AN: Sorry for the really long wait... Been sick on and off as we had a really long, cold winter here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and had a lot of up and down temperatures going into spring... I also have been stuck on and off while writing this chapter, so that is another reason.
Hopefully the Chapter was worth the wait and hope to be posting again soon. After this Chapter we will be moving into the next part of the story.
On a side note, Season five sucked... There was only three good eps out of the six... and the whole Pete and Myka thing needs to go way, I could agree that Pete loves Myka, but Myka does not love Pete in that way, and if they did some how get there they would not last that long as a couple... Myka would kill Pete before they even got serious in their relationship... If I was Jack Kenny I would have gone out with a bang and give the fans and the story a big send off...
Enough of ranting, lets get on to the story. Thanks again for all those that have read this story rather you faved, reviewed, followed, or just read it. It is nice to know people are interested in it.
Chapter 10
It's been three mouths and a week that I have been here and it has been a trying one for all of us here, especially for me and my two best friends. Pete and Myka and I all study and push one another to get better and improve in places we lack. Myka and I make sure that Pete studies and pays attention in class.
In the class were we study the Formic flight patterns, we have learned nothing that could help us out at defeating them. Their formation seems entirely random and does not make sense. Myka and I can not even figure it out, and we both are very good at picking up detail. We both suspect that why we can't figure it out is do to the fact that the school is keeping information from us. It might even be the same information that was kept from us in the promo video when we first came here.
All three of us, Pete, Myka and myself have been doing pretty good at keeping up in our strategy class with Caturanga. Pete has a little bit of trouble keeping up because of all the science and math involved, but once it is explain to him in the right way, or when it just clicks for him, he can come up with some interesting formations and strategies that allows him to meet his goal. Myka on the other hand has been keeping up with me so far and has very little trouble figuring out her next move. It must be from all the chess games that Myka has been playing against me. (Not that she couldn't improve on her own, just that I think I help her improve faster is all.) We have been making that a habit and a fun thing we do when we just want to hang out. I also have gotten better with my strategies from my time spent with Caturanga. He has helped me calm myself a bit when frustrated, making me try to think with a clear mind when I'm faced with a challenge that is being as stubborn as myself.
Combat training with Sergeant Nielsen has been going well also. Myka and Pete have improved greatly over the last month they are more advanced then the others in class, because they have been practicing with me on and off for a while now. They still can't beat me even if they teamed up to take me down, but they are getting there. Soon I will have a challenge that I have been looking forward to.
In the last few months I have been pondering about why I have been brought here. I know I was brought here to help the International Fleet to defeat and win the war against the Formics, but that would mean I will have to be a leader, and a leader has followers. I don't have any... Well, I have Pete and Myka, but they don't count because they are my friends. Other then them I have no one and I don't know how to be a leader... I don't understand how you get people to follow you, to look up to you. All I want to do is fade away from the limelight and let others have it, that way they will have a chance to prove themselves so that they will not hate me so much for being better then them. Sometimes I find myself in deep thought about what makes a good leader, because I have to, the colonel wants me to, expects me to.
As much as I know that Pete and Myka will always be their for me, I can't always pretend that the challenges that I will have to face does not exist. I can't Pretend that Myka and Pete will be with me, together forever like this. I know that eventually we will be separated from each other and will have to go out of our way to see each other again. I also know it is going to happen even with the promise that Myka and myself have made to each other. I know that Myka will keep that promise till the day she dies, she will fight tooth and nail just to see and be with me, and I would do the same. I keep imagining the outcome along with my thoughts of being a leader, I imagine it will be incredibly difficult and painful to be separated from them, especially Myka. I can never stop fretting when that day comes, the day we all separated. How will I function, how will I lead and be strong like I is supposed to be?
In the last week after the latest stunt I have pulled, Myka has drawn away from me again... I know that she is not happy with me and that I should not have done what I transpired that night, but a girl can only handle so much. We have not spoken much since that night, besides the occasional small talk here and there. It is quite uncomfortable being around her and hoping that she will see me and speak to me the way we were. I have tried apologizing many times. I guess, it just doesn't come out right normally of late. I have made her further mad at me because I said some thing I shouldn't, or maybe something at the wrong time and place... I don't know anymore... It would seem I can't do anything right when it comes to Myka... I always seem to go in not thinking, always saying whatever comes out of my mouth... She will be the death of me I swear it.
