Ten Years Later
“Hey there, dear diary, sorry for neglecting you for so long! Service takes up all my time, and writing about the same dull routine just didn’t feel worth it. But today is different—today brought change.
My big sister Heidi managed to get me temporarily assigned to this patrol-sanitary mission. I’m not sure what arguments she used with her command, but I doubt it was just that the sisters missed each other terribly. Lately, everything seems to fall into place this way—I’m desperately short on connection with my family, with Tom, even with myself. The duties of a soldier, the race against time… there’s this tension hanging in the air, pulsing through the universe, like it’s on the verge of exploding. Just one push and… BOOM! I can almost feel this cosmic tremor, this pressure. Maybe it’s just my nerves. A trip with Heidi to Kronos should help me take a break from my main responsibilities, and hopefully, everything will settle back to normal. At least, I’ve started to value the people truly close to me more. Even Heidi, the nag. My sister who’s always lecturing and nitpicking everyone, who thinks she’s the epitome of perfection. And yet, I love her just the way she is. I want to talk to her, or just be near her. I think it’ll distract me from missing Tom so much. I miss him terribly. His unit is still on assignment, and I can only hope he’s okay. Our ship launched today at 7 PM local time for this sector of space. It’s a standard medical cruiser, charting a course through neutral territory.”
“Kyara!”
Hearing her sister’s demanding voice crackle through the intercom, the blonde girl quickly closed her electronic diary, stuffed it into her back pocket, and hurried off, tying her unruly hair into a tight knot at the nape of her neck as she went.
“I’m here, I’m here. What’s up?” she said, nearly colliding with her sister as she stepped out of the elevator shaft.
“Nothing, it’s just that we’ve been underway for half an hour, and my little sister has already vanished somewhere,” Heidi grumbled, clearly annoyed.
The sisters bore some resemblance to each other—both slender and fair-haired, though Heidi’s hair was a richer wheat-blonde, straight and cropped short, while Kyara’s was a platinum shade, long and thick. Perhaps due to the burdens she’d taken on, Heidi’s brows were perpetually furrowed, a deep crease already forming between them, making her look older than her years. Both had light-colored eyes, but Kyara’s were a deep malachite green, while Heidi’s were a plain gray.
“I’ve got some time before my night shift. What were you up to, Kyara?”
“Just having a moment with my diary. I still keep up with my chronicles. And yes, I know, you don’t need to start! I already know you’ll say it’s silly, naive, and childish. But I like it!” Kyara insisted stubbornly, tilting her head. “I need it, and that’s that!”
“Fine, I’m not in the mood to argue with you today,” Heidi said, raising her hands in a conciliatory gesture and offering a warm smile. “How’s Tom? Are things good between you two?”
“You’re asking in that doctor tone of yours, like you’re reminding me to play it safe with my partner,” Kyara muttered. “My sister, the doctor—those words go hand in hand. Tom’s on assignment,” she sighed a moment later. “I haven’t heard from him in days. I keep telling myself it’s because they’re out in the middle of nowhere. Otherwise… everything’s fine. He’s… so gentle,” she added, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks as she smiled. “I get goosebumps just thinking about his lips. But they still won’t let us share quarters.”
“Of course not!” Heidi snorted. “You’ve got to serve a full five years in the coalition forces, and only then—if you’re still alive—will you get permission for a personal life. I told you to pick any other field besides the military! The army’s rules are way too strict! If Dad were still alive, he’d never have let you become a soldier!”
“Heidi, I love flying, I love Tom, and I want to be closer to all of this.”
“And… do you love killing?” Heidi shot her a skeptical glance, narrowing her eyes. Under that sharp gaze, Kyara looked away, irritated, but answered nonetheless:
“Our brother Alex died, and so did Dad. I chose military service to help end wars.”
“That’s the tired line they feed every coalition soldier, but somehow, in ‘ending’ wars, they always seem to start them first!” Heidi sighed heavily, shaking her head. “You never listen to anyone, Kyara! No, wait, I take that back. You worship Tom and value his opinion. But Mom and I are seriously worried about you. Military service is absolutely not your path—you just haven’t realized it yet. I’ve treated hundreds of wounded soldiers, and I’ve seen what war does to people.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m some fragile little girl, Heidi. I’ve grown up! I’ve been on eight combat missions, and I’ve had to kill. It’s my duty, and my hand didn’t tremble.”
“Shooting at giant worms isn’t the same as killing someone like yourself, except in self-defense, of course. Your bravado and following Tom’s lead—it’s a reckless whim!”
“Why don’t you like my boyfriend?!” Kyara frowned, now visibly upset.
“I don’t like that he’s turned you into a soldier of death!” Heidi snapped back.
