Brennan wasn’t quite sure what was going on. She had felt miserable ever since they had disembarked from the shuttle and entered the cold deeps of Liraxa IV’s oceans, but more so than she had any right to feel. And it only seemed to be getting worse with every second passing. 

The ruins should be fascinating, but Alcyone only found them dark and anxiety-inducing. The air should be heavy with the whispers of a long-lost civilization and long-forgotten stories, but all she could hear was her own heartbeat, deafeningly loud and distracting. 

And all she could do was to stand motionless as the others worked on getting the artefact back to working again. Did she even care if they were successful or not? She should care. Oh yes, she should very much care. 

Because for the Liraxan students who had joined them, it was a piece of history they had uncovered here, and a way into a brighter future. For Brennan, it was personal on a much smaller scale. She had grown up with an adoptive family, and while her own telepathy was present, she neither understood it, nor was she able to connect to parents and siblings. Even other telepaths often shied away from a telepathic connection, noting how Rodulan telepathy was “different” to theirs, and how it felt unpleasant to attempt communication.

For quite some time, that had hurt Alcyone, and she had wondered if there was something wrong with her. Now, she was mature enough to understand that no one should have to sustain discomfort for the benefit of not hurting someone else’s feelings.

But all of that meant that she could relate to the Liraxan’s plight, and until recently, she had felt a personal investment in the success of this endeavour. But now… 

Kneeling beside the artifact, the group carefully aligned the fragments they had gathered, using the available equipment to recharge and realign broken pieces. 

Keller crouched, brows furrowed as he adjusted one of the delicate components. His hands shook slightly. Brennan could feel the tension radiating from him – he was trying to hide it, but it was like a metallic taste on her tongue. And though they shared no telepathic bond, she could almost hear the frustration building in his mind, and much of it was directed at her inability to help them, or lead the away team like she was supposed to. 

“I think that’s it,” Keller muttered, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “Just need to secure this piece here, and…”

Across from them, Vorel Syn and Trevan Coras were arguing – again. The two had been at each other’s throats for hours, their disagreement having evolved from a quiet, tense discussion into an outright hostile confrontation. Brennan glanced over at them. Vorel’s face was a mask of cold disdain, his arms crossed as he barked something about Trevan’s incompetence. Trevan, in turn, looked ready to punch the older student.

“Would you two cut it out?” Jara Melun snapped, standing nearby with arms folded. She was no stranger to conflict resolution, but the constant bickering had worn even her patience thin.

Nira Valen hovered a few feet away, her dark eyes flicking nervously between the men, clearly wanting to intervene but unsure how. Brennan caught her gaze, offering a reassuring nod.

“Let’s just get this done,” Brennan said, her voice hoarse and strained. Why was it so difficult to breathe?

“Now you’re saying something.”, snapped Keller, who rose from his crouched position and turned to Brennan. “You’ve been utterly useless-….” 

And then he fell silent, and for a moment, everything just stopped. The next thing Alcyone knew was that he hurried towards her, not in anger, but with worry etched into his face. He shook her – or at least it felt like it. 

“Check your oxygen levels.”, he demanded, but did so himself rather than wait for her. 

“Why didn’t you say something?”, he hissed, not angry, but visibly upset. “We need to get you back to the Callisto. There’s something wrong with your suit.” 

Something wrong? Brennan felt a wave of relief washing over her as her brain decided to concentrate on the ‘it’s not your fault that you aren’t functioning’ rather than the fact that she was in actual danger. She gave a weak nod, ready to tap her badge to get herself beamed up, when Nira’s voice – shrill and scared – broke through the comms. 

“What happened?”, she almost screamed, causing the other students, Keller and Brennan to turn around.

Alcyone’s gaze fell upon the artefact. Like an overcharged conduit, it had splintered apart, fragments singed and blackened. 

Jana rushed towards it, tricorder ready, scanning for any sign of lingering activity. 

“It’s… “, she started, but didn’t finish the sentence. 

It was a collective inhale of air, and from one moment to the other, the tension they had felt finally sought an outlet.

“Who did this?”, Keller roared, while Vorel and Trevan lunged at each other. Nira let out a startled cry as she backed away from the imminent clash, and Jara stepped forward, ready to intervene.

“Stop!” Brennan shouted – or tried to – but her voice was swallowed by the yelling, and even if they had heard her, it was likely they would not have paid attention anyway. Keller, with his already frayed emotions, was teetering on the edge. Brennan could see it in his eyes – he was seconds away from joining the fight. His fists clenched at his sides, muscles tensing, as if preparing to swing.

“Brennan to the Callisto, six to beam up. And get me Security there.”, she said as she tapped her badge, and a moment later, found herself enveloped in the golden glow that meant they were returning to safety.