The Commander's Lieutenant

Part 18

Up pulled back slowly, and watched Taz's eyes open with complete surprise. 'I'm... I'm so sorry Taz! Dead-god-damn-it I should go...' He jumped up to run, but Taz's hand was still latched tightly onto his.

Her face went bright red and she let go, standing quickly to her feet and running over to the corner to stare into the wall. Up shut the door and ran to his room, slapping his face over and over again.

'What the hell is wrong with you?' He asked, staring himself in the mirror.

Taz was having a much worse situation in her room. For the past hour, she had thrown everything she could get her hands on, including several knives. Her room was a mess, her bandana was hanging off the light on the roof, her hair was spiked up in every direction, one of her boots was buried in the sofa and there she lay, in the middle of the chaos. Taz had given up and just flopped to the ground, screaming into her pillow.

Everything had turned around in seconds- her whole life was flipped upside down and she couldn't hide her feelings anymore. Taz had a thought, but a dangerous one. She looked up through her tangled mess of hair and stretched her hand out to the knife in front of her. She rolled over, and plunged the knife into her stomach. She felt nothing, so she did it again, and again, and again. Taz brought the pillow down onto her face and screamed again, throwing the knife into her door.

Alex, Ruth and Kitt heard nothing, but Up was just outside her door. He heard everything. He wanted to knock on the door and apologise, but he couldn't. Up sighed and walked to the control room to take over Alex's shift.

'Don't dawdle or I'll cut you open and drop you down a wishing well.' Up growled, sending Alex running as fast as he could to his room.

Up put his hands behind his back and paced the control room- six more hours and they would be just outside the planet. In his head, he ran over the procedures. At 8AM, they would reach the outer side of the planet. Breakfast until 8:30, then they would send Ruth down in a drop-pod (with Kitt as a guard) to check the planet's surface and air. After the all-clear, Taz and Up would get in the final drop-pod and complete their assessment on the wild-life and see if the planet could hold colonists. Alex would stay on board and guard the ship, just in case an alien got the wrong idea.

By the time Taz had dragged Ruth and Kitt out of bed the next morning, Up had downed three cups too many of coffee. It was only 6:30, so Taz made Alex and Kitt drag him off to bed. They didn't cross paths, but Taz could hear him mumbling as they shut his room door.

She sighed and stuffed another piece of toast in her mouth, then sent Ruth to watch over the control room. She had been eating for about an hour, when the inter-com buzzed.

'Lieutenant! We have an issue!' Ruth's voice squealed over the inter-com.

Taz jumped to her feet and ran down the corridor, knocking into Alex. She shoved him out of the way, but he followed her with Kitt on his heels.

'Ruth! What is it?' Taz ran to the girl's side, grabbing her shoulders.

'We're a little earlier than schedule...' She whispered.

Taz looked up, and saw the big blue planet closing in on them. 'MIERDA! Everyone to your stations- MUÉVETE!' She called, dragging a reluctant Ruth to her feet and into her chair.

Up showed me what to do yesterday! Why am I freaking out? Then, Taz remembered everything Up said. He had grabbed her hand and shown her each dial, each button, what to do in an emergency- and it all came flooding back. She took a breath, turned a dial, and pressed two buttons. The ship slowed, and started to circle the planet.

Ruth quivered in her seat, being comforted by Kitt as Alex grabbed her a drink.

'Ruth- why didn't you stop de ship? We could have crashed!' Taz growled, unimpressed.

'I never heard the part about what to do when you're gonna crash into a PLANET!' Ruth replied.

Taz dropped her face into her hands. 'You didn't learn stop?'

Ruth's face dropped. Before she could answer, Taz held up her hand and turned back to the front, rubbing circles on her temples. Two years of experience between me and dat idiota, and she doesn't know how to stop de ship? Dis is going to be a long mission... Finally, the ship slowed to a halt just outside the outer ring of the planet.

'Okay, idiotas! When we get back to de ship, Up is going to run through de basic commands of de ship so dat doesn't happen again. Got it?'

The three "rangers" nodded and sat at the table, playing one last game of cards. Taz groaned- she had to wake Up.

'Alex! Go get the Commander.' She waved him down the hall, glaring as he rolled his eyes.

A few minutes later, a bright-eyed Up walked into the room and resumed his position. 'Good timing, boys and girls- It's almost 0800. Ruth, Kitt- drop-pod stations NOW.'

Alex waved teasingly as they left, Ruth turning around to glare at him and mouth "cut it out". Taz didn't even bother asking. She slumped into her chair, spinning around and watching Up stare out the window. She kept thinking over that morning- It had to have been a dream! It just had to! No way would Up have kissed me! He could never think of me like dat.

As Up stared into the big blue planet, watching the drop-pod take off, his thoughts ran over what he had done. You damn fool! Now she's gonna hate ya for that damn kiss! She probably won't ever talk to you again and you'll never get to tell her how much you- Up froze.

Taz saw Up go rigid. Mierda! I didn't say dat out loud did I? He didn't turn, but could feel Taz looking at him. Up put on his bravest face, and turned to Taz as she spun in the chair.

She immediately stopped spinning and jumped to her feet to salute Up, cringing slightly when her ankle flashed with pain. Up rushed forward and caught her arm, pulling her back up gently.

'Thanks Up.' She answered awkwardly, sitting down and pulling her ankle up so she could look at it.

'No gracias? Something wrong, Taz?' Of course there is you idiot! Up's brain and mouth were fighting, but he prayed to Dead God that the wrong thing wouldn't come out.

Taz gulped. 'No. Just excited for my first experience on another planet is all...'

Up smiled down at her, then remembered the gift. He forgot to give it to her yesterday, but then seemed the perfect way to stifle the awkward silence. Slightly hoping he wouldn't get slapped, Up reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, flat, blue box. He placed it on the arm of the chair, then walked over to join Alex in a game of poker.

Taz stared at the box. Her heart thumped inside her chest, and she slowly reached for it. Up heard the box creak open, and a sharp inhale of breath. Taz grabbed out the beautiful, diamond solitaires in the box and sat them in the palm of her hand, staring in awe.