“I can cook. I can clean.” He turned the handle—and fate shifted | HFY - video Dailymotion

Sarge's Tales

Original story, written and owned by myseIf you like it and want to listen to more science fiction stories, subscribe to my channel!❤️  We bring you emotional sci-fi stories forged with longing, loyalty, and the will to fight—not just to survive. Through vivid storytelling enhanced by AI-generated visuals, you'll explore slow-burning connections, forbidden romances, and profound human-alien relationships.  📌 Disclaimer: All stories are created for entertainment purposes and may include dramatized or fictional elements inspired by historical themes. We use AI tools (voice, visuals, and scripting) as creative aids — all content is reviewed and edited by humans for emotional authenticity and storytelling quality. We fully comply with YouTube’s policies on AI-generated content and do not use any deepfakes or misleading impersonations. All visual materials are licensed appropriately.   Keywords: In the vast expanse of Reddit's HFY section, nestled among sci-fi short stories, a tale emerged depicting humans as space orcs, captivating listeners like a soothing sci-fi audiobook, offering a fantastical escape into a universe where the HFY spirit reigns supreme.  Original story, written and owned by meIf you like it and want to listen to more science fiction stories, subscribe to my channel!  #hfystories   #scifistory #scifistories #hfy  #scifishortstory#hfystories #scifistory #scifistories #hfy #scifishortstory

Transcript

00:00I can cook. I can clean. I can be quiet, she whispered. He opened his door, and somehow his

00:06life. Belcaris. Eight was dead. What once had been a bustling mining colony now stretched out

00:13in broken silence. Gray metal corridors twisted by time, processing towers half-collapsed and

00:20buried in snowdrifts. The air was sharp and thin. You could see your breath, even indoors.

00:26The sky hung low and colorless, dimmed by a broken atmosphere and the aftershocks of orbital

00:33detonations from a war no one remembered clearly anymore. This place had been abandoned for nearly

00:39a decade. Leonard Thorne was one of the few who stayed behind. He wasn't born here. He came during

00:45the riots, sent with the Colonial Safety Commission to restore power and run diagnostics. But the

00:50commission left. The pay ran out. The syndicates took over. People started disappearing. When the

00:57last shuttle pulled away from the landing pads, Leonard was still on the ground, standing in the

01:02freezing wind, watching it shrink into the clouded sky. He never explained why he didn't go. He just

01:08said it was easier to fix things when no one was breaking them anymore. Now in his early 40s, Leonard

01:14lived in a reinforced storage unit buried under a collapsed tunnel section. Every surface was patched

01:20with scrap. Old hole plating, scavenged pipework, broken solar grids. The workshop smelled like old

01:27coolant and cold metal. He kept to himself, surviving by salvaging tech, fixing filtration units for nearby

01:34outposts, and occasionally trading spare fuses and old components to distant runners who came through

01:41once every few months. He didn't expect visitors. That evening, Leonard was returning from the southern

01:47ridge, where he'd stripped a derelict drone station of its circuit boards. He carried them in a worn

01:53canvas sack slung over one shoulder. The wind was biting. Even with his insulated undersuit and

02:00scavenger armor, he could feel the cold trying to sneak through. His gloves had lost most of their

02:06padding. His fingertips stung. His breath came in short bursts. The snow was deeper than usual, reaching

02:13his knees as he trudged the last hundred meters toward home. His boots crunched over the ice,

02:19sharp and deliberate. He didn't waste motion. He knew this terrain. He knew the patterns of falling

02:24debris. The sounds of metal groaning in the wind. The way echoes could trick your ears into hearing

02:30voices that weren't there. When he reached the door, he dropped the sack beside the keypad. It buzzed

02:36weakly. The panel sparked. Again. He cursed under his breath, reached under the housing, and rerouted

02:43the power manually with a multi-tool. The door finally hissed open. Warm air hit his face, carrying

02:50the scent of soldered wires and synthetic oil. He stepped in. The door slid closed behind him.

