Page 12 of Rebels Rising (The Intergalactic Union #3)

Reece

T he pressure was heavy against me, the walls pressing in so close that I could barely breathe. I’d stopped trying to keep them from crushing me ages ago, but I’d lost track of time so I couldn’t say how long ago that was. I was simply letting the darkness compress me, stuck in the repetitive rut of the walls’ movements as they pulsed and convulsed around me.

Suddenly, a faint light cut through the darkness, but it was weak, like it was attempting to shine through a thickly opaque fog. A muffled voice accompanied the light, but it sounded as if they were shouting from an immense distance. I could hear them, but there were no discernible words. I wanted to move towards them, but I was stuck in place, my body held in place by the undulating walls.

The light went away and I got the sense that the other entity was suddenly keeping me company, both too far for me to reach but still right there, the warmth from their presence working to wash away some of the cold that had permeated deep into my bones. It wasn’t much, but it felt nice. The pressure from the walls lightened a little, the fog no longer so oppressing.

Sensation slowly worked its way back into my limbs, one small tingle at a time. Eventually, and I couldn’t say how long it took, but the tingling turned into painful pins and needles stabbing at my weakened muscles. Not that I had much of even those these days. A solar spent in solitary confinement inside a tiny room with hardly and space to fart let alone work out had reduced my previous stockiness to practically nothing.

I blinked sharply at the reminder of my old cell, the walls currently pressing in on me dissolving as I remembered that I was no longer there. I was free, and I had the space to bring my muscle mass back to where it used to be. If I so chose. I wasn’t sure if it was worth it if I were only going to end up back there anyway.

‘Reece?’ a soft voice called from beside me, the sound so cutting against the quiet that I jolted with a wince as it blared through the silence of the room. The room on the ship we’d taken to escape Nova Station, I suddenly recalled.

The unfamiliar surroundings rematerialized around me as the walls suddenly snapped back into place, far away from me. They weren’t crushing me. They weren’t even moving.

‘Reece? Sweetie, can you hear me?’

The voice was familiar; the higher pitch of a woman with the sensual cadence distinctive of a Griknot female. There was only one Griknot female I was particularly familiar with.

‘Addy?’

My voice was croaky, my throat dry, and I coughed as soon as air pushed through to speak.

‘Stay here, don’t move. I’ll get you some water.’

The warmth that was on my arm disappeared as she retreated to the other side of the room where a tiny kitchenette held an even tinier refrigerator. She retrieved a bottle sloshing with clear liquid then returned, handing it over as I weakly lifted my arm to accept it. It took a lot more energy than I’d anticipated to lift it to my lips, but I drank deeply, panting when I finally lowered the now empty bottle.

‘Thank you,’ I said, and though my voice was small I didn’t fall into a coughing fit like the last time I’d tried to speak. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d had something to drink, which would explain my current state. It had been days before Artemis and the others had arrived, I knew that much. No wonder breathing felt like nails scratching down my oesophagus and scraping the lining of my lungs.

‘How are you feeling?’ she asked, settling back in beside me on the bed. I had been sitting on the side with my legs over the edge, which explained why my ass was numb.

‘I’m… okay,’ I said slowly, rolling the words over in my mouth to see how they felt. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but I didn’t think it was the truth either. It was more like I was in some sort of emotional limbo, grateful to be free but a part of me was left behind in my cell and the facility.

Adara frowned, clearly not believing me. Perhaps she was right not to. I wasn’t sure I believed myself either, but I knew I had to believe that, at the very least, I would be okay eventually. Even if that wasn’t today.

‘Are you sure?’ she pushed warily.

I sent her a small, melancholy smile. ‘I’m okay right now. How about I let you know if that changes?’

Her hand came to rest on top of my arm, her warmth seeping into me again and soothing something I hadn’t realised I needed until that moment. ‘I just wanted to come and check on you. You’ve been noticeably absent since we left Nova Station. I was worried.’

I placed my free hand over hers, squeezing gently. ‘I appreciate the concern, Adara. Thank you for caring.’

‘Of course. I’m here for you. If you want to talk… I know that not a lot of people here would understand what you’ve been through, but I do. At least some of it.’

‘I think… I’d like that. Just not right now,’ I admitted.

‘I can respect that.’

She started to remove her hand but I caught it before she could get very far, a sudden panic cresting inside my chest. ‘Where are you going?’

She paused, eyeing me carefully. ‘I was just going to head out. You said… I thought you’d want some peace.’

‘Stay.’

