Star Runners 2: Revelation Protocol (30 page)

“I’m getting too old for this.” Nubern had his arm folded in a sling, his face bruised and puffy. A red gash on his lip now turned the dark maroon of dried blood. A series of medical screens on tall, metal poles with wheels surrounded the captain even though Austin had been assured his mentor would be fine. “These doctors descended on me like a swarm of lykers since I saw you last.”

Austin smiled. “You sound like the movies.”

Nubern frowned. “How?”

Shaking his head, Austin, straightening his Tizona blues, sat down at the edge of the bed near Nubern’s feet. “In all the action movies, someone is always too old for what’s about to happen.” Austin added with wry grin. “You have to know Earth culture to understand.”

“Earth culture? Ha!” Nubern laughed, wincing. “I know enough of your culture.”

The image of Nubern’s fighter crashing into the ocean flashed in his mind. Austin’s face grew dim. “I thought I had lost you, sir.”

“Very nearly.” Nubern closed his eyes. “That’s twice you bailed me out, son.”

“Happy to do it, sir.”

Nubern smiled, but the expression faded. “Maybe it is time for me to get behind a desk.”

Austin tapped Nubern’s hand. “Now’s not the time to make that decision. I would be crushed if you weren’t flying anymore.”

The captain gazed at him. “You have done so well, Austin. I’ve become quite the hero for recruiting you.”

Austin smiled at Nubern, then stared out over the freighter’s storage bay. It had transformed to a regular infirmary since yesterday’s attack. Nurses and doctors had been flown in from Base Prime to help with the wounded. More equipment had been brought in, replacing the work of the medics and staff trying to save lives. With the amount of laser burns and battle wounds he witnessed since he arrived yesterday, Austin knew better than to ask for any details of the attack. It already seemed more closed and guarded than the day he arrived.

“What about Razor?” Austin asked.

He looked at Nubern, nodding. “He’s still with EIF.”

EIF agents allowed little time for a reunion when they landed. When Austin asked, an agent informed him Josh would have to undergo a period of quarantine. They prevented Austin from even shaking Josh’s hand. When he had climbed out of the fighter, Austin had gasped and covered his mouth with his hand. Josh’s skeletal frame, white as a fresh snow and peppered with purple bruises, crawled out of the tiny ship. He collapsed into the agents, who promptly pulled Josh’s arms over their shoulders. His ragged clothing barely covered him, the torn fabric frayed at the edges with blackened strings falling away from his body. Jagged cuts sprinkled across his small frame.

When their eyes met for a moment, Austin didn’t recognize the life behind his best friend’s eyes. He had been through something, something terrible Austin couldn’t understand. Whatever it was, whatever Josh had been through, the life he had was ripped away. For a second, however, his friend’s face brightened. Austin offered his best smile in return before Josh’s expression faded like a cloud passing over the sun. The agents swept him away. That was twelve hours ago.

“I hope he’s alright,” Austin finally said, staring at the floor.

“I don’t know what he’s been through,” Nubern admitted, “but I know it wasn’t good.” He stared at Austin, his eyes wide. “You need to be there for him, son. I know what this galaxy can throw at someone. I know the horrors. Josh has undoubtedly seen it, stared a grim reality in the face he had probably not believed existed, except in nightmares. He’ll need you, more than you can probably comprehend.”

Austin swallowed, forcing a lump down his throat. “What do you think happened?”

Nubern looked away. “I’d rather not guess. I don’t want to disillusion you as to what’s out there.” He glared at him. “But I promise you that you have only just scratched the surface.”

Austin leaned forward. “What’s next for me, sir?”

“You need to take your leave,” he said with a smile. “I think this one was a little, uh, stressful.”

Austin laughed and turned as a nurse walked up to check the screens surrounding Nubern. “He going to live?”

The nurse revealed a brief grin. “Looks like it.”

Austin’s tablet beeped. He pulled it from his satchel and opened the message.

