Second Chance

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CHAPTER 9

Mistakes
Own your errors; leadership was never about not ever falling.

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Weston held his captives cruelly. Packed like sardines, many wounded and barely fed the Invid women and men endured their imprisonment. Marlene roved from one injured alien to the next, seeking to ease their pain. Exhaustion plagued them.

"Sir, we must open new areas of the base for them, this section is overcrowded," Scott Bernard pleaded with General Weston while looking at the saddening scene.

"Those creatures will continue to be kept where they are; no extra space will be assigned to them," was the General's cold reply.

"Sir..." tried to argue Scott.

"I said no! Not one more word about it! Is that clear, Captain?" Weston cut him off out of patience.

"Yes, Sir!" Scott replied out loud, holding back anger and frustration.

The General departed the observation balcony, leaving the Captain alone to contemplate what he had contributed to cause. Scott realized Weston wanted the Invid weak to avoid any attempt of escape.

But in the shadows of their minds, where their captors could not see, the Invid were growing strong. Their collective reach deepened into the cosmos seeking for her.

"Revenge," the word echoed within them.

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"Hey super star!" said Annie when Lancer opened the door of his apartment. She jumped and clung to the neck of the tall and slim man.

"Annie! Lunk! It is so good to see you!" said the singer content, hugging his long missed friends.

"Come in, please," he said pulling them inside his home. "It's been so long!" he added.

"Who was it at the door, Lancer?" asked Sera from the bedroom.

"Lunk and Annie, princess," answered her husband. She came into the living room to welcome them.

"Hi Sera," said Annie giggling.

"Hi," said Lunk in turn.

"Hi you both, what a nice surprise!" Sera said smiling.

"This place is incredible," Annie said, wasting no time to explore the apartment. "Wow, what a view!" she added, looking at the cityscape.

"Thanks," said Lancer. "Consider yourselves at home."

For a moment, the cheerfulness of his friends made him forget the problems at hand. But when he turned to look at Sera, the ephemeral bubble of happiness burst. He saw her placing her hand on one of her temples. Intense pain struck her. Her legs wobbled and he hurried to hold her afraid she would faint and fall. These episodes were coming at her more frequently and more severely each time. Lunk and Annie witnessed the scene without a word.

"Uhhh... We didn't mean to bother you guys," said Lunk scratching his head.

"No, please," said Sera recovering. "You don't bother us... I'll be all right in a minute."

But after a minute, she was not recovering, if something, she was feeling worse. Lancer scooped her in his arms and brought her to rest on their bed. Lunk and Annie waited in the living room pondering what to do.

When Lancer came back he had a gloomy look. He sat with his friends and let it all go. He revealed to them what had been going on with Sera, the collective paranoia across New York and the massive Invid imprisonment at New Liberty.

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The wounds across Kelly Dawson's body had healed. She was yet to recover consciousness, but the doctors were pleased with her convalescence. As usual in cases like hers, the medical staff was glad that someone had been at her side, encouraging her to come back. His dedication for her was about to fructify.

When she regained consciousness, she welcomed the pleasant sight and scent of the white roses that embellished her room. She also found a shy but sincere thank you note. Understandably, she thought both items had come from the same person: Scott Bernard. She was ecstatic. It was not that the note said much to fuel her hopes and imagination, but after what she had been trough during her delirious experience, it was too easy to mistake the signs. She wanted to mistake them.

When a nurse came to check up on her, she inquired about who brought the bouquet. The nurse told her a young officer had been there and spent a few nights sleeping on the couch besides her bed. " 'He' had done that?" Kelly wondered in amazement.

She got what she needed to get back on her feet. More than that, she got what she needed to take action for what her heart desired, and do it right this time.

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"This can't be! I am imagining things!" said Marlene in disbelief when she found Lunk and Annie at Lancer's home.

"No, it's truly us, Marlene," answered Annie chuckling and hugging the nurse.

"I missed you so much!" she replied overjoyed.

"I hope it was at a better time," said Lunk. "Lancer told us things aren't good right now."

"It's in times like this that we need our friends the most," said Marlene.

"I couldn't agree more," said Lancer. Lunk and Annie nodded.

"How's my sister doing?" Marlene asked Lancer.

"She's slightly better today," he responded sadly.

"I wish we could do something to cheer her up and make her forget what's happening," said Lunk.

"Like when I'm sad. The best thing is candy, or even better, chocolate covered peppermint candy... yummy! Well, there's also shopping... Man! What can't shopping do for a girl's blues!" She giggled but then pouted dramatically. "But there's nothing to shop for around the farm," she sighed. "I rather stick to my peppermint!"

"That's not a bad idea, Annie," said Marlene.

"It isn't? Sera likes peppermint?" she inquired excitedly. Marlene smiled at her.

"Marlene was was talking about shopping, Annie," declared Lancer.

"But I do like pepperming," said Sera smiling, she had just walked into the room. She hugged her sister.

"Are you feeling better, my love?" inquired Lancer coming to his wife's side. She nodded.

"You do like peppermint! Great! That makes another thing we have in common," said Annie proudly.

"What other things you have in common?" asked Lunk.

"We both can handle heavily armored mecha," she said convinced.

"In your dreams, young lady," Lunk said serious. Lancer smiled widely. It was good to have them there.

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She hastily walked away form the hospital. "At last!" she thought as she left the building behind. The doctor had insisted in calling someone to accompany her, but she firmly declined his advice. She had things to do, alone.

