Episode 21: Refuge from the Storm
When Derek walked into the medbay with Nova, Dr. Sane shoved a half-empty sake bottle into a supply cabinet. "Didn't know you two had become sparring partners."
Red shaded Nova's cheeks, but she didn't break stride with her reply. "Accident with a detainee."
Sane grimaced. "If I weren't under ethical obligation, I'd have let that misbegotten piece of—"
Nova cleared her throat more loudly than necessary.
"—filth… suffer." Sane pointed to two chairs. "Sit." He inspected Nova's bruised face and puffy eye. "No fractures. Good. Any dizziness?"
Nova shook her head.
"Headache? Double vision?"
"No, but I'll come back if I need to."
"Any other injuries?"
"Not that I can tell."
From the supply cabinet, Sane retrieved a skin toned patch. It perfectly covered Nova's cheek and hooked over her eyebrow. "Shut your eyes." He sprayed a layer of sharp-smelling ointment on her swollen eyelid and the inside of her nose bridge. The bruising faded but didn't disappear. "In a few hours, no one will be the wiser. Keep the patch on for twenty-four hours." He handed Nova a damp cloth that smelled of antiseptic and gestured to her sap-stained hands and jacket. "How about you, Wildstar?"
"Just bruises, I think."
"Where'd he get you?" Sane motioned Derek to take off his shirt.
Both arms featured bruises from Deun's knuckles, but the most discomfort radiated from his back. "He landed a few before he tossed me into the wall." Derek turned the chair sideways and took off his undershirt.
Nova covered her mouth.
"That bad?"
Nova snapped a picture with her comm and handed it to Derek. In addition to the marks from Deun's fists, clear imprints of cuffs decorated Derek's back. Seeing the results of the beating intensified their ache.
Derek returned Nova's comm. "I'm gonna feel that for a few days." He hesitated to move as Dr. Sane tested his ribs and back.
"Luck is wasted on the young," Sane muttered as he grabbed a small bottle of pills from a cabinet. "Nothing broken. Just a mess of bruises. You'll have quite the mix of colors back here while they heal. I'd give you the topical analgesic, but it's too big an area." He handed Derek a small bottle containing six pills. "One, twice a day for three days."
Derek pulled his uniform on. Each move hurt.
Just before they stepped out of the medbay, Dr. Sane pulled out his stashed sake. He didn't bother with a glass.
"I thought I was having a hard time with this," Derek said.
Nova tested the patch on her cheek. "He did just treat someone directly responsible for killing his family. By the time we left for Iscandar, he was the only one left. He had an aunt survive most of the bombings, but she died of radiation sickness not long before launch day."
"I didn't know that."
Nova pulled out the handkerchief containing Silesia's seeds. "He likes to talk when he's nervous. When I worked with him at Central, I thought it would be distracting, but it helped. Kept my mind off the what-ifs." She pointed to the seeds. "Ready to get these to Bahn?"
"Yeah. And if he's up to talking, I have questions for him."
"What about?"
Every step reminded Derek he should have downed a pain pill back in the medbay when he had the chance. "Something Feld—Deun said while he was in my quarters. That there were other Jeshurunians on Earth."
"Silesia mentioned they originated on Earth, but she didn't say if there were any still living there."
"He called Bahn and Silesia abominations. That's a strong word."
Nova stowed the seeds. "You heard how he framed what he did to Iscandar. He could have been twisting reality on this too."
"Even liars sometimes tell the truth."
"What makes you think he wasn't trying to further manipulate the situation?"
Derek replayed the scene from his quarters: Bahn's striking transformation, Deun's merciless attack, the way Bahn pleaded for him not to listen to Deun. "He pretended to be a friend, falsified his history, personal information. He never lied about his abilities, and he even admitted once to having a brother. People can easily fake a lot of things, but true fear isn't one of them. When he brought up other Jeshurunians living on Earth, he was terrified."
Nova's brow pinched. "I don't like this."