The word was tinged with an array of emotions, none of which I was willing to delve deeper into at this point in time. She seemed to understand enough, however, and retook her position beside me, hand still clutched in mine.

‘Okay. I’ll stay.’

???

I woke to the sensation of fingers running through my hair. They scratched gently at my scalp, and I satisfied growl built in my chest. I was rewarded with a girlish giggle before the fingers were removed from my hair, the bed dipping as the owner of that hand got up.

My eyes blinked open blearily as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Not that I was complaining. I would happily wake up like that every day, but I was definitely discombobulated.

My confusion dissipated as I caught sight of Adara, the events of the previous evening – or whenever that was – surging back to the forefront of my mind. Guilt swamped me when I caught sight of another person, however.

Adara nestled herself into Xander’s embrace, the two of them looking very cosy and happy to see one another. I wasn’t sure why she’d stayed with me when she had him, and while I was grateful, I wasn’t the kind of man to steal a woman away from another man. Especially when they were so clearly, sickeningly in love.

I moved to stand, the rustle of the sheets causing Xander’s eyes to snap to mine, but what I saw there made me relax. There was no accusation in his gaze, merely kindness and concern, and most of my guilt dissipated. Nothing untoward had happened anyway, I assured myself.

‘How are you feeling, Hastings?’ he asked, still using my last name. I wasn’t sure he would ever see me as anything more than a cadet, or at the very least his responsibility. I didn’t want to be his burden to bear forever, and now that I was free from The Program’s clutches, no longer wasting away inside that stars-damned cell or laying broken and bleeding at the mercy of those fucked up scientists, I needed to remove myself from under his umbrella of protection. It was going to take some effort to convince him I was okay on my own, but the sudden realisation that I needed to stand on my own two feet and prove to myself that I could smacked into me with the force of a battering ram.

The epiphany bolstered me, my spine straightening as determination filled every inch of me. I knew what I needed to do. First, I would get my strength back. They may have taken it from me once before, but I would ensure no one could ever do so again. Then, I would make myself useful in this fight. I was going to be the first one in, front and centre to destroy the bastards who thought they could get away with this.

‘Hastings?’ – ‘Reece?’

Both Adara and Xander called to me, slicing through my thoughts and reminding me that Xander had asked me a question.

‘Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m feeling okay. Better, actually,’ I admitted, a small smile tugging at my lips. It wasn’t full by any means, but I’d get there. How, I wasn’t so sure yet. Physical strength was a hell of a lot easier to recover than mental strength, and I wasn’t ready to dig into that pit of misery just yet.

‘Are you sure?’ Adara asked, unsure.

I hoped the smile I gave her was convincing enough in its genuineness. Luckily, it seemed to appease both of my visitors. They extended an offer for me to join them for the midday meal – I had apparently been out of it for the past two and a half days and slept right through this morning – but I declined. I needed to gain my independence back, and that started right now. I could manage to get my own food. It was going to be a bland Nutri-Bar regardless, but I was capable to grabbing one for myself without an entourage of mother hens to make sure I actually ate it.

Starving myself wasn’t the issue, though with the way my stomach grumbled I realised that was what I had been doing, even if it was inadvertent. I would just have to keep a stash of Nutri-Bars on hand just in case. I wasn’t sure if I would get stuck in whatever that state had been again, but I wasn’t going to take any chances. I’d figure out a way to deal with it if the need ever arose again.

I could do this.

The couple bode me farewell and left me to my own devices, shooting me one last concerned look before the door closed behind them and shut me away from the rest of the ship again. I took that as my cue to shake out the residual pins and needles that still continued to run up and down my extremities, though they were admittedly a lot less prominent than the day before. I must have been still for too long even after I’d snapped out of the haze.

I cleaned myself off in the bathroom and donned a jumpsuit that looked way too small for me, except when I put it on it sagged in places it shouldn’t have been sagging. I tried not to let it drag me back down into that dark place that latched on with sharp, deadly claws and taunted me with how much of a failure I was. I really needed to bulk up again, if only to feel more like myself rather than some weakling imposter.

Once I was presentable, I braced myself for leaving my room for the first time since arriving. The room was dark so stepping out into the brightly lit hallway illuminated by vibrant fluorescent lights was a bit of a shock to my system, and I squinted my eyes, shielding them with my hands as I waited for them to adjust. People passed me by, eyeing me curiously as I stood there but it took less time than it normally would have for the light to stop stabbing at my eyeballs so painfully.

