The Starborn

Chapter 10

Quinn sat on the bench, staring at the ground with his armor next to him. Images of Nova’s memories flashed across his mind. Why was Aegis executing civilians? He clenched his fists, trying to make sense of it all.

A soft knock came at the door before it opened. Nova slowly stepped inside, her movements careful.

Quinn quickly stood, his hands instinctively clasping behind his back as he straightened his posture.

Nova’s face softened briefly before she looked away, struggling to keep her gaze from wandering over him. She swallowed hard, a flicker of heat creeping up her neck.

VERA spoke in a low, amused tone. “You make her flustered. Her heart rate is rising, but not from anger… it’s something else entirely.”

Nova took a deep breath and approached Quinn, her demeanor calmer. “I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier,” she said, her voice quieter than before. “It’s just… I’ve never told anyone about my past. You’re the only one who knows now.”

Quinn relaxed slightly, letting his hands fall to his sides. “I understand,” he said, his voice steady but sincere. “You’ve been through hell. Keeping it to yourself probably feels safer. But you shouldn’t have had to carry that alone.”

Nova studied him for a moment, caught off guard by the genuine compassion in his tone. “What about you?” she asked softly. “You said you don’t remember your past… why?”

Quinn’s jaw tightened slightly, but he forced himself to speak. “Aegis wiped my memory when I was six. They didn’t want distractions from my training or my… conditioning.” His gaze darkened. “I’ve had the nerve blocker chip since I was eight. Even the faint glimpses of emotions I’ve felt since then don’t last long enough to mean anything.”

Nova’s expression softened even further. She hesitated, then asked, “Why don’t you just remove the chip?”

Quinn shrugged slightly. “I wouldn’t even know how. Dr. Morven replaces them routinely before they malfunction. They don’t give us a choice—they make sure we stay… useful.”

Nova’s eyes drifted to his chest. Slowly, hesitantly, she raised a hand and reached toward him. “You’ve never felt anything real… have you?”

Quinn watched her cautiously but didn’t move. “Not for as long as I can remember.”

Her fingers brushed lightly across his chest, tracing the defined lines of his muscles under his under-armor. Her breath hitched audibly. “What do you feel when I do this?”

Quinn narrowed his eyes at her, his voice low. “Pressure. Nothing more.”

Nova’s lips parted as she dragged her fingers lower, letting them trail across his stomach. Her pulse quickened, her breathing shallow. “And now?”

A slight twitch crossed Quinn’s face as he fought against the faint flicker in his chest. “Still nothing,” he replied, though his tone betrayed a hint of conflict.

VERA interrupted sharply. “Quinn, your chip activity is rising. You should stop this before it overloads.”

Nova’s fingers moved lower, brushing the inside of his thigh, dangerously close to his groin. She leaned closer, her body brushing his just slightly. Her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “What about now?”

Quinn’s breath froze, his muscles tensing. His chip surged, struggling against the wave of suppressed sensation threatening to break through.

VERA’s tone grew urgent. “Quinn, your chip is at critical levels. Tell her to stop, now.”

Before Quinn could speak, the shuttle lurched violently, throwing both of them off balance.

The alarm blared through the small space. VERA’s voice cut through the chaos. “Quinn, we’ve entered an asteroid belt! Something hit the shuttle—damage detected.”

Quinn shot to his feet, his focus snapping back. He bolted toward the cockpit, gripping the walls for balance as the shuttle shook. Nova followed, stumbling slightly but staying close behind him.

As he slid into the pilot’s seat, the chaotic expanse of the asteroid belt filled the viewport, massive rocks hurtling dangerously close.

VERA’s tone was clipped and efficient. “We need evasive maneuvers now. Calculating the safest trajectory…”

“Hold on!” Quinn barked, gripping the controls tightly. Nova braced herself behind him as the shuttle jolted under another impact.

Quinn’s focus sharpened as he began weaving the shuttle through the chaos, his mind fully locked on survival.

