“Stay with us, Red!”

  Stay with us? Why… What’s wrong? And again, why am I in such pain? I try to ask but instead of words, bright-red blood sprays out of my mouth. I experience an instant surge of panic at that, and struggle to catch my breath.

  “It’s okay, Red,” Stella promises. “Stay calm.”

  That was surprisingly gentle coming from her, and if she’s calling me Red… Things must be bad, hey. What happened? Bits and pieces start to come back. I recall the little green dot on Tali’s forehead, time slowing down, and lunging for her. Nothing after that, just a total blank.

  “Tali?” I sigh.

  “Right here, Commander.”

  I move my head and find her kneeling there, indeed. She’s got blood on her face but doesn’t seem seriously injured. I stare, trying to remember some more, as every cell in my body screams for relief. Still cannot put it together. What am I doing, lying on the floor? I realize we’re inside the ship, in the loading bay. How did we get here? So many questions, but I don’t have the strength to ask. Am I going to die again? How many times has it been now?

  “Open your eyes, dammit!”

  Stella sounds very far away, like her usual impatient self once again. I glance aside, try to assess the damage. Everything hurts but that’s old news by now. Shoulder on fire, and I can’t move my right arm.

  “Every… body…” I whisper.

  “What, Commander?” Tali asks.

  “… okay?” I finish, exhausted by just two words.

  “Yes,” she assures me. “We all made it back in one piece.”

  “Ah… Good.”

  I would close my eyes again, but Stella does something to my arm that stops me instantly. She just amplified the pain a full order of magnitude. Makes me cry, you bet, but I no longer give a shit at this point. This is excruciating.

  “Stop!” I scream. “What—"

  “I have to, Red, you’re bleeding out,” she says, and snaps a question as Bryn appears. “What’s taking Krya so long? We need her here now.”

  “She’s on her way, Stella,” he replies.

  She is applying pressure to my upper arm, trying to prevent a significant flow of blood. I see it now. It’s all over her battered armor, over the floor, and my fatigues are also soaked. There is something else too, which goes a long way to explain the level of pain I’m in. And when I realize what’s happened, it’s like being shot a second time.

  “Uh… Stella—"

  “Stay calm,” she repeats. “This is no big deal.”

  She shifts positions to block the view, but it’s too late, I’ve seen it. Half my right arm is missing. In fact, it’s more than half. I can’t find my hand, even though I still feel it. Phantom feelings, I’ve heard of that. I can’t see my forearm either. There is nothing left from just above the elbow onwards. And she’s telling me it’s no big deal? Something snaps.

  “Let go,” I growl.

  “Red—”

  But I forget that she’s a friend. Pain is driving me crazy, and my shock at discovering that I’ve lost an arm turns it into pure fury when she remains in place.

  “Let go of me, goddammit!”

  “Be still,” she orders as I struggle. “You’re only making this worse for yourself.”

  I raise my left fist, inadvertently smacking Tali in the chin. But I’m not sorry.

  “Hold her down,” Stella instructs, and I wish I could punch her, too. “Bryn, get on with it.”

  Tali takes my wrist again, looking almost apologetic as she does so. I feel more hands grabbing me, pushing me down. Fuck! Bryn is speaking soothing words of reassurance, but I am way beyond that now. As Krya approaches with a medical injector, I manage to free my leg, and I kick her in the chest. Intentionally, this time.

  “Get off,” I yell. “Don’t you dare stick me with that thing!”

  She hesitates. Of course, Stella won’t be so easily dealt with. Were I not so far gone into paranoid fear, I would realize they are only trying to help, and be grateful for it. As things are now, their purpose totally eludes me. Next thing I’m aware of, Stella grabs the injector off Krya.

  “Relax, Commander,” she barks, in what has to be the least relaxing tone ever.

