21. Human Comfort
21
Human Comfort
T he hours crawled by as I kept vigil over Captain Rodriguez and Sara. My eyes burned with exhaustion, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. Every beep and whir of the alien medical equipment made me flinch, terrified it signaled a turn for the worse.
Daz bustled about the med bay, his single eye swiveling rapidly between monitors. The constant motion, paired with the soft hum of the ship, was almost hypnotic. My mind began to drift as I watched him work, thoughts turning to Manny Rodriguez, my friend and the captain of the Phoenix.
Manny and I had a long history, going back to our days at the Academy. He was a couple of years ahead of me but had bonded as lab partners during one of our first xenobiology classes. The class was a pre-requisite for all underclassman, and while I excelled in the medical stream, he struggled. We agreed early on to help each other and he assisted me with the complicated engineering work and navigation which he showed a natural talent for. It came as no surprise to me when he swiftly climbed the leadership ladder and earned a captaincy within the fleet only a few years out of the academy.
When Manny took command of the Phoenix, he didn't forget about our old partnership. He pulled some strings and got me assigned as the ship's chief xenobiologist. At first, I was concerned that our professional relationship might strain our friendship, but Manny had a way of making everyone feel at ease. He respected my expertise and gave me free rein over my lab, often seeking my counsel on matters as we developed experiments and protocols for first contacts.
Manny could often be found with a bright smile on his face as he loved what he did but he knew when to be serious, and he had an uncanny, innate ability to sense what his crew needed. We trusted him and that trust went both ways. I knew that if I ever needed anything, Manny would be there for me, whether it was for a late-night heart-to-heart or an emergency medical evacuation from a dangerous planet.
As I snapped back to the present, I realized Daz had finished his work and was now watching me, a curious look on his face. "Everything alright, Nova? Your cognitive signals seemed to temporarily dissipate."
I gave him a small smile once I processed what he said. "Yes, just reminiscing. Captain Rodriguez and I go way back."
Daz nodded, understanding. With a flick of his single eye, Daz turned back to the monitors, already immersed in the next task.
At just that moment, a slight movement caught my eye. Captain Rodriguez's hand twitched. I leapt to my feet, nearly knocking over the chair that had molded itself around me.
"Captain?" I leaned over his grimacing countenance, hardly daring to hope. "Manny?"
His eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened. He blinked rapidly, confusion clouding his features.
"Nova?" he croaked, his voice barely audible. "Where... what happened?"
I clasped his hand, tears of relief stinging my eyes. "You're safe."
His eyes darted around the unfamiliar med bay. When they landed on Daz, who had hurried over at the commotion, the captain's whole body tensed, and his hand went reflexively to his hip where his sidearm usually lay.
"Easy," I soothed, squeezing his hand. "They're friends. We're on an alien ship. They rescued us." As Manny's eyes widened, I stroked his arm. "This is Daz, he's been taking care of you and Sara."
Manny's eyes darted between me and the alien, his brow furrowed in confusion and alarm. "Nova, what... what is that? How can you be so calm?"
"I've had a little more time than you to get used to things." My lips twitched up in what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
Daz made a series of clicks and whistles. Manny flinched at the sound, his grip on my hand tightening.
"It's okay," I said quickly. "He's asking about your condition."
Manny's eyes widened further. "How can you understand him? Nova, how long have I been out? What's going on?"
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. "It's been about a week since they found you. You and Sara were in critical condition. Daz – he's their doctor – has been treating you."
Manny glanced at Daz warily, then back to me. "And you can understand... those noises?"
I nodded and tilted my head to show him the metal circle behind my ear. "They downloaded information from the Phoenix for our language and fitted me with this translator. It took some getting used to, and there aren't exact translations for everything, but it's made the whole experience a bit easier to take. And, I've kept busy helping them understand human physiology so they could treat you and Sara better."
At the mention of Sara's name, Manny's head turned sharply, searching for her. When he saw her still form on the nearby bed, his face crumpled.
