Fluency by Jennifer Foehner Wells

Author:Jennifer Foehner Wells [Wells, Jennifer Foehner]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780990479819
Amazon: 0990479811
Barnesnoble: 0990479811
Goodreads: 22566044
Publisher: Blue Bedlam Books
Published: 2014-06-17T17:00:00+00:00

13

“Tom?”

Bergen watched as Jane approached Compton slowly and touched his arm. Tom didn’t respond to her.

She turned, stricken. “What happened?”

“It sounds like you know more about it than we do,” Walsh uttered with slow, menacing calm.

She opened her mouth to speak, and shut it again, pivoting back to Compton. “Tom?” she said, shaking him gently. She touched his sagging face. Nothing happened. He didn’t make eye contact with her. “Oh my God. What do we do now?”

Ajaya said urgently, “Jane—how is this disease transmitted? Are we all exposed?”

Jane turned, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I don’t know any of the specifics. I’m just a linguist. I’m so sorry.”

“Holloway,” Walsh boomed. “This is why we have to get out of here. Before something worse happens. Can you get us back to the capsule?”

Jane was slowly shaking her head. “Yes, but….”

Ajaya cut in, “Commander, if this is contagious, we can’t risk returning to Earth and exposing the population there.”

“They’ll put us in quarantine,” Walsh countered, irritably.

Ajaya scowled and snapped, “We don’t know what the vector is. Just getting through the atmosphere may be enough to transmit it to Earth. We don’t have the right to risk that. It sounds like we’ll be dead long before we get there, anyway..”

“Ei’Brai said they found the agent just before they…. It wasn’t enough to save them, but it could save us. We—he—he’ll help us. We’ll figure this out.” Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“No!” Walsh grated at her. “Don’t you see? That’s what he wants. He’s pulling the puppet strings, through you. I can’t stop you from going back there. I’m asking you—no, I’m ordering you—do not go back there, Holloway. I don’t believe any of this is real. This is a mind game. He’s amused by us. We’re like zoo animals to him. We’re going back to the capsule and then we’re going home, goddamn it.”

“I don’t know, I don’t know….” she murmured.

Walsh grabbed her arm roughly. “Pull yourself together, Holloway! You’re the only one who can read the symbols. We need you to get us back.”

Jane looked shattered.

Bergen couldn’t hold back anymore. He shoved Walsh away from Jane. “That’s enough! She heard you. Lay off her.” Walsh took a swing at him that almost made contact, but Bergen’s reflexes were faster. He ducked and barreled into Walsh, shoulder down, knocking Walsh stumbling back into the wall. Bergen took a step back and waited. Walsh was staggering to his feet and coming back for more when Gibbs and Ajaya pulled them apart.

“Come on, man, this isn’t helping anything,” Gibbs chided.

Ajaya shot him a censorious glare. Walsh was shrugging her off, pushing away any attempts at checking him over.

“Where’s Holloway?” Walsh snarled.

Bergen’s heart stopped. She wasn’t in the immediate area anymore.

Gibbs shone his light up and down the corridor. Jane was curled up some distance away, back against the wall, knees drawn up to her chin, head on folded arms.

“By God, if she’s gone there again,” Walsh spat.

Ajaya turned him away, murmuring in placating tones.

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