Quinn’s jaw tightened as the shuttle lurched again, a loud metallic groan reverberating through the cockpit. He glanced back at Nova, who was clutching the edge of a console for balance. “Sit next to me,” he ordered, his voice firm but calm. “And buckle up. Now.”

Nova hesitated for only a moment before nodding and moving to the copilot’s seat. She fumbled with the harness but managed to secure it around herself, her eyes darting nervously to the asteroids flashing past the viewport.

VERA’s voice cut through the tension. “Trajectory calculated. Probability of survival: 47% if evasive maneuvers are not executed immediately.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” Quinn muttered, gripping the controls. He leaned forward, his muscles coiled with focus.

The asteroid field was a labyrinth of spinning, jagged rocks, some as small as a fist, others larger than battleships. Each second brought a new obstacle, their rotations unpredictable as they tumbled through space.

Quinn’s hands moved with mechanical precision, tilting the shuttle to avoid a cluster of smaller rocks. He dipped beneath a massive asteroid, its surface scarred and glittering with ice. The shuttle’s underbelly scraped against the edge, sending sparks flying.

“Watch out!” Nova exclaimed as another asteroid veered into their path.

“I see it,” Quinn snapped, jerking the controls to the left. The shuttle rolled sharply, narrowly missing the collision.

The viewport filled with the chaotic swirl of the asteroid field, the stars beyond barely visible through the chaos. Sweat beaded on Quinn’s forehead as he pushed the shuttle’s engines to their limit. The thrusters roared, straining to keep up with his split-second adjustments.

“VERA, give me a clear route,” Quinn demanded.

“Adjusting course. Bank hard right, now!”

Quinn obeyed instantly, pulling the controls. The shuttle tilted on its axis, skimming past an asteroid with mere meters to spare.

Nova’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the edges of her seat. “How are you doing this?” she asked, her voice tight with a mix of awe and fear.

Quinn didn’t answer, his attention locked on the field ahead. His enhanced reflexes and AI-assisted targeting systems worked in tandem, processing data faster than any ordinary human could. The chip in his spine sent commands to his body before his conscious mind fully registered the danger.

“Hang on,” he warned, steering the shuttle into a narrow gap between two enormous rocks. The walls of the passage seemed to close in as they passed, the shuttle barely squeezing through.

Nova let out a shaky breath. “This is insane…”

“It’s just another day,” Quinn replied, his voice almost detached as he tilted the shuttle upward to avoid a spiraling asteroid.

The ship groaned under the stress of the rapid maneuvers, warning lights flashing across the console.

“Structural integrity at 87%,” VERA reported. “Recommending increased caution.”

“I don’t have time for caution,” Quinn growled, pulling the shuttle into a sharp dive to avoid an incoming asteroid cluster.

The ship jolted violently as a smaller rock clipped one of the wings, throwing sparks and debris into the void. Nova gasped, her wide eyes fixed on Quinn.

“You need to trust me,” Quinn said without looking at her, his voice steady despite the chaos.

Nova nodded, gripping her harness tighter. “I do.”

The asteroid field began to thin, the chaotic clusters breaking apart into more manageable gaps. Quinn pushed the engines harder, accelerating toward the edge of the field. The stars beyond grew brighter, signaling the end of the gauntlet.

“Almost there,” Quinn murmured, weaving through the final stretch.

With one last burst of speed, the shuttle shot out of the asteroid field, the open expanse of space spreading out before them.

Nova let out a shaky exhale, her heart pounding in her chest. “We made it…”

Quinn leaned back in his seat, his hands still gripping the controls. “For now.”

VERA chimed in, her tone dry. “Survival probability now at 100%. Well done.”

Quinn smirked faintly, his eyes flicking to Nova. “You alright?”

Nova nodded, her face pale but determined. “Yeah.”

Quinn turned his attention back to the controls, setting the shuttle on a steady course. “Don’t thank me yet. We’re not out of danger.”

Nova’s expression hardened. “Then let’s keep moving.”

Quinn nodded, his focus sharpening once more.