  Wielding the injector like a maniac, she stabs it into the side of my neck. She’s no gentle nurse, for sure, but even as I prepare to give her hell for it, I hit a wall. Whatever drug just flooded my system makes me forget all about it. Suddenly, I’m floating on a high cloud. The pain is gone, and so is my focus.

  “Okay,” Stella says. “Let’s go.”

  I am vaguely aware of being moved. Dim lights in the new place. It’s warmer in there; quieter, although Stella and Krya are still around and talking. I catch a few stray words between them; synthetic therapy; Alliance; too late. The cocktail they injected me with prevents my brain from latching on to meaning. Probably a good thing at this stage. I feel detached, far away, removed even from my own self. Stella appears in my field of vision, sparking a brief moment of alertness.

  “Sit-rep,” I groan.

  “No,” she replies.

  “Bu—”

  She sticks two fingers over my lips to silence me.

  “Shut up, Commander. Go to sleep, okay?”

  No, it’s not okay. I work to draw in a breath to protest, but she leans even closer, and flashes an unexpected smile. I go still, instantly.

  “Do you trust me, Red?”

  The drug must be good… It makes her sound almost kind. She told me not to trust her, of course, and something deep in me recognizes that it’s a fair warning. Her kind are inherently lethal. Cruel, like Tali said. Stella’s warrior vibe, which I am so incredibly drawn to, is not just a case of nurture, or even good training, over nature. There is a feral side to her which is part of her genetic material. It’s not something anyone will ever tame or conquer. Wanting to be friends with her feels akin to befriending a wild tiger. May all go well for a while, but there is a very good chance that one day, they will turn on you, like the savage beast that you forgot they always were. I know this about Stella, but hey: only human here. I do not believe for a moment that I am ever entirely safe with her, but foolish enough to think that we have a connection. I trust her with my life, whether she likes it or not. Hasn’t let me down so far.

  “Yes,” I murmur. “You know it...”

  She keeps her eyes on me. I may well be hallucinating, but I catch a flicker of something that looks a lot like tenderness in her expression. It’s gone almost as soon as I spot it, unfortunately. A heavy curtain drops on emotions that she will swear she never experiences, and there is only her blazing, pure amber gaze.

  “Trust this, Commander,” she says. “You will heal and be whole again soon. Now, do shut up and get to sleep.”

  ∞∞∞

  “So, you think I should move to Antalos?” the young voice inquires.

  “Do what you want, kid, it’s none of my business. I’m only telling you what’s what in our world.”

  I am aware of female tones in the background as I begin to regain consciousness. Feels like I was out for a long time. It also takes me a while longer to be able to focus on the conversation that is taking place. I’m pretty sure it’s not a dream, but…

  “How old were you when you became a warrior?”

  “I told you. I was born a warrior.”

  “Okay. Then, uh… First kill in combat?”

  “Eleven years old.”

  “Wow!”

  What the hell? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this sounds just like Nerys and Stella, enjoying the weirdest of all chats. But Nerys is on Pluto, focusing on her education, and we’re headed back to Antalos. Are we not?

  “Hey, will you be my mentor?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? No!”

  Now it really does feel as if I may be wrong on both counts. The argument continues, while I carry on clawing my way back to wide awake.

  “Why not? I may be thirteen, you know, but I’m already a combat vet! Ask Red if you don’t believe me.”

  “I don’t care, kid. Drop it.”

  “You think you’re special, uh?”

  Jesus… I finally open my eyes and blink in astonishment, as I confirm the unbelievable. Nerys is here, you bet, attempting to talk Stella into submission.

  “Hey, you two.”

  They both turn at the same time. Stella is all decked out in new Elemtex armor. Looking fierce and beautiful as always, and also just about ready to start slamming energy balls at anything that moves. Radiating annoyance, in a filthy mood… I assume she’s been feeling the full force of what I call, ‘The Nerys Effect’, and I can’t help but smirk in reaction. She glares, a clear warning in her eyes. Funny the things that one can get used to… This makes me feel right at home.

