CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As they walked down Alpha's corridors, Maya's eyes darted around, trying to absorb every detail Tony shared with her. Moonbase Alpha was a labyrinth of sterile, white-walled corridors, each one seeming to twist and turn into the next, making it easy for her to lose her bearings. She tried to take mental notes of the signs, the communication posts, and the rooms they passed, but a nagging thought gnawed at her - she would never learn her way around what was now her new home.
The sheer number of people overwhelmed her. It had been years since she had seen or interacted with this many people. They moved through the corridors with purpose, their faces a blur of unfamiliarity as Tony introduced her to what felt like an endless stream of Alphans. Each introduction blurred into the next, and Maya quickly lost track of names and roles, feeling a rising panic that she would never remember them all.
Tony, on the other hand, seemed at ease, effortlessly striking up conversations with everyone they encountered. His confidence and familiarity with the base contrasted sharply with her growing anxiety. She tried to listen carefully, hoping that snippets of their conversations would help her piece together the puzzle of who was who and what they did, but the information came too fast, too much.
Despite her excitement to learn more about Alpha, a wave of anxiety began to take hold. The vastness of the base, the bustling activity, and the curious glances from the Alphans all contributed to her growing sense of vulnerability. She was acutely aware of how different she looked, her Psychon features setting her apart from these Earthlings. Polite as everyone had been, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were scrutinizing her, wondering about the alien girl now in their midst.
If Tony hadn't been with her, she might have sought the nearest air duct to hide from it all, retreating to a place where she could be alone with her thoughts and fears. But she was determined not to let her insecurities show, so she forced herself to keep moving along with him, her grip on his arm tightening unconsciously.
Tony noticed the sudden, slight hesitance in her steps, the way her fingers clenched around his arm as if seeking an anchor. He slowed their pace, turning his head slightly to catch her eye. "You okay?" he asked with genuine concern, his voice soft but steady, trying to convey his support without overwhelming her.
Her response was a small nod, but he clearly saw the uncertainty in her blue eyes, a vulnerability that tugged at something deep within him. When she spoke, her voice was tinged with self-doubt, a vulnerability she couldn't quite hide. "It's just…so big," she admitted, her words almost a whisper. She shrugged, trying to downplay the enormity of her feelings. "So different from home."
Tony squeezed her hand, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles in a gesture of reassurance. "It's okay if you want to stop. We don't have to do it all in one day," he offered, his tone soothing, as if trying to ease the burden of her anxieties.
Maya looked down at the floor for a moment, her thoughts swirling in a storm of emotions. Then, with a deep breath, she looked back up at him, her resolve hardening. She squared her shoulders, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "No, Tony. I'll be fine," she said with determination.
The look on her face told Tony all he needed to know. Maya was not a quitter. She may be scared, overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all, but she was determined to push through. He admired her for that, even as he worried about how much she was holding back.
They continued their walk, and when they stopped in at Weapons, Maya felt a flicker of relief. Petrov was working, a familiar face in the sea of strangers. She smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly as she remembered their first meeting. Petrov's friendly demeanor was a comfort, his warm smile and light conversation offering a brief respite from the overwhelming newness of everything else. But even as she exchanged pleasantries with him, she felt a little out of place, unsure of how to truly connect with these Alphans.
While Tony reviewed some reports with Petrov, Maya found herself looking around the room with curiosity, trying to distract herself from the undercurrent of anxiety that had been gnawing at her since they began the tour. When they finally left, Petrov told her to have a fun time, and she offered him a small smile, though it didn't fully reach her eyes.
As they moved further into the base, Tony kept the conversation flowing, pointing out various things and explaining the functions of different areas. He spoke with an ease that Maya admired, his voice steady and reassuring, grounding her in this unfamiliar environment. But even as he talked, his eyes subtly scanned the corridor, taking note of the reactions from other Alphans as they walked by.
While most of the encounters had been friendly, Tony couldn't help but notice the way some of the men let their gazes linger a little too long on Maya. A flicker of something stirred within him—a fierce protective instinct that was entirely unexpected. He had been more concerned about encountering rude or unsympathetic Alphans, but that wasn't the issue. Instead, he found himself growing increasingly aware of how other men were looking at her.
Maya was undeniably pretty, with her exotic Psychon features and graceful demeanor. And, being the new kid on the block, as it were, it made sense that she would attract attention. But as they passed a group of technicians who turned to watch her a little too intently, Tony felt a sudden surge of possessiveness that threw him off balance.
The intensity of it hit him like a punch to the gut. The idea of someone else noticing her, admiring her, brought a strange tightness to his chest—an emotion he couldn't quite identify or understand.
It wasn't just her exotic, alien beauty that fascinated him. It was damn near everything about her—her soft voice, her kindness, and those beautiful blue eyes. But, he wondered, why did the thought of someone else wanting to be close to her make him so uncomfortable? The feeling was new, confusing, and it left him unsettled, as though something fundamental was shifting inside him and he didn't quite know what to do with it.
As they walked by one of the elevators, an idea came to him. He could show her something where they definitely wouldn't encounter anyone, and it would give her a chance to decompress. He took her arm and gently guided her over to the elevator.
"Come on, I've got something I think you'll find interesting," he said with a smile as they waited for the door to open.
