“Okay, then, compañero. Lead the way.”Taz slept in a dead Ranger’s bed, wearing a dead
Ranger’s clothes, and was fighting the robots all over again
in her dreams. Flashes of fire and shiny white blasts. That
terrible mechanical laughter. Being lifted like a child’s
juguete into the air, powerless against the inhuman strength
of her attackers. She screamed and screamed again,
knowing her voice alone wasn’t enough but wishing it was -
“Taz, Taz! Wake up!”
She sat up, her last scream still on her lips, to find
Lieutenant Up’s face inches from hers and the front of his
shirt twisted in her hands. He looked surprised, and
concerned. She released him.
“Sorry,” she said, pushing herself as far away from him
as the tiny bunk allowed, and wincing as the wound in her
side protested. Up was kneeling next to her, bleary-eyed
and wearing the same grey G.L.E.E. issued pyjamas that
she was.
“Are you – are you going to be all right?” the Ranger
asked, somewhat awkwardly, in that southern drawl of his.
Taz supposed that he probably didn’t spend a lot of time
around fifteen-year-old girls. She found herself wondering
how old the Lieutenant was. There was just a hint of silver
in the blond hair around his temples.
Was she going to be all right? Good question. She heard
her mama’s voice. I’m proud of you, hijita mia. Her eyes
burned. Dios muerto, was she going to cry? In front of him?
“I’ll be fine,” she said, turning her face away from him.
Lieutenant Up didn’t move. She could feel his eyes
watching her, worrying. A scared little girl, she scoffed at
herself. That’s all he thinks of me. Before she could stop
herself, she turned back to him.
“What’s going to happen to me when we get back to the