Kate
What the hell was that?
Did I just sort of offer myself to him?
And he answered with a resounding no?
And it sounded a lot like he gave me an ultimatum.
My shoulders curl over my chest and my face—no, my entire body flushes with heat and tightens. My dumb eyes well with tears and I wipe at them furiously. There’s no way in hell I will let myself cry over what that asshole just made me feel.
Rune joins the others, who graciously gave us privacy for that little humiliating situation. I blink back more tears. I don’t even know what just happened. I can’t believe I wanted him to kiss me. I can’t believe I got up on my tippy toes to try to meet him halfway. I’m not even wearing those brainwashing helmets, so how is it possible that at the worst time in my life, with my sister and father in danger and me stuck up in this spaceship, I am thinking about some guy kissing me? And get humiliated when he chooses to keep his lips for someone else?
A sniffle slips out. Rune stops pacing in front of the others and turns his head toward me.
The expression that falls over his features sends shivers down my spine.
Fine, asshole. I’ll get dressed. His attention drops away as I slide my foot into the alloy bottoms and let the burn that seeps into my skin comfort me. I just need to plug into the ship and update my health, or whatever it is that this ship does, and make a plan to get home to Claire. Forget Rune.
But what about all the other women trapped here? I want to help them. But how? And how do I do that and save Claire at the same time? I angrily shove the rest of my body into the Caelum armor and slam my back into the uploading dock. Fire rips into my skin and surges through my veins. Right before I pull the faceplate over my eyes, I see Rune slowly raise his head and bring his gaze back to mine. He squeezes his eyes shut and hangs his head. I press the metal to my face and grind my teeth from the pain.
I’m not choosing death over him. I’m choosing life. My sister’s life. My life.
I can’t stay here with Pious around. I belong on Earth to live out the last few years it’s got left. And how do I know Rune is even telling me the truth about humans becoming extinct? I don’t. All I know is that’s where I belong, so that’s where I need to go.
My viewfinder darkens and neon blue digital numbers race across the screen. A swirl of colorful light flickers and pulses. My body goes completely numb and the pain, fatigue, and hunger I feel just slip away.
Earth needs these contraptions. Instead of visiting a doctor’s office we could just plug into one of these and immediately feel better. Stronger.
I wonder if they could cure diseases.
I guess if they could, they wouldn’t have left Earth in the first place.
With a loud swoosh, the machine detaches from me and I’m able to step away from the wall. The first thing I do is yank the faceplate off my head and my eyes lock with Rune’s. And Jex’s, and Tore’s, and Sarah’s. All of them are standing in a semi-circle closely around me, intently watching. Startled, I stumble back a step.
“What iswrongwith you people?” I snap, throwing my hands up.
The two little Caelum I mistook for children before scramble away and press themselves into a dark corner.Shit, I scared them again. “I’m sorry, please.” I lower my hands and hold them out in front of me. “I keep forgetting these are weapons. I promise I won’t use them on you, really.” Not unless they attack me first.
Rune sighs heavily. “They’re awed by you.”
He can’t hold my gaze and rubs at the back of his neck as he looks away.
“Awed by me?” I ask, looking at Sarah.
“Grounders are supposed to be riddled with plagues. Extinct. Yet you stand before us now with skin that has felt the sun and lungs that breathed Earth’s oxygen,” she says.
“Rune has too,” I say, pointing to him. He’s still staring at the floor. “And nothing happened to him, either.” Except, he’s not naked anymore. He’s wearing body armor. “How did you get armor? How long was I in that thing?”
No one answers me, because of course they wouldn’t.
I’m surrounded by a bunch of alien jerks.
“Can someone explain to me why you’re all just standing around staring at me?”
“You’re in optimal health,” Sarah says. My eyes flash toward hers. “We were fearful of the bacteria and diseases you might be carrying. General Rune ran a full diagnostic scan on your anatomy.”
“That’s what Pious did too,” I mumble.
