He was tired, but he had been for almost two years now , a continuous cycle of sleep and then wishing that he could be asleep again while being forced to go to work, to live and have a life despite everything that had happened, and all under the regime of that asshole Hunt and his minions. Hye Kelly had not taken well to the death of his wife. Its not that he wasn't prepared for something like this to happen, in her line of work the possibility of death was always hanging over their heads.
He just never thought he would be forced to see it.
To witness something so violent and so sudden happening to someone he loved was incomprehensible. It had taken him days to even come to terms with what had happened, and it was taking him years to scrape back some semblance of normality to his world.
Hye looked down at the pamphlet he had picked up from the orbital station, flipping through the first few pages absently reading over the description.
Arcadia - a starless exoplanet with a molten core, likely thrown off from obit a few billion years ago into the blackness of space where it now drifted aimlessly in the vast dark reaches of space.
Everything about it was artificial from what he read.
It had originally been bought as a shipping waystation, and terraformed over the source of five years until it was habitable. The combination of gasses created and pumped into the atmosphere trapped and circulated a surprising amount of artificially generated heat. He couldn't have said how that worked, he was a marine biologist not a physicist.
The capital city of NoxUmber had begun construction at about the same time as the waystation appeared, but it had only exploded in population density since Admiral Vir had officially been exiled from earth, perhaps that was the wrong word but that was the way he saw it.
The pamphlet boasted arcadia as the number 1 friendliest place in the galaxy for cross species couples. Where on other planets there were still laws and sanctions against certain behaviors, interspecies marriage was completely legal on Arcadia, and due to side effects resulting from the void vaccine, the planet now boasted three naturally occurring hybrids.
Their terraforming efforts had resulted in the slow build of up an ecosystem that was monitored and maintained strictly by a group of biologists. The little pictures in the pamphlets showed plenty of bioluminescent plants and other wildlife. Deer were the most common herbivore, though most of them had been genetically modified. Hybrid dog/wolves had been introduced specifically to cull the deer population. From what he understood no wolves had actually been transported from earth but their DNA had been spliced with local dogs in order to create the species that could be found on Arcadia's surface. Other animals included what were called Jeffery snakes, New Dodo, which, since they had no natural predators, were common as household pets and kept separate from the arcadia wolves, who had very specific hunting ranges.
Arcadia had likely once had liquid water Running on its surface, and still did many miles below the ground, through efforts of their scientists, he could see that they were attempting to pump water up onto the surface to make a small inland sea which they were artificially populating with their own fish and sea fauna. Hye wasn't sure how that was going to turn out. The ecosystem of the ocean was vast and complex relying heavily on microorganisms in the water to feed an ever growing food chain. He would be impressed to see how they planned on pulling that off.
Hye missed the ocean.
Real earth oceans.
He had loved them since he was a child, and still loved them even now, but, after Tala's death, he just hadn't been able to bring himself back to the water. He hadn't stepped away from the field he loved, but merely turned his attention to teaching at the professional level instead of actually doing any work.
Hye's main focus had been ocean mammals, including whales, dolphins, Orcas etc. For the past fifteen years he had been the primary founder and owner of a company that specialized in the tracking, rehabilitation, and conservation of Orcas. They had actually gone extinct during WWIV but DNA vaults had allowed them to bring the species back from extinction and reintroduce them to the open oceans. It had taken a few centuries to restabilize Earth's ocean ecosystems to where they were today.
And now he was leaving it all behind.
Including the Orcas for a planet that had neither sunlight nor oceans.
he was going somewhere that didn't even really need him.
Why?
Adam Vir had invited him to..
Hye and Tala had never had any children, this wasn't a tragedy or anything, the two of them had just never considered themselves the empathetic parenting type. Tala liked to joke that they were in a four way polyamorous relationship with their jobs and there was simply no time for children. It wasn't something he had ever regretted. The whales were his children.
And the UNSC had been Tala's baby, especially the interstellar program. He had never met a woman in his life who was so determined to get what she wanted. When they were first married, interstellar travel wasn't even a dream, and then the PanAsian war broke out and she was flying jets over distant continents while he was attempting to save the fish. She had been the best of her generation they said, a once in a a lifetime talent.
He couldn't have agreed with them more, so when an opportunity opened up for someone to fly the first interstellar ship, there was no way it was going to be anyone but her. She had had big dreams about exploring the galaxy, and she had. She had taken the first interstellar ship, and crewed the first mission that discovered alien life.
And then she had really found her purpose.
It had been a hard realization for her, but after some time Tala realized that she wasn't there to be the great adventurer like she waned, butt to pave the way for others. She had taken a desk job at the UNSC in order to set a firm foundation for the space program that followed. He was sure that without her intervention Earth would never have facilitated talks with the GA, and they never would have had such peaceful interactions. Tala had never wanted children, but she had a certain eye for people, and a compassion for the young soldiers she oversaw.
