20. Two
20
Two
I was pacing my quarters, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and frustration, when Grixxa burst in. Her eyes were wide and golden, her ridges pulsing with an urgency I'd never seen before.
"Nova," she said, slightly out of breath, "we've found something. On a nearby moon. It might be... it might be some of your people."
My heart leapt into my throat. "What? Are you sure? Are they... are they alive?"
Grixxa's ridges flickered uncertainly. "We think so. The team is bringing them back now. They should be here soon."
A maelstrom of emotions swept through me. Hope, fear, excitement, dread—all warred for dominance in my chest. My people. Here. Alive. But for how long? In what condition?
"I need to see them," I said, already moving towards the door.
Grixxa placed a gentle hand on my arm. "They're probably taking them straight to the med bay. We should wait there."
As we hurried through the ship's corridors, my mind raced. Who could it be? How many had survived? And how in the world had they ended up on that moon?
"Grixxa," I said, my voice trembling slightly, "what exactly did they find? How many are there?"
She glanced at me, her expression unreadable. "A pod, the material like the piece of the ship we found you in. There were two life signs, but they were weak. That's all I know for sure."
Two. Just two. Out of a crew of thousands. I swallowed hard, pushing back the grief that threatened to overwhelm me. Two was better than none. Two meant hope.
On the way to the med bay, I heard excited voices as well as Zharrox's deep grumble. I immediately changed course.
"Nova, wait!" Grixxa reached for me but I was already sprinting down the corridor. I slid in right behind the one-eyed doctor who had studied me so thoroughly.
When I saw the familiar figures lying still on the floor, I couldn't control the scream that escaped my throat. "Oh my God, no!" I searched Zharrox's darkened eyes. "Tell me they're not dead! Please!" I begged as my knees hit the metal grid between the prone figures.
"They live." Zharrox's voice was low and hoarse.
I reached for the nearest suit's helmet release. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely manage the clasp but I was desperate to touch them and feel for the warmth that would prove it was as the captain said. Pulling the helmets off, I immediately recognized them—Captain Rodriguez and the chief engineer, and my friend, Sara.
"Daz, let's get them to the med bay. We need full scans, now!" Zharrox barked, his scales turning a deep, agitated purple. His eyes chips of glinting obsidian in his orbs.
"Right away, Captain," Daz chirped, motioning to two mechanical figures with one of his large, brown hands.
My fingers stroked Sara's blonde hair and I choked back a sob when I saw the dark red blood seeping from her hairline that made a macabre trail down her expressionless face. She was so still and pale.
"Nova," Zharrox's voice was surprisingly gentle. "Maybe you should step back and let us—"
"No," I cut him off, more sharply than I intended. "These are my people. You don't even know their biology. I can help."
His crest flared and his ridges flashed orange before lightening to a blue. A cool tentacle landed lightly on the back of my neck. "Alright, little zixxit. But let Daz and his techs get them to the med lab so we can help them."
The touch had a calming effect on me, and I let my eyelids fall shut, taking the artificial oxygen into my lungs for a beat, then two. Nodding my assent, I took a step back and let the group hovering behind me lift my colleagues and place them on hovering boards.
A big, muscular arm and a tentacle wrapped around my waist and I found myself in Zharrox's sheltering embrace. "They will be fine, little zixxit. I will settle for nothing less." The captain's deep grumble vibrated into my side, and I turned into him, seeking any comfort I could find.
We stood there silently while everyone else exited the deck space and headed for the med lab. I saw Grixxa hesitate and glance back at us once but then we were alone.
"It was Captain Rodriguez and our chief engineer, Sara," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears. "She was…is my friend."
As tears streamed silently from my eyes, I was engulfed by a plethora of tentacles and arms. I should have been alarmed by the truly alien feel of being held by so many appendages, but all I felt was warm and comforted. Resting my forehead against the hard muscles of his chest, I tried to wrap my arms around him but could only get them part way. My fingers scrambled to hold onto the hard, smooth edges of the ridges trailing down his back.
When my tears had finally quit falling, Zharrox unwrapped himself from me and took a step back. Tipping my chin up, he met my eyes with his, now a sparkling blue and green. "Come, Nova. Let's go check on your friends."
Taking my hand in his, he led me down the corridors to the room where all the activity seemed to be centralized. I recognized it vaguely from when I had awoken there only a few days before.
"Sara," I choked out, recognizing our chief engineer on the nearest metallic-looking table. She looked even worse than the captain, her skin ashen, dark circles under her eyes, blood matting her white-blonde hair.
Taking her limp hand, I squeezed, remembering the first time I met Sara at the Academy. She was tall and blonde, with a bubbly personality that lit up the room. In contrast, I was more reserved, often lost in my books, and often looked askance at my incongruous features with my Asian American features except for the striking blue eyes I'd inherited from my Irish father. Despite our differences, we instantly connected.