Now that Myka is mad at Helena, things for the past week have been rocky at best. Myka has been avoiding Helena as much as she can. There seems to be confrontations at times when Helena tries to fix them and Pete has to jump in and break it up.
Pete knows where they both are coming from, but doesn't know how to get them to realize what they need from one another, he doesn't even know where to start. Myka and Helena both know that he is trying to be mediator with only half the information to the problem at hand.
Myka is not only pulling away because she is mad at H.G., but that does have a lot to do with it. What Myka really is trying to do is create distance, because she is almost positive the colonel is watching Helena very closely right now.
Not only did H.G. piss him off, but she undermined his authority of her and all the cadets in front of all the cadets. She questioned his motive and his leadership in front of all his underlings. She did something even a untrained officer knows not to do. They are trained to follow orders without question. They are not allowed to question the orders given, unless they take it up with the to that persons superior to get them court marshaled. In this case Helena had no right or authority to do so. She could have been kicked out of the program if it weren't for the fact that the colonel needs her.
Myka does not want Helena to get further in trouble being caught with her doing something they shouldn't. She knows that she should inform Helena this, but right now is still fuming from Helena causing this catastrophe to begin with. She knows that Helena can only take so much laying down, but she needs to think more broadly about how her actions and how it will effect others, not just herself. She needs to think about her friends that she is putting in the cross fire and how it will effect their relations with each other if the colonel decides to take action, by split them up, or if for anytime would catch her and Helena being closer then they claim to be. If he ends up looking in on Helena or even on herself, for god knows what, and suspects anything... She knows that she will pay and so will Helena. They both will pay a heavy price if they got caught in their secret relationship.
Helena knows that she did something that she shouldn't have and has been trying to apologize to Myka any chance she could get, but Myka seems to take it in a way that she is being to lax about what she did, to prideful, stubborn, or other wise. Myka always seems to have a reason for shooting down Helena's apologies and advances to touch or caress some part of Myka trying to ease the tension, as well as show how much she cares for her.
Helena knows she F'ed up in a huge way, but was trying to apologize and to explain herself. She was trying to tell Myka that she screwed up for not thinking about her actions and how they would reflect not only on herself, but her friends, as well as the person she so desperately wants to be with and protect. She wanted to apologize for not taking that into account, as well a failing to personally protect the one person that is most important to her.
She also wants- needs Myka to know about this growing fear that has been lurking for some time now. Helena needs Myka to hear about it, to understand it, to promise that things will be ok, even when they are not. She needs Myka to know that she is desperately afraid of the unavoidable future where they will be separated, either by her doing or the colonel's.
She is desperate to fix this, because of that fear. She has learned not so long ago that she can not survive with out Myka, she can't. Right now she is a mess trying to fall back into Myka's good graces. She needs Myka to forgive her, for her to make amends, to tell her that she can't live, function, survive with out her Myka.
Currently, all the Launchies were in there strategy class now going over formulas and going over what was on the test they took last week. Caturanga was disappointed in his pupils from what the scores were that came back from taking the test. There were only three passing scores from that test and it was only dealing with the basics. If the cadets wanted to make it here, they are showing a poor job of it.
"We have only three passing scores on the deep space navigation test, Pete, Myka and H.G. What happened here?"
All the kids were silent looking back at Caturanga like they were expecting him to give them an answer to why they failed, except for one boy in the back of the class room who thought it was to a good idea to throw a smart comment out at everyone, which of course came from Ralf Brunsky's mouth.
"They probably cheated."
Pete, a row in front of him on the right side, facing the front of the room, was annoyed and getting tired of Brunsky's remarks all the time, especially this week after Helena's incident with the colonel. He wasn't going to let Brunsky run his mouth today, "Your mother cheated that is why you look like a plumber."
The whole class got rowdy after that comment with a bunch of Ooh's, Oh's and damn's, and also a lot of laughing.
Caturanga got control of his students real fast before Brunsky could make a comeback of his own. "QUITE!"
