Starchildren Options

[Kane]

Lounging by the pool at her new home. Only to be interrupted by a visiting fellow Constellationer. And one who is bearing double drinks and latkes - the way into Andromeda’s heart.

Once again, being an empath is both helpful and confusing for Dro. Andreja was conflicted by the kiss but not actually pissed. She tries to appear all business but did travel some distance to visit and took the trouble to divine what Dro likes to eat. . . . Dro, on the other hand is clearly smitten (again).

Well, 1.5m does sort of put Dro into the realm of dwarves and wood elves. If it’s any consolation, she’s still 3 inches taller than Buffy. Andreja’s closer to Altmeresque though!

Another adventure brewing it seems.

While the mutual attraction is definitely there, Andromeda is a bit more hesitant following her previous failures in that regard. Andreja, on the other hand, is experiencing some very strong emotions for the first time and needs to sort that out.

* * * * * * * *

Thirteen – Insects, Spaceships, and the Unknown

Secret Outpost, Denebola I-b, Denebola System

“Hold still while I bandage it!”

“I’M TRYING BUT IT REALLY [censored] HURTS!”

Needless to say, they’re adventure on the trail of a spacer treasure hunt was off to a tremendously poor start. Andromeda sat slumped against a wall just inside the airlock door of an empty base hidden in the woods of an uninhabitable moon. A sickeningly deep gash on her right arm bled profusely from where a bastard with a sword had gotten the jump on her, but things could have been much worse if she hadn’t turned away at the last second – the blade would have buried itself in Andromeda’s head, rather than her arm.

Luckily for the not-so-intrepid Ms. Renault, Andreja happened to be a deft field medic, and after cleaning out any foreign particulates with copious amounts of peroxide spray, she stapled the wound shut and bound it with regrowth gel laced bandages. But her patient’s breathing still sounded labored and shallow, so she jammed a trauma pack booster in her leg to numb the pain and boost her o2 levels.

“Better?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Andromeda shrugged lazily. She probed gingerly at the wrapping on her upper arm and sighed at the lack of pain. “No, seriously, you did great. Do you have any water?”

“I do. Drink up.” Andreja handed her a package of ration water and then headed down the hall to make sure no one had heard Andromeda’s cries of pain. “I believe we are alone for the time being,” she reassured her. “Rest for a few moments and then we will get underway again.”

“Think that’s the best idea?”

“We can handle these fools. The problem is that you lack focus, Annie. You are easily distracted at poor times and it is usually to your detriment. You must always be aware of your surroundings in a hostile place or this type of thing will continue to happen. We were doing well up to this point, yes? Evaluate what changed and make adjustments as needed and this will happen less frequently.”

Andromeda closed her eyes and tried not to blush shamefully. She knew exactly what happened, though she would never share it with Andreja, or this entire endeavor would end prematurely. A flickering light catching her eye would be understandable; just as an odd noise from the shadows might garner one’s attention at an ill-advised moment. But having a razor-sharp naval cutlass pierce her arm down to the bone because she was staring at Andreja’s ass is not something she wanted to come clean about. Her friend had the right of it – Andromeda needed to focus. Especially when maniacs like these were trying to kill them.

“I’m sorry, Andreja. I’ll do better.”

“I am glad to hear that. I would prefer that we both return to The Lodge alive when this is all over.”

They rested for a few more minutes until Andromeda felt ready to get back on her feet and continue on into the outpost. She gave her arm a few cursory flexes, picked up her rifle, and winked at Andreja indicating she was ready to move out again.

It only took a few turns downs long refuse filled hallways and through an occasional door until the noisy clamor of additional spacers reached their ears. They crouched low and crept forward slowly, Andromeda at the rear with her newly suppressed Beowulf at the ready, while Andreja’s finger rested aside the trigger of her oddly-shaped rifle. According to Andreja it was just a variation of the standard particle beam weapons manufactured by Arboron or Combatech, but she would not discuss the details any further, leaving her rookie companion to further wonder about the mysterious woman and her unspoken past.

Those thoughts, however, soon flew out of her head when the enemies that could be dispatched silently were done so, and the remnants opened fire on the Constellation duo. All hell seemed to have finally broken loose and they wound up blasting the rest of the way through with a tactically slow but steady success against the unorganized rabble facing them down through twisting corridors and rundown control rooms.

Eventually, they came to a wide open room with only a single remaining man cowering by an electromagnetically sealed door. A man who offered his services in further penetrating the booby-trapped Lair of the Mantis, which is what Andromeda and Andreja had come to learn they were now in. Who – or what – the Mantis was continued to be somewhat of a mystery, as they had thus far only found scraps of information on the odd slate or two while exploring the eponymous outpost.

“Wait wait wait!” pleaded the man. “Don’t kill me, I can help you like I helped those idiots! I got them this far already!”

“And why should we trust you?” asked Andreja, coldly. “If you were helping these spacer scumbags then you are no better than they were.”

“I’m not one of them, they were just paying me to help unseal this place! The entire outpost was filled with traps that kept killing them, but I figured most of them out already!”

Andromeda had been content up until this point to let Andreja handle the impromptu interrogation, but now she stepped out from behind the tall woman and focused on the man’s intention. His emotions were running cool for someone who by all appearances seemed to be panicking under pressure, and she felt that he only played for time.

“He’s full of [censored],” Andromeda whispered to Andreja. “Probably got a pistol tucked away behind his back. He’s not scared, he’s stalling.”

“Understood.” And, without further hesitation, she fired a particle beam directly into his chest.

The point-blank fury of the energetic discharge launched him backwards into the wall and when the lifeless man fell to the ground a short-barreled Rattler shook free from his belt and hit the floor next to him with a metallic clank.

Andreja kicked it away and then looked back at Andromeda. “How did you know?”

“Being an empath has its uses, even if it’s less than desirable.”

“Ah, I should have guessed.” Andreja knelt beside the man and checked his pockets but only turned up another slate about what yet laid ahead of them. She read through it quickly and then handed it off. “There is some sort of puzzle through this door. The spacers must have sealed it when we brought the fight upon them.”

“The security is a joke,” said Andromeda as the door unlocked and slid open. “If this guy had the brains its no wonder half of these idiots were already dead when we got here.” Her index fingered scrolled through the information on the slate looking for anything new. “Oh yeah, these guys were absolute morons. Everything they needed is on the slates we already found, but apparently none of them have ever read a book. Or maybe even learned to read.”

“So, we can move further in?”

“Yep. Just let me hack that terminal up there and I’ll shut down the turrets and alarms.”

The security on said terminal ended up being a fair bit more complex that it had been on the previous door, yet still not enough to keep Andromeda out. Then she used it to bypass even deeper firewalls until reaching the core operating system for the outposts defenses, at which point she also shuttered a dozen combat robots and at least six more automated ceiling lasers.

With all remaining resistance eliminated, she strolled into the heart of the Lair with Andreja at her side. It opened up into a massive underground hanger that made Andromeda question what the hell this Mantis did for a living to afford such an impressive operation. They found vacant living quarters in a small wing off to the side complete with a uniquely ugly customized spacesuit that neither Andromeda nor Andreja deigned to be wearable without enduring snickers from the rest of their friends back at The Lodge.

But the real prize lowered itself into the hangar after Andromeda pressed a big, enticing red button mounted on a pedestal near the pit. With a roar of machinery and a blast of freezing air from the surface above, they were presented only seconds later with a ship that far outpaced the Frontier in every possible aspect. They climbed through the landing bay and cycled through the airlock into the first hab where a dedication plaque adorned the wall.

“The Razorback,” read Andromeda. “This has to be what they were after.”

“Understandably so,” replied Andreja. “It is an impressive ship. Fast engines, a variety of weapons – I also believe that the shield generator is one of the newest models. This is an excellent find, Annie. Congratulations on acquiring a ship of your own!”

Andromeda rolled her eyes and shook her head while trying unsuccessfully to hide a beaming smile. “Andreja, this is our ship. I would have been killed if I tried to come here on my own. We found this together, and it’s as much yours as it is mine.” She hugged her for a brief second. “Thank you for entertaining this at all. You could’ve just as easily said it was a waste of our time.”

“I am glad it turned out this way,” said Andreja. “But I am not sold on the name. Perhaps we should register it under a different name when we return to New Atlantis.”

“Done. And you get to choose it.”

“Are you sure?” frowned Andreja. “That is a big honor, Andromeda. I am not sure I deserve it.”

“Of course you do. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to find the bathroom before my eyes turn yellow.”

She climbed a ladder to the main hab and left Andreja shaking her head in bemusement. After securing the bay door, Andreja followed her up the ladder to see what else the ship had to offer. It was far bigger than the Frontier in all respects, and included a much more spacious living area complete with a second bed. Atop another ladder, she found a small armory with plenty of storage options for spacesuits, boost packs, weapons, and ammunition.

A rattling sound on the deck below caught Andreja’s attention, and she descended the ladder to find Andromeda already bustling about the galley.

“Hungry?”

“A little peckish, yes,” admitted Andreja. “Though I had hoped we could get underway first.”

Andromeda waved her off. “The Lodge can wait. I’m starving.”

“Yes, but we have another stop first.” She stepped over to the navigation table and linked her slate to the computer core. The galactic map zoomed in to a rocky planet it in the Tau Ceti system. “Vladimir’s scans picked up a strong signal on this world. We need to investigate it.”

“Ugh, not more [censored] Artifacts.”

“Andromeda…”

“Yeah yeah yeah, I know. It’s what we do and I’ve already put it off for over a week. We’ll head there after we eat, yeah?” She plopped two formed beef patties into a frying pan, and then she started slicing up a yellow onion. “Do you like patty melts?”

“I am not familiar with them,” said Andreja.

“You’re gonna love it.”

* * *

Frozen Plains, Tau Ceti III, Tau Ceti System

The Razorback handled like a dream compared to the clunky old Discovery class ship that Andromeda had grown used to flying. Powerful port and aft thrusters offered a dexterous maneuverability that she put through the paces by weaving in and out of a small field of asteroids in orbit around Tau Ceti III until her co-pilot began to complain of nauseous feelings. Then she lit up the weapon systems and used the particle cannons and missile launchers to vaporize a few of the rocks before finally touching down on the surface

“Are you finished fooling around?” asked Andreja. “Can we please find what we came here to find?”

“I guess so.” Andromeda fired up the scanning array to have a look around while Andreja started prepping their suits. Once the scan completed, she whistled at the readout. “Goddamn. Are you sure you want to go out there? I’m reading temperatures of minus thirty-seven degrees celsius. You’re liable to see my nipples poking right through my suit.”

“How charming.”

“Admit it; I’m much more fun to pal around with than Vasco or Sarah.”

“I certainly never know what you will say next. Come get suited up.”

Icy snow crunched underfoot after stepping out of the landing bay and onto the lifeless planet. Only the occasional craggy outcrop interrupted their sight-lines as far as the eye could see. Andromeda was pleasantly surprised by how warm she remained in her spacesuit, and even allowed herself a few cursory leaps in the 0.61gs of the small world to enjoy the feeling of near weightlessness.

“What are we looking for this time?”

“I do not know, but Vladimir said the signal from here is much stronger than what he has seen before. He told us to use our handscanners to look for distortions in the display.”

“Scanners it is, then,” said Andromeda. She unhooked from her belt the custom model given to her by Noel and powered it on. It chirruped to life and she held it up, rotating on her feet about two-hundred degrees until an odd static cropped up, warping the user interface. “That way, I think. Something to the southwest is interfering with the readings.”

“I cannot see much over that rise.”

A small hill rose up about two kilometers away, preventing them from see what might lie beyond. It was their only lead, so Andreja took point and headed that direction while Andromeda kept an eye on the scanner readouts. Despite only walking a short way, the interference already began to intensify. When they crested the rise, she put it away entirely after seeing the what waited for them.

Something highly improbable, border lining on impossible.

Standing tall above the freezing rocky plains of Tau Ceti III was the oddest structure either of them had ever seen. Numerous spires soared skywards in a varying array of dizzying heights. There appeared to be a flat shelf of some sort at what Andromeda guessed to be half way up, and freestanding walls encircled the entire thing in a general sort of mishmash. But the strangest part of it all was the familiarity she sensed - and the gravity-defying anomalies floating in the air around it.

“I would say we found our destination,” observed Andreja.

“Yeah, no [censored]. Sorry, didn’t mean that to sound so rude.”

“It is fine. Shall we?”

Andromeda stared at her. “Just like that? We find the weirdest [censored] thing in the Settled Systems and you want to stroll right on up to it?”

“We can stand here and scan it for a few hours if you would like. That is assuredly what Noel or Sarah would do first. But I do not see any signs of danger, and whatever it is bares a resemblance to the Artifacts, which have not proved to be dangerous in any way.”

“That’s because you haven’t picked one up yet,” grumbled Andromeda. “But I get your point. Might as well check it out up close.”

It took longer than they expected to reach due to the treacherous patches of ice exposed by the occasional gust of wind, and once they did neither of them understood what to do next. With nothing else for it, they began walking around the outer edges while Andromeda scanned the metallic walls with little result. The same alloys were indeed present in the Artifacts back at The Lodge, but nothing else about the structure made any sense.

About two-thirds of the way around the perimeter, everything changed. Two walls formed a sort of passageway towards the very center, rising steadily until they met the flat roof-like part far above their heads.

“I guess we go down there?” said Andromeda.

“It would seem so.”

They moved at a deliberate pace should something unexpected happen. Which something did, although it was not what they actually expected. As they neared the center wall, it began to silently shift. Large slabs of the unknown metal retracted up and down to reveal an odd sort of door adorned with flickering lights that resembled the stars in the night sky.

“Uh, soooo that’s weird. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure if we should open the freaky door.”

“Are you not intrigued? I have never seen anything remotely like this in my entire life, Annie. Have you?”

“Hell no.”

“Then we must indeed discover what secrets are held within.”

Andromeda looked at her. And then she looked back at the starry door. To say she felt a measure of trepidation would be a gross understatement, but she also knew that Andreja was right. Like it or not, they were explorers now, and she knew that Sarah would have already barged through this door in wide-eyed wonder.

Funnily enough; that notion gave Andromeda the boost of confidence she needed.

I hope I don’t regret this.

And then she opened the door and stepped inside with Andreja following close behind.

This post has been edited by Kane: Sep 20 2025, 02:43 PM

[Acadian]

Andromeda once again proves that combat is not her forte. Better get used to having a gorgeous partner, Annie. Andreja is way too competent to trade in on an uglier model.

Andromeda’s skills do, however, shine in other areas. First, her empathic talent divines the cowering spacer is not to be trusted - so Andreja can gently decline his offer. Secondly, she computer hacks a way through the remaining station’s defenses.

A new and improved ship! Nice upgrade. No time for more than a couple patty melts though before it’s off to another adventure. This frozen planet reveals some sort of a . . . facility? structure? that just oozes mystery.

[Kane]

Andromeda once again proves that combat is not her forte. Better get used to having a gorgeous partner, Annie. Andreja is way too competent to trade in on an uglier model.

Andromeda’s skills do, however, shine in other areas. First, her empathic talent divines the cowering spacer is not to be trusted - so Andreja can gently decline his offer. Secondly, she computer hacks a way through the remaining station’s defenses.

A new and improved ship! Nice upgrade. No time for more than a couple patty melts though before it’s off to another adventure. This frozen planet reveals some sort of a . . . facility? structure? that just oozes mystery.

It's fun working around her skill set instead of shoehorning her in to a role as a combat savant. She's a city girl who grew up alone behind a computer screen - it's a testament to Constellation's complimentary skills that she's survived this long!

Like many aspects of these quest narratives, I did take some liberties with powering down the base defenses. But it suits her style and is more interesting than writing about further duels with robots and lasers turrets.

The structure in question is referred to as a Temple, and we shall presently see why...

----------------------------------

Fourteen – Atavistic Flux

Mysterious Structure, Tau Ceti III, Tau Ceti System

Nothing in Andromeda’s life could have possibly prepared her for what they found on the other side of that door. Nor Andreja for that matter. A ribbed floor inlaid with disjointed circular carvings spanned out into a wide open room where the walls rose steadily inward to form a perfect hemisphere. Reflected on the curved walls themselves were the stars, dust, and nebulae of the cosmos, luminous and dim, all at the same time. It was utterly captivating.

They stood just inside the vestibule, one step from entering the enormous chamber.

“Wow,” said Andromeda. “I definitely didn’t have this on my bingo card.”

“Wow indeed,” agreed Andreja. “But what is a bingo card?”

“Uh, nevermind. Not important.” Pulling out her scanner again, Andromeda attempted to get a read on whatever they had set foot in, which only added to her bewilderment. “So, apparently there’s breathable atmosphere in here. Somehow. On an airless planet. Because that’s totally normal, right?”

Andreja looked over her shoulder at the readings. The scanner did indeed show a perfectly suitable ratio of nitrogen to oxygen, but she hesitated to remove her helmet all the same.

“What about gravimetric readings?”

“Yeah, those are [censored]. If I’m seeing this right, another step forward and we’ll be in a zero g environment.”