I lowered my hands and relaxed my eyelids, discovering that not only had I adjusted to the brightness faster than should have been possible, but I saw everything with more clarity than I was used to. Maybe it was because I had spent so long in the darkness, but even I didn’t believe that excuse. The Program had altered me, and I had a feeling this was a lasting effect.

I supposed I couldn’t complain about it too much. Sure, the torture I’d had to endure to create better senses wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t the worst side-effect I could have had to suffer through.

I hadn’t done much exploring of the ship so far, but it was easy enough to follow the signs towards the gym. It was on the bottom floor just above the engine room. The hum from the engines and the spinning magnets that created the artificial gravity vibrated softly through the floor like a delicate tickle drifting up into my body. It was a pleasant sensation, even if it was a little alarming to be so close to such dangerous and important machinery.

The floor itself was well-utilised. Exercise equipment was spread out throughout the floor and divided into separate areas with space as dividers. The ship wasn’t as large as The Carina, so there wasn’t as much space for other activities such as running or flying, but there were different machines and such to provide those exercises for those who needed them. The most interesting equipment for Drakferns to stretch their wings. It hooked them up to a sort of bungee contraption inside an augmented reality chamber that allowed them to pretend as though they were outside in a variety of different environments. I could already visualise Cadmus enjoying his time in there, though it was currently occupied by another Drakfern, this one bright red and vaguely familiar.

Then it hit me.

It was Corporal Gwym.

I spun on my heel, ready to run back to my room and hide forever, but I paused before I could take another step. I wasn’t a coward. I didn’t need to hide from my old instructor, afraid of what he thought of how much I’d wasted away this past solar. But I didn’t want to be ashamed. I was here to build it back up, and if anyone thought less of me for losing the muscle mass then screw them. I’d worked hard for it before, I could and would do it again.

My emaciated state wasn’t a sign of weakness, and I refused to let them win by making it so. I was a survivor, damn it, and I was free.

I turned back around and marched right up to the weights, surveying what was available with my hands on my hips and my eyes keen. I ignored everyone else around me, their presence unimportant in my own journey. This was about me, not them.

I decided it was best to just bite the bullet and start from scratch. I hoped I wasn’t down at the lowest weight but there was no way to know where I currently sat until I tried, so I picked up two of the smallest hand weights and felt them out.

My breath left me in a whoosh of relieve to discover that they were still too light and I wasn’t as far gone as I’d feared. Putting them back and picking up the next size up incurred the same result, so I repeated the process until I found ones that suited me. I knew I wouldn’t be lifting the same as before, and I wasn’t by any means, but my confidence and my hope was bolstered by the discovery I hadn’t been reduced to nothing. Somehow, I had retained some of my strength, and that knowledge felt better than I could have ever dared to imagine.

Just as I settled in to start my reps, a voice called my name. I placed the weights at my feet and turned to greet the one woman I still wasn’t sure I knew how to interact with, a curious lift to my eyebrows as she drew closer.

‘Hey,’ I said, trying not to pay attention to the way the jumpsuit clung and moulded to her feminine figure but failing spectacularly. I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed the ample protrusions on her chest or the prominent dip in her toned waist.

‘Hey,’ she replied right back, the single word holding back so many emotions that I wasn’t sure either one of us was particularly eager to lay out yet.

‘What’s up?’ I promoted.

‘I’m holding a meeting in the infirmary. You should be there.’

I frowned, unsure I liked where this was going but deciding to hear her out. ‘What about?’

‘There are some things I need to discuss with those who were subject to The Program’s experiments. I’ll explain everything when everyone’s there, but unfortunately this is a conversation that can no longer be avoided.’

‘Right,’ I said on a sigh, already knowing I wasn’t getting out of this – whatever it was, and eyes the weights mournfully. ‘I’ll just sort myself out and be right there.’

‘No rush. I need to round up the others. The meeting will start in a turn, so you have time to finish your set and freshen up, grab something to eat if you haven’t already.’

‘Wait, the others?’ I asked, suddenly nervous that all of our trauma was about to be aired out in front of an audience, and also mentally kicking myself for forgetting to eat before I started a workout. My stomach chose that moment to protest its emptiness, growling loud and long.

She gave me a knowing look but followed it up with a reassuring smile that actually settled my overactive nerves. ‘Just those involved.’

‘Who?’ I asked, getting the sense she was talking about more than just me and Adara.

‘You, Addy, Cadmus and Henrik.’

‘Why Cadmus and Henrik?’