Kyara let out a huff, shaking her head, unable to understand her sister’s persistent dislike:
“Let’s talk about something else, not my potential heroic demise. How about you?” She hopped onto a nearby table, looking at her sister with a cheeky grin. “I’ve got plenty of questions for you too, sis. Why hasn’t ‘Miss Picky’ found her dream man yet? Or does our doctor take something to suppress those urges? Is it easier, more convenient that way? No love, no loss, no extra complications? No worrying about anyone, no heartache, no obligations—outside of the Empire and family, I mean. Don’t you ever want to know what it’s like to love with all your heart, Heidi? Why do you always dodge this topic?”
“Your love comes at too high a cost to our nerves,” Heidi replied, a bit irritated. After a pause, she added, “When intelligent beings discovered space, let’s just say other dreams took a backseat. Believe it or not, not everyone needs to experience love. I’m perfectly content loving you and Mom. I’ve got enough worries without a man in the picture. It’s hard for me to get interested in anyone—I see right through them all.” Heidi pressed her lips together tightly.
“Oh, now that’s a clinical case, sis! You’ve built yourself a self-idealization complex. By the way, it’s treatable. Isn’t that right, Doc?” Kyara teased, shaking her head playfully as her long hair broke free again. “Don’t nag me, please, Heidi. What’s done is done—I’ve wired myself to a different code. You and Mom have no choice but to accept it. I’ve always been Daddy’s girl, and I need to follow in his footsteps. There!” Kyara slapped her knees. “Tell me instead, how’s work on these missions? How’s the crew’s morale? Haven’t driven them crazy with your obsession for sterility yet?”
“I’m completely satisfied with my job,” Heidi shrugged, her gaze drifting off into the distance. “Yes, I’m a professional and passionate about what I do. I save people, and sometimes even members of other humanoid races. I’m constantly learning something new and fascinating. The crew meets my standards so far—the medical staff are top-notch specialists. But I’m really worried about Fatton, the ship’s captain, today. He’s having issues with his wife, and it’s obvious he’s struggling to control his emotions. I don’t like his state. With the level of responsibility he carries, I wouldn’t clear him for flights. Too many lives depend on something as trivial as personal squabbles. But my command dismissed my report, saying Fatton’s one of the best pilots out there.”
“Heidi, your command is going to conclude soon that you’re an over-dramatic hypochondriac,” Kyara said, gracefully hopping off the table. “Come on, let’s grab something to eat. Something sweet should dull your vigilance.”
But a sudden, piercing wail of the siren alerted every crew member to an emergency. On the captain’s bridge, where Kyara arrived under orders from a senior officer, several anxious voices overlapped.
“The hyperspace jump went wrong,” Heidi greeted her with a worried tone. “We’ve been thrown out somewhere unknown, and we immediately got caught in a meteor stream.”
“As far as I know, if there’s no major damage, it can be fixed. Medical cruisers are technically better equipped than combat ships,” Kyara tried to reassure her sister.
“But there is damage. Our automation and life support systems are down. The ship is on manual control, and we’re losing oxygen. Nitrogen levels are rising. If we don’t fix the leak or land somewhere habitable, we’re all done for,” Heidi said, her voice restrained but her eyes filled with despair.
***
“Got any ideas, now that you’re our leader after the breakout?” a Skvoranian voice hissed irritably. “How do you reckon we get out of here? Rover, you listening?”
“Your hysterics, Gaius, are definitely gonna get you out of here faster than the rest of us!” the one addressed as Rover snapped back with fury. “What, you want me to say space elves are gonna swoop in and carry our sorry butts out on satin pillows? I got you all out of prison, saved you from stasis—I’ll figure this out too. Right now, we need to survive, and that’s an order! Scour this dead chunk of rock. There’s gotta be wreckage from crashed ships we can use to cobble together a basic transmitter. And the next one who opens their mouth, I’ll personally snap their neck. Understood?”
Three Days Later
“Rover, if I’m reading this device right, we’ve got company. A coalition forces ship in the western quadrant, coordinates 28/07, descending too fast. Looks like they’ve got navigation issues.”
“Told you,” came a satisfied hiss. “There’s your elves. Objective clear to everyone? Don’t die, and take that ship at all costs!”
***
Kyara glanced at her sister with growing anxiety. Heidi, who hadn’t blinked as she stared at the observation screen, looked pale and worn after the last twenty-four hours.
“What kind of cosmic object is this? Anyone have a guess?” Kyara nodded toward the barren, grim cliffs on the display.
“Most likely a dead gamma-class planet, but the atmosphere is partially intact, though the ozone layer is riddled with holes. The recon team has already descended to take air and soil samples. Let’s hope there’s oxygen in the underground cavities they’ve detected… God, please let there be oxygen,” Heidi whispered. “I don’t want to die here, like this… so senselessly and stupidly.”