Even so Adam Vir had been a special case. To this day Hye wasn't sure if it was some manifestation of dormant maternal instincts, or the fact that she saw herself in the young man, or both, but she had taken him under her wing, paved the way for him to fly when she couldn't. Privately she had boasted that choosing Adam for the position had been her greatest accomplishment.
Through Kelly and in a weird vicarious way Hue felt the same way.
Kelly had imparted a little bit of herself on the young man, and Hye couldn't help but see a bit of her in him even after she was gone. There were a lot of rumors going around after Tala's death that Admiral Vir had been involved in the setup to her death, but Hye knew better, he had seen the look on the man's face as Kelly died.
Pain like that wasn't something you could fake.
He knew that from first hand experience.
So when Adam had called him to come, Hye had answered no questions asked. Adam said it was important but that he didn't trust speaking even over a secured line. Hye could have simply taken a vacation from earth, and headed to arcadia that way, but president Hunt was making it simply impossible to go anywhere on vacation.
He had had to relinquish his Earth citizenship and accept Adam's offer.
The nice thing was he didn't have to pay for anything.
This was all on Adam's dime.
A lot of people were moving to the arcadia colonies for free with the offer of work.
He wondered what he would be doing. He couldn't exactly be a marine biologist anymore, so maybe they would have him teaching or.... Or perhaps he could become a builder or soemthing else. Perhaps he could start his life over again.
The shuttle rocked gently as they entered the atmosphere, and he turned to the seat next to him, "Almost there buddy."
The five foot long stuffed killer whale didn't respond.
He reached over and pulled the stuffed animal into his arms burying his face in its fur.
It smelled like her.
He hadn't washed the dam thing in two years which was both gross and unhealthy but he couldn't stop himself. He worried that one day he wouldn't be able to smell her anymore, and then what would he do. He idly wondered if the others on the shuttle would t think it was weird, a grown man with his stuffed whale, but he didn't bother to look
What did it matter if they thought he was weird, they could shove it.
He glanced out the window looking down at the distant land below as the clouds parted across the sky.
"wow."
The ground below them was glowing! Hundreds of acres of plants with different bioluminescent properties coating the ground. It was beautiful and strange and alien and everything else. He pressed his face up against the window eyes wide. Little pinpricks of light winked through the distant sky, and as their ship slowed for a landing his eyes widened.
His face wasp pressed almost fully against the glass as he watched a Jellyfish float by his window looking almost exactly like a moon jellyfish!
But not in water, in air.
The implications for such a creature were staggering, and he almost forgot where he was out of excitement. Perhaps there was room for him here after all, maybe he could be come an expert on strange space fish. Or even Xenomarine biology. He paused after a few seconds realizing he hadn't experienced so much excitement for the first time In months.
The shuttle landed with a bump, and lights blinked on down the sides of the central isle.
The other passengers began unbuckling and reaching up to the compartments to get their luggage.
"Please remain seated."
The people stopped and quickly took their seats as a group of black uniformed men stepped onto the shuttle. The uniforms were definitely military of some sort, or at leas they reminded him of Tala's old UNSC uniforms.
"Hye Kelly!" One of the women called, and he sat there dumbly for a moment before realizing they called his name.
"Hye Kelly!"
"Uh right here, sorry, right here." He raised a hand, and the group of soldiers approached, "I'm going to have to ask you to come with us."
His heart sunk down into his pelvis.
What was wrong.
Had there been a problem, or some sort of mistake. He held Tala's orca just a little tighter, "Is everything ok?
"Yes. Your bags?"
He struggled to retrieve his carry on, and was surprised when one of the soldiers took it from him. The other rested a hand on his shoulder and guided him from the shuttle.
"Is everything o. I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"No, not in trouble."
Stepping out onto the Tarmac, the air around them was surprisingly warm, In the distance he could see the bright yellow glow of the artificial suns he had read about on page seven of the pamphlet. The sky overhead was most devoid of those strange jellyfish, and he found himself a bit disappointed. His disappointment did not last as.
"Mr Kelly."
He turned his head eyes widening in shock as a man approached him over the tarmac flanked on either side by two massive men hefting spears and shields.
These must be the neo Spartans he had read about on page eight. He recognized the shape of their helmets from a move he had seen a few months back. At first he didn't recognize the man walking towards him, and it was only when he got close did Hye finally recognize the white haired man wearing the eyepatch.
He felt stupid as soon as he did, but he couldn't help his eyes widen in shock, "Adam Vir is that you/"
The held out a hand to shake, and they both gripped firmly, "I know the past couple years haven't exactly been kind" Adam reached up and ran a hand through his now snow white hair. The hair made him look almost ten years older, though his face was still that of a young man.
"I'm glad you could make it."
