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The Divergents, part four

The Wanderer Rebels, story three

By Amethyst ChampagnePublished about a year ago 6 min read
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The Divergents, part four
Photo by Aldebaran S on Unsplash

"We have some company." Cursing, Nola changed her flight pattern.

Grunting, Callum ensured all the females were securely strapped in their seats, especially Trix and Kassie, who were currently unconscious from overexerting themselves.

"Are you really that surprised?" He asked in their native language, climbing into the copilot's seat. "We basically stole females, as well as a medical shuttle."

"No, but a female can hope." Nola banked a hard right, cannon blasts whizzing just past them.

Callum turned on his controls, syncing them with hers. Flying ships and shuttles were often a two-person job, as the copilot helped with weapons and stabilization.

And while he was a medical officer, everyone in the military was taught the basics in case people had to be shuffled to different stations. It came in handy many times.

Something hit the back of the shuttle, jerking everyone forward. Luckily, the shields held, the ship not stopping.

"Hey! Watch it!" the female who'd insulted him earlier shouted. "We wanna live, you pointy-eared bastards!"

"Oh, shut up, Bethany!" another yelled back.

They ignored the females, moving close to Earth's atmosphere. Once they were within it, the mother ship and drones would back down. The last thing the general wanted was to destroy the planet.

Nola flew in a zig-zag pattern in an attempt to confuse the drones that fired at them. But not the standard pattern since they were programmed to recognize patterns.

Callum braced himself against the seat, holding the controls tightly as he scanned for weak points on the drones. Then he fired.

He smirked as they exploded behind them, happy his aim remained true. It'd been a long time since he'd practiced in the simulators.

"Nice shot." Nola grinned. "We're entering the atmosphere now."

The shuttle warmed inside as she pushed on. Callum was slightly concerned about the shields. While they could withstand much, medical shuttles didn't fly like this.

Luckily, the ship remained in one piece, and the inside cooled quickly as they flew through the clouds.

He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, turning his head. None of the humans appeared injured, although most were paler than usual and a few more unconscious.

But then, one of the engines stopped working; Nola cursed as they began descending faster. Of course, this was their luck.

Callum did his best to help with the ship's landing, but since it wasn't meant for combat, there were no backup systems to ensure a smooth landing.

They crash-landed in an empty field, yelps and screams filling his ears. He ignored them, his neck aching as the shuttle slowed and eventually stopped.

When everything stilled, Nola sighed, her dark blue eyes looking at him.

Then, for some reason, he began laughing. He didn't know why, but Callum supposed it was better than punching something or breaking down.

She quickly joined in, shaking her head, "That was something."

He chuckled, "For sure."

"Well, at least none of the equipment is damaged."

That was good because Callum was sure he had whiplash from the abrupt landing, rubbing the back of his neck. "Good. Can't have the only medical officer out of commission."

"No, we cannot." Nola turned her head, then looked at him. "Do they have translator implants?"

"No, they went through the sleep-learning."

Nodding, she stood, "Are you females okay?"

"We're fine, although ready to throw up," One replied.

Then he heard the warrior step outside.

Most Wanderers didn't know English or any other human language, not bothering to deal with sleep-learning. But Callum had, recalling the headache when he woke up.

Not that it helped him with the slang.

Careful with his head movements, he slowly stood, using his left arm for balance. Then he made his way toward the back of the ship, where the healing devices were kept.

He grabbed one and placed it around his neck, turning it on. He immediately felt the warmth on his skin as it went to work.

Then Callum turned, seeing both Kassie and Trix were still unconscious. After scanning the other females and administering anti-nausea injections, he searched through the medical supplies.

Most medical shuttles carried compatibility nanites, which made non-Wanderer races closer to them in terms of strength, speed, senses, and healing ability, among other things.

They were painful for the person as the nanites integrated with them, and he didn't know how they would interact with the experimental nanites.

But Callum suspected they would work together and, ultimately, help these females regulate their new powers.

***

Body aching, Trix groaned as she woke, rubbing her eyes. Why did she use that much of her new power? It was like the worst hangover, but it didn't stop with her head.

Blinking, Trix noted she was buckled into her seat. And that she was by herself. Did they ditch her? They better not have had left her behind, or there would be hell to pay.

But she sighed when she heard voices outside. Wait, outside? Were they back on Earth?

Unclipping herself from the seat, Trix scrambled out of the ship, green and blue flooding her vision, the fresh air reinvigorating her.

Water streamed down her cheeks as she knelt on the ground, lying down. They were actually on Earth again; after all the shit they went through, they were back.

She wasn't going to die on the mother ship, after all. And all because of her medical officer and his badass warrior friend.

It felt like a dream.

"Having fun?"

Trix turned her head, Kassie standing over, "Fun isn't quite the word I'd use."

Kassie sat next to her, smiling, "I understand. I still can't believe we're back here."

She sat up, wiping her face. "Yeah, I didn't realize how good grass smelled."

Kassie laughed. "Or how pleasant a breeze was."

"Finally, you're awake." Another female voice said. "I wasn't sure when you would wake."

Trix saw the female Wanderer heading their way. "Uh, yeah. How long was I out?"

"About five Earth hours." She smirked, "Callum was getting worried about you, but I knew you'd be fine."

Trix knitted her brows, "And what's your name again?"

She straightened. "I'm Nola, a former member of the Teng-Shae, and the protector of this group."

Trix blinked, her brain still running at half-speed. "Okay?"

Kassie translated, "She's on our side."

She nodded, "Where are the others?"

"We've set up camp about a mile away." Kassie pulled her to her feet. "Well, they did. We've been waiting for you to wake."

"But the camp is only for tonight." Nola leaned on a metal staff, probably ready to whack any threat. Where had she gotten that from? "Tomorrow, we will find the others."

Trix rolled her neck, muscles tight. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

Sci Fi
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Amethyst Champagne

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