Alone in the Crowd (The Chronicles of Anna Foster Book 3) Read online

  Cooper nodded for a few seconds after she finished her story, appearing to be lost in thought. “That certainly explains a number of things. But that also reminds me of our original mission. Are we able to shut down the shield from here?”

  “From what I know about it and what Bryce told me earlier, the shield is timed to shut down on its own, provided that nobody is trying to do anything else to it or the pyramid.”

  “If that is the case, that shield will be on indefinitely,” stated Cooper with a heavy dose of dread in his voice. “I’m sure the brass are still trying to break through it…”

  “…which means that we need to get back there as soon as possible.” Anna’s words were urgent, and the sergeant agreed with a confident nod.

  “Bryce,” Anna queried. “What is the status of the one in the infirmary?”

  Bryce paused for a second as if listening to somebody whisper in his ear. “Medical scans indicate that donat-toplik perdondras of his injuries have been repaired. Cellular…”

  Cooper waved his hand rapidly at Bryce. “Wait a minute. What do you mean donat-toplik perdondras? What is that?”

  “It is a number to… ”

  “What kind of number is that?”

  “We count in base fifteen, while you count in base ten. If the numbers…”

  The sergeant turned to Anna, a quizzical look on his face. “Base fifteen? What the fuck is that?”

  “I’ll explain later.” Anna shifted back to Bryce. “Continue.”

  “Cellular reconstruction is twenty-six perdondras complete.”

  “Only twenty-six?”

  “Base fifteen.” Anna tried to be patient with him. She knew he wanted to check on Anderson’s status as well.

  “Whatever!” Cooper stood up straight and appeared ready to pounce on the teen. “You fixed me and the woman over there up right quick. Why is it taking so long with him?”

  “This patient’s cells had begun degrading when he was initially scanned. We are in the process of rebuilding his body at the cellular level. Considering we are working with a relatively new physiology, we are proceeding with care to minimize any complications.”

  “But…” stammered the soldier.

  His anger surfaced again, until Anna gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay.”

  He forced himself to calm down, taking a few deep breaths, before asking, “How long will it take for the healing process to finish?”

  “Current estimates indicate that the process should be complete within one glasa, eleven nathal, and twenty-four radal.”

  Confusion flowed over Cooper’s face again. “Wh…what?”

  “Current estimates…”

  “It’s okay, Bryce,” Anna interrupted, thrusting an open hand toward him to emphasize her statement. “Thanks.”

  “They have not been able to translate time units yet,” she reassured Cooper.

  The sergeant glared at her. “Well, that does us a lot of fucking good. Doesn’t it?” His tone dripped with sarcasm. Despite Anna’s apologetic shrug, his expression remained the same.

  The room fell silent, save for the sounds of the game taking place. Cooper dropped his gaze to his feet, while Anna crossed her arms across her chest and turned her head to look out the window into the inky black beyond. Bryce moved away to ask how the others were doing.

  Anna sighed aloud about a minute later, her thoughts focused elsewhere. “You don’t seem very happy,” she finally broke the silence.

  “Hmm? Oh, I’ll feel a lot better, once we get everyone back to the colony.”

  “Are you always this gruff?”

  “Have to be. I’m a gun runner after all.”

  Anna balked, confused by the response. “A…a what?”

  “A gun runner? It’s a nickname for a gunnery sergeant. That’s what I am: a gunnery sergeant.”

  She nodded in understanding.

  “Did anyone give you any nicknames?” Cooper prodded. “I mean, besides Jane, Queen of the Jungle, Jungle Judy, Amazon, Ba…”

  “Hold up a second. Where did all of these nicknames come from?”

  “The other grunts.” The sergeant continued without skipping a beat. “Barbarian Bombshell, Backwoods Babe, and Ellie May.”

  Anna’s face drooped as she reflected on the list. “I had no idea I was so popular.”

  After taking a deep breath, she answered, “No, I can’t say that I had any nicknames like that.”

  Cooper looked past her for a second and commented, “I wonder if your friend Bryce would know.”

