CHAPTER 4
LOG ENTRY 930
There's got to be something wrong for things to turn out like they did. If someone is still changing the past, then I have to find them before I get erased in the current time. And what is in this Alimbic cluster that is so dangerous? The only thing mentioned in the reports was that it was a failed expedition, but Samus' unit was evidently not an expeditionary force…it was a lead unit. From what it seems like, if I want to find out, I have to go there myself.
Lita out…
"Remember Lita, what you do affects us all," Adam said as Lita entered her ship.
That line really sent chills down her spine. She was accustomed to her duty as a time soldier, but had never really taken it into account like that. Her actions affected ieveryone/i. Everyone in this time, everyone in the future, and everyone in any time…
"I know…" was the best response she could muster.
Adam stood there the entire time the ship was leaving.
His stature remained that of a true soldier, and the grey that had overcome his scalp was evidence of his days of duty…yet somehow, Lita sensed immense sadness in him.
She admitted to herself that she could probably not come to terms with herself if she were to learn that her current fate was not her actual fate.
Adam was supposed to be dead, and he wasn't. Lita had beheld him as an apparition, which probably didn't help his composure.
"I'm fighting to return things to how they ishould/i be," she repeated to herself.
Then she thought, "How do I know what things ishould/i and ishould not/i be?"
The debate raged on inside her head as she completed the input of coordinates for the Alimbic Cluster.
She had never realized that by being a time soldier, she was doing nothing short of "playing God".
She had the power to decide who lives, and who even iexists/i! Why should a human even possess such a power?
Not even the most noble of beings could wield such a power with complete responsibility, yet it was entrusted to a ragtag bunch of military police?
The creation of time travel was a massive folly, illustrated by irresponsible and haphazard use by those such as Marcusson.
These thoughts eventually gave way to drowsiness and then sleep.
Once again, Lita's sleep held no comfort:
iWe've been waiting for what has to be days…
The batteries in our lights are starting to give way, and with that, the darkness of this desolate place gains more strength…
I've heard something lurking around, moving quickly so it isn't seen…
It's probably waiting for the lights to go out…
And it looks as if it'll get its chance…
"Commander Aran! There's something over here!"
I can't see it…
Save the Gods, it's…/i
Lita snapped back to reality, slinging sweat droplets onto the front display of the ship.
"That voice…I know that voice…" Lita whispered to herself.
She reached back and ran her fingers through her drenched hair.
She didn't know how long she had been out, but according to her ship, she had just crossed into the Rho sector and was approximately an hour away from the Alimbic Cluster.
Suddenly a panel began to pulse.
I schematic popped up on the screen and showed the Alimbic Cluster, a grouping of three planets and four moons all in orbit around each other.
It was an astronomic anomaly, a phenomenon on the grandest scale. No wonder the Galactic Federation had had so much interest in it.
According to her instruments, Lita had to pinpoint and hit a specific spot in the orbits or the gravitational pull would rip her spacecraft to shreds and leave her to suffocate and freeze in the vacuum of space.
She locked on to the outermost planet and started to run a parallel course with it. It was the path of least resistance, or so she thought.
As she neared the planet, a ship appeared on the horizon.
She had never seen a ship like this before. Instead of being smooth and sleek like any Federation or Space Pirate ship, this one was jagged and sharp with protrusions extending out like spines.
As Lita got closer and closer, the ship actually looked partially organic…which was unheard of.
A small speck of light appeared on the hull of the ship.
Then a beam of light flashed past Lita's head, brushing her hair aside…
…then came the chaos.
A current started ripping through the ship, sucking anything and everything toward the tiny hole in the front window.
Lita's body ripped at her restraints, which held fast.
Oxygen was being torn from her lungs as the silent fury was sapping the life from her ship.
The small craft wavered and fell off of its intended path.
End over end it tumbled toward the center of the Alimbic Cluster.
Gravity ravaged the poor ship until it was finally slung towards the centermost and largest planet.
Lita tried to scream, but the sound was swallowed up.
As was her consciousness…
Then there was nothing…
