Vessels || Dustin Bates

Back To Earth

I gripped Shaylee's shoulder as I stood behind her, the group all standing in front to watch our descent into the orbit of the trashed planet. Ben's team stood silent and pale. It was where they had spent years.

"Welcome to Earth." Shaylee swallowed hard, taking my hand and squeezing it gently. I squeezed back, taking a deep breath to stand taller.

All morning, I had been thinking about the Seminar last year where Thomson had spoken. Will you let fear consume you? It had been ringing in my ears like a bad case of tinnitus. I just couldn't pin why. That was what had been scaring me. But now, knowing where we are going, I was petrified.

Moments later, we slowly landed in the cracked runway of the Messengers base. We all got the supplies ready to take in, until Ben stopped us.

"No, wait. We have to check first. Make sure that there are still people here," Ben instructed, locking the door so we couldn't get out.

"Why wouldn't people still be there?" Ron demanded, crossing his arms.

"This is the dumping ground for sick Carnivores." Aaron reminded us. Shay growled, kicking the one seat. "Which is why you need to stay on the ship, Captain Diaz." Shay's aggressive blue glare met his.

"Excuse me, but who the fuck do you think you are?" She moved closer, challenging him. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving closer.

"Shay, he's right." I pulled her back into me, holding her back from attacking any of the former residents of the broken planet.

"You would be a beacon for Carnivores, drawing them from miles around. You reek to them. They'd come to destroy you. That's what they do. They kill the ones that are too sick. You're practically human. To them, you have terminal cancer. They would try to tear you to shreds," Ben explained, keeping eye contact. I was impressed. He didn't seem disgusted or angry. He seemed like a father explaining his reasoning to his child.

Shay sighed, leaning back into me.

"Fine. I'll stay put. Keep me updated." She turned to kiss my cheek before walking to the table in the center of the area, bringing up the camera feed. She had relinquished rights to leading the mission. Our lives were in Ben's hands.

"Okay, team, let's head out." We all exited the ship, making sure the door was closed. We walked into the compound, weapons drawn. Nobody said a word. Again, I thought of my project.

The Telepathic Project would benefit teams in these situations. When silence is necessary, quick communication could still occur. It would make life easier.

We made it to a door with a keypad, Ben quickly putting in five digits. The door opened, all of us then quickly filing through. Once inside, Ben's team lowered their weapons. We looked around, still searching for any signs of life. Suddenly, voices erupted in my head. I cringed, clutching my head.

There were so many that I couldn't differentiate between what each voice was saying. Brock grabbed me, holding me up as I laid all of my body weight on top of him. I could see Ben trying to talk to me, though I couldn't hear him; his voice just mixed with the others. I started to get dizzy, the room tilting. I let myself collapse to the floor, my vision starting to tunnel from the overwhelming amount of things going on. Brock allowed me to lay back, holding my head in his lap. My vision continued to go dark until there was nothing else. I was out.

"Dustin, hey," I closed my eyes once more, hoping that my headache would subside. I felt gentle fingers threading through my hair, leaving a bit of relief when they would touch my skull. I felt another hand on my cheek, then lips on my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes, cringing as the light sent another wave of pain.

I looked up at the figure blocking most of the harsh light. Shaylee. I sighed, relaxing into her. My head was against her chest, my body resting against her's.

"How are you feeling?" She continued to pet my hair, letting her fingers move slowly through my scalp. I just groaned in response, closing my eyes again.

"Is he awake yet?" Ben asked, walking over. I opened my eyes once more, looking at him. "Want to tell me what happened back there?" He pulled up a chair and sat facing us, his eyes trained on me, though. I noticed then that my glasses were off, probably being held by Shay if they had not been broken. Ben was a little blurry from his place standing in front of us.

"There were all these voices in my head. I don't know what happened after that. It was just pain. There were too many and it was like having a room full of screaming people in my head." I closed my eyes once more, wrapping an arm around Shay's waist. I cuddled into her, just wanting her to take the pain away. She continued to play with my hair but put her free arm around me to hold onto me.

"Well, thank whatever God is out there that there were still people on this base. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to help you or get Shay inside. They have metal that blocks out Carnivores from smelling even one of their own." Ben cracked his knuckles and sat down on the chair beside the couch we were on. I opened my eyes to look up at her again. She was the most beautiful girl in the world no matter what.

Her hair was pulled back off of her face, just the ends held back, while the rest hung long. Her blue eyes held concern while the rest of her face was passive. She continued to hold onto me, trying to help sooth the pain that racked my head. I loved her.

"So, there are people?" I managed, closing my eyes again and hiding them from the light by resting my head against the crook of her neck.

"About three hundred and fifty. Ranging from ages two to seventy," he reported. I just hummed in response.

"Ben, this can wait until later. Can't he just have time to rest and we can fill him in tomorrow?" Shay sighed, holding me tighter. He must have nodded in agreement, his leaving signaled by the sound of his boots walking away. I opened my eyes, looking up at Shay. "Do you want me to get the lights?"

"Please?" She slowly moved from under me, crossing the room to flick off the lights before walking back over to the couch. There was just enough light that I could make out her figure as she laid down, pulling me on top of her. I was too tired and in too much pain to care about how much of my weight I was putting on her. I knew she could handle it, anyway.

"Shay?" I asked, my head on her chest.

"Yes?" She replied, her fingers combing through my hair again.

"Are you sure we're safe on this planet?" She didn't answer me for a moment. She kissed the top of my head gently, sighing.

"No," she whispered. "Something does not feel right. Something isn't right with you, this place, this planet. I'm concerned."

I had noticed that she was allowing herself to be more transparent with me, confiding her fears in me. Something had changed in her. She was growing, becoming more human in the sense of our relationship. She wasn't just trusting in me, she was showing she trusted me. She was showing me the real her. It warmed my heart, sending fireworks shooting off inside of me.

Not another word was spoken. We just laid there, her hand resting on my back and the other massaging my scalp. I felt safe with her. Even if she didn't think that we were safe, with her, I felt more than safe. She was my security.

Home. The place where you are safe. Shaylee was home to me. With her was where I felt the safest, the warmest. She was my family, she was my everything. If I were to have died the next day, I wouldn't have been able to forget her.

I could never forget her. Shaylee Diaz had changed my life. For forever, I would remember her.