If only she had taken a few more minutes, she would have seen who came to visit her. Like everyday before that, Robert James walked to the door of that which had been her room.

But Kelly had no time to spare on trivial things. She required some information and she went to get it from the command room. The officers there welcomed her back. She nodded, smiled and mingled around, hiding her impatience. Left alone for a few minutes, she discreetly examined the shifts and learnt at what time Scott Bernard would finish his.

She went to her room and carefully readied herself; waited what seemed and eternity and lastly headed out to meet him. Her heart beat furiously but her mind was calm.

Arriving deliberately early, she knocked on his door. There was no one inside. Having confirmed that, she hid herself so she could see when he arrived. Shortly after she had taken position, he came along.

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After raiding a few stores in the city, Sera, Marlene and Annie needed a break. The weight of their shopping bags was starting to slow them down. They finally stopped to recover their energies at an outdoor café. Lancer had opposed the idea of Sera going out, but she was eager to do it. Annie and Marlene backed her up and then it became impossible for him to argue.

"This is so much fun!" exclaimed Annie tired but pleased with the shopping experience, regardless. The sisters ordered some cocktails and a juice for Annie. "Hey! How come just juice?" she whined in vain. She gave up after her complain fell on deaf ears.

"This isn't so bad," the teenager said sipping from her colorful fruit drink. "So Marlene, how are things between you and Scott?" she added changing the subject. Marlene blushed.

"Things are going well," she replied shyly.

"I can see that," Annie said and giggled. Marlene's cheeks became brighter red. "That's great! Has he asked the big question yet?" she added

"Well, no... we just started, over... it is yet too soon to get more serious," the nurse said unconvincingly.

"I bet he's going to ask soon... and I bet I know the answer too! It is so romantic... " said Annie with dreamy eyes. Marlene and Sera laughed. It felt good to enjoy a moment of carefree chitchat in between the turmoil of their lives. But then, what Lancer feared happened.

In the middle of the noisy café, Sera let out a gasp of pain. A look at her face was enough. Her sister knew something was terribly wrong. Sera's frightened eyes started glowing red. A halo of radiant energy was forming around her body. Marlene and Annie gazed in awe as more and more customers noticed the phenomena.

"It's getting worse," said Annie scared.

After a few seconds, Sera collapsed on the table back to normal; but it was too late, many people saw the unmistakable sign.

"Sera! Oh no!" said Marlene trying to tend to her sister. "Help! Somebody help us, please!" she cried. But the customers at the café stared at the fallen Invid in horror and disgust.

"Invid!" one pointed out. "Invid!" he yelled as loud as he could.

"No warm feelings here. It's time to take off, Marlene," whispered Annie.

"Run!" ordered Marlene while they dragged Sera's senseless body with them.

"I'm trying!" replied the girl pulling Sera.

They did what they could, but simply they were not strong enough. After a while, they could not continue. They fell on their knees next to Sera's body. The green haired Invid had opened her eyes and realized what was about to happen.

"You go, Annie!" Marlene said out of breath. "Tell the rest."

"But I can't leave you here!" said Annie.

"We'll be okay. GO!" she lied and yelled. Annie ran reluctantly as she heard the sound of approaching sirens.

"You must go too, Marlene. There is no use in both of us getting caught," said Sera.

"Sera... no! I can't leave you," she said crying.

"You wont," she said softly inside her mind.

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Completely focused on making him hers, Kelly stepped inside his quarters. Her visit came at him like a bolt from the blue. He did not stop her; he could not this time. Far too long he had fought his feelings for her. He was emotionally conflicted and exhausted. He tried to talk, but only some low sounds came out from his dry throat. And then she kissed him passionately, rendering him mute.

His blood boiled at the feeling of how much this woman wanted him. He could not refrain from kissing back her soft warm lips and getting lost in her passion. In a swift move, she took his top off. He felt her caressing his torso and, startled at what was happening, tried to back away. She took the brief break to slip out from her own top. He felt his strength faltering at the sight of her uncovered skin. She came close, so close he felt her heartbeat. Then, she covered his neck with kisses. She felt him loosing what little self-restraint he had left. He grabbed firmly onto her. She froze thinking Scott was going to stop her, but instead he pulled her into a fiery kiss. She had him.

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Marlene ran away. Sobbing all the time, she could distinguish Sera's voice inside her head. "They are reaching into my mind, deeper each time," Sera explained distraught. "It's driving me insane," she added. Marlene perceived what would have been Sera's tears in her mind. She wished she could hug her sister. The soldiers arrived and took her.

She hid in a dark alley. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She had regained some of her Invid powers after the mishap during her insertion as a spy, but she was far less sensitive than her sister. That is why it had not affected her as much as Sera. Her only symptoms were those horrific nightmares. It all started to make sense to her.

The captive alien's thoughts were becoming stronger as they were incarcerated together in greater numbers. She had perceived it faintly during her visits with them. The initial low hum in Sera's brain had become a deafening buzz. It was as if the captive Invid were tapping into each other's minds to create a strong psychic network.

"I can hear her," cried Sera scared. "The Regiss is coming for us," she added.

Marlene crouched feeling horrified. It was like in her dream. She trembled while the military vehicle drove Sera to prison. At least the military were better than a lynching mob. With a knot in her stomach, she stood up and ran again, as fast as she could. She needed Scott more than ever.

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