The Strength of Endurance Read online

  “How dare I? How dare you!” I bellowed, slamming my hands down on the table. “How dare you constantly question our motives? How dare you treat us as a threat when we constantly put ourselves on the line for everyone? How dare you treat us as anything less than human?”

  “You are not human,” Parsons growled. “You are nothing but a mongrel.”

  “Enough!” Aldone roared.

  My breath came fast as I clenched and unclenched my fists. I wanted to rip Parsons limb from limb. I wanted to pummel him into the ground and leave him in bloody pieces.

  “This is unacceptable!” Aldone’s tone was carefully controlled. “We are all human. We must all work together, or we will die together.”

  “That thing”—Parsons pointed at me—“is not human. It barely even looks human, and I will not work with it.” He shoved himself up out of his seat and stormed out.

  I worked my jaw back and forth as I took several deep breaths to compose myself. “I am sorry for the outburst.” My words were stilted. I didn’t want to apologize. I shouldn’t have had to, but I needed the other commanders to trust me. “The other Chroin bonded and I have put so much on the line to do what is best for everyone…The disdain for us is hard to deal with.”

  “Of course, it is.” Aldone sat back down, smoothing his uniform. “Rest assured, we are all grateful for your sacrifice.” Aldone sat up a little straighter. “Tomorrow, we will implement the new barriers. There should not be a significant disruption to anyone. If something happens, we’ll deal with it then. Understood?”

  The commanders nodded.

  “Good. Dismissed.”

  I pushed myself out of my seat, collected the anti-mag shield from Edna, and bolted out of the room. I needed air. I needed out.

  “Boo!”

  I whirled around. My palm connected with Brinden’s cheek so hard that my hand stung. I clapped my hands over my mouth, glad I hadn’t balled my hand into a fist.

  “Stars!” he exclaimed, holding his cheek.

  “I am so sorry. Are you all right?”

  Brinden rubbed his cheek, a bright red mark blossoming in the shape of a hand. “Yeah. I might have deserved that.” He gave me a crooked smile. “I should learn to duck when sneaking up on people.”

  “I’m really sorry.” A flush crept across my cheeks as I blew out a breath.

  “A little on edge?”

  “You could say that.” I let out a nervous laugh.

  “I figured as much. Parsons came tearing out of that meeting like his ass was on fire. I figured something had happened.” Brinden fell into step next to me.

  “I didn’t let him get away with his crap,” I ground out, anger replacing my embarrassment.

  “Ah. That would explain it.” He nodded sagely.

  “Also, Aldone made me the commander of the Chroin bonded, so I’m now his equal.” Parsons could no longer lord his status over me. He couldn’t control me or the Chroin bonded.

  Brinden’s eyes went wide. “That’s wonderful! ’Bout time we got our own commander, since no one else wants to claim us.” A hint of bitterness tinged his words.

  “We don’t need anyone to claim us.”

  CHAPTER 6

  I sucked water out of my canteen. The sun was scorching as it beat down on us, causing my skin to become sticky in my suit. I hated it. The temperatures on the Endurance had always been comfortable; it was never overly hot or cold. As part of the incursion team, I had trained in extreme temperatures, but those training sessions had been few and far between. Now, as the sun beat down on our heads, I realized we had not done them nearly enough.

  Baby. Kuna was stretched out across the ground, his face raised to the sun.

  Psht! You’re a big plant. Of course, you love the sun.

  You love it. Stop complaining.

  As much as I hated the heat, I did enjoy the sun. After living my whole life without a planet or a sun, despite the discomfort, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  My wrist comm chirped, and I glanced down at it. My stomach clenched.

  Magnetic barrier activation in five minutes.

  “Does everyone have their anti-mag shields on?” I bellowed. A chorus of “ayes” rose from the Chroin bonded.

  “Do your Chroin have their anti-mag shields?”

  This question was met with silence as the Chroin bonded spoke internally with their partners.

  Do you have your shield? I asked Kuna.

  Yes. You’ve already asked me that. He gave me a mental eye roll. Kuna wore his on a strap that fit snugly around his neck.

