On the Outer Rim

Chapter 18: Little Aria

Date – March 1st 3035

Time – 1:20am

System – Outer Rim System Alpha

Planet – Unnamed

Location – HeartPool

Status – Better...you could almost say.

"Pass me the bandages!" Addis shouted a little worried. Covy has seemed to have lost a lot of blood but really she was in stable conditions.

"Covy! Covy stay awake okay?" Brent shouted more worried than he needed to be.

"She's good, she's good calm down everyone." Amber declared.

"Guys...I'm fine, calm down...we don't wanna freak out Athena." Covy finally finished it off. Everyone calmed themselves as they realized Athena was behind them watching.

Amber quickly got up to cover Athena's eyes and to give her a bit of comfort as Covy's bandages were applied. Now, no more blood, Covy stood up with the help of her friends. She sighed as she looked around.

"Well...this sucks." she simply said and she limped back to the cave with Brent's help. Athena looked around pondering something.

"What's wrong Athena?" Amber asked.

"Where's Zilo?" they thought about how to explain this to Athena but it wasn't given enough thought so, at first, they kept quiet even slowly considering lying.

"Zilo...had to leave..." Addis explained realizing she still had blood on her hands so she hid them behind her back.

Athena seemed a bit sad at first but she seemed to have understood from what she saw. Seeing Covy bleeding and Justin knocked out, she had started to presume a few things. After a while, Athena went back to her perky, helpful self.

"Should I start the fire?" she asked.

"Yeah...its freezing. Why is it so bloody cold?" Amber asked.

"Winter probably...the planet is small. It was cold before but now...I presume we're gonna have to start preparing. We'll end up freezing for the winter if not." Amber agreed and everyone went inside.

Night fell and the morning came faster than everyone expected. Morale was low as friend after friend either died or has left.

Covy, in particular, felt guilty for Zilo's exile. She almost blames herself. Maybe if she saw the signs, gave him the time of day or even just rip the bandage off and told him how she felt it would've been different.

But she couldn't do anything now. Zilo's gone, just like Manlin. She pondered on her position as she sat in her room alone.

Then, she wondered why Aria had gotten sick. She wouldn't know for certain what happened to Aria but she would presume whatever she went through Aria had to have gone through the same but it didn't explain why Covy wasn't sick.

She ate some weird fruit, she told everyone, and then she felt lot's of pain, a blank feeling and then as soon as she came out of her trans she was instantly beaten to a pulp. Then, after being cleaned up by some guard Covy almost ended up killing, she was thrown into an ice age right before Brent came to saved her.

So what has Aria went through? So far she has only had enough strength to tell Covy she ate the fruit but nothing more. Had they beaten her like Covy? Did she go through all of what Covy had gone through? She only could wonder.

Covy heard a knock on her door and she invited them in. Justin walked in with piles of papers and folders in his hand and, before he even acknowledged Covy, he locked the door.