I recalled it vividly; I was in my happy place, the academy library, surrounded by the familiar musty smell of old books in the ancient books section of the library and the soft murmur of fellow students. My peace was interrupted by a burst of laughter that filled the room. I looked up, feeling mildly irritated, and there she was—a tall, striking blonde woman, Sara, in the center of a group of cadets, gesticulating wildly as she told a hilarious story, her wide blue eyes sparkling. I felt an instant pang of envy for her easy confidence.
Little did I know that this woman would become my closest friend. Sara, always adventurous, noticed me and was determined to draw me out of my shell. Her exuberance broke through my shyness.
"Hey there! You're Nova, right? I've seen you around, but we've never officially met. I'm Sara, and I just know we're going to be great friends!" I couldn't help but smile back at her infectious grin, my natural reserve melting away.
As we got to know each other, we realized our differences complemented each other perfectly. Sara introduced me to new experiences and people, pushing me beyond my comfort zone. In contrast, I provided a steady presence, helping her focus and succeed in our demanding courses. We balanced each other out, and our friendship grew stronger until we had an unbreakable bond.
Now, seeing Sara pale and lifeless broke my heart. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my brightest light, my dearest friend, the person who illuminated my life since that first day we met.
"Hang in there, Sara," I whispered desperately. "You have to fight. We still have so many adventures ahead of us."
As I watched, Daz flitted around, scanning and muttering to himself. The med bay was a flurry of activity, with machines that reminded me of the character R2D2 in the old-timey space movie "Star Wars" except they were equipped with trays and scary looking instruments. I stood frozen next to Zharrox holding myself back from throwing myself at my friend.
"What's wrong with them?" I asked, unable to keep the fear from my voice. "Why aren't they waking up?"
Daz's single eye turned on me and blinked slowly. "Severe dehydration, malnutrition, and oxygen deprivation as far as we can tell based on your scans as a baseline," he reported. "The pod's life support systems were failing. It's a miracle they survived this long."
I felt my knees go weak, but Zharrox's strong arm held me up. I was too overwhelmed to even feel embarrassed by his touch in front of his crew.
"But they will survive, right?" I pressed, looking between Daz and Zharrox. "You can help them?"
Daz made a chittering sound that I thought might be their version of a sigh, turning back to the too still figures on the metal beds. "It's too soon to say for certain. Their physiology is... unfamiliar to me. Similar to yours, obviously, but there are differences I don't fully understand yet."
I nodded, trying to process this. Of course, alien medicine would have its limits when it came to treating humans. But still, it had to be better than nothing.
"I can help," I said, straightening up and gently disentangling myself from Zharrox's support. "I have medical training. Basic, but it's something. And I know human physiology."
Daz's eye swiveled to focus on me. "That would be most helpful," he said after a long pause.
For the next hour, I worked alongside Daz, explaining human biology as best I could while he and his techs administered various treatments. Grixxa assisted, her delicate touch surprisingly well-suited to medical work. Jorixx hovered near the door, looking uncomfortable but unwilling to leave. And Zharrox...
Zharrox stayed close, his presence a constant comfort even as I focused on the task at hand. Every now and then, I'd catch him watching me, his ridges pulsing with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.
Finally, Daz stepped back, his many arms dropping to their sides. "I've done all I can for now," he announced. "They're stable, but still critical. The next few hours will be crucial."
I nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. "Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "All of you. I... I don't know what I would have done if..."
To my surprise, it was Jorixx who spoke up. "No need for thanks," he rumbled. "It's what any decent being would do."
Grixxa shot him an amused look. "Careful, Jor. Your soft side is showing."
The security chief huffed and stomped out of the med bay, but I could have sworn I saw his hide flush a deeper green.
As the others filed out, leaving only Daz to monitor the patients, Zharrox lingered. "Nova," he said softly, "you should rest. You've been through a lot."
I shook my head, even as I swayed slightly on my feet. "I can't leave them. What if they wake up? They'll be confused, scared..."
Zharrox's ridges pulsed with what I was beginning to recognize as concern. "At least sit down," he said, guiding me to a nearby chair. "I'll have some food brought in. You need to keep your strength up."
As I sank into the chair and let it form around me. My eyes never left the still forms of my crewmates as I tried to reconcile my feelings for the hulking alien next to me. I felt a rush of gratitude towards him for rescuing what was left of my crew and for his treatment of me since he returned, but he had run hot and cold since. I was struggling to figure him out.
"Zharrox," I said, catching his arm as he turned to leave. "Thank you. For finding them. For bringing them back. For... everything."
He stared at me for a long moment, his multifaceted eyes unreadable. Then, slowly, his hand came up to cover mine where it rested on his arm. "You're welcome, little zixxit," he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a spike of heat straight to my core.
As he left, I settled in for what I knew would be a long vigil. My mind was a tumult of emotions—relief at finding some of my crew alive, fear for their condition, hope for their recovery, and underneath it all, a growing warmth towards the alien beings who had saved us. Now if I could only figure out the enigmatic captain.