𝕊𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕟 𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕩𝕪 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖.
Captain Desree Pepin's one job was to get the crew of the Halcyon to Mars and settle down, but she...
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March 25th, 2826
The Halcyon Alpha's Pass, the Asteroid Belt, Outerspace
Rowan fought the urge to punch the computer as she couldn't locate the external hard drive folder that she had inserted. Her fingers wouldn't bend to her will as adrenaline coursed through her veins. She tried to shove the nagging feeling in the back of her mind away, but it was no use. Beck informed them twenty minutes ago that they were to travel the Alpha Pass, but Rowan couldn't help but feel uneasy about it. Time and time again, groups of Scavengers were lost in there and Rowan didn't want to be one of them.
"Are you finished with the drive backup?" Trent asked, jogging over from the medicine cabinets he had just strapped shut. He leaned over her shoulder, hand resting on the back of her seat, scaring her half to death.
"Trent, can you not lean over me?" Rowan snapped, scooting the rolling chair away from his touch.
"Ouch, I'm guessing you're not finished," Trent stated, taking a step back as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Do you need me to?"
Rowan bit back her initial 'no.' She liked doing things herself—Trent knew this—but this was no longer a drill. This might actually be the real deal. She didn't see any logical reason for Level 1 to issue a drill when they are in deep space.
"Fine," she said, scooting the chair back to stand up quickly. Trent slid into the chair, quickly typing and within ten seconds had located the folder. Rowan sighed, turning on her heel to start packing the glass equipment on the research island in the middle of the room. "Here's an idea, let's have you do that immediately to save time in the future."
"Sounds like a great idea," Trent said, not looking her way. Rowan glanced at her friend, adjusting her own frames from the side. How could he remain so calm during the protocol? Her fingers were shaking and she almost dropped three petri empty dishes.
Riggs entered the room, shouldering his guns to place in the gun safe in the corner. He must have been cleaning them in his room, Rowan thought to herself, still not understanding the need for guns on Mars. Were they really trying to create a new culture of peace like they had told her or were they trying to replicate the wars on Earth?
Suddenly, the lights flickered on and off in the room, the ship shuddering beneath their feet. Rowan's head shot up to glance at Trent who was in the middle of removing the external hard drive from the computer.
"What's going on—" Rowan started but was cut short as the whole ship veered to the right, sending everything that they had yet to strap down, sliding towards her.
Gripping onto the island, Rowan ducked as the Petri dishes flung over her head, smashing into the back wall before the ship leveled itself out. "Desree!" Rowan cried out, though she knew her friend wouldn't be able to hear her.
