I...I don't know. I never had much chance to enjoy a fun-filled life. But I'm a quick learner; I can pick up on new things very fast. Why?"
"No reason really. Do you know of a good place to eat that's close to here?"
"Oh yes, I know of a great place that's just down the road."
"Well if you show me the way, I will buy you a meal." Galen decided to do a little to help this girl. As they walked down the road his thoughts started to drift towards Dureena.
"My name is Crystia, what's yours?"
"Galen."
"Why do you wear that heavy coat? It's pretty warm here."
"It's for personal reasons." Galen replied, wanting to change the subject. "So what is it that you do here?"
"Mostly I pick up trash off the streets for the city. They don't pay me much, but every little bit helps."
"Don't you ever get scared, living all alone?"
"All the time, but I keep telling myself only a little while longer until I can buy a ticket off this planet."
"And where would you go if you could leave?"
"I'm not sure. Somewhere warm and beautiful with not too many big cities."
"Oh, I might know of a place for you." Galen thought back to Alwyn and Regula 4. Even though Alwyn had left, he was sure the colonists of Regula 4 would be happy to help this girl, given the right incentive.
"Really?!" The girl's eyes lit up and she stopped to face him. "Where is it? What does it look like?"
"Clam down. I have to talk to a few people first to see if I could find someone to look after you. Can you think of anything you'd like to do or anything you're good at?"
"I've always wanted a family with many kids. I love kids!" By now Crystia was bubbling with excitement. "Don't you agree that babies are the cutest things in the world! Do you have any kids?"
"No." Galen only gave a short answer. Crystia looked a little hurt that Galen didn't share the same enthusiasm about kids and family. She led him to a small vendor on one of the main streets. "This is the best place to get Zoon Burgers on this planet." They sat and ate in silence.
"Can I meet you someplace in three hours?" Galen asked after dinner.
"Uh, sure. How about on top of the mountain?"
"Ok." Galen stood up and walked back to his ship. "Ship access link to Regula 4, the Inn." He paused for a second to wait for the connection. The owner's daughter appeared on the screen. "Hello, is your father there?" She nodded and disappeared only to be replaced by an older man.
"Who are you?"
"Galen. I was a friend of Alwyn's."
"I remember you now. You arrived with that other guy from Earth. What do you need from us?"
"While visiting another planet, I came across a girl whose parents were killed during the war. Alwyn was very fond of children and since you said you wanted to honor his memory I thought of you."
"How came we help this girl when she's on a different planet?"
"If I were to bring her to your planet, can you find someone to look after her?"
"I'm sure I could find a family."
"Good. I will see you in a few days. End transmission." The screen went blank. Galen noticed he had another two hours yet before he could meet Crystia. He walked into the bedroom to get some rest before the trip. His thoughts drifted towards Dureena. He managed to keep those suppressed for the past few hours, but now they were threatening to resurface. Galen didn't know how to react to them. He wanted to talk to her, but yet he was afraid too. He wasn't sure how she felt about him or if she felt anything towards him. Things were so much easier with Isabelle. Galen never wanted to hurt Dureena, so he would keep quiet and just observe for a while. He visualized a blank screen and accessed the probes aboard the Excalibur. He flipped through the images without giving them much thought. The ship was still traveling through hyperspace, so they weren't in any danger...for now. He was almost ready to stop watching, until he came across the probes in Dureena's room. She was sitting
on the floor, her legs crossed. She looked like she was doing some breathing exercises; Galen could see the misty clouds of smoke meaning she was burning some kind of incense. He zoomed in on her face and realized she was crying. I wonder what has her so upset? He thought. I swear if Max did anything to hurt her... He stopped, trying to control his temper. He kept on watching her while looking at the ship's computer. They were on their way to Mars. I wonder why they are going there? He thought back to what he heard about the last trip to the red planet.
"Dureena? Are you there?" A man's voice came over the com link.