02:57Inside, the air was still. Low lights buzzed faintly from ceiling panels. A heater hummed in the corner,

03:03struggling to keep the space above freezing. Tools were spread across a metal workbench.

03:10A solar battery disassembled halfway. Empty tins stacked near a portable stove. One blanket,

03:17one cot, one man. Leonard tossed his gloves on the bench and pulled off his coat. His arms ached from

03:23the cold. He was about to pour hot water from the thermal flask when he heard it. A knock. Not a loud

03:30one. Barely there. Three soft taps. He turned. That didn't make sense. No one came here. No one

03:37even knew how to reach this level unless they followed his signal relay trail. And that was

03:42encrypted. He reached for the pistol under the workbench, checked the charge, and moved to the

03:47door. The external camera feed was dark, glitched with static and interference. Another knock. Slightly

03:54louder this time. He didn't speak. Didn't call out. He just placed his hand on the locking panel

04:00and opened the door slowly. She collapsed into him. No warning. A limp weight folded forward against

04:06his chest. Bare skin. Ice cold. Trembling. Leonard caught her instinctively, stepping back to keep both

04:14of them from falling. His pulse kicked up. He looked down. Not human. Her skin was slate blue,

04:20veined with faint silver lines that shimmered under the overhead lights. Her body was half

04:25covered by crude wraps, strips of mesh and dirty canvas tied around her chest, and waist-like

04:30makeshift clothing. One shoulder was exposed, the flesh marked by faint bruises and a golden sigil

04:36etched near the collarbone. Her hair was long, tangled, white with a slight iridescent sheen. It stuck

04:43to her face, matted with melted snow. She was barefoot. One foot had blood frozen around the

04:49arch. Her lips moved. Cracked. Dry. Barely audible. I can cook. I can clean. I can be quiet.

04:58Her voice cracked. Just don't send me back. Then she lost consciousness. Leonard didn't move

05:03for several seconds. He stared at her. Heart racing. Mind-scrambling to process what just happened.

05:10She was Valkyrie, one of the bonded worker species trafficked off-world before the war.

05:15Rare now. Most were either claimed by syndicates or sold to colonies with no oversight. If she was

05:22here alone, half-naked in a storm, it meant she escaped. He looked down the corridor outside.

05:28Empty. No tracks. No sound but the wind. He pulled her inside. The door sealed behind them.

05:34She barely weighed anything. He carried her across the room and set her gently on the cod,

05:40kicking aside his thermal blanket and wrapping it around her body. Her skin was ice-cold. Her

05:46fingers twitched uncontrollably. Her breathing was shallow but steady. He moved fast, lit the

05:53emergency burner, pulled a field heater closer, laid a warming pack across her stomach. He didn't say

05:59anything. His mind was sharp, methodical, focused on keeping her alive. Only once she started

06:05breathing more evenly did he sit down on the floor beside her. He studied her face. She looked young,

06:12maybe late twenties in appearance, but the Valkyrie aged slower. Her features were fine,

06:18symmetrical, but there was a tightness in her jaw, even unconscious. A hardness behind the curve of her

06:24brow, as if her body had learned to stay ready for pain. He leaned back against the bench, eyes never

06:31leaving her. This was bad. If someone was tracking her, if the syndicates were involved, he was now

06:36implicated. They didn't forget debts. They didn't tolerate thieves. If they found her here, they'd

06:42raise the whole sector to make an example. Still, he hadn't hesitated. He could have shut the door.

06:49Could have left her. Didn't. She stirred. Her eyes opened slowly. Purple, slit-pupiled, glowing faintly in

06:57a dim light. She looked at him. No fear. No surprise. Just exhausted awareness. You're safe,

07:05Leonard said quietly. You're inside. No one followed you. She tried to sit up. He stopped her with a

07:11raised hand. Don't move yet. You got frostbite. You passed out at my door. Her lips trembled. How long?

07:18An hour. Maybe less. Did you see anyone outside? No. She exhaled and let her head fall back.

