Vessels || Dustin Bates

Bringing It Down

 Runibor was bustling as ever. As were the last time I had visited the base, it had been quiet and relaxed. This time, everybody was moving fast and talking faster. Momsen was the loudest of them all, yelling orders when she was frustrated with the lack of information her team was supplying. My ears had just recovered when she had done such. She sat down behind her desk, throwing her boot-clad feet on her heavy desk. 

"I swear, why can't anybody get a solid lead?" She put her hand against her forehead, rubbing her temples to attempt to reduce the headache that she had most likely had from the stress of the situation. 

I wanted to console her, but I needed it myself. It had been three weeks since Shaylee had vanished, and Runibor was leading up trying to find her. The team had been transferred, allowed to work on the case with the Messengers of Runibor. All of us were working closely in any way we could, searching any known bases of the FEC for some sign of her, but every attempt came up blank. Raid after raid, it was all futile. 

"They wouldn't have her somewhere we could raid. They'd be smart to keep her on their main base." Ben was much calmer than the rest of us. Brock and Adam were leading raids, but Ron was reclusing, trying to keep his worry for his unrequited love quiet. 

I knew Ron loved her. It was obvious. The only one who took her loss as hard as Taylor and I was him. He wouldn't make a big deal about it. He knew his place and tried to stay in it, but her being gone made it harder for him to keep it. 

"Then she must be on Alexi." Taylor sat up, moving to her computer. She started to type something, clearly organizing something for an Alexian mission. 

"Taylor," Ben said, getting the blonde girl's attention. "I think that we should lead this. Just a small recon group. We go in, full raid on a level eight planet, one that doesn't even have an idea of what they harbor, we would be annihilated. But, if just a few of us sneak in, we could do it." She slid back from the computer, looking at the two of us. 

"Okay. The three of us. That's it. I take point." She reminded me of Shay at that moment. Her eyes were intense and determined. I could see the blue fire in her that burned in Shay as well. It made me smile, but it reminded me of the first time I had met Shay. 

I remembered that intense blue fire in her eyes and she gripped my tie tightly. I remembered the anger and determination, but then, I remembered who held her back. I remembered the person who always held her back. 

"No. Four of us. Ron needs in on this as well. If we find Shay in a state that isn't truly Shay, I'm thinking that he can handle it." The two looked at me. They knew about Ron's crush on Shay. They were both floored at the idea of me suggesting that. 

To them, the idea of me stepping out of the way of being Shay's knight in shining armor was foreign to them. It didn't seem right to them. They were heroes. Shaylee Diaz was my hero, my knight in shining armor. I couldn't be her hero. I wasn't strong enough. 

"Okay." Taylor nodded, sliding her chair back. "I'll start talking preparations. Get some rest, boys." She left her office in a swirl of black sweater and blonde hair. She radiated a command that was unparalleled. It was impressive. 

Ben and I stood from our comfortable chairs, walking out of the office as well. We walked in silence, the company of our thoughts sufficient enough. I stopped when I reached Ron's room. 

"Hey, I'll see you tomorrow." I waved to him, telling him to go on. He nodded, waving back at me as he continued on his way. I stood before Ron's door, taking a deep breath before knocking soundly twice. A couple of moments later, the door opened. "Hey, Ron." I scratched the back of my head, rocking back on my heels. 

"Hey, Dustin. What do you need?" He stood behind the door, only his face visible. 

"Can I come in and talk? There are just some things going on and I think you need to be clued in." He moved out of the way, opening the door the rest of the way. I walked in, taking a seat on the couch in the corner of the room. He sat down on his bed across from me. 

"We have a theory on where Shay is. We're doing a recon mission in a week or so. Just us, Ben, and Taylor. I also believe that there is a mole in The Messengers. Though, I think they have a higher-up position than what the girl here had. Diaz knew more than a typical informant would."

"Dustin, what if it's someone we trust? Someone close to Shaylee?" Ron crossed his arms. 

"She's not close enough to anyone outside of the group and Aston. And I don't think that Aston would betray Thomson," I stood up, pacing. There was silence between us for a few seconds. 

"You haven't been yourself since you came home from here last time. You're on edge. Constantly." Ron had a point. I had grown unsure of my sanity. I was hearing voices in my head since I had woken up from the sleep the medicine put me in. 

"I know," I sighed. "It messed me up. Something changed in me. I'm hearing voices that aren't there, thinking that I hear people say things that they haven't... I'm not okay, Ron." He furrowed his eyebrows together, lips pursing together. 

"Dustin, what if you have been hearing people's thoughts? What if they cracked telepathy?" 

"Ron, you're not suggesting that they used me as a guinea pig," I protested, glaring at him. 

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Just try it. What am I thinking of?" He stared me dead in the eyes, waiting. 

"Ron, no. This is stupid."

"Yeah, I know you are. Just do it." I sighed, rolling my eyes as I concentrated on him. 

I really just want a peanut butter sandwich.

"Then go get one." 

"What am I going to get, Dustin?" 

"A peanut butter sandwich?" He stared at me wide-eyed. 

"Yeah," he breathed. "This is incredible. Let's try another one!"

The rest of the night was spent trying things with the newfound ability. We continued this practice the next day, me sitting in the control room and reading people's thoughts as they passed by me. I was proud of myself for getting control of it so quickly after discovering it. The only problem was that Ben caught on very quickly. He then pushed me to send thoughts back for full communication. Luckily, we got that down pretty quickly then, too. 

We continued to add the rest of the team into it, having full telepathic communication back and forth. It was becoming a tool for us. We were going to find Shaylee. 

We were going to use the FEC's weapon against them.