"Yes Trace, what is it?"
"So I hear we're going to be on Mars in a few days, would you like me to show you around?"
"I told you the last time we were on Mars that I didn't need an escort. I didn't need one then, and I don't need one now!"
"No I didn't mean as an escort, just as friends. You know walk around hang out." Trace replied hopefully.
"I don't even know if I'm going down to the planet." Dureena paused. "Trace, do you even know why we're going to Mars this time?"
"I'm not sure, I think the captain is meeting someone there to help us search for a cure. But that's just a rumor I heard in the mess hall the other day."
"Hmm, ok."
"So, do want some company?"
"I don't know, I'll have to think about it." She pushed a button on her link and ended the conversation. She closed her eyes and went back to meditating. Galen watched her for a few more minutes, then broke the connection to go meet Crystia.
Crystia was sitting on a rock watching some birds fly around in the trees. She was waiting for Galen to come back, actually she wasn't sure if he was going to come back or if it was just a trick to make her leave. And even if he did come back, could she trust him? He was a little scary looking with that big black coat on, and she really didn't know anything about him. She sighed out loud. I guess I'll have to trust him if I want to get off this planet. She looked up and saw Galen walking up the hill. I guess it's now or never. "Hi, did you talk to your friend?"
"Yes I did."
"And? Can I stay with them?"
"Yes, but understand that the place you're going to doesn't have much technology. The people there are farmers and craftsman, so you will have to work with them if you want to stay. That is their condition." Galen looked at the girl for her answer.
"I can work, it's better than living here! When do we leave?" Crystia's eyes lit up with excitement. She was finally going to get off this stupid rock and her concerns about Galen were momentarily forgotten.
"As soon as you get you belongings."
"I carry all of my personal stuff in this bag with me." She pointed to the small backpack she had on her back. "The rest of the stuff isn't mine I just took out of a dumpster, I'll let it here for the next person like me."
Galen felt bad again for raising his voice to her. "Ok let's go then." He led her down the road to his ship.
"That's your ship?" She asked.
"Yes."
"It's so tiny! Please tell me you have a bigger ship orbiting then planet!"
"No, I don't need one." My ship is more advanced then the passenger ships that normally take people around the galaxy."
"But I've seen asteroids bigger than that!"
"If you don't like it you can always stay here."
"No, it looks great." She replied somberly.
"Good." He unlocked the ship and they entered. Galen led her to a small room on the right side. "You can stay here for the trip. The bathroom is right aside of the room." Don't go wandering around either, my ship is designed to defend itself if it feels threatened. If you need me, just say my name and I will come get you, ok?"
"I understand." She set her stuff on the bed and sat down. Crystia felt very alone at the moment. Her thoughts on Galen started to resurface. What if he is a slave trader, or a rapist, or even a criminal? How am I going to get out of here if something goes wrong? She suddenly felt very scared. She huddled against the wall and cried herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, Galen went through his checklist making sure everything was working before taking off. The control tower cleared him to leave, and he hit the forward thrusters and quickly rose towards space. As soon as he was far enough away from the Proxima 3, he jumped to hyperspace. He set a course for Regula 4 and left the flyer under the control of its autopilot. His thoughts again drifted to Dureena. He held his hand out and conjured and image of her standing there. God, she's so beautiful. His roamed over the image of her body. The way her clothing seemed to meld with her skin. He became lost in thought when a loud thump startled him. He looked at the screen in front of him noticing his defense system was activated. His eyes widened, and Galen ran out of the control room.
Galen noticed a small figure slumped outside his room. I told her not to touch anything! He reached down to feel for a pulse, glad that there was one, and carried her back to her room. He put his hand over her heart and sent tiny organelles into her body to help her recover from the shock. She started to mumble something under her breath, but Galen couldn't understand a word of it.
