For The Many

Chapter 21

Time passes in a strange way down here. You may feel as if you have done a lot, but it is only midday, or feel as if you have done little, but it be almost time for lights-out. It's very odd, to put it lightly. Evan seems pleased here, though, so that is all I can ask for. That friend of his - Marta, I believe - is quite interesting too. I could have sworn I saw her pop her arm off and then put it back on. I'll have to ask Evan.

- James Durand, August 20th.

Everyone had been gathered in the hangar, the morning the news came. "We have good news, and bad news," Click had said. His face was riddled with exhaustion, large, dark bags sitting beneath his eyes, and his lab coat askew and hanging from one shoulder.

"Bad first, please," Evan replied, sat cross-legged next to Marta. The exhausted doctor nodded sleepily, before yawning.

"Dome has recognised us."

"No!" Dayoh and Sarge shouted, unable to stop themselves. All of the others who were gathered turned to look at them.

"So, by my estimates, we have about a week until they attack. We need to destroy them before that happens."

The room fell deathly quiet, as the news sunk in. It was stifling. They were either going to die, or have to fight to avoid it. "And the good news?" Marta asked, cutting through the still air.

"Tarot wishes to apologize."

He held his arm out warily, smiling with the same tired smile they were all used to, only with infinitely more exhaustion than they had ever seen, to welcome the navy haired girl to stand beside him. She had been hiding in the doorway of her cell, shrouded in darkness until invited to stand before those who had hated her.

She stood, hands shaking, in front of all of the humans who had been invited, as well as Sarge and Dayoh. "I am sorry, for what I have done." She said. Marta stood.

"Why should we believe you?"

"Because it is true," she replied calmly, her grey eyes looking as if they were about to spill tears. "It was all thanks to a conversation I had with Evan not too long ago - that and the thing Click has told me about you all. I didn't realise that you were strong beyond words, defiant as mules or caring as a mother to her child, and I do not just mean you by that, Marta. I mean all of you. I had expected you were all beasts, and that that was our reason for stealing your planet."

Evan stood to meet Marta then, taking her hand and whispering, "We can't afford not to accept her, we die without her or we have the potential to live with her, you know which we need to choose.""Marta, I feel I need to apologize to you more so than most. I forced you to hit me, but striking your friend - another act for which I am sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Both humans stood, facing the Shifter before them. They could see she had given up entirely, her eyes void of life, straight, proud posture gone and replaced by a hunched and broken looking one. "We will." They replied in unison.

The Shifter's face broke into a smile, a spark shimmering in her eyes as her shoulders righted themselves. "You will not regret this."

"We hope we don't."

Click clapped his hands together, some of the utter exhaustion falling away from his face, and urged those present into action. Some were put in the computer room with Dayoh, to plan the attack they would need to carry out on Dome, even though they still had no idea what it was.

In the madness, the one navy haired Shifter, apparently known as Tarot, weaved her way nimbly through the crowd, to stand beside Marta. Evan had been ushered away on some task, leaving her waiting expectantly, but there had been no orders. Only Tarot. “I would advise that you and he become an item before we find a girl he thinks he has a better chance with,” she advised, both knowing exactly who she meant by 'he'.