CHAPTER 7
LOG ENTRY 933
Cade has been on edge ever since I brought Samus out of the cave. It's like he knows that he's still going to get it when she wakes up. If we don't find a way to get off this miserable planet soon, I don't know what I'm going to do…
Lita out…
Samus had started to come around. Shortly after her convulsions stopped, she fell unconscious.
"Ugh…I feel….like I got shot in the back…" Samus moaned.
"You did," Cade responded.
Samus shot a look upward as she rapidly lifted herself off of the floor.
"YOU!" she yelled.
"No, wait! It's not what you think! I…" Cade took defense.
"Hold on, Samus," Lita interrupted.
"Who are iyou/i?" Samus shifted her focus to Lita.
"My name is Lita Anjellis. I'm Captain 2nd Rank of the Galactic Federation Chrono Unit," Lita said.
"A time shifter…" Samus muttered.
"That's right," Lita responded.
"And what would bring you here?" Samus asked as if she had been scorned.
"I had to save you," Lita replied.
"How'd you know I was here?" Samus asked.
"Well…I wasn't sure. I ended up here by accident, actually. My ship was assaulted as I neared the Alimbic Cluster, and I crashed here. Your Lance Corporal rescued me," Lita explained.
"I see…then I guess he's not totally worthless…" Samus tossed a look back at Cade.
"Please don't call me worthless…" Cade begged.
"Why not? Every conflict our team has entered, you've left the field of battle! It was only through my benevolence that you haven't been turned in for desertion!" Samus interjected.
She waited briefly for a response, but seeing none, she finished her thought.
"But I guess your instincts were the better this time. So I suppose you've dodged another bullet…no pun intended," Samus said.
"iShe still has her wit/i" Lita thought, "ithis Samus is a lot more forthright with her emotions, though./i"
"So…now what?" Samus asked.
"Don't look at me. My ship is probably nice and crispy by now," Lita responded.
Both of them shot a look at Cade.
"Well…I…there's some type of ship over that way…I don't really know how to work it," Cade said.
Just as the three had readied their supplies, Lita began to feel dizzy. She tried to shrug it off, but eventually she gave way as a massive pain struck her spine.
"I…..uuaaagh…." she said as she fell to her hands and knees.
"Ew…look at her back…" Cade said.
Blood had started drenching through the back of Lita's bodysuit.
"That's exactly where I…" Samus started.
"It….burns…" Lita forced before she passed out.
i –So no one takes the ship, we'll hide the cell inside this cave.
-Are you sure we should? Someone might find it.
-Yes, but they'll also find bit/b.
-Surely you don't plan on…
-It must be guarded closely, that way, only the bone/b can get it.
-But what about the renegade and the defect?
-The renegade should never be near here, and the defect hasn't the drive to find it.
-Then shall we go?
-Certainly./i
"mmphshfmmph…waking up. Are you okay?" a mangled voice penetrated Lita's dulled senses.
"Wh…what?" Lita managed.
"Are you okay," Samus asked.
"Yeah, I guess…now I know what you mean about getting shot in the back…" Lita said as she sat up.
"That is bizarre…your wound looks identical to hers…" Cade commented, "but I didn't see you get hit, you shouldn't be hurt…"
"I've had all kinds of crazy things happening to me lately, from the visions to the gash on my arm…" Lita started.
"Gash on your arm? Show me…" Samus interrupted.
At the same time, both women bared their left forearms revealing two identical vertical slashes.
"You…" Lita said, "but why didn't you get the same injury I have?"
"I don't know…but it seems like you reflect my injuries…" Samus replied.
"But why…it didn't do this before…" Lita scrunched her forehead in thought.
"Maybe it's a side effect of time travel," Samus tried to reason.
"It's never been documented…but then again…there's never been such a dramatic alteration of the continuum like this…it seems that I'm linked to you…" Lita said.
"Then I suppose I might need to take better care of myself…for your sake," Samus remarked.
"That's going to be tough…the bad news is…we have to go back to the cave…" Lita sighed.
"You can't be serious…" Cade complained.