"Shh. Don't say anything, just try to relax." He whispered to her. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a microscopic probe. He opened her mouth and conjured a tiny platform to take it into her blood stream so it would travel to her brain. After he made sure she was comfortable, he went back to the control center, keeping an eye on the probe in Crystia's body.
"Ship, ETA."
"Two hours, thirty minutes."
Galen sighed and decided to rest for awhile. He walked back to his room and sat down on a chair. His room was the biggest area on the ship. He had a bookshelf lining the smaller wall and a bed directly across from it. Next to the bed was a small fireplace with fake logs on it. He conjured a fire there and sat silently watching the flames glow and flicker. Galen picked up a thick book that he had been reading and opened it up. He didn't start reading right away, but sat there watching the fire, thinking of Isabelle and Dureena. He thought about how much he loved...no still loved Isabelle, but he knew she would want him to be happy. Then he thought of Dureena. She was special in her own way and he knew that deep down, she was lonely just like him. He started to get angry with himself for thinking about asking Dureena on a date. Galen stood up and began to pace the room. How can I even consider asking someone that? She probably wouldn't even acknowledge I asked her, she
doesn't trust anybody, least of all me! He was really upset now and a headache was starting. Not knowing what else to do, he formed a blue ball above his head and brought it down upon himself, scouring every piece of hair and dead skin from his body. Not feeling any better, he did it again, and again, until the pain was too intense that he had to stop. He removed his heavy coat, every movement he made causing more pain. Sighing he rested his forehead on the wall, trying to control his breathing. He did a final check on Crystia's probe then, lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
Crystia awoke feeling lightheaded. She looked around to see where she was, trying to remember what happened to her. Then it hit her, she was coming back from the bathroom, when she decided to take a look around the ship. She found another door and pressed the open button when she saw a whitish-blue light, and that's all she remembered. Crystia lay back down and fell asleep again.
Chapter 1
By: Tracy Reager
This is my first Crusade fic, please read it and give me a review...good or bad. I don't own any of the characters except Crystia; they all belong to JMS and the other wonderful people who created Babylon 5 and Crusade. ****There are spoilers for Crusade and the Technomage books, so if you haven't seen/read them...you've been warned!!
Words italicized mean emphasis. Words in and thoughts. ENJOY!
Past and Present
"Destination reached. Do you wish to jump into normal space?"
"Yes." Galen woke from his sleep. He slowly sat up on his bed when he felt a pull meaning he left hyperspace. He walked to the control center on his flyer. He truly loved everything about his ship; it was full of surprises, just like his order. Very few people besides Technomages knew their ships could form their own jump points. They are smaller than the average White Star, but have more technology. Even the crew on the Excalibur didn't know a fraction of the things his ship could do, and they were even linked together for a few days.
That was another thing that was on Galen's mind, the Well of Forever. Ever since going there he couldn't get Isabelle out of his head. He didn't know why. He made the journey to the Well, said goodbye to her and fulfilled his promise...he didn't understand why he couldn't get her out of his head.
Galen was startled from his daydreams by a voice coming from the planet. It was their control tower giving him permission to land. Galen didn't know why he came all the way out here to Proxima 3. Maybe it was because he and Isabelle had stopped here briefly on their mission. They had spent the afternoon walking around the open-air markets, enjoying the food and festivities. Later they watched the sun set from on top of a hill; it was a beautiful night.
"Ship, start landing cycle." Galen told the computer. When the flyer was secured on the ground he left, making sure to lock up before walking into the hills.
