The bridge of the capital ship was buzzing with activity as soldiers, technicians and crew members walked in and out, delivering reports and conferring with one another as the Taurus entered its final round of maintenance repairs.
The woman sat at an empty weapons control station with her legs propped on the dashboard, scrolling through the holopad reports amid the commotion.
She was comparing two of the files, a boy and a girl. The boy, Darren Talos, had blond hair that was bleached almost white. He had grown it out from the Legionnaire crew cut so that it almost fell over his eyes, which were a grey-blue. Quiet and reserved, the report said. Excellent tactical knowledge and strategy formulation. Dependable and capable squad leader, above average in all qualities.
“Why did the Void pick you?” she mused. For the girl, Jolla Caires, it was easy to guess. The slight wrinkles around slanted brows indicated she was used to scowling often. Her eyes were a bright orange, like dying embers, with a burning intensity that matched the red hair that fell to her shoulders. Superior combat skills. High proficiency with firearms. Third best record for killhouse simulations. Under personality, the report tersely noted: Short temper. Prone to outbursts of anger and impatience. Can be excessively violent.
Strange to have such different people survive the Void, the woman thought.
A gruff voice interrupted her thoughts. “Colonel.” She looked up to see the captain of the Taurus. “Pleasure to meet you,” he said, giving a half-hearted salute.
She smiled and rose, returning the gesture. “The pleasure is all mine,” she said, finding it fitting. “Thank you for allowing us to board on such short notice.”
“Anything for the Order,” he said, and muttered something else she wasn’t meant to hear.
The woman nodded. “Now, to business. Fill me in on what happened.”
The captain took a seat opposite her at the control station. “A few days ago, we were on our way to pick up new cadets from the Ceres academy. En route, we received a distress call from them. I’m sure you heard about that part.”
She nodded. “The Sentients have scored yet another victory,” she muttered. “The Ceres academy was our closest supply of Legionnaires to the front lines.”
He nodded gravely. “There was…nothing when we got there. Other ships had responded to the distress call and had been too late. Couldn’t find any survivors among the wreckage.”
“Then where did you find them?” she said.
The captain paused. “We aided in the search efforts for a few days and then after their Solar Rail was repaired, we took it to Jupiter. The ship was still in the Void when we punched. We almost crashed straight into it.”
“What prevented them from connecting to another solar rail?”
“The Zariman had been hit by heatblasts just before they punched,” he said. “It damaged their engines. It was also what breached their hull, and I suppose you know what happened next.”
She nodded. “And you searched the vessel?”
“We managed to maneuver the ship into our hangar and search inside. I heard…stories from my men. Bodies twisted and barely recognizable.” He shuddered.
The woman’s face looked grim. “What did you do when you found the survivors?”
“We set up a quarantine unit and put them in there,” the captain said.
She nodded. “And have you been checking up on them?”
“Not in person.” The captain’s eyes wandered to other parts of the bridge, indicating his impatience. “My crew is afraid of going near them. We’ve mounted cameras in each cell.”
“Have you at least been monitoring these cameras?” she asked, putting an edge to her voice.
The captain avoided her gaze. “We haven’t tasked anyone on it,” he mumbled.
The woman narrowed her eyes. More like there was no one willing to watch what horrors were going on within. “I see. Well, in any case, this is good enough for me. Give me access to the footage for the cameras, as well as clearance to the entire level. Also, I will need you to task your crew on the following modifications to these areas of your ship.” She opened up a file on her holopad and handed it to him.
The captain took the holopad and looked it over. His eyes widened. “Are you serious?” he said.
“As you can see, these orders came directly from my superior, with the approval of the Thrones,” she said. “They are as serious as you can get.”
“But for what reason?” the captain sputtered. “What are you trying to do here, Colonel?”
She smiled mysteriously. “What we are all trying to do, Captain. Destroy the Sentients. Protect the Empire.”
