Hopefully, you're at peace

Thirty-five hours until rescue ship arrival

"So then, Pyxis walks to the Overseer. He has this big-ass grin as he reaches into his backpack. 'Are you sure?' he asks as he takes out a data cartridge. Oh, you should have seen it." Cheeseburger laughed. "The Overseer tried to stay calm, but his face was whiter than the Milky Way stars. Everybody else was listening by then, so the Overseer and Pyxis took their conversation elsewhere. Nobody knows if they made a deal, but Pyxis shot to the top of the leaderboard." Cheeseburger took a deep breath as he tried to calm his laughter.

"Any idea what was on the cartridge?" I asked.

"No idea. The top guess is the whereabouts of the Overseer’s secret love child. Next is saucy letters to his mistress, and the third is a top-secret project he was involved in."

"I doubt the Overseer will admit to any of those."

"I agree, but everybody is curious." Cheeseburger nodded. "Everybody is hounding Pyxis with questions, but he hasn't fessed up yet."

"What do you think?"

"I put down a hundred on saucy letters." I heard something pop as Cheeseburger stretched his back before taking his next step. "Hiding a love child in a place like Asbestos is very difficult. I doubt the Overseer has any hidden cards to play against the demons. Not unless he's going to start human sacrifices. It's gotta be saucy letters."

"I see."

"You okay there, Vega?"

I answered with a glare.

"Oh, right. Nova’s death. You were out for a while. Sorry."

"It's all right."

"I'm really sorry for your loss."

"It's okay, Cheeseburger. Don't worry."

"Right." He nodded solemnly. "You should be resting inside the vault."

"Being alone with my thoughts is the last thing I need."

"I see."

"Yep." I nodded in return. "Though I have to say – considering everything that happened, you’re a lot happier than I expected. What's going on?"

"Sorry, sorry. I know it's a bad time with Raifin and Nova gone, but I can't help but be happy. I got a message from Equi! Right before Raifin fell." He sighed happily. "It's been on my mind ever since."

"Ek-wi? Who's that?"

"No, no, Equi. My sweetheart, back on earth. I told you about her when we were organizing the food. Remember?"

"Oh, I do. You didn't mention a name at the time."

"My bad. I spend so much time thinking of her that I forget not many people know her. Her full name is Equilia, but everybody calls her Equi. And she sent me a message!"

"What did she say?" I asked.

"Oh, the usual. That she misses me and hopes the rescue ships come soon. Even some things that... are a bit more private. You know?" He winked.

"I think I understand." I smiled at my friend. "Be sure to keep yourself safe then."

"Oh, I plan on it! It's been more than a year since I've last seen her. Oh, how I miss my poor Equi."

I'm glad for you, I thought as we stopped at the edge of a giant crater. One that had not been there a week ago. Almost nothing of Raifin remained. There was only a radioactive crater. That which hadn't been incinerated by the explosion was flung far and wide.

The fear of radiation didn't scare everyone away. Several EVA suits scurried throughout the crater. I was surprised. The cure for radiation sickness was well known, but the little we had wouldn't be enough to treat everybody. The scavengers probably hoped the rescue ships would arrive before the radiation sickness became too severe.

Or they didn't care anymore.

"Do you think they'll find anything?" I asked.

"Hard to say," Cheeseburger said. "I guess anything is possible."

"Have you gone down there?"

"Nah." He waved the thought away. "I'd like to have kids with Equi one day."

I nodded before looking slightly upward. Right there. I pictured the scene in my mind. It had been right there. Command would have been in the lower reaches of the Command Center. She would've held something in her hand. Nova had been... there. I turned a little bit to the left. Valoel's legs were broken. Nova would've been in immense pain, yet he made jokes at the end. Was the steroids messing with his mind? Would he have survived if the explosion didn't kill him?

I shook the thought from my head. There were too many decisions that could’ve altered the path of history. But history cannot change. Diving into that rabbit hole will only change the size of my headache.

I sniffed once when the tears threatened to re-emerge. "I'm sorry," Cheeseburger said with a touch on my shoulder.

"Nothing to be sorry for." My arm bumped against my visor when I tried to wipe the tear away. I wanted to say something in return, but a crackle in my ear stole my attention.

"Vega, please come in."

"Mira?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the edge of the crater. Why, what's wrong?"

"Please... please come to the Patlix vault quickly. I think a fight is about to break out. We need your help."