"Well Isabelle, I'm here, on the mountain where we first kissed. I don't know if you can hear me where ever you are." Galen spoke into the wind. "I don't really know how I ended up here, I just got in my ship and left. I can't stay for long; I don't like to leave the Excalibur for too long, they seem to get into more trouble when I'm not there. Funny thing, for the longest time trouble seemed to follow me, now it happens when I'm not around." Galen just let his thoughts come out, not paying any attention to the world around him. "I've been thinking about you for the past few weeks. I hope you found some peace in seeing the Well of Forever. It was a wonderfully beautiful place. My only regret was lying to Matthew about why I wanted to go there. I didn't really think he'd understand, so I lied. I'm not sure if he will completely trust me again." Galen stopped talking and started to pace around. "I...I miss you Isabelle. I try to imagine that you are watching out for me
somewhere and that one day I will see you again. I miss holding you, being in your company, studying with you, helping you understand something in a book. It's just not the same without you, I thought I would be able to move on, but I haven't. I guess that's why I've been so cranky lately." He paused and sighed. "There is this woman named Dureena on the Excalibur with me. She is wild and full of fire, but at the same time she is filled with such sadness and grief. I think I'm developing feelings for her and that scares me." Galen started to do mind-controlling exercises. It felt strange to have to resort to counting numbers after all this time. Ever since he became one with the tech, he didn't have a need to control his emotions with these exercises. "What should I do Isabelle?" He didn't really expect an answer, but it felt good to talk about things.
"Who are you talking to?" A small voice quivered. Galen looked around the surrounding area, but found no one in site. Then he saw a bush move.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Please don't hurt me sir, I was only wondering who you were talking to?" A girl emerged from the bushes. She was only about twelve or thirteen and looked very pale and thin. "Where are you from? I don't think I ever saw you here before."
Galen didn't know what to do about the girl. He was so wrapped up in thought that he never heard her approaching. "Why are you following me?"
"I wasn't following you, I always come up here to watch the sunset."
"Shouldn't you be at home, I'm sure your parents are worried?"
The girl put her head down and turned away. "My parents were killed during the Shadow War, I've been on my own for the past six years." She sat down on the ground and buried her head in her hands.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Galen felt very sorry for the girl. He wanted to help her, but didn't know how. "Don't you have anywhere you could go, relatives, friends?"
"No, and even if I did, I don't have enough money for a ticket off of this planet."
"Then how do you survive?"
"I do odd jobs, the kind nobody else wants. I buy food with that money and I live in and abandoned building. It's not much but it keeps the weather out."
"Do you have any special talents?"
"I...I don't know. I never had much chance to enjoy a fun-filled life. But I'm a quick learner; I can pick up on new things very fast. Why?"
"No reason really. Do you know of a good place to eat that's close to here?"
"Oh yes, I know of a great place that's just down the road."
"Well if you show me the way, I will buy you a meal." Galen decided to do a little to help this girl. As they walked down the road his thoughts started to drift towards Dureena.
"My name is Crystia, what's yours?"
"Galen."
"Why do you wear that heavy coat? It's pretty warm here."
"It's for personal reasons." Galen replied, wanting to change the subject. "So what is it that you do here?"
"Mostly I pick up trash off the streets for the city. They don't pay me much, but every little bit helps."
"Don't you ever get scared, living all alone?"
"All the time, but I keep telling myself only a little while longer until I can buy a ticket off this planet."
"And where would you go if you could leave?"
"I'm not sure. Somewhere warm and beautiful with not too many big cities."
"Oh, I might know of a place for you." Galen thought back to Alwyn and Regula 4. Even though Alwyn had left, he was sure the colonists of Regula 4 would be happy to help this girl, given the right incentive.
"Really?!" The girl's eyes lit up and she stopped to face him. "Where is it? What does it look like?"
"Clam down. I have to talk to a few people first to see if I could find someone to look after you. Can you think of anything you'd like to do or anything you're good at?"
"I've always wanted a family with many kids. I love kids!" By now Crystia was bubbling with excitement. "Don't you agree that babies are the cutest things in the world! Do you have any kids?"
"No." Galen only gave a short answer. Crystia looked a little hurt that Galen didn't share the same enthusiasm about kids and family. She led him to a small vendor on one of the main streets. "This is the best place to get Zoon Burgers on this planet." They sat and ate in silence.
