Page 51 of When Eden Falls
“Active? As in…”
“As in active and in orbit around Earth. But it’s not relaying signals to another satellite, it’s transmitting into space.”
“Do you think that’s what guided the probe?”
“It’s a possibility, and the ground signal is transmitting from a site only forty miles from here.”
I felt my adrenaline pulse through my veins. “Do you think it could be the Akquarians?”
“It’s too close to disregard them.”
“Rooke, Yuska told me Havav has more colonies along the shore. Could it be the same location?”
“No. Troy has pinpointed it to a wooded location, further inland.”
“Outpost?”
“That was my thought too, but…ah…the Akquarians don’t seem technologically savvy…at all.”
“What about your theory regarding Dybgo and the ship computer?”
“I…I don’t know. I may have overreacted that day. Uh…believe it or not, I was a little shaken. Another one of my crew nearly died.”
“Oh.” I smiled to myself. I knew he wasn’t a cold-hearted bastard. He did care.
“I’m just baffled, Eden. It doesn’t make sense. None of it does.”
“Let’s concentrate on getting the ship back. You’ll have to work out if we can trust Havav, but you need to play this cool and calm.”
“My speciality, then.”
I scoffed.
Rooke laughed. “I’ve missed you, Eden. Please don’t turn the radio off again.”
“In that case, you better not piss me off again.”
“I’ll try my hardest not to.”
I spent most of the next four days sitting by the open archway, either watching the storm clouds charge across the sky, reading about ancient engineering, or discouraging Zamya and Cora from bickering. Spending so much time stuck in the apartment togetherwas taking its toll. On The Orka we had our own quarters we could retreat to for some alone time. Here, even sociable Cora was starting to feel harassed.
All three of us attempted to exercise for at least an hour a day, but we couldn’t do much in the restricted area. We wanted to go outside, to run, to breathe.
Thankfully I’d been left alone in the apartment for the afternoon. Cora and Zamya had been escorted to the springs by Yuska and Woohla. I envied them, though. What I’d give to have a bath. It had been five days of rock basin washing and I felt disgusting.
It had been raining for days now. Sitting by the open archway, watching the water droplets hit the balcony floor, I couldn’t help pondering whether the Igknamai had taken shelter inside our ship. I still had nightmares about the attack, about the gun trigger I was moments away from pulling if Dybgo hadn’t made an appearance.
The craving to go home had become a persistent nagging. Even though I had spoken to Rooke every evening for the past four days, I missed him. I missed our interaction. I missed home and going to the pub for a drink, and hiking through the mountains for a weekend just because we could. And it worried me that even if we did manage to get the ship back to the Akquarian fortress for repairs—how long would it take, and would there be enough resources to fix it? I was trying not to feel despondent about the situation, but the more I anticipated the outcome, the more I dreaded failure.
Breaking me out of my daze, I heard the heavy door scraping across the floor. I glanced over the back of my chair and found Bibska holding the door wide, her head bowed slightly.
Havav entered with his usual graceful and fluid movements. Ripples of gold flowed behind him as his cape flapped in the breeze. I immediately stood, anxiously fighting my thoughts. The last time I’d seen him, he had purposely degraded me.
As he strolled across the room with an amicable smile softening his face, I noticed the four armed guards entering afterhim. No Rooke. Rooke hadn’t accompanied him. This was unusual, unnerving. I suddenly felt alarmed. What did he want?
Flicking my gaze back to the regal being, he eyed my attire and raised his eyebrows. I must have looked an untamed mess in my black vest top and leggings. “I apologise,” I said, “I did not realise I would have company today.”
“Think nothing of it.” He looked to the chair across from mine. “May I sit?”
