Half Life

Shrapnel

This was the one. 

Danny could feel it. The next memory would show him the destruction of Halpha, the last time he would see his family. The moment had been inching nearer with each burst of memory Spectra showed him. 

He clenched his fists on the arm of the all too familiar chair. His head ached with the drugs and stress of this place. His hands shook with fear and exhaustion. A trickle of sweat ran down the side of his face, a line of cold wetness on his burning skin. 

"Ready to go again Daniel?" Spectra asked, preparing herself for another bout. 

She didn't know how close she was. Danny had been telling her purposeful half truths of his memories for the last few days. He was determined not to give himself away after the memory came to him. He took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm ready."

...........................................................................................

The stars were brilliant tonight. All those ships that had been clustered around the sky, clogging the air with their smoke were gone. Those cold white lights burned against the dark, illuminating his gloved hands. 

He turned to face his family. They were all outfitted in their space suits. Were they going to visit their friends on the fifth planet? His parents looked scared. He felt scared. What was going on? Why had they snuck out so late? Where did this big ship come from?

They were boarding. Danny looked around at the passengers, all strapped into their seats and fidgeting nervously.  Many of them had hair glowing white with fear. He recognized some of his neighbors among the strangers. His father strapped him into a seat. His sister was in the seat next to him. She was dozing in her black and white space suit. It was way past her bedtime. His mother sat next to him. She held his hand, speaking comforting words through their communicator. 

Danny leaned against her as he felt the ship's engine thrum to life. They had had to leave their house. He was only allowed to bring one backpack of things. But as long as he was with his family, things wouldn't be so bad. 

The ship took off in the quiet night. The movement and sound woke up his sister. She started crying at the darkness and loud noise. Danny grabbed her small hand in his own, squeezing his mother's hand with all his might. 

Danny felt Spectra pull her long nails out of his skin. But the memory wasn't coming from her anymore. His mind locked onto the night he had blocked out for years. He would not forget again. He had to know what had happened.

There was a huge jolt through the ship. Their flight became shaky, the scene vibrating before is eyes. Panicked screams spread through the passengers. A blinding white light began to shine through the few windows in the ship. Danny craned his neck to get a look out one of them. 

Halpha was burning with a weird light. Bursts of white flame gouged into its surface, shredding the planet to rubble. 

A wave of shock and terror tore through him. What was happening? He began to cry with his sister, too overwhelmed to understand. 

The ship began to shake uncontrollably. People were screaming. Alarms were blaring, lights flashing. The scene was nightmarish, unreal, lit with the light of a dying planet. Danny felt his buckled being undone, his arm being yanked. Someone was steering him and his sister through the faltering spacecraft. An escape pod lay waiting for them. Several children were already inside, trying to buckle themselves into place with clumsy gloved hands. 

Danny turned to look at who had his arm. It was his father, a look of terror on his face, his hair glowing a searing white. He wrapped Danny and his sister in a tight hug. He spoke through the communicator. Danny didn't know what he said, but he understood all the same.

His sister climbed into the pod first. Danny began to follow her, but a jolt from the ship knocked him down. He clawed himself back to his feet, leaning against the entrance. An loud shrill beep sounded. The escape hatch snapped shut, tearing through the suit and skin of his side. He screamed as the pod ejected from the ship, with him still clinging to the outside. 

They shot into space, away from the failing ship and the burning planet. Danny felt hot pain flaring across his side as they hurtled into darkness. He screamed for help, for his family, for anyone. 

He lost his grip on the escape pod, spinning away with the debris of his planet. Static popped in his communicator. No one was listening to him. No one was there. Consciousness faded in and out. 

The last thing he remembered was an unfamiliar face, arms grabbing hold of him, and a white ship pulling him to safety. 

Danny gasped, his eyes flying open. Sweat poured down his face. His heart pounded as if he had just relived the experience all over again. 

Spectra leaned over him, eyes intent and excited. 

"You remembered, didn't you dear?"

Danny curled into a ball on the chair, tears streaming down his face. 

"Oh yes. Contact the general and tell him the mission is complete. We've done it."