pain was only a notification that something had happened. When the pain stopped, the real changing experience began, and for Oz it was the fading of light from the outer edges, until all that was left were memories, concerns, and parting thoughts. His sisters, nieces, nephews, and the people he was failing filled his thoughts. Oz had heard some soldiers who passed the brink say it was about letting go, falling free from the world, but for him it was like trying to keep his head above water in a black sea, putting every ounce of effort into taking another breath, grasping at the fleeting light and finally fighting the terrible numbness.
His rational mind knew his heart had stopped beating, his wounds were too great for the medical system built into his ribcage using technology developed by Doctor Anderson and Freeground Special Projects, to heal while he was moving. Medication was being administered, what he was feeling may have felt like dying, but it was actually deep stasis. It didn’t make a damn of a difference emotionally. The lights were going out and he was being pulled out of the fight. When he watched the enemy commander raise his pistol and point it at his forehead, he was sure he had seen his last fire fight.
“Sir, the Clever Dream is incoming,” Announced one of the Triton security officers nearby.
Oz looked to the rear of the hangar and could see two armed transports docking, but that’s all. “Where are they?”
“Just caught a glimpse of them sliding into the landing bay below. They should be coming up the elevator soon.”
“Someone’s jamming their signal.”
“What should we do sir?”
Oz’s eye caught sight of the fellow, he was several meters away helping to organize the civilians and the first of the liberated slaves. His armour showed signs of repair, and his rifle the scratches, dents and burn through spots on the casing that told him he was looking at one of the security officers who had been right in the middle of the fighting. He could tell from the shrapnel pattern across his shoulder that it was Tim Vernon, one of the last surviving bridge security officers. “We make sure they’re safe and clear of any interference once they’re on deck.”
“Yes sir.”
There wasn’t much chance of random interference. The Carthans hadn’t put any armed personnel on the deck yet, and they hadn’t made any demands other than the general evacuation of the ship. Jason was right, this was political. Oz only hoped that they were doing the right thing by abandoning the best ship they had.
Ashley emerged with the next group on the cargo elevator. Zoe’s head swivelled to and fro, her eyes taking everything in from where she sat in the young woman’s arms. With an excited cry that Oz could hear from where he was standing Zoe nearly leapt out of Ashley’s arms, finding her way to the deck suddenly, roughly. To his relief, the youngster didn’t hurt herself in her haste, and she ran between the legs of started survivors.
In scant seconds she made it across the growing crowd of civilians to a woman with long dark hair who knelt down to catch the eager child. Zoe collided with the woman so soundly that she was forced from kneeling to sitting. It was the sight of a glad reunion.
That was until he looked back to Ashley, whose vacant arms were slowly lowering. In the corner of his eye, Oz could see the black hull of the Clever Dream rising on one of the main elevation pads, but his attention on Ashley was unwavering. He was watching her slowly fall to pieces as she hesitantly turned away.
A few worried looks followed her as she took hasty steps to an unmarked Uriel fighter that never made it to the loading rack. Oz caught up to her behind it. At first there was no recognition in her eyes when she looked at him. As soon as she realized who he was, she made an attempt to speak that fell apart before she could make a sound.
He took her shaking hands in one of his and wiped tears away with the other. “It’s going to be all right.”
“S-sorry, I should be happy. Crewcast said she was an orphan.”
He guessed she meant Zoe, who was in the arms of another adoptive mother in a loose hem dress over Ashley’s shoulder. “Children don’t forget us easily. She’ll know you whenever she sees you. Take it from someone with nieces and nephews who grow up while he’s away for months at a time.”
Ashley’s shuddering sigh was an attempt at relief, a failed one. He tilted her chin up so he could look her full in the face. “It’s going to be all right,” he repeated.
Her dark brown eyes averted his, rolling away and finally closing. “Everything’s been changing for so long, I wish it would just stop. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, where I’m supposed to be,” she wheezed.
Before his eyes Ashley was only getting worse. Her despair was becoming panic, and she was starting to hyperventilate. He’d seen someone fall apart before, when he was delivering the news that someone’s son, their child had died under his command. It didn’t matter how old the serviceman was, it was still a mother’s child, or a father’s son. Ashley was mourning something else, but it was just as damaging. Relentless uncertainty damaged people, it was something he knew, and he’d watched his mother suffer through it while his father as well as both grandparents served the Freeground military. His mother was committed for several weeks after his grandmother didn’t return from a tour. That was the beginning of Oz’s teenage years, when his grandfather retired from his term of service, and when he went to live with him.
It was a sequence of events that changed him forever, and for a long time it seemed like he was on unsteady ground. He reacted by rebelling, but the young woman in front of him was taking it differently. She was taking it exactly the same way his mother did. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
“Ashley?” asked Liam Grady as he came around the rear of the Uriel fighter.
Oz was rarely so relieved to see anyone. Neither was Ashley, who gently extracted herself from Oz and practically fell into Liam Grady. He was wearing his robes over a thick, armoured vacsuit, and they closed around her like a blanket. “It’s all right. We’ll be off soon and onto solid ground,” he reassured her. “I hear the moon we’re heading for boasts a few beaches.”
Oz made eye contact with him and mouthed; “what about engineering?”
Chief Grady silently replied; “all set.”
The woman who Zoe had been so desperate to reunite herself with came around the rear of the fighter with the toddler in her arms. As soon as the blonde youngster saw Ashley she reached for her, and Ashley did her best to wipe her tears and straighten herself up at a moment’s notice.
“I’m Vivian, and I see you met Zoe,” presented the newcomer. “Thank you for taking care of her, I was frantic when I realized she ran back to the infirmary. The Botanical Gallery was closed off when we realized.”
Zoe patted Ashley’s face and smiled. “She’s very special,” Ashley sniffed. “Kept me company while I piloted the ship.”
“I adopted three from Pandem. Zoe’s the youngest, but she still runs circles around the others, they’re only human, after all.”
The scene was deeply touching, but more importantly, it was bringing the emotional storm Ashley was suffering through under control. Oz was more than relieved. They didn’t have enough pilots to get the last of their fighters off the deck as it was, losing her would mean one less pair of wings, and it would demoralize many survivors. Ashley was well liked, and people would share in whatever sadness she presented.
“What’s going to happen to us?” asked Vivian quietly.
“We’re headed to a land base that our command crew have established,” Jason said as he came into view. “They’re going to make room for everyone, and we’re taking equipment and supplies with us.”
“Why are we leaving?” she asked.
“ Triton is going to be inspected and serviced so we can register her with the Carthans,” he replied smoothly. There was no hesitation or change in his mannerisms as Jason delivered the outright lie. “We could be off ship for a few days, or it could be a couple months. We took a lot of damage. But on the brighter side we’ll have a lot of time on a terraformed moon.”
“Thank God, I might get a good night’s sleep.”
“Sorry to break things up, but if you could group up with a few people you know over there, and help take charge of the kids we can start organizing things so we can get settled down there as soon as possible.”
Oz watched Ashley as she planted a great big kiss on the top of Zoe’s head before waving and grinning at her. “See you soon Zoe!”
The youngster squeaked; “Bye!” as she was carried off towards the growing crowd of civilians. A young boy and girl watched wide eyed as they waited for Vivian to rejoin them.
“I’ll be okay,” Ashley whispered to Chief Grady. “Sorry I cracked up.”
“Don’t worry, I have three sisters. Freak outs like that used to happen weekly,” Oz reassured with a big
