Habitat 7 was not shaping up to be the 'tropical paradise' they'd dubbed it as back in the Milky Way.
First, their shuttle had been ruptured in two, then, her jump jets didn't work as they were supposed to – god, she would definitely have nightmares about that free fall towards the rocky ground! – and now she was stranded, alone on a foreign planet that seemed to be out to kill her. Figures. That was just her kind of luck…
She wished she wouldn't have lost all connection to SAM as well. But no; SAM as well as her comm stayed dead.
As of now, she was hiding in an alcove in the huge scarp, trying to not be grilled by one of the hundreds of lightning bolts that illuminated the darkened sky each minute.
This was not a tropical paradise. This was scarcely more than a huge rock with unbelievably bad weather and unbreathable, radiative air. The only plants she'd seen so far were radioactive, strangely glowing huge mushrooms – no sight of the beautiful palm trees they'd been promised.
However, to June, even Habitat 7 was beautiful. Darkly beautiful and dangerous. It was definitely not habitable though.
Knowing that she couldn't stay in her little safe spot forever, June darted out of the alcove, running and jumping from cover to cover, forever grateful for the now perfectly working jump jets.
She had to find the others.
Meanwhile on the Hyperion
"Dr. T'Perro?" Lexi's comm crackled to live. She was currently running another scan on the comatose Ryder sibling. She'd promised to take good care of him and she was not one to break a promise. So far, his vitals looked good.
"Captain?" she responded absent-mindedly, pouring herself a cup of tea.
"There's been a situation on Habitat 7. Prep the med bay for possible emergencies."
"What happened?" Lexi asked, almost dropping the mug.
"The shuttles ran into some turbulences when entering the planet's atmosphere. It looked like a lightning strike from up here, though I can't be sure. The…" the captain cleared her throat. "Shuttle 2 burst apart in the middle. We've lost comm connection to all of them and their SAM seems to be offline as well."
Shuttle 2. Lexi was wondering if that had been the one June had been in. Or Carlyle? Her stomach tensed uncomfortably at the thought of the two humans being hurt… or worse.
"Dr. T'Perro?"
The asari quickly recovered her senses. "I understand, Captain Dunn. Med bay will be ready."
"Good. Dunn out."
Habitat 7, a while after
After what felt like forever, June had finally stumbled over Liam. She would've preferred anyone else really – not to get her wrong, Liam seemed like a decent enough guy – but in the end she was just glad not to be alone on this god-forsaken planet anymore. Beggars couldn't be choosers…
She just wished he would stop talking once in a while. Or stop ogling her backside… She felt naked under his penetrant stare and she did not like it one bit. For now, she needed to try and concentrate on other things. There'd be enough time to talk to him about the staring later, when they were safe and back on the Hyperion.
She kept running and dodging the lightning bolts when suddenly her eyes caught a glimpse of red lights not too far away. Flares.
Picking up her pace, June almost didn't see the chasm before it was too late. She skidded to a halt, examining the area. Even with the jump jets and one hell of a run-up, the distance from one ledge to the other was still too far to cross.
Cursing under her breath, she noticed a cave further down to her right. Ignoring a protesting Liam, she headed for the entrance, hoping the cave would turn out to be a tunnel to the other side.
Ark Hyperion, bridge
"Hyperion, this is the Pathfinder. I need an immediate emergency extraction at my coordinates."
"Pathfinder, this is Captain Dunn. The shuttle is on its way but it will take another two minutes to arrive."
"Damn it!"
"Alec?"
Lexi was waiting with bated breath for the Pathfinder to continue talking, to let her now what she needed to prepare for.
"Alec?"
For a moment, all they could hear was labored breathing. Then, they heard a woman's pained voice over Alec Ryder's comm. Juniper.
"Dad, it… it hurts so much…"
"I know," there was a click, then the sound of raspy breathing. "SAM, initiate transfer."
"On it, Pathfinder. Starting transfer."
"Deep breaths, Juni. Deep breaths. You will be fine... I am sorry I... didn't tell you... more often…" The Pathfinder's voice sounded more and more strained. "I am proud of you… Tell Scott…"
His voice broke off, the static of the open comm link the only thing that could be heard for a few seconds that felt like eternity.
"Transfer complete." SAM's robotic voice echoed through the deadly silent bridge.
"June!" Cora. "Stay with us. Help is on the way."
"Make room!" Harry. "June, can you hear me? June! … She's going into cardiac arrest."
