Leap of Faith (Part 5)

Posted on Sat Oct 31, 2020 @ 9:36am by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings

1,374 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Binary Suns
Location: Kansas, Earth
Timeline: 14ish years from now

"Thanks for the quick response, Kate," Amber said, dropping into the runabout's copilot seat. She brought up the ship's sensor readouts and began plotting a hasty course away from the planet.

"Happy to help," Doctor Pulaski said. "Where to next?"

"Luna," Amber said. "We need to find where the file was uploaded.”

“We can run a trace from the S.C.E. branch there,” Meesa said.

Richard was pale, breathing hard and patting himself down to see where he’d been shot. Cassandra helped him into a seat while the others stood around talking about whatever insane mess he’d been dragged into. He’d been in a transporter before, twice, in fact. But he had never held a weapon, certainly never been shot at.

“It’s all right,” Cassandra said, stroking his arm. “Just breathe.”

As Pulaski entered the course, Amber turned and faced her team. "Alright, here's the drill. They're probably after us with all alarms blazing right now so we'll need to keep low. Tommy and Meesa will go with me and Kate to S.C.E. Cassandra and Richard will head to New Berlin."

"Why New Berlin?" Richard said. "We're bound to be spotted there."

"Exactly," Amber said. "Keep low, but let people see you for a few minutes, then move on. If we can draw security away, let's do it. Plus, there will be plenty of places to duck in and out of to keep out of Security's direct line of sight."

"And what will you be doing with Security hot on your tail?" Cass said. "You'll need reinforcements."

"We'll try to contact Captain Edwards, but any transmission will have security bearing down on us in no time," Amber said, looking at each of them. "We're going to get through this, don't worry."

"Never do," Meesa said, smiling wryly.

"We're ready to land," Doctor Pulaski said. "And I think we've been found."

Amber looked at the sensors and saw two ships heading their way, undoubtedly alerted by Security. "Do we have enough EVA suits for all of us in here?" Amber said.

"Yes," Pulaski said. "Why?"

"Okay everyone," Amber said, engaging the autopilot. "Suit up. We're going for a walk."

“Walk?” Richard said, horrified. Cass helped him dress, which he did without really feeling the motions. A moment later, he felt the tingle of the transporter beam again.

---

"You know, the funny thing is, I've always wanted to do this," Meesa said, bouncing along.

"Not me," Tommy said. "Always figured we were born in air we should stay there. All this runnin’ around in suits ain't natural."

"Says the man who lives on board a starship," Amber said.

"That's different," Tommy said. "Ship's got air."

"Can we please shut up and get there faster," Pulaski said weakly.

"How are you doing, Kate?" Amber said, taking her arm.

"I've been better," Pulaski said. She was looking decidedly green, especially bounding next to Meesa.

Richard was ready to leap over and knock them down to shut them up, but he held his tongue and focused on not throwing up.

The entire group was passing through Tranquility Base Preserve, walking through the natural, airless void of space. They were bounding towards the nearest airlock to get back into the main populated areas of Luna so they could reach their destinations.

It took them longer than they'd originally thought, due to their taking rest stops for the senior Doctor. When they finally managed to break their way in, they were all out of breath and feeling the strain of being on the run. Richard was distinctly white, and could feel that Cassandra was somewhat supporting him, but it wasn’t over yet.

"Cass, Richard," Amber said as they stripped off their environmental suits, "go get lost. Get to New Berlin, make yourselves seen and then find a shady spot."

Richard and Cass looked at each other, then nodded to Amber and, arm-in-arm, walked off like two people on a vacation. At that point, he’d have done anything to get away. They walked through New Berlin and did some window shopping while Cassandra steered them along. Richard was in a daze and most of the walk went by in a blur. When his mind finally caught up, Cassandra was sitting him down in a small outdoor cafe. It was another hour before his breathing returned to normal. The entire time, she just sat there, holding his hand and apologizing. She’d ordered them water and some food and finally he realized that the universe was still going on, and he had to acknowledge it.

“Who the hell are you people?” he said, looking at her.

“I told you,” she said. “We’re...specialists. Unorthodox, surely, but we work to make sure that people don’t have to go through what you just went through. I’m sorry we missed the mark here.”

“A bit, yeah,” he said, finally catching his breath. He took a sip of his water and looked at all the people walking by. Each of them had their own worries, their own problems. None of them had been shot at, none of them were on the run from Starfleet. He suddenly felt like an observing anthropologist watching a primitive, innocent culture.

“--and give them some backup,” Cassandra finished.

Richard looked up. “What?”

“I said we can’t just sit here. We need to find them and give them backup.” She was looking into her gold compact. “I’m worried they’re not going to get done before Starfleet catches up with them.”

Richard looked at her, stared into her violet eyes, imagined kissing her lips, then imagined if this was today, what tomorrow would bring. “I can’t do this…” he said.

“You...can’t…” she said, her lip quivered. “I see.”

“I’m sorry...this life...I’m not that kind of person. I don’t use guns or storm buildings or...or whatever.” He stood up and stepped out of the cafe. “I’m sorry. I just...need some time to think.”

He turned his back to her and walked down the street. He didn’t watch which roads he went down, nor who he passed, and it was a random moment when he stopped and looked up to see he’d stopped in front of a church. Thinking a little time reflecting on his choices was in order, he stepped inside, sat down at a pew near the front and bowed his head.

The silence was comforting. There was calm, peace, tranquility there in the simplicity of the space. As the organ began to play, he took solace in the normal surroundings, and tried to put what had happened out of his mind.

The choir began to sing along with the organ, gospel chords echoing off the rafters, and he sat back and looked up to watch. His eyes went wide when he saw before him, like an angel standing in the light of a stained glass window, Cassandra smiling at him, her cheeks stained with tears.

“I've had enough of danger,” she sang gently, the choir echoing,

and people on the streets.
I'm looking out for angels,
trying to find some peace.
'Cause teacher, there are things
that I don't want to learn
For the last one I had, made me cry.

She walked towards him and he stood up, drawn towards her and unsure what was going to happen. Her voice was hovering in the air, wrapping itself around him like it were a physical thing and holding him in front of her, spellbound.

So I don't want to
hold you, touch you,
thinking you're mine.
‘Cause there ain’t no world,
For an uptown girl,
whose teacher has told her goodbye…

She walked up to him, looking him in the eye, taking his face in her hands. “One more try,” she sang. “I need one more try...” She leaned up and kissed him as the choir and the organ faded into the background. The moment her lips met his, Richard’s apprehension dissolved. He realized that whatever tomorrow was going to bring no longer mattered. What mattered was that he was going to be at her side through it.

 

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