  Well, pardon me for being concerned about you.

  Do you have yours?

  Mine was tucked away in a pocket of my suit, and I touched the device through the fabric to reassure myself it was there. Yep.

  How many times have you checked it today?

  Shut up, I muttered.

  Thirty?

  No.

  Probably more.

  I punched Kuna in the flank as he laughed. Being cautious isn’t a bad thing.

  I stood up and went to each of the bonded. One by one, they showed me their anti-mag shield or tapped the pocket it was in.

  “Ilex! Goran!” I bellowed. The pair had opted to continue working when everyone else had needed a break. They didn’t stop. I started jogging toward them. My wrist comm chirped again, displaying a countdown.

  10…

  “Ilex!” I was sprinting now, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it.

  9…8…7…6…

  Ilex hooked a beam to Goran, and the lanky Chroin pulled against it, sliding it out of its slot.

  5…4…3…

  “Ilex!” My stomach churned as fear bubbled up inside of me. They should be fine. We all knew to wear the anti-mag shields.

  2…

  I wasn’t going to reach them.

  1…

  My eyes fluttered open. The blue sky hung above me. It was still strange to see something other than a metal ceiling and harsh lighting over my head.

  My face hurt. My shoulder and side ached. I reached up and touched my cheek. It was grimy and sticky. An incessant chirping reached my ears.

  “Deployment successful.” The message flashed on the comms screen with each chirp. As I sat up, the ground rocked underneath me.

  Kuna! I pushed myself up onto my knees. “Kuna!”

  Stars! What in the black was that? His reply was groggy. What was that? Behind me, he shifted.

  Something went wrong with the mag shield…or the anti-mag shields. Are you all right?

  I’ll survive, unfortunately. Kuna stumbled as he hefted himself back to his feet. Dying would probably be easier, though.

  I knew what he meant. My veins felt like they were on fire.

  “Is everyone all right?” I called out.

  The others had begun to stir. I mentally tallied up the Chroin and the bonded as they began to pick themselves up.

  A long, keening wail rose, and my head snapped around. Goran was up. The giant beast nuzzled a small pile on the ground. I scrambled to my feet and sprinted the last few meters to them.

  Ilex was pinned to the ground under the beam. Blood seeped out of his nose and dribbled out of the corner of his mouth.

  “Med pouch!” I screamed. “Someone bring me the med pouch!”

  Goran knelt down, picking up the tether with his teeth.

  “No!” I grabbed the rope as Goran growled at me. “Not yet. We can help him, but you need to listen.” The Chroin and I locked eyes. After a brief moment, Goran dropped the rope with a whimper.

  Reegan skidded to a halt, and I snatched the bag from her hand.

  “Message the med center. Tell them there has been an accident.”

  Reegan nodded and stepped back to comm the med center as the others crowded in. With a flick of my wrist, I snapped the med pouch open and laid the plastic on the ground.

  “Goran! Now! Move the beam!”

  The lanky creature leaped forward and snatched up the rope
in his mouth. As he rose to his full height, the beam came up with him. Ilex screamed and abruptly fell silent as the pain overwhelmed him.

  I didn’t have to say anything. The others leaped in and hefted Ilex up as I held the bag open. They quickly slid him inside, and I pulled the seal closed. I slammed my hand down on a small button, and the bag instantly inflated around Ilex. The bag whirred to life as the tiny bot began doing triage. Brinden grabbed one end, I grabbed another, and we hefted Ilex up. Together, we fell in step and tore off toward the med bay.

  The first bay was crowded with colonists, and we slid to a halt.

  “Make a hole!” My voice boomed above the cacophony.

  Goran let out three high-pitched whistles, causing the entire bay to fall silent. Reflexively, people move to the side, turning to stare as we pushed past. As Goran ducked in through the wide bay doors, the crowd pushed themselves against the wall.

  Keep an eye on Goran, I told Kuna.

  The bag trilled, and I paused to look back.

  “Medic!” Brinden shouted. “Somebody get a medic!”

  “We have to set him down.”

  Brinden and I lowered the med pouch to the ground.