As soon as the word was thrown form the rather intimidating, soft spoken man, did everyone shut up. They were all in a bit of shock and knew that they were in trouble because Caturanga didn't yell, not once, since they have been here.
"Thank you. Now that I have gotten your attention once more, Please enlighten me, does this class and this school seem like a joke to you? Do you think this is funny? That this is all just a fun game we are playing here?"
"No, Sir." came Brunsky's defeated voice.
"We are preparing for war."
"Yes, Sir." Pete replied just as dejectedly.
After a moment of looking at the two the disrupted his class Caturanga turn around and faced the front of the classroom. He booted up the projector with a hand motion and started his lecture about a problem that was on the test, which was one of the more simple problems that most of the class got wrong.
"Now the problem was simple. How do you slingshot your forces into an attack position on to the blind side of this moon, using the gravitational pull from this planet?" Turning back around Caturanga looks back at his class and says with disappointment. "This is basic rocket science people."
Caturanga knew that this would make Helena uncomfortable, as she didn't want the attention, but thought that she might be able to dumb it down for her peers better then himself. Clearly, they were not understanding it from his lectures. "H.G. would you like to come here and explain to your fellow classmates a way to accomplish this problem?"
"Sir, with all do respect, I think Myka or Pete may be better equipped to explain this, then I do."
Myka and Pete look at each other, then at Helena not sure why she thought that they had a better understanding of this then her. It took a moment for Myka to think about what Helena actually said. She is trying to allow them a chance to explain and prove themselves to their professor and she honestly thought that both could explain it better to their classmates.
Caturanga decided that if that was how Helena wanted it and she thought that both could explain it better, then he will go with the choice that seemed to be appropriate. "Alright then. How about you, Mr. Lattimer. Do you think you could explain a solution to this problem to your classmates?"
"Ah- Yes, Sir." Pete was a bit baffled. He honestly thought that since H.G. declined and left only himself and Myka, that Myka would be the one to be picked, just like she was for everything.
Myka was second best to Helena everyone knew that and that is why most didn't like Myka. Sure they didn't like her for hanging out and being best friends with H.G., but they wouldn't have liked her with or without H.G., because if you get right down to it, Myka was like a second H.G., she was smart and has top grades in every class. Helena is just normally faster and thought more outside the box then Myka.
They both were brilliant and Pete knew that he was not as gifted as they were. He had his moments, but he knew he could not compete with either one for top spot, he was way out of their league. So to say that he was a bit baffled was not that surprising. He quickly sobered up from the shock and went down to the front of the room where Caturanga was waiting.
As soon as Pete got down to the front of the classroom to start his explanation to the problem, Brunsky opened a chat room that linked to the whole class on the touch tables that they were using in class and started typing.
Look Out! Captain Doofus is going to try to explain something intelligent without Smartass or Know-It-All to help him. Lets see how far he gets before his brain explodes!
Brunsky hit send and instantly everyone got his message. There was a lot of giggling going on while Pete was explaining a solution to the problem.
Caturanga turned around back to the class and asked, "Is there something funny?" The class instantly become quiet again, and Brunsky instantly lost his smirk of triumph at the thought of being caught.
It was silent for a few moments before Caturanga turned to Pete, who also was facing the class to figure out what the giggling was about, "Continue Mr. Lattimer"
Pete nodded and turned back around to face the projector and continued explaining his solution to the problem.
Myka was annoyed that Brunsky was taking more jabs at them. He thought he was oh-so-funny. Myka was thinking it will be funny when she knocks his teeth in, then they will see what is really funny.
Helena was quite mad that Brunsky was not making good on their arrangement and decided to retaliate.
Brunsky is living proof that monkeys still get launched into space.
Helena hit send.
Instantly there was even more giggling, Caturanga turned around with his arms crossed looking quite annoyed, ready to start cracking heads. Pete also looked back around, trying to once again figure out what is so funny.
Brunsky was furious to find that someone decided to retaliate against him and made him look like a fool. In his fury he blurted, "Who sent this?!"
Caturanga was quite interested in what has grabbed the attention of his class that was so hilarious that they were not paying attention to what was going on in class. "Who sent what Mr. Brunsky?"