"Me neither. That's why I want to confront Bahn—before any more surprises get thrown our way. We don't need another complication on this trip. We're not even sure where we're headed, much less how long we'll be out here. We've already lost two of the crew, plus Mazer. I'm not letting this escalate." Derek took the turn toward hydroponics.
Nova followed.
For the first time in too long, Peter Conroy walked to the hangar without security or a Marine tailing him. His Tiger needed another go-over, and with the lockdown lifted, he was more than ready to spend extra time with his plane instead of cooped up in his quarters.
The low gravity caught him as soon as he stepped inside. He angled toward his bay and shoved off the floor, floating past five other planes before reaching his.
"You here too?" Feria called from the next bay over.
"Thought you'd be eating with the rest of third." He changed course and headed for Feria's plane.
"Needed to see to this old girl first." She patted the console. "I'm so glad lockdown's over."
He leaned on the edge of the cockpit. "Did you hear about the fight in the brig?"
"What fight?"
"Buddy sent me a few pictures from Bukowski, that new kid on security." Peter showed Feria four blurry pictures. "I told both of them to keep a lid on this until Wildstar makes it public knowledge."
"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I am." Feria enlarged part of the first image, but it did little to sharpen the indistinct face. "That's a Gamilon."
Peter lowered his voice. "He's Desslok's brother."
Feria lost hold of Peter's comm, but he caught it before it sank too far. "Please, say you're joking."
Peter shook his head. "Took some convincing, but I got Homer to verify."
Feria looked sick. "So, who'd he get into it with? Bukowski?"
"Nope. Wildstar. Bukowski reviewed the footage. Said it was pretty rough. Nova got hit in the crossfire and went down for a few seconds too."
"Oh, I am having a long talk with that girl. She's got to stop throwing herself at danger." Now Feria looked more worried than nauseous.
"I think this is a pot and kettle situation." Peter put his comm away.
Feria glared at him, but at least her face had lost its green tint. "She's going to get herself killed. She's always been blockheaded—but in that quietly infuriating way. She's too nice to yell at, and too quick to be stopped from running in." Her sigh held too many stories.
"It's good she has a friend like you. Even if you take the reckless route sometimes too."
Feria pretended offense, but she sneaked him a smile.
"So, where do you think we're headed? Just after the lockdown a few days ago, Cap told Vasquez to stay on course, but he never said why. Vasquez said Wildstar seemed pretty sure about it."
"If you're that curious, why not just ask him? He is your friend."
Peter shook his head. "There's enough going on without me adding to it. After all, I'm the one who brought Feldmann on board."
"You're going to beat yourself up over this for a while, aren't you?"
Peter nodded.
"Well, I think we're going to find that woman from the vision." Feria's concern turned to curiosity. "She reminded me a little of Starsha of Iscandar, just a shade or two paler."
"How'd you know about that?" Peter said.
"Lots of Star Force members saw it. Me, Nova, Homer, Orion, Sandor." She listed several dozen more.
"What about Wildstar?"
Feria shook her head.
"So… why the sudden decisiveness?"
"You don't know." Feria opened a message on her comm and held it up for Peter to read.
It was a quick note from Nova to Feria, dated four nights ago. All it said was, "Derek believes."
"This—this is amazing! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Feria tugged her flight suit collar. "I… didn't know if another unsolicited message from me was… appropriate."
Peter took her hand. "I appreciate everything you send me."
"All right. I'm holding you to that, so no complaining when you get pictures of Buddy and me making goofy faces while we clean the hangar." Her humor was a failed attempt to hide frequent glances at his hand in hers.
"I'll get a holoframe with enough memory to hold every single one of them. Just… no more close-ups of stuff you find crammed in the bays from the Iscandar trip, okay? That open year-old protein bar was past my limit."
"Okay. Lightweight."
"Thank you. I'll sleep so much better not having to dread anymore trash portraits."
Feria gave him an exaggerated sigh. "Does no one appreciate the fine art of a deep clean anymore?"
Derek and Nova pushed back the curtain separating Bahn from the rest of hydroponics.
"We found the seeds," Derek said as Nova showcased the three black spheres.