“Hm. In that case, I will follow your lead, Annie.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Andromeda took a deep breath. And then she took a single step. The concept of gravity as she knew it vanished instantaneously, and she began floating upwards towards the center of the room. Using her boostpack to maneuver, she puttered about the vast chamber looking for anything out of the ordinary while Andreja did just the same. This went on for several minutes with little result. About to call it quits, Andromeda cut her thrust to descend when she noticed a faint flickering roughly fifteen meters to her left. She stared intently at it to make sure it wasn’t just a trick of the mind, or a particularly bright star spot on the chamber wall.

“Hey, do you see that, Andreja?” She raised a finger and pointed in the general direction of the distortion. “Some sort of weird light?”

“I see nothing,” said Andreja, joining her side. “Only the stars on the wall.”

“Huh. Weird.”

There was something about it Andromeda couldn’t shake. She drifted slowly towards the silhouette, eyes widening as it coalesced into an array of golden light the closer she came to it. Halting her advance, she checked with Andreja again.

“See it now?”

“There is nothing there, Andromeda. Are you feeling okay?”

How can she not see this? Wondered Andromeda. She reached a tentative hand out and when her gloved extremity passed through the light it grew to a blinding flash and vanished from sight.

“Okay, there is no way you didn’t see that!”

“Where did that flash come from?” said Andreja. “Is that the light you were talking about?”

Andromeda swiveled about to see if anything else had changed when she saw it – another pocket of light on the far side, closer to the ground. “Yeah, and there’s another one over there now. A brighter one.”

She flew towards it in the weightless environment until passing bodily through the light. It burned brightly and then fizzled out once more, but they barely noticed this time. What really caught their attention were the circular bands of metal that lifted free from the center of the floor and began to spin in a manner that closely resembled the Artifacts floating above the display table back at The Lodge.

“Andromeda…”

“Oh, I see it. And I think you and I are under-qualified to be exploring this. Sarah and Noel would be freaking out right about now.”

“Did the light you saw trigger it? Are there more?”

Andromeda surveyed the chamber and saw a third one across the way from where she bobbed up and down. “Over there.”

“I think you should go to it again,” said Andreja. “But wait until I have my scanner ready.”

“You really think that’s a good idea?”

“We must find out what all of this means, Annie.”

“Frankly, I’d rather just go back to my house. But, you’re the boss, Andreja.”

She fired up her boostpack thrusters and coasted over the spinning discs at the chamber’s core while Andreja readied herself. At her partner’s signal, Andromeda soared through the third collection of warm golden light. It flashed and vanished, just how the others had, and a fourth coalesced close at hand. She reached for it and this time a curious sensation passed through her. But before she could think about it, Andreja called out to her.

“Andromeda! The rings!”

Andromeda looked towards the center and the sight mesmerized her. The metal rings that had lifted from the floor after she touched the second light now spun so fast they were barely discernible from one another, and the air around them trilled in an ever-growing cascade of sound that tore through the room, echoing off of the starry walls.

The fifth light awaited her just above the oscillating bands. It seemed to call to her. Andromeda’s boostpack gave a final burst and she coasted gently into it. The spinning rings became a blur that emanated a rising cacophony of noise that might have resembled musical notes in another universe. And then they stopped. A single round ring filled with more golden light rested upright and it pulled in everything around it like moths unto a flame. Including the young woman floating just above.

“Oh, [censored]! Andreja – help me!” Andromeda began to panic. Try as she might, her struggles against the sudden encroachment of gravity were in vain. Even her boostpack did nothing to mitigate the draw. “HELP! ANDREJA, I CAN’T BREAK FREE OF IT!”

But neither could Andreja move in to help her. Whatever underlying force drew Andromeda further into the ring inversely kept her friend at bay, powerless to help. “Annie! Try the overdrive button! Whatever is doing this will not let me approach!”

She thumbed the button labeled ‘MAX’ and the boostpack overdrive fizzled out. Andromeda Renault could do nothing to resist. The collapsing well of gravity drew her into the utmost center of the ring, and her entire existence changed forever. A mysterious cosmic energy flowed around her and the ring in a shimmering haze of infinite specks in a vibrant array of color until they too were pulled inward.

Every molecule in Andromeda’s body cried out in pain as if a white-hot lance were pressed simultaneously into every aspect of her being. Her tortuous screams drowned out even the high pitch droning of the ring while Andreja could only watch in abject horror as the light show finally ended and her friend fell to the ground where she continued to writhe in pain. No further noise escaped her lips, but Andromeda’s entire body contracted in violent spasms until her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell unconscious.

* * *

Villa Renault, Nesoi, Olympus System

Noel hung a new bag of fluids on the IV pole stationed next to the infirmary bed. She flicked the line twice to make sure the liquid flowed unimpeded, and then she started re-calibrating the bio monitor that checked her patient’s vitals three times a minute. Everything read nominal; just as it had for the last six days. Pulse ox at normal levels; heart rate strong. But the EEG scans showed only the barest hint of activity, which worried her the most. Noel often stared at the screen hoping something would change, only to end up more and more worried.

She wasn’t the only one. Andreja remained a permanent fixture at the bedside, double and triple-checking everything that Noel did in case something – anything – may have been missed. Had it been anyone else, this might have thoroughly annoyed her, but Noel recognized the deep guilt lining Andreja’s features. Though no one in Constellation blamed her for what happened, she insisted on shouldering that burden all on her own.

The door to the master bedroom opened, and Sarah entered pushing a small utility cart loaded with supper for the three of them.

“Any change?” she asked for at least the nth time that day.

“None,” replied Noel.

“Are the deep tissue scans consistent?”

“They are. Whatever that thing did to her is permanent. Andromeda’s cellular structure has been fundamentally altered at a level that I can’t even begin to comprehend. There’s no telling what will happen when she wakes up, and she’s probably the most unique human being in the galaxy now.”

Sarah glanced at the monitors and rested a gentle hand on the inert shoulder of Andromeda. Her pale skin felt cold to the touch, despite her body temperature showing a perfect ninety-eight point six degrees fahrenheit.

“She’ll pull through this,” said Sarah, more to herself. “I know she will. Dro is tougher than any of us, even if she doesn’t see it herself.” Sarah pivoted back towards the cart and picked up a platter for Andreja. “Here you go, dear. Vladimir sent some stroganoff in today’s supply run. Eat up.”

“Perhaps later.”

“Andreja, you must keep your strength up. Starving yourself will not pull Andromeda free from this coma. I want you to eat, and then I’d like you to get some fresh air. I will not order you to do those things, but I’m not against it entirely.”

The monitor beeped in the same noncommittal way it had been beeping for nearly week while Andreja studied it momentarily. Her stomach protested loudly and she turned away with a sigh to accept her meal.

“Very well. I will eat outside by the pool. If her condition changes, I expect one of you to come and tell me.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Sarah. “Actually, I think I’ll join you. Noel? You know the drill.”

“I’ll come if something changes,” she promised.

Sarah grabbed a sandwich off the cart and followed Andreja outside into the evening sun of Nesoi. Orange rays of light cascaded brilliantly over the distance mountains painting the illusion of a blazing inferno. She’d only been on Nesoi since shortly after the grim communique from Andreja arrived at The Lodge, but those few days were all Sarah needed to understand why Andromeda had purchased this home and taken a vacation.

This world was beautiful. Wonderfully temperate and teeming with wildlife. Peaceful and withdrawn, yet still near to densely populated star systems. A little slice of paradise for one of the most deserved people Sarah ever had the pleasure of meeting.

“I can see why you had to tear her away from this place, Andreja. A part of me wishes I had the common sense to purchase something like this for myself when I was younger.”

Chewing stoically on her food, Andreja kept silent.

“Look, you mustn’t be so hard yourself for what happened back there. Nobody could have predicted something so… fantastical would’ve occurred. No one blames you for this, Andreja.”

“Perhaps they should.”

“Out of the question.”

“Then you should reconsider the question, Sarah. Andromeda felt uneasy about that place the entire time we were there and before ever set foot inside. Her instincts were correct, and I asked her to ignore them for the sake of exploration and discovery. I am a [censored] friend.”

“That’s enough of that,” said Sarah, firmly. “I know that Andromeda thinks very highly of you and you’d do well to remember that. Any one of us in Constellation would have encouraged further examination of that place – it’s who we are and what we do. When she pulls through this, Dro will need you more than ever, Andreja. And if you think she’ll put any of the blame at your feet than I fear you’ve misjudged her entirely.”

* * *

Beep...beep...beep…

Wispy thoughts threaded themselves elusively throughout her mind. Images of stars, nebulae, planets, moons, rocks, people, flora, fauna – everything and anything that filled the endless expanse of the cosmos buffeting about the exhausted cerebral cortex of a comatose woman who had touched infinity.

Beep...beep...beep…

A metallic clatter echoed in the void. Burbling liquids dripped and flowed through stones relentlessly smoothed flat over distance and time by the unceasing erosion of the natural order. Low vibrations nearly imperceptible to the human ear minutely rattled through a tepid mug of tea casting ripples across the surface like a rock tossed into a lake once smoother than a sheet of glass. The threads of a cotton blouse rubbed against one another, the friction alone enough to burn the sky.

Beep...beep...beep…

And that constant beeping. That constant, goddamn infernal beeping.

Beep...beep...beep…

Actually, the beeping sounded familiar.

Beep…beep...beep…

Where had she heard that before?

Andromeda eye’s opened slowly, blinking away the grogginess of an extended slumber. Noel stood next to a monitor, pressing every button beneath the display, save for the one her patient yearned for her to press the most. It was right there… so tantalizingly withing reach… but her arms felt like they’d been disconnected and placed next to her on the bed. She couldn’t lift them.

Maybe her voice would fare better. She tried for a whimper and the timid noise offered hope, if barely audible. But the effort sapped what little strength she had, and Andromeda drifted back off into sleep.

* * *

This time, darkness had pervaded the world when Andromeda opened her eyes again. The monitor continued to beep away maddeningly, the dim glow of green light from the display illuminating the illusory color of her face in the night. Gentle snoring came from somewhere nearby, the slumberous tenor of rest escaping the nose of whom Andromeda assumed must be Noel. She felt stronger than before, and managed to turn her neck the other way until her gaze fell upon the actual source of the snoring: Andreja.

A content peace stole her features that Andromeda didn’t recognize. She’d never seen a mask of serenity adorning the capable woman with a mysterious past like the one she saw now. It suited her. There was no dark brooding, or deep worry present. Andreja deserved to know that kind of inner peace all the time and Andromeda longed to help her achieve it. When she could get up again that is.

Andromeda’s continued staring (admiring, really) seemed to have stirred up something primal in Andreja’s psyche, for her own eyes snapped open alertly and locked in with Andromeda’s.

“Annie! You are awake! Please do not move, I need to fetch Noel and Sarah!”

“Wait,” muttered Andromeda, uselessly.

Too late. Andreja hurried out of the room and left her with that godawful and incessant beeping sound. But she was only gone for a matter seconds before returning with the other ladies of Constellation in tow. They began fussing over Andromeda; asking far too many questions without waiting for answers. Or listening at all.

Finally, Andromeda had had enough: “Will all of you shut up!” she managed to eke out. They did. Thankfully. “Please shut off that stupid [censored] beeping sound. It’s driving me up the wall.”

“There she is,” giggled Noel. “It’s nice to have you back, Dro.”

“We’ve been worried sick,” said Sarah. “You’ve been in a coma for nearly a week! How are you feeling?”

“Like [censored].” Andromeda felt her eyes drooping again and struggled to keep them open. “I need to sleep.”

“We’ll leave you alone,” said Noel. “Get as much rest as you’d like. Oh, and hang on a sec…” She pressed the mute button on the monitor and the ensuing silence rivaled the most wondrous things Andromeda had ever heard. “That should help. C’mon you two – the patient needs to rest.”

“Hold on,” breathed Andromeda, barely awake. “Andreja… please stay with me.”

She drifted off again into a deep slumber, completely dead to the world.

“Go on,” whispered Andreja. “I will be fine.”

“Okay, just be sure to get some sleep yourself,” said Sarah, “Oh, Andreja? I told you so...”

[Acadian]

Mysterious is right! You really crafted a beautiful but ominous scene in that place, culminating with it snatching Andromeda and working some sort of mojo on her.

Nice insights into Sarah, Andreja and Noel as they all monitored their patient’s week-long coma.

That infernal beeping!

Welcome back, Annie – but we have more questions than answers still.

[Kane]

Can't give up all of the goose at once! Though more answers are on the way...

----------------------------------

Fifteen – Hard Feelings

Villa Renault, Nesoi, Olympic System





Morning came. And then afternoon soon followed. The decorative clock in Andromeda’s sitting room chimed twice and the musical bonging sound it made was enough to finally rouse its owner from bed. Sitting up in the infirmary bed Constellation had wheeled her into her bedroom on, Andromeda rubbed at her dry eyes and yawned. The chair beside her sat empty even though she vaguely remembered Andreja occupying it the last time she woke up.

The monitor caught her attention next. The readout indicated her vitals were all within normal ranges, so she pulled the IV from the pic line in her wrist but left the urine catheter alone. Pulling that out by herself didn’t seem like a good idea. A few cursory stretches later Andromeda was brave enough to attempt standing up, which she even managed to do without falling over.

A further few tentative steps convinced her that the kitchen wasn’t too far away, which was good, seeing as how loudly her stomach protested the lack of anything other than acid in it.

When she shuffled into the kitchen, her ears were immediately met with an audial assault.

“Goodness, Dro – what the hell are you doing out of bed!” exclaimed Sarah and Noel at the same time.

“Nice to see you ladies, too. Hey, where’s -”

“Annie!” came Andreja’s voice from the patio doorway. “I am pleased to see on your feet. Are you comfortable? Should you sit down?”

“I’m fine. Well, no, actually I’m not, but we can get into that later. Where’s lunch?”

“Sit,” insisted Andreja. “I will make you something.”

Andreja bustled about the kitchen while Andromeda took a seat at the table with Sarah and Noel, who continued to watch her every move as if she might suddenly burst into flames, or have a second head sprout from her neck.

“Please stop staring at me you two.”

“Sorry,” said Noel. “It’s just that, um, your body went through so much. Like, so much, Dro.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware. Either of you have any painkillers? My head is [censored] pounding.”

“Another reason why you should still be in bed!” chided Sarah.

“I slept for what? Seven days? Eight? I think I’ll pass.”

Something with an enticing aroma began to sizzle in a skillet. Andreja gave it a stir before pouring fresh coffee into a mug and setting it on the table in front of the patient. Andromeda thanked her profusely and took a cautious sip of the piping hot beverage. She smacked her lips loudly and savored the taste with her eyes closed.

“Mmmm. Wha’cha cooking in there?”

“Breakfast,” said Andreja. “You will need a lot of protein to regain your strength.”

“Smells amazing already.” Andromeda took another sip of coffee and then set her sights on Noel and Sarah. “Just ask, before you explode.”

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. The anticipation was becoming to much, and she had far too many questions and concerns to sit quietly while Andromeda made small talk as if it were just another Tuesday.

“First off; do you feel any different, Dro?”

“You have no idea.”

“Really?” asked Noel. “Can you elaborate on that? Because we ran every conceivable test on you that we could and they all came back the same: your DNA has been radically altered.”

“I know.”

“Y-you know?” stammered Sarah. “And that doesn’t bother you? Something so extreme that it borders on the impossible happened and all you can say is ‘I know’?”

Andromeda shrugged. “I don’t know what you want from me, Sarah.”

“What I want,” said Sarah, “is for you to help us understand it. We’ve all seen the test results but you’re the only one who can tell us how it’s affected you!”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Androm -” Sarah started to protest.

“Sarah, let’s drop it for now,” said Noel. She placed a hand on Sarah’s shoulder before continuing. “She needs time.”

Andromeda sipped a little more from her coffee mug and contemplated her existence. She knew beyond doubt just how different she’d become compared to the friends she sat in her kitchen with. Whatever mysterious force did what it did what it did to her in the Temple – for that’s now what she knew it was – on Tau Ceti III made it plainly obvious in her mind. And she had no clue on where to even begin trying to explain it.

With immaculate timing, Andreja offered a perfect distraction by setting down plate topped with the biggest omelet Andromeda had ever seen.

“Four eggs, peppers, onion, bacon, sausage, and cheese. Eat up, Annie.”

“There’s no way I’m eating all of this. You know that, right?”

“We shall see,” smiled Andreja.

Noel’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. “Alright, I’ve got a different question…”

“Lay it on me,” Andromeda mumbled around a mouthful of food.

“Ugh. Swallow first next time,” said Noel. Andromeda gestured her on by oscillating her fork while she chewed away. “How come Andreja gets to call you ‘Annie’ and no one else does?”

“Do you think that’s an argument I’m going to win with her?”

“Well, I guess not. No offense, Andreja, but you can be very stubborn sometimes.”

“No apologies are necessary, Noel. I am comfortable with who I am.”

Sarah, Noel, and Andreja continued to chat and gossip while Andromeda ate voraciously. But as her stomach filled up and the omelet dwindled on her plate, she felt her eyes start to droop again. Once she’d eaten her fill, Andromeda rested an elbow on the table and tried her damnedest to finish her coffee and chime in on the conversations around her. It didn’t last, and she dozed off within moments resulting in her forehead thunking onto the tabletop.

