Sigma/Star

Chapter 109: Petty Differences

"I can't believe it's been a month." Porter lay down against the beach, feeling the sand scratch against his skin as it found ways into his clothing. The moon stared down at him from the sky, its surface a combination of brilliant white and dark splotches. At first, he had been amazed to look up at the night sky from Earth, but it had quickly worn away as he had thought of how close he had been to the stars before, at how he could glance out a window in the academy and gaze upon the beauty of Earth, rather than the void of space. Being on the surface after so much time away was bittersweet.

Riya twisted her body on the sand, propping up her head with her arm so she could converse with Porter. "It's gone by faster than I imagined and yet..."

"So slowly?"

"Yes." Riya tried to nod in agreement while still keeping her head on her palm. "I mean it has already been a month since Chase-"

"Yes, it has." Porter's words sliced through Riya's sentence, immediately ending it. The girl had only been testing the waters though, gauging a reaction by casting out a line. Once more, as he always did, Porter shot down any discussion on his deceased friend. His policy had been to move forwards as quickly as possible, and that meant no more dwindling on past events, but the rest of the group certainly knew the truth in Porter's policy; they only agreed to it in order to maintain cohesion amongst themselves.

"So then what is in the next month?"

"We're not staying here any longer. We've been away from everything else far too long." Porter pulled his torso up so he was sitting using nothing but his abdomen, secretly delighted at his personal improvements in strength. "Before, when we were in the academy, we sat and waited for each mission to come while the rest of the world fought. But the Jahari are a different kind of beast, and we can't just let them ravage the world so easily while we play on an island. Besides, we can make our own missions now."

"And the Enian Federation?"

Porter didn't acknowledge the words, opting instead to stare at the black waves of the ocean. A small fish leaped out of the water, followed by a much larger one trying to catch it. The two plunged back into the ocean, disappearing and leaving nothing behind to indicate they even existed. The world under the sea was completely unknown, and it appeared so different on the surface compared to what it was like in reality. Just like the Jahari, Porter thought. There had been an entire society, a complete civilization, festering under the feet of every human being, and they had never known. On an even grander scale, when Porter had watched the Earth from space, he had seen nothing but beauty and spectacle, with the occasional ripple. It was impossible to tell from above that there was such chaos going on, and that there was eternal war.

"The Federation has some crimes to atone for, many really. But the whole world does, and we alone cannot make it all pay."

Riya's eyes studied Porter carefully, observing his every movement and reaction. He had become quite distant while they were on the island, and each day a part of him seemed to retreat inside himself. It reminded her of the times he had been in combat, the brief flashes where he had lost himself to battle. But this was permanent. Porter of before would always snap back to his goofy, innocent self. This was a different kind of Porter, one who was trying to compact all of his feelings inside himself to make them invisible, and instead he was revealing more than ever before.

"Who else would ever join us?" Riya whispered, her voice saddened by Porter's serious nature.

"Something's wrong." Porter turned his head, gazing at Riya with curiosity. Her face could not completely contain her emotions, and her anxieties were written onto her soft features. "You're distressed over something. Is it the future fighting?"