Brunsky was on the spot, and he knew it wasn't a good place to be. For one, he was showing weakness when he demanded to know who the message was from in front of the class. Lastly, he knew that he would now be in trouble with the teacher for disrupting class.
So, Brunsky did the only thing that came to mind, and that was to take back his demand and brush it off like it was nothing, hoping the teacher gets back to teaching the class and letting it go. "Nothing."
Caturanga didn't believe him and went over to the nearest touch table, looked over a students shoulder and read the instant massages that were up on the screens. "Huh." Caturanga said in understanding and amusement. He could guess who sent the insult back to Brunsky. He look up to the back of the room finding Brunsky and advised him, "If you can't take it Brunsky, don't dish it out."
"Yes, Sir." was Brunsky's only reply.
Helena was quite amused of the situation that Brunsky found himself in at the moment. There was a triumphant smirk on her face that indicated her amusement in Brunsky's humiliation that she helped deliver.
Myka saw Helena's amused smile from the corner of her eye. She gave a silent chuckle and shook her head as Caturanga directed the class once more to the front of the room, having Pete explain his solution to the problem from the beginning once again.
When lunch came around, Helena was at the outcast table alone at the moment. Myka would always be there, but she has been silent for the last week, like she was not there with her. Well that is not totally accurate, because Helena has tried apologizing to her or make small talk, trying to win back her good graces, which seem to have failed so far.
Pete has given up trying to get the two to talk to each other the last couple of days and has been sitting with his other friends to get away from the painful, strained atmosphere the two were making. He didn't avoid them all together, but he couldn't stand the strained atmosphere that the two were creating when the two were together. He just needed to get away from it all for a little bit, there was only so much a person could take before they themselves got frustrated and made the situation worse.
Pete and Myka were talking while they got their food in the cafeteria. Myka was telling Pete about what took place when he was in front of the class explaining the problem and why everyone was giggling. Pete was pissed that Brunsky once again was talking shit about him, but was glad to hear that H.G. called Brunsky out on it.
Pete once again tried to convince Myka to make peace with H.G. Myka told Pete she was going to try and make peace with Helena, or at least let her talk and let her explain herself. She told Pete that it was becoming exhausting constantly being mad and ignoring H.G.
The strain that was on Myka and Helena's relationship not only strained all of them, but it also exhausted Myka, physically and emotionally, because Helena became someone very close to her heart without her knowing. Helena snuck her way into her heart and now it seems like she has half of it missing. She was becoming a emotional wreck without Helena. Helena had a way to bring her back from the tides that constantly were crashing against her, even though it was Helena that caused the tides to start crashing. Not all of them were from her, actually most weren't, they were caused by the pressure that was thrust upon them and the heavy cautious weight of being caught having a relationship with Helena. It was so much to carry on ones own. She knew she needed Helena, she could not handle this all on her own, she made a promise to her after all; that no matter what she wont let go of Helena. She promised that she was stuck with her and that they were going to survive this place together no matter what. She decided that it was time to make good on her promise to Helena.
Pete and Myka reach the back tables where the Launchies ate at, because the other kids think they are beneath them as they are all cadets in teams, they have ascended into the real program in this school. Myka sits down across from Helena and nods her head to her, when Helena looks up to see her sit, Myka smiles to her.
Helena smiles dejectedly back and says, "Sorry." so quietly that Myka almost didn't hear her.
Myka shakes her head at her and replies back in a soft voice, hoping Helena can figure out how sorry she was for breaking her promise to her, "I know. We'll talk later." She gives a small apologetic smile to Helena hoping that she receives the message that she is sorry for not listening and that she still cares for her.
H.G. nods her head with a returned small smile, but this one is one of hope. She finally feels like she might be able to repair her relationship with Myka again. This was the first time in a week that she feels like things aren't so bad.
Pete comes and sits next to Helena, butting into Myka and H.G.'s little bubble they had developed without realizing it. "Hey, Hey, Hey. Glad you guys are making up! Oh, and by the way H.G., thanks for having my back today."
"My pleasure Pete, I couldn't resist either way though. The git deserves far worse then whatever Caturanga gave him. I hope whatever he had to say after class to Brunsky was a punishment fitted for the prat and not just a lecture, Brunsky has gotten away with leniency far to many times."
