2 Chapter 2 [In My Blood]

Capricorn 1 / 2261 3:24

"NightStorm." Admiral Jermia called. I turned my back and kicked at the punching bag. Energy hummed in my veins, and I had nowhere to put it. It'd been too long since I had a mission. I heard the man stop behind me. I kicked the bag as it swung back before letting out a low growl. I spun to face him. He held a plastic envelope in one hand.

"I am going crazy." I snapped. He blinked his eyes at me and tilted his head. It was hard to believe he was a Lexian because of how fair his complexion was. Most Lexians had tanned skin and brown hair and eyes. Jermia was the opposite. "I need a mission."

"You're impatient." He stated. I rolled my eyes and shrugged. I glanced around the gym. Sadness filled me. Go back six years, and this room would have been filled with people at all times. Now it remained empty most of the time. So many people have died in this war. Others were too busy on missions to train. "You're acting like a child."

"No, I'm not!" I glared at him. I fought the urge to cross my arms and turn my back. "I'm bored. It's been weeks since my last mission."

"It was six days ago, Jadien. You just got back from your last mission." Jermia sighed. I ran my hands through my bangs that hung free from my ponytail. Raven had landed the ship no more than a few hours ago. I hadn't even stopped by my room to sleep. Yet energy hummed in my veins. I bit my lip and glanced around the large gym before returning my gaze to Jermia. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Hie eyes were bloodshot. "Nati and I are worried about you. You're pushing yourself too hard."

"I'm fine." I crossed my arms. Nati was my mother. Well, adoptive mother. Her and Jermia were pretty much the pair that raised me. They somehow put up with my shit for years when everyone else gave up on me. Something I would never be able to repay. Jermia crossed his massive arms over his narrow chest and sighed again. He was probably thinking this was why he was greying so fast.

"When was the last time you slept for six hours? Last time you ate a full meal?" he asked. I gritted my teeth and looked away. I didn't lie, and even if I tried, Jermia would see right through it. "I don't want to treat you like a child, but when you neglect to take care of yourself, I have to."

"Is there a point to all this?" I looked back at him, freezing my face in a scowl. He sighed and rubbed his forehead again. He did that a lot lately. Part of me concerned it was something serious, but part of me also noticed Nati did it too, so maybe it was just something that happened when people spent time with me.

"I'm worried, your mother is worried, and your AI is worried. I think that should be enough of a point." He said. I glared at the far wall. I traced the scar on my collarbone and turned back to the punching bag. I kicked it as hard as I could, sending it swinging. "I'm pairing you up."

"What!" I jerked, my eyes going wide and my mouth going slack. I spun on my heel and stared at Jermia. The Admiral watched as I stuttered for an answer, but my mind turned blank. Pairing me up? No! I work alone. The punching bag swung back. It hit my side and sent me stumbled a few steps forward. When I straightened, I shot the green bag a sharp look before shooting Jermia a warning one. He managed to keep his laugh mute, but his lips tugged up in a smile. I snapped my mouth shut.

"In the past four missions, you've gotten hurt in some way. You need someone to watch your back." Jermia reasoned. I didn't care if he made sense. The thought of working with someone else made my stomach churn.

"No way. And I didn't get hurt on my last one." I pointed out. I glanced at the envelope. The file inside was probably about whoever Jermia wanted to pair me up with. "A normal soldier slows me down. They will just get killed."

"He's not a normal soldier." Jermia held the file out to me. I stared at the grey plexper but made no move to take it. "His name is Ethan. A Legend soldier."

"That's even worse," I growled. I jerked my eyes away to glare at the far wall. "I don't work with them."

"You have in the past. In fact, you adored them as a kid." Jermia inclined his head. "They were your heroes. You thought they understood what you went through."

"That was before I realized what they went through. Before I found out they were kidnapped by that crazy doctor. I wasn't kidnapped." I retorted. The video I watched of their surgery ran through my brain. Their screams. I took a shaky breath in. I clenched my fists until my nails drew blood. Those poor kids. I thought to myself. Taken from their families only to die in surgery. Jermia's eyes narrowed slightly. Pain flickered through his eyes. "By working with them, you are condoning the way they were made."

