Camp IX | ✓

21

     The two of us continued chatting, every so often glancing at the planet below. Griffin told me about himself. Things I'm sure his Nova already knew but he was patient and explained them again.

     He explained how his family operated back home. How his older siblings (of which he had two) had joined the military. How this inspired him to follow their footsteps.

     "They have more mediocre jobs," Griffin explained. "My sister is a palace guard and my brother is in training to become a pilot."

     "Wait, you have royalty?" I asked. One answer led to more questions.

     "Yes, we've got royalty. The Red Star Family. Arguably the most powerful family on Andromeda. If you wonder who ordered all this," Griffin swept a hand around at the ship and the planet out the window. "They're the ones to point the finger at."

     Interesting, I thought, now I knew who to blame for this whole predicament. Some stuck up family sitting on their high horses ordering people like Griffin, who didn't seem capable of hurting a fly, to invade peaceful planets.

     Griffin kept talking unaware to my churning mind and racing thoughts. Occasionally I caught some things he was saying but most of it went over my head.

     I leaned against the cool glass of the window blissfully unaware to the world around me when a loud voice startled me.

     "Cadet Griffin!" It barked. "What is she doing out of the medical bay?"

     I spun, inching closer to Griffin. My hand brushed his and it twitched, almost like he wanted to reach for mine and grab it. I almost wished he did but his hand stayed away from mine.

     Before us stood the man from the lab. Berkely, Griffin had called him. He'd also called him a grandpa figure but nothing about the way he looked now reminded me of a grandpa. Grandpas were supposed to be approachable, ready to hug you and tell you how much you'd grow. Berkely looked more willing to sucker punch you and tell you to walk it off.

     His eyes flashed a dangerous shade of violet. From my small amount of time around the Andromedic's I'd learned that that shade means to run and hide. However, both Griffin and I held our ground. Stupidly perhaps but we were on a space ship, I doubt that there were many places to hide and I didn't want the trama of playing hide and seek with Berkely.

     "Cadet," His grew dangerously low. "I'm waiting."

     Griffin opened his mouth and closed it again. It took a couple of seconds before he opened it again.

     "I just figured a little walk wouldn't hurt."

     Berkely stared. His lips set in a thin line. They were pressed so tightly together that they'd started to turn white.

     "I told you to stay in the medical bay cadet. I don't have time to be keeping track of you because you decide a walk will be fun."

     Griffin was starting to shrink. I doubt he'd ever been reprimanded like this before. On the bright side, he was taking it quite well. No tears and no shaking was in sight.

     "Don't ever let me catch you breaking direct orders again or there will be consequences," Berkely clasped his hands behind his back and his tone shifted to a more businesslike one. "Anyways now that I've found you, we have some things to discuss. Please follow me."

     He turned in a swift motion and began marching away from us. I was reluctant to follow but a small poke from Griffin got me going.

     "I don't see where you got the grandpa vibe from," I hissed as we followed Berkely's poker straight back.