The buzzer sounded, its sound melting into the uproarious shouting and screams resounding throughout the entire arena. Jane disentangled her legs from her opponent's neck and rolled off of his body, relieved that the round was over. Her entire body was sore with aches and pains from all of the fights; she had been fighting for two hours straight.
She groaned as she pushed herself on her hands and feet, exerting all of her power to keep her limbs from shaking from the effort. She knew she had pushed herself too hard, her only breaks were the brief respites between fights before the next opponent stepped up to the mat. Her crew had all been too eager to see if they could take her on, each one hoping that she was worn down enough to finally lose. Boy, had she proved them wrong.
She had been much too stubborn to lose a fight, and half of the effort she exerted was in trying to appear as strong as possible though she desperately wanted to just lie down. She didn't want to appear weak and there was no way that she was going to let one of her crew beat her.
With an effort she finally raised to her feet and stared out among the screaming crowd. She was receiving a standing ovation; each crew member was on their feet and applauding at her victory. She shakily smiled as she peered at them, wondering why they were standing. Her last fight hadn't been that monumental, she had allowed her opponent to try to hit her a few times before she suddenly attacked him and pinned him within a few seconds.
Several of her other fights had been similar to her last one, she mused. For many of them she hadn't allowed a single blow to land on her. However, try as she might, not all of her fights had been that easy. There was certainly a lot of talent on this ship for combat, she thought with a smile.
The worst fight she had was definitely the one with the Grog immediately after facing the commander. When he had crushed her with his entire weight she had felt three ribs crack under the immense pressure. She had done all she could to keep from blacking out before he had finally rolled over from her yanking on his feelers. Though she had hastily healed herself, her ribs piecing back together awkwardly as she had no time to focus on doing it properly, throughout the rest of the fights her chest still ached and caused her pain.
As she peered around the room she suddenly realized why she was receiving a standing ovation. The games were over. The time was up and there was going to be a half hour break before the last game began. Jane let out a raspy sigh of relief, the air searing against her damaged lungs. She was finally free to leave and go somewhere in private where she could examine her injuries and heal herself.
"Captain, captain, captain-" The chant resonated throughout the room as the crew shouted her name. She knew that she had set a new record; no other fighter had ever lasted as long as her. The most opponents anyone had ever defeated was fifteen and she had defeated thirty-eight. Her achievement was impossible, but then again, she was impossible.
She offered a quick wave as she began making her way towards the low wall, her opponent already out of the ring. Each step caused fire to rear all the way up throughout her nerve systems, and Jane did all she could to keep from limping. She was immensely happy that it was finally over and longed to return to the peace and quiet of her room, away from all of the rambunctious noise and confusion surrounding her.
As she neared the wall she examined the faces of her crew, looking for the commander. He was nowhere in sight. She began to worry about him; she knew that she had really clocked him with that kick of hers. Though it shouldn't have done more damage than to give him a raging headache that should have been taken care of if he had taken the medicine the medical officer would have given him. She hoped she hadn't scared the commander off with her fighting skills, she knew that no man ever wanted to be defeated by a woman and humiliated- as his defeat was broadcasted throughout the entire ship. Perhaps she should have gone easier on him, she thought as she clenched her teeth against the pain. Then again, she had given him a chance to win. It was his own fault for being distracted by her kiss that had allowed her to escape.
She approached the wall and rested her hands against it, summoning up the strength required to get herself over it. She fondly thought back to the fight she had against the commander, he had truly proved himself to be a worthy opponent. He was an excellent fighter and though she had fought as hard and fast as she could he had been able to keep up with her blows and even pin her to the floor. Until she kissed him. She let a smile escape over her lips as she thought back to the event. It had been random, completely in the moment, she had had no previous thoughts earlier of sneaking a kiss from him. The shock and confusion on his face made the kiss completely worth it.
She pushed herself up and swung her legs over the wall, landing next to her tall boots that the commander had stacked neatly next to the wall. Several of her crew members crowded around her, many of them were some of the opponents she had beaten, and everyone of them looked at her with respect and awe across their faces.
She bent down and began pulling on her boots, her head swimming with the effort. From the corner of her eye she noticed a black clad crew member approach, obviously intent on leading her to the medical center. She couldn't let him examine her, he would be able to see that some of the wounds she had received while fighting simply weren't there anymore, such as her broken ribs. Even though there would be no proof that her ribs had been broken, she can't have the risk of her wounds being examined today only to find that they then simply disappeared the next day.
After pulling on her boots she made eye contact with the medical officer, who stared back at her with gaunt eyes and tightly drawn lips. She recognized him as Karl; he had served on her ship for at least six years now and was one of her best medical officers. She had a lot of confidence in him and knew that if she asked him to he would allow her to leave without receiving a medical examination.
She knew that everyone probably expected her to follow the medic; though she was doing her best to hide her injuries she was certain that they all knew she was in pain. She decided to follow him so that her crew would be satisfied before she gave him the slip and returned to her own private quarters.