* * *

Morning came again, just as it ought to, and this time Andromeda awoke shortly after sunrise. Noel was futzing with her IVs again and after a short argument with her patient, she agreed to remove the catheter so that Andromeda could go take a shower. The blissful shower attached to her master bedroom was the first thing she’d torn apart after moving in, and it no longer had a built-in timer like the one at The Lodge that frustratingly turned itself off during her steaming soaks. Her stiff muscles felt amazingly better after a solid thirty minutes had passed, most of which she spent sitting on the floor with her legs curled in tight to her chest.

They’re gonna think I’m a freak, she thought to herself. Like the worst kind of mad scientist experiment.

Andromeda had slept fitfully, her tired mind full of awful dreams and worrisome thoughts such as those. She owed her friends, Andreja especially, an explanation but had no idea where to start. Or how to find the courage in the face of fear. The images of delight and relief on Andreja’s face when she saw Andromeda shimmy into the kitchen yesterday floated to the front of her mind, and it strengthened her resolve ever so slightly.

She deserves to hear it first.

Finally stepping out of the bathroom, Andromeda tossed aside the gown Noel left out for her and instead put on a white camisole and a pair of stretchy workout pants. No reason to not be comfortable in her own house after all.

When she entered the kitchen again it was not to eat.

“Andreja?”

“Yes?”

“Can we take a walk?”

“Of course we can.”

She got up and poured her tea into an empty TerraBrew cup and followed Andromeda outside to the patio. Andreja initially had some concerns about going too far from the house, but her companion appeared to be getting on just fine while they descended the steps towards the landing area and lost themselves among the trees. Five minutes into their silent stroll, Andromeda stopped in a clearing and took a seat in the dirt.

“This is far enough,” she panted. “And it may have been too far. You might need to help me back.”

“Just rest for a while, Annie. There is no hurry to get back.”

Andreja sat down across from her and waited patiently. If Andromeda had to put a finger on what she appreciated the most about Andreja, it would be that sage patience she always seemed to carry with her, and how it perfectly complimented her own impulsiveness.

But here they sat now, alone and away from the fretters. And, thankfully, Andreja saved her from furthering the awkward silence induced by Andromeda’s rising self-doubt.

“We have not known each other for very long, Annie, but this reserved version of yourself that you are presenting does not suit you. I know you have much to say, so please do so before you implode.” She leaned forward and grabbed Andromeda’s hands in her own, squeezing them gently. “No matter what you say, I would never think less of you.”

Tears sprang to the corner of Andromeda’s eyes. “I, um. Andreja, that’s… Um. Look, can I hug you? Please?”

“Annie, you are my friend. This is the one of those times where you do not have to ask.”

The tears coursed down her cheeks and dampened the soft fabric draped over Andreja’s toned shoulders. They stayed like that, together, for a long time while Andromeda cried out a lot of pent up emotions over the entire ordeal. It was the first time Andreja had ever found herself in such a situation and she did her best to comfort the person she realized was growing to be someone much more than a friend. Andreja felt in those moments that she would have stayed there to comfort Andromeda forever and a day, if necessary.

Though that amount of time ended up not being needed on this occasion.

Andromeda pulled back and sat up straight. After wiping her eyes, she gently placed a hand on Andreja’s cheek.

“Thank you for being here. And thank you for worrying about my well-being. It felt like Sarah only cared about what changed and not how it made me feel. Noel, too, but to a lesser degree.”

“They mean well,” said Andreja. “Though I do think they sometimes get too wrapped up in their theories. But they also are not wrong, Annie. You do need to tell us what has happened to you.”

“I know, I know,” said Andromeda. “It’s just that… I-I don’t even know where to begin.”

It was the honest truth. She had no idea how to articulate what being pulled into those accursed rings meant and how everything had changed. How to describe what she saw; what she felt. And, in the end, the thing Andromeda remembered the most was the pain. The agony.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she tried anyway. “Imagine… imagine your mind being everywhere. All at once. And maybe… I don’t know… everywhen, too? Is that a word. If not, it sure as [censored] should be.” She paused for a second with a far away look in her eyes. “Imagine touching all of reality in an instant, and having it touch you back. Having it invade your mind, your spirit, and alter what you are irrevocably. Imagine all that and being powerless to resist.”

“I do not wish to,” shuddered Andreja. “No one should have to experience such horrible things. You do not have to say anymore on the matter of you do not want to.”

“It’s fine,” shrugged Andromeda. “Gonna have to tell Sarah and Noel eventually, or they’ll never leave.”

“Hah, very true,” chuckled Andreja. “Would you like to stay here a while longer?”

“No, we can go back. I’m starving. One more thing before we do go…”

“Yes?”

“I need to show you what that place did to me, not just how it felt.” Andromeda got shakily to her feet with Andreja and steadied herself with a few deep breaths. “Sorry. Still get winded easily. Gimme a sec.”

She moved a few feet away from Andreja and turned until she was facing the trees and undergrowth at the edge of the small clearing. Andromeda closed her eyes and focused on the knowledge she’d been given by the Temple. The power. She imagined the purity of gravity in all its natural power to bring order in chaos. And then she raised her hands in a manner that one would use to push away an impeding object and she focused on the inverse effect of that base force of nature.

Andreja could only watch in captivated amazement at the expulsion of energy that erupted from seemingly nowhere and uprooted several trees with the unrelenting force of it.

“Andromeda… How…”

“I don’t have a [censored] clue. But from the moment I woke up, I knew exactly how to do it.” She swayed on her feet and her eyes began to lose focus from the effort. “Whoa. Maybe should’ve waited until I regained some more strength.”

Andromeda sank down to one knee as Andreja rushed to her side and steadied her. “Can you make it back? Should I call Sarah and Noel to come help.”

“Um. Yeah.”

Exhaustion won out again and Andromeda collapsed into her friend’s arms.

* * *

She woke up on the couch this time, and the clock told her that only three hours had passed, which was quite the improvement. Voices drifted in from outside and when she stained her ears to listen to what sounded like an argument. Andromeda sat up and was about to see what was going on when she noticed the glass of water and the medpack on her coffee table.

At least someone is listening to me, she thought as she gulped the water down and used the medpack to dull the throbbing pain in her head.

Getting to her feet felt far easier this time, and she nearly effortlessly made her way outside to the pool deck. Sarah, Noel, and Andreja were standing around ten meters away, and seemed to be fiercely debating something.

“Hey, what’s going on you three?”

“Dro!” said Sarah. “How are you feeling? Andreja told us what happened! And what the two of you spoke about!”

At this point, Noel stepped away from the others and hugged Andromeda. “I’m sorry if we came off as callous earlier, Dro. You’re health is absolutely more important than anything else.”

“I apologize, too, Andromeda,” Sarah added. “But in light of recent events I’m afraid I must insist that you return to The Lodge with us as soon as possible. There is much to talk about. The implications alone...”

Andromeda had been dreading that. She knew it was coming eventually after all that transpired since she and Andreja set out for the Tau Ceti system, and she’d been rehearsing exactly how this conversation needed to go ever since she regained consciousness. Nothing about it was going to be easy, and she steeled herself for a drawn out discussion on whether or not she was being selfish. She hoped beyond reason that Andreja would understand, even if the others did not.

“Sarah, I’m not going back,” Andromeda stated firmly. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t!” exclaimed Sarah. “Dro, after all that’s happened, you have to come back so that we can figure this all out!”

“No. I’m done. Consider this my resignation. I’m tired of being shot at and stabbed; tired of being attacked by nutjobs in spaceships; and I’m tired of not being in control of my own fate. I didn’t ask for any of this. Picking up that stupid [censored] hunk of metal on Vectera was the worst decision I ever made. I’m going to live my life the way I want to from now on and the Universe can go [censored] itself. And if you can’t understand my perspective on this, then I think it’s time for you to leave.”

Sarah’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times while she tried articulate her thoughts. In the end, much to Andromeda’s chagrin, she let her disappointment win out. “I expected more from you, Ms. Renault.” Without another word, she left the pool deck and headed back down to the Frontier.

Andromeda wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. Noel had an odd look on her face. Andreja’s was unreadable. Their combined silence unnerved her. “I’m sorry. But I can’t.”

“It’s alright, hon,” sighed Noel. “None of us can hope to understand what you’re going through right now. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but it is your life. It should be in your hands.” She hugged Andromeda again, more tightly this time. “Take care of yourself, Dro. And keep in touch – no reason we have to be strangers.”

“Thanks, Noel. And I will.”

Noel followed Sarah down to the ship, leaving Andromeda alone with the one person she hoped would empathize with her beyond all others. Andreja still hadn’t spoken, but she could feel the roiling emotions battling within. She didn’t understand – not completely, anyway – but she did respect Andromeda’s resolve on the matter. And her need for independence.

“I did not expect this of you, Andromeda. You should go inside and rest.”

Andreja left her side and headed down to the ship, leaving a confused and despondent young woman in her wake.

Completely crushed by how things ended, Andromeda sat down in the nearest chair and sobbed while the roar of engine thrusters drowned out everything else as the Frontier lifted itself above the trees and soared up through the atmosphere and lost itself to the vast distances of space.

[Acadian]

’If Andromeda had to put a finger on what she appreciated the most about Andreja, it would be that sage patience she always seemed to carry with her, and how it perfectly complimented her own impulsiveness.’
- - This is really well-put and fully based in what you have shown us to date.

Uprooting trees? Something tells me that is only a glimpse at what Andromeda can do. Wow.

As her friends leave Andromeda alone in her isolated house, I wonder what she will do now?

[Kane]

Acadian: For now, that expression of force is all she's learned. But there is a lot more power out there waiting to be discovered...

=========================

Sixteen - Back in the Saddle

Villa Renault, Nesoi, Olympus System

For a moment, only the saddened cries of Andromeda Renault could be heard mingling with the rustling trees surrounding her empty home. Her friends were gone, including the one whom she thought for sure would have stayed by her side no matter what, especially after all they went through together.

And then she heard footsteps. Desperate to not be alone, Andromeda stared hungrily at those same concrete stairs Andreja had only just followed Sarah and Noel down. The click-clack of heeled boots drew closer and closer, and she could scarce get her hopes up. Andromeda blinked away the tears blurring her vision, and there she was: Andreja crested the final step with a large duffle bag slung over her shoulder that swung back and forth with each footfall.

Andromeda practically tackled her in an embrace filled with unrestrained relief. “Andreja! I thought you’d left with the others!”

Letting the bag fall to the patio floor, Andreja returned the hug. “What kind of friend would I be if I left you here to deal with this alone? I will not pretend to understand your decision, but I will certainly an effort to.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” laughed Andromeda. “Uh, what’s in the bag?”

“The rest of my belongings. Sarah was kind enough to grant me a leave of absence. Is it okay if I stay in the guest bedroom?”

“It’s yours. Help yourself to anything you’d like.”

“Thank you, Annie. Do you feel up to relaxing with a drink?”

“Relaxing? Yes. Drink? No thanks.” Andromeda sat back down in her chair feeling infinitely happier about the prospect of staying at home for a while. But she also felt tired. Again. “Sorry, but I’m still so drained. Go settle in… I think I’m due for another nap.

Andreja patted her gently on the shoulder and then she picked up her bag and disappeared into the house. She was only gone long enough to unpack some clothes and toiletries, but when Andreja came back outside onto the pool deck, she found Andromeda snoring away under the warm sun.

The glistening clear waters of the swimming pool looked very inviting. Figuring she would have some time to herself and that she’d have to get accustomed to the idea of relaxation, Andreja stripped down to her underwear and slid into the deepest part of the pool. After a few cursory laps, she wrestled Andromeda’s lone inflatable raft and tethered it to the ladder nearest her sleeping host should she wake up and need anything.

Unbeknownst to Andreja, the enchanting sun of the Olympus System would soon work its magic on her too, and she dozed off while floating in the pool.

* * *

An hour later, Andromeda woke up with a yawning stretch. She got to her feet and was about to head inside when the sight of Andreja gently bobbing along on top of the calm water made her do a double-take. In the time they’d known each other, she’d never seen the woman embracing the idea of simply doing nothing. Curious to see how long that would last, Andromeda walked over to the poolside and sat down with her feet dangling into the water.

Being exactly who she was, it didn’t take her long to start appreciating the more physical traits of Andreja. Remarkably fit, Andromeda couldn’t ever remember seeing such a flat and toned belly. And while she may have been lacking in cup size compared to Andromeda, Andreja definitely made up for it with the soft curves of a rear-end that had already distracted Andromeda enough in a dangerous situation to get her arm hacked up by a sword.

Biting her lip, Andromeda closed her eyes and shook her head. Get a hold of yourself. Nothing good will come from getting all torqued up. Then her stomach growled in protest of not having anything to eat at all so far that day, which proved to be the perfect distraction. Knowing that Andreja could still use some peace and quiet, Andromeda wandered inside to the kitchen without waking her up. There was still plenty of food from Constellation in the fridge but nothing really jumped out at her. In the end, she pulled out a dish with what she guessed contained carbonara and tossed it into the microwave.

The pasta tasted divine. Asking who made it and why they only sent one portion was the first thing she’d be talking to sleeping beauty about whenever she moseyed back inside the house from her afternoon snooze. She twirled the noodles on her spoon taking great care to not miss any pieces of crispy pancetta and savored every forkful until the bowl ran dry.

“I hope you saved some for me,” said Andreja.

Startled by her silent arrival, Andromeda glanced up and shot her a guilty smile while sucking in the last noodle.

“Um. About that…”

“I am just teasing you, Annie,” she giggled. “I tried some of Barrett’s pasta yesterday. The eggs did not sit right with me.”

“Barrett made this? He needs to send more.” She took a drink of water and pushed the empty bowl aside. “Can I get you something?”

“No, thank you. There is still some of Vladimir’s stroganoff in the fridge. I will heat that up.”

She took Andromeda’s bowl and set it in the sink before popping her own dinner into the microwave. One minute later she was sitting across from her now jobless friend, wondering what the plan going forward would be.

“If you do not mind me asking… what will you do with yourself now, Annie?”

Andromeda shrugged. “I haven’t really thought that far ahead. And, to be honest, I don’t know when I’ll even feel up to anything else. Every time I get up and do something I get exhausted.”

“Then the first thing we will do is physical therapy. The pool will work wonders for that. I will have you back to your old self in about a week.”

A dark look passed over Andromeda’s features and it did not go unnoticed. She got up and left the kitchen without a word or a backwards glance. Andreja set her fork down and went right after her, trying to figure out what caused the abrupt change in her behavior. She must have been feeling better after a nap and a meal because Andromeda moved so fast that Andreja almost couldn’t find where she had gone to. The bedroom and bathroom were both empty and she was about to head outside when she noticed a sliver of light through the doorway leading down to the basement.

Andromeda sat on the floor in the corner, wiping her eyes on a tissue. Recognizing that sometimes words are not needed, Andreja simply sat down next to her and offered a shoulder to lean on. They stayed that way for a while, until Andromeda cleared her throat.

“I didn’t thank you earlier,” she sniffled. “For staying with me even though I’m a goddamn mess.”

“You do not have to thank me. Although I am sorry if I said something hurtful just before.”

“It’s fine. You didn’t. I’m just… I don’t know.”

“Do not worry about explaining yourself. Sometimes the things we feel cannot be articulated so easily. And I am sure there are a great many emotions you are grappling with right now.”

“Yeah. I guess.” Andromeda blew her nose into another tissue and tossed it away. “Y’know, you’re awfully wise for being as young as we are.” She sat up straight and sighed deeply, staring blankly at the carpeted floor. “I’m not the same person anymore and I’m still trying to accept that. Please, just bear with me for a while.”

“Not the same pers - oh. I understand now what upset you in the kitchen. I apologize, Annie.”

“Forget it. You couldn’t have known.”

“I can still be sympathetic. Now, come back upstairs and rest on the couch while I finish eating. We can spend the evening inside with a book, or maybe listen to some music.”

“Okay,” sighed Andromeda. “Um. Can we just can talk instead?”

“Always.”

* * *

The next ten days went by in a tiring blur. Every morning at sunrise Andreja dragged Andromeda out of bed for a light breakfast followed by an ever increasing amount of laps around her swimming pool. And by mid morning, it was usually time for a nap. After a week of this had passed, Andromeda began to think her home was becoming less and less desirable to stay at. But on that tenth day those feelings of annoyance evaporated in an instant when Andreja pointed out something obvious.

Andromeda had finished her laps and continued splashing around the cool waters without a second thought.

“Well now,” said Andreja, cracking a coy smile. “You seem to be no worse for the wear! I would say this has gone swimmingly, yes?”

“Oh god,” groaned Andromeda. “That was awful.” She turned over and kicked her feet violently, which had the desired effect of splashing water all over Andreja. “There, that’ll help wash away the stench of that terrible pun.”

“It was no more terrible than some of the jokes you have subjected me to.” Andreja wicked some of the water away from her eyes and then clambered out of the pool. “Dry off and meet me inside for lunch, Annie. I think it is time to discuss what comes next.”