"How cold I pass up such a generous offer." He tried to keep his voce light, "There was no need for the reception. I'm sure I could have found my way."
Adam nodded, "I'm sure you could, but I didn't want this meeting to take place I the terminal."
Hye frowned, "Meeting? What meeting?"
Adam put a hand on his shoulder and the two of them began walking over the tarmac towards one of the waiting buildings. The Shuttle taxied away slowly, "Hye a few things have happened since we last spoke, a bunch of.... Weird things. I didn't want to tell you over an unsecure line because I think there is still some chance that this gives us a leg up in the fight." He paused not sure how to go forward, "Before you see what I have to show you, I hope you can forgive me for not telling you earlier."
Hye frowned, "Hard to promise my forgiveness when I have no idea what you are talking about."
Adam paused at the doorway and sighed deeply, "you'll see."
He pushed the door open and the two of them stepped inside.
The room they walked into looked to be some sort of higher end spaceport lounge, like the officer's lounge or, or some other place you'd expect for gold card members.
There were two other people in the room.
One of them was a tall broad shouldered man with an unusually colorful head of hair and neatly trimmed beard. Looking into his eyes Hue got the distinct feeling he was not looking at a human. The eyes were not human at all, but the man himself wasn't the most interesting thing I the room.
Hye blinked in confusion and squinted towards the second figure.
It looked like a silhouette, and at first he didn't understand what he was seeing, so his eyes desperately tried to adjust.
Then the thing moved and he could see that it was a person, but instead of skin or hair or anything else it was..... like a slice of space had been cut in the shape of a human and placed into the room without any context.
When he finally came to that conclusion the image resolved and he could see the figure more clearly.
He thought it was a woman.
It had no facial features but when it turned to look at him, he could sort of read its body. As it saw him, it froze and went very still. For some reason, he froze too. There was a silent moment in the room at he stared at the creature and it stared back. It took a hesitant almost dazed step forward and there was something about the way it moved that just..... seemed so familiar.
It was maddening, but he couldn't have put his finger on it. he really should have been scared, the creature was rather freak looking, simply a black shadow , but the more he looked the more familiar it became, and the less worried he became.
This thing.
It was good.
It was...... so damned familiar, and he wasn't afraid of it, not in the least.
It took another step forward, and then another, and its body opened up. It rushed towards him, but still he wasn't scared because he could read it. It didn't move like an attacker or, or something coming to get him, but it was relieved.
He felt its arms wrap around his neck, and now that he could feel it, it even felt familiar. The cool universe of its body felt like human skin. The arms that wrapped around him were strong but soft, and the way the palm rested just right against his back....
Hye burst into tears before he could consciously grasp what his brain had figured out before him. Tears rolled in hot rivulets down his face as he threw his arms around her and hugged her too him so tight it was like he was trying to crush her. The silhouette of her forehead rested against his and he could feel the softness of her hair and the smoothness of her skin.
He could smell her, and it was strong, not like the fading smell on the whale.
He sobbed with a mixture of sadness and joy hugging her tighter, as tight as she hugged him.
Hye didn't even bother to care that he couldn't see her face. it didn't matter, she could have come back to him as a wisp of smoke and he would have been happy, but the fact that he could see and feel her was beyond anything he could have hoped for. He was a blubbering wreck, a complete mess, and that went on for some minutes until he stepped back. The room was vacant accept for the two of them. The rainbow haired man and Adam had stepped away to give them privacy, and they were alone.
"Am.... Am I dreaming?" He asked, andit seemed to be a logical question considering the circumstances.
Tala shook her head, and he cupped her face in his hands. He felt as if she should have been cold, but her skin was warm and familiar. He brushed his fingers over her cheeks and her lips, and even though he couldn't see the features, he could feel them.
His hands came away wet.
He had so many questions, but those didn't matter right now.
He didn't care hoe she was here or why or what had happened, but she was here.
"I missed, you."
She placed hr hands over his, and they were warm and soft. He closed his yes imagining her face in his head, leaned down in a familiar way that could not e forgotten even after so many years. With his eyes closed, when he kissed her it still felt the same , and it didn't matter tat he couldn't see her because at least he could feel her.
And he knew it was her.
Eventually he pulled back, wiping at his eyes with a sleeve. The tears didn't stop but now they were tears of joy and he didn't need to bother wiping them away, "I.... I brought you a present." He announced .
He wished he could hear her voice, but the fact that she was here was enoughto console him when she merely tilted her head.
He offered her the whale.
From the posture of her body he could almost imagine her smile as she took it from him, hugging it tight against her chest and resting her head against it. More tears clouded his eyes and he had to blink them away hugging her and the whale again.
He held that for as long as he thought he could get away with
She may have changed, but to him she was still the same, and it didn't matter because at elast now.
She was here.
And he was here with her.