  Glancing over her shoulder, Anna thrust her hands toward the sergeant while she resisted, “No, you don’t need…”

  “Hey, Bryce!”

  Their host turned, an expectant look on his face.

  Pointing toward Anna, Cooper asked, “Do you know any nicknames for her from high school?”

  Anna shook her head and mimed zipping her lips shut, but Bryce responded anyway, “You mean names like pookiecakes?”

  “Pookiecakes?” Cooper exclaimed.

  Anna closed her eyes and bowed her head in defeat, rubbing her forehead with her fingers as she muttered, “Oh, god!”

  “Well…Pookiecakes,” the sergeant stated louder than normal, emphasizing the newly-discovered name. “I think that our trip back to the colony will be a rather interesting one. Wouldn’t you say?”

  With a loud sigh, she walked at a fast pace across the room to the door, fighting to keep her voice steady despite the embarrassment, “I’m going to check on Anderson.”

  Bryce observed her departure and noted as she reached the door, “I can check…”

  “No!” Anna cut him off. “I think that I need to go look him over. Thanks, Bryce!” Her tone carried a generous amount of sarcasm.

  * * * * *

  Shifting his line of sight from the closed door to the sergeant who chuckled to himself as he leaned against the wall by the open window, Jason’s distaste for the soldier returned with a vengeance. Pushing himself off the stool, he purposefully maneuvered between the tables toward him, much like a panther closing in on its prey. Reaching the place where Anna stood a moment before, Jason crossed his arms and glowered at Cooper, who finally recognized his new visitor after a few more seconds of mirth.

  “You know what, sarge? You can be a real asshole sometimes.”

  The grunt chuckled before responding, “Tell me something I don’t know, boy.”

  “Why can’t you ever let up on her? She’s done nothing but try to help us.”

  Cooper’s smile melted away as he searched Jason’s face. “Let me tell you something. Your friend may be a decent guide and all, but she doesn’t deserve to be placed on the pedestal you’re putting her on. She ain’t perfect. She’s human, just like the rest of us. She makes mistakes and has her own set of problems. And if my little jabs help keep her from getting too big for her britches, then I’m doing everybody a favor. And, you’ll thank me later for it.”

  “You’re being a bit relentless. Don’t you think?”

  Cooper lowered his face a touch. “You’ve never been through boot camp. Have you, boy?”

  Scratching the back of his head with an expression resembling a lost puppy, Jason said, “Can’t say that I have.”

  “You don’t know what relentless is.”

  * * * * *

  Anna marched with purpose down the dim corridor toward the infirmary. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the exchange between Bryce and Cooper regarding her nickname, “Pookiecakes”. It was the pet name Bryce had given her when they had dated and, even though she had not minded it at the time, it was now an embarrassment.

  “Damn that Bryce!” she cursed under her breath as she touched the communicator switch on her wristcomp and opened the hatch. Stepping into the infirmary, her view of Anderson told her that the white rays had moved down to his thighs and were slowly working their way toward his feet. The central console did not appear to be active, since the holographic displays were gone. Anna moved to
stand in front of the black, reflective panel and waved her hand over it. It was a similar gesture to how she activated the pilot control panel on her ship.

  A deep voice spoke similar to the one she had heard from the computer earlier. “Taliv tik.”

  Anna creased her brow, wondering why it did not recognize her. She held her hand over the middle of the central panel, only to receive the same result.

  “Why aren’t you working?” she mused in a low voice while she contemplated other methods to activate the console. She thought of taking the panel apart, but reasoned that its inner workings were beyond her abilities as a technician. She rested her hands on her hips as she wracked her brain, when a low groan shattered the silence. It came from the medical beds.

  Chapter 23

  Anna’s head snapped toward the source of the sound, her eyes wide and alert. Her ears perked up as she strained to hear it again, and her mind raced to determine what could possibly make the sound. The obvious possibility was Anderson, but she could not believe it would be him. After all, he was still going through the procedure. Surgery or resurrection? She was not quite sure which.

  The groan came again a few seconds later, a little louder than before. As she watched, Anderson started to move.

  “Wait!” Anna yelled as she dodged around the console and sped toward him. “Don’t move!”