"Can I meet you someplace in three hours?" Galen asked after dinner.
"Uh, sure. How about on top of the mountain?"
"Ok." Galen stood up and walked back to his ship. "Ship access link to Regula 4, the Inn." He paused for a second to wait for the connection. The owner's daughter appeared on the screen. "Hello, is your father there?" She nodded and disappeared only to be replaced by an older man.
"Who are you?"
"Galen. I was a friend of Alwyn's."
"I remember you now. You arrived with that other guy from Earth. What do you need from us?"
"While visiting another planet, I came across a girl whose parents were killed during the war. Alwyn was very fond of children and since you said you wanted to honor his memory I thought of you."
"How came we help this girl when she's on a different planet?"
"If I were to bring her to your planet, can you find someone to look after her?"
"I'm sure I could find a family."
"Good. I will see you in a few days. End transmission." The screen went blank. Galen noticed he had another two hours yet before he could meet Crystia. He walked into the bedroom to get some rest before the trip. His thoughts drifted towards Dureena. He managed to keep those suppressed for the past few hours, but now they were threatening to resurface. Galen didn't know how to react to them. He wanted to talk to her, but yet he was afraid too. He wasn't sure how she felt about him or if she felt anything towards him. Things were so much easier with Isabelle. Galen never wanted to hurt Dureena, so he would keep quiet and just observe for a while. He visualized a blank screen and accessed the probes aboard the Excalibur. He flipped through the images without giving them much thought. The ship was still traveling through hyperspace, so they weren't in any danger...for now. He was almost ready to stop watching, until he came across the probes in Dureena's room. She was sitting
on the floor, her legs crossed. She looked like she was doing some breathing exercises; Galen could see the misty clouds of smoke meaning she was burning some kind of incense. He zoomed in on her face and realized she was crying. I wonder what has her so upset? He thought. I swear if Max did anything to hurt her... He stopped, trying to control his temper. He kept on watching her while looking at the ship's computer. They were on their way to Mars. I wonder why they are going there? He thought back to what he heard about the last trip to the red planet.
"Dureena? Are you there?" A man's voice came over the com link.
"Yes Trace, what is it?"
"So I hear we're going to be on Mars in a few days, would you like me to show you around?"
"I told you the last time we were on Mars that I didn't need an escort. I didn't need one then, and I don't need one now!"
"No I didn't mean as an escort, just as friends. You know walk around hang out." Trace replied hopefully.
"I don't even know if I'm going down to the planet." Dureena paused. "Trace, do you even know why we're going to Mars this time?"
"I'm not sure, I think the captain is meeting someone there to help us search for a cure. But that's just a rumor I heard in the mess hall the other day."
"Hmm, ok."
"So, do want some company?"
"I don't know, I'll have to think about it." She pushed a button on her link and ended the conversation. She closed her eyes and went back to meditating. Galen watched her for a few more minutes, then broke the connection to go meet Crystia.
Crystia was sitting on a rock watching some birds fly around in the trees. She was waiting for Galen to come back, actually she wasn't sure if he was going to come back or if it was just a trick to make her leave. And even if he did come back, could she trust him? He was a little scary looking with that big black coat on, and she really didn't know anything about him. She sighed out loud. I guess I'll have to trust him if I want to get off this planet. She looked up and saw Galen walking up the hill. I guess it's now or never. "Hi, did you talk to your friend?"
"Yes I did."
"And? Can I stay with them?"
"Yes, but understand that the place you're going to doesn't have much technology. The people there are farmers and craftsman, so you will have to work with them if you want to stay. That is their condition." Galen looked at the girl for her answer.
"I can work, it's better than living here! When do we leave?" Crystia's eyes lit up with excitement. She was finally going to get off this stupid rock and her concerns about Galen were momentarily forgotten.
"As soon as you get you belongings."