“Looks like EIF has released Josh,” Austin said. “He’s in his quarters and will be heading out for Base Prime this afternoon.”

“Go see him.” Nubern nodded. “I’ll see you before you leave.”

Austin rushed out of the infirmary, passing through the rebuilding efforts of Atlantis. Crew covered the command center, men and women hovering over the workstations like concerned parents. A pair of crewmembers descended from the dome, apparently having checked the integrity of the largest room on Atlantis. In the distance, Brannen and Commander Carv Wallace locked into a discussion in the center of the chaos. Wallace, his head wrapped in a white bandage, stared at a tablet while Brannen spoke. Austin watched the Legion crew working, noticing the sense of clockwork efficiency descending over Atlantis once again.

Austin worked his way through the reconstruction efforts, nodding at other pilots and officers. Upon his return to Atlantis after intercepting Josh, Austin had taken the maximum allotted shower, washing away the fatigue from the recent events. 

He stepped in front of the temporary quarters assigned to Josh. He pressed the bell. When no one responded, Austin assumed Josh had not arrived. He looked down both sides of the empty hallways. Apparently no one had been staying in the temporary quarters. Imagine that, he thought, who would want to visit Atlantis after what had just happened?

Trying one last time, he pressed the bell and started to turn away from the door.

“Yes?” the intercom hissed, a weak voice behind the speaker.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Austin shifted his weight. “I’m looking for Lieutenant Morris’ room.”

“Come in,” the voice grumbled after a pause.

The door slid open. Josh sat on the bed, facing away from the opening. Wearing only his green Lobera Squadron pants, Josh leaned forward. Austin could see every rib on Josh’s back as if he were a painted skeleton. Wounds and scars mixed across his skin.

“Good Lord,” Austin breathed, stepping into the room and keying for the door to shut behind him. “Josh?”

Josh whimpered softly, not turning to face his friend.

Austin took one step toward the bed. He looked around the room. Josh had the top part of his uniform hanging in the closet, the shirt neatly pressed and packed with enough starch it could have been cardboard. His new wings glistened in the low light.

“I can’t,” Josh whispered, so soft Austin had to guess he heard correctly.

“Can’t what, man?” Austin took another step, holding his hand over his friend’s naked and battered back, but pulled back. “Tell me what to do, buddy. Please.”

With a groan, Josh stood and turned to face Austin. His cheeks were damp with tears, his eyes red as blood. Josh pointed to the uniform in the closet.

“I can’t. I never thought I’d be back here to see any of this.”

Austin glanced at the uniform. “You have done so much to earn it. Listen, I know—“

“Stop!” Josh screamed.

Austin recoiled. Josh rapidly moved toward him. Austin backed up to the wall.

“You don’t know,” he sneered, grabbing Austin’s shoulders, his voice soft again. “You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

Austin swallowed, his eyes wide. “Tell me then.”

Josh’s face crumpled. He tried to speak, but words did not form. When he finally spoke, the words came in gasps like he convulsed.

“It. It was supposed to be … a game. Austin.” He collapsed onto Austin’s shoulder, sobbing. “It was supposed to be a game. Oh, God.”

Austin embraced his friend, listening to him sob.

*****

The Atlantis mess hall reminded Austin of Tarton’s Junction. Instead of the nebula, the viewport revealed lighted rows of rocks of different shapes and sizes. Strange and otherworldly fish twinkled by the massive window. He slid his finger around the lid of his coffee. Moving his hand from the coffee cup to his shoulder, he felt the dampness of the fabric on his uniform where Josh had cried.

Josh said little before Austin left his quarters, other than mentioning his destination. He said command had ordered him back to Base Prime for more questioning and a thorough debrief of his situation. After that, he would undergo counseling and said he planned to turn in his wings. Austin had no words to comfort him. Josh was right; Austin had no idea what his friend had been through. It wasn’t right for him to pretend he did.

“May I join you?”

Austin looked up, his mouth hanging open. “Hey, Sky.”

