Lance Alone

Part 15 (Lance)

Lance thought he would sleep better on his first night home. But the Garrison bunk was lumpier than he remembered, and there was a slight chill in the room. He forgot how they over-conditioned buildings in the desert. He also couldn't stand that intermittent hiss coming from the vents. Psssst. Psssssssssst. Pssssst. 

Wait, that wasn't from the vents. It was coming from the window. Hey, stop pushing me! 

I'm taller than you, I can reach it better. Just stop getting in my way. 

You're not taller than me. Last time I checked, I was taller. 

My arms are longer, then. Just one--more--tug--

POP! The window popped open, joined by the sound of two people falling over in a heap on the other side. Lance pushed back his covers, fixed his hair quickly in the mirror, and then stood on his toes to see what was going on outside. In the dim light of the moon, he could see the two cadets he met earlier--Annie and Dale--pulling themselves back onto their feet. 

"Hey, Lance!" Annie said, her bright voice carrying surprisingly far. She blushed at the sight of his face poking out the window, "We're here to rescue you!" 

Dale shushed her, but her voice still echoed down the hall. 

"How did you know I needed to be rescued?" Lance asked, at a whisper. He pulled a chair from the desk and used it to give himself a boost over the window. 

"Well, after we dropped off your food, we went to brag to the other cadets that we met you," Annie started to explain, "but none of them believed it. Which was strange, because you're right here!" 

"So we started to wonder: if we just came back from the dead, wouldn't we be telling everyone we met?" Dale finished for her, "that's when we started to figure, you know, that you might be held against your will. That the people in the Garrison didn't want anyone to know you were back." 

"And that's just not fair!" Annie finished. Lance was halfway out the window, and the two junior cadets backed up so he could jump down. 

"I can't tell you how glad I am that you guys came," Lance thanked them, dusting himself off from the jump. They were outside now, and the hot desert heat had left with the sun. 

"Aw, you probably would have busted yourself out," Annie twisted her foot in the same, looking bashful, "No prison can keep the greatest Garrison cadet ever." 

Annie's attempt at a compliment only made Lance's blood run cold, colder than even the air outside. He tried to hide his disappointment. You'll never be a Garrison pilot. "I've always been a part of a team," he explained, and then quickly changed the subject. "I need to get to the pod I came in. Do you know where it is?" 

"That weird alien ship? Iverson had some people put it into the warehouse over there after you landed. It's under a ton of security," Dale rubbed his hands together in anticipation. 

"Why do you sound excited about that?" Annie asked, "we're not armed. We're not even supposed to be out past curfew." 

"That's what makes the challenge so fun," he said with a smirk, "Just give me a big stick and I can take them out--" he swung his hands around, swoosh swoosh, like he was chopping them in half with a sword, "--just like that." 

Now who did that remind Lance of, with his popped up collar and intense stare? "Do me a favor, kid," Lance said, "Never grow a mullet."