Following her out of the water, Andromeda stripped off her bikini and draped it over a chair to dry in the sun before picking up a plush towel and patting herself down. She tied the towel around her waist and headed inside. A cold drink sounded enticing, so she stopped by the kitchen for glass of lemonade on the way to her bedroom.

That also happened to be where Andreja had chosen to sit and wait for her. She rolled her eyes and chided Andromeda’s lack of clothing once again.

“Annie, can you please make yourself decent?” she asked while averting her gaze. “Serpent preserve me, I swear you are naked more often than not!”

“Still my house and still my rules. You should try it sometime. It’s very freeing.”

“I think I will pass on that offer.”

“Suit yourself,” shrugged Andromeda. “Back in a sec.” Andromeda left the kitchen and did indeed return in short order with a satin bathrobe draped over her figure that barely disguised the parts of her body that made Andreja blush. “So, what’s for lunch?”

“Business first. How do you plan to earn credits without the aid of Constellation?”

“No [censored] clue. I thought about putting my cyber skills to use, but that would mean stepping back into the seedy underworld of crime - organized or otherwise. And after being on the straight and narrow for the last few months, it’s been sorta nice not having to worry about bounties, or looking over my shoulder on the streets. Got any ideas?”

“Plenty. But, similar to your own ideas, not all of them are legal.”

“Andreja!” gasped Andromeda. “You never told me you strayed on the wrong side of the law in the past! This changes everything!”

“Did I not? Well, I was heavily involved in smuggling for a few years. However, I do not wish to return to that lifestyle, so we must find you a more honest way to make a living.”

“I knew I liked you for a reason, you rapscallion.”

At this point, Andromeda started feeling the first doubts about leaving Constellation creeping into her thoughts. Her work there had been honest and with good people at her side. She still had Andreja (which mattered more than anything else), but now life felt aimless. And the brief flirtations Andromeda had had with exploring planets was more enticing than she expected.

Andreja seemed to be having similar thoughts.

“I have an idea, Annie,” she began. “But I would preface this by asking that you hear me out entirely before jumping to conclusions.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Your whimsical expressions confuse me sometimes. How can one be all ears? Nevermind.” She cleared her throat in something approaching a nervous manner. “How about we visit The Eye and speak to Vladimir. No one at The Lodge needs to know,” she added, quickly, “and he can point us to paying work. There are often survey missions available and Vladimir has access to them from the station.”

Andromeda breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, Andreja! I’m in. It sounds peaceful, and we get to explore the stars together. What more can a girl ask for?”

“You are? Just like that? I thought for sure you might object to being anywhere near Jemison…”

“Nah. It’s not like I hate the place. I just… I can’t deal with all that Artifact bullshit right now. It’s too much.”

“I understand. We can prep the ship to leave this afternoon and head out tomorrow morning. Oh, that reminds me - I think I have found a good name for the Razorleaf.”

“Really? Good, because I haven’t given it any thought at all. Lay it on me.”

“The Verity of Fate.”

This post has been edited by Kane: Oct 11 2025, 01:40 PM

[Acadian]

So Andreja was just gone long enough to get her things. She really has become a reliable friend.

After a week of good food and remedial pool training, both ladies are ready to go . . . somewhere. Andreja’s gig sounds reasonable for now and I’m glad Andromeda’s up for it as they prepare . . . The Verity of Fate for new adventures!

Looking forward to learning more of Dro's new powers. That will be on the fly though it seems.

[Kane]

Seventeen �" Pieces of the Past

The Eye, Jemison, Alpha Centauri System

The docking tunnel locked in with the station’s mooring clamps and the airlock panel lit up green confirming that everything pressurized properly. Andromeda peered hesitantly through the porthole with a nervousness concerning whom she would bump into on the other side. Andreja had assured her over and over that Vladimir would not hold her decision to step away from Constellation against her and that he’d gladly offer them the work they sought. Her placating only helped so much.

Andreja made the choice for Andromeda by mashing her fist against the airlock release button and cycling the chamber to force them through it and onto The Eye. Barrett awaited them just inside.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in!” he said, greeting them with a warm smile and kind eyes. “How you doing, Dro? Did the recovery go okay?”

“Um. Hi, Barrett. Yeah, Andreja helped me.”

“Glad to hear it! So, what brings you two to our humble home in the sky?”

“We are here to see Vladimir,” said Andreja. “Credits are hard to come by honestly but I know that he always has survey work accumulating on his plate. What brings you here, Barrett?”

“Ol’ Vlad needed help parsing a few petabytes of deep scan data. Been a long few nights already.” He gestured towards the central hab and they followed him in towards the control room. “Can I get you ladies anything? Food? Drink?”

“No, thank you,” said Andreja.

Andromeda followed them into the control room and returned a nod from Vladimir. The old man must’ve recognized the look on her face that practically shouted ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ because he jumped right into a hearty exchange of pleasantries with Andreja instead, while Barrett sat back down and resumed his data trawl. Taking a seat at a small table along the outer wall, she sat and waited until she was needed. That turned out to be sooner than she expected, and Vladimir joined her only a few minutes later with three slates bundled together by an elastic band.

“So, Andreja tells me she whipped your body back into shape,” he began. “But I always have to preach wellness of the mind to the rooks. How are you holding up in the head, Andromeda?”

That didn’t take long, thought Andromeda. With a weary sigh, she reached out empathically and probed at the fringes of Vladimir’s mind only to be met with genuine concern. At least he’s honest.

“I’m not holding up, Vladimir. I don’t even - “

“You don’t owe me an explanation, rook. I can tell it’s nothing you wish to speak of, and so we won’t. Just be careful out there, yes? And look after Andreja for me. She needs to catch a smile more often and I see her do so in your company.”

The old man made to leave, but Andromeda wanted to ask him something first. “Vladimir?”

“Yes?”

“You always speak of ‘rooks’ and whatnot. Isn’t that pirate talk?”

“Aye, it is indeed. Used to run with the Crimson Fleet until Mistress Time caught up with me. Retired many years ago and lucked into helping Constellation to stave off the boredom.”

“The Crimson Fleet? Seriously? I didn’t know you could retire from them.”

“Most don’t; but that’s only because they are reckless and end up pushing daisies. The smart ones hide their credits until they get out.”

“Interesting,” said Andromeda. “Well, I’m glad you get to enjoy retirement, Vladimir. And thank you for being cool about us coming here for work. Maybe don’t mention it to Sarah, though? She wasn’t exactly thrilled with me the last time we saw each other.”

“My lips are sealed. Can’t say the same for Barrett, though.”

* * *

The Verity of Fate, Alpha Centauri System

With opportunity in-hand, Andromeda and Andreja departed The Eye and fired up the engines with the latter at the helm. Andromeda took the navigator’s chair for this jump and had begun inputting the coordinates to Vega II-a: an icy moon in the Vega system near the edge of charted space. It seemed odd to survey a lifeless ball of snow and rock, but she was still new to realms of science and exploration. Still…

“What’s the point of gathering data on a moon like this, Andreja?”

“I am not entirely certain. Typically it it just to gather information on geophysical features so that they can be added to a database and compared against other such moons and planets. Vladimir says it also helps him weed out false positives in his deep space scans, but that is analysis at a level far above my comprehension.”

“So, we land the ship and walk around with our scanners out until we freeze our asses off? Sounds great.”

“That was sarcasm again, yes?”

“Big time.”

“I thought so. In that case, it is why we are going there first. I have researched our first two destinations and our follow-up visit to Eridani II will be much more pleasant. Teeming with life, wonderfully temperate, safe water, and a robust magnetosphere. That is a place where we shall truly be explorers.”

“Always knew you were a romantic at heart,” giggled Andromeda. “Although I have to admit… that does sound lovely. Whaddya say we get this iceball out of the way?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

The grav drive spooled up while they spoke and Andreja punched the button to initiate it.

* * *

Frozen Hills, Vega II-a, Vega System

Vega II-a was indeed bone biting cold, just as Andromeda predicted. Their spacesuits mainly kept it bay, but no amount of protection was ever complete, and despite the built in radiant heat, she still felt her teeth chattering on occasion while hiking up and down slippery, craggy slopes in the name of science.

Walking about with her homebrewed scanner at the ready, Andromeda crested a rise and surveyed the moonscape. Ice. Rocks. And over there? More ice and more rocks. Occasionally the readout would denote a mineral of significance, such as copper, or the oddly sporadic pocket of frozen water-ice. But mostly it was just rock. And ice. It was pretty to look at, but Andromeda’s enjoyment of the survey mission stopped there. Had Andreja been closer at hand, she would have surveyed her instead, but they stayed about fifty meters apart to cover more ground between them.

Andromeda paused for a moment to smack the side of her scanner. Damn thing had been twitchy since they arrived, and she had plans to overhaul more to her liking before they made it to Eridani II. Even if that meant staying put for the rest of the day. At least the ship will be warm…

Static crackled in her ear, followed by the voice of Andreja: “Do you have a fix on my location, Annie?”

Her screen cut out and came back on after a hearty thump. “Yeah, I read you at fifty-seven meters west by southwest.”

“Excellent. Come join me. I believe I have found what we are looking for.”

“Thank [censored]. I don’t know how much longer this piece of [censored] scanner Noel gave me will hold up.”

“Noel?” Andreja trailed off for a couple of seconds. “Flip it over. Is there a horned creature scratched into the case on the back?”

“Er, yeah, actually. How’d you know?”

“Jinan’s pants. That is my old scanner and I threw it in the recycler months ago. Noel must have fished it out and tried to repair it. Toss it away and leave it to die in the ice. We will get you a better scanner the next time we go to a settled world.”

Andromeda wanted to focus on the strange colloquialism Andreja had just used so casually, but her mind dwelt on the scanner instead. It was a piece of her friend’s past that she knew so little about. Another connection to the tall woman she continuously became more and more smitten with.

Disregarding Andreja’s advice, she powered it down and hung it from her utility belt to tinker with later. “On my way.”

A fairly tall hill covered in what else but ice and snow stood between the two of them. It spanned far more than fifty-seven meters in each direction, so it looked like Andromeda would be hiking over it to regroup with Andreja. She made her way to the base of it and called up the backlit suit functions display on her left arm and selected climbing mode. Spiked cleats sprung from the bottom of her boots. She grabbed the climbing picks from her belt just in case she slipped, and began her ascent up the slippery slope. The going was slow for the first few steps until Andromeda settled into a routine and became more confident that she wouldn’t misstep and tumble painfully towards the bottom. Before long, she came to the top and the what she saw left her breathless.

The star of Vega had just begun to rise over the far horizon, its brilliant blue-white rays nearly blinding her as they cascaded over the atmosphere-less moon her and Andreja stood upon. The ice and hard-packed snow glistened and sparkled in the morning sunlight as if a field of diamonds had suddenly sprouted from the bedrock beneath.

“Andreja… are you seeing this?”

“I am. Magnificent, is it not? There is untold beauty in every corner of the universe, Annie.”

“I think I’m starting to believe that.” Andromeda took a seat on the ground and continued to watch the sunrise while hoping her ass wouldn’t freeze solid. The view was utterly captivating. “Andreja, do you mind scanning whatever you found without me? I’d like to sit here for a bit.”

“Of course. Meet me back at the ship when you are done.”

“Thanks. You’re the best. Dunno what I would do without you in my life.”

There was a brief pause, and then: “I think we need to have a conversation when we return to the ship. I will begin scanning this outcropping.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yes,” said Andreja. “I did not mean to worry you. Take your time, Annie �" I know you have a lot on your mind.”

The helmet mics cutout with a clip of static leaving Andromeda alone with her thoughts atop the hillock. Vega rose slowly into prominence as light washed over the once dark landscape of the moon’s surface while she sat there staring blankly off into space. She looked at her hand, and then held it forward to release another anti-gravity push that rocketed a scree of ice and stone out over the ground below.

Wish I knew why this had to happen to me, she thought. Hm… maybe it can be useful in a fight…

She hoped there wouldn’t many more fights but Andromeda saw the naivety of that ideal. It felt to her that Pirates, Spacers, Ecliptic, and who knows what else lurked behind every star, every planet, and every moon; all waiting to take advantage of the weak. She hated it. Hated the constant feelings of danger every time she’d set foot somewhere those dreadful miscreants had staked a claim, or decided to raid for parts and supplies. Hated pointing her gun at them and feeling the panic set in their minds in those final seconds.

Andromeda also wanted to hate her empathic abilities, but couldn’t bring herself to do so. They offered too much insight with those around her that mattered. A window into the soul that allowed her to help her friends. And it felt like a warm blanket that smothered her fears when she felt how staunchly Andreja fought to protect her, or when she bandaged her up the way she had in the Mantis’ Lair.

Then her mind snapped back to reality and she glanced at her watch. “[censored]!” Nearly two hours had passed since she sat down, and the star of Vega had risen high above her. “Andreja, I’m sorry; I’m coming!” she said into her mic. “I lost track of time.”

“It is fine, Andromeda. I fixed us some lunch. Come join me.”

She sprinted back to the ship, dashed up the ramp and raised it, bobbing impatiently on her feet while waiting for the air to cycle back in. The pressure seal lamp turned from red to green and she pulled off her suit and hung it on a hook next to Andreja’s. A touch of cold from the airless moon beyond the ship clung to their landing bay causing goosepimples to rise on her exposed skin. She climbed the ladder in a hurry and breathed a sigh of relief when the warm air of the main hab washed over her.

Still shivering slightly, Andromeda headed over to her bed and pulled on pants, and slipped a jacket over her shoulders. She debated wearing a shirt, but decided the form-fitting top of her undersuit was good enough for now, despite its habit of not hiding the contours of her body.

She headed into the next hab and found Andreja waiting for her at the dining table with two patty melts and glass of red wine for each of them.

“Mm, smells great! When did you learn how to cook that?”

“It was not hard,” Andreja waved idly. “Watching you last time was instruction enough.” Andreja sipped from her glass and glanced at her friend briefly before looking away. “Must you always dress so indecently?”

“You’re adorable when you blush, Andreja,” winked Andromeda. “I can’t help myself.” She probed Andreja’s feeling just in case and was relieved to detect nothing more than a touch of appetency. And a heavy dose of confusion, which did concern Andromeda somewhat. I shouldn’t keep teasing her like this. It’s not fair. Setting her burger down, she got up and excused herself. “Be right back!”

“Everything alright, Annie?” Andreja called after her.

“Yup!” She yanked the jacket off and instead put on a loose-fitting sweater that fell halfway down her thighs. Seconds later, she sat back down at the table and took another bit of her lunch. “Mmph. Sorry. I was still feeling a little chilly.”

Andreja raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh really?” She grinned. “And here I thought you just enjoyed showing off.”

Taking a drink from her glass, Andromeda winked at her. “There is that. So, what did you wanna talk about?”

Andreja set down her lunch and stared pensively out of the porthole by their table. There was much she wanted to share, but a lot of things about her past gave her pause. Very few people in the Settled Systems knew who she really was and from where she came. She kept that information tight to her chest in fear of becoming an outcast. A pariah. But with how close she and Andromeda were becoming, the idea of keeping secrets appalled her, especially since her friend was such an open book.

She silently wrestled with the idea of baring all for a handful of minutes, until it occurred to her that she worried more about what Andromeda’s reaction would be, rather than the idea of telling her at all. That realization shined a light on the dark nook where the courage she sought lay hidden.

“I have told you am I not one to discuss my past, and yet… I find myself increasingly compelled to do so, to make sense of myself.”

“Andreja, You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the reassurance, but I would like to try.” She thought for a second about exactly how much should be divulged, and quickly decided there would be no secrets with Andromeda. “I… I am from House Va’ruun.”

There it was. There was no going back now. Everyone in the Settled Systems lived in fear of her people and another recurrence of the Serpent’s Crusade. Few events in galactic history had ever been so dark, and so bloody. Would the idea of sharing a meal, let alone a ship �" or her own home �" with someone like Andreja frighten off Andromeda? Would this be the end of their friendship, knowing now who the woman with the mysterious past she befriended truly was.

To her surprise, Andreja’s fears had been for naught, and she’d underestimated her friend once again.

Andromeda swallowed a mouthful of food and smiled at her. “Yeah, no [censored].” She dabbed at a bit of frisco sauce on her lip with a napkin and chuckled. “That’s what you were so worked up about?”

“I… well… yes. Yes, it was. And yet I do not know why I surprised by this reaction.”

“Probably because it’s weighed on you for a long time,” observed Andromeda. “Can you pass the salt?”

“Pass the salt?” asked Andreja blankly. “Just like that, you are ready to move on? I share something that would frighten most people �" make them run for the hills, even. And you say ‘pass the salt’ without a care in the world?”

“You’re still you, Andreja. Knowing that doesn’t change what I think or feel about you, nor does it make me worry about being murdered in my sleep. You are someone I care for deeply and I love that you also care enough about me to have shared that. So, you’re from House Va’ruun? Big whoop. I’m a hacker from Neon with a criminal record who’s on Benjamin Bayu’s shortlist of people to [censored] over with extreme prejudice. Just don’t try to convert me and nothing about our relationship needs to change.”

Andreja passed her the salt. “You never cease to amaze me, Andromeda. Truly, you are a special person.”

