Fallen Star

Fallen Star Chapter 5

"Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love,
Love is no more
Don't say goodbye
Don't say I didn't try

These tears we cry
are falling rain
For all the lies you told us
The hurt, the blame
And we will weep to be so alone
We are lost
We can never go home"

-Gollum's Song

LLL

Jane hopped out of the van, slammed the door, then hurried around the front, still in the middle of a sentence.

"—like nothing I've ever seen before. Erik—it's incredible. I can't believe you even hesitated."

Erik, shutting the driver's side door and stepping up to face her, squinted against the early morning light.

"I know it's fascinating, Jane, and I'm glad you're interested—I just feel like the words 'unlimited power' need to be handled with a bit of caution."

"I think it's ridiculous we only get two hours a day with it. Two hours? That's barely a start before we have to stop!" Jane's thoughts plowed onward as they left the van behind, rounded the three campers and headed toward the lab, their feet crunching on the gravel. Their long, fresh shadows danced across the flat, dusty land, and the bright sun glinted on the windows of the lab. There wasn't a single cloud in the vast, pale sky. Jane ran a hand through her unbound hair—she had barely had time to pull a comb through it and brush her teeth before Erik had come to get her at dawn and hauled her off to the bunker for her first glimpse of the Cube.

"I know they're not sure what kind of power it's emitting," Jane allowed, gesturing broadly as she processed. "But their radiation sensors aren't picking anything up, and none of the people working with it have experienced any adverse effects."

"This is an alien technology, Jane," Erik said. "And they're being extra careful—which means you'll just have to take a few deep breaths. I know patience isn't your strong suit—"

"Patience has never gotten me anything," Jane said, stepping under the shade of the overhang. "Except missed opportunities and things I wish I..." She trailed off, her palm on the cool handle of the door.

"What?" Erik stopped beside her. Her brow tightened, and she let go of the door and leaned around the corner of the building.

There sat Fenris, facing into the rising sun, leaning back against the wall. One thin trail of blood lined the right side of his face, and his eyes stared blankly straight ahead. His cape trailed in the dust, and one leg was bent, his foot tucked under his other knee. Both arms wrapped around his middle.

"Fenris?" Jane called, suddenly unable to summon much volume. Then, her chest clenched. It was by no means a rule that people died with their eyes closed.

"Fenris?" she repeated, and hurried up to him, skidding on the dirt, Erik on her heels. The next instant though, her clamped breath released, for Fenris' eyes flickered, and his right eyebrow twitched. Jane's hand flew to her chest.

"You scared me," Jane panted. "Are you okay?"

"That's a common question with you, isn't it, madam?" Fenris said, his voice hoarse.

"Because it's a good question," Jane insisted. "It looks like you're still bleeding."

"Indeed I am," he answered. Jane hesitated, casting a glance at Erik. Erik only frowned down at the stranger.

"Well—can you get up?" Jane asked, off-balance again. Fenris frowned distantly.

"I thought of it," he said. "Then I decided against it."