The medic turned and began to lead her out of the arena, her crew members saluting as she passed, each one of them looking at her with awe and respect as her name continued to be chanted throughout the arena. The long passageway seemed to never end as she held her head high and did her best to walk without a limp, trying her hardest to keep herself from automatically healing her wounds. She wanted to take the time to do it right, and if she started now someone might notice.
They passed through the double doors, Karl walking with a rapid pace. The audience began to trail out of the arena after them, their conversations filling the large hallway as they excitedly talked over the games, each of them looking forwards to watching Last Man Standing. Jane knew for certain that she would not be participating in that game, especially after the long hours she had spent in the fighting arena.
Karl turned off of the main passageway and began to lead her to the more deserted areas where the medical center was held. After turning onto another hallway, the area completely abandoned, Jane halted.
"Karl, if you don't mind, I think I'd rather just return to my room right now." Jane stated, her voice tired and strained.
He stopped and turned to face her, one of his eyebrows raised as he peered at her quizzically. "But you've just been pummelled for the last two hours," he stated.
Jane wanted to scoff, insulted from his choice of words, but instead she found herself chuckling.
"I am well aware of that. I'll be sure to call you if I need any help, but if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head back up to my room." Jane turned and began walking back the way they came.
"Captain," Karl called behind her, hurrying to her side. "I'm not sure that is the wisest course of action, you might have serious injuries that need to be looked at."
Jane glanced at him as she continued walking and saw the concern across his face. "I don't have any serious injuries." She lied, reminded of her broken ribs and the fact that all of her nerves were on fire; she was certain that her hastily healed ribs were the least of her problems.
She entered once again into the main passageway that was now bustling and crowded with the many crew members that were milling about. The next game, Last Man Standing, was much like the shooting range, where the audience could not watch live like in the arena and instead would have to watch from one of the screens. Several of them would watch from the arena where a large screen would fill the entire area, but most of them would take the opportunity to meet together in their rooms or any other quiet place on the ship. Until then the next half hour would be spent making their bets with others before the game began and they found their own place to watch it either by themselves or in a group.
Karl was lost in the crowd as Jane pressed forwards, the nearest crew members snapping to attention as they cleared a space allowing her to pass. She passed by relatively easily, finally making it to the elevator. The lift was open when she arrived and filled with crew members, but upon seeing her they all exited the elevator and allowed her to travel up alone. She nodded her thanks as they filed past and stepped onto the elevator. The doors slid shut behind her and she and was lifted up to the control room in silence.
The doors slid open to reveal the control room. Instead of snapping to attention the red-shirted crew members leapt to their feet and began clapping upon her entrance. Jane smiled shyly, embarrassed by their praise as she crossed over to the bridge. Even Triss was standing, though instead of clapping she was holding her e-book, her lips in a thin line, her expression unreadable. Jane slowly stepped up the stairs, each step making her bones ache. She was glad that the fights were over, her break was long overdue.
After crossing the bridge she held her hand over the sensor leading to her private quarters, once her fingerprints scanned the door slid open. Only she and Triss were able to pass the locked door and it only opened for the two of them. She stepped into the abandoned hallway, the door sliding shut behind her, cutting off the applause from the other room.
Jane let herself limp as she continued down the walkway to her private elevator at the end of the hall, allowing herself to slouch, the pain too much to try to walk normally. She entered the lift and finally stepped onto her own level, arduously walking into her bedroom and passing into the bathroom.
Ambient lighting cast soft shadows all around her as she leaned up against the sink and examined her appearance. She had successfully managed to keep her face from being damaged and her eyes glistened bright blue in the mirror's reflection. Her hair was tangled and matted in the ponytail, the golden blonde strands resting on her shoulder. No physical damage was visible, the only inclination of her physical exertion was shown through her weary eyes and slouched posture.
Tenderly, her entire body aching, she removed her hands from the sink's edge and pulled on the bottom of her shirt and lifted it over her head. Dropping the flexible material to the ground she held back a gasp as she stared at her appearance. Dark bruises had formed on her ribs where they had cracked, the dark purple and green color spreading like a giant ink blot, threatening to take over her entire chest. Her shoulders was also sporting a purple stain of color from when the commander had thrust his elbow down on her. Multiple pigments of discoloration spotted her entire torso where she had been hit, she looked as if a painter had splatted dark green, purple, and blue paint randomly all over her.
She gingerly touched the dark bruising on her ribs, a gasp of pain escaping her lips. The tender flesh ached as the broken ribs flared in pain. Jane shut her eyes and began to focus on the location, letting the healing powers flow through her and correctly piece together the ribs. Warmth swarmed to the area, her bones moving just a fraction if a centimeter to their appropriate position, the large bruise fading with relief.
Ever since she could remember she had always been able to heal herself. She remembered the first time she had cut herself and saw blood flowing out of her slit wrist, watching with amazement as suddenly the skin began to piece itself back together until there was no longer any evidence of damage. She soon learned how to control the healing process, either healing immediately or holding restraint for months on end, allowing broken bones and other injuries to heal at the normal pace of a regular human.
She began to heal the rest of her bruises, feeling the warmth emanate throughout her body as she began to relax, her aching muscles slowly easing as the pain was erased. She stood still for a few minutes until her entire body felt calm and relaxed, the pain dissipating completely.