07:25He watched her chest rise and fall under the blanket. She wasn't bleeding heavily. Her body

07:31had small bruises, abrasions. Nothing fatal. But the way she clutched the blanket said more than words.

07:38She wasn't just cold. She was terrified. What's your name? He asked. Ravel. You a settler? No.

07:45She hesitated. Bonded. Merchant Syndicate. Escaped three days ago. That explained the brand.

07:52Leonard rubbed his jaw, glancing toward the security monitor again. Still nothing.

07:58You don't owe me anything, he said. This isn't a trade. I'm not one of them. She didn't answer

08:03right away. But her body softened slightly under the blanket. I can work, she said. I can cook.

08:10Fix small things. I don't take up much room. You're not here to work. Then what am I here for?

08:15Leonard stood, moving to the workbench. He picked up a fresh water pouch and handed it to her.

08:22You're here because you would have died otherwise. That's it. Ravel took the water slowly.

08:27Her hands shook. I thought you were going to shut the door, she whispered. I thought about it.

08:32A long pause. Then, why didn't you? Leonard looked at her. Not angry. Not smiling. Just tired.

08:39I don't know, he said. I guess I didn't want to hear someone die on my doorstep. She didn't reply.

08:45He stepped back, pulled a second blanket from the hook, and laid it beside her.

08:50You'll sleep here tonight. Stay warm. Tomorrow, we'll figure out what to do.

08:55As he moved toward his cot, she spoke again, quiet, but with more strength this time.

09:01If they track me, they'll burn everything. You don't know what they'll do.

09:05Leonard paused at the edge of the room. Yes, he said. I do.

09:08He turned off the lights, leaving only the glow from the heater. Ravel curled under the blanket.

09:15Her eyes slowly closed. Leonard sat down on his cot across the room, staring at the ceiling,

09:21listening to the wind tear through the outer vents. She was right. This changed everything.

09:27But for now, just tonight, she was alive. And he wasn't alone. Morning on Velcarus.

09:32Eight didn't look much different from night. Just a faint, colorless light seeping through cracks,

09:38in the overhead bulkhead panels. The wind outside had calmed slightly, but the cold remained locked

09:45in the metal bones of the colony. A layer of frost had formed around the inside edges of the door,

09:51glittering faintly in the pale light. Leonard was already up, boots on, jacket zipped halfway,

09:58checking the perimeter sensors through a handheld monitor. The screen pulsed with green markers.

10:03No movement. No heat signatures. No drones. But that didn't mean much. Syndicate scouts often moved

10:12without signatures. Some were quiet enough to bypass proximity alarms entirely. He knew they'd

10:18come looking eventually, maybe days from now, maybe hours. He set the monitor down and turned

10:25toward the cot. Ravel hadn't moved much during the night. She lay curled under the blankets,

10:30one arm peeking out, hand resting open, relaxed. Her breathing was slow and even. A part of Leonard

10:38still didn't believe she was real. She looked out of place here, alien, fragile, barely alive,

10:45and yet her presence had already shifted the rhythm of the entire shelter. He poured hot water into a tin

10:51cup and slid it onto the metal table beside the cot. The scent of boiled roots and synth tea filled the

10:58space. Ravel's eyelids twitched, then slowly opened. She blinked, first at the light, then at him.

11:06You're still here, she said, voice rough from sleep. So are you. She sat up cautiously, pulling the blanket

11:13around her chest. Her hair fell across her face in a tangled curtain. He handed her the tea. She accepted

11:20it without a word and took a slow sip, eyes never leaving his. Leonard didn't ask how she slept.

11:26That kind of question felt useless in a place like this. Temperature is dropping again, he said.

11:33We'll need to reinforce the seals on the vents today, or it's going to get dangerous in here

11:37by nightfall. She gave a small nod. I can help. You sure you're up for it? I wouldn't offer if I

11:43wasn't. There was no weakness in her tone. She meant it. Leonard studied her for a moment longer,

11:49then turned back toward the equipment shelves. We'll start after you eat something.

