** If you started reading prior to 07-19-24, please note that Chapters 1 through 7 were edited, revised and reposted on 07-20-24. Please be aware that there is some difference to the content from the chapters that were previously posted.
If you've started reading after 07-21-24, then you're good to go. Warp speed 9 ahead
Thanks! **
CHAPTER EIGHT
Maya had no idea what was going on as she continued to sit there on the floor, the sound of the Red Alert echoing throughout the entire base. She supposed she should be worried, but her mind refused to let her focus. She brought her fingers up to her lips, still feeling the lingering tingling from Tony's touch. This was a new, strange sensation to her. For just a few brief moments, it had sent warmth spiraling through her despite the chaos that had become her universe.
Events and life had unfolded on Psychon is such a way that she had been stripped of any opportunities for pre-adult and early adult experiences with members of the opposite sex. Other than what little she had read about; she knew virtually nothing about interacting with them, especially in the romantic fashion.
However, she did know that she had inexplicably enjoyed feeling Tony's lips against hers. The softness, the warmth, the gentle pressure, the intimacy of the moment — it was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
A man's lips had never touched hers before.
If anyone would have told her much younger self that her first kiss would not be with a Psychon male but, rather it would be with a human male, she would have been thoroughly shocked. She also would have questioned that person's mental capabilities. Yet, here she was, feeling an extremely odd mixture of confusion, guilt and a strange new excitement – all blending with her grief. That brief kiss had somehow awakened something within her, an unknown yearning that she hadn't known existed.
Until now.
Maya's thoughts drifted back to the kiss, replaying the moment over and over in her mind. The tenderness in Tony's eyes, the way he had hesitated before leaning in, the way his touch had conveyed both comfort and a promise of something more. It was all so bewildering, yet so captivating.
She couldn't deny the spark of curiosity that had been ignited. Her heart ached with the weight of her loss, but beneath all of that pain a flicker of something uncertain had been ignited. Despite the turmoil of her thoughts, one thing was clear: Tony had stirred something within her, something that was very unfamiliar to her. As she sat there, fingers lightly tracing her lips, Maya glanced around the room, her eyes landing on the spot where Tony had paused, just briefly, before heading out the door.
The memory of his touch, his protective words and the intensity in his eyes replayed in her mind. Despite the alarm and the unknown threat that it signaled, she found herself wanting very much to believe his promise that everything would be okay.
Nothing made sense anymore to Maya; there simply was no logic to be found for any of it.
In such a short time, her world had flipped upside down and inside out, bringing this strange moon and its inhabitants into her life and introducing her to waves of intense emotion, none of which she had ever experienced before.
The gods of the universe, if they did indeed truly exist, seemed to have lost their minds.
Weaving her fate with the Alphans and Tony in such a confounding and capricious manner suggested that cosmic forces had taken a twisted delight in unleashing chaos within her previously structured existence. They seemed to be reveling in their mischief as they intertwined her path with the Alphans, leaving her to navigate the bewildering maze all by herself.
She sighed deeply, hugging her knees to her chest. The room felt emptier without him, but she clung to the hope that he would return soon and tell her that everything was all right for Alpha.
It had to be; this was now her home.
For now, all she could do was trust this man she knew very little about; continuing to hold onto the small whisper of hope that one day, her life would seem normal again.
Tony raced through the corridor, his heart pounding in his chest as he narrowly avoided a collision with two Eagle technicians. The urgency of the situation left no room for apologies; everyone on Alpha was accustomed to such frantic movements. The air was thick with tension and anticipation, mirroring the chaos within him.
As he rounded the corner, his momentum carried him through the open door of Command Center, past the Commander's desk and literally skidding to a halt just in time to avoid crashing into his own desk. His eyes were immediately drawn up to the big screen. Multiple objects, still quite some distance from the moon, were moving in what could very well be a collision course with them.
Alpha couldn't take any more damage so soon after Mentor's attack.
With a swift motion, he yanked his chair out, barely managing to sit without falling. The Command Center was a hive of activity, the hum of voices and the rapid clicking of buttons creating a symphony of urgency.
"Magnify," Koenig instructed Sandra, his voice steady but urgent.
"I am trying. Better visual in forty seconds," she responded, her fingers flying with practiced ease over her controls.
Tony drummed his fingers on his desk, his impatience mounting with each passing second. He felt like he was holding his breath, waiting for those crucial forty seconds of time to tick by.
