Ardent

Chapter 7.2

The trip out of Earth's solar system was uneventful for the crew of the Ardent. After weeks of travel, Alendor was less than a week away, and they prepared for a rendezvous with the Bastion and the Agent assigned to the ship.

Colette, who had fallen into the role of the ship's doctor with ease, not only cared for Aliyn, but for any crew member that came to her with a medical complaint. She got along well with the crew, and after some time, it felt like she had been there since the beginning. The med-bay was no longer the "Med-bay", but "Doc's Med-bay", and she was often present during important meetings and events aboard the ship.

Keeping Aliyn stable was a challenge for Colette, but she appreciated the new knowledge she was gaining each day she cared for her. The infection was difficult to control, and the only way to prevent it from travelling to her brain was to slow her body's systems to stem the transmission.

The med-bay was quiet and empty this evening, and Colette was puttering silently around the room, organizing her supplies and medicine. It was close to supper hour, and she was looking forward to taking a small break.

"We're almost there, captain," Colette murmured to the silent form lying on the stretcher. She reached forward and pulled the blanket until it met Aliyn's chin, covering her cold body. "You're a fighter like I've never seen. I sometimes think you would have made it without me."

Some days were harder than others. A body wants to fight an invasive contagion, and the captain's system was no different. There were times Colette had to strap the captain's limbs down to control the convulsions. It was exhausting, and she knew in the back of her mind that little time remained for Captain Flynn. At the end of every day, she was grateful that her patient drew breath, and hoped for her to make it through another night.

Colette pulled off the white lab coat and hung it on a nearby hook on the wall. After a long stretch, relieving her tired muscles, she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, placing the frames on the table beside her. As she looked over the med-bay which had become hers, she smiled. This was her first time in charge.

The sliding of the door caught her attention.

"Hey Doc," Lillian walked in, leaning against the wall. She smiled, her lips twitching upward. "Almost done for the night? We were planning on having a meal together in the lounge, thought you'd like to join us. Aliyn's night watch said she'd start early so you could have the evening off."

Colette blinked, brushing a black curl behind an ear. She wasn't expecting that.

"Um," she stammered. "Yes, sure. I'll be right there!"

Colette picked her glasses up off the table, put them on, and smoothed the pieces of her hair that had fallen out during the day back into the bun at the nape of her neck. She straightened her shirt and slacks, trying to remove any wrinkles from the fabric.

Once she had finished, she joined Lillian at the door. Her relief for the night was waiting outside, and she gave the woman a quick briefing on the events of the day. Aliyn had been quiet and her condition unchanging, so she was sure the night would be uneventful.

"If anything changes, Sasha, you know where to find me." Colette smiled at the woman, handing her the small tablet that contained Aliyn's file.

Corin and Alex were already in the lounge when Lillian and the doctor entered. The two of them had already cracked a bottle of wine and had arranged four plates around the table. Corin was circling, filling each glass with the crimson liquid of the wine.

"Hey, Doc!" Corin smiled. "Glad you could make it! You look tired. Long day?"

"Long week," Colette replied, moving to sit in the chair that Corin gestured to.

"Then here, relax," he said as he slid a glass towards her. "It's your night off."

She smiled shyly, pulling the glass to her and taking a small sip, the wine's flavorful aroma wafted up toward her nose, and its pleasant sharpness danced in her mouth. Colette glanced around the table, taking in every detail of the preparations for the small gathering. She noticed Alex sitting in silence, flipping his fingers along a tablet while absorbed in what he was reading. Lillian slid into the chair next to her, and Corin plopped down beside Alex, grabbing his glass and taking a long drink.

"Dinner should be here soon. The cook is just finishing up." Corin smiled, taking another sip. "Apparently, we get a treat tonight. Pizza!" His eyes lit right up, almost like a child's the eve before Christmas

"Pizza?" Colette looked up with interest, her stomach growling in anticipation. She could almost imagine the rich scent and flavour of enjoying a satisfying slice of pizza. "It's been years since I've had that. Being stationed on the Lunarleaves much to be imagined when it comes to food."

"Yeah," Lillian chuckled, taking a sip from her glass. "I bet it's a whole bunch of bland being that far from Earth." A relaxed smile tugged her lips upward, the wine warming her cheeks with a red glow.

"You have no idea," Colette laughed as she rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure that between the food and the walls, I've had more than enough of the colours white and grey."

A buzz from the intercom interrupted the casual conversation that filtered through the lounge.

"Commander Cruz," a male voice spoke over the intercom, causing Alex to look up from what he was reading with narrowed eyes.

"Go ahead," Alex answered, resting his glass of wine on his lap.

"We have received an urgent message from Alendor. It's flagged high security and with severe urgency. Shall I broadcast it to the lounge?" the voice paused, waiting for instruction.

"Yes, go ahead," Alex replied, his expression moving from annoyance to concern. The muscles in his jaw tensed and twitched beneath his bronzed skin.

"I'll head back to the med-bay," Colette had pushed herself up from her chair, setting her glass of wine on the glass table.

"No," Alex gestured for her to stay seated, "in caring for the captain for this extended length of time, I have granted you permissions. You need as much information as you can get to aid in her recovery." He paused for a moment to regard her with a serious expression. "In fact, tonight was supposed to be a celebration. Local Intelligence has officially reassigned you to the Ardent. I received your paperwork today. "

Colette didn't have time to protest as the screen on the side of the wall lit up, revealing an elderly man adorned in plain brown robes. He stood in a room surrounded by columns of white marble and statues carved in great detail. His face was pale, and his eyes betrayed extreme exhaustion. The image flickered, and the man looked both ways before speaking to the camera.

"Captain Flynn and the crew of the Ardent, I hope this message reaches you in time," the old man spoke, his voice dry and raspy. He rubbed his cheek with a gnarled hand, exhaling before continuing. "I am troubled deeply by the news I must relay to you. Alendor has fallen, and they have destroyed most of the city. Even the Chair himself could not survive the onslaught that came unannounced in the middle of the night. I regret to inform you of our leader's death. Although your mission is of great importance, you can no longer rendezvous with Agent Logan at the Bastion. For his safety, and yours, he's been relocated to the moon of an uninhabited planet in the Alnilam system. You will change course and meet with him there. Under no circumstances are you to come to Alendor, else your mission be compromised."

The image fizzled again, distorting the shape of the man's face. The worry was clear in his eyes, even in the fading picture. As he opened his mouth to speak again, the picture flickered out, leaving the screen black.

"That's all that came through, Commander, along with some coordinates," the voice over the intercom spoke again.

Alex blinked. His face became blank and emotionless as the colour drained from his complexion. His fingers opened involuntarily, and a crash disturbed the silence as the glass of wine in his hand fell to the floor, splintering into a million shards that sparkled against the metal floorboards. The crimson liquid spread at his feet, thick like blood against the ground.

"Alendor destroyed?" he murmured as he looked at his companions. His voice cracked and faded into silence, allowing the heaviness of the news to settle around them. "Corin, head to the bridge and input those coordinates. We have no time to lose. All of you, to your posts. Dinner is over."