11:53As she drank the tea, she finally looked around the shelter with clarity, taking in the organized

11:59chaos of tools, half-repair parts, bundled wiring, and taped-up heater units. Her eyes paused on a

12:06photo stuck to the side of a tool chest. It showed a woman, human, dark-haired, standing beside Leonard

12:13on a ridge. She was smiling. Ravel didn't ask, but her eyes lingered. Leonard noticed.

12:19My wife, he said quietly. She was here during the riots. We were sent to restore environmental

12:26control systems. She didn't make it out. Ravel looked down. I'm sorry. You didn't cause it.

12:32Still, the silence that followed was thick. After breakfast, reconstituted grain, old but edible,

12:40they got to work. Leonard handed her a thermal jacket. It was too big for her, but she zipped it up

12:46and cinched the belt tight around her waist. Her legs were still bare beneath the torn skirt,

12:52but she moved with purpose, ignoring the cold. They climbed onto the roof of the shelter using a side

12:59access ladder. Leonard moved first, checking for ice buildup along the seams. Ravel followed,

13:06barefoot on metal rungs. She didn't complain. While they worked, Leonard kept glancing toward the horizon,

13:13always scanning. You said you escaped three days ago, he said, tightening a bolt on the vent housing.

13:20How far did you walk? About 20 kilometers, Ravel answered without hesitation. I followed the

13:26ridgeline. Slept in collapsed transport base. Hid during daylight. You were being hunted. They

13:32always send someone. Or something. Leonard paused his work. Did you see any drones? Not directly,

13:38but I heard one yesterday morning. Downwind. Leonard's jaw tightened. We need to remove your

13:44chip. She froze. I know it's there, he continued. They all have them, buried in the spine, usually

13:51with a short-range locator beacon, if they get within scanning range. I know, she interrupted.

13:57Her voice was low, controlled, but the fear in her eyes was visible now. I tried cutting it out myself

14:04once, she added. Didn't get far. Leonard crouched beside her on the rooftop. His gloves brushed snow

14:12from the vent pipe, but his focus stayed on her face. I have the tools. When you're ready. She didn't

14:18answer, but her hand briefly touched the back of her neck, as if confirming the chip was still there.

14:25They finished sealing the vents and returned inside, just as the wind began to rise again.

14:30Snow swirled past the window slits, the storm reforming.

14:34Back inside. Leonard laid out a surgical kit on the table. You don't have to do this now,

14:40he said, but if they get close enough to ping the beacon, they'll burn half this sector looking for

14:46you. If they don't find you, they'll assume I'm hiding you. Either way, this place goes up in smoke.

14:53Ravel stared at the tools. Scalpel. Probe. Suture gel. Nerve suppressor. I'll do it, she said,

15:00but not yet. I need a few hours. Leonard gave a short nod and packed the tools away.

15:06They worked in silence for most of the afternoon. She helped him realign the water filtration lines,

15:12tightening seals and rewiring a corroded pump motor. She was skilled, her hands quick,

15:18her memory sharp. She'd done this kind of work before. At one point, he found her crouched near the

15:23burner, adjusting the heat settings. You know field stoves? I maintained 30 of them. Camp barracks.

15:31Overseer patrols ate first. If their meals weren't hot, we didn't get ours. Leonard didn't ask what

15:37happened if they complained. Later, as night settled again and the wind grew harsher, he handed her a

15:43clean thermal wrap. Old but intact. She took it and went behind a fabric partition near the corner to

15:50change. Leonard sat near the heater, sipping reheated broth, listening. When she returned,

15:56her old wraps were gone. She wore his oversized shirt, sleeves rolled up, the thermal wrap cinched

16:03at the waist like a robe. Her hair was cleaner. Her skin no longer looked bloodless. She sat down

16:09beside him without asking. The silence between them was no longer heavy, just quiet. Finally,

16:15Ravel spoke. Why are you still here? Leonard looked at her. This place? Or this planet?

