Codename Alpha: Intervention

Chapter Eighteen - Sweat

Even though Simek asking a nondescript question over the radio was fairly minor and banal from an outside perspective, it took almost every fiber of my being to not just immediately begin screaming. The fact was lost on me that this was perhaps the best time for Simek to go looking for Yashina, since he'd likely end up being even more separated from... well, wherever he was, when we broke out of the shuttlebay.

"What?" Molotov said, laughing. "Not often you get wrong number calls aboard a starship."

"Hmm, yeah," I mumbled, through gritted teeth. I could tell I was shaking, but there wasn't much I could do about it. I pulled out the radio and momentarily pretended to fiddle with it.

The loud buzzer sounded once more, and this time, I nearly jumped out of my skin. As the second airlock began to notice, that feeling of panic only intensified, as I got a glimpse of the shuttlebay.

Nothing had really changed since I'd last been there. Everyone was still just laying around or idly pacing, and the few guards that were present still looked just as bored as they had then. Despite that, I was feeling the same things as I was a few hours ago, just moments before attempting to fight Yashina. I wanted to simply turn around and give up.

Any plans I'd formulated earlier had just completely left my mind. What we'd do after taking the shuttlebay now seemed like a distant memory. I had no idea how I was going to lead the forty or so people beyond me. Anything resembling social skills that I did have were laughable, and 'ability to command' was certainly nowhere on my psych evaluation. No famous tactician was going to suddenly arrive and take over. My choices in the next few minutes would mean life or death, not only for myself, but for the remaining members of the crew and countless people on the surface of Earth.

Perhaps it was self aggrandizing to think like that, but deep down, I knew that it was true. Hell, even in the terrifying, surreal state I was in, I could tell it was true. I knew that I had to push on and find some way to end this mess, but as it stood, I could only see it going catastrophically wrong.

Everything I'd been worried about over the past few days really did just seem incredibly trivial and stupid. Marine finding some pillow, spots not as dark as they used to be, and some lightly embarrassing art really were the least of my concerns now. Really, that went without saying, but I just felt stupid for ever being worried about those things.

Molotov wasn't paying any attention to me, which did allow me some literal and figurative breathing room to try and collect myself one last time before things went to shit. Gritting my teeth, I was able to at least slow my breathing. At least, for a moment.

Once the airlock doors finished opening, the full extent of what I had to do truly set in, and the feeling of panic only worsened.

I tightly gripped the handles of the cart and began to push forwards, following close behind him. Though I had, at this point, forgotten the exact phrase, David's advice about confidence was endlessly repeating in my head.

Stepping past the airlock, a guard to our left nodded and greeted us. I was too distracted to actually respond, and for a moment I worried that I appeared suspicious, continuing on while not acknowledging them. I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind.

"Rostov, I'm serious. Where are you? This is important." Simek's message was still muffled, and Molotov didn't seem to notice, and neither did the guard.

For obvious reasons, there was no announcement from the shuttlebay about our arrival, though everyone inside seemed to get the idea. I could only pray that the guards were assuming the new shift on duty simply didn't know to announce it, if that was even established protocol.