"I carry all of my personal stuff in this bag with me." She pointed to the small backpack she had on her back. "The rest of the stuff isn't mine I just took out of a dumpster, I'll let it here for the next person like me."
Galen felt bad again for raising his voice to her. "Ok let's go then." He led her down the road to his ship.
"That's your ship?" She asked.
"Yes."
"It's so tiny! Please tell me you have a bigger ship orbiting then planet!"
"No, I don't need one." My ship is more advanced then the passenger ships that normally take people around the galaxy."
"But I've seen asteroids bigger than that!"
"If you don't like it you can always stay here."
"No, it looks great." She replied somberly.
"Good." He unlocked the ship and they entered. Galen led her to a small room on the right side. "You can stay here for the trip. The bathroom is right aside of the room." Don't go wandering around either, my ship is designed to defend itself if it feels threatened. If you need me, just say my name and I will come get you, ok?"
"I understand." She set her stuff on the bed and sat down. Crystia felt very alone at the moment. Her thoughts on Galen started to resurface. What if he is a slave trader, or a rapist, or even a criminal? How am I going to get out of here if something goes wrong? She suddenly felt very scared. She huddled against the wall and cried herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, Galen went through his checklist making sure everything was working before taking off. The control tower cleared him to leave, and he hit the forward thrusters and quickly rose towards space. As soon as he was far enough away from the Proxima 3, he jumped to hyperspace. He set a course for Regula 4 and left the flyer under the control of its autopilot. His thoughts again drifted to Dureena. He held his hand out and conjured and image of her standing there. God, she's so beautiful. His roamed over the image of her body. The way her clothing seemed to meld with her skin. He became lost in thought when a loud thump startled him. He looked at the screen in front of him noticing his defense system was activated. His eyes widened, and Galen ran out of the control room.
Galen noticed a small figure slumped outside his room. I told her not to touch anything! He reached down to feel for a pulse, glad that there was one, and carried her back to her room. He put his hand over her heart and sent tiny organelles into her body to help her recover from the shock. She started to mumble something under her breath, but Galen couldn't understand a word of it.
"Shh. Don't say anything, just try to relax." He whispered to her. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a microscopic probe. He opened her mouth and conjured a tiny platform to take it into her blood stream so it would travel to her brain. After he made sure she was comfortable, he went back to the control center, keeping an eye on the probe in Crystia's body.
"Ship, ETA."
"Two hours, thirty minutes."
Galen sighed and decided to rest for awhile. He walked back to his room and sat down on a chair. His room was the biggest area on the ship. He had a bookshelf lining the smaller wall and a bed directly across from it. Next to the bed was a small fireplace with fake logs on it. He conjured a fire there and sat silently watching the flames glow and flicker. Galen picked up a thick book that he had been reading and opened it up. He didn't start reading right away, but sat there watching the fire, thinking of Isabelle and Dureena. He thought about how much he loved...no still loved Isabelle, but he knew she would want him to be happy. Then he thought of Dureena. She was special in her own way and he knew that deep down, she was lonely just like him. He started to get angry with himself for thinking about asking Dureena on a date. Galen stood up and began to pace the room. How can I even consider asking someone that? She probably wouldn't even acknowledge I asked her, she
doesn't trust anybody, least of all me! He was really upset now and a headache was starting. Not knowing what else to do, he formed a blue ball above his head and brought it down upon himself, scouring every piece of hair and dead skin from his body. Not feeling any better, he did it again, and again, until the pain was too intense that he had to stop. He removed his heavy coat, every movement he made causing more pain. Sighing he rested his forehead on the wall, trying to control his breathing. He did a final check on Crystia's probe then, lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
Crystia awoke feeling lightheaded. She looked around to see where she was, trying to remember what happened to her. Then it hit her, she was coming back from the bathroom, when she decided to take a look around the ship. She found another door and pressed the open button when she saw a whitish-blue light, and that's all she remembered. Crystia lay back down and fell asleep again.