16:22Both. He thought for a long moment. I lost everything else, he said. Out here, at least I

16:28understand the rules. Fix what's broken. Stay out of the way. Survive. You don't miss people. I miss

16:35one. Ravel didn't press. She leaned back against the wall, pulling her knees up under the wrap.

16:41If you help me remove the chip, she said slowly. I'll be gone by morning. Leonard didn't look at

16:47her. You don't have to leave. I can't stay. Not asking you to. Just saying you don't have to go

16:53the second you're free. Ravel turned her head slightly. Her voice dropped. Why are you doing

16:59this? He shrugged, but the motion was small. Because someone should. And for the first time since she

17:05arrived, she smiled, barely. But it was real. The heater buzzed gently. Outside, the wind howled.

17:12But inside the shelter, for the first time in years, Leonard Thorne didn't feel like a man waiting

17:18to die. He felt like someone trying to keep another person alive. And that changed everything.

17:24The storm didn't ease. By morning, the outside temperature had dropped below survivable range.

17:30Frost spread across the inside walls in delicate veins, even with the heater running at maximum

17:36output. The vent seals held, barely, but every gust of wind made the structure groan like something

17:43wounded. Leonard woke to the soft sound of movement. Ravel stood near the corner sink,

17:50wrapped in a thermal cloak, quietly organizing the salvage crates. Her steps were careful, as if afraid

17:56to make noise. But when she turned and saw he was awake, she didn't stop. Just acknowledged him

18:02with a glance, then kept working. You sleep at all? He asked, sitting up and rubbing the side of his

18:08face. A little. Enough. She wasn't lying. Her color was better. Her voice steadier. But there was still

18:15something in her expression, like she was waiting for something to snap. As if she didn't believe this

18:21quiet would last. Leonard pulled on his boots and walked to the table. The tools from yesterday were

18:27still packed neatly in their case. Is today the day? He asked. She didn't answer immediately. Then,

18:34yes, before nightfall. That gave them maybe eight hours, depending on visibility and power retention.

18:41He nodded once, not pressing her further. She came over and sat across from him. Her fingers played with

18:47the edge of the table, tracing the etched lines in the metal. He noticed her eyes shifting

18:53occasionally toward the perimeter monitor. You keep checking for drones, he said. Have you seen

18:59them before? I mean up close. Ravel hesitated. Twice. Once on Gero's Prime. Once on the southern flats

19:07of Atris. Same design. Black casing. Cylindrical core. Rotor blades that stay retracted until mid-flight.

19:14Heat seeking. Short-range shock weapons. Fast. Leonard leaned back slightly. That detail wasn't

19:22common knowledge. You were military? No, she said quickly. But I was bonded to a logistics officer

19:28for five years. I watched. I remembered everything. That explained the way she moved. Efficient. Cautious.

19:37Always assessing the environment. She wasn't a soldier, but she wasn't helpless, either. He stood and

19:43walked to the storage locker, unlocking a hidden compartment. Inside was an old fusion scalpel, a

19:50neurodisruptor wand, and an anesthetic injector. Low dose, barely enough for field use. We'll do this on

19:57the bench, near the heating unit, he said. There's no medical bay here. Just make it fast, keep the

20:03bleeding low, and pray the chips not fuse deep. Ravel joined him. She didn't flinch at the sight of the

20:09tools. Where exactly is it? She pulled the collar of her shirt down and turned, lifting her hair.

20:16Just below the second cervical vertebra, a faint scar sat over Ray's skin, pale, hard-edged,

20:23with a metallic glint beneath. Leonard grimaced. They didn't even bother with a subdermal concealment.

20:29They don't have to. Most of us don't live long enough to notice. He took a breath. You ready?

20:34Yes. She sat down on the bench and bent forward slightly, arms resting on her knees. He cleaned

20:42the area carefully, applied the injector, then activated the disruptor wand. Her muscles twitched.

20:48She didn't make a sound. The scalpel