FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R F I F T Y-O N E

When his bottom lip shifted, I received the hint that there was something else he wanted to tell me, but was biting back the urge to do so... Always an enigma to wonder what goes on in that brain of his.

"Excellent." I echoed him, pushing the deduction aside in my mind.

With a boost from Hunter, Omega placed the incandescent cylinder where Tech instructed and we all took cover behind a massive, half-buried boulder. The spectacled clone raised his blaster.

"How come he gets to blow it up?" Wrecker whined.

"If the shot is not precise, it will cause another cave-in." Tech said.

"In that case—"

"If it's to any consolation, Fern," Tech cut off my quip, taking his aim. There was a hint of cockiness in his meticulous voice. "I will handle it."

Pow!

BOOM!!!

The detonation blasted chunks of rock in all directions and crumbled the wall. Natural light flooded in through the new crevasse as the dust settled quickly. I nudged Tech in the shoulder with a smile. "Precise shot, indeed, Tick."

When the squad and I at last emerged from the stomach of the canyon, we arrived at an overlook of a flat, dry plain with small plateaus and unique rock formations sprouting in the distance here and there. I spotted a tiny cluster of gray and black, which led me to believe we had found the spaceport we've been looking for. The stuffy, humid air had lifted as the orange sun began to set, but its rays were still warm when they blanketed my face, arms, and soaked clothes like a cozy towel. I inhaled the fresh, open breeze as I admired the ribbons of royal-purple, pink, and orange clouds in the iridescent sky.

Tech lowered his visor, activated his binospecs, and scanned the horizon. Wrecker stumbled forward and slapped a hand on the intellectual clone's shoulder. He gripped it for not only support, but I also read his gesture as a way to reconcile with his brother and soothe any leftover cracks from all their bickering today. Tech silently accepting it and allowing the big guy to catch his breath gave me emotional security...

"That is the spaceport," He raised up his visor, his tone lacked zealous. "but there does not appear to be much activity."

My smile sank.

"Well, there better be some chow there," Wrecker said, setting his priorities straight. "because I'm sick of rations."

My stomach growled in agreement.

"Let's check it out." Hunter nodded to me. In that moment, I was actually against traveling all that way if there were no people there to help us. But once again, there were no other options—plus, I sided with Wrecker on the provision problem; perhaps there were some preserves we could pillage from an abandoned pantry.

The hike was tiresome. Once we bouldered down the steep mesa, the sun had disappeared, enveloping the desert planet in a hazy dusk. It was a straight, flat excursion to the run-down haven. Omega was wobbling in her slow steps while her head hung in dead weight, indicating she was very sleepy. I stopped and stooped down in front of her. "Come on, Half-Pint," I smiled. The young girl obligied, rubbing her lulling eyes. She slumped onto my back and knotted her arms around my neck, burying her face in my tangled, bundled-up hair. Hunter offered to carry her belongings so she would be more comfortable. Almost immediately after hoisting her up and trekking on, she dozed off, snuggling her round cheek into my high collar.

When night officially fell, my own eyes grew heavy and my knees were beginning to buckle.

"Tech," I breathed softly so I wouldn't wake Omega. "I need a distraction from my exhaustion. Ramble on about something for me?" I was half-joking. I needed the diversion from my engrossed thoughts boxing in my brain. Today had been challenging on both my physical and mental endurance. I was still processing my composed outburst at Tech and the other boys about Omega and where we all go from here as a squad. I confessed much more than I wanted to, but I suppose that was inevitable when I considered the escalating tension and struggle from the past few weeks...restraining from precedent tantrums sucked a lot of energy and burdened the woman I've become...