Skylar slid into the seat in front him, graceful as always. Her Tizona uniform impeccable, she looked just as the Legion would want any junior officer to appear. She had her blonde hair pulled back.

“You okay?” she asked after a pause.

Austin pressed his lips together, staring at the coffee cup. “Sure.”

“Liar.”

“Yep.” When he looked up, he felt his eyes brimming. He shook his head once, then swayed back and forth. “What happened to my friend?”

He leaned forward and covered his eyes with his hand. Skylar’s hands descended over him, one caressing his free hand while the other rubbed his head. Austin let himself go. The events of the past days stacking up in his mind. The Phantoms’ attack. His mother. Kadyn. Death tugging at his elbow with every step of the way.

“Is this really what being a Star Runner is?” he asked, raising his head. “Is it going to be this all the time?”

Skylar tilted her head, her eyes studying his face. “It’s just life, Austin. There are no guarantees.”

Austin sat up in his seat, wiping his eyes. “I’m sorry.

“Hey,” she said, squeezing his hand, “what are friends for?”

“True.”

She looked at him with a crooked grin. “Wanna go for a run?”

He laughed. “Right.”

Taking a deep breath, she sat back in her seat. “After what we did in yesterday’s battle, they are saying the rest of us are going to be promoted to flight status. We’re getting our wings. Looks like the rest of us caught up with your greatness.”

Austin placed his hand over hers. “I’m very proud. You deserve this.”

“Want to come with me?”

Austin blinked. “What?”

“I stopped by to see Nubern. He’s doing well. Anyway, he said you were going to be coming up on the leave you were supposed to be taking. I, well, I wanted to know if you wanted to come see me—I mean the rest of us, get our wings on Tarton’s Junction.”

Austin nearly said he would, but though of Ryker sitting in a hospital bed in between hours of rehabilitation. “I don’t know.”

“Afterward, I’ll get my leave and …” She looked away. “I thought you might want to, ah, I wanted to take you to Florida to see where I’m from. I know you got tired of hearing about it back at the academy, right? I thought you might want to see it. Unless you want to go home to see your Mom. I completely would understand that.”

Austin smiled. “Mom’s in the orientation training. She’s going to be part of a medical frigate. I need to check in with her, let her know I’m okay.”

He paused. It hadn’t really occurred to him before, but there would be nothing left on Earth for him after his Mom ships out. Earth would be a memory for him. His home would be elsewhere.

“Hey,” Skylar said when he paused. She leaned forward and touched his cheek. “I didn’t want to freak you out or anything, Austin. I’m sorry. It’s just, well, being in the dogfight yesterday … I realized we aren’t going to live forever and I thought you should know how I feel.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. “Tell you what.” She glanced at her watch. “Our freighter for the Junction leaves in thirty minutes. I’ll save you a seat.”

Skylar grabbed his hand, squeezed it and smiled. Then, she marched out of the mess hall.

Austin gazed out at the wonders of the ocean floor, his mind lost in the thought.

“Lieutenant?”

Austin sighed. He turned to the door. Captain Braddock stood near the entrance. Austin rose to stand, but Braddock held him at bay with a quick hand gesture.

“At ease,” he said, strolling into the room with his hands behind his back. “How are you?”

Austin sat forward. “I’m okay, sir.”

Braddock stepped to the window and took a deep breath, gazing into the depths. “This planet has a very unique beauty.”

Austin looked at the water. “I agree, sir.”

Braddock folded his arms over his chest. “All of Atlantis is talking about you, Stone.”

Austin felt warmth rush to his face. “Thank you, sir.”

“It wasn’t a compliment,” he snapped. “It shows how boring things are on this backwater planet.”

Austin blinked. “Sir?”

“The reason these people are talking about this incident is because they have become complacent. Most of the staff here comes to Earth to get away from the action or they are shipped here to be isolated. What happened over the past week has been the most excitement Earth has seen in a long time.”