  Reaching his side, she swiftly looked over his body. His skin was healthier. The beams, now six on each leg, worked their way down his thighs much faster than before.

  “Okay,” she breathed while attempting to collect her thoughts. She looked back to his face. He was trying to sit up, so she gently nudged him back down. “Stay put. Don’t move.” She thought for a second. “I don’t think you’re supposed to be awake right now.”

  Anderson regarded her as she spoke, his bland expression revealing nothing of his current state. He remained silent. Only the sounds of his breathing and the low hum of the healing energy rays broke the stillness in the room. Yet, he kept staring at her as if some strange creature was tangled in her hair and fighting to free itself.

  Anna looked back at him, curious as to why his eyes were locked on her. “What?” Her hand instinctively went to her hair, feeling the strands between her fingers and combing through it.

  He raised his hand and gently took a lock of her hair between his thumb and fingers, rubbing the blond tresses as though they were made of silk. An innocent smile grew on his face.

  Anna, feeling a little awkward, smiled nervously and carefully slid her hair from his grasp. His smile disappeared, and he reached for her hair again.

  “No,” she smiled at him as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. He extended his reach, drawing closer to another lock. She frowned at his insistent attempts and slapped his hand away. He drew his hand back, cradling it in his other hand. His lips pouted, and his eyes grew wide and wet with tears.

  Watching his mood shift suddenly, Anna was confused by his reaction. Between the nurturing of his hand and the change of expression, she realized that his reactions mirrored that of…

  Anderson sucked in a deep breath and screamed like a baby, his howls practically deafening her. Anna winced under the sudden wall of sound and backed away, a look of utter shock on her face. She shook her head in disbelief as his crying continued.

  “Oh, shit!” she commented under her breath, barely hearing her own words over Anderson’s childish bellowing. Pointing at him, she ordered, “Stay there! Don’t move!”

  Turning toward the door, Anna yelled, “Bryce!”

  * * * * *

  “You filthy maggot!” screamed Cooper at the top of his lungs. “You ain’t worth the air you’re breathing!”

  Jason cringed and leaned away from the sergeant, who stood toe-to-toe with him, while trying to stand at attention according to the instructions thrown at him a moment before. He was beginning to regret wanting to know what new recruits experienced when they went to boot camp.

  “What’s the matter? Do I scare you? Do you want to run back to your mama?”

  “No…”

  “What’s that? I can’t hear you!”

  “No.”

  “No, what?”

  “No, sir?”

  “Are you asking me a question? Do I look like a fucking encyclopedia?”

  “No, sir!”

  “I must be going deaf! I still can’t hear you!”

  “No, sir!”

  “What?”

  “No, sir!”

  Cooper stepped back with a wide grin on his face. “Welcome to Recruit Training.”

  Stealing a glance at Cary and Tomomi who sat with their eyes glued on him, Jason exhaled. “And, new troops put up with that for thirteen weeks?”

  “That’s right, followed by a period of one to two months of specialty training.”

  “Wow! I’m not sure I could handle that.”

  “Pardon the interruption,” Bryce said calmly from the table where he had finished cleaning. “But, Anna is calling for help from the infirmary.”

  Cooper bolted for the door, leaving Cary, Tomomi, and Jason staring at each other in bewilderment. He skidded to a halt before slamming into the wall. “Bryce, open the goddamn door!”

  Everyone arrived in the infirmary in a rush to find Anna lying across a wailing Anderson, desperately trying to keep him still with both arms and a leg.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Cooper rushed past the console and grabbed the arm and leg opposite Anna.

  Raising her head to look at him while straining to keep the grunt restrained and avoid the healing energies still firing at his legs, Anna replied, “Somehow, he woke up while still being treated. I’m not sure why, but his mind appears to have reverted back to that of an infant.”

  “I can see that.”

  Cary tapped Bryce’s shoulder as the teen moved to the console and activated it. “Why did this happen?”

  “I am unsure at this time. Let me check, please.” Bryce’s typical calm demeanor struck Jason as out-of-place for the situation.

