Arana and Ryker discussed the possibility of strange new flora and all the ways it could kill us. Zavir explained to Lilea how to use the special scanner the survey team sent with him, in case we saw new flora. They wanted to work on the data as soon as possible, even if that meant our potentially breaking equipment. Roys sat on his commlink, flicking through the holo screen, checking on the habitat, and landed on the storage room.
“Worried they’re starting trouble back home? I thought you trusted the survey team,” I said.
“I do, but if anything goes wrong, it’s on me. I need to monitor things.” Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved two candies, offering one to me that I accepted.
Iylene either didn’t care or didn’t notice. They looked out the window, alert to the canopy passing below. The cabin chatted on the flight path that took an hour. When we landed, Roys repeated the plan, separating everyone into teams of two, except for him. With me on the shuttle, we were one person short.
While the others unloaded, I stepped up behind him. “I thought we’re meant to go in teams of two.”
“Worrying about me?” Roys adjusted the flamethrower strap on his broad shoulder.
I had a peculiar urge to run my hand over his back to see, even with a layer of exoskin between us, if he would react. Clenching my hands, I shrugged. “Just pointing out that you aren’t following your own rules.”
“I’m going to circle the perimeter, so I won’t be far from you, and should anyone need my help,” he tapped his commlink. “Now go.”
The teams dispersed. I circled the shuttle, keeping my eye on the flora and checking the tracker. My regular looping made an indentation in the grass. Roys’ tracker stopped. Weird. I checked again. Still no movement.
“Roys, check in,” I said over comms while approaching the mark. He wasn’t far into the treeline. He didn’t answer. I raised my flamethrower. My heart rate peaked. A dreadful retching sound came from ahead.
“Roys?” I nudged aside the plants to find him hunched over spitting up. “What happened?”
“I’m fine.” He coughed, one hand on a stalk and the other holding his visor. “The heat must have gotten to me.”
My shoulders dropped. I caught his waist, steadying him as he coughed up the last of it. He washed out his mouth and wiped the sweat from his brow. My fingers rubbed against his side while I looked him over. There was no damage to his exoskin, no sign of an injury.
“Are you actually checking on me?” He offered a raised brow over his shoulder. “The real question is what’s wrong with you? You've being so caring today."
My tongue ran over the back of my teeth prior to releasing him. “It’s part of my job description. A certain prickly commander would lecture me otherwise.”
And I thought something worse had happened.
He chugged from his canteen and stepped away from the mess. I did too. Sweat had his hair sticking to his skin, creating long lines down his face and disappearing beneath his suit. He had a paler look compared to his normal warm skin tone, and his hand shook holding the canteen.
“Take a break in the shuttle. I’ll put the air on.” I noddedbehind us.
“I’m fine. I needed to drink more, that’s all.” And drink he did, chugging his canteen and mine when I offered it. He got candy afterward and scratched his arm. “They should finish up soon. By the sound of it, we’re in the clear.”
“More reasons you should get in the shuttle.”
“I don’t know how to handle you pretending to care about me.”
“Get your ass in the shuttle.”
Roys had this look, something I couldn’t explain, that I knew I had to ruin for my sanity.
“I’m not carrying your ass if you pass out from heatstroke, and if the others offer, I’ll leave them behind,” I warned.
We had a long, glaring contest that had a clear winner, so I wasn’t sure why he bothered. Roys stalked toward the shuttle. I went into the cockpit to flick on the air. He sat in the cabin drinking more water and itching his arm. The cabin door shut to keep the air in while I circled the shuttle and took up checking the perimeter in Roys’ stead. All this walking, no one talking, my mind chose to wander.
The day wasn’t as hot as usual. That didn’t mean it was bearable, but Roys had been in worse. Tareik, our senior medic, may have to look at him. The Planet could have diseases we never knew of. If Roys caught something, we could be in serious trouble. He could be in serious trouble. I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to think of anything other than the unknown and potentially incurable diseases.
On my last circle of the shuttle, I glanced through the cockpit’s window. The open cabin door revealed Roys seated in the back. He had his commlink on, checking the storage room. That was the second… no, the third time.
It didn’t mean anything. He was doing his job, checking on the habitat while wewere gone.
Lilea and Iylene burst from the flora. “We’re back finally,” Lilea sighed. “Finished and all in the clear. The flora here is quite pretty, with lots more colors, and seemingly more friendly.”
“I beg to disagree!” Ryker stalked out of the woods carrying the carcass of a flora on his back. Zavir carried the rest of it, roots and all. The stalk was as long as the shuttle and thick with a giant V-shaped head behind Zavir’s back. Inside that head were tentacles, suction cups and potentially teeth.
