Project Faith

Chapter 4

Faith was experiencing dizziness, abdominal pains were getting worse as well as her headaches. Her symptoms weren't painful just uncomfortable, she hated this feeling, but she wasn't ill or sick.

"You really don't like flying?" Lydia asked as she approached the planet Liber.

Faith had a death grip on her armrest. "I haven't done much flying."

"Don't worry. After we enter the atmosphere, it will be a smoother ride." Lydia's hand quickly covered her mouth so Faith wouldn't see the smirk on her face.

"Really?" Faith's breathing became steady and slowed. Her body sagged into the chair. Her grip eased off the armrest.

"No, it gets worse." Lydia looked and Faith and started to laugh. Then she flashed Faith a pretty smile.

Faith's body immediately tensed back up. "If I wasn't petrified with fear," she said. "I would get out of this chair and snap your neck like a twig." Faith smiled and winked, letting Lydia know the threat wasn't serious. 

Lydia was a skilled pilot, maybe one of the best. Her father, Captain Ridley Carson, taught her everything she needed to know about flying. She flew small crafts like shuttles and fighters but could handle the bigger craft as well. They were flying in a stealth shuttle. These shuttles were usually used in espionage missions. They were lightly armored and had minimum firepower, but they a fast and maneuverable, designed to get in and out quickly and undetected. 

Lydia preferred to stay on the Hannibal, then going on missions. She was more of a scientist than a soldier. Lydia studied at some of Earth finest universities and earned several doctorates in diverse fields from psychology, mathematics and computer science. A gifted code cracker and hacker, there were no computer or security system she couldn't break. At the young age of twenty, SINDRI recruited her. She informed her father that she wasn't joining Star Force. He wasn't happy about her decision and it was a source of conflict for years. Her father wanted her to follow his footsteps, but she wasn't a follower, she had to create her own path. Her father thought Lydia joined a research firm called Wyner Corpration, which was her cover story. Wyner Corporation existed only on paper. It was one of many corporations that SINDRI created. Lydia had made great strides in SINDRI. In ten years, she rose to the rank of second in command. Being thirty, she was the youngest to hold that rank.

As Lydia promised, the ride got bumpier as they entered the atmosphere. The stealth technology and the skills of its pilot kept the ship from being detected by any planetary scans. Liber was an Earth-like planet with an atmosphere that wasn't breathable to humans. Sixty percent of the planet's landmass was jungle terrain. The planet had millions of native species. Only one was known to be intelligent and hostile, Khrelari, a race of living plants. They considered humanity to be an inferior form of life. Luckily for Faith and Alessio, there were no Khrelari structures around his compound. The plant creature usually lived on the far north end of the continent.

Lydia landed about three kilometers from Alessio's base. She gave Faith a quick mission briefing and some gear. The body armor was made from a ballistic fabric. It provided protection from small to medium firearms. It was black in color and fit tightly against the warrior body. It was flexible and sturdy, but Faith should still avoid getting hit. It also had a bodycam, so Amulius and the others could view Faith's work. Her helmet would provide life-support when she was on the surface. It would also allow Faith to communicate with Lydia. Faith was also given a carpus, a multipurpose diagnostic tool worn on the wrist. It assisted the user with decryption, hacking and surveillance. Lydia would also hack the compound computers as a backup. As Amulius requested, Faith wasn't given any weapons. Faith entered the loading bay of the shuttle, which sealed from the cockpit. The doors opened and Faith was on her way.