Sandra continued punching buttons on her console, her concentration unwavering. Then, the image on the screen sharpened.
"Magnified," she stated, her voice steady as she hid her inner concern.
What they were looking at were twelve meteoroid objects, drifting through space, their paths seemingly ominously aligned with the moon.
"Course?" Koenig demanded.
Sandra worked more buttons, her slender fingers bouncing and tapping without hesitation.
"Directly with the moon, directly with Alpha," Sandra confirmed, her voice tinged with concern.
"Can we get them all before they hit us?" Tony asked, his voice laced with urgency.
"Estimated time of arrival, fifteen minutes," Sandra replied.
The countdown immediately began within all of their minds as they viewed the screen.
"Carter, launch Eagles," Koenig ordered, his tone leaving no room for delay.
Alan had been waiting for this go-ahead and he tapped the button to connect with the flight crews.
"Fraser, launch Eagles three, four and five. You've got incoming targets."
"Already prepped," Fraser confirmed. The minute the Red had sounded, he had begun the all too familiar procedures.
"Laser cannon?" Tony inquired aloud, his mind working through every line of possible defense for the base.
John hesitated for just a split second before nodding. "Yes, we can't take any chances."
"Weapons section, arm laser gun," Tony ordered.
"Right away," Petrov replied.
Within moments, the Eagles had lifted off, their engines roaring as they sped towards the approaching meteoroids. The room was silent except for the hum of equipment and the occasional beep of incoming data.
"Eagle Five to Alpha," Fraser called, his voice crackling through the communication system.
"Go ahead," Alan said, his eyes never leaving the screen.
"We'll be within firing range in about two minutes," Fraser reported.
"Good," Alan replied, his voice calm but intense.
"Let's hope we won't need the laser gun," Tony said. "Don't like the idea of aiming that at multiple targets with three of ours up there."
Carter nodded. "Bill's a crack shot, so are the others. We'll get them all," he said, confident of his pilots.
The tension was thick as they watched the screen, waiting for the meteoroids to come into firing range and the Eagles to arrange in a firing squadron pattern.
Maya had sat on the floor for several long moments, listening to the piercing sound of the Red Alert before it finally went silent. The tiny monitor was now displaying Yellow Alert and she took that as a positive sign. At least she hoped it was a positive sign.
With a sigh, she pulled herself up off the floor, feeling a mixture of relief and lingering anxiety.
Her thoughts kept circling back to Tony. There was something about this man that piqued her curiosity. Maybe it was the way he had held her, or perhaps it was the way he had looked at her with such intensity and concern. Maybe it was his wonderful smile.
Maya shook her head. She knew absolutely nothing about him so why had she suddenly developed such an intense interest in him?
Her eyes scanned his quarters, looking for any clues about the man who was quickly becoming such a significant presence in her life.
There wasn't much to go on – a few personal items, some books, artwork hanging on the walls and his family photo album still lying on the table.
Curiosity got the best of her, and she picked up the album and sat down on his couch. While Tony had shared the beginning sections of his childhood with her last night, they hadn't made it past that. She quickly flipped through the pages, moving closer towards the end of the book.
The page she landed on had a photo of a much younger Tony, possibly wearing some sort of ceremonial robe over his clothing and an oddly shaped hat on his head. His dark hair was longer and his face boyishly handsome. He was proudly holding a rolled-up piece of paper tied with a colored ribbon, and the woman he had his other arm around she recognized as his mother. Maya instantly recognized that motherly look; the woman was beaming with pride through her smile.
Maya wondered what Tony had done that could make a mother so proud? Did it have something to do with the rolled paper in his hand and the odd hat upon his head?
The next photo was obviously taken at an outdoor gathering.
This must be his home planet, Earth.
It was beautiful, with lush green grass that stretched out like a verdant carpet, dotted with vibrant flowers in full bloom. Majestic trees seemed to be swaying in a gentle breeze. The sky above was clear, a lovely shade of blue with large, white puffy clouds that seemed to be just lazily drifting by. The scene was idyllic, almost surreal in its tranquility.
Maya found herself longing for such a place of beauty. She barely remembered such a thing, although once, long ago, Psychon had possessed such beauty. The vibrant greenery, the delicate flowers, and the clear, serene skies of Earth made it seem as though her childhood world had just been a dream of childhood and never reality.
