Bubble

Chapter 30

It was completely dark when Emma arrived at the command center with Will, both of them panting uncontrollably, seeing as though they had just sprinted the two and a half kilometers from the center of the orchards. She glanced upwards at the large bamboo building, finding Daniel was perched up on the balcony, and he began rushing down the steps to meet them as they approached.

Emma let out a sigh of relief as her eyes landed on him; she had known that her family was alright, but something inside her was still uneasy about the situation. She threw her arms around her dad the instant she was close enough to do so, the impact almost knocking him over as she ran into him. Emma reveled in his comfort, squeezing him tightly to make sure that he was actually physically present. Daniel hugged her back, but soon pried her from his chest. It wasn’t until he put his arm around her shoulders and began to usher them upstairs that Emma remembered the urgency of the situation.

Daniel guided them through double doors into a large, circular room on the top level of the command center that Emma assumed was Captain Deller’s office. Windows with wooden shutters surrounded the curved walls, giving them a panoramic view of the camp’s marketplace, and holographic screens lined the back of the room that projected security footage from all around the colony and the tesseract site. A sizable desk sat in the center of the area; the base was made of exotic curving branches, and a slab of thick glass was placed over the top, the surface sparse except for a small plant. Captain Deller sat behind the table, his hands clasped together with his pointer fingers protruding upwards, his thin line of a mouth pressed against them in thought.

The doors creaked open again, and Dr. Truman walked in behind them, her eyes wide and her features frozen in fear. She shuffled next to Emma and glanced over in her direction, her mouth parting slightly as if she wanted to say something, but immediately shutting once more. Captain Deller stood up and walked over to the group of people, sighing heavily and running a hand through his graying hair before solemnly greeting them.

“We just received word from Nova Kai headquarters in Los Angeles that they are planning on sending another expedition through the tesseract in the morning,” he started. “The people at the base will do their best to protect us, but it would be the perfect time for the government to ambush them. Since they haven’t received word from Dr. Truman in three weeks, they will be wondering what happened.” He gestured towards Abigail, pausing before finishing. “Even if they don't try anything this time, we will be closing off the tesseract after the new colonists come in to prevent any future problems. We roll out at six sharp tomorrow morning.”

Emma drew in a sharp breath as she tried to comprehend everything Deller had just informed them of. Her body was trembling slightly as she thought of what could come through to Nova Kai in the morning. She felt Will slide his hand into hers and squeeze lightly, then his breath against her ear. “It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered, but there was a worried tone in his accented voice that he failed to conceal. Emma nodded her head, though, wanting to believe his words.

Captain Deller ordered them home to get some rest before their early morning; they had to be at the command center at five to prep for the day. “Come on, I’ll walk back with you,” Will offered, extending the crook of his arm towards her. She accepted gratefully, but hoped he couldn’t feel her shaking frame. Emma paused, waiting for her dad to join them, but he simply waved towards the door.

“Go ahead, Emma. I’ll be home in a bit.” She hesitated for a second, but agreed and allowed Will to lead her out the doors into the night.

The walk to Emma’s house was eerily silent, other than the sound of crunching gravel underneath their shoes. Emma felt as if she should say something, but words refused to come to her mouth, so she stayed silent. She knew that Will didn’t need to hear her words to know how she felt, anyways. When they arrived at the Scott’s unit, Emma muttered something of a good night to Will, and he kissed her forehead before turning and starting off towards his own home.

Emma crept into her dark house, quietly sliding open her bedroom door, not wanting to wake Chloe. She pulled off her day clothes and slipped on her nightshirt before sliding under the covers of her bed. It usually felt so inviting and cozy, but tonight it was hard and cold to the touch. She knew that she needed to get some sleep, but her eyes stayed wide as she stared at the ceiling, glancing over at the slowly changing clock every now and then. What would happen tomorrow? Would this be her last night alive? Thoughts zoomed through her mind, and soon tears were silently rolling down her cheeks.

She tossed and turned back and forth, the sheets becoming a tangled mess around her. Emma tugged at her hair, frustrated with herself. If she couldn’t trust herself with the task at hand, how could anyone else trust her to save the colony? She looked at the clock once again to find that it was one in the morning. Deciding that she wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and made her way towards her closet, grabbing a light coat and pulling on her sandals.

Emma silently made her way towards the front door, slowly twisting the handle open, careful not to make any sound. As she stepped out into the brisk night, she pulled the material of her jacket around her to keep her from the nippy air. She thought about going to the park, or the tree house even. But she knew better than to deny herself the fact that only one thing could bring her comfort. One person.

She tore off down the road towards Will’s house, the tears now streaming like rivers down her face. Emma had never actually been to Will’s house before, but she knew where it was, as he had met her on the corner of his street on occasion. She wove her way through the tiny paths lined with heavy vegetation, finally finding the loop of smaller houses she was looking for. Will had moved into one of these units after his dad and sister died. He hadn’t a use for the extra space, and the emotional toll of staying in their old house had been too much for him. He also had declined Captain Deller’s invitation to move in with the older man, not wanting to bother anyone with his problems.

Emma found his unit a couple houses in on the street; it wasn’t anything fancy, but it was well kept and clean- a soldier’s house. She ran up the steps and brought her knuckles to the door, rapping a few times before stepping back. She wiped the streams of saltwater away with her sleeve, but they continued to flow despite her efforts. It was a few moments before the door opened. Will appeared, looking tired and disheveled and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, wearing black sweats and a plain gray t-shirt.

His demeanor shifted the instant he laid eyes on Emma’s tearful figure standing on the porch, snapping awake and his eyes widening. “Emma...” She glanced up at him with red eyes.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she barely choked out through her sobs. He closed the small gap between them and pulled her into a tight embrace against his chest, his strong arms wrapping around her. Emma wished he would never let go. They stayed like that for a few moments, clinging to each other on the porch in the middle of the night. She could feel her tears soak through his shirt as he pet her hair and whispered quiet nothings in her ear.

Will pulled away slightly, brushing a soaked tendril of hair from her face. Emma noticed his own eyes were glassy as they stared at each other silently. “Are you going to be okay?” he asked. Emma started to nod, but somehow her hysterics made their way back, and the nodding turned to shaking. She buried her head into Will’s chest once again, and he held her tight, knowing that was all she needed. He swept her legs out from under her in a swift motion, and carried her trembling figure into the house, shutting the door behind them with his leg.

He carried Emma to the couch, where he sat down with her on his lap, and pulled the blanket laying next to them around her. And she cried, as he embraced her shaking form, holding her throughout the night.