  CHAPTER

  21

  I find a bit more solace in the fact that at least one person in this world appears genuinely happy that I’m not dead yet…

  “Red!” Nerys crawls all over me to deliver both an excited hug and a reprimand. “You promised to be careful, but then you go and get shot!”

  “Yeah, sorry about that, kid.”

  From Navy Special Forces Commander, to apologizing to a thirteen-year-old child about combat wounds. Life is interesting these days.

  “I’m glad it’s not too bad,” she says.

  I discover two things with that. A; I’m in a medical facility of some kind. B; In Nerys’ world as well, losing an arm qualifies as a minor injury. I look forward to more of what this time has to offer in terms of medical magic. For now, I’m all bandaged up and don’t feel any pain. I guess that’s a start.

  “I have questions. Why are—"

  “What a surprise,” Stella interrupts with a snort.

  I turn to my younger friend, first of all.

  “What are you doing here, kid? And where are we?”

  “I’m in the right place, Red,” she informs me. “You are on Pluto, now.”

  I throw Stella a wondering glance.

  “Leave us, child,” she says.

  “No, I—”

  Nerys yelps and starts laughing when Stella hits her with a gentle spark of electricity. She hops off the bed, but continues to argue.

  “Let me stay! Mom said I could spend some time with you. Red, tell her!”

  But Stella flutters her fingers, and Nerys finds herself swept out of the room on a field of blueish energy. Makes her giggle, although she also gives the occasional ‘Ow’.

  “I’ll wait for you out here, then!” she yells, as if it were her first choice. “See you later, Red, okay?”

  “Look forward to it, Nerys.”

  Stella closes the door with a menacing growl.

  “You two have a lot in comment,” she mutters.

  “How so?”

  “Irritating little brats.”

  “Come on, Stella,” I chuckle. “Don’t tell me you let a child get to you? Or a human like me?”

  “Are you trying to be funny again, Commander? Didn’t I tell you it’s a losing battle?”

  She stares, unamused, and I suddenly notice the fresh scar on her forehead. Her skin is so black and polished that it’s a little harder to see, but I do.

  “Hey, that looks painful.”

  “It’s not, so forget about it.”

  “How did you get hit like that?”

  “In a fight, like I told your nosy little friend. Seems obvious, no? Now, are you done asking useless questions?”

  “Like this one, you mean?” She rolls her eyes. “Ah, come on Stella. That was pretty funny, admit it.”

  “If you say so.”

  I fall back on the pillow with a sigh, smiling but feeling it all the same.

  “Why are you so pissed-off, hey?”

  “Tell you later,” she replies. “You’ve gone white as a sheet, what’s the matter with you?”

  It seems I’ll need to point out the obvious to her as well.

  “Having one’s arm blown off by shuttle-destroying ammo takes a lot out of a person.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t know,” she shrugs.

  “Thanks for being so kind. It’s heart-warming, rea—"

  I stop ranting when she leans in close to stare into my eyes.

  “Watch your mouth, Commander. I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

  She is, and I appreciate it a lot more than I want to admit. I do want her here, and even closer, if possible. In bed with me; why not? I suppose it’s okay to blame my current fluffy state of mind on the powerful pain-killers that must be running through my system.

  “Knock it off,” she says, when I try to caress her face.

  “Why are you here, then?” I murmur, and keep on going.

  “Not for cuddles.”

  She grabs my wrist and squeezes hard enough to make me gasp.

  “Stella, I already lost an arm, okay?”

  “Keep your wandering fingers to yourself, in this case,” she snaps, and eases off but only slightly. “You humans are so damn pathetic when it comes to—”

  In a satisfying reversal of roles, she’s the one who does not get to finish her sentence, this time.

  “Hello, sweetie!” a familiar voice announces. “Did someone say cuddles?”

