The Inner Ring (gxg)

Chapter 34

Vanessa was bored. Emily really didn't understand why she was even there to assist her, she didn't need nor want the help in the least. Vanessa was nominally assigned to transpose notes on whatever Emily was finding, but Emily was already recording everything she said, so didn't need written notes, as the voice to text software was already doing it. Instead, she lay in her bunk, idly watching some of the holographs that they had collected, and marveling at the aliens that looked so kind in her eyes.

What a fucking waste of time, she could have been over on the broken hulk with Pepper right now! Who knew what cool stories or items she'd come back with? The good news was, Pepper was always incredibly horny after they found new discoveries, so she knew that tonight was going to be extraordinary.

An alarm claxon rang through the ship, startling Vanessa who stood shocked for a moment, not even remembering what the alarm meant. Once she did, she started making her way to the bridge as quickly as she could. Once she got there, Xavier and Lena were already there, with Lena rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Emily joined them moments later.

"What's going on baby?" Emily asked her husband.

"We have a single sled on the way back, but moving erratically, I think it is Brody, and all I heard was a call for help," Xavier explained.

"Only one sled?" Lena asked, the worry in her voice evident.

"Do we know if there is more than one person on the sled?" Vanessa asked as well.

"Everything I know I told you. He hasn't answered my calls since asking for help. I was going to move the ship closer but wanted to clear it with all of you."

"Do it," Emily commanded. "We have to find out what is happening. Lena, get a sled ready, you'll need to go tow them back in. Vanessa, go with her in case she needs help."

Xavier started pressing a few buttons, and the ships thrusters fired to move it forward towards the stranded sled. In the meantime, Vanessa and Lena raced towards the remaining sleds, each hoping their loved one was alright. Once they were suited up, they waited by the sleds for the word from the bridge.

Vanessa kept talking into her earpiece, but there was no response, and it was tearing her up inside. She could see Lena fidgeting too and knew that she was going through the same thing.

Vanessa set up a comm link between her and Lena, just to talk. "We have to find them."

"They better be okay, or I'm going to kill them!" Lena whispered harshly, making no sense whatsoever, but Vanessa knew what she meant.

"I want to get out there so bad, I can't stand this waiting!"

Fortunately, Xavier's voice came over the comms shortly thereafter. "We're in range, go tow the sled back and see what is going on. I'll stop the ship here until you're back."

"We're on it," Lena replied, and then they were off.

The sled ride wasn't long, only a few minutes, but it seemed like it took forever. Vanessa heard Lena trying to stifle a sob when she realized the sled only had one figure on it, and her own heart was breaking too. Lena quickly tied a tether to the sled, and another to Brody, and they made their way back to the ship. Emily was waiting for them outside the airlock with a first aid kit, and the pulled off Brody's helmet to apply smelling salts.

"Ahh!" he cried out almost immediately, taking in his surroundings. "I'm back?"

"What the hell happened?" Lena demanded harshly.