"No. It's making sure their sacrifice doesn't go to waste." Jermia corrected. I met his eyes again. Pain and regret flashed across his eyes before turning cold. "We can't change the past, you know that."

"They were children." I gritted my teeth. Legend soldiers were made from children as young as eight. Their life rippled away before it started. Their parents lost their kids, never knowing what happened unless by some chance the Legend was able to find them again. Six years ago all the Legend files were released to the Legends. Or, to the living ones. Some found their families, most didn't. It was like some part of them completely disconnected from other people. They couldn't feel. Gian broke part of their mind. I looked away and swallowed. "They were just kids..."

"So were you." Jermia's voice dropped to a low whisper. The cold look vanished, and the pain returned. I hated it when he looked like that. I felt like I had to fix it, but I didn't know how. I bowed my head and gripped my hands behind my back. "I'm not doing this out of malice or spite, Jadien. I'm doing this to help you. You all went through similar things, you understand how it feels."

"I don't need understanding. I need missions." I closed my eyes as a bitter taste filled my mouth. "I work alone. I've done it for four years perfectly fine."

"Nothing lasts forever," Jermia warned. I opened my eyes and met his gaze. "This war won't last forever, I just want you to see the end of it."

"See the end of it?" I asked. I clenched my hands and shook my head. "Then do what? Play housewife? With this Legend soldier, you want to pair me with? No! I am a soldier. Not a kid, not a girl. A soldier. I don't need anyone else."

Jermia bowed his head and stared at the file. Then, without warning, he threw it at me. I caught it out of instinct. The cold plastic sent chills up my arms. Jermia turned and strode out of the gym without another word. I stared at the file as if in a trance. Ethan. A Legend named Ethan. I sighed and glanced around the gym, part of my brain telling me to throw the damn thing out. I turned the file over and read the front. Ethan-008/NS. NS. NightStorm. The faded label told me this was a year old. This was something Jermia had been planning for a while. I traced the familiar handwriting and sighed. Ethan. I repeated the name over in my mind. It was vaguely familiar.

"Great," I muttered. I shook my brown hair out of its ponytail and sighed. The dark waves fell around my face in a thick, static-filled mess. I'm going to end up killing this guy. Working in teams never went well for me. I headed for the lift. I hit the button for the elevator and opened the file while I waited. A single sheet of paper sat inside with a memory chip. The doors opened, and I stepped inside. I hit the button for the ground floor and waited until the doors closed before pulling out the paper. No one used paper anymore, everything was electronic or plexpar. Whatever the paper said, it had to be important.

Despite my curiosity for the information within the letter, I couldn't help but take a minute to examine the paper. It was so thin and delicate like it would break at the slightest thing, yet it could be folded with only a small crease. Amazing. I pinched the corner, listening to the crinkling sound. I shook my head to focus myself and turned my attention to the odd scrawling words on the paper.

Greetings NightStorm.

NightStorm, a stupid name, in my opinion, Ms. Jade Ryder.

I froze when I saw my name. I pressed the page to my chest and glanced around the lift, even though I was alone. I took a deep breath to brace myself before continuing.

You may have heard of me, although I'm sure the stories you have are less than flattering. My name is Elizabeth Gian. I was a friend of your mother's. We worked together on the Legend project and later on the HCDS that was used on you. Since we started the HCDS, we planned for you to work with my Legends, and those that followed you, to be paired with my Legends. That was always the plan, but that plan failed to be completed with your mother's death. I can explain more in person. My point is that you were made to work with the Legends. I heard from Jermia that you work solo, a stupid idea. Your mother and I gave you a great gift, do not waste them. Onyx is a great man, don't kill my Legend.

Dr. Elizabeth Gian.

I stared at the letter and reread it. Gian. The writing summarized what I'd heard about her. A to the point, no-nonsense, never caring, woman. I crumpled the note in my fist and glared at the ground. This day couldn't get any worse. The lift doors opened, and I strode into the lobby. The main desk was empty, which was odd. I frowned at the chair before going into the locker room. I quickly changed from my tank top and leggings to a pair of flex-jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I brushed my hair out before tying it back again. I slammed my locker shut and listened to the sound echo.