“No, I’m a weirdo with superpowers and altered DNA. But I’ll take it.”

[Acadian]

’With a weary sigh, she reached out empathically and probed at the fringes of
Vladimir’s mind only to be met with genuine concern. At least he’s honest.’
- - I love Annie’s empathic abilities and, once again, they prove their value.

”And look after Andreja for me. She needs to catch a smile more often and I see her do so in your company.”
- - A wonderfully insightful observation on Vladimir’s part.

A frozen moon – but beautiful sunrise. Andreja has learned how to make patty melts! And we learn some of the reason behind Andreja’s standoffishness – despite her affection for Andromeda. I was pleased that Annie didn’t miss a beat when it came to letting Andreja know that her secret was not a game changer at all. Andreja has, on numerous occasions shown herself to be a true friend. Here, Andromeda unhesitatingly reciprocates. They are an odd but compatible pair of misfits.

[Kane]

The empath trait plays a helpful role ingame with dialogue choices, too. I often choose them when presented.

Andromed not missing a beat was a game changer for Andreja, as we will soon see!

*******************

Eighteen – Sunset Over Eridani II

The Verity of Fate

“You are not a ‘weirdo’, Annie,” said Andreja. “Actually, there are times when you say strange things, but that is only because I am unfamiliar with most forms of slang, or the colloquialisms of the people living in the Settled Systems. That however does not mean you should demean yourself so.”

“Hey, I’m just telling it like it is. How many others do you are walking around with inhuman DNA and blasting energy out of their fingertips?”

Her attitude towards what happened had seemingly changed overnight and it began to worry Andreja. This apparent nonchalance came out of left field and it was a huge departure from the angst ridden version of Andromeda that she lived with for the better part of two weeks. Andreja wasn’t sure she cared for it.

“I feel as though you should be taking this more seriously,” she said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Annie -”

“Let it go, Andreja. I need to deal with this my own way or I’m going to break down again.” She took a bite from her burger and then set it down with a sigh.

“I have ruined the mood, have I not? And we were having such a nice time talking. I am sorry, Andromeda.”

“No, it’s fine,” Andromeda muttered. “I know you’re just trying to help, and that means more to me than you probably realize.” Her thoughts strayed to the buggy scanner, and her warm bed. “I’m gonna go tuck in for the night. Turns out traversing an icy moon saps your energy pretty quickly. Let’s stay parked here for a while and we can get underway tomorrow, yeah?”

“Very well,” said Andreja. “I will be in the workshop if you need me. My weapon needs cleaned.”

Andromeda nodded and had a foot out of the door before she doubled back and grabbed the broached wine bottle still sitting on the table. She disregarded her friends rueful head shake but swore she saw a smile touching Andreja’s lips while she too left the table. The Verity wasn’t that big, which meant trying to hunch over a small table in her small quarters made for an awkward time attempting to repair a customized handscanner. The noise of Andreja servicing and testing her strange rifle across the ship didn’t help matters either.

She’d been at it for nearly an hour, scratching her head more than once while trying to trace out the problem with limited tools. Finally, she touched the lead of her multi-meter to a wire terminal nestled under the main circuit board and was rewarded with an intermittent beeping sound. There was a short in that wire. Andromeda flipped the meter dial to measure resistance, and the ohms displayed were indeed lower than the adjacent terminal. She danced a little jig in her chair, plucked out the culprit, and soldered a new connection in place. Moments later the scanner lay on her table, reassembled and ready for testing.

A flick of her finger over the power button and the device booted instantly with a bright and crisp readout on the screen. No more glitchy UI, and no more static crackling out of the speakers.

“Hah!” exclaimed Andromeda. “Mine now, you bastard.”

She set it down and rubbed at her eyes as the exhaustion kicked up a notch. Her bed called, but she had one last thing to do. Grabbing the etching pen out of her toolbox, she drew a picture of her own next to the odd creature Andreja had scratched in: the Plushie Starpal she slept with as a kid, and had left in the safe of her sleep crate. Its happy little smile set between four eyes on a diamond-shaped body with six tentacles wiggling out of its sides looked adorable next to whatever the horned beast Andreja had drawn was.

“Perfect.”

* * *

Tropical Forest, Eridani II, Eridani System

The planetary scan information populated the terminal screen and Andromeda scrolled through it with grin that grew more pronounced the more she read. No suits were needed on this world: a perfectly breathable atmosphere, pleasant weather, safe water, and a staggering diversity of life. She looked out the window of the cockpit at the tropical trees swaying in the breeze. They had landed near the coast of a vast ocean, right on the terminus between forest and sandy beach.

“Pinch me, Dre. It’s too good to be true. Has to be.”

“Dre? Since when is that a thing?”

“Dunno, just feels right. Especially since you refuse to call me ‘Dro’, like everyone else does.”

“I am not sure about that nickname, Annie. Although I do understand your reasoning. Let me think on it?”

Andromeda shrugged. “Still probably gonna call you that anyway.” She gestured towards the planet beyond. “Shall we?”

“Of course. Allow me to check the power levels on my scanner first. It will need to be fully charged, as I will be the only one scanning.”

At this teasing jab, Andromeda remembered her own repaired scanner and went to grab it from the table next to her bunk. She also decided to remove her sweater and undersuit in favor of a tank top and pants to help acclimate to the sub-tropical weathers of the biome they needed to scan first. Dressed and ready to go, she sat back down in the cockpit and powered up her own device with a sly glance at Andreja.

“Where did you get a functioning scanner?” asked Andreja.

Andromeda held it up so her companion could see the back of it. “It’s yours, Dre. I fixed it and put my own mark on it. I know you asked me to throw it away, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. This was a part of your past – a past which you just shared something important about – and now it’s a part of me. Like my own personal slice of Andreja, ya know?”

Andreja rolled her eyes with a grin. “You still continue to surprise me, Annie. It is hard for me to express how that makes me feel. I suppose I would say it is very… hmm...”

“Romantic?” Andromeda offered hopefully.

“How did that phrase you used when we first met go?” she smiled coyly. “Mum is the word?”

“Oh, shut up,” laughed Andromeda. She punched Andreja’s shoulder playfully and then stood back up. “C’mon, we’ve got a planet to explore. Beautiful one at that.”

Geared up and ready to go, they descended the landing bay ramp and breathed in the salty air of the sea. Then the wind briefly changed direction and bathed them in a heady floral fragrance from the wide range of plant life tucked in among the palms of the forest at their backs. The system’s namesake star burned brightly overhead indicating it to be nearly noon already.

“Let us head into the trees and being scanning,” said Andreja. “We can sight see later.”

“Can’t we go lay on the beach first?”

“We can do that later, Annie. I promise.”

“Ugh. Fine. Let’s go scan some [censored].” Andromeda pointed her scanner at the wood line and whistled. “Damn, that is a lot of diversity. Should we divide and conquer? I’ll take the fauna, you take the flora?”

“That is fine with me,” said Andreja. “Any particular reason you chose the critters?”

“Mhm. Apparently my empath skills let me connect with them. Back when I was in New Atlantis, I took a walk outside the city and one of the wild animals came right up to me and sat down like we were best friends. Whatever is roaming this planet probably won’t be hostile to me.”

“Fascinating!” exclaimed Andreja. “I admit, I am envious of you for that ability. I have always had an affinity for the innocent wildlife. They often times are so… cute.”

“Knew you were a big softy. Seriously though, let’s get a move on. My ass wants to be parked on that beach by sundown.”

They fanned out and made their way beneath the canopy of trees, cataloging as much data as possible with their portable scanning devices. Every flower, every shrub, every spore Andreja found was documented in detail for Constellation’s ever expanding database while Andromeda did just the same with Eridani II’s vast array of fauna.

Spiny grubs with rock hard chitin shells scurried underfoot like oversized trilobites. Gravity defying creatures akin to jellyfish floated up and down in the air despite not having any obvious method of flight. And large predatory leafstrider’s darted through the undergrowth, the strange plates adorning their skulls resembling the broad leaves of a deciduous tree. There seemed to be no shortage of plant or animal life, and the two of them walked many kilometers while they scanned, lost in the beauty of the tropical forest. And lost in sparkling conversation.

The sun began to set when Andromeda groaned in overly-dramatic dismay.

“Goddamn it! We’ll never make it back in time!”

“I assumed this would happen,” said Andreja. “This is not my first planetary survey. I have a tent and enough rations for the night in my backpack.”

“… How big is the tent?”

A pregnant pause; and then: “Big enough.”

“You’re being cagey, Dre.”

“Fine,” she sighed. “It is a tent for one. We will be very snug if we are to sleep comfortably.”

Andromeda looked away and pointed her scanner at a huge beetle to keep Andreja from witnessing the satisfied grin plastered over her face. The level of intimacy they would share overnight had her heartbeat all aflutter. She couldn’t have dreamed up a more ideal scenario, and she wondered if Andreja had planned it all along. No reason she couldn’t have told Andromeda to pack her own tent.

“I can just make out a large stone arch through the trees, about a half a kilometer northeast,” said Andreja. “We can make camp there, and if it is sturdy enough, we can scale the arch to enjoy the view. I owe you a sunset, and I intend to deliver it.”

That statement made Andromeda do a double-take, and she instinctively honed in on Andreja with her empathic powers. Her smile grew even wider at what she found: Andreja had butterflies of her own dancing about her stomach, though she was much more practiced at disguising her emotions than Andromeda could ever hope to be. It seemed like a very special night was on the horizon.

I [censored] knew she liked me.

“Come on, Annie,” said Andreja, breaking her train of thought. “We must hurry so that we have time to set everything up.”

“Right behind you!”

Andreja led the way forward occasionally drawing a razor sharp tanto from her belt to clear the odd tree branch or prickly vine tendril from their path. The sun continued to drop at worrying pace while the two of them plodded slowly along, stepping over fallen branches, stones, and the occasional giant bug. True to her word, the fauna typically left them alone after staring in their direction and sensing a kindred soul in Andromeda. Roughly half a kilometer later, just as Andreja predicted, they ceased marching beneath a worn stone arch that rose slightly above the treeline at its peak. One side of the natural formation looked wide enough for them to scale, and the apex had plenty of room for them to sit side-by-side on.

“Here we are,” said Andreja. “Please clear away the dead leaves and twigs so that we may build a fire, Annie. I will find a suitable spot for the tent.”

“Light a fire? Can’t we just use a heat lamp?”

“Camping ought to be done the same way our ancestors taught us. Once we are set up, I will hunt for our supper.”

“Um. What?” Andromeda stared hard at her. “Absolutely [censored] not, Dre. We have plenty of rations – there is no reason for you to harm one of these beasts. Set the tent up and I’ll warm us up something to eat after I build the fire. End of discussion.”

There was a curious expression on Andreja’s face at being shut down in such a bold manner that suggested it wasn’t an experience she often dealt with. If ever. Andromeda started to feel she may have been too contentious on the matter until she saw a flash of approval in Andreja’s eyes. And the subtle bite of her bottom lip.

“Very well, Ms. Renault. I will have the tent erected in short order.”

“Good,” winked Andromeda. “Glad we got that sorted.”

Andreja began unpacking the aforementioned tent while Andromeda stooped over and started picking up the forest loam strewn about the slightly sandy soil. There was a lot of it, and a few minutes into constructing quite the pile of debris at the edge of their campsite, she realized it would take her some time before enough had been cleared away to safely light a fire. Her nostrils flared in annoyance, and then she had a minor revelation. Shuffling around until her back faced Andreja, she raised her hand, focused on a less powerful expulsion of force, and blasted the ground free of the remaining unwanted fuel sources.

“Hah. That worked a treat.”

“Nobody likes a show off,” said Andreja.

“Work smart, not hard.”

Less than ten minutes later a fire crackled merrily amid a ring of stones, and a small tent that confused Andromeda stood just off to the side.

“Yeah, I don’t see how we both are fitting in that thing” she observed. “Unless it’s a magic tent that’s bigger on the inside.”

“It will be snug, but something tells me you will not mind.”

“Guilty as charged,” blushed Andromeda. “Are you hungry? We can, I dunno, skewer this synthameat on a twig or something.”

“We can eat later. The sun will soon be setting and we still have to climb atop the arch.”

She took the lead again and began to deftly scale the wind-blasted stone with a grace born of an expert climber. Andreja stopped only one or two times to seek out the next place to grab with her hands, or to find purchase with her foot. Andromeda watched open-mouthed from the ground knowing full well that if she even remotely attempted such a feat she would fall flat on her back. She thought of her boost pack hanging next to their spacesuits on the Verity and wished she’d have worn it anyway. And before she knew it; Andreja had reached the top and waved her on.

“No [censored] way can I do that, Dre! Where’d you learn to climb like that!?”

“We always had something to climb when I was a child,” shrugged Andreja. “Give me a moment,” she added. Unhooking a length of sturdy rope from her belt, she tied a loop around a large outcropping of the archway and let the rest fall to the ground. “Can you manage that?”

Andromeda grabbed the swinging rope and held it in her hand.

“Um. Hell if I know. Guess I have to try.”

And try she did: more successfully than she expected, too. It took Andromeda less than three minutes to shimmy up the rope, hand over hand, until she met Andreja’s who helped pull her up with a grunt.

“You are heavier than you look,” she panted.

“Gee, thanks,” said Andromeda. “Just what every girl wants to hear.”

“Er, sorry. I did not mean to imply that -”

“I’m just teasing you, Andreja.” She took a moment to gaze around in wonder. They stood just above the treeline with an unimpeded view in every direction. Even the massive engines of their ship were slightly discernible in the far distance. Taking a seat with her feet dangling over the edge, Andromeda patted the spot next to her. “Sit with me. Looks like the sun is about to set.”

Andreja gladly obliged, and joined her friend in basking under the vivid orange glow blazing through the clear blue skies of Eridani II. Lower and lower the sun descended towards the western horizon casting a brilliant and indescribable beauty over the swaying treetops of the tropical forest. They sat in relative silence, enjoying the view in each other’s company while nightfall encroached from behind. In the onset of gloom, Andromeda’s hand once again found Andreja’s, though for a wholly different reason.

“I am glad you are here with me, Annie.” Andreja’s head tiled to the side and her eyes twinkled.

Andromeda did not pass up the invitation. “There is nowhere else in the universe I’d rather be.”

She leaned in close with her heartbeat thumping so loudly in her chest she thought for sure Andreja would hear it through her shirt. Their lips met, and reality melted away for the time being.

[Acadian]

Nice job fixing that old hand scanner.

Finally, a tropical paradise-like planet to explore and catalogue.

Looks like Andromeda is learning how to focus her new powers toward practical usage – like clearing a spot for a fire. And that empath ability really does come in handy among strange critters.

The delicate dance between the two ladies takes a huge step with a sunset kiss.

[Kane]

Eridani II is one of many gorgeous planets to discover! Hyla II, Cassiopeia I, and Schrodinger III are other stunning locations!

Her empathic skills allowing her to be friends with fauna is an addition for storytelling, but I sort of wish it was in the base game. I do like it for the dialogue choices though.

I'm fan of moving romances along, as evidenced by my other works. I can't stand the "will they/won't they" trope in books and media.

******************************

Nineteen - Unraveled

Tropical Forest, Eridani II, Eridani System

Andromeda’s mind raced in the moment. She’d wanted this for so long but could never decipher the signals Andreja sent, vocally or otherwise. Her stalwart companion was every bit the mysterious enigma she seemed to embody as her persona, despite being a kind and compassionate person beneath it all. The fact that they’d finally gotten to this point kept her heart pounding against her ribs. And then Andromeda made the mistake of lifting a hand to caress Andreja’s face, lost her balance on the narrow stone apex, and nearly tumbled over the side. With quick reflexes born of harsh experience, Andreja pulled back and gripped Andromeda’s sides tightly to keep her sitting in place.

“Careful, Annie! You almost fell!”

“Woo [censored]!” laughed Andromeda. “That would’ve set me back a while, huh? Glad I have you to catch me, gorgeous.” She leaned back in for another kiss that didn’t last nearly as long as the first one due to her stomach grumbling. “Ugh, I’m starving. Grab something to eat with me?”

“Food?” Andreja offered a teasing pout. “There are far more enticing things to devour tonight than rations...”

The hand not pressed against Andromeda’s back to keep her steady began familiarizing itself with the areas of her body she’d been flaunting since the first time Andreja had visited her home on Nesoi. They were kissing again, hunger all but forgotten, and without uttering a single word they separated, slid down the rope in a lightning fast descent to the ground, dashed back to the campsite hand-in-hand, and dove inside the tent designed for one.

* * *

It was sometime later that evening when they emerged from the tent and sat alongside one another by a roaring fire that could be spotted for many kilometers in every direction. Eridani II lacked any satellites, be it a moon or large asteroid, which led to extremely dark nights on the surface. Andromeda twisted a skewer of synthameat veal over the flames while trying not to char the outside of it.

“You are getting it too close, Annie. It will not be cooked through.”

“It’s your fault,” mused Andromeda. “My hands are still shaking from what you did to me in there.”

“Consider us even for all the times you strutted about your home half-naked while I could only watch helplessly.”

“… Yeah, that was kind of a dick move on my part, huh? Got the point across that I was interested though, right?”