Heat. I need heat.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6hrtbLryh
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Darren’s teeth chattered, and he tried to curl up to a ball even more. The thin blanket they had given him was wrapped tightly around his body, but the cold wrapped even tighter around him. The temperature was so low that his body physically hurt, numbing him and making any attempts at movement painful and lethargic.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sFJikW0RM
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His containment cell had turned into a frozen wasteland. On the first day he had been placed there, it had felt only slightly colder than the regular room temperature; he had thought the air control unit was broken. It was not until the first pieces of ice had started to form on the glass of his cell that he realized that it wasn’t the air control system; it was the curse of the Void, following him from that hellspace to further afflict him here.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMjh1yBDJk
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The memories threatened to return to him, and he suppressed them in his mind. He couldn’t bear to live through that nightmare again. Think of other things…352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22stnlIyh0
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Gradually, ice and snow had come to cover most of the surface in the cell, the window so frosted over that he could barely see out of it. The temperature had to be somewhere below freezing, and Darren knew that without proper warmth, which his tattered clothing could not provide, the normal human body would soon succumb to hypothermia.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3isK20cJba
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Except he didn’t die. It had been days, hell, it could’ve been weeks since he was first placed in this cell, yet death did not come to claim him. It was as if his body could survive the freezing temperatures, but at the same time, provided no warmth against it. As the days passed, he became aware of something in the air, clumping together and slowing until they fell around him in the form of snowflakes. Molecules, he thought weakly, molecules of water. The Void is turning the water in the air into ice. That’s why it’s so damned cold in here.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBl7lOG1a7
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He held out his hand, feeling the air around it. Slowly, the air crystallized, shrouding his hand in a cool mist. Did I do that? Am I…the curse itself? The memories surged to the surface again, and he shut them out of his mind once again. Think of something else…anything else…
Darren laid his head against the wall. It was the only part of the cell that did not freeze. In fact, it felt slightly warm, and he pressed his arm against it, letting the meager heat touch his shivering limb.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaiTWjdsSW
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His other hand started to feel heavy. He looked down. Fragments of ice were slowly forming on his hand, trapping it in a frosty cast.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPx1VAHat0p
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He screamed to nobody, “Somebody, help me!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUzGG841nm
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Nobody responded, “Hello?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hOzLgEkWS
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Darren looked up. The voice had come from the vent that sent in air to the other containment units. It was someone from another cell. “Help me, please!” he yelled. He looked down at his arm. The frost was steadily making his way up the limb. He already couldn’t move his fingers.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRM9NxXDzJC
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“What’s wrong?” the voice from the vent said. It was faint, tired, and barely audible.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMty9DNUvGH
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“My arm’s freezing up,” he said, and tears started to slide down his face. They turned to ice halfway down his cheek.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1C8UBVeo9
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“I see,” the vent said, in a matter of fact way. “Let me guess, your entire cell is frozen?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJn8PWFb93c
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“Yes,” he said, forgetting his panic in surprise, “how did you know?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPgvBiFNyp
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The voice sighed. “Because mine’s an oven, and my hand just caught fire again.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejhCJnNBaL
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Darren blinked. “What?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJg1o2zdGjC
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“The Void,” the tired voice said. He could tell it belonged to a girl. “It’s messed with our bodies. It’s given you some kind of freezing abilities.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2T3YMUTCC
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“You mean,” he chattered, “It really is me that’s causing the ice?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPlZglsYzV
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“Something like that,” the voice said.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZgqVgvmg4
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“How do I make it stop?” Darren said, standing up, “Tell me, please!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN5OSMPq85
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“Look pal, I have no idea. I barely even know what’s going on with me.” The voice rose, and briefly the temperature of the wall between them rose as well.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBll7lpsoq
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It dawned on him then. “So you…can create fire?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ExPYbc1Up
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“It’s either that or I’m a toaster,” the vent replied.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOpE5bESQq
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“Help me get rid of the ice on my arm, then!” he looked down to see the ice creeping farther up his arm, almost to his elbow.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHlT1Pvqam
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A pause. “And how exactly do I do that?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXWtjzGEme
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He knocked against the wall. “Heat the wall connecting our cells! If you do that, it should be enough to make the ice melt!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8m3MCJTh2X
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The wall’s temperature rose again. “Hell no! Why would I make my cell even hotter when I’m cooking in here already?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMausQgjvN
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Darren let out a breath, trying to calm himself. He looked down at his arm, then around at the ice covering the walls and floors. “If you melt my arm,” he said, “I can cool down your cell in return.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw7OULAaNE