''Yes, well, thank you anyway. The guy is a douche and totally deserves what is coming to him."
"Well said Pete!" The three look up to see one of the popular kids come sit next to Pete.
Pete is somewhat stunned and replies disheveled, "Thanks..."
More and more of the kids from the other table come over to the outcast table nodding to H.G. or praising her on how cool she was for standing up to Brunsky as they went by to sit down at the table.
Helena was quite stunned and so were her two friends, but after a while Pete nudged H.G. congratulating her and Myka gave her a kind smile that communicated that she accomplished something.
Even though H.G. has not voiced it to both Pete and Myka, they knew Helena was tormenting herself trying to figure out how to be a leader. They both knew that she started to gain peoples interest in following her the more she defied the system. It showed that she was not afraid of her superiors and that she will voice what she thinks is right.
The problem that Myka has with this is that, A. Helena gets in trouble, B. Gets punished and watched more closely, and C. Gets her friends in danger because of what they know, and/or because of what they are trying to keep secret from the authorities. That is why Myka can not condone it, it puts everyone at risk.
They all ate and talked with one another while Brunsky ate alone at the other table, the 'popular table'.
During free time Helena and Myka talked out their issues with one another and made up, of course that was after Helena's extra class with Caturanga and Helena's punishment with Major Frederic for the incident last week.
The punishment that H.G. had to endure wasn't horrible, but it was 2 hours long because not only did she disrespect the colonel, she picked a fight with Artie after, who was in the right to punish her for her insubordination. So that was 3 hours taken away from her free time, and they didn't have long free time slots all the time. So she missed out on having free time most of the time, and when they did have longer ones she had an hour at most, to maybe 15 minutes at least for her free time this past week.
H.G. was happy that do to her good behavior observed by Major Frederic, that she will be able to have her free time back. Major Frederic warned her before she released her from her punishment that if she ends up doing anything like that again she will have far worse to worry about then just cleaning equipment instead of hanging with her friends.
Currently, all the Launchies were in their dorm sleeping, or trying to, lights out was 15 minutes ago. Some Launchies had their night lights on so they could see and do activities quietly.
H.G. could not sleep, she was currently staring at the underside of Myka's bunk waiting for sleep to come, but it still has yet to come, even though she was physically and mentally exhausted.
She was to wound up to sleep after their conversation that took place a little under an hour ago. Helena is so relieved to have Myka back at her side, and is quite happy to know that the feelings were mutual when they were apart, that they both felt like they weren't whole with out the other. It is not a general thing one is to be happy about, but to Helena it showed that they both had the same feelings for each other, which came with a word, a word that was not said by either one, as they didn't voice it for many different reasons, but they both knew. That made Helena the happiest and the most relieved, but it was not the only thing.
They both discussed their motives for what took place a week ago, along with their anxiety and fears that they both felt that they needed to explain for the other to understand and be on the same page. They both wanted to move forward from this together. They both promised that they would not keep secrets from each other and that they would talk to each other when something was bothering them. They wanted a fresh start, water underneath the bridge and all that.
They both knew that this was going to be hard when they agreed to be with one another, but they never imagined that it would be this hard. They didn't think a relationship was that hard to manage, but it was, it was work, and work under tons of pressure, at that. They both hoped that this new agreement between them will help them to better communicate with the each other and have a better relationship altogether because of it, as the saying goes communication is key.
H.G. had enough of staring up at the bottom of Myka's bunk and decided to grab her tablet that she kept by her pillow for nights such as these. She started it up and went looking through her saved files on her device to find something she could occupy herself with.
She decided to look into Formic anatomy to empty her mind to try to sleep. The program file loaded and showed a Formic and indicated what all their parts were. Helena zoomed in closer to the head and had the program dissect it, having it tell her what all of the parts were that made up the face. She stared at it for a bit and then sighed. She didn't feel like studying Formic anatomy anymore. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She just really wanted to empty her mind and go to sleep. Her week has been very exhausting, but she couldn't, she was there, wide awake. She closed the file and looked around some more for something that might occupy her until she could.
