Protector of Men Ch 88

Kesia walked with them towards Trim's quarters. They had made good time – she had packed her things in less than a minute, and required only another moment to write a note to Alias informing of their departure. They tacked it to the door and left without a glance backwards. None of them fathomed that it might be the last time they saw their rooms again.

Trim was irritable when they greeted him, muttering cynically about how he never got away from the ship, and sporting a bad pun about 'liberty' and The Libertas. Kesia and Zandra were quiet during the ordeal.

"Come on, Trim," Shade said condescendingly, "They didn't clear us for nothing. Let's go."

Zandra winced at the response: Trim said nothing, but glared at him behind his back as if the look could bring him down. There was a long and uncomfortable silence as Trim threw his things into an old bag and shoved himself out the door before the rest of them could turn to leave. Zandra followed him wordlessly towards the ship.

"This is a big deal," Cover told them as they boarded, "We don't have a lot of time to do what we have to."

The crew all nodded.

"We're going in for the contact, and for the virus – but I don't know if we'll be able to in the end. This is a dangerous mission. Probably the most dangerous you – or I – have ever participated in.

"We're the only ship out there, and there are more sentinels. I don't even know if broadcast depth is clear – but we're going to try." He paused, and looked at each of them. "You have to be fully committed."

Each crewmember nodded again in understanding. Cover may not have been the most decisive, the firmest of captains. He may not have been the most experienced, or the cleverest. He may not have even been so much their captain, as their apex. Cover was what held them together. He was the head of the family called Libertas – Purgatory. He comforted them, he led them, he agreed and disagreed with them, permitted and forbade for their protection. He made sure they worked together and though lately things were falling apart, he was always working to fix it. He cared for them; he felt for them like a father over his grown children: still protective, but somewhat detached. The crew may not have realized it, but they were a family.

Cover sighed. "Let's get going, then."

No one asked for clearance as they left. No one stopped them from boarding, no one questioned their intentions as they started up the ship, and the doors opened without a hitch when they finally departed. Zandra was determined only to look forward; to glance backward meant she wasn't coming home.

"Zandra," the intercom called, "Come up to the cockpit, please."

"Yes?" she replied as she sauntered through the open doorway.

"Can you and Trim turn off breakers E through K," Cover said, punching buttons in front of him, "Trim'll know what to do."

Zandra nodded and went off to find Trim, who was whittling a piece of plastic in the mess room. He looked up as she entered, but sighed and soon went back to hacking at the figurine again.

"Cover says to shut off breakers E through K," she said, remaining in the doorframe. Trim looked up again and was silent for a moment.

"We should probably get to it then," he said, leading her out of the room and down to the mechanical hall.

Shade was trying to sleep in the bunk that he and Zandra shared. "I didn't get a lot of sleep," he assured the crew, "Just want a rest before we go in."

But the truth was he was petrified. He was afraid of what this mission would bring for them – both in and out of the Matrix. He was embarrassed that he was being such a coward, while Zandra was so brave… but at the same time could not completely discount his feelings.

He felt so silly around her – being so awkward, so unsure, so afraid… but knew that he couldn't help it. He knew he was sharing a room with her – and knew it meant something had changed – but what? He had gotten her to stay with him, but was that because she agreed that she had been ill the last time they were in The Libertas? She seemed fine enough, but was there another motive behind it? He dreaded the thought of Stephen. Shade sighed and changed sides, his heart beginning to thump again at the thought of his seemingly imminent demise.

"No, Zandra, turn it the other way."

Zandra sighed and changed directions, being careful not to do anything wrong. Trim was being overly condescending during their little 'job', but she was handling it well. It was obvious that Trim was hungry for a position with power – or at least where he could actually do something, and she knew well enough to let him enjoy what little he had.

"Almost done," he said after a moment, looking over their progress. Nearly everything had been shut down – heaters, water recyclers, purifiers – to insure their stealth through the tunnels. Libertas was already a small ship, but with low power and only five people onboard, it would be hard for a sentinel to detect even with their backup on.

"Finished," Zandra called from a few feet away. Trim nodded at her work and led her back out to the cockpit, a smirk across his face.

They could hear Kesia calling out coordinates as they approached. Neither her nor Cover looked up at their presence, but continued working hard to maneuver them through the small passageways into their haven of broadcast depth… if they could find it.

"Tell Shade we're in a minefield," Cover told her quietly as he continued to work, "He's gotta stay quiet for a while."

Zandra nodded and left, squeezing by an immobile Trim in the doorway. She didn't look at him as she left.

She slipped into their quarters silently and eased herself onto their bed. Shade didn't stir as she moved to lay next to him. She stared at his back for a moment, dreading the thought of waking him. It was a blessing to sleep in conditions like these.

"Shade," she caressed, rubbing his shoulder slowly. He didn't turn, but she could feel his muscles tighten at her touch. She moved her hand back and put it in her lap, defeated.

"Cover wants us to stay put," she whispered, detached, "Sentinels."

Shade moved a little; only enough to let her know he understood. Zandra sighed and moved off the bed. She looked back to Shade, but he still would not acknowledge her. Silently she crept back out of the room and sat in the hall dejected. It was dark; the only light in the hall was that from one light at the end of the corridor. Shadows played across the floor and left Zandra's body dark, but her eyes squinted from the direct and piercing light. She crumpled her hair thoughtfully.

The ship turned on its axis, creaking the metal of the hull and shifting those inside. Zandra knew it was only a matter of time before things got louder again. It wasn't going to be fun, but it was necessary. And she had those she needed most… whether they knew it or not. She traced the lines of corrugated metal on the floor, remembering their touch. It was peaceful now, and she didn't know if she would ever hear silence again. This might be the last time she enjoyed the cool taste of metal.

A/N – sorry for lateness. I'm getting bad about that. Good news? I ranked 2nd in state for choir! I'm happy with that, but I've been a little sick, so writing has taken a backseat to school and laziness. :(

Aqua_phoenix – thanks for all those reviews! I know Colombus was hard to figure, but remember when Cover was talking with the woman on the line…? And yeah, I'm glad Alias is back to normal, too… Veritas, actually, is almost a self-insertion! Haha! That's my handle at www.constructfic.org. Funny stuff, eh?

Wow, I'm on 5 author alert lists. That's a really nice feeling… :) Especially when some of them haven't reviewed (yet? Hmm…) so I know there are more of you out there!! Happy.