Her lips pinched as her eyes darted about the room, unwilling to speak in front of the others using the equipment. ‘I’ll explain that in the meeting, too. One turn. I’ll see you there?’

She’d phrased it as a question but it really wasn’t. It was a requirement set by my captain and I was expected to follow. I nodded once, not liking this strange shift in our dynamic. It had been a long time since we’d spent any real time together, but we’d gotten close before everything went to shit. Or at least I thought we had.

It saddened me to acknowledge it, even internally, but even though I trusted Artemis for the most part I wasn’t sure how much of our friendship was real. She may have come back for me, but I’d discerned enough about the situation to determine I hadn’t been her priority. Not that I blamed her for putting those kids first, but it still stung that I was more of an afterthought.

Was that selfish? Probably, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel it.

I settled back in with the weights as she walked away, focusing back on my newest purpose. The physical exertion allowed my mind to clear, my focus on my body’s actions rather than all the other bullshit currently surrounding my life. Here and now, with each repetition, I pushed the memories of weakness and despair to the side and focused solely on the next breath, the strain each motion caused, and the sensation of the sweat trickling over my brow.

With a final push I finished my last rep and put the weights back in their place, then I wiped the sweat off my brow with my sleeve and stretched out my freshly worked muscles to avoid any cramping and stiffness, just the way I’d been taught. The familiar motions were a soothing balm to my soul, another reminder that I was free and I hadn’t lost this part of myself. I may have been a lot skinnier than before, but I was no less capable of bringing myself back to where I used to be.

It didn’t take me long to head back to my room and wash off the residual stench from my workout, and I quickly redressed in a clean jumpsuit after making a mental note to acquire some more appropriate workout attire.

I found myself in the infirmary not long after, seated in a chair to the side of the room while Henrik took up one of the cots and Cadmus was positioned at Bromm’s side. I wasn’t sure how or why he was holding the unconscious Griknot’s hand, but I figured it probably had something to do with what had happened in the facility.

The memory of the three of them together shoved itself to the front of my mind, playing out in high definition as the grunts and moans sounded as if they were happening right now instead of in the past. It was such a vivid memory that my body’s reaction was impossible to prevent, my cock twitching without my consent inside my jumpsuit. I just hoped no one noticed as I tried to discretely adjust to hide the sudden bulge.

It wasn’t even that I wanted to be a part of that. Any man would get hard when people fucked right in front of them. It had nothing to do with the way they moved together like they were one being, undulating against one another with the slap of slick flesh, the panting… the pleasure.

Sex turned me on. That was all it was.

I couldn’t decide if I was thankful or even more embarrassed when the woman in question stepped into the room, Adara trailing behind her. The door closed behind them both, locking us in for whatever this meeting was about. Artemis surprised me when she immediately handed me a Nutri-Bar, but I took it gratefully and a little abashedly since I’d forgotten to feed myself a second time. Maybe I had needed to follow Adara and Xander to grab something to eat earlier. I clearly still hadn’t screwed my head on straight enough yet.

‘I didn’t think you were going to tell anyone else,’ Cadmus commented as I took my first bite. It tasted like ash and chalk on my tongue, and it was any wonder how my mouth didn’t try out from the contact. Still, it was better than nothing. I wasn’t about to take that for granted again.

Artemis shot Cadmus an apologetic look. ‘That was the idea, but then I realised this affected them too. Keeping them in the dark didn’t feel right.’

‘What are you talking about?’ asked Adara, frowning between the two. ‘What’s going on?’

Artemis inhaled deeply and levelled us all with a serious gaze. ‘We need to talk about the nanites.’

‘You want me to monitor these guys, too,’ Henrik assumed, excitement alighting in his eyes even through his attempts to disguise it.

‘That discussion is on the agenda for this meeting, yes,’ Artemis admitted, and my eyebrows shot up.

I opened my mouth to protest but Henrik continued on before I could even get a sound out.

‘That explains why I’m here, but why does Cadmus need to be here for this?’

‘Because…’ she began, looking to the man in question as if asking for permission.

Instead of giving it, he spoke for himself. ‘Because we think what’s happening to Bromm is also happening to me.’

Shock drew us all up short as we took a moment to process that information.

‘What? How?’ asked Henrik, his excitement immediately souring at the idea of his friend being in any sort of danger.

That was when Artemis dropped an even bigger bomb that sent a chill down my spine.

‘The nanites seem to be evolving, and I think they may be contagious.’

‘Fuck,’ Adara cursed on a strangled breath.

Fuck indeed.