Helena found herself in the games and recreations and stumbled on to the 'Mind Game' again. She has not played it since that day in Caturanga's office. It was the game with the three doors that all sent her to her death, when one of them was to get her out of the maze. Caturanga taught her a lesson that day, change the rules.
She opened the program and the digital world started to form on screen. The program informed Helena that cerebral control was now enabled, as the pixels of the game came together. She was a rat jumping and crawling cross the forest floor that was on the out side of the maze level. She was continuing on forward to see what lays await for her.
The root that she was on led her to a tree. H.G. thought it would be a good idea to crawl up to see where she was, only to find out when she looked up at the tree, that it was more of a high stomp that had what looked like a stone slab on top of it.
She new this was her next challenge. She continued her way up the root-y stomp and hopped onto the stone slab. She found that it was made to be a table as there were two very tall, large goblets sitting in the middle of the table, or large from her view as she was a rat. The goblets looked like they were made of metal and glass and had something green in them that also produced a vapor of the same color. The two glasses also seemed to have a black webbing, or netting on them that fixed them to the table. There was also food sitting out like bread and cheese.
Helena was not sure what she was going to face on this level, as it wasn't that obvious, but her best guess was it had something to do with those glasses. She decided to be cautious and looked around while sniffed the air. All the sudden something big that came out of nowhere and almost squashed her. It startled her, but she dodged it. What almost squashed her appeared to be a fist that was attached to a very big, very ugly giant troll/goblin like creature. It had a light sickly green color to it's skin and a rooted, webbing design that was in place were a beard would normally grow on a human.
It laughed as soon as it found out she survived. The creature lifted both of his hands from the middle of the table and put them on both sides of it, using it to lean on to peer down at her between the two goblets. As soon as it got itself settled it started to talk, "One is poison, one is not." indicating the two glasses. "Choose right and you will go to Faerieland."
Major Frederic walked very quickly, but calmly into Colonel Valda's office without so much as a knock with a cup of hot tea in her hand. She stated as she proceed to the projector in front of the room, "She has found the 'Mind Game.'"
Valda looked confused as he had no idea what that was to mean. He waited for the major to pulled up whatever she needed to show him.
Major Frederic pulled up the live footage of what H.G. was doing in the 'Mind Game' currently. She of course knew about the 'Mind Game', and even knew that Helena has played it before for she is the one that authorized it, but this was the first time that H.G. opened it on her own. The major was curious to see what Helena will do.
The major also thought that the colonel should see it as it will help them know what is going on with H.G., not only with strategy, but with how she reacts, thinks and feels. The game was developed to grow with her, to be an extension of her, to help the major better understand her and how she is feeling. There are other reasons for this game, but this what the major needed to know and find out.
Helena was just sitting there looking at the creature for a little bit, not sure which one she wanted to choose.
The creature was getting impatient and snapped irritably, "Decide or I'll bit your head off."
The giant troll like creature amused H.G. and she chuckled at his grumpy, impatient, irradiated mannerisms. It sort of remained her of Sergeant Artie Nielsen, though comparing him to a giant troll is a bit harsh, but she couldn't help herself. Artie was always grumpy and grumbled a lot, nor did he have very much patients either.
She decided to try the one on the left, climbing the cup and sniffing its contents. It didn't smell like anything, which didn't help her out. It would seem the only way to find out was to try it. She jumped into the green substance and almost instantly it burned her alive, much like acid.
Helena was a little disappointed that she failed, but was instantly amused again by the creatures comeback to her failure.
"Bad luck." it said in it's own amusement to her failure with a smug smirk on it's face.
In the colonel's office, both the major and Valda watch as H.G. plays the 'Mind Game.' The major was standing off to the side, while the colonel continued to sit at his touch table/desk like he was before the major came into his office.
After Helena died, the colonel wanted to know why they were watching her play this game. What was so special about this game? "Who authorized her access to this?"
Major Frederic didn't even look back towards the colonel as she replied, "I did."
In the game the troll like creature amusingly taunted the rat, "Try again little mouse."
"To what end?" Valda asked.
