Without A Thousand Stars: Part II

Chapter 5

The cabin was quiet, the morning sun filtering through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room. Alyce sat at the dining room table, her fingers wrapped around a warm mug of tea. The remnants of breakfast—dirty plates, crumbs, and a half-eaten apple slice—still littered the table, but Alyce didn't mind. It was peaceful here, in their little sanctuary.

Across the room, she watched as little Jax sat on the floor, snuggled up to a black cat, his bright eyes wide with fascination as he watched Reyn tinker with the screws and mechanics of their prosthetic leg. Reyn's concentration was intense, but their movements were gentle, precise.

"Rem, are you a robot?" Jax asked, his voice full of innocent curiosity as he stared at Reyn's artificial limb, while gently petting the cat, who purred and outstretched its limbs.

Reyn chuckled, the sound soft and warm. "No, just this part." They tapped their prosthetic leg with a smile, making Jax giggle.

She smiled softly at the scene before her, her heart swelling with love for the little boy. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before Nora shuffled into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Without hesitation, she reached over and snatched a piece of apple from Alyce's plate, popping it into her mouth.

"Morning," Alyce greeted her, her voice gentle but full of warmth.

Nora leaned against the chair, her smile soft as she looked down at Alyce. "Morning."

Alyce took another sip of her tea, her eyes flickering to the side. "You scavenging today?"

Nora nodded, stretching her arms out and letting out another yawn. "Yeah, gonna see how far we can push the drone today."

Her expression shifted, a hint of worry creeping into her features. "Be careful."

Nora leaned down, cupping Alyce's cheek as she kissed her softly on the lips, their foreheads brushing together as she pulled back just slightly. Her voice was tender, laced with affection. "Always, Little Rabbit," she murmured, her eyes locked on Alyce's, filled with a promise of safety.

Alyce held Nora's gaze for a moment longer, her worries easing under that familiar look. She gave a small nod as Nora stood up, her attention shifting to little Jax, who was still engrossed in Reyn's tinkering.

Nora walked over to the boy, ruffling his hair with a playful smile. "Hey, bud."

Jax looked up at her with wide, adoring eyes. "Hi, Mama Nora!"

Nora chuckled, reaching down to pat his head again. "What's up?"

"Mama, can you find me some pancakes today?" Jax asked with an eager grin, the excitement in his voice impossible to miss.

Nora laughed as she pulled on her boots and shrugged into her jacket. "I'll try."

Jax jumped up and wrapped his little arms around her waist, giving her a tight squeeze. Nora bent down, pressing a kiss to his head before gently pulling away, her smile lingering as she glanced back at Alyce one last time before heading for the door.

Alyce watched them, her heart full, a quiet smile on her lips. This was her world now, these small moments of love and routine. And for a moment, everything felt perfect.

Nora stepped out of the cabin into the crisp morning air, the familiar scent of metal and oil wafting toward her. Just ahead, Raye was crouched beside their hover cycles, tinkering with the stabilizers, ensuring everything was in working order. The hum of Reyn's drone echoed faintly overhead, its blue lights flickering as it monitored their surroundings.

Nora approached, adjusting her jacket and tightening her gloves. "Ready to go?"

Raye stood up, wiping grease from their hands onto their pants. "Yeah, where we headed today?"

Nora's eyes scanned the horizon, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of concern. "Thinking about the Heights."

Raye raised an eyebrow, their expression skeptical. "Pushing it a little far, don't you think?"

Nora shrugged, though her gaze was serious. "Yeah, but there's not a lot left around here."

Raye sighed but didn't argue and swung their leg over her hover cycle, strapping their gear in place. "Alright then. Heights it is."

With a low hum, the bikes lifted off the ground, Reyn's drone trailing above them like a watchful sentinel as they set off toward the decaying city.

The ride through the Lowerzone was desolate. Checkpoints that once buzzed with activity now stood abandoned, their metal gates rusting, covered in grime. Crumbling structures loomed on either side, their facades cracked and blackened from old fires. The streets were eerily quiet, the occasional piece of debris the only sign of movement. They passed what was left of the Pods—once towering, now little more than scorched husks.

As they entered the Heights, the silence only grew more unsettling. Nora slowed her bike, taking in the emptiness around her. This part of the city had once been bustling with life—shops lining the streets, workers crowding the sidewalks, advertisements flashing from every corner. Now, the shop windows were shattered, their displays looted long ago. No lights flickered in the high-rise apartments, no noise came from the alleys. It was a ghost town.

Raye stopped in front of an old shop, their eyes drawn to the faint flicker of a hologram TV still clinging to life inside. The image on the screen crackled, the bot anchor's voice cutting in and out as it read the news, its tone almost mocking in the emptiness of the scene.

"The most anticipated live stream of the year is happening tomorrow," the anchor buzzed, its words disjointed. "Make sure to tune in, as the eldest son of the Chief of Defence, Lieutenant Jaxon Quinn, finalizes his matching to popular influencer Lilac Eridanus."

Raye's breath caught as images of Jax flashed across the screen. Jax in his military uniform, his face cold and emotionless. Jax standing beside Lilac, the two of them smiling for the cameras. The world they represented was so far removed from the ruins around them, it felt like a cruel joke.

"Jax?" Raye whispered, their voice filled with disbelief and shock. They stepped closer to the flickering screen, their heart pounding as they tried to reconcile the man they were seeing with the Jax they had once known.

Jax was alive. And he had been pulled deeper into Orion's world than they could have ever imagined.