Chapter 86: Precipe

Isaac stuffed the last pair of socks into his pack and pulled the zipper closed with a sense of relief. All set.

He was starting to understand why Alessa had been feeling so claustrophobic these past months. It'd been just over four weeks since they'd last ventured outside Raptor's confines, the day he and Alessa had stolen away to the lake. As the rebels approached the finish line on their plans to liberate Paragon - and the frequency of the Stuck attacks had increased - Regina had all but terminated the training missions outside the base. Isaac was antsy for some fresh air.

There was a knock at the door and it slid open. Alessa strode past him and practically tumbled onto the bed, breathless. "I'm so exhausted," she moaned into the pillow.

"Still feeling under the weather?" Isaac asked. He sat down beside her and gently rubbed her back in sympathy.

"Ugh," Alessa grunted in confirmation. "And I'm starting to feel queasy now, too."