"Not every battle can be won, Benedict." the major states as she looks away from the screen and looks back at the colonel. "The way she plays the game reveals her state of mind. If you wont let me assess her one on one, I need some other way to know what she is feeling."
"I don't care how she is feeling."
Major Frederic turns back to the projector and gives a frustrated sigh.
Valda ignores the majors frustration with him and continues on. "I want her to toughen up and learn how to lead."
After he said his piece she turn back around to face him to say hers, "Before we make her a leader, lets see how she deals with frustration." She turns back around and they both continue to watch H.G. play.
H.G. goes and investigates the right cup, much like before. The substance still doesn't have a smell so she just jumps right in again. Just a as quickly as before she was eaten alive in acid.
"Come on!" she yells at her tablet. She now only had one remaining life left.
The creature seems to almost comments back at her frustration, "Oh dear..." shaking it's head at the rats misfortune.
Myka heard Helena and popped her head down to see what was going on. " Watcha doing?"
Helena did not disturb Myka's sleep as she was already awake. She was having trouble sleeping like H.G., except Helena found something to distract herself while Myka was just staring at the ceiling hoping sleep will come to quiet her chaotic mind.
H.G. is quite amused at Myka as she dangles her head down to investigate. She smiles at her and says, "Playing a stupid game." Helena hits resume on her game as she continues explaining. "No matter what I choose I die. It's rigged."
In the game the troll like creature answers Helena's request to resume game, "Your back." Then states, "Now one more time." about to explain something.
Myka still dangling her head off her bunk to talk to H.G. asks, "Can I watch?" She was curious to see what Helena will do.
"Sure."
Myka flipped over and jumped down from her bunk and quickly sat down next to Helena.
The creature continues on explaining the rules again, "One is poison, one is not. Choose right and you will go to Faerieland."
Myka looks at H.G. while smiling enjoying being next to her, watching her and asks, "What are you going to choose?"
"Neither." Helena did not look up at Myka when she replied. She stayed focused on her touch pad.
Myka observed her, she was focused and something else. Something that Myka could not put a name to, but whatever it was took the happy smile off her face. Myka looked back at the screen and watched to see what H.G. was going to do.
The creature taunts the rat again, "Come little mouse, come on."
Helena climbs up the goblet on the left and stays on the rim of the cup looking up at the creature as it leans further down smirking an evil smile waiting for her death to come. She stares at it for a while, looking into her enemies eyes as it just continues to smile waiting for her undeniable demise.
She has had enough, she will not tolerate being messed with anymore. The creature cease to be amusing any longer, it has overstayed its purpose in H.G.'s eyes. She will see that this ends, and ends now. She jumped from the rim of the cup and onto it's right eye. It screamed in pain as H.G. burrowed her way into the eye, then into its mind, eating away at it. She was killing it.
Myka was uncomfortable as she watched Helena torture and kill the creature. She jumped up on to the side of Helena's bed and watched Helena as she finished off her kill, not sure what possessed Helena to do such a thing. Helena maybe a lot of things, but she was not a cold blooded killer, she would not kill with out thought or reason. There had to be a reason for her to do such a thing, there had to be.
Once the creature had finished it's screams and laid died on the ground, Myka asked Helena in a demanding, serious tone, "You killed him. Why?"
Helena looked at Myka finally, she had a very dark look in her eyes. She looked rather angry and dangerous. Myka had only seen this look once before and that was during the incident with Brunsky in the game room.
Helena replied with such anger in her voice, "That is what they want from us." She looked down at her tablet looking at what she did, continuing her explanation in a soft somber voice, "Follow the rules, you lose." She then looked back at Myka with sad eyes, "Choose violence, you win."
Myka looked into her eyes and saw pain and sorrow. She knew Helena did not want her to think she was a monster, but was feeling like she was being made one. She knew that Helena was not one and could never be one, she was to caring to be what the colonel wanted her to be.
Helena may have her darkness in her, but under it was so much light. So much that even in her darkness some of the light would shine through. Helena's intentions will always be good ones, it is only how she goes about them that can be questionable at times. Myka has seen this in her in all the time she has come to know Helena, which was almost as good as her knowing herself through and through. This is why she knew the colonel will never succeed in turning Helena into a monster, even though he was forcing Helena to be one at times.
