Maddie woke with a start, her wrench slipping out of her hand. The resulting clang echoed weirdly in the confined space.
She stood up, rubbing her stiff joints and red eyes.
A semi-assembled device sat in front of her, wires and electric circuitry poking out at odd angles. She looked at it with a mixture of revulsion and pride. It was her most inspired and complicated invention yet. And it would be used against her son once completed.
She sighed heavily, glancing into the adjourning cells. Thick sheets of enforced glass separated her from Jack and Jasmine. She could see Jack hunched over his calculations, scribbling furiously. Jasmine was awake as well, pacing restlessly with her back to her mother.
Maddie turned away, heart aching from loneliness. Their communications were scanned for any potential codes before Maddie was allowed to see them. Personal conversation was also forbidden.
She looked back at it her device. It was a metallic cylinder, about a foot high. Even in it's unfinished state, it looked sleek and intricate. Small grooves ran along the metal, entwining with the operating system. Maddie couldn't help but give a wry smile as she realized how much it resembled a metallic soup thermos.
A patrol of Space Corps guards marched past her cell. Maddie looked at them with a sick feeling of shame. She used to be so proud, so honored to be part of this organization. It had taken years of work. She had dreamed about it all her life.
And now she only wanted it destroyed.
A gentle tap reached her ears. She turned to see Jack leaning against the glass between them, a tired smile on his face. He was looking thinner, the prisoner's uniform hanging off his powerful frame. Lines of worry and sleepless nights had appeared on his face.
He held up a piece of paper to the glass.
How's it hanging baby?
In spite of herself, Maddie couldn't resist a small smile. She picked up a piece of paper herself and wrote,
Not so good, believe it or not.
Jack's face fell as he read her message.
I wish there was something I could do.
Maddie just leaned against the glass. She didn't even have the energy to restrain her tears. They dripped from her closed lids as she reached for the husband that had been taken from her.
It only took a few minutes for the guards to notice. They arrived soon, barging into both cells to read the messages that had been written.
Maddie barely felt the blows they gave her. Reminders of what happened to those who disobeyed Space Corps.
YOU ARE READING
Split Between Stars
Science Fiction(Sequel to Half Life) Danny has lived his whole life thinking he was the sole survivor of Halpha's destruction. Space Corps has hunted him and his kind for years, making it almost impossible to survive. But after being saved from their clutches at...
