CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One ∞ 3: A Shard Of Code

98 ∞ Confirmation

Day 00010 Mission Nilex


Gareth lingered in the shower, letting the hot water beat and soothe his aches and chafed skin. It had been a long day with too much excitement and too many things to think about.

Hours outside setting up the telescopes.

Ayla using an override command she shouldn't have known.

His flat-out run through the ship in his spacesuit.

Running the gamut of emotions, from cold anger when Canaisis informed him of the override attempt, to fear for Ayla's safety as Canaisis urged him faster.

Any other place and he would have ordered the gravity to be tripled. But it had been in the Garden, so he'd run with all the strength he could muster.

And the kiss... What was he supposed to make of that?

His mind shied away from emotions he'd thought long dormant, but there was no denying he'd felt them. His blood had pounded and his heart hammered in response, his body forgetting all about the strain of his run, like it hadn't happened.

Carrying Ayla to the pool... He'd looked down at her face, feeling completely powerless. Something he hadn't felt in such a long time. The memory of looking at his wife in his arms as the thrumming of the air car overhead competed with the din of a waterfall flashed across his consciousness.

Never did he want to be that powerless, and a part of him resented Ayla for making him feel that again.

He turned to rest one forearm up high on the wall and let the pulsing jets of water work another part of his body.

For many centuries—he'd lost track of how many—he'd known the peace of forgetfulness, and Ayla had made him remember. He didn't like it at all. It wasn't her fault—it was his. He acknowledged that. He didn't, hadn't allowed himself those emotions. Never again. He longed to forget. But it would take time, so much time. And in that time, he'd have to endure the loneliness all over again.

The memory of Ayla's lips touching his, the desperate need in her kiss sparked his own need, and he slammed the wall with his fist. Straightening himself, he dropped his arm and closed his eyes, seeking some serenity with a deep breath, seeking the forgetfulness he'd enjoyed before Ayla came aboard.

Instead, Ayla's face floated up before him, only to morph into another's.

Caitlin!

He snapped his eyes open, angry with himself. Shutting the water off activated the air jets, and he stood with lifted arms until blow-dried. He held onto his anger as he stepped out of the shower and returned to his cabin to pick out ship clothes.

Anger numbed his pain.

«You need to eat and then rest, Captain,» Canaisis said in his mind as he dressed. «You're still healing.»

«I'm going for a run to clear my head,» he thought. «I'll eat afterwards.»

«I'll gather some materials from the Garden for a salad, Captain. They'll be waiting for you in the break room.»

Gareth paused and looked up, a sense of relief and comfort washing over him at Canaisis' words. He let go of his anger and found his usual sense of calm. «That sounds incredibly nice, Canaisis. We'll have a game while I eat.»

With that, he left his cabin and headed for Hangar Bay 4 and his gym track. Despite his serenity, he needed to drive these thoughts away from him. The same way he was going to drive his legs and body into exhaustion.

∞

Ayla exited the transit tube, released from its snug magnetic hold. Most of her body had dried from the trip, but stepping into the hangar air sent a chill through her damp hair despite the towel wrapped on her head. The robe Canaisis provided did an excellent job of keeping the rest of her warm.