FALAHA'S JOURNEY: A Spacegirl's Account in Three Movements

Episode #31

I approached the entrance to the technological complex. Without main power, all doors have to be opened or closed manually, provided they aren't blocked. I lifted the cap on the sensor console to access the lock. Tapping the release code on the tiny keyboard, I moved my hand onto the lever, took a deep breath and turned it.

The door opened.

It was dark inside, with a few blinking lights at the far end and another huge, black spike piercing through some of the machinery, the ceiling and the floor. Now I could hear the faint scratching sound more clearly without my suit system amplifying it.

It was coming from under the wall plates, where one of the horizontal communication lanes ran. Before I neared the place, one of the plates came off, and my helmet light caught a blond head, framed by tiny suit lights.

The person shielded his eyes with a hand. I turned my light down and hatched the helmet to the unfiltered tang of industrial, stale air, a far cry from the pleasant gear scents that I knew from the cargo bay when Quennah was 'alive'. The temperature hadn't dropped here significantly yet, compared to the place the ship was in now.

"Eyuran?!" He climbed out of the wall. "Why are you without headgear?"

"Had to shed it to work on the plate," he said, awkwardly facing me with his blind side. "It was stuck, and I felt really uncomfortable moving in that closed space. The air is not that bad yet."

When we walked into the light, I found out the real reason for his carelessness.

"What happened to your face?" The left side was swollen, all black and blue. In his shoes I would definitely want to take off anything covering my head, even if it killed me.

"After the outer gate was broken, Dad said he needed me with something and brought me here. The dry 'Forgive me' he said is all I remember. And then I woke up in the communications lane, my suit smelling like I was bathing in machine polish. But seeing you here I'm starting to understand what he was thinking... I just wish he had simply said it straight out without resorting to brute force."

Yeah, right. As if you would listen to him anyway. Everyone knows you'd be in the front line for your Mom and Dad, abandoning all common sense and dying a happy, honorable, useless death. Who are you kidding, Eyuran?

"Your dad—he's good." At predicting my moves. I put my hands on my cousin's shoulders and said in a low-pitched voice, imitating Father, "Young man, I congratulate you on surviving Orewen's Fist of Death."

"Atatatata—" Eyuran could hardly keep his remaining eye open with his mouth grimacing in an aching smile. "You so cruel."

He tried hard to look cheerful.

You can stop now.

I took him by the hand and made him tilt down to me. "Pain, pain, go away." I blew on his hurt cheek softly, watching his ear turn bright red.

You should cry when it hurts. You should get angry when something irreplaceable is taken from you. I want to see the real you.

I hugged him tightly and put my ear to his chest. And under the suit armor, there it was. The calming sound of his beating heart. My most treasured sound in the world.

Eyuran hugged me too, stronger than ever, and I felt his warm breath as he nuzzled into the top of my head.

Thank you, Uncle.

I allowed myself to stay like this for a while, before letting go and returning to the hallway.

"Baro, we have a survivor. I'm placing Eyuran in your care while I go to the Kernel Chamber. He will get the things you requested and help with the repairs."

"Of all people, it's a guy!" was the naggy response. I smiled. With positive news the mood of fear and tension subsided a little. I turned to Eyuran.

"You consent to this?" My cousin nodded. "Will you manage?" Affirmative nod. "How do you feel? Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm not accustomed to being blind in my right eye yet, though. My Node is starting to compensate, but it is uncomfortable being depth-perceptively challenged. And I have a feeling a monster will jump out from the right."

"Will not, I'm standing here. Does it still hurt?"

"A little." He carefully inspected his face with his fingers. "Well, at least the rest is healing already. How do I look?"

"Still recognizable, obviously. Is your Node operational?" Instead of a response I got an incoming connection in my siSystem, and our deep private network established once again.

"Don't disappear whatever happens," I messaged him and got another affirmative nod.

Personal matters settled, I gave Eyuran the list of requested parts and materials.

"The bloodless guy is all yours," I said and sprouted my helmet on. Eyuran did the same.

"Be careful." He raised his hand, palm open towards me in the 'safe journey' sign as I walked away.