Andreja laughed sweetly and took the skewer from her hands. She raised it a little higher above the flames and slowly rotated it for even roasting. Andromeda took the opportunity to pour another capful of gin from the canteen she’d sneaked into her bag, and took a swig to celebrate the new steps taken tonight in their budding relationship.

“Want a nip?”

“No, thank you. I thought we could celebrate back on our ship, or when we are relaxing on the beach tomorrow. I have a 2250 vintage of Mal’siir that I have been saving for sometime. I cannot think of a more fulfilling occasion to share it on. Nor anyone else to share it with.”

Andromeda whistled. “Eighty years old? That must have cost a small fortune. Uh, what is Mal’siir anyway?”

“It is a spirit brewed from a plant native to Va’ruun’kai,” said Andreja. “I have found nothing like it in the Settled Systems. You will simply have to try it to understand the taste. I do no think words will do it justice.”

That was the first time Andreja had spoken of her home world. She kept a lot about her past close to the vest, and had Andromeda not been in a fugue state from their romp in the tent she might have thought it prudent not to inquire about the aforementioned planet, but between the gin and the multiple successive orgasms, her inhibition had somewhat flown the coop.

“Do you miss it?”

“Miss what?”

“Your home, Dre. I’ve never heard you mention it before.”

Andreja retreated into herself and Andromeda instantly regretted pursuing it. She chided herself mentally and was just about to apologize for even mentioning it when the awkward silence vanished with a stammered deflection.

“I… um… I-I do not wish to speak of it. Please, we must talk about something else. P-please.”

Resting a comforting hand on her leg, Andromeda kissed her again. “Hey. We never have to talk about anything you don’t want to. If you ever feel ready, I’ll be here.”

“Thank you, Annie. I am sorry for not being more forthcoming, but I cannot.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Andromeda. “Focus on my dinner before you burn it,” she added.

“Damn it!” Andreja pulled the sizzling meat away from the flames and prodded it with her fingers. “Oh, good. I did not overcook it. It should be a perfect medium rare.”

She passed the expertly roasted skewer of not-veal to Andromeda who blew on it a few times before taking a bite. Impeccably seasoned, the sizzling meat practically melted in her mouth and her eyes rolled back in delicious pleasure. The main course of their campfire dinner disappeared in short order until only the tin of Can-uck Bacon! remained alongside some stewed tomatoes.

“That was excellent, Dre. How’d you know it was done?”

“You have not cooked for yourself often, have you?” A shake from Andromeda’s headed allowed her to continue: “The firmness of meat changes at different temperatures. Even this soy-based slop prevalent in the Settled Systems manages to closely approximate the texture of real food.”

“What else can you cook?”

“Plenty, as you shall soon see.”

The fire blazed merrily under the moonless Eridani II sky while they finished eating a late supper. Warm air with just a hint of brine from the nearby ocean wafted through the palm trees causing them to dance in the shadows. Having drank more than a little gin, Andromeda vacated her makeshift stone seat and laid on her back, staring up at the star-filled sky. It was a sight she’d never seen anything like in her twenty-five years of life.

“Lay with me, Dre. It’s beautiful.”

Andreja laid down next to her in the sandy soil and wiggled in close. “Have you not seen the stars before?”

“Not like this. I grew up in Neon City �" it’s all bright lights and storm clouds. The sun barely even penetrates the skyscrapers on a clear day. Hence why my skin is so pale.”

“I would hate to live somewhere like that,” admitted Andreja. “Too much activity. Too much noise.”

“It was all I knew,” shrugged Andromeda with a yawn. “And I never imagined I could have more. Being poor in that place means you never leave. I’d have died there without the help of my friends.”

“Do you wish to return someday?”

“Never.”

Andromeda had nothing more to say on the matter, and so, she didn’t. They instead both stared up at the stars in peaceful contentment. Gentle snores eventually punctuated the silent wonder causing Andreja to rouse her companion and help her into the tent for a good night’s sleep.

* * *

Tropical Forest (Coast), Eridani II, Eridani System

On the following day they completed their scans of the lush tropical forest and looped back towards the Verity of Fate in a wide arc that brought the ship into view by late afternoon. They might have finished up sooner had Andromeda not taking a liking to the species of large beetles scuttling about chewing on fallen leaves and the powerfully tart fruits that fell from the umber-toned palm trees. At one point she found half a dozen of the creatures grouped in a small clearing, and she couldn’t help but sit among them in quiet observation with the silliest smile on her face.

She was still sitting there after nearly half an hour later when Andreja approached the break in the trees and watched in amusement. The skittish arthropods usually fled from her while picking through the forest so it pleased her to see them clustered abut Andromeda, letting the former Cyber Runner scan them in great detail. And pet them, apparently, for that’s what she was doing at that exact moment.

Not wanting to spook them, Andreja slid a text message from her slate to Andromeda’s indicating she would be back at the ship. The second she read the text, Andromeda looked up and waved her over.

“Come check it out, hon!”

Andreja didn’t want to spook them, but she tried to ease in anyway. The beetles scurried into the undergrowth the moment her feet hit the clearing.

“Ah well,” said Andromeda. “I thought maybe they’d stay docile with me sitting here.” She got to her feet and dusted off the seat of her pants. “So, back to the ship? You scanned all the noteworthy plants?”

“I did. We can relax for the rest of the day before moving onto the next biome.”

“Sounds great. Fair warning; don’t expect me to wear any clothing beach side. Not that that’s really a problem anymore. You’re also greatly encouraged to join me in my choice of wardrobe. Or lack thereof.”

“Imagine that,” said Andreja while rolling her eyes. “Do you realize, Annie, that not everyone possesses the confidence in oneself that you do. Some of us are little more, hm, self-conscious about how we appear to others.”

“Confidence,” laughed Andromeda dryly. “Now, there’s a novel idea.”

The idea of that notion started dredging something up she’d been working very hard to bury, and she hoped beyond hope that Andreja would not make her expound on it. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed in short order.

“You do not agree?”

“Are you kidding me? [censored] no, Dre! I still get scared when I hear gunshots, and I’m useless in the ensuing fights and usually just end up hurt or bleeding. Everywhere we go I’m paranoid that Bayu and his goons will catch up with me, or a bounty hunter will attack us. And don’t even get me start on whatever the [censored] happened to me in that temple on Tau Ceti III �" it has me so freaked out I can barely think straight most of the time. This version of me you see right now? The one making friends with bugs and exploring worlds? She’s barely holding it the [censored] together! If I didn’t have you I don’t know where I’d be right now. Floating face down in my pool maybe. Those few minutes when I thought you left with Sarah and Noel were up there with some of the worst in my life. Confidence? What a [censored] joke. I know I’m cute, and that I can come across as charming, but it’s all false bravado and the buck stops there, Andreja. So, congratulations �" you’ve fallen for a neurotic facsimile of a human being who wears confidence thinner than tacky veneer.”

She didn’t know exactly when the tears began to fall during her diatribe but they streaked through the dirt and grime coating her face from hiking through the humid tropical forest like rivulets in the earth. All Andromeda knew next was that getting it all out and letting the dam break free quickly turned from falling tears to racking sobs in the arms of a stunned Andreja who’d been caught completely off guard by the sudden breakdown. She never would have guessed an innocent question might lead to this, but thinking back… the signs were there. Andromeda even warned her how fragile her mental state was back on Vega II-a.

“Annie, I want you to listen to me,” breathed Andreja. She laced her fingers through Andromeda’s opalescent hair and tried her damnedest to be comforting. “I have met many people in my travels who claim to be brave �" to be confident �" and so few ever live up to their boasting. Confidence comes in many forms, and rarely does it equate strength, or bravery. Not all of us possess those traits, and neither does that make us weak. You are strong in ways that others cannot even comprehend; you must be, or your mind would have crumbled like chalk when you were pulled into the center of that object in the temple. But you came out the other side alone, with no help from myself, nor anyone else. And you came out stronger. It is true that we understand so little about what has happened, but that does not refute the truth. You are confident in your friends and how much we can help you. And you are confident in ways that you do not yet even recognize. That confidence earned you my trust, and it earned you my affection. It gives you even more strength. Together we can see what else it will earn you, and I will be by your side to help you every step of the way. When you stumble, I will catch you. And when you rise higher than any of us, I will do everything in my power to keep you aloft.”

Andromeda listened to her soothing voice with rapt attention, her eyes completely dry by the time Andreja finished speaking. She wiped away the remaining dampness on her cheeks and gathered her composure with deep breaths, but it was several long minutes before she worked up the courage to speak again. She felt safe in Andreja's arms, so that was where she stayed.

“Andreja, I…” She placed a hand on Andreja’s cheek. “I’m sorry. For falling apart like that. I’ve been trying to be strong, but… like you said…”

“I do not need you to be what you think you should be, Annie. I need you to be you. That is the person who has become closer to me than anyone I have ever met. Just be yourself �" be the Andromeda Renault who turned every head in Constellation. And be the woman who has won my devotion.”

* * *

The sun shone bright and hot upon the coastal waters of equatorial Eridani II, warming the waves gently lapping onto the sandy beach. Crustacean-like creatures scuttled sideways through the shifting sand and foaming surf in search of any food morsel unlucky enough to wash ashore. Further up on the beach, where the sand was hot and dry, two figures were sprawled out on a large canvas tarp Andromeda found in the Verity’s cargo hold. Surprisingly, they both wore bikini’s in clashing shades rather than exposing their fair skin to the UV rays of the star.

“Annie?” asked Andreja, breaking nearly an hour of relative silence.

“Hm?”

“How long must we do this for? I am beginning to appreciate the benefits of relaxation, or fun, but lying here inert while the hot sun kisses our bodies strikes me as especially imprudent when we have three more biomes to scan on this world, and another planet to survey elsewhere.”

Andromeda sighed dramatically. “Life on this planet isn’t going anywhere, Andreja. It can wait a few more hours. I always dreamed of seeing a beach like this one day.”

Andreja gave in for the time being and allowed herself to be content simply listening to the rhythm of the waves grow closer and closer with the rising tide. Truth be told, she felt glad to be resting after the trying morning they had, and she was also glad that Andromeda seemed to be at peace again. But Andreja liked to be on the move, striving for the next goal, and her patience began to wear thin after another hour baking on the beach.

She looked over at Andromeda basking in the sunlight. Andreja knew she wasn’t asleep, but her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell in even breaths. Nearly a full minute came and went before Andreja realized she was still staring at Andromeda’s chest. And for the first time she wished her lover had forgone clothing.

Then it dawned on Andreja that that was exactly how she could move things along. She sat up, and with a slight tug on the strap of her own bikini it fell away, revealing her breasts at the same time she politely cleared her throat.

Andromeda glanced over and bit her lip. “Okay… you win. We can do something else now.”

This post has been edited by Kane: Nov 2 2025, 02:56 PM

[Acadian]

The beetle whisperer and expert meat cooker continue to grow close. Andromeda is still more sharing about her past and fears than her new love. One is an open book, the other a woman of mystery. I like how clearly they are devoted to each other and, at this point, not afraid to so profess. They do quite complement each other.

[Kane]

They are a match made in heaven! Especially after Dro's first few attempts at a dating life fizzled out.

===================

Twenty – The Darkness Pulls

The Verity of Fate





Andromeda finished calculating the jump to their next destination and let Andreja do the honor of initiating the grav drive. The ship lurched as the familiar folding of space encompassed their ship and the autopilot took over for the short duration of their travel across vast stellar distances.

Never seemingly satisfied, Andromeda’s stomach growled and she decided it was time to pay the galley a visit.

“Hungry, sweetie?” she asked Andreja.

“Do you never not eat? How do you maintain that figure with the amount of junk you consume?”

“Was that a rhetorical question?”

“I did not intend it to be.”

“Oh. Then that should be obvious. A winning combination of anger, stress, and the fear for my life that began when I was run out of my home. And the vigorous exercise we engage in now. I did not peg you for being so insatiable!” She unbuckled and gave Andreja a kiss before heading midship where the fridge was tucked away. “Besides, I was never petite like you are,” she called back.

Andreja unstrapped herself from the copilot’s chair and followed Andromeda back to the small dining area. She fixed herself a cup of tea and sat at the table for two while Andromeda hunted through the refrigerator in search of ingredients she could pile onto her sandwich. After layering some lettuce and tomato slices over synthameat turkey, she sat across from Andreja and took a messy bite.

“Know anything about our final stop?”

“Only what is already in the database,” said Andreja. “Strong magnetosphere with an M Class atmosphere. The gravity is a little stronger than on Jemison, and we will not be doing any swimming this time.”

“Chemical oceans?”

“And cold weather. The mean temperature is -65° celsius.”

“Life?”

“If that information was on hand, we would not need to be doing this survey, Annie.”

“Ugh. I’m aware of that. I meant are there any signs of life?”

“That is unlikely.”

Chewing thoughtfully on her sandwich, Andromeda wondered for the first time since leaving The Eye where exactly they would go next. With a third completed surveys under their belt, money wouldn’t be an issue for a while, but she didn’t think Andreja would bite on going back to her home on Nesoi for another vacation. Her partner was a busybody in every sense of the word and enjoyed having things to do.

“Something on your mind?” Andreja inquired. “Your brow is furrowing in quite an adorable manner. Do your eyebrow piercings twinge at all when you do that?”

“Nah, you get used to them after a few days. Wanna stop by an Enhance! and get some of your own? You’d be even sexier with a few piercings, maybe some ink…”

“I cannot. It would violate the religious doctrine of Jinan Va’ruun.”

“Can’t fault me for trying,” chuckled Andromeda. “Actually, I was trying to figure out what our next move would be.”

“One thing at a time, Annie. We will have ample opportunity to discuss that matter when we finish our next survey.”

* * *

Verity of Fate, Piazzi II, Piazzi System

“Are you finished tinkering with that yet?”

“Still need a bit. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

Andromeda probed at the exposed contacts inside her helmet HUD with a circuitry microprinter. Easily her favorite tool, it took the guess work out of forming new pathways with pre-programmed schematics that were freely available. They were just about to touch down on Piazzi II when she had an epiphany: scanning would be a lot easier if you could link the handscanner to your helmet interface instead. All it took was proper integration between the scanner input and the target assist sensors in the helmet. At least, that’s what Andromeda theorized.

“Go ahead and start suiting up, Dre. I’ll be done in a minute whether it works or not.”

“Very well.”

Their spacesuits hung from two racks near the landing bay hatch just at the back of the Verity’s main hab. Andreja lifted her helmet down and set it on a small table while she unzipped the back of the suit. Then she slipped out of her pants and shirt, letting them fall to the floor with a soft rustle of fabric. She usually preferred more typical undergarments as opposed to the form fitting undersuit Andromeda liked to wear, which was just fine with Andromeda since she happened to be staring intensely in that direction.

“Quit staring at my ass, Annie,” said Andreja without turning around. “It will only delay your work.”

“Can you blame me? I’m pretty sure you chose those panties for a reason. How about you give it a little shake for me?”

Andreja sighed. “Will that really do anything to help?”

“It’ll certainly do something to me.”

“Focus, Andromeda.”

Uh oh, thought Andromeda. Full name. She’s already in work mode. Tearing her eyes away Andreja thoroughly checking her suit seals, she resumed the attempted modifications with a slight grimace at the little puff of smoke rising from the overlay chip.

“[censored].”

“Problem?”

“I burned out a diode. Your fault for distracting me.”

“So now this will take longer?”

“No, I think it was redundant. There’s two more nearby.”

She blew the acrid smell of of burnt circuitry away and resumed penning new routes for data and power to flow until the indicator on the pen lit green. Rolling the helmet over, Andromeda thumbed the diagnostic key at the back to reset its onboard systems and allow the new information to stream in. After a few seconds, the interface readout show all systems as nominal.

“Yes! It worked!” She tossed her helmet to Andreja. “Try it on and look out the porthole. See if the scanner data is incorporated!”

Andreja caught it and lowered the helmet over her head. She looked out the dirty and scratched window and peered outside, breathing in sharply. A multitude of resources lit up with their chemical compositions displayed right across the HUD for easy identification and analysis.

“My goodness. You have outdone yourself this time, Annie. Perhaps I shall keep this. You can use mine for now.”

“Excuse me?” sputtered Andromeda. “No, I-I… I did that for… I can do yours later, too. I-”

“Relax, Annie,” laughed Andreja. “I am just teasing you.” She removed the helmet and walked back to Andromeda’s workstation. “Here, it is all yours. Just be sure to make the same modification to my own helmet after this expedition, yes? Now, if you do not mind, I will finish suiting up. The cold from this world is seeping through the hull.” Andreja returned to where her suit hung and then swiveled her head back around. “Andromeda?”

“Hm?”

“Stop putting your things away for a moment.”

“What? Why?” She glanced from her toolkit and felt her jaw drop open at the sight of Andreja fulfilling Andromeda’s earlier request while pulling the spacesuit up over her knees. “Goddamn it, you’re such a tease. I’m gonna slide out of this stupid chair.”

“Suit up,” winked Andreja. “We have a planet to survey.”

* * *

Plateau, Piazzi II, Piazzi System

Three hours into surveying the final biome Andromeda had made up her mind completely: Piazzi II was the most boring planet she ever set foot on. They had surveyed the frozen hills near the northern ice cap first.