The radio crackled with a crew member’s voice:
“Oxygen levels are minimal, but radiation is off the charts. The atmosphere isn’t viable for life. We’re heading back. We’ll try to patch the breaches—there’s no other option.” Suddenly, the voice turned to a rasp and cut off abruptly. Gunshots rang out, then silence fell, as sudden as it had begun. Like a gust of wind… a wind carrying death.
“Torens, come in! Torens! Dave, Charles, respond!” Heidi frantically shook the transmitter, but no one answered. Panic flashed in Heidi Snow’s eyes, and in the ringing silence, the device slipped from her trembling hands, the sound of it hitting the floor like thunder to their frayed nerves.
Then the radio crackled to life again, but this time, a foreign voice with a hissing accent spoke:
“Open the doors, and I’ll kill you quick. If not, I’ll get in anyway, and then you’ll die slow and painful.”
Instantly tapping a synthetic key on the manual control panel, Kyara rebooted the monitor to display the camera at the entry hatch.
“Skvoranians…” she whispered. “How are there Skvoranians here?!” The sisters’ horrified eyes met.
“Quick, to the med bay!” Heidi commanded. “Put on a doctor’s uniform, now! Kyara, move!” Heidi yanked her younger sister by the arm with fierce determination, dragging her along. Once inside, wasting no time, she began layering a blue medical uniform over Kyara’s military gear. An explosion sounded, followed by a series of gunshots. The cruiser’s security team at the exit bay was the first to engage the Skvoranians in combat.
“Heidi!!!” Breaking free and regaining her composure, Kyara shoved her sister back. “What are you doing?! I’m an officer—my duty is to protect the crew with a weapon in hand! Let me go!”
“No! And I don’t care if they call this treason!” Heidi rasped desperately, holding her sister tight. “Skvoranians kill coalition soldiers on sight without exception—it’s their code. But they might spare humanitarians and civilians. We don’t know how many of them are out there. Do you want to die for nothing?”
“You have no right, and I’m not under your command! Let me go!” Kyara nearly growled, fighting the urge to strike her sister.
Without hesitation, Heidi swiftly pulled a syringe from her pocket and, with precise, professional skill, injected it into her younger sister’s neck. At that very moment, the bay doors slid open automatically, admitting five armed Skvoranians.
“Well, well, well,” one of them exclaimed, taking in the scene as one girl withdrew the syringe and the other went limp, collapsing to the floor.
“This isn’t a military ship—we’re just a medical patrol! We sustained damage and were forced to land,” Heidi declared boldly, stepping in front of her sister to shield her from the Skvoranians. “By what right did you attack us?!”
“Look at this one!” the Skvoranian, clearly the leader of the group, smirked arrogantly. “Judging by that fiery speech, you were in charge here… once. So, Miss Doctor,” he continued with mockery, “we’ve taken this rust bucket by the right of the strong. You idiots aren’t in your precious Empire’s space lane. All surviving personnel are now our prisoners. I’m sure they teach you plenty, Doc, and you must know Skvoranian psychology. You’ve got a two percent chance of survival. The rules are simple—be obedient and keep quiet! And maybe, just maybe, I’ll drop you off somewhere warm and wet. Or I might leave you to rot here, or my boys could put you down humanely. After all, how you die matters too, doesn’t it?” He squinted at her menacingly.
“I understand,” Heidi nodded stiffly, not breaking eye contact, tensely gauging the alien’s mood as he occasionally glanced at her sister.
“Smart girl, that’s more like it. Now, we’ll fix the issues on this heap of metal that miraculously landed in our lap, and we’ll leave this depressing dump where we’ve been stuck for so long. And that’s only because our species are a bit different. Skvoranian life systems are far more resilient, even with radiation levels like these. But humans like you… Why’d you do it?” The Skvoranian abruptly changed topics, nodding at the unconscious Kyara.
“She was panicking,” Heidi explained, her voice strained as she tried to hide her fear.
“Strange case. As far as I know, Doctor, you didn’t act by the book. Tsk, tsk. Imperials are always so obsessed with their ironclad rules. Something’s off here, girl. I’ve got a feeling you’re playing me. Where’s the antidote for whatever you injected her with?” His tone shifted from mocking to sharp and demanding in an instant, his triple-pupiled eyes narrowing predatorily. “Administer it! I love hysterics. I want to chat with her and figure out what makes her so special that, instead of trembling before the enemy like the rest of you, she’s snoring sweetly thanks to your gentle touch.”
Under that commanding, harsh gaze, Heidi had no choice but to bring her sister back to consciousness. Still, she tried to buy time, hoping the Skvoranian would lose interest in the unconscious girl. Instead of the full ampoule, Heidi injected Kyara with only half the dose of the antidote, slowing her awakening.