  Across the top, red lights flashed as Ilex’s stats flatlined. All we could do was watch as the little doc buzzed frantically around in the pouch. Ilex’s body twitched as the doc shocked him in an attempt to restart his heart.

  Goran stepped forward and gently nuzzled the bag. A soft whimper escaped his beak.

  “No. No. Stay back.” I gently pushed the giant back as he tried to prod the bag again.

  Laure.

  My eyes were locked on the flashing lights. The tiny zaps. The little buzzing doc.

  Laure, we need to get Goran out.

  Next to me, Goran trilled pitifully. My skin tingled, and the room grew heavy around me. Brinden looked over at me, his brow knit in confusion.

  “Come on.” I pulled on Goran’s leg uselessly.

  Kuna nudged against his side, but Goran stood rooted in place.

  Beep. Beep. Beep. My eyes snapped back to the med pouch. A single word flashed across the flexible plastic.

  Deceased.

  The heaviness settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I managed to grab the harness around Goran’s head. I had no hope of actually being able to move the massive creature, but I tugged on it all the same.

  “Get Tyze and the others. Now,” I snapped at Brinden.

  Goran let out a long, keening wail that sent goose bumps rippling across my skin. He threw his head back, pulling me off my feet as the wail echoed through the bay.

  “Goran!” I tugged hard on the harness, and the creature’s head snapped around to face me.

  Laure!

  “Goran.” I placed my hands on either side of his sharp beak. “We’re here for you.” Tears filled my eyes.

  Goran’s beak gently brushed against my face. His trilling sobs turned into another wail as he pulled back from me.

  “No!” I screamed as the harness was ripped from my fingers.

  That time, as Goran reared back, he hissed. His giant paw came up, and I backpedaled. He swiped at the med pouch, sending it flying across the room. Screams rose from the colonists, and he rounded on them.

  “Run!” My voice warped as my vision blurred. The slight prick of the connection tingled in my spine.

  Goran lunged forward, snatching up a colonist in his beak. He chomped down hard, snapping the man in half like a twig. With a swipe, he sent several more colonists flying.

  Gunfire erupted, echoing around the bay and adding to the din. Colonists were pushing and shoving as they all tried to escape at once. Goran shrieked as he was peppered with kinetic rounds.

  Tyze charged forward, placing himself between Goran and the colonists. Brinden was nowhere to be found. Tyze rose up, pawing at the air with his stout legs. As his front legs slammed back down to the floor, the entire room shook.

  Is he wild? As I thought the words, the voice in my head was a strange amalgamation of both mine and Kuna’s voice as if we were both talking at once.

  Yes.

  How is that possible? He was bonded. I couldn’t suppress my disbelief.

  Ilex is gone, and with him, Goran’s tether to sanity.

  My heart broke. The Chroins’ hold on their minds was so tenuous. Who would create such creatures?

  Can anything be done for him?

  I…I don’t know.

  Goran shrieked again, lunging for Tyze.

  Even if we could help him, we don’t have the time. We know what we must do. For a brief moment, Kuna and I sent reassurances to each other as the reality settled around us.

  Tyze lowered his head, fending Goran off with his horns. Without a sound, we lunged forward. The bony spear at the end of our tail struck out, slicing Goran’s side. The rabid creature whirled on us.

  A growl rose in our throat—a final attempt at reason. A threat. But there was no reason in Goran’s eyes. Instead, he hissed, darting forward to swipe at us. We easily dodged his wild move. With a twist, we rose. Our front paws slammed down on Goran, forcing him to the ground. His beak snapped together just inches from our face, an audible click ringing through our ears.

  Wehaveto.Wehaveto.Wehaveto.

  Without another thought, we lunged forward, our jaws clamping around Goran’s throat. He squealed, and we squeezed harder. Muscles and tendons popped under our strong teeth. Goran’s claws scratched at our chest. One more squeeze and the bone in his neck snapped. Goran went limp, and we released him.

  My vision blurred, and I was standing next to Goran. I knelt down next to his cheek, looking into his giant eye and running my hand along his scaly skin.