Bahn's few remaining leaves whispered. "You have our undying thanks." He still sounded weak, but not as desolate. "Plant them in damp soil. Keep them in a single cluster—close, but not touching. Silesia will need all three to regenerate properly."
Derek found an empty square planter. His back ached when he reached for it, but he ignored the twinge. He waved over the botany guys to fill it with soil. Once the planter was filled, Nova carefully placed all three seeds, just as Bahn had directed.
Bahn's approving rustle signaled they'd done well. "It will take two days for the shoots to sprout. Silesia will regain function slowly. Speech will not be possible for two weeks. Until then, I will notify those on duty of her needs." His weak stem seemed to strengthen. "She was once my teacher. Now, I will watch over her. When my body heals, I will inform Adrianna and Queen Starsha of what has happened here."
"You can talk with another Jeshurunian on Iscandar?" Derek said.
Nova tapped his shoulder and whispered, "Before Silesia told me about Deun, she said Starsha had instructed her to tell us about him."
"All of my kind are linked," Bahn said. "What one experiences can be voluntarily shared with others."
"You're telepathic?" said Nova.
Bahn rustled his leaves. "No. We do not read thoughts. We only accept what others of our kind offer to share."
"They have an organic information network!" said Derek.
"Yes. We can send images, feelings, words, even sounds, or visual memories of what we have witnessed. But it is a developed ability. Silesia's previous body could send or receive information without much strain, but this new body will need time to mature before it can stand the rigors of transfer. Until she is again able to serve, I alone will be your link to Iscandar."
"What about the link Starsha used to communicate with the ship through the engine core?" said Nova. "From what Shiori told me, Starsha used it while most of us were under the starflies' influence."
"But you have not heard from her since."
"No," Derek replied.
"I suspect the usurper cut the link. I received a brief flash of distress from Adrianna right after it happened, but more pressing concerns have taken precedence over telling you about it, Captain Wildstar."
"So, Starsha was looking in on us this whole time? Since leaving Iscandar?" Derek said. "Did she see everything that happened while we were headed back to Earth? Has she been following our progress since leaving Earth this time?" If Starsha had seen what was going on, she might have some insight into where they were going. Maybe she could get them a map of this part of space.
"Not precisely," Bahn said. "She has access to all records of what occurs onboard, but she is not actively watching all the time. All data compiled by this ship is copied and stored on Iscandar. Queen Starsha possesses the same information as you, but she has not reviewed the vast majority of it."
"Could she look at the information we've gathered on the Gatlantean ships we've met? Tell us what she knows about them?" Having a connection with someone who could help solve this mystery might mean understanding why they'd come across these other ships—and, maybe, why this new enemy attacked Brumis.
Bahn's few unsupported segments wilted. "If you have met Gatlanteans, you are in grave danger. The encounter you had with them on your way back from Iscandar was perilous enough, but with Gatlantean encounters rising, I fear you will soon meet with a force such as you—or Earth—has never seen. Please, have you observed anything else unusual?"
"You know about the incident in the dark matter sea?"
"I overheard you discussing it with another crew member—Timothy Alori. Yes, you met a scout ship. I am surprised you survived."
"What about the images my old command Yunagi got on the way home from cargo escort duty?"
"An incident I overheard while in your old apartment."
"That pilot we picked up—Mazer?"
"You spoke of that as well. Often, while alone in your quarters, you speak to others of important matters. It did not surprise me to learn the usurper did away with him. How you discovered the usurper's treachery was quite inventive."
"Suppose I talked about that in my quarters too," Derek said.
"Indeed." Bahn's voice dwindled in volume. "I apologize, Captain, but my limited strength fades. The supplemental nutrition I've received over the past hour or two has helped tremendously, but my body is still broken. I will convey your request to Queen Starsha as soon as I am able, but it could take several days, a week even."
"Whatever you can do," Derek said. He wanted to press for answers to Deun's earlier assertions about Jeshurunians living on Earth, but Bahn seemed in no condition to endure more conversation.
