Page 102 of Alien Warlord's Fury
Meela's large eyes followed my finger tracing the air above her lifelines. Three days ago, she'd screamed; today, she allowed me close.
"I had bad dreams too," I told her quietly. "After Hammond. They get quieter". Her eyes widened slightly, lifelines responding.
"Claire has a gift with them," Kavan murmured to Selene.
"It's not a gift," I corrected, focusing on Meela. "It's just... I know what Hammond did. I know how it feels". The memory sent a cold shiver through my markings, but I steadied them. "You're safe now," I continued, hovering my hand near hers. "Your body remembers pain, but it can learn safety too".
Meela's hand moved infinitesimally toward mine. Her lifelines responded where they neared my markings. "That's it," I encouraged. "Your energy knows what to do".
Selene approached. "The resonance between your markings and their lifelines creates a healing pattern. They trust you".
"They know I've been where they've been," I said. "Hammond left marks on all of us. But we decide what those marks mean now".
Kavan joined us. "The physical wounds heal faster than the others. You understand that".
I nodded, thinking of my own nightmares. "Healing isn't linear," I said. "Having someone who understands helps".
Meela's hand finally touched mine. Her lifelines sparked against my markings. I felt her fear, the memory of pain, but beneath it, a spark of determination Hammond hadn't extinguished.
I smiled at her. "You're stronger than he ever knew". For the first time, her lips curved upward slightly. A beginning.
"The data structure is fascinating," Jen said, fingers flying over the ancient interface. We'd set up a temporary analysis station in a common area.
"The core stabilization is holding," Rivera confirmed from her scanner. "But outlying nodes are fluctuating".
My markings tingled as I reached toward a data crystal. My connection to the Nexus felt more structured now. "There's a pattern," I said, letting my fingers hover. "Not random degradation. More like... the system rebalancing itself".
Jen looked up. "Show me".
I placed my palm on the crystal. My markings responded. "Here," I guided her attention. "This isn't corruption—it's adaptation. Compensating for Hammond's damage".
Rivera studied her readings. "You're right. New pathways forming".
"Like neural plasticity," Jen murmured.
I pulled my hand back. "But it needs guidance. There are... gaps".
"Which is why we need the monitoring team," Rivera said, looking at me. "And why you need to be part of it".
I hesitated. "I'm not a scientist".
"No," Jen agreed. "You're something the Nexus responds to".
"A guardian," Rivera stated simply. The word felt right.
"There's something else," I said, reaching for another crystal. My markings illuminated ancient symbols, patterns now reflected on my own skin.
"Those look like your markings now," Jen observed.
"Older than the Great Division," Rivera said.
I focused, letting intuition guide me. "A deeper purpose than monitoring. Something about... connection. Between people".
Rivera's scanner beeped. "It's responding to you. Stabilizing where you touch".
I pulled back, my markings settling into their new, steady patterns. "I'll do it," I said. "I'll join the team."
Jen smiled. "We were hoping".