"Is she...?" he couldn't finish the question.
"She's alive," I said quickly. "But she hasn't woken up yet." I turned to Daz. "How is she doing?"
Daz's eye blinked slowly as he responded with more clicks and whistles. Manny watched the exchange his brow furrowing.
I translated for Manny: "Her vital signs are improving, but slowly. The next 24 hours will be critical."
Manny nodded, then winced at the movement. His eyes never left Daz as he asked, "Nova, what...what are they? Where are we?"
I squeezed his hand reassuringly and tried to control the hysterical giggle that bubbled up in my throat. "I'm pretty sure they're space pirates. They were scavenging the wreck when they found me. As for where we are..." I paused, unsure how to break the news. "Manny, what's the last thing you remember?"
His intense black eyes closed in concentration. "We... we were approaching the gateway. Everything looked as expected. We headed toward it, and then..." He trailed off, his eyes shutting tightly as he wanted to escape the horror of viewing the memory.
"The ship," he whispered. "It broke apart." He cleared his throat clearly overcome with emotion. "The scientists gravely miscalculated. We barely made it to the escape pods. Sara and I were the last ones off the ship."
I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. "The Nebula Stryker found part of the ship with my lab crashed on a planet and you and Sara on a moon that wasn't even close. I don't know how I ended up there. I'm not even sure how the life support systems were still working."
Pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, I continued. "I get the feeling they hadn't expected to find anything when they came across your pod. But Manny... we're far from where we should be. Their star charts don't match ours. I think we did go through the gateway – what they call 'the anomaly'. I'm pretty sure we're not where we expected to be but in another galaxy entirely."
Manny absorbed this information. He had gained control of himself while I was relaying my story, and his face now locked down in a blank mask. "The Phoenix? The other colonists?"
I shook my head sadly. "We don't know. There's been no sign of other survivors, but we're still searching."
Daz made another series of clicks and whistles, his eye fixed on Manny. I translated: "He says Zharrox told them to expand their search parameters. He wants to help us find our people."
"Zharrox?"
"Um, yes, that's the captain's name." I bit my lip suddenly feeling uncomfortable being on a first name basis with the aliens.
Manny nodded slowly, clearly overwhelmed by the situation and not noticing my discomfort. His gaze drifted back to Sara. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?"
I relayed the question to Daz, then translated his response: "Her injuries were more severe than yours. There was significant bleeding in her brain. They've repaired the physical damage, but it's going to take time to heal."
"But she will wake up, right?" Manny asked, his voice small and frightened. If it had been only rumor before, it was pretty clear now that Sara was more than his first mate.
After consulting with Daz, I replied, "They believe so, but they can't say for certain when, or what her condition will be when she does. They're just not familiar enough with our species."
The weight of everything – the lost ship, the uncertain fate of our people, Sara's condition – seemed to crash down on Manny all at once. I saw the moment it hit him, his brave face crumpling as the enormity of our situation sank in.
I reached out, taking his hand in mine. With my other hand, I grasped Sara's limp fingers. "We're going to get through this, Manny," I said firmly. "We're alive. We have allies. It's not much, but it's a start."
Manny squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with unshed tears. He nodded but didn't speak. Something compelled me to lean over and rest my head on his thankfully warm chest. After a moment, his arm came around me and rested on my back. A sigh of relief escaped my lips.
We sat there in silence, holding onto each other in this alien med bay. The reality of our situation was terrifying and overwhelming, but there was profound comfort in the contact. Feeling Manny's warmth, hearing the steady beat of his singular heart – it grounded me, reminding me that I wasn't alone in this strange universe.
As his breathing became slow and regular, exhaustion from the conversation and his ordeal taking over, I found myself drifting off as well. The familiar rhythm of his heartbeat lulled me into a sense of security I hadn't felt since waking up on this ship. In that moment, I was no longer a lost explorer in an incomprehensible vastness. And, better still, I was no longer the only known human in this strange universe.