Ender Wiggin's Last Game

Promise

With Meiji's oath to keep to himself, Penelope wasn't much of a problem for the rest of the trip. Things were quiet most days and Meiji and Penelope begrudgingly pretended to get along for the sake of the group. Their last year on the ship had passed.

As it stood, Ender knew they couldn't do much for Shakespeare. In fact, there was very little that could be done except be a comfort those who were dying. For, the parasites in the air had infested everyone. Even Quincy had fallen ill.

There were only a few who managed to keep themselves free of these worms. Xenobiologists who had escaped Quincy and continued their research in secret.

They were communing wit Ender and Meiji. Ender knew they planned to wait for Quincy to die off before they released the cure. Ender also knew that this plan would kill more than two thirds of the population.

He expressed this to Meiji, but he had nothing to say. It wasn't like they could help it and the xenobiologists would be killed if they were found out. They had to settle with sneaking the cure into their food once a day. They couldn't afford to have mass amounts of people get up after weeks in bed, cured from the parasitic worms.

Ender didn't deny that he was restless the few nights before the slowed down from light speed. He stayed up later despite Meiji's complaints— not to mention his own heavy eyelids. He hardly ate when he was supposed to and found himself requesting food at odd hours of the night.

He wasn't the only one either. Penelope, being as perceptive as she is, picked up on Enders discomfort and began to have nightmares. She would wake up in the middle of the night sobbing, waking up Valentine and drawing Ender's attention.

She never spoke about what she saw, or why it made her cry to much, but that only confirmed in Ender's mind that she was as nervous as he was. Maybe even more so, because at least Ender hadn't been raped as a result of Quincy's actions.

Then finally, whether they wanted it or not, the day finally came when they would slow down, and dock at a satellite station orbiting around Shakespeare.

But there was still unrest around the ship and in the end, a fight sparked between Ender and Meiji.

The expected reinforcements were still two weeks off and so, for two weeks, Quincy was their problem. The fight was about how to deal with him.

"I say we wait until he's dead. We wouldn't have a problem with the colony after that."

"No, we aren't waiting that long. Do you know how many civilians are going to die with him? It's not worth it."

"So, what? We go down there and speed up the process? How do you except to pull that off! You've already risked your life too many times, brat, it won't happen again."

"We won't be risking that much. We have allies down there. People who will help. I don't want to kill him any more than you do, but it has to be done."

"Or else what? He'll kill you? He's already on his deathbed. We wait."

"Or else hundreds of people die, Meiji! It's not just my life on the line here!"

Meiji didn't like that response. He had always been drawn to the greater good, going out of his way to do things for the good of the majority. Ender knew that, so he pressed.

"We haven't spent the last year and a half establishing relationships with the rebels just to abandon them at the last minute. They've got children down there who need that pill."

"Yes, and we have children up here who need to stay alive."

"Meiji, either I might die, or they do die. I have a much better chance of surviving if we help than they do if we don't."

Ender got up from his seat and walked around the table to stand in front of Meiji, who stayed seated. Ender pulled Meiji close by the collar of his shirt, they way he would do to Ender if this were reversed.

"And don't forget, I'm not the only one doing this. You are too. Whatever fear you feel for me, you can be sure it's haunting me too."

Meiji held onto the hand that clutched his collar. Ender could see his jaw tense and his eyes glaze over. He was really considering it.

"If we do this, I have to make one thing clear to you."

Ender waited for him to speak, but didn't let him go.

"You're going for the people of Shakespeare. I'm going to protect you. If I get captured, I forbid you to come after me."

"You can't."

"I can and I will!" Meiji snapped, pulling Ender's hand from his shirt. But he didn't push him away. Instead, he stood up, reminding Ender that he was still just a little taller.

"You will keep yourself alive whether I am or not, do you understand? I didn't come all the way here to watch you be killed by someone else."

"And if I wanted to watch people die, I would have worked with China."

"I don't care about that. Tell me you won't come after me. Now, or I restrain you until Quincy is dead."

Ender looked away. Meiji forced him to keep his gaze.

"I..."

Ender wanted to say, "I can't promise that." But he knew that he would never forgive himself.

"I promise."