Ardent

Chapter 7.1

"I think I'll go fishing when this is all over."

Alex looked over as Corin spoke, leaning his exhausted shoulders against the cold metal of a well-worn bench.

They had arrived on Earth yesterday, heading straight to Jasper Memorial, a large medical center on Canada's east coast. It was one of the biggest hospitals in North America, and Aliyn's best chance for survival. With hardly a word to Alex and the crew, the medical staff had rushed Aliyn into a trauma bay and closed the curtain behind them.

"Are you guys sure you want to drop this mission? Are you prepared for the fallout?" Lillian asked, her brow furrowing. It was obvious she was dwelling on the consequences of the decision that loomed over them.

"Are you prepared to die for a maybe, Lillian? A book that no one knows how to read?" Alex questioned, his eyes darting to her. "If they want those answers, they need to send someone trained for a mission like that. I will not throw my life away to chase the answer to a question we don't even know."

Lillian heaved a sigh, leaning her head against the wall.

"Well," Corin gnawed on the side of his cheek, "considering the captain almost died, they shouldn't reprimand us too harshly...I hope. They have to understand, don't they?"

The sound of a door opening caught their attention.

"Doctor Jordan," Alex addressed the woman who walked up to them. The three of them stood, surrounding Colette Jordan, the Doctor assigned to Aliyn's care on the Ardent.

Doctor Jordan removed her glasses. Sweat beaded on her brow, and the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her exhaustion.

"Well, how is she? It's been hours and we've heard nothing," Alex probed.

The doctor hesitated, and after a moment of silence, she sighed.

"We've consulted with doctors and specialists from all over Earth. Some of the most skilled surgeons have travelled here in anticipation of your captain's arrival." She wet her lips.

The air thickened around them, palpable, as they waited for her answer.

"There is nothing they can do," Doctor Jordan spoke, her words laden with regret.

"What?" Alex felt his control waiver. If it wasn't for Corin's strong arm on his shoulder, he would've bolted through the door and into the trauma bay to take matters into his own hands.

"Let me finish, Commander." Colette pursed her lips, putting her hands on her hips. "We do not have the ability to deal with an infection of this unknown alien etiology. It's something so unfamiliar to us that even our most advanced techniques make no difference to the pathogen in her blood. The specialists recommend that she be transported to Alendor to enlist the aid of the Bastion. There, the extensive knowledge and skills of the Ohation race may be her only chance for survival."

The doctor observed the anxious expressions of the crew before continuing, "Considering the Ardent is headed to the Bastion already, this could not be more ideal. I will accompany you to Alendor to keep the captain stable until the Ohations can assess her."

"Well, that settles that. I'll get the ship ready," Corin shrugged, averting his eyes from Alex's disappointed expression.

"Well, Alex." Lillian gave him a helpless look. "I guess we have no choice now. If going ahead with this mission saves Aliyn, then I suppose that's what we do." She squeezed his shoulder and then turned, following Corin down the hallway.

"Why do I feel as though we are being sent on a constant goose chase throughout the galaxy to find an answer we don't even know exists?" Alex grumbled, frustrated.

"Isn't that the meaning of life, Commander?" Colette raised a brow. "Since the beginning of time, humans have ventured into the unknown to find answers that may or may not exist. Whether it is to sate our own curiosity or to save our loved ones, we always throw ourselves into situations of extreme uncertainty. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes we fail, but either way, we come out with new knowledge and information that makes the sacrifice worth it."

Something twinkled brightly in the doctor's deep brown eyes, much like that glimmer of hope she spoke of. She offered him a reassuring smile. Alex said nothing, but he contemplated her words. They resonated deep within him.

"Don't lose hope just yet. I've heard the stories about Alendor and the incredible technology that the Ohations possess. Their city is built on hope, Commander. It's built on the pursuit of those unknown answers. If anyone in our galaxy can help Aliyn, it is the Ohations. And perhaps, just perhaps, humanity can bring back something that could help us in the future. We grow, as we always do." She paused for a moment. "Isn't that why you accepted this mission? To find answers?"

"You already know we were thinking of resigning," he answered, his words sharp as they trailed off.

"Yes, because of the risk of losing a life, but I ask you to think of it differently. It seems your mission may be the beacon that leads you to save the life you are so terrified to lose. Think of your captain. If she were to wake up, would she agree to discontinue the mission?"

Alex paused, a brief smile moving over his lips for the first time since Aliyn fell ill. For just one moment, the lines of worry and exhaustion cleared from his expression, leaving his face pleasant.

"Aliyn, no, she wouldn't. She's like you, all about the answers. Sure, it scared her, even though she refused to admit it, but she wanted to go. She would spend hours in her office looking at that book. We knew the risks, but with her at the helm, we were ready for them. When she was hurt, it was like it all crumbled away, that everything we had known for years might change if we lost her."

"Do you not think that although the captain is unconscious, the crew should still take her wishes into consideration? I'm sure she has a say in all of this. She is your captain after all."

"Jeeze, Doc. You didn't tell me you were a psychologist," Alex rolled his eyes, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Fine, I sure as hell don't want to be the object of Flynn's ire if she wakes up. She'll be ticked right off if I turn the ship around on her."

"When she wakes up," the doctor corrected.