Boring.

Then the moved onto a sandy desert.

Still boring.

And now, they clambered over steep hills, rocky outcroppings, and dunes of sand. Andromeda kicked a rock over and found more sand. The planet was utterly devoid of life outside of a few hardy microbes that clung to rock faces. No plants, no alien creatures. Not even any outposts or other man made structures to break up the monotony.

Just… emptiness. And two explorers who spent a lot of time scanning minerals.

Everything about the job led to it being boring enough for Andromeda to start humoring herself. “Hey, Andreja!” she said into her mic. “You’ll never believe what I found over here!”

“What is it? A life form?”

“Even better – more sand!”

Andreja sighed heavily. “Andromeda…”

“What? Not like there’s anything else to find on this [censored] rock,” she mumbled.

“… I must admit, I am inclined to agree. But we are almost finished with the survey. Let us climb that mesa to the east and have a look around. Perhaps we will spot a geological formation to investigate.”

Following her gaze, Andromeda looked east at the mesa. Then she looked back at Andreja. And then she looked at the mesa again. Had she not been wearing a helmet, she’d have scratched the side of her head in confusion.

“Excuse me? How the [censored] are we supposed to climb that, Dre? Its gotta be over two hundred meters tall!”

“I will teach you. Should be fun!”

“You and I have very different ideas about what consists of fun, sweetie. I think you’ll owe me a few drinks after this.”

“Sweetie? Again?”

“I like pet names. Get used to it.”

“I do not have a problem with that,” said Andreja. “It just sounded a little condescending is all.”

Andromeda shrugged, and followed Andreja east to the towering mesa. They had about three kilometers of ground to cover before reaching the base and they spent most of it debating on how to fairly split the credits Vladimir would dispense for their efforts. Two planets and a moon was no small feat and would net them a hefty sum. Andreja felt they should upgrade the weapons on the Verity, but Andromeda wanted to save it for fuel. There were a lot of systems out there she’d never been to, many of them with cities to visit and sights to see.

It was still a hot subject when they reached the mesa’s base, and Andromeda craned her neck up the sheer rock face. The shadow cast by the geological uplifting painted an evening glow where they stood. Andreja set her boost pack on the ground and began to fiddle with the settings until she nodded in a satisfied way before doing the same to Andromeda’s.

“There, I have them set for short bursts.” She opened a pouch on her suit’s utility belt and handed some small picks to Andromeda. “Take these – use them to find purchase in the stone. And make sure you deploy the climbing spikes in your boots.”

Taking them with shaky hands, Andromeda bobbed nervously on her heels. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. I should’ve just stayed home.”

“Hold one a moment,” said Andreja, sharply. “You are not afraid of heights, are you?”

“I, uh… I honestly don’t know, Dre. I’ve never been that high without being in a ship, or a building. And what if I slip? Falling to my death would be such a lame way to go out after all the [censored] we’ve been through.”

“I would never let that happen, Annie.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Andromeda took several deep breaths. “Okay. I know you won’t.”

“Then let us ascend. Follow everything I do exactly.”

The thrusters on her boostpack fired for a split second to propel Andreja roughly two and a half meters in the air. She grabbed onto a small ledge with her hands and instructed Andromeda to do the same.

“There is plenty room for us both,” she promised.

“[censored]. If it was anyone else, Dre…”

She fired her thrusters just as Andreja had done, and to her surprise, Andromeda managed to grab ahold of the stone ledge with her feet dangling below. Andreja smiled encouragingly through her helmet, and then blasted off again. This time, she moved nearly four meters up and swung her picks into the rock wall.

“Okay,” whimpered Andromeda. “Okay. I c-can do this. I can do this.”

Her boostpack fired and she rocketed up, swinging the picks wildly at the wall in a desperate bid to find purchase but ended up sailing a full meter further than Andreja, who climbed up beside her with graceful ease.

“Are you alright, Annie?”

“Mhm. Yes.” She took a minute to breathe and let heart rate calm when an unexpected realization began to set in. “You were right,” she admitted. “This is fun! And I only peed myself a little bit! Thank god for the recyclers in these suits.”

Andromeda could scare believe what she was saying. Never did she think that scaling a vertical cliff face with nothing below but the ground to break one’s fall would be something she enjoyed. Cards with her friends? Absolutely. Dancing at the club? Always. Climbing perilously high mesas? Not a thing she’d ever envisioned.

What’s happening to me?

“I told you there was a brave woman buried in there,” said Andreja, approvingly.

Oh. Right. She’s what happened to me. Goddamn beautiful minx.

Onward and up they went. It was slow going but they kept making undeniable progress for about fifteen cautious minutes until Andreja stopped on a ledge wide enough to sit and they took a break, staring out over the rocky expanse far below.

Andreja took a sip of water from the dispenser feed in her helmet and glanced sideways with a raised eyebrow. Andromeda was repeatedly slapping the side of her modified helmet.

“What is it you are doing?”

“My screen crackled just before we sat down. I think that diode I burned up is shorting out. I’m trying to jostle it around to see if I can reproduce the interference.”

“Please just rest, Annie. You can fix that later.”

Andromeda conceded her point and stopped fussing with it. They rested for nearly ten minutes and then resumed the harrowing climb. Bit by bit, and boost by boost the two of them made their way higher and higher up the near vertical face of the mesa until the top was tantalizingly close at hand. Standing on another broad ledge, Andreja estimated one more two second burst from the boostpacks would careen them over the top.

“Are you ready?” she asked Andromeda.

“Ready.”

This time, Andromeda didn’t wait. She blasted off ahead of Andreja, coasted up over the rim of the mesa, and alighted gently onto the top of it like a professionally trained climber. Her companion touched down mere seconds later and gave her a slap on the ass.

“Very well done, Annie! You learn quickly!”

“I had a good teacher,” winked Andromeda. “Should we rest? Or do you want to -” She paused as more static crackled across her integrated scanner feed. Another thump to the side of her helmet didn’t help. “Damn it. I must have screwed something up.”

“Still not working correctly? Perhaps you should sever the link for now.”

“Nah, it’s intermittent. I should be fine.”

“If you say so. We can rest later; I want to look out over the eastern rim before nightfall. We should get moving.”

“After you, toots.”

“Toots?” remarked Andreja. “Jinan preserve me.”

It was a long trek across the top through rocky expanses and sandy deposits. The sun began to set at their backs when they were nearly to the other side but only Andreja was still scanning minerals. Andromeda’s interface had continued to grow so static-filled that she did end up switching it off and resigned herself to follow Andreja about like a lost puppy. She filled the time by humming random tunes or chattering ceaselessly through their helmet mics while Andreja smiled to herself. It took some getting used to at first, but she had grown to adore the way Andromeda apparently never felt she’d said enough about, well, anything.

Evening approached rapidly when they finally reached the opposite edge of the mesa. It would have been a breathtaking view across the plateau lands had a singularly unique landmark not been jutting up from the ground several kilometers away.

Andromeda froze in fear as an icy claw gripped her heart.

They had found another Temple.

[Acadian]

-65 degrees C! Nope, doesn’t sound like fun. Especially compared to the tropical beach they just came from. Oh well.

Annie has fun bursting up the side of that mesa – while peeing herself only a little bit. While Sweetie-Toots-Minx enjoys the amusing antics of her partner.

Another temple? Like the one that put Andromeda right out of business for several days? Yikes!

[Kane]

Twenty One – Unexpected Guests

Plateau, Piazzi II, Piazzi System

The overwhelming feeling of dread set in quickly. Andromeda felt her heartbeat quicken intensely at the sight of the Temple and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from it as humanly possible.

“NO!” she screamed. “No no no no no no!” She didn’t linger any longer at the rim of the mesa, and she spun on her heels and fast-walked back the way they came.

“Annie – wait!” called Andreja. She too turned away and scrambled to catch up with Andromeda. “Wait!”

She came up behind Andromeda and grabbed her shoulders to spin her around until they were face to face. The distress on Andromeda’s face and the tears coursing down her cheeks jolted Andreja into action. Seeing her lover in this manner pulled deeply at her loyalty, and offering comfort was the only thing that mattered to Andreja in that moment.

“Please, Annie. I am here. Just relax for me, yes? Please…”

“NO! That’s bullshit, Dre! I can’t – we can’t – no! I’m not staying here! I can’t do this again! I’m still [censored] up from the last one we found!” Her arms flailed about wildly in a bid to escape Andreja’s grip. “Let me go! LET ME GO!”

And then, all her resistance faltered as Andromeda fell to one knee, clutching desperately at her chest. Her heartbeat continued to increase rapidly and her chest began to constrict until she cried out in pain and slumped forward, rolling onto her side where her breath came in short, laborious bursts.

Andreja took her hands in her own and laid next to her, staring calmly into Andromeda’s fearful eyes.

“I am with you, Andromeda,” she promised. “You must breathe deeply, and it will pass. I know it will. You are strong beyond measure and you will overcome this, my dear. Just breathe. In and out. In… and out.”

Andreja’s eyes were captivating. Like a serene island nestled among a torrent of waves, they called gently to Andromeda who focused instead on their every detail. The little flecks of green so gaudy and bold standing out from the warm chestnut brown that had captivated Andromeda when they first met. They offered peace amid a moment of chaos and all she had to do was reach out.

And breathe…

In… out. Andromeda took a deep breath. Then she exhaled. In… out. In… out.

The pain began to subside. Her heart rate settled while she focused on her breathing. And Andreja’s eyes.

In… and out. In… and out.

“Yes,” encouraged Andreja. “Just like that.”

Andromeda continued breathing while she let her gaze focused solely on Andreja’s inviting eyes. All of the guarded caution that once radiated from them had been stripped away to leave a vulnerability none had ever seen until now. Until this moment, when all that concerned Andreja was the well-being of the charming woman who within a matter of weeks had torn away all the barriers she spent years erecting.

“In… and out.” Andreja placed a hand on Andromeda’s chest and checked her vitals, the data flashing across Andreja’s HUD.

“If you want to cop a feel, just go for it,” breathed Andromeda. “You never have to ask.”

“There is my girl,” smiled Andreja. “Keep breathing deeply, yes? And forget all about that damnable thing. We do not have to go anywhere near it, Annie.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. We will return to the ship and -”

A burst of static cut across their comms channel followed by a familiar voice.

“Hello? Is someone out there? Reply on this frequency if you can hear me. Our ship sensors detected an EMS transmission from a spacesuit’s onboard diagnostic. Please respond if you are in need of aid!”

Andromeda stared incredulously at Andreja. “Is that -”

“Sarah Morgan? Of that, I am sure.”

Before either of them could wrap there heads around that, Andreja called up the surface map from the Verity’s orbital scans and tried to get a fix on the signal’s origin. But that was Sarah doing out here? And was she alone? Those thoughts and a multitude of others raced through Andromeda’s mind until three short beeps sounded and her own HUD map zoomed in with a marker placed over a position seven kilometers due east.

Right at the Temple.

“They are exactly where we cannot go, Annie.”

Andromeda sighed knowingly. “The Temple?” At a quick nod from Andreja, she pulled herself up to a sitting position. “The hell is she doing out here? Do you think… No. They better not have…” She opened the channel: “Sarah, why the [censored] are you here? Did Vlad know what the [censored] was on this planet when he gave us the survey job?”

“Dro? Is that you? Is Andreja with you?”

“I am. Please answer the question, Sarah.”

“If he did, he certainly didn’t make me aware of it,” replied Sarah. “Far as I know, this was just the second anomalous reading The Eye picked up. Are you two okay? What caused the EMS alert?”

“Um. I uh…” Andromeda swallowed hard in embarrassment but was bailed out by Andreja.

“Just a malfunction,” said Andreja. “We both are perfectly well.”

There was a brief silence where Andromeda half expected to see smoke rising in the distance from Sarah’s mind furiously working out where she could go from here. Constellation’s leader no doubt wanted their help exploring the Temple and parsing its secrets – especially after all she’d heard about it last time – but she likely knew that it was still a sore subject for her one-time protege and that the only way Andromeda and Andreja would help is if it was of their own accord. Completely willingly. And Andromeda was unsure whether she could help even if she wanted to. She was only a moment or two removed from having a crippling panic attack over the Temple’s mere existence in proximity to her.

“I stand by what I said before, Annie,” said Andreja. “We do not have to go anywhere near it.”

No sooner than the words had left her mouth did Sarah come in over the mic again.

“Dro, can you switch to a different frequency? I’d like to speak to you in private.”

“Not a chance, Sarah,” said Andromeda. “Whatever you have to say to me you can say to Andreja, too.”

“Fine, then. Look, I know what happened to you was… unexpected.”

“Unexpec -” Andromeda began hotly.

“Just let me finish,” said Sarah. She waited a beat and continued when no protestation came. “I know it was overwhelming and I can’t pretend to understand how the experience made you feel. That having been said… I’m here with Barrett to investigate this structure. And you’re here with Andreja. The odds of that happening are incomprehensible without outside intervention – be it Vladimir or something else – and I, er, we, would be grateful if you could help us out. But only if you are comfortable in doing so, Andromeda. If you aren’t, then feel free to hop on your ship and blast out of here. I would never order you to come anywhere near this place. Not after the way it affected you last time. The choice is yours. And Andreja’s, of course.”

Had she not been wearing a helmet and spacesuit to keep prevent dying of asphyxiation or having intense solar radiation boil her skin off, Andromeda would have groaned and placed her head in her hands. But the large piece of equipment protecting her head left her with the groan as her only option to express her mounting frustration.

“Goddammit.” Andromeda tapped the side of her helmet and Andreja switched to their original channel with her. “Where does she get off being so compassionate and reasonable? Especially after the way she acted back home? How in the HELL does she manage to waltz down to this stupid planet and make a rousing speech that stirs something in me I didn’t know was there? UGH!”

“She had a lot of time to reflect on how your final conversation went, Annie. Perhaps Sarah is trying to meet you halfway, and make amends.”

Deep down, Andromeda knew that. Her hesitancy stemmed more from the fact that until a moment ago, her singular goal in life was to get as far away from Piazzi II as humanly possible. And now she was torn between reaching for that goal, or turning to face her fears, and the root of a deep-seated anxiety head on with her friends. And Barrett.

“[censored],” muttered Andromeda. “[censored] [censored] [censored] [censored] [censored]. I better not regret this. I think you people are having a bad influence on me.”

“I disagree,” said Andreja. “We are simply showing you how brightly your spark burns, Andromeda. You still remain the only one to not see that.”

“Whatever.” With a rush of static, Andromeda switched back to the other channel where Sarah anxiously awaited a response. “Get your ass over here before I change my mind.”

I’ll send Barrett in the REV-8,” gushed Sarah. “And I’d like to have a moment alone with you, Dro. There are some things that, well…”

“I know, Sarah.”

She dropped the channel and returned to the local comm line she shared with Andreja.

“C’mon, we can wait for Barrett at the edge of the mesa.”

They returned to the soaring rim of the rocky uplift and sat with their feet dangling over the edge. Andromeda whiled away the time tossing rocks out over what may as well have been an abyss while trying her best to ignore the elephant in the room that was the Temple. A small cloud of dust in the distance that grew steadily closer marked Barrett’s progress towards them in some sort of ground vehicle Andromeda hadn’t seen before.

Andreja regarded her silently, trying to gauge how her companion truly felt about the situation she was walking into with her head held high. She felt fiercely proud of Andromeda for confronting her fears, but she also recognized that Andromeda was not above putting on a brave face and holding in her true emotions until they burst.

“Annie?”

“Hm?”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely not, Dre. Ten minutes ago I thought I was having a heart attack over that damn thing. I just… I dunno.” She flung another rock out, this time aiming right for the Temple, and watched it fall several kilometers short while she collected her thoughts. “I can’t keep running from my problems,” she finally sighed. “First Neon, now this. I don’t wanna live in fear, constantly looking over my shoulder. Constellation took me in after Vectera and everyone of you have tried to give me the tools I need to stand tall and I resisted every step of the way. And I know it’s killing Sarah that I walked away after what happened. ‘Biggest scientific mystery’ in the galaxy as she put it, and I told her to stuff it. Truth is, Dre, I hate not knowing what happened to me. But the anxiety from it makes me hate myself even more, so instead of dealing with it rationally, I ended up breaking down at even the possibility of going through that all over again.”

There was a lot for Andreja to process after that lengthy bit of self-reflection and they were short on time. She settled for squeezing Andromeda’s hand tightly and leaning against her.

“If it will make you feel any better, I think what you are doing is very brave, Annie. And I am immensely proud of you.”

Even in the face of the continued unknown, Andromeda still felt butterflies in her stomach when Andreja said things like that. She wished their spacesuits weren’t in the way of Andreja’s lips, and settled instead for hugging her tightly.

“I couldn’t do this without you, Andreja. Any of this.” They remained in each other’s embrace for several seconds until Andromeda pointed down at the nearly arrived Barrett. “How do we scale down?”

“We don’t,” grinned Andreja. “Tell me, Andromeda Renault… have you ever heard of base jumping?”

“Oh no. I know that look. I’m not going to like this, am I?”

