Heritage (Under Revision)

Chapter 15 - Elena

I can feel Ethan stirring restlessly next to me as we’re lying warm under the blankets in our bed. He does this sometimes, tossing and turning, not getting much sleep at all.

It’s usually due to old memories, dreams and nightmares from our time trapped on the XR3-Hercules ship, him remembering the disfigured mutants and his infection for a brief time during the early stages of my pregnancy with Leon. I do what I can to comfort him, but I know that nothing can erase those images from his mind.

“Memories coming back again?” I ask, after I slide over closer to him and drape my arm around his middle, placing my head on his chest.

“Yeah. They’ve been coming and going more often lately,” he replies quietly.

“You remember way too much, Ethan. Sometimes the memories just aren’t your responsibility to carry,” I tell him, trying to lighten his burden a little.

“If no one else remembers, then everyone who died on that station will disappear. If no one else wants to bear the responsibility, then I will Elena,”

“I know...I just wish they didn’t bring you so much suffering,” I say to him softly.

A moment later the door to our HabMod bursts open and in bounds Leon, an erratic expression on his face. For a moment I’m startled and worry swirls my brain, until I see the grin on his face.

I bet this has something to do with him and Stella. They’ve been hanging out a lot recently and I haven t heard of any arguments. But why is he here so late?

“Mom! Dad! You are not gonna believe what just happened!” he exclaims, approaching the side of our bed, almost bouncing with enthusiasm and turning on the light, momentarily blinding both Ethan and myself.

“Leon...I swear to you this better be good or I’m confining you to your Habmod for a week,” Ethan states, squinting in the glare of the overhead lights.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. You’re gonna love this!”

“Leon...”

I need to borrow...”

“Leon...”

“The Hydra because...”

“Leon!” Ethan yells, finally getting his attention and putting a stop to his excited rambling. “Calm...down.”

“Okay, Dad...I’m calm, Leon says taking a deep breath,”

“Good. Now what’s this about needing to borrow the Hydra?”

“Well...I asked Stella to my party, as well as asked her to be my date for the party. Plus, I asked her on a date tomorrow...well...today. And I need to borrow the Hydra since there’s no other way of transportation there,” he says hurriedly.

Ethan turns to me as if waiting for my approval, and I smile brightly, my Mothering instincts kicking in yet again. I nod at him and he continues.

“Alright Leon,” Ethan says to him, grabbing his TAPs from the bedside table and keying Leon s device into the ignition programming of the Hyrdra.

“You wreck it though, and I’m literally going to take it out of your ass.”

“I know, Dad. Thanks!” he says, exiting the room with a bounce in his step.

“I swear to God, our kid is one major piece of work,” Ethan says to me, shaking his head with a smile.

“Kinda reminds me of his father,” I reply with a smirk. He gives a brief chuckle and looks at me amusedly.

“Leave me alone, I’m too tired to get you back for that comment,” he says, laying back against his pillow and closing his eyes.

I simply return to my earlier position, one arm snaked around his waist and my head on his heart, and I, too, close my eyes.

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

“Room, ten-hut!” I yell to the room, and they stand at attention as Ethan strides to the podium at the front of the room.

After a brief lunch, which consisted of a power bar and a bottle of juice, I hurriedly ran to the briefing room for Ethan s announcement.

“At ease,” he says to the crowd of officers.

They all take their seats, sitting straight, their eyes trained on Ethan s face as he clears his throat. I look up at him and he nods, telling me it’s time to turn on the 3D projector.

I push the button and automatically a 3D image appears in between Ethan s podium and the first row of chairs, where the officers are all seated. It is a large, square, shimmering map of the Galaxy, projected from the mainframe computer. Planets and moons in their current position, spacecrafts making their way across the expanses, and stars, all shining in different colors on the transparent atlas.

“As you already know,” he begins, looking serious, we have spotted an anomaly five hundred miles east of our position, he says, using a laser pointer to encircle the glowing red dot which signifies the variance on the map.

“Officials back at headquarters seem to think that it may be Sekrid warships preparing to launch an attack. We have been ordered to monitor and take action if that’s the case,” he continues, standing stiffly at the podium while the officers stare up at him slack jawed. “However, in my opinion, I believe that we should wait until they start to move in themselves. We have too many liabilities on board this shit for us to launch an offensive.”

“Sir, what if they hit us with a sneak attack, how will we fend them off then?” an officer says from the back, raising his hand.

“Well Major, in case you have forgotten, this ship has the most advanced detection systems in the Galaxy. Sekrid ships won’t have the cloaking technology to beat our radars for the next twenty years. And just in case, I am going to have complete twenty-four-hour surveillance on all sides of the ship, until this anomaly is taken care of. The watches will be done in shifts. Commander Elena should have that set up by tomorrow morning at the latest. So, any objections?” Ethan states, looking around the room.

No one moves a muscle or says a word.

“Very well, you are all dismissed,” he says to the gathered officials, and they salute him before leaving the briefing room in a single file line.

“So, do you really think that it’s Sekrid warships out there, Ethan?” I ask him, noting the concern etched on his face.

“I don t really know, Elena. I can only pray that it’s not, but we have to stay prepared just in case,” he replies, pulling me towards him and embracing me for a moment.

“Well, I have a class to tend to, Ethan. I’ll talk to you after classes are over, hun.”

“Alright Elena, see you soon,” he replies.

I give him a quick kiss and head for the door, mentally preparing myself for my next lesson.

I m a little early when I arrive at my classroom, so I set to work planning next week s lesson plan out, making notes here and there on my tablet and soon after my Cadets arrive.

Surprisingly, all of my classes go off without a hitch, and as I’m packing my bag for the day, I remember that tonight is Leon s date with Stella. I grin to myself as I lock my classroom for the night and make my way to me and Ethan s HabMod, fully ready for a hot soak in the tub and dinner with my wonderful husband. Maybe we ll order some food from Nova and have it delivered.

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

Ethan and I have just finished the last of our meal, our usual entrees from Nova that we delivered shortly after my hour-long bubble bath, and that s when I realize that Leon and Stella should’ve been home by now.

I take a seat in my favorite chair, and stare at the door. Today s briefing has left me worried, and now that they aren’t back, it only doubles my nervousness.

“I wonder what’s taking so damn long,” Ethan says worriedly.

“I don’t know, but I hope they get back soon. I’m really worried about them,”

Just then, the phone s personalized ringtone chimes from the wall.

The infirmary’s ringtone.

Worry floods my stomach and I feel as though I might lose my dinner as thoughts of Sekrids, kidnappings, my only son and my favorite Cadet swarm through my head.

Ethan rushes to the phone, apparently as worried as I am, and snatching it up quickly.

“This is General Blake, what’s the problem, Lila?” he says, addressing the ship’s nurse.

A look of relief washes over Ethan’s face and he looks over at me reassuringly.

“Oh, well thank you for calling Lila, we really appreciate it, we were starting to worry over here. It’s alright if Leon stays there for the night, I’m sure it’d be comforting to Stella if he were there,” he says into the phone, shooting me a devious grin.

He hangs up the phone and quickly informs me that Stella had gotten sick on their date, and that they were both safe and sound in the infirmary.

“Apparently, Leon has refused to leave her side, and will be staying the night with her there.”

I couldn’t be prouder of my son as I breathe a sigh of relief, and hope that Stella feels better soon.