“Recent events have me... concerned.” I stepped into the room, my gaze sweeping across the surveillance feeds. “Our Earth extraction was clean, but we left a trail. How tight is our perimeter?”
“Tight as ever.” Tegan pulled up a holographic map of our settlement boundaries. “I’ve increased drone patrols on the southern ridge and doubled our signal jamming radius. No craft could approach without us knowing.”
I nodded, but dissatisfaction churned in my gut. “Not good enough. Expand the sensor grid. Triple the encryption on any outbound communications.”
Tegan’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s overkill. We’ve detected no pursuit, no probes, not even a passing satellite.”
“And that’s precisely what bothers me.” I jabbed a finger at the outer boundary markers. “It’s too quiet. Earth won’t simply forget we took one of their doctors.”
“This isn’t just about colony security. Is it?” Tegan questioned skeptically.
My jaw clenched involuntarily. “What are you implying?”
“Your sudden concern for the doctor’s safety seems... personal.” An irritated look crossed his face.
“She’s a valuable resource,” I snapped, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “Nothing more.”
Tegan nodded, but his expression remained unconvinced. “I’ll increase security protocols as ordered. But, Aeon, there are no imminent threats. I monitor our systems and communication feeds daily. We’re safe.”
“For now,” I muttered. “Keep it that way.”
I left Tegan with a frustrated nod and stalked through the colony’s central pathway, my hands shoved deep into my pockets. The humid jungle air clung to my skin as I passed between our modular structures. Their metal and composite facades gleamed against the backdrop of emerald vegetation. Sunset had begun its daily spectacle, casting long shadows across our settlement and painting everything in warm amber light.
My chest felt tight, heavy with something I couldn’t name. Guilt? Probably. The image of Olivia’s face when I had caught her attempting to escape haunted me—the determination in her eyes quickly replaced by defeat, then by fury, and finally by hurt.
“Damn it,” I muttered, kicking at a small stone in my path. It skittered across the packed dirt and disappeared into the ornamental grasses lining the walkway.
I stopped at the edge of the settlement, staring into the dense jungle beyond our perimeter. The distant calls of Planet Alpha’s wildlife punctuated the evening air, a chorus of unfamiliar sounds that had become our home’s soundtrack.
Suddenly, the unwelcome and horrible memories flooded my mind of the three women and five babies we lost. I couldn’t let it happen again. I simply couldn’t.
But locking Olivia up like some dangerous animal... the thought made my stomach twist painfully. She was a doctor, not a criminal. A woman torn from her world because we needed her.
Because I had taken her.
“Figured I’d find you brooding somewhere.” Sage’s voice broke through my thoughts as she approached from behind, her footsteps nearly silent on the path.
I didn’t turn around. “I don’t brood.”
“Right.” She snorted, coming to stand beside me. “And I don’t hack security systems for fun.” Sage crossed her arms, her blue eyes studying my face with uncomfortable precision. “Helix wants to see us both. Her office in five.”
“About the doctor?”
“Who else?” She raised an eyebrow. “Your little Earth acquisition has Helix worried. Can’t say I blame her.”
I bristled at her terminology. “Olivia’s not an acquisition. She’s a person.”
Something flickered across Sage’s face—surprise, maybe, or amusement. “Interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” I growled.
“Nothing.” She turned to leave, a small smile on her lips. “Just that you called her Olivia, not ‘the doctor.’ Someone’s getting attached.”
I followed her toward Helix’s office, my thoughts churning. Was I getting attached? In just a few short days? The possibility was... unsettling. Distracting. Dangerous.
Helix was waiting for us in her office, her pregnant belly clearly visible beneath her fitted uniform. The colony leader stood tall despite her condition, her platinum blonde hair swept back in a severe braid. Her eyes narrowed slightly as we entered.
“Commander Aeon,” she acknowledged. “I understand our guest made an escape attempt today.”