H.G. feels like she is being made into a monster, a killing machine, to be used for whatever the colonel wants or plans to use her for. Helena just wants to be what Myka sees through her eyes, but the colonel wants Helena to be something different.
Myka understands this and sits back down next to Helena, she wraps her arms around her, hugging her, showing that she understands.
The colonel and the major just watched H.G. burrow her way into the creatures eye and slowly eat her way into it's head, killing it.
Major Frederic was currently seated in a chair in front of Colonel Valda's desk. She stared at the projector in disbelief and said absentmindedly, "I never seen anyone do that." She looks back at the colonel expecting him to be as shocked as she was.
The colonel was not however, he was pleased. "Perfect. She's perfect."
The major can not fully believe what she just heard. Well, she actually can, but it was wrong. He wants Helena to be a ruthless killer that will follow orders without question. He does not see these kids as children, they are a means to an end for him.
Myka let go of Helena when there was a beeping sound coming from Helena's tablet. H.G. answered it, opening a video chat, as soon as Myka got resettled next to her.
The person on the screen was delivering orders, "H.G. Wells you are assigned to Salamander army, Commander James MacPherson affective immediately, Orders of Colonel Valda." On the left side of the screen showed a map where she was being ordered. There was a green line that was drawn out showing her a path of how to get there. "Follow the green lights. Take nothing with you. Go now." That was the end of the conversation as the window closed.
Helena looked up to Myka not sure what she was feeling. She knows what just happened, but she doesn't want to believe it. "What are they doing?"
Myka looks back at Helena with the best warming smile she can muster to help encourage Helena to do what is required of her. She knows Helena's fear as they just talked about in not long ago, just a few hours ago in fact, but she must go. "They are promoting you."
Helena starts to tear up without her consent and she tries to wipe them away.
Myka stops her and moves her hand to Helena's cheek, brushing her thumb gently under her eye to catch the few tears that fell.
Helena leans into Myka's hand and sorrowfully says, "Myka, I don't want to go. I don't want to leave you."
Myka lift up H.G.'s chin with her other hand, so Myka could look into her eyes to say what she needs Helena to hear. "We are not saying goodbye. We will see each other again. We will see each other in our classes and during our free time. Nothing has changed, except now you will be in another dormitory from me and be in a team, joining the ranks in the games."
Myka paused and caressed Helena's cheek and then added, "You also know that I will not be far behind you, I'll be seeing you in the game soon, you can bet on it."
That made Helena chuckle some, she brought her hand up to Myka's that was resting on her cheek and nodded in agreement, "Yes you will my darling, yes you will." Helena smiled for the first time since the news was given.
They both held each other for a little bit longer, then let go.
H.G. got up and headed out the door. She got out in the corridor and started walking in a slow pace with a glum expression on her face. She only got a few paces before Myka came running out.
"Helena, wait." she called catching up to Helena. She didn't think she just acted. She didn't want Helena to leave yet without her truly understanding that she will never be alone.
Helena stopped and turned around to hear what Myka had to say, but Myka didn't say anything, she just walked up to her and kissed her softly on the lips. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening it was over.
Helena could not believe that she risked being caught for her, but then again she could. Myka and her had a bond that was so strong that it hurt from the thought, the idea of being away from each other. They have come to depend on one another to take care of each other. They have become each other most important person.
Myka pulled away and then leaned in towards Helena's hear and whispered, "I wont let go Helena. You are stuck with me, now until forever, no matter what. You got that?"
Helena nodded and replied back, "I too, will not let you go Myka, not until you say other wise."
"That will never happen." Myka declared. She kissed Helena's cheek and stepped back.
Helena gave a sad smile and turned back around and headed to her knew quarters.
As I made my way to my new quarters all I could think about was how Myka was not going to be there. I was on my own. I know that I am not alone on this space station, but I am all the sudden very lonely and sad as I make my way down the corridors.
I just fixed things with Myka only a few hours ago and just got back to being together again, only to be pulled apart. I hope we persevere and come out strong from this new physical distance from each other. We both knew it was coming, but we did not think it was coming this soon. There is nothing either of us can do, but move forward and try to survive.
To Be Continued...