Returning: A Romantic Sci-Fi Adventure (Earth's Only Hope Book 3) by Joynell Schultz

Author:Joynell Schultz [Schultz, Joynell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wet Dog Press
Published: 2020-03-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Raay turned away from the flight controls when he heard Quaade and me behind him. “Skylar, I didn’t expect you back already, but I’m not complaining. I’d be happy to take another nap.”

“Then I bring good news,” I said with a fake smile. “You can sleep as much as you want. We’re cutting the engines.”

He tilted his chin in a look of bewilderment.

I explained the events that unfolded at the council meeting this morning. “The engines and the Chapertine fuel use oxygen. If we stop using them and seal the area, we might be able to make it until the Vainovian ship comes for us in twelve or thirteen days.”

Instead of seeing relief on Raay’s face, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows straightened. He turned back to the purple haze of a galaxy I didn’t recognize out the window. Defeat laced his normally sharp voice. “Very well.” He flipped a few switches and steered the ship towards a dark passage ahead. “If we can’t use fuel to steer, we’ll have to slow to a standstill…which will take a bit of fuel. Make sure it’s not turned off until we’re stationary.” He was all business as I felt the ship slow. “I’m happy to finish this process, if you want to do…whatever it is that makes you happy.”

I laughed.

What made me happy?

I had no idea.

But then, Quaade gripped my hand. “Perhaps we could use some downtime.”

Downtime?

What was that like?

Would I finally get to enjoying those scrolls up in the library I had drooled over when we first arrived?

I patted Raay’s shoulder. “Thanks for everything. It’ll be okay. We’ll make it.”

He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Will it be okay? I poisoned my own people.”

I dropped Quaade’s hand.

Raay held the same guilt I harbored, and I found myself repeating Quaade’s words, even though they hadn’t helped me. “You can’t let your past actions control your future.”

But Raay was a survivor like me. We learned from our past to survive our future. That’s when it all hit me.

“Raay, that’s not exactly correct. What you did was only a step to save your people. Without it, we wouldn’t all be standing here right now. In its own morbid way, you saved all the Cruisians and perhaps the entire planet Earth because of it. I’m not going to call you a hero, because you’re not. Just like I’m not. But we are survivors and can’t…won’t let anyone judge us for it. Not even ourselves.”

He tightened his lips and returned to the glass. “I’ll have to digest your words.”

I nodded, taking Quaade’s hand, finally feeling a bit of peace with myself. Maybe I was healing. Or maybe I had given up.

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