"There. The shuttle!" Liam.
"Hyperion?"
"We copy. The med bay is ready and waiting for your arrival."
Lexi moved as if in a trance, her legs carrying her through the door and onto the tram of their own accord, taking her back to the med bay.
It took another five minutes for the shuttle to arrive, Lexi nervously pacing the room, counting the equipment for the fifth time.
"Lexi, give me a hand!" Harry charged into the room, followed by Cora and Liam Kosta, who was carrying a limp Juniper in his arms.
The former police officer placed the young woman on one of the cots, quickly taking a few steps back as the two doctors almost bumped into him in their haste to get to the patient.
'A patient,' Lexi reminded herself. Juniper was just another patient, just like everyone else. Except, somehow she wasn't. Somehow it felt as if there was much more on stake than just another patient's life.
However, she needed to think clearly. So 'patient' it was.
"She's going into cardiac arrest!"
"Move", Lexi barked out, the two electrically charged omni pedals already in her hands. She quickly placed them onto the girl's chest, letting the first wave of energy rush through the unmoving body.
"No signs of life detected," SAM informed her.
Lexi charged the pedals again, bringing them down with a little more force. "Come on, Ryder! Dammit!"
"There is still no heart beat, Dr. T'Perro."
"SAM," the asari began, trailing off as a thought struck her mind. "Help me, we have to take her to SAM node!"
SAM node, two hours later
"She should've woken up by now…"
"You did everything you could, Lexi. She will wake up. Trust me," Harry tried to reassure his colleague and friend, noticing the obvious distress she was in with a certain curiosity. Of course, Lexi always cared about her patients, always took it hard when one of them suffered or even died. This however? This was out of character for the professional woman, this seemed like something... more.
It was definitely a thought worth hanging onto. Not right now though.
"I'll go check on Scott, can't lose another Ryder."
The asari absent-mindedly nodded, barely even listening to his words. 'Why wouldn't she just wake up?'
"It is considered rude to stare, did you know?" The voice was quiet, barely there, but she'd definitely heard it.
Lexi was at the redhead's side in the matter of seconds, even beating Liam to it, who had – much to her irritation – set up camp on the floor next to the cot they'd rolled into SAM node.
"Juniper," the asari breathed out the name, barely above a whisper. It sounded like a prayer.
"What happened?" the young scientist wanted to know, trying to sit up but wincing in pain as she tried to. "I... oh no…" recognition dawned on June's face. "Dad… where is he? Did he make it back all right?"
Lexi hadn't even opened her mouth when Harry was already pulling the redhead into his arms. She hadn't even noticed him slip back into the room.
"I'm sorry, June. He didn't make it. I tried-"
"I know you did," June whispered in his embrace, a lone tear trailing down her cheek. She knew that now wasn't the time for her to fall apart. Not after what they'd discovered on Habitat 7, not with Scott still hanging in the ropes.. It was difficult to hold herself together though. "He was your friend. You would've done everything to save him."
"He sacrificed himself for you. He-"
"He transferred his SAM to you and made you the new Pathfinder," Cora strode into the room, barely acknowledging anyone. Her posture was stiff, her lips a harsh line.
"Me?" Ryder shook her head, confused. "But you were-"
"...His second-in-command. I guess now I am yours."
"But I wasn't trained to do this, I can't-"
"But now you are." Cora's voice was cold, nothing like June had ever heard it before. "Be on the bridge in-"
"She needs time to rest!" Lexi finally interrupted the human, looking at her with a look of reproach. How could she treat her like that? Didn't she understand that the younger woman had just lost her father? Not to mention that Lexi had been in for a very unpleasant surprise when she wanted to find and wake Ellen from cryostasis earlier. She hadn't known about Ellen Ryder's death, not until Harry had told her about it between waiting on the shuttle and rushing to get June to the med bay. The Ryder twins were orphans now. "To rest and grief."
With a last look at the asari doctor, Cora all but stormed out of SAM node. "You have half an hour before we reach the Nexus."
"Don't worry, Ryder. You can learn on the job as you go. I'm sure you'll be a great Pathfinder. And you won't be alone," Liam smiled at the young woman, obviously rather infatuated with the beautiful scientist.
Lexi didn't exactly like the way he looked at June, but she appreciated his words, whatever their underlying reasons may be. It was at least miles better than how Cora had acted. Right now, Dr. Lexi T'Perro was not a fan of Cora Harper. Not at all.