Heritage

Heritage (Chapter 64)

Chapter 64: Ethan

My eyes slowly open to the bright light of an examination lamp. I squint hard at it and feel around, grabbing hold of it and pushing it away from me. I allow my eyes to adjust to my surroundings and begin to study them after the blurriness fades. I notice my shirt has been removed and that there's an area that has been stitched closed, a red line and black thread tracing its path.

A hard fist of pain punches me in the chest as I start to sit up causing me to fall back down on to the table. I try again, taking it slow this time. After finally being able to sit up, I lightly hop off of the medical table and walk around the room.

I see a set of clothes with a note on top of it sitting on the counter on the far side of the room. Making my way over, I pick up the note and read it 'Ethan, put on some fresh clothes and come up to the bridge. –PH'

I put the note aside and get dressed, doing what the note says. I climb up a steep set of stairs to the floor above and walk through another door at the rear end of the room. The door takes me to the bridge where I see Peter flying a ship. I study the open area of space before walking up and taking a seat beside him.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"We're in Sekrid space. Turns out the UEDF found the wormhole near Hyperion,"

"Wormhole? What?" I ask confused.

"There's a wormhole very close to that planet just ahead. Earth's forces used it to commence an assault on Argalia,"

"You're kidding me. Wait, that means Leon..."

"I know. Why do you think we're going there? Among other things," Peter says nonchalantly.

"What do you mean among other things?"

Peter shoots me a glance and sighs deeply like he doesn't want to tell me the answer to my question.

"Peter, what do you mean by among other things,"

"Long story short, Tal'Vira acted like an idiot," He blurts out.

"What did she do?"

"I'm not sure you want to hear the whole explanation to this Ethan,"

"If it has to do with my son, you're god damn right I do,"

Peter breathes another frustrated sigh and places the ship on autopilot and turns to me.

"Ethan, do you believe in the supernatural?"

"You mean like, God?"

"Well...yeah, partially. But more specifically, do you believe that there are things out there that are beyond our understanding? That there are things that we can't even fathom to try and explain?"

I think hard for a moment. The thoughts of Katie and the infection and all of the lingering effects I've faced over the years come back to me. I've always felt that it has been more than just PTSD.

"After everything I've seen...yeah...I think I do,"

"Good, that makes this part easier then. So that thing you've discovered...Crinza. It's more than just a giant space monster. Sekrid writings are the only thing anyone has ever found that describe things like her,"

"Her?"

"Why do you think she appeared to you as a female?"

"Well...I suppose that makes a lot more sense. Wait, what do you mean 'appeared' to me?"

"That infection wasn't just a hallucination of the virus, Ethan. There are physical effects of the virus, yes, but that's only one part of it. See, the virus only transforms you if Crinza wills it to,"