Once finished, feeling rejuvenated and revitalized, Jane bent down and picked up her shirt. She pulled it over her head, extremely glad that her body was no longer tired or wracked with pain. She knew that she would have to deceive her crew members into believing that she was still tired from her fights even though she felt fresh and renewed. She can't be walking around as if she had been miraculously healed, that would be preposterous, she thought with a chuckle. Still, she could appear to be more dignified and presentable. She grabbed a brush from one of the drawers and began to do her hair, reminding herself that she probably should keep off her feet for the next few hours so that no one noticed that she was no longer tired.
She began to wonder what the commander had been up to for the last few hours while she fought. She hadn't seen him when she had left, but it didn't mean that he wasn't among the crowd. She wanted to spend more time with him, and considered inviting him to watch the last game with her. There was nothing wrong with wanting to keep him by her side, it would give her an opportunity to get to know him better. Besides, she liked his company. She hoped that he wouldn't be too mad at her and embarrassed by his defeat to refrain from seeing her again.
She set down her brush and waved her hand over the door's sensor. After the door slid open she stepped into her room and walked straight to the center of the carpet and looked towards the wall where the mahogany shelves rested. A sensor was cleverly hidden in one of the paintings, it being different from other cameras as it didn't record anything; instead the sensor was able to monitor her movements without keeping a record. She waved her hand in the air towards the sensor, bringing her transparent screens to life.
The last game would begin soon, which is why she opted not to take a shower and miss the opening. She brought up her messaging board and typed a quick message: "If you would like to watch Last Man Standing with me, meet me on the bridge." She clicked send after typing in the commander's bedroom number. The message would automatically appear on the screen in front of the person in the bedroom. If he wasn't in his bedroom, the ship's computer would automatically find him based on his image and broadcast a screen directly in front of him wherever he may be.
Something on one of the screens at the corner of her eye caught her attention. It was the ship's flight course as they headed towards the edge of the universe, but something was different. She hadn't passed this far through the Medusa Nebula for centuries, yet she knew something was off. She enlarged the screen and peered at the familiar meteoroid belts and planets they would pass by, realizing that something was missing. A small planet, one that she remembered as being unbearingly hot the last time she had visited, simply was missing. The planet's name was Jarvius, she and her small crew of voyagers some centuries ago had explored the area and crash landed on the hot planet and were stranded for a few months until a rescue team that had been deployed reached them.
Jane knew that the planet should be there. She urgently typed in the planet's coordinates on another screen, hoping that perhaps her memory was just off or the planet just merely hadn't been detected due to an error. No results came in her search; the planet was gone. She stared at her screens, trying to comprehend why there was suddenly a missing planet.
Her stomach dropped as she was reminded of what her mission was, and why the commander had been assigned to assist her. Their goal was to stop the end of the universe before everything was destroyed, and she had let the fact slip her mind as she focused solely on the games.
The commander had mentioned that everything would change. In the alternate universe he said that entire planets had been blown up. Could Jarvius have been one of the planets to be affected, resulting in its disappearance? It didn't fit into everything that had been explained to her; if a person was affected they go on a killing spree and murder everyone they might have come into contact with. How could a planet be affected? It wasn't a living thing, so since it was affected and couldn't go on a killing rampage would it just simply disappear?
She began to search for any records of there being a planet named Jarvius, or any planet that fit the description in the area. Nothing was found that fit her description. An entire planet, gone. While it was only meagerly inhabited with fewer than seven million life forms on it (from what she remembered on her results from a few centuries back,) it was still quite a huge affair for an entire planet to suddenly go missing.
Jane wondered if there were other planets had gone missing, but typing in "missing planets" into the search bar certainly wouldn't get her any results if they just suddenly disappeared, along with all of their records.. Perhaps Jarvius was the only one, as it was small and closer to the Time Gate than most other planets. She began exploring the surrounding planets on her screen, prodding her memory for her internal map of the universe.
She let her immediate surroundings and abstract thoughts fade from her mind as she completely focused on what she could remember of the arrangement of the universe, correlating her thoughts with what she found on her screen.
After a few minutes of intense focus she was distracted as a message popped up on a screen to her right. She glanced over to it, mildly amused as she read the report; "The commander is here." She could almost feel the irritation Triss was emanating through her curt message. Jane knew that her second in command hadn't taken kindly to their new passenger, and considered what must be running through her head in regards to the commander. He had mysteriously shown up out of the blue, showing up in strange, out of date clothing, and then suddenly the next day he had the audacity to walk around in a captain's uniform and request to be called the "commander." There were no records of him and Triss had no idea of why he was here.
Jane hoped that there would be no reason for Triss to realize the commander's purpose in being there. She would prefer it if everyone would just go on about their lives oblivious to the fact that the universe would soon end, if they realized the end was near utter chaos would erupt. She found it strange that while there were mass murders happening all around the people who were near the ones who were affected did nothing, allowing the affected to simply disappear.
She waved her screens away and walked towards her glass doors that had been tinted black. She opened them with a flick of her wrist and quickly walked towards the lift. She was eager to talk with the commander in private and see what his reaction would be to the missing planet.