Page 4 of The Death Striker's Partner
“Allico Inc hired you to be my sister’s friend and check on me?” I furrow my brows and look at my sister for clarification. That doesn’t sound necessary or sensible.
“She doesn’t mean why are you hereright now,but why are you here. Why are you part of Operation colonisation?” Hannah translated for me. She’s good at that. I adjust my glasses on my nose and feel at my short bob of brown hair. I fuss with my fringe. I like to have it match Hannah’s. I used to have my hair long like hers too, but it became impractical with all the time I spent crawling around computer towers. Server rooms are hot too, so it is cooler to have shorter hair. I still remember holding Hannah’s hand when I first had it cut. I remember the hairdresser asking if I didn’t want to have my hair cut, if I was this scared.
That’s wrong. I am scared of change, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it. I wanted my hair cut. I was scared of the transition or it not coming out right and being stuck with it not looking how I wanted it. I fixate on things like that.
Right now I fixated on my fringe with my thumbs and fingers to check the length. I trimmed my fringe when it naturally touched my eyebrows. I smiled. I didn’t need to trim it yet.
“I better reintroduce myself then. I’m Dr. Charlie O’Hara. I’m an immunologist. That means-”
“I know what it means.” I look around the medial room and see a sink. I want to wash myself. I can still smell vomit on my chin. I reach out for Hannah’s hand and she walks me over tothe sink. I would have done so on my own, but I felt weak from being in cryosleep for so long.
“Do you? That’s impressive. Most people don’t.” I cup water to my face and wash myself as much as I can. I cup more into my mouth and gargle it into the sink.
“I assumed it was something to do with the immune system.” Hannah offers, but she isn’t quite right, so I correct her.
“An Immunologist is a doctor who is specialised to diagnose, treat and where possible work to prevent diseases caused by microorganisms and immune system disorders, including if they are autoimmune diseases.” I nod, content with my answer, and Hannah is smiling at me. “I want to shower.”
“The doctors need to check you’re fit enough to discharge and then you can shower.” I didn’t like her answer, but I accepted it.
“I vomited on the floor.”
“I know. So did I. I got the doctor’s shoes too.” She laughed. So did Charlie. I didn’t, but I knew it was funny. “Are you ready for me to let the doctor in? Or do you need some more time?”
“I want a shower.” I answered her and moved to sit on the bed.
“Which you can have as soon as the doctor is done, so you want me to go get the doctor.” I think she’s translating for Charlie. He thinks so too, from the way he nods and leans into the corridor to talk to someone.
“We’re ready for you now.”
Hannah strokes my back and holds my hand as the doctor does a range of tests. I know he needs to check my blood pressure, heart rate, and draw blood, but that doesn’t mean I like it. I don’t like the touch of the monitor disc he presses to my chest and arm. I really don’t like when he pricks my skin to takea blood sample. I feel myself retreating, but Hannah keeps me anchored. She is my rock.
When the tests are over I close my eyes and adopt my usual transport position when I’m going somewhere new. I put my left hand in Hannah’s right and place my right hand on the back of the same hand. I keep my eyes shut and trust her to walk me to our destination.
I wanted to come to AU 471. I wanted to see new stars and I still want to. But that doesn’t mean I’m not scared. Hannah knows this and speaks softly to me the whole way. When someone bumps into my right arm and I whine, she starts singing me the same song she always does when she needs to draw my attention to her. You are my sunshine. It makes me think of when we were little girls and we shared a bedroom. Whenever I was scared she would lay on the bed with me, but she wouldn’t touch me. She wouldn’t make me look her in the eye. She would sing you are my sunshine, softly, and on a loop until I either calmed down or went to sleep. I enjoy the repetition of the song. I enjoy the way she sings it.
I nod to her when I’m calm enough to keep walking, and we keep going. I count 76 steps before we walk into an elevator. Even with my eyes closed, I can tell it’s bright here. Charlie speaks to Hannah, and sometimes she answers him, but I can tell she’s paying more attention to me than him. They are talking about a lost bet and laughing about it. I don’t understand, but I don’t want to so I don’t ask.
Another 80 steps and Hannah guides me into a shuttle. I tense, knowing that means we’re going down to the planet. As per my strict instructions, I was reanimated after the rest of group 3. Allico Inc reserved a shuttle for just me and Hannah, though Charlie is now riding with us. It isn’t part of the plan…I don’t like it…but I focus on Hannah’s singing and her hand in both of mine, and I let him come too.
Hannah lowers me into a seat and I decide to keep my eyes shut. It doesn’t feel as bright here, but I’m scared of what I will see when I open my eyes. I hear the shuttle’s engine and Hannah sits beside me. She has to. I still hold her hand in mine. I hear Charlie sit opposite us and we sit quietly. Hannah sings and I slowly feel comfortable enough to open my eyes. They both let me look around and adjust to my surroundings. The lights are dimmer here, and out of 20 seats only our three are occupied with a square table between us.
Hannah clears her throat and I sit ramrod and look at her with wide eyes. I know what it means when she makes that noise. She’s going to tell me something I’m not going to like. Something she thinks will trigger me. I grip her hand tightly and purse my lips together. “You’re okay Billie.” Hannah smiles and I grip my rock for support. I’m shaking my head already before she continues, but she does. I know she needs to. She wouldn’t scare me unless she had to, but that doesn’t mean I like it. “AU–741 is called Thelia.”
“No it isn’t.” I counter. “Its designation is AU471.”
“…theindigenousspecies who live there call it Thelia.” I grow still and stare at her. “The Ucfeni are a sentient species who have some technological capabilities, but they suffer from infections quite badly, so our people made a trade deal with them to-”
I’m listening. I’m retreating, but I still hear her. Aliens. No, we’re the aliens, since it’s their planet. There’s not supposed to be any life AU471 other than plant life, and of course, microorganisms. It isn’t scientifically impossible for there to be a sentient species on a planet that can support life. Earth did, after all, but the statistical likelihood is low. Very low. If I had my computer I would do the math. I still want a shower. I want to go back into cryo. I want to go down to the planet and meet real aliens.
It’s too much.
I shut down like my precious computer when it overheats or there’s an error and it needs to reboot. I bring my feet up to perch on the edge of the chair and hug my knees to make a safe space to hide. My forehead rests on my knees and I shut my eyes.
Chapter 5
Landing on Thelia
Hannah.
