view, she couldn’t believe how much texture there was on its surface. Down on the mountain, looking up at the night sky, the moon seemed so smooth and white. Up here, this close, she could see deep gouges in its shockingly pink surface. It was the palest pink, lighter than any flower she had ever seen. There were valleys and hills and even mountain-like projections.
“I had no idea,” she said in awe. “I had no idea the moon looked like this.”
He brushed his hand down her braid, and she leaned into his touch. He never made her feel small or insignificant or ignorant when she said things like that. He only encouraged her to learn and experience all that was possible now. Her eyes stung with tears she refused to shed as she realized how lucky she was to have found Cipher.
“You okay?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “Yep.”
He must have seen that she wasn’t ready to talk about what she was feeling because he let the issue drop. A short time later, they docked with the hospital ship and exited their transport vessel. They were greeted by an older soldier missing both arms. The mechanical limbs attached to his body fascinated her, and she had to remind herself not to stare as Cipher checked them in for her appointment and received the directions to the floor and room where they were expected.
When they reached the pulmonary unit, they were met by a medic who directed them to a small waiting area. They had barely taken their seats when she heard a familiar voice call, “Brook?”
Surprised to see Chance standing in the open doorway of the pulmonary unit, she smiled as she rose to her feet. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”
“I’m floating between ships,” he explained. His gaze moved to Cipher who had risen with and now trailed her to the door. “Sorry, sir, but Reckless doesn’t allow family in the treatment rooms.”
Cipher frowned. “I’m her mate. I should be with her.”
Chance glanced back at the hallway behind him. “I agree,” he said, his voice lowered, “but Reckless has standing orders. She comes in alone—or she doesn’t come in at all.”
“It’s okay, sir.” She clasped his hand and gave it a little squeeze. “I’ll be fine. Chance took very good care of me when I was in the hospital. I’m sure he’ll look after me now.”
Cipher seemed less than enthusiastic as he said, “Okay, but I’ll be right here waiting for you.” He pinned Chance in place with a glare. “If anything happens to her...”
“Understood, sir.”
She rose on tiptoes and pecked his cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Falling into step with Chance, she walked at his side as they traversed the bright halls of the unit. They passed hospital rooms with patients asleep in beds, hooked up to all sorts of monitors and machines. Most of them looked very ill, and she wondered how many would never wake up again.
“They were on a cargo ship that fell out of orbit and crashed near the mine where you found Terror,”Chance explained when he noticed her worried gaze. “Their escape pods malfunctioned and failed to launch. They had no pressurization or breathable air. They’re basically dead,” he stated matter-of-factly, “but Reckless is keeping them alive on machines to test out different lung therapies.”
“That’s horrible! How is that even allowed?”
“It’s in our contracts,” Chance explained. “When we agree to serve, we give our lives to the cause. They own us until we retire or die.”
Her stomach lurched at the thought of Cipher being hooked up to machines and tormented like that. Wondering what the hell kind of doctor she was about to meet, she looked back over her shoulder at the door. How fast could she run down that hallway and back to Cipher?
“This way,” Chance said, gesturing to another hallway. “We’ll be all the way down at the end.”
She mustered her courage and followed him into the procedure room. She stood nervously by the door and took in her new surroundings. In the very center of the room was a large tube-like structure. It was white with a hinged, clear lid and shiny blue padding in the center. “Is that where I’m going?”
Chance glanced at the tube and nodded. “After you change,” he said and handed her a hospital gown. “Take off everything. Even the collar,” he added. “You need to wipe your entire body down with these.” He placed large sealed wipes on top of the gown. “Be thorough. The environment