This picture evoked a deep sense of nostalgia and loss, stirring almost forgotten memories of a time when Psychon had been lush and full of life and Maya found herself fighting back the tears. Quickly she refocused her attention on the people and the table they were sitting at.
The long table was covered with plates of various foods and beverages. Not only did the colors and textures suggest that they were edible; they looked as though they must all be delicious. Everyone in the photograph was holding up a drink, all looking towards whomever had been taking the photograph. Several of the glasses were sparkling like jewels, reflecting the sunlight.
Everyone seemed so happy and even through the photograph, Maya could almost hear the laughter and cheerful voices; a stark contrast to the silence and emptiness that she felt.
Some of the people Maya recognized as Tony's family.
Perhaps the others were friends?
Maya's attention suddenly focused on a beautiful young woman seated beside Tony. She was leaning back against him, all smiles with her long blonde hair catching in what must have been a gentle breeze. Tony's arm was around her in a familiar, very intimate way.
This was not just a friend.
Who was she?
Maya didn't require much knowledge to understand that the woman must have been very significant to him. Suddenly Maya felt a whisp of an unidentifiable emotion overcome her. For several long moments, she debated between putting the book back down or continuing to flip through the pages.
Her hand stayed motionless as she struggled internally with continuing this intrusion of Tony's past life on Earth. Then, her curiosity became insatiable. With each turn of the page, she felt as though she were peeling back a layer of Tony's life.
There was a smaller picture with Tony in an Alphan uniform, standing next to a man that Maya easily identified as his father. On the other side of his father was perhaps his older brother, though she wasn't entirely sure, because she had skipped through quite a section of photos that would have covered many years.
In the background, seemingly painted on the wall was a very large depiction of an Eagle, soaring above the lunar surface. At the top of the depiction were different emblems and wording such as Lunar Space Commission and, of course, Moonbase Alpha.
Both of the younger men were wearing Alphan uniforms, similar to Alan Carter's, although the other man's uniform had slightly different variations than Tony's.
So, both brothers, could fly an Eagle?
A fleeting smile crossed her face. Imagine the freedom of piloting one above such a lovely landscape as Earth.
She studied Tony's father. Again, a parent smiling very proudly. It was an infectious, wonderful smile and it was like Tony's.
Tony had gotten his smile from his father.
On the next page were several photos of Tony and the same woman, standing in front of a sleek and shiny black vehicle of some type.
Was this some form of Earth transportation?
Did it too fly like the Eagles?
Maya found it both an intriguing and beautiful piece of machinery.
Both Tony and the woman were wearing pants that really weren't pants. This peculiar garment of a strange blue fabric appeared to be very, very short trousers, stopping well above the knees. Maya tilted her head in slight amusement, these Earthlings certainly did have a strange sense of dress.
Tony had on a black shirt that was sleeveless and fit very close to his body, emphasizing the muscles of his arms. Maya suddenly became shocked when she realized that she was spending far too much time looking at Tony in a way that was hardly appropriate for a young lady.
The young woman's shirt, while a lovely shade of purple, consisted of very little material. Very thin straps went up and wrapped around her neck, perhaps tied in the back. The remaining material, what little there was, just barely covered what needed to be hidden from view by others.
Perhaps these Earthlings preferred to be in a near state of undress?
Oh, such an odd thought. Maya shook her head in dismay at the peculiar things that were beginning to go through her mind. She focused her attention back to the photographs that she had been looking at.
From these pictures, there was no doubt in Maya's mind that this woman must have meant a lot to Tony, or at least she had, at some point.
Had they been separated when the moon had left Earth?
Was she somewhere here, on Alpha?
If so, it meant that Tony was committed to someone else. That would explain his immediate reaction after their brief kiss.
The thought filled her with a strange mix of disappointment, embarrassment, sadness and clarity.
Tony had seemed genuinely upset. Now, after seeing the pictures, Maya quickly accepted the fact that while Tony might very well become a good friend, in time, there would never be anything more between them.
Ever.
Maya shook her head, disgusted with herself and these odd thoughts that were spinning around in her mind.
A lady would never allow herself to think these things about someone that she had just met, especially when she knew nothing about him or his personal life. Suddenly Maya could clearly see her mother's disapproving face and she could almost hear her mother's gentle voice reprimanding her daughter for even allowing a kiss, no matter how sweet and gentle it had been.
