Page 69 of A Mate For Matrix
But when she was gone, the smile faded.
He stood there for a long moment, staring at the scanner’s glowing readout, until the weight of everything—their future, the Hive, the Queen, the war—pressed down on his shoulders like gravity.
He needed somewhere to hide—just long enough to get his emotions under control.
The bridge was quiet, lit only by the soft starlight spilling through the viewport. Zion turned slowly below them, blue and green swirled with clouds, a jewel of a world he hadn’t seen in almost a thousand years.
Matrix dropped heavily into the pilot’s chair, bracing his elbows on his knees and dragging both hands over his face. How was he supposed to support a growing family, keep Jana safe, protect their child… while the galaxy itself teetered on the edge?
Something hard clinked against the deck plating.
Matrix glanced down to see a small disk spinning slowly where it had fallen from his pocket.
The disk Rorrak had given him.
Frowning, he retrieved it and slid it into the console’s reader. The holographic interface hummed softly before blooming to life above the console.
And then his breath caught.
It was about his parents.
Lines of data scrolled across the display, but the words blurred together until one line stabbed into his chest like a blade.
Subject: Dr. Sennara Roma. Status: Deceased.
Cause of death: Systemic organ failure, complications of viral degradation. Timeline:…
His mother had died three weeks after his departure.
His throat closed as he read the following entry.
Subject: General Terrex Roma. Status: Deceased.
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest.
His father had joined his mother six months later. The report said cardiac arrest, but he knew it was because his father’s heart had broken.
Matrix gripped the console, his knuckles white as the tidal wave of grief surged up and swallowed him. His vision blurred, and he dropped his head forward, his breath shuddering.
A soft ping interrupted the silence—a folder within the file, marked Vidcoms: Private file: Matrix Roma.
His hands trembled as he opened it.
Sennara Roma’s face appeared, pale but radiant, her soft gray eyes glimmering even as dark circles shadowed them.
“Matrix,” she said, her voice trembling but warm. “My son… my wonderful son.” She swallowed hard, tears glistening as she smiled faintly. “If you’re seeing this, it means you made it home.”
Her breath caught, and she pressed a hand to her chest, steadying herself. “I don’t know where you are, love. I don’t know what you’ve been through. But I want you to know… I will always be there with you in spirit. You are my greatest joy. And wherever you go, whatever you become…” her lips trembled as a single tear slid down her cheek, “…I am so, so proud of you.”
Her hand reached toward the recorder, as if trying to touch him one last time. “Never forget how loved you are, Matrix.”
* * *
Matrix drew in a shuddering breath as the message ended. He barely had a moment to steady himself before the next message began to play.
Terrex Roma’s face filled the projection, his features drawn but composed, the authority in his voice steady despite the grief in his eyes.
“Son.”
