Camp IX | ✓

22

     Berkely made me stand right outside the door as he and Griffin finished talking. I couldn't seem to stay still. I kept pacing around the hallway and when that got boring, I tried leaning against the wall but my leg kept shaking.

     Berkely had said "that human boy". Surely he didn't mean...

     "Griffin!" I pushed off the wall when I saw him exit Berkely's office. "Did you bring Blaze up here with me?"

     He nodded and took my arm. Shoulder to shoulder we marched towards yet another set of doors.

     "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked my heart doing nervous flip-flops in my chest.

     "Why didn't you ask?" Was that jealousy I detected?

     "I just assumed you'd left him lying on the living room floor where you knocked him out."

     Griffin looked at me funny so I kept talking.

    "I just didn't see why you would have needed him. Taking me I get, but him? He's a normal human. Right?" I say.

     "He's normal," Griffin says and despite myself, I let out a pent up breath. I didn't think I could take one more surprise.

     "So why-"

     "So why bring him with us?" Sighed Griffin. "Because he's the only human we have in our possession. I'd assume the Council wants to take a look at him."

     "Everyone keeps talking about this Council. Care to explain what it is?" I think my head is going to explode from all the unanswered questions I have.

     "It's hard to explain so I'll tell you later."

     We reached a large door, similar to that of a garage door and Griffin pressed his hand to the side of it. It slid up with a grinding metallic noise to reveal a hanger. It was easily larger than a football stadium and nearly as tall. A few feet in front of us the floor gave way to soring walls. They were broken up in levels and as I stared at them longer it became clear that small spaceships sat on them.

     There were big ones, small ones, ones that looked deadly, and ones that looked, well, cute almost. I would have kept staring at them but Griffin pulled me forward, his grip becoming painfully tight on my upper arm. We'd nearly reached the edge and for a split second I thought Griffin might pull us off but a hovering platform appeared.

     It wasn't very big, it looked like it could fit three people comfortably. Griffin without so much as a blink stepped onto it but I held back. What if it didn't hold me?

     "It can hold you," Griffin said sensing my hesitation. "See?"

     He bounced a little to prove his point. When the platform didn't move, I took a deep breath and walked quickly onto it. I felt a slight vibration shoot up my leg when I did.

     Slowly, the platform began to lower. It took us past levels and levels of spaceships, to the very bottom level. Where sitting in the middle, was the largest ship in the hanger. It was easily ten times larger than any of the fighter craft (Griffin said what they were) parked on the levels above. Despite its size, once it left the hanger, I knew it would be dwarfed by the ship it was parked in.

     The platform I now called the wall-less elevator bumped into the ground and Griffin stepped off. I followed and we hurried across to the ship.

     "Captain!" Griffin raised a hand to call the attention of a reedy woman directing the movement of crates.

     We'd almost drawn level with her when she took notice of us.

     "Cadet Griffin. It's been a while," she purred. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friend?"

     I bristled. I was short, not little.

     Griffin pretended not to notice my change in expression and introduced me to Captain Valkyrie.

     "Just call me Val," she extended a hand covered by a black leather glove.

     The worn leather scrapped my hand and her grip was on the tight side. Clearly, she liked intimidating people.

     Like most of the Andromedic's, her face was riddled with sharp edges and harsh lines. Her jaw looked like it would slice open my hand if I touched it. To farther extenuate her profile, she had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The strands of silver starlight fell over her shoulders and several wisps framed her face. Her face shone with a light similar to that of a full moon and when she smiled at me, her full lips curved into the most radiant smile I'd ever seen.

     Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I probably looked like a mess next to her. My hair wasn't in the best shape though it was far from a rats nest. And I hadn't changed clothes in far too long.

     Griffin cleared his throat, breaking my jumble of thoughts and drawing Val's attention away from me. She moved around me with the grace of flowing water and raised an eyebrow at Griffin.

     "I'm assuming Berkely informed you of our...um...situation."

     He couldn't seem to come up with a good idea of what to call it. I thought situation fit perfectly.

     "He called me right after you left his office so I'm aware of everything. Even her," she motioned to me and I pretended not to notice.

     I turned while Griffin and Val kept talking, trading details of the upcoming flight. I let my gaze wander over the open ramp of the ship, taking in the handful of crew that scurried around unloading crates of various sizes. They ran up and down the ramp, disappearing and reappearing minutes later pushing loads in front of them. Once they'd pushed them into the growing pile off to the right, they'd do it all over again.

     Before long, crates were no longer appearing out of the ship. Val marched past me, raising her voice so the whole hanger could hear her. She ordered the crew back onto the ship to start preparing it for takeoff. They scurried to do her bidding.

     "Are you ready?" Griffin asked.

     I didn't answer. Was I? Was I ready to take a leap of faith and potentially find out who I really was?

     "I'm sorry to say you don't really have a choice," he added softly.

     "I know," I whispered.

     I took a step forward and then another. Soon my feet were carrying me towards the ramp of the ship. With my heart in my throat, my shoes met the ramp and carried me up it. Griffin was right behind me, his hand hovering at the small of my back. His slight touch kept me going forward.

     At the top of the ramp was a very empty cargo hold. Undoubtedly this was where all those crates had come from. We kept moving to a ladder that was built into the wall. I clambered up first, rather ungracefully.

     "Nova!"

     I'd barely regained my feet when there was a blur of motion and something slammed into me wrapping its arms around me.