Nova gave him a questioning look. He signaled to keep their other inquiries for another session.
"Thank you, Captain," said Bahn before Derek and Nova left the little sanctuary. "The usurper would have shredded my roots if you hadn't stopped him."
"Just taking care of my crew," Derek said. "If you need anything, there will always be two crew members on duty here in hydroponics. They'll check on you and Silesia every two hours."
"You are most kind. Until my strength returns, I shall rest." Bahn's brutalized frame sagged into its supports, and his leaves stilled.
Derek and Nova quietly left.
Instead of going back to his quarters, Derek headed for the observation deck. "You… wanna come along?" he said when Nova didn't follow.
She fell back into step beside him. "So, why hold off asking about others like Bahn and Silesia on Earth?"
"Didn't seem like the right time. The Gatlantean problem's more urgent. If he can help us out with that, he might be more agreeable to more… difficult questions." Derek hid a wince as another crewman bumped his arm on the way by. Upon realizing who he'd knocked into, the man quickly apologized. Derek waved him on without making an incident of it.
"You need to take that first pain pill," Nova said.
"I'm fine."
"Take it anyway. Quit torturing yourself." Nova took out her comm and scrolled through an old report. "I can't believe I didn't think of asking Starsha about the Gatlanteans. Clearly, Iscandar had dealings with them. The data from the radar enhancement unit proves that."
"It didn't occur to me, either. Not even Sandor brought it up."
Nova put her comm away. "I guess none of us really knows what we're getting into this time."
They stepped onto the dimly lit observation deck. No one else was around.
Derek sat on one of the two benches set eight feet from the railing. The transparent half-dome bubble allowed a full view of everything they passed. From here, the stars seemed so much closer, even though they'd have to travel untold light-years to reach most of them.
Nova sat beside him. She pointed her comm at the stars. "It's Argo Navis." She pointed to a group of over a hundred and sixty stars—three separate constellations that formed one giant ship.
"Looks a little different out here than back home," Derek said.
"Some. I guess that's to be expected. We're not exactly inside the solar system anymore." Nova swept her comm along the line of visible stars. "Hey, a comet." She pointed to a bright speck near the top of the dome's curve.
Derek groaned.
"You okay?" Nova set her comm in her lap.
"I should have told Bahn about the comet Sandor saw before we left Earth." His stomach turned at the thought of that blazing white eye staring at him. "Too late for now. Probably be a couple days before I can tell him. Sandor's the only one I've discussed it with since coming aboard, so there would be no way of Bahn knowing about it. Sandor and I think it could be a Gatlantean base, but I hope we're wrong. It shifted course toward Earth not long before we rescued the Space Marines on Brumis."
Nova gripped her comm with both hands and lowered her voice. "Sandor showed it to me—that night you and Feldmann came down to the lab. I didn't know you'd seen it too."
"Started into a panic attack afterward. I've never felt so… trapped. It was like that thing had me in its sights and refused to let me go." He rubbed blurring eyes as a headache set in.
"Does Commander Singleton know about the comet?" Nova said.
Derek nodded. "Sandor and I told him—just after Brumis. He said the EDF would be ramping up production of Andromeda class ships, so they'd be ready in case of an invasion attempt. Sandor's the only other person who knows, so…"
"I won't tell anyone." Nova laid a hand on his shoulder. "But I think you should. This crew deserves to know what they might be up against."
Derek propped both elbows on his knees. His bruised back ached as he leaned forward. "Commander Singleton said he'd contact us about it again, but that was weeks ago. I've defied HQ enough right now. To let news like this get out before ordered to release it… I don't think it's a good idea."
"But that decision was made when we had a traitor loose. That's not true anymore. Wouldn't the crew be more invested in this mission if they had more information?" Nova said.
Two crew members, one man, one woman, stepped onto the observation deck, and Derek's reply died before he had the chance to give it. "Let's talk about this later," he whispered before the newcomers got close enough to hear.
"Okay." Nova stood. "I need to get this uniform washed, anyway." She brushed at the remnants of faded sap stains and a few splotches of dirt. "And you need to take those pain meds."