Andreja led her back several meters and thoroughly checked and rechecked every setting on their boostpacks multiple times for over five minutes. She was still checking them when Barrett’s voice crackled to life over the comms asking if they were ready. Andromeda had a feeling she wasn’t, and depending on what exactly ‘base jumping’ was, that she probably never would be.

“Follow my lead, and you will be perfectly safe, Annie.” Without another word, Andreja took her hand and led Andromeda to the very edge of the mesa. “We jump on three.”

Andromeda turned white as a sheet. “Holy… this is [censored] insane. Why does this [censored] keep happening to me?”

“Relax, Annie,” soothed Andreja. “You are perfectly safe with me. Are you ready?” Andromeda shook her head no, but mumbled out a resigned yes. “Take a deep breath,” continued Andreja. “One… two… THREE!”

Hand-in-hand, they leapt from the mesa. Andreja whooped with a thrilled joy at the feeling of falling uninhibited towards the rapidly approaching ground.

Andromeda screamed her head off the entire way down.

[Acadian]

I’ve never had a panic attack but it sure seems like you did a good job describing Annie’s! Thankfully, Andreja was there for her.

Of course, there will be some reason she has to investigate the temple and, sure enough, enter Sarah and the Constellation asking nicely enough that Andromeda accepts.

Yikes! Perhaps a bit more description of base jumping before going off a cliff might have been helpful for Andromeda!

It will be interesting to see how this all goes. The temple, Sarah, and the possibility of ‘making up’ with the Constellation.

[Kane]

Twenty Two – Accretion

Plateau, Piazzi II, Piazzi System

The ground, the wonderfully solid ground, never felt so good underfoot as it did when Andromeda alighted gently upon it following a final stabilizing burst from her boostpack. She immediately braced an arm against the steep wall of the mesa while the adrenaline faded and the excitement dissipated. Andreja waited patiently at her side, seemingly no worse for the wear.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Annie? Was it not thrilling!”

“D-did I -” sputtered Andromeda. “No I didn’t enjoy myself, Dre! The next time you and I jump anywhere it better be into a bed. You owe me that tenfold at this point!”

“That can be easily arranged,” grinned Andreja. “But we will discuss that later. Barrett approaches.”

The cloud of dust was near enough for them to spot a small buggy at the front of it, tearing across the dry landscape with ill regard for any stones or other obstacles in its path. Massive black tires suitable for any landscape in the known galaxy jostled up and down over the uneven terrain, and a large laser turret rose from the caged roof of the buggy.

“I didn’t know we had a rover like that,” said Andromeda.

“We?”

“Er, Constellation. You know what I meant.”

Before Andreja could press her any further on that slip of the tongue, the REV-8 skidded to a halt a few paces away and Barrett hopped out with his arms open wide.

“Andreja! And Ms. Renault! What are the odds!”

“Unfathomably low without an influential hand, Barrett,” said Andreja. “How are you? And how are things at the Lodge?”

“Sort of in a lull, since… you know…”

“Since I left?” offered Andromeda.

“Well… yeah.” Barrett made a show of awkwardly kicking his boot in the dirt before gesturing to the buggy with a hooked thumb. “But the gang is back together! How about we hop in and take a ride back to the Frontier?”

Andromeda looked at the REV-8 and the first thing she noticed was the fact that it was a two-seater with a small cargo bed in the back. Piling three adults into it didn’t seem like a great idea, even if one of them was a short stack. Otherwise, she felt a jaunt in it would be a lot of fun, and she’d already begun to wonder where she could buy one of her own.

“Most spaceports sell them,” said Andreja, as if she could read her mind. “They are not prohibitively expensive.” She turned to Barrett questioningly. “Do you have any safety harnesses? If one of us is to ride in the back they will need to be strapped in.”

“Can’t I just sit on your lap?” asked Andromeda.

Barrett’s head swiveled back and forth between them after that comment, and the glimmers of suspicion dawned in the back of his mind. Andromeda winked at him and shot a coy smile to confirm that suspicion. Then she climbed into the back of the REV-8 without another word and used the cargo straps as a rudimentary seat belt.

“Annie, are you sure?”

“I’m the smallest and will feat more easily than you two. Just, uh, take the least bouncy route back you can find, yeah?”

“You got it, cowgirl, er, Dro!”

Andromeda rolled her eyes and slapped the roof of the buggy. “Let’s go!”

* * *

The ride back to Sarah and the dreaded Temple was uncomfortable and long. At least, it felt so to Andromeda bobbing up and down in the back of the planetary buggy. Even through her spacesuit the straps dug into her shoulders and chafed at her skin whenever a particularly large bump tossed her about. The only consolation for her terrible idea of volunteering to ride in the back was being able to watch the stunning sunset as a way to take her mind off things. Well, that and the mounting anticipation that seemed to drown out her initial dread after spotting the Temple.

Something felt different about it this time. Almost like the out-of-place structure called to her.

Barrett hit the brakes with a jolt and the buggy came to a blissful, wonderful, fantastical stop whereupon Andromeda immediately unbuckled herself and leapt to the ground.

“My ass is gonna be sore for a month.”

“There was always my lap,” teased Andreja. “Are you in pain? Can I get you anything?”

“I’ll be fine,” grumbled Andromeda. “Seriously though, we are going back to my home after this. For a couple days at the minimum. Sarah be damned,” she added.

“Aw, come on, it wasn’t that bad a ride, was it?” joked Barrett. Andromeda gave him a withering glare that made him raise his hands defensively. “Say, why don’t I go fetch Sarah? Think she was using the ship scanners to get a read on this thing…”

Barrett disappeared up the ramp.

And the Temple loomed large behind the Frontier.

“Annie?” said Andreja. “Are you feeling okay?”

Andromeda stared at it. All of her trepidation about the Temple had evaporated during the trip over. Instead, she felt a deep serenity now that they were so close – a kinship, of sorts. Could it be calling out to her in some unknown way? Did it have more to teach her? And who could of built such a thing? The composite material defied every metallurgical scan Constellation conceived of, yet some power out there in the universe builds with it like it’s child’s play. And, now, it called to her – harmoniously.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine, Dre. It’s different this time; I can’t explain it. But I’m ready to go in there.”

Andreja grabbed her by the hand and dragged her away from the ship. They took a moment to themselves next to a large rock where she surveyed Andromeda with an intensely questioning look.

“What do you mean you are ready to go in there? You nearly had a heart attack just seeing it from afar, and all of that is now forgotten? How can this be?”

“I told you, I can’t explain it. The Temple is calling for me. No idea how or why, but it is. And… I think there are more – a lot more – scattered around the galaxy just waiting for us to find them.”

“I do not like this,” said Andreja. “This is not who you are, Andromeda Renault. I fear there are forces we do not understand at play.” She studied her face through their helmets looking for any sign of doubt or hesitation and came away dissatisfied. “Do you mind if I scan your vitals?”

Andromeda shrugged nonchalantly and stood still while Andreja linked their suit readouts together and ran a diagnostic before initiating a deep wellness scan of her mysteriously stoic companion. The results chimed a minute later and Andreja frowned. Her pulse and oxygen levels were still in normal range, but an unknown compound similar in chemical composition to dopamine was flooding her endocrine system. With a few button presses on her wrist pad Andreja overrode the command functions in Andromeda’s suit and used the built in trauma system to push a dose of Junk Flush into her blood in an attempt to regulate her euphoria levels.

Nothing changed.

“Hm. It would seem that whatever altered your DNA changed something that human medicine is no longer compatible with.” Andreja severed the link, put her gloved hands on the side of Andromeda’s helmet, and pressed her own against it so that they were eye to eye. “Listen to me, Annie. I need to know that you are well. How are you truly feeling?”

“I’m fine, Dre. Really. I still feel a little nervous, but nothing like before. Whatever is in there won’t hurt me. I know that without a doubt.”

Andreja read nothing but honesty and a clarity of purpose in her eyes.

“Very well. No doubt Sarah will be pleased by this turn of events. Barrett told me on the way here that they have been trying unsuccessfully to enter this Temple for over three days.”

“It will open for me,” Andromeda assured her. “Wish I knew why, though.”

“I believe you.”

Footsteps clattering on metal echoed over towards them as Sarah and Barrett emerged from the ship and descended the landing bay ramp. Andromeda and Andreja rejoined them and an awkward silence lingered for a moment. A slight breeze kicked up a small haze of dust that blew between the four of them. It reminded Andromeda of an old Earth western movie she watched as a kid, and she half expected one of those weird plants to scoot across the sandy ground.

“Hello, you two,” said Sarah, finally breaking the ice. “You, um, both seem well.”

“Hello, Sarah,” returned Andreja. “It took some time, but we both indeed are as well as can be expected. I helped Annie recover physically. Mentally, however…”

“I know, I know. It was a brutal experience.” Sarah turned to Andromeda: “Mind if we have that chat now, Dro?”

Andromeda felt a little of her enthusiasm wither. She didn’t really want to get deep into it with Sarah, but she definitely owed it to her. And after her heart to heart with Andreja on the mesa, she’d been thinking more and more about how she’d essentially pulled the rug out from under Constellation’s feet. They went above and beyond for her when this mess began only for her to quit after their most important discovery had been made. Noel deserved better. Hell, even Sarah deserved better. And there was no way Andromeda could reasonably expect Andreja to walk away with her.

Ugh, what is it about Constellation that makes this so damn hard.

Deep down, she did know. They were all uncommonly kind and caring. And very idealistic in a way that enraptured her.

“It doesn’t need to be private,” sighed Andromeda. “We all know what happened: I got overwhelmed and did a runner. It was a chickenshit move.”

“It absolutely was not, Dro,” Sarah stated emphatically. “And I shouldn’t have sulked off the way I did. You needed us way more than we needed answers. With what you’d discovered... I got so caught up in the science – the wonder – that I didn’t give enough attention to your needs. You were terrified, and rightfully so. I should have helped you tackle that first and foremost. That was a monumental lapse in judgment on my part, and one that I should be above as Constellation’s leader. I’m grateful Andreja understood enough to stay behind and be with you. I’m sorry for that, Andromeda. Sorry for all of it.”

After Sarah finished speaking, Andromeda blinked rapidly a few times and then became keenly aware of how annoying it was to not be able to wipe your eyes while wearing a spacesuit.

“Sarah, I-I, um… it’s fine. Forget it ever happened.”

“I won’t, but I appreciate the sentiment. Now, hop inside the Frontier for a moment and clean yourself up.”

Andromeda shook her head. “It’ll dry.” She glanced at Andreja and acknowledged the knowing look on her face. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were right again. Drinks are on me next time. Oh, and Sarah?”

“Yes?”

“In the interest of full disclosure; you did pick up an EMS signal earlier. I had a little panic attack when we saw the Temple from up there. But I’m all better now.”

“Dro, I saw your vitals – that was more than a ‘little panic attack’! Are you sure -”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Now, who else is ready to find the door to that thing?”

“Annie, we must bring Sarah and Barrett up to speed before we continue.”

“Knock yourself out. I want to run some scans.”

Andromeda left them to converse among themselves, walking in a wide arc around the outermost reaches of the Temple while she fiddled with her HUD scanner to filter out the gravimetric interference from the structures composition. The physical data unsurprisingly matched her scans of the first Temple down to the last molecule, but she did notice a subtle energy wave emanating from it that wasn’t present on Tau Ceti III. She wondered if that unknown energy was causing the odd readings Andreja found in her bio scan. She analyzed them more thoroughly and realized that the carrier wave for the energy closely resembled an oscillating radio frequency, and that it was within a bandwith the technology in her suit could manipulate.

I wonder…

She opened her comms, switched to the same frequency as the energy wave, and rerouted it through her omnidirectional SOS beacon. The resulting effect created a barrier around her against the energy wave, and her earlier confidence regarding the Temple vanished instantaneously and left behind the all too familiar feeling of dread, compounded further now by being in it’s looming shadow.

“Andromeda!” Andreja’s voice cut loudly into her helmet. “Are you okay? Why is your beacon on?”

“Wanted to t-try something,” she replied. Her heartbeat was increasing again and her breath started coming in short bursts. “S-stupid idea… stupid. Dre, please come. I blocked out whatever the [censored] made me feel better about this place. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Ow.” A sharp pain in her chest hit again. “Ow. [censored], I think I’m having another panic attack. Dre…”

“Hold on, Andromeda!” Sarah cut it. “I’m overriding your system and giving you a shot of Amp! The adrenaline will help mitigate your anxiety!”

Andromeda’s HUD flashed a red cross, and then the adrenaline kicked in. The chem sharpened her mind in seconds and she was able to take several deep breaths of pure oxygen from her suit tanks. Her heart rate remained elevated, but she at least could focus enough to rein in the wild onslaught of emotions that came after the Temple stopped affecting her.

“Whoa. That’s good [censored]! Thanks, Sarah.”

“Do you mind explaining to us what you did, Annie?”

“I’d love to know that myself,” said Barrett.

They joined her side less than five minutes later and she explained to them the energy wave she picked up and her decision to block it. Sarah and Barrett both protested her recklessness while Andreja stayed oddly silent on the matter. That piqued Andromeda’s interest more than anything, and she addressed her partner first.

“I didn’t like the idea proceeding against my own will, Dre. I want to be here of my own accord.”

“I understand. That is an admirable decision, and one I would want to make for myself, were I in your position, dear. I am proud of you for being so bold.”

“Dear?” blinked Sarah. “Wait, are you two -”

“Yes,” said Andromeda and Andreja at the same time.

“Interesting. And I see what you mean about it being your choice. I just wish you’d have waited until we were with you.”

“Yeah, that probably would have been safer. What can I say? I’m impulsive sometimes.”

“And that is something I love about you, Annie,” smiled Andreja. “It balances me out so eloquently.”

The three of them stayed in that spot with Andromeda running scan after scan until they were sure there was no physical harm from the abrupt change in her mind’s neurochemical composition. Aside from the adrenaline boost from the chem, her vitals were normal and they saw no reason to not continue on.

“Are you still okay with doing this again, Dro?” asked Sarah. “Now that you’re in the right state of mind, that is.”

“I’m terrified, actually. But if you assholes can’t keep me safe, then who can?”

Barrett laughed heartily and clapped her on the back. They checked their gear and after agreeing one last time to push on, they fell in line behind Sarah who led the way to the northwestern side where a long channel cut down though the outer Temple walls. Where a door once remained firmly inert and locked, heavy slabs of metal ascended and descended into the lintel and the ground at their, or, rather, Andromeda’s approach. She took the lead at this point, watching the unknowable lock mechanisms oscillate around the door until it clicked with a thump. After a moment’s hesitation, Andromeda felt the reassuring grip of Andreja’s hand on her shoulder, and she opened the door.

The interior was identical to the Temple on Tau Ceti III in every way; from the reflection of space adoring the walls to the metallic rings in the floor. Gravity fell away at the end of the vestibule, and the first cluster of sparkling orbs appeared above their heads. There were few things Andromeda could think of that she would rather do less than float up into that orb, but she’d come this far and the child-like looks of wonder plastered across Sarah and Barrett’s faces nearly brought a smile to her own. They were, however, counterbalanced by the intense worry on Andreja’s.

Andromeda floated to her instead, and hugged her tightly. “I’ll be fine, Dre. I have you and that’s all I need.”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

She let go and drifted away with a wink. Then Andromeda tweaked her boostpack power levels and rose to immerse herself in the first orb of glittering light. Just like before, it vanished as the interlocking rings in the center of the floor rose and began their frantic rotation. Four more times, Andromeda coasted through the strange lights until the rings moved faster than the eye could see before coming to a sudden halt with a burst of energy, and a subsequent vortex of energy coalesced inside of them. But this time, there was no gravitational pull. Andromeda swallowed hard, took more than a few deep breaths, blasted another shot of Amp into her system, and drifted lazily into the rings. The unknown energy that had changed her forever reached out again, imbuing her body and mind with knowledge and power while images of spacetime bloomed across her vision and a crescendo of otherworldly music filled her ears.

And the, just like that, it was over. No pain, no agony, and no unconsciousness. Gravity decided to make a rousing comeback, and they all dropped to their feet, Andromeda included. She looked the same to them and her spacesuit diagnostics registered her vitals as normal, but she alone felt the power coursing through her body, begging to be unleashed from her fingertips.

“Annie? Is everything okay?”

“Y-yeah. I think so.”

The mounting power frightened her. Not the practical applications of it, but rather how it made her feel. It carried with it a will to dominate that reviled her. Who or what made this possible? And what horrible acts had they committed to create such unbridled might? Where Andromeda before felt a deep fear of what had changed her, she for the first time began to fear what too much of this power would do to her. What it would ultimately make her become.

“It gave me more power,” she explained. “And I don’t think humanity is ready for it. I’m certainly [censored] not.”

[Acadian]

Nice to see Andromeda and Sarah make amends. I like the possibility that Andromeda may not be done with the Constellation – they really do seem a pretty good lot.

So the temple is ‘calling’ her this time and, somehow she knows it will not harm her.

Absolutely magical and captivating description of her time inside the temple!

Oh my, the concerns she has about how the power makes her feel are rather ominous. . . . Perhaps the ‘benign’ temple has plans for Andromeda that are not so benign.