Page 15 of Nebula Hearts
I pull out my datapad, trying to ping the ship’s systems remotely. The connection establishes. Good. Ship still has power. But when I check diagnostics, my chest tightens.
“Communication array is destroyed.” I scroll through the damage reports. “Structural damage from the ground shift. Propulsion system offline, can’t fire engines with the ship at this angle or we’ll tear the remaining struts. Two landing struts compromised. We can’t fly. Can’t call for help.”
“So we’re stranded.” She says it flat. Statement of fact, not panic. “Just us. On a moon with dangerous ruins that make you go feral. With a relay to fix before Christmas or five thousand people die.”
“That’s an accurate summary of our situation.”
“Okay.” She takes a slow breath. Lets it out. “Okay. We can work with this. First, we bury Sarpi. Then we assess what supplies we have. Then we figure out how to fix the relay without you losing control again.”
I dig with methodical focus,each movement precise despite my exhaustion.
Aris’s hand brushes mine when we exchange the shovel. Brief contact. I feel it like an electric current. She doesn’t pull away immediately. Lets our fingers overlap for a heartbeat before taking the tool.
Later, when we’re placing stones on the marker, it happens again. Our hands reach for the same stone. This time she doesn’t let go. Just covers my hand with hers. Holds it there for three seconds.
“I’m sorry,” she says quietly.
I don’t know what she’s apologizing for. Sarpi. Touching me. Witnessing what I became.
I turn my hand under hers. Not pulling away. Shifting so we’re palm to palm. Her hand is small in mine. Warm. Alive.
“I’m sorry too.”
We stand there, hands clasped over a stone that marks a grave I couldn’t prevent. The weight of failure and unexpected comfort mixing until I can’t distinguish between them.
She starts walking toward the ship. “Come on, Commander. We have work to do.”
I follow her across the regolith. My markings flicker irregularly, can’t maintain stable emotional control. Can’t suppress the guilt and horror and fear churning through my system.
But when I look at Aris walking ahead of me, shoulders back and determination in every step, something in my chest loosens slightly.
She’s not afraid of me. Should be. I’m dangerous. Unstable. Lethal when I lose control.
But she’s already planning our next steps. Already working on solutions. Refusing to accept failure.
Her relentless optimism in the face of catastrophic circumstances might actually be what saves us. She refuses to accept failure. Refuses to stop trying. That determination might be exactly what we need.
“We’re stranded,” I say quietly, testing the reality of it.
She glances back. Gives me a smile that’s more determination than happiness. “Yeah. But we’re not dead yet. That’s something.”
ARIS
The ship’s diagnostic panel confirms what we already knew from visual inspection. Communication array: destroyed. Propulsion system: offline. Landing struts: two compromised, one bent beyond immediate repair. Estimated time to restore flight capability: unknown, pending parts we don’t have.
We’re stuck here. No way to call Prospect’s End. No way to leave under our own power.
“Could be worse,” I say, scrolling through the damage reports. “We have shelter. Supplies. Power. Life support intact. Just... no way to communicate our situation or, you know, fly.”
Tynrax stands beside me, reading over my shoulder. His markings flicker irregularly. Violet light pulsing too fast, too bright, then dimming almost to nothing. His emotional control was clearly shattered after what happened in the ruins.
“The colony will realize something’s wrong when we miss our scheduled check-in,” he says. “But that’s not until tomorrow morning. Hours from now.”
“And by the time they organize a rescue mission, we’ll have...” I do quick math. “Maybe two days left before the Christmas deadline. Possibly less.”
“Insufficient time to complete ship repairs even with a rescue team.”
“Right.” I close the diagnostic screen. “So we fix the relay ourselves. That was always the plan. Being stuck here just makes it more urgent. Next, we should inventory our supplies. Determine what we have to work with.”