  The wonderful Dr Fox was one of the first people I met and interacted with in this world. She was part of the back-up team when, along with Bryn, Stella, and several other brave souls, we travelled to the Tellus system to rescue a Myrr ship in trouble, and battled a Krohn-created evil entity. Fox was introduced to me as a doctor in psychology. I discovered later that she is just as qualified in a variety of other scientific fields, from inter-species medicine and biology to astrophysics. I would describe her as a regular genius, which perhaps is not surprising since she also happens to be a fully autonomous AI. She likes to call everybody she interacts with ‘sweetie’, even the reluctant Stella, and delights in reading cowboy romance novels in her spare time. Proud to have been ‘born’ on Earth, she never says things like, ‘The problem with you, humans, is…’

  “Commander! I came as soon as I heard!” She immediately enfolds me in a warm embrace, and squishes my face against her ample, if all synthetic, bosom. “Oh, my darling… How are you feeling?”

  Stella watches on with both arms crossed over her chest, looking positively disgusted at this blatant display of emotion. Well, never mind. Dr Fox is sweet, for sure, and even a tough Navy commander like me is not above the odd gentle cuddle from time to time.

  “I’m okay, doc,” I reply. “Thanks for coming. How did you hear?”

  “Our lovely Stella got in touch,” she replies. “Told me you were injured while saving the life of an Antalosian fighter, and to get here asap. So, I flew over on the first commercial shuttle out of Earth.”

  I glance at ‘the lovely Stella’, who’s definitely not as cold and uncaring as she would like everyone to think. I react as a human would, especially when high on drugs.

  “Hey, thanks. Stella, that’s—"

  “Nothing personal, I can assure you,” she bristles. “Cut the mushy act, will you?”

  Chastised, I turn back to Fox.

  “So, apparently, I’m lucky this is not a serious injury.”

  The Antalosian in the room automatically assumes that I’m complaining.

  “Lucky you didn’t bleed to death before we got you back onboard the ship, actually,” she grunts, and to Fox: “Not that she didn’t do her best to slow us down. Never seen such histrionics in all my life!”

  Dr Fox flashes us both an affectionate smile.

  “That’s right,” she agrees. “Loss of blood is the number one killer with any injury of this type. But do you remember what I said to you once before, my sweet?”

  “About cyborgs?” I prompt.

  “Pfft!” Stella snorts. “Cyborgs?”

  “Well, not quite,” Fox corrects. “But I am an expert in the field of synthetic reconstruction. By the time we are done with this procedure, Commander, you will feel like you never lost your arm.”

  I was hoping to hear this kind of news. It’s great to have it confirmed, and also to discover that someone I know and trust will be in charge.

  “How long is it going to take?”

  “A quick ten hours or so,” she assures me, and rolls up her sleeves in preparation. “Oh, by the way... Stella? There is a young Elusyan girl waiting outside the door.”

  “I’ll take care of her,” Stella declares.

  Sounds ominous, and I give her a quick warning.

  “Be careful with Nerys, okay? She’s still a kid, despite the way she talks.”

  “I beg to differ, Commander,” she replies, “But don’t worry. I won’t recruit your little friend into our elite assault troops just yet.”

  “Nerys would love that,” I reflect, amused at the idea. “She would want to be in charge and in the lead. She’s royalty, you know?”

  I don’t mean to imply that’s why she’d want to be in charge, but I am starting to flag, and finding it harder to string sentences together.

  “Royalty, uh?” Stella shrugs. “Yeah, me too. Big deal. In my world, command and respect are earned with blood, sweat, and tears. Never awarded out of thin air.”

  My mouth drops open at the revelation.

  “You? Royalty?” I repeat.

  She surprises me with an indulgent smile.

  “You don’t think I look the part? What? Too warrior-like?”

  I’ve no idea what a royal is supposed to look like. I do think she looks gorgeous in her warrior gear, and I know she’s even more beautiful in the nude. I don’t want to risk losing my head by telling her, so I just nod.

  “Yeah, you look the part.”