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“Do you even know how to do that?” The voice challenged.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwxeHZrK1S
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He closed his eyes. There they were, crawling around him, molecules of water in the air. He followed the path of the air through the vent. As he tracked the air farther and farther from his cell, they became faster, less sluggish. Then they began to accelerate rapidly, and he came across a large box of air that was moving incredibly fast, the complete opposite of his room. That was her cell. Almost all the water molecules had evaporated, but a few still mingled near the wall they shared.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9bT48g6W7
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He focused on those sparse molecules. Freeze for me. They continued to move at their current rate. Slow, do something! If not… he looked down at his hand. The ice had crept up past his elbow. Panic seized him. At that moment, he felt the molecules in her room slow by a bit. He paused. How did I do that? Is it because I’m afraid? He tried moving his arm. It did not move, and he felt himself tense up, breathing become rapid. The molecules’ movement became less frenetic. It’s because I’m freaking out, he thought.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcRHgTlhYd
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The memories from the accident came to mind. This time, he did not shut them away. He pulled them to the front of his thoughts, going through every detail of the accident. He could feel the fear grip him again, the panic. He forced himself to remember when the hull had ruptured, letting the toxic air of the Void swoop in. He remembered sucking in a breath before the emergency shutters sealed off the gap. By that time, it had been too late.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡby9tfaSyEs
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In the back of his mind, Darren could feel the molecules’ speed lessen until they moved at less than half of the speed they were before. He remembered clutching at his chest, a chill spreading through his body, so intense that it burned. He gasped, as he had done then, gripping his chest with his free arm. The void…is inside of me.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNForydzaS4
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“How did you do that?” He heard the girl say. “It feels cooler now.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlGmAt0IMV
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Darren was brought back to the present through her voice. He forced the memories away again.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnespMf5GiC
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“I’m not entirely sure,” he said, the hand on his chest relaxing somewhat. He looked down at his hand. “My arm’s completely frozen!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4ewO7B7cH
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“Press your arm against the wall,” she said quickly. He did so, the ice making a clack as he hit it against the cell.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfTw16t0G9
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The wall slowly started to rise in temperature. It felt like an overcharged heating pad, but after going for days in an ice cube, it was a welcome feeling. The ice on his arm thinned, and he was able to move his fingers again. When he looked down, the ice had turned into a puddle at his feet.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ow40tdu7Y
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“It’s gone,” Darren breathed.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qTMWk6Xjq
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“Great,” the voice panted, “Now could you do the freezing thing again? It’s hotter than hell in here.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPdneyiKx2
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“Oh, sorry,” he said, reaching out to the air in her cell. He recalled the accident once more, feeling the ice slow. As they did, he became aware of another collection of moisture in the other cell. It didn’t move as fast as the air, but flowed like water through thin paths. He traced out the movement of the liquid. The paths were small and branched out, forming a humanoid shape, and he realized they were the veins of a body.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WQbTO66Zl
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As he followed what he realized was her blood, he made out the shape of a human form sitting against the wall between them. It was moving fast, the heart pumping at a quicker rate than normal. Is she…stressed?352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2V5YSQPpEY
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“What’s your name?” he asked, pressing his head on the hot surface of the shared wall, directly behind where she was.
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The figure leaned against the wall, back resting against it. It felt warmest where her body was, and he put his hands on the other side of the wall. “My name’s Jolla,” the girl said. “You?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ817SkaMgel
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“Darren.” The memories of the Void left his mind. But he still could slow down the molecules. He tried it again. They slowed down even more.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVnhOCmvmE
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“It’s getting a bit too cold, Darren,” Jolla said.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSA3t7vqaz
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“Oh, sorry!” he said again. He focused on the water in the air. Speed up. But they continued to slow down, beginning to clump together in chunks that he knew would eventually turn to ice. “I can’t stop it,” he said, fear starting to form, “I’m sorry, I’m trying to get it to stop freezing—!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzVjee8aHi
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“Oh well, that’s alright,” Jolla said. He couldn’t tell if she really didn’t mind, or if she was just exhausted. “I’ll just turn up the heat here.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPyYegr8cV
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He felt her blood pump faster, and then the water in her cell began to accelerate. The clumps broke apart.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgsXQ8hmE2
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“Thank you,” he said in relief.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTre3FviRll
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“Don’t mention it,” Jolla yawned. “Thank you, really. I need to rest. Don’t freeze my cell over while I’m sleeping, got it?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ixSE4zYzn
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“Of course!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFhQvDckJq
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“Alright, thanks,” Jolla said. Through her veins, he could feel her lying down on the cell wall, and her heartbeat slowed to an even rate. He lied down as well, next to her. He held out his hand and felt the warmth she transmitted. It calmed him, and he too fell asleep.
