Without A Thousand Stars: Part II

Chapter 9

At the hospital, the sterile white walls of the exam room contrasted sharply with the vibrant chaos of the wedding. Jax sat on the edge of the bed, his expression vacant. Dr. Vox, a seasoned professional with a no-nonsense demeanour, directed a flashlight into Jax's eyes, guiding him through a series of standard tests. The doctor scrutinized the holographic CT scans with a furrowed brow.

"Nothing looks out of the ordinary," Dr. Vox said, though his tone was thoughtful.

Vela, seated beside the bed, her eyes red-rimmed with worry, interjected, "Could it be residual from the explosion five years ago?"

Dr. Vox hesitated, "It's possible, but I'm not seeing anything that would explain this. Any blurry vision, or hallucinations?"

Jax shook his head, omitting the dreams and visions he had been experiencing. "No, nothing like that."

Lilac was still in her gown, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, her pouting turning to dramatic sobs. "I can't believe this, the stream was ruined!"

Jax's voice was tinged with frustration and resignation, asked, "I'm deploying in a couple of days. Will I still be cleared?"

Dr. Vox's expression was inscrutable as he replied, "Let's keep you here for observation. I'm hopeful."

The doctor glanced at Vela, Lilac, and Orion. "He should rest. You can visit again tomorrow."

As Dr. Vox escorted Orion out, he spoke quietly, "This could be a side effect of the procedure... it was always experimental."

Orion's voice was taut with concern, "Is it holding?"

Dr. Vox shook his head, "It's hard to say right now. The best course of action is to wait and hope it resolves on its own."

—

By the time Nora and Alyce reached the Academy, the sun had begun to set, casting long shadows over the desolate campus. The lobby was deserted, save for a few broken-down bot guards that stood like sentinels of the past.

They made their way through the cafeteria, where the once vibrant space was now marred by trash and graffiti. The air was thick with neglect, and the food dispensers had long since run dry. Nora rummaged through one, hoping for a trace of something usable, but found only dust and decay.

Alyce wandered through the cafeteria, her heart heavy with memories of happier times with Jax. She and Nora then proceeded to the dormitory building. When Alyce reached her old door, she paused. The fingerprint scanner had been shattered, and the door hung crooked on its hinges. She nudged it open, revealing her room in a state of disarray. Furniture lay overturned, and her belongings were scattered and broken.

She approached her old desk, running her fingers over the dusty surface. Memories of Jax on her bed filled her mind, and she struggled to keep her tears at bay. She opened the drawer of her desk, her breath catching as she spotted something familiar: a stack of holocards Jax had recorded for her. Though worn and clearly rifled through, they had escaped the attention of raiders.

Sitting down on the floor, Alyce held the holocards in her hands, her heart aching. She activated the first card, and Jax's smiling face materialized in holographic form. "Hey, Als!" he said, his voice filled with the same tenderness and warmth she remembered.

Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Alyce let them fall freely, clutching the holocards to her chest as the image of Jax brought a flood of emotions. The pain of separation and the sweetness of his memory overwhelmed her.

Nora entered the room silently, her presence a comforting anchor. She knelt beside Alyce and wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight. "It's okay. Shhh..." she murmured, offering solace as Alyce cried.

—

Jax sat in his hospital bed, the sterile white walls and persistent hum of machinery making his isolation feel even more profound. The holo screen flickered with the same repetitive stream of meaningless content, a dull buzz that only heightened his restlessness. He slipped on his visor, trying to escape the monotony, but he couldn't muster the energy to dive into the mind-numbing world of influencers and viral videos.

"I'm in love with you Alyce." The words replayed in his head, haunting and vivid. He had said them once, a confession of feelings that seemed both distant and urgent. But who was Alyce? The question had been gnawing at him.

Jax spoke into his visor. "Search, Alyce."

The interface responded instantly, but the results were overwhelming—an endless list of people with the name Alyce, each one more irrelevant than the last.

Frustrated, he pulled the visor off and tossed it aside, letting it rest on the bed beside him. He stared at the ceiling, the plain white surface offering no answers. The room was quiet except for the faint beeping of the heart monitor and the distant hum of the ventilation system.

His mind wandered back to the dreams that had been plaguing him. Alyce, with her soft, golden hair and those eyes that seemed to hold untold secrets. She had appeared in his dreams so vividly, so real, that he couldn't shake the feeling that she was someone he should know, someone important. But who was she?

Jax sighed deeply, a mix of frustration and longing in his eyes. He knew he had to find out, but for now, he was trapped in this bed, unable to chase the answers that eluded him.

—

Reyn gently tucked Jax into bed, brushing a stray lock of hair from the boy's forehead. Nova curled up on his head, a silent protector as he slept. Jax's eyes were heavy with sleep, his small body sinking into the softness of the blankets. Reyn quietly exited the bedroom and made their way to the living area, where Raye was waiting on the sofa.

Reyn settled onto the sofa, glancing at Raye with concern. "He's down," Reyn whispered.

Raye turned their gaze, their expression distant and troubled. "There's something I need to tell you," they said, their voice barely audible.

Reyn's face shifted from concern to disbelief as Raye shared the shocking news. "That's not possible... if Jax was alive, he'd come back to Alyce. There's no way he wouldn't."

Raye's eyes were serious, and they leaned in closer. "I think something may have happened to him... maybe Orion..."

Reyn's brows furrowed as they absorbed the implication. "Does Alyce know? Nora?"

Raye shook their head slowly. "No. I think we need to find out more before we tell them. We don't want to give Alyce any false hope."

The room fell into a contemplative silence as both of them pondered the weight of the situation. The uncertainty about Jax's fate and the potential danger from Orion loomed large, casting a shadow over their efforts to protect and support Alyce.