  “I’m sorry.” The words weren’t even a whisper.

  His eye shifted ever so slightly toward me.

  “Let go of your pain and rest now, brother.”

  A deep shudder ran through him, and Goran was still.

  Quiet footsteps approached from behind, and I glanced over my shoulder. Brinden approached while Tyze and Kuna hung back. Tyze gently bumped into Kuna, brushing against him. Kuna leaned into the stout beast.

  “It had to be done.” Brinden’s voice cracked as he spoke. “We all know it.”

  “I know.” I sucked in a deep breath. “It could have been any one of us. You. Me…” My words trailed off for a moment. “At some point, it probably will be every one of us.”

  “Laure, it was an accident—”

  “This time, but next time…” I shook my head. “We know what we do. We know what’s expected of us. Let’s face it. None of us are making it to old age.”

  I strode across the bay. The bright red of the med pouch stood out among the debris. It lay in a crumpled heap against an overturned table. Gently, I pulled the bag and Ilex’s body straight.

  My mind churned over what had just happened. The bonded and Chroin were not just tethered to each other in life, but also in death. Would that work the same way if the roles were reversed? If the Chroin died, would the human follow?

  I knew the answer; I could feel it in my soul. I couldn’t live without Kuna. We could never be separated. And if we were…it would be more than I could bear.

  I’ll never leave you.

  I hadn’t heard him walk up behind me. The giant creature reached out with his paw and gently pulled me close.

  At some point, we will have to leave each other. That is how things work. I leaned into his leg.

  What had I done? The colonists I led were now forever tied to the Chroin. I had doomed them to suffer this fate, and the knowledge was crushing.

  Those days are far off. Kuna’s voice was gentle.

  How do you know? They could be tomorrow. It could be today.

  Then we will train. We will become better to make that day far off in the future. We will make sure we get as much time as possible before we must face death.

  I could feel his resolve strengthening with each word. It lifted me out of the dark spiral that
I had been sinking into.

  “Don’t move!” Parsons’s voice rang out through the bay.

  With a sneer on my face, I slowly turned to face him. Parsons was flanked by two other commanders. Behind them, several squads of soldiers from cycle ten stood with rifles ready. Among them, Cern stared impassively forward.

  “The threat has been dealt with. No thanks to you.” I was in no mood to deal with Parsons.

  “Hardly,” Parsons scoffed. “I am here to take all the bonded and Chroin into custody.”

  “What?” All the muscles in my body tensed as I whirled on Parsons. “You don’t have the authority to do any such thing.”

  A grin spread across Parsons’s face. “Oh, but I do. These orders come directly from Aldone himself.” Parsons sucked in a breath and raised his voice so everyone could hear. “By orders of the Council of Commanders, the bonding program has ended. All Chroin are to be immediately put down.”

  “What? You can’t do that. I am a commander. These decisions can’t be made without me.” I couldn’t believe my ears. This couldn’t be happening. All around me, the others had leaped up and moved to stand behind me.

  “You are a part of the problem.” Parsons’s eyes lit up with glee. “The Chroin are a threat—look at what has happened! Innocent colonists are dead. They cannot be allowed to wander among us!”

  “And if you kill them, you will sentence all of the bonded colonists to death!” My vision tunneled down to Parsons. His smug smile filled my view. Blood pounded in my ears.

  Parsons took two steps forward, standing so close I could feel his breath on my face. He looked me up and down. He leaned in a bit closer. “You and your kind are nothing but a stain on humanity.” Parsons spat. “You only existed because we willed it, and now you will be wiped from the planet.”

  “You can’t do this to us. We are human.” I bit out the words.

  “Ha!” Parsons reared back. “Hardly. You’re a-a-a disgusting mesh. More alien than human anymore. Look at yourself.” He looked me up and down with a sneer.

  “I’m more human than you are,” I growled back, my fists clenching.

  With a snarl, Parsons swung at me. I caught his wrist, twisting it around and flipping him off his feet. He landed on the ground, and the air whooshed out of his lungs. I couldn’t help the satisfied smile that spread across my face.