  Seeing that Anderson was still not fully restrained, Jason broke away from the group at the console and, upon reaching the bed, seized his ankles. Dropping to his knees, he tightened his grip and prayed that he didn’t let go.

  Cary moved toward the bed but stopped behind Jason. The space around the bed was occupied. He could not see how to help the situation further.

  Tomomi, on the other hand, moved next to Bryce and stood watching the displays over his shoulder, pitting her limited medical knowledge against what she was seeing. While Bryce sent an initial scan over the entire body, she pointed to Anderson’s head. “Focus your scan at the head. You’ll probably find your answer there.” With a nod and some adjustments, Bryce heeded her advice.

  “Cary,” Anna cried over Anderson’s howling. “Get on the other side and grab his arms.”

  At that second, Anderson slipped an arm out of Anna’s grip and swung it down, catching Cooper across the jaw. The impact jerked his head back, but he recovered instantly.

  Cary clambered over the bed behind the sergeant and took over for Anna. Underestimating the trooper’s strength, Cary shifted with the arm pinned against his chest and nearly lost his footing.

  “Come on, you wuss!” Cooper barked. “Get it under control.”

  Regaining his feet, Cary grunted as he shoved Anderson’s arm down onto the bed above the soldier’s head. “Got it!”

  Anna leaned over Anderson and gingerly stroked his face while cooing softly. The two men next to her watched with curiosity, and Jason leaned forward, trying to see what was happening.

  “Hey, hey,” she said in a soothing tone. “It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine. It’s all right.”

  Seconds after Anna began, Anderson visibly calmed down, and his thrashing ceased. Cary eased Anderson’s arms down to rest on his chest.

  Anna continued her comforting words. “It’s okay. No need to be upset. We’re just going to make you go to sleep for a while,
and then everything’s going to be fine.”

  Understanding the hint, Cooper and Cary turned toward Bryce and Tomomi to see if they picked up on it. Tomomi nodded, but Bryce did not respond, apparently still engrossed with the readouts on the display.

  “Bryce.” The brunette nudged him. “Can you administer a sedative to him?”

  “A sedative? Yes. Hold on.”

  Bryce’s fingers flicked a few icons, and a small tower, similar to the one that had applied the blue treatment to Anna, materialized next to Anderson’s shoulder. In a split second, the arm at the top extended to and pressed against his neck. A quick burst of air blasted against his skin, and Anderson flinched from the unexpected sound. His face contorted again. Anna continued to speak to him tenderly, like a mother to her child. Focused on her voice, he calmed again. Seconds passed, and his eyelids grew heavy and drooped until he finally fell asleep.

  Once she confirmed that he was out, Anna stood up and walked toward Bryce and Tomomi. The three men helping her followed her lead.

  “Okay, Bryce. What happened to him?” Anna demanded once she reached the opposite side of the console from him.

  “I am not too familiar with human physiology. But if I am interpreting this correctly, it appears that his neural pathways were erased.”

  Anna glanced at Tomomi, who nodded her agreement. “How did this happen?”

  “Your friend’s cells were breaking down, when you brought him in. Fortunately for you, his cells had not degraded past the point of recovery. But, the neural patterns within his brain appeared to have scrambled during the degradation process. The system must have cleared them while it regenerated the organ.”

  Cooper stepped next to Anna, a stern look on his face. “You mean to tell me that my soldier is mentally a baby now?”

  “His knowledge and memories have been erased, and his brain has been reset.”

  “All of his memories are gone: his childhood, his friends, family, his wife and kids? All gone?”

  “Apparently so.”

  Cooper’s face twisted with anger. “You asshole!” He lunged across the console and wrapped his hands around Bryce’s neck. Anna quickly wrapped her arms around the sergeant’s torso and tried to pull him back. Jason joined her a moment later. Tomomi grabbed his hands and tugged futilely at his muscular fingers. Cooper squeezed with all his strength, but Bryce’s steadfast expression unsettled him. The soldier squeezed again, but nothing changed. Cary moved behind Bryce and pressed his thumbs against the squad leader’s fingertips, making little progress.