Tony's kiss had merely been a moment of weakness, an emotional slip of some kind.
Nothing more.
Maya quickly closed the photo album, feeling a peculiar mix of sadness and resignation as she placed the album back on the table.
She knew that she needed to start focusing on her new life here, on Alpha. She needed to make new friends and begin finding her own place in this strange new world. She took a deep breath, trying to push aside the multitude of confusing emotions swirling inside her.
Leaning back into his couch, she drew her knees up to her chest and inhaled and exhaled slowly a few times.
She felt her lower lip begin to tremble as she acknowledged the fact that now, not only did she not have a mother or an annoying older brother, but she also now no longer had a father or even a home planet. There was nobody left to guide her, and she was disgusted with herself as more tears began traveling down her cheeks.
Hastily she brought her hand up and swiped them away.
"Damn," she murmured, borrowing Tony's very effective sounding, obvious curse word.
"I will not cry again," she vowed with as much fierce determination as she could muster.
She knew she could be much stronger than this emotional puddle that she had become.
She knew that she was capable of carving out her own path here on Alpha, regardless of the past or any fleeting moment of inappropriate behavior with one very handsome man with a charming smile.
"Engaging targets," Fraser's voice from onboard Eagle Five filled the air of Command Center.
The room held its collective breath as the Eagles opened fire. Locked on to their targets, multiple laser beams emerged from the three Eagles. With practiced efficiency, the pilots hit target after target. One by one, the meteoroids shimmered at the moment of contact, soon leaving only a trail of cosmic dust as evidence that they had ever been there to begin with.
A collective sigh of relief went round Command Center as Eagle Five took out the last one. Tony leaned back in his chair, his heart still racing slightly, even though the immediate danger had passed. Like the rest of them, it would take just a bit of time before the adrenaline coursing through their veins subsided.
Koenig turned to Tony, a rare smile of relief crossing his face.
"Bill, Eagles return to base," Carter relayed over the communications system.
"On our way," Fraser confirmed. "Eagle Five out."
For the moment, Alpha was, once again, as safe as she could be.
Tony had just left Command Center and was headed back towards his quarters, his mind heavy with thoughts. Trepidation filled him as he tried to figure out the best way to approach Maya. He couldn't let her think that he was mad at her, not when the kiss was his mistake.
Genuinely frustrated with himself, he veered towards one of the canteen areas instead of the corridor towards his quarters. He needed a cup of coffee and some time to sit alone and sort out his thoughts.
As he walked into the canteen and headed towards the coffee makers and the neatly lined-up mugs along the wall, he was unaware that Helena was making her way towards Command Center. When she saw Tony entering the canteen, something about his demeanor caught her attention and she stopped walking to watch him. It wasn't the Red Alert — John had already given her the all-clear. No, there was something else troubling the younger man.
She observed the tension in his movements for a moment before deciding to get herself a cup of coffee and check on him. She really wasn't trying to be nosy; as the Chief Medical Officer, it was her duty to ensure the well-being of everyone on Alpha, after all.
She moved to stand beside him as he was pouring his coffee.
"Tony is everything alright?" she asked softly.
He turned to look at her, managing a weak smile, although his dark eyes clearly indicated something was on his mind.
He shrugged. "Just trying to figure some things out."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Tony shook his head. "No, doc, I just need to think."
Helena immediately understood the hidden message beneath his words. It was Tony's polite way of saying back off.
She smiled at him before turning to pour her own coffee. As she turned to leave, she patted his arm gently. "You know where to find me if you need anything," she told him softly.
Tony nodded, then walked over to one of the small tables along the wall, choosing the side of the room with no other people.
Just before she exited, a thought came to her mind, and she walked back to him. "Tony, if you wouldn't mind coming by Medical when you're done, you could help me with those containers for Maya. They're ready for her."
"Oh, yeah sure, Helena. I won't be long, maybe about ten minutes?"
She nodded. "Wonderful. See you then."
Tony watched her walk away, a small smile forming on his face.
At least with Helena there, he wouldn't have to broach the topic of the kiss with Maya. At least, not for a time anyhow. Maybe by then, he'd figure out what the hell was wrong with him and, if he was really lucky, he'd have something half-intelligent to tell the poor girl.
He took another sip of his coffee, feeling just a bit less weighed down.