Page 47 of Human Reclaimed
“She fits here,” Sage murmured as she sidled up next to me. “Like she’s always belonged.”
My chest tightened. “She does.”
By midday, we broke to check on Aeon’s progress with the bunkers. The construction crews worked tirelessly, reinforcing walls against both the jungle’s humidity and potential weapons fire.
“We’ll be finished by nightfall,” Aeon promised, wiping sweat from his brow. “The environmental controls are already operational.”
Talia nodded approvingly. “Good. The colonists will move in at dawn tomorrow, using your silent alarm. I want them safely underground before those ships breach the atmosphere.”
As the day wore on, the knot in my stomach grew. Not because I doubted our preparations—Talia had thought of everything—but because I couldn’t shake the feeling that CyberEvolution’s fingerprints were all over this pirate attack. The timing, just six months after our truce and after Talia’s arrival here, felt calculated.
And the thought of them getting their hands on Talia because of what she knew about their experiments…
“You’re doing it again,” she said quietly as we watched the final drills.
“Doing what?”
“That thing where you grind your teeth and look murderous.” Her hand brushed mine, just briefly. “We’ve got this, Rune.”
As the suns began their descent, I gathered the brigade for a final address. They stood at attention, their faces determined, and their bodies poised for the battle ahead.
“Tomorrow, we face an enemy who believes we are vulnerable,” I began, my voice carrying across the training field. “They expect to find a scientific outpost, unprepared for conflict.”
I paced before them, meeting each gaze. “They’re wrong. Thanks to Captain Reed, we have become a powerful force worthy of this planet we call home.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the ranks. I turned to Talia, standing proudly at my side.
“Captain Reed didn’t just improve our defenses. She showed us how to think like warriors again. How to protect what matters. Tomorrow, we fight, not just for our lives but for our future on Planet Alpha.”
Without prompting, my brigade snapped to attention, their arms raised in perfect unison as they saluted her. “Captain Reed!”
The pride that swelled within me was unlike anything I’d felt before. I watched a flush of emotion cross Talia’s face as she returned their salute.
At that moment, I knew with absolute clarity that I would do whatever it took to ensure she survived tomorrow’s battle. Not just because she was our best chance at victory and survival, but because I couldn’t imagine a life on this planet without her by my side.
Later that evening, I glanced down at Talia’s sleeping form, her chest rising and falling in the gentle rhythm that had become as familiar to me as my own heartbeat. The soft glow from Planet Alpha’s moons filtered through my window, bathing her in ethereal silver light. Her blonde hair was splayed across my pillow like a golden halo, and even asleep, her features retained that determined set that had first challenged me in the medical bay.
She looked beautiful. Fearless. Perfect.
Tomorrow we’d face a battle that might well claim my life. I’d fought many times before, faced countless enemies, but never with so much to lose. Never with someone like her to protect.
I carefully slipped from the bed, my bare feet silent against the cool floor. Her datapad sat on my desk, abandoned after she’d reviewed the final perimeter adjustments. I picked it up, its familiar weight settling in my palm, and moved to the living room of my quarters.
My thumb hovered over the recording function. What if I didn’t return from tomorrow’s fight? What would remain unsaid between us? The thought of leaving this world without telling her everything that burned inside me was suddenly unbearable.
I activated the recorder, the small light blinking softly in the darkness. My reflection stared back at me—my auburn hair slightly disheveled and my blue eyes intense even in the dim light. I took a deep breath, feeling the strange constriction in my chest that always came when I tried to express the emotions that still felt so raw and so new.
“Talia,” I began, my voice lower than usual. “If you’re watching this, then… I didn’t make it back.”
I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated at the inadequacy of words. I took a steadying breath, and started pouring out my heart to her, staring directly into the tiny camera on her datapad. The words came easier, the more I let myself fully open up and be completely honest. I let her know exactly how I felt about her so that nothing was left unsaid if I happened to die tomorrow.
I paused, struggling to find the right words to end this message.
“If I don’t make it back… live well. Live free, for me. And know that I died loving you completely.”
I ended the recording with a tap of my finger, feeling strangely lighter despite the heaviness of my words. After hiding the message in an encrypted folder she’d only find if she went looking, I set the datapad back on the desk.
Returning to bed, I slid in beside her, gathering her warm body against my chest. She stirred slightly, instinctively curling into me as her head found its perfect place beneath my chin.