"Yeah." Derek got up slowly to avoid another round of punishment from his back. "Then I'm gonna go sleep for a while."
"Exactly my plan too—once I get this in the wash." She tugged the hem of her jacket.
Before she could leave, Derek took her hand and said, "What're you doing tomorrow, after shift?" He hadn't meant to say it so loudly, but the words burst out too quickly to adjust their volume. They needed to finish this conversation, and soon.
The couple, now standing at the railing, turned to stare at Derek.
"N-nothing—I suppose." Nova slipped her hand free of his.
"You up for a few rounds of target practice?" He lowered his voice for the next part. "There's more I need to tell you—about something Mazer said before he was murdered."
Nova sneaked a glance toward the nosy couple. "I'll meet you there. 1800?"
Derek nodded. 1800 would have to be soon enough.
Invidia, in her guise as Silver, met Dyre—as his Vardas avatar—beneath the simulated willow.
A breeze shifted the hanging branches, making them whisper as Invidia and Dyre stood atop the tree's thickest root. The pond from which the tree grew was deep enough to drown them both—or any intruders who happened upon them. To Invidia's eternal consternation, drowning an avatar wouldn't harm the user, but it would disconnect them from the sim room and purge all data collected within the last two minutes. But avatar drowning was a last and unlikely resort. The sim room had enough security layers to frustrate casual intruders and serious information brokers alike.
"Desslok will arrive aboard Gatlantis within ten days," Invidia said.
"I will inform Gairen. He will be as relieved as I am to hear this news, my queen," replied Dyre.
"He did not go willingly. I had to threaten to destroy his fleet and flagship before he agreed. I've heard accounts of his actions against that Original ship he's chasing. He spared no effort to destroy it. Thousands died by his order. His own death has made him weak."
"Whatever the reason, at least he is coming back. Gairen was afraid he would not cooperate."
"He almost didn't. But there is another problem that troubles me more than Desslok's attempts at insubordination. I've lost touch with my source aboard the Original ship. The information they've sent thus far has been quite useful. Only days ago, I received disturbing news."
Dyre's avatar approximated intrigued worry.
"The Originals are heading for Telezart."
"My queen, pardon me, but are you sure this source is reliable? Is their loyalty secure?"
"My dear general," she tsked, "have you ever known me not to ensure informant integrity? Besides, I offered them something they've sought for many years—even before they met the Originals—a sure future for their people. They will not abandon such a promise lightly." She laughed quietly. "I've recently learned something quite entertaining about our obstinate Gamilon Leader."
Dyre's curiosity radiated off his avatar.
"But I'm afraid I can't disclose that yet. We must prepare to receive Desslok. He will not be leaving Gatlantis again. Make arrangements for his permanent stay."
"Yes, my queen." Dyre's avatar bowed, and he swiped the air to begin the logout sequence.
Invidia let him leave.
Once Dyre-Vardas vanished, she stood atop the willow root alone. If Dyre had noticed her anxiety over the Originals heading to Telezart, he'd hidden it well. If only her source would respond to one more message. She'd sent the last one two days ago—plenty of time for them to receive it and reply.
The silence dug into her until she couldn't stomach the bright green and blue of the sim room's fake scenery.
She logged out, took a hit of finely powdered stardust, and sat on her couch. Once, the potent drug would have sent her reeling, like that pathetic officer Masterson Talan had with him upon his arrival. Now, stardust only blurred the world instead of masking it, but along with the blur often came a buzz of clarity.
Today, that clarity broached questions.
How had the Original ship known the way to Telezart?
Had the Diviner spoken to them?
Most troubling was the last question.
Was Desslok right? Had her father discounted the Originals too quickly?
Despite what Sabera thought, if the Diviner was involved—or, Warbringer forbid it, helping the Originals… the coming conquest could cost more than any of them were willing to pay.
Episode 21 Notes:
Editing pass, 8/25/22
The title for this episode was taken from Isaiah 25:1-4
O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.
Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