"Ethan," I muttered again. This was going to bug me until I figured out why I knew this name. You probably have met tons of Ethans. Why are you so bothered by this? I asked myself. I bit my lip and shook my head. I let the locker room and looked back at the desk. Another thing that would bother me. I walked to the counter and looked over the high front. The guard was passed out on the desk, drooling on the steel tabletop. "Hey, you're going to get in trouble."

I reached over and whacked him on the head. He jolted up, his eyes wide. After blinking a few times, he focused on me.

"Special ops, NightStorm." he scrambled to stand. I rolled my eyes and waved my hand.

"Don't bother. I'm not one for formalities." I assured him. I glanced at the drool on the desk. "Just clean the desk and stay awake for your shift."

I turned and headed out into the courtyard that connected all four buildings of the base. A stone path made a cross in the grass. At its center stood a tall, earthen stone statue of a phoenix. Apparently, on earth, it was a famous tale. Life after death. The rise after the fall. It was supposed to symbolize the rise of Lexi after Earth fell. How humanity lived through so much death. I loved the statue as a kid. I used to play on the square base until Nati or Jermia yelled at me to get off. I smiled at the burning bird and touched the cold stone as I walked by.

"Out for a midnight stroll?" Nati appeared on the other side of the statue. The small woman tilted her head at me. I jumped back in surprise, causing Nati to giggle. I shot her a sharp look and crossed my arms. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Or were you waiting for me?" I asked. Guilt passed over her thin face. Her brown ponytail moved as she shook her head. Nati was a tiny woman with light blue eyes and a full smiling mouth.

"You caught me." She admitted. She wrapped her arms around herself as if to warm her body against the chilly Lexian night. I was shocked she was even awake at this time. It was three in the morning, she usually would be asleep. "Jermia warned me that he would tell you the big news, I had a feeling you wouldn't take it well."

"Yeah, big news," I grumbled. Of course, he told her. I leaned on the base of the statue and stared at the ground. "Neither of you trust me."

"That's not it." Nati leaned beside me. I traced my lips with my nail and stared at the office building. "I'm just worried about you, you've taken on a lot of stress."

"Just another day." I shrugged. The building was lit up as people worked in the control centers, watching over missions and sending commands out. "I'm guessing you read a book about stress. I'm pretty sure AI's don't feel stress."

"I didn't before. Well, not as much." Nati admitted. A few years back, Nati had been just another AI. Until Gian decided to try something that is now called AI bonding. It was moving the mind of an AI into the brain of a human. In Nati's case, the human was born brain dead.

I stared out at the grass. The twin moons bathed the courtyard in blue. I glanced at Nati, noticing how bright her blue eyes looked. Sometimes it almost seemed like they were glowing as if she was still an AI hologram.

"After I was transferred to this body, it became something I couldn't ignore." Nati continued. She moved her hands to her chest and held them there for a minute. "Especially after I adopted you."

"Was I that stressful to raise?" I smirked. Nati scoffed and nodded.

"Oh yeah." She chuckled. "You are lucky to be alive. There were days..."

Nati trailed off. She rolled her eyes before collapsing into giggles again. I pulled my ponytail around and pressed the locks to my lips to hide my smile.

"Anyway, how are you feeling? I know you're worried about pairing up, which is understandable after what happened..." Nati turned serious and watched me with worried eyes. I turned my gaze to the ground and let go of my hair. My eyes closed. The explosion echoed in my mind. The darkness that followed. I took a shaky breath in. "Jade?"

"I don't have a choice, do I? How I feel about pairing up doesn't matter." I straightened and shrugged. "I don't care."

Before Nati could answer, I headed away. I went into the living quarters building and took the lift up to the eighth floor. Nati didn't try to follow. I scanned the barcode on the wrist for my door, which slid open with a hiss. Inside I threw the folder onto my desk and ignored my AI's attempts at a greeting. I went into my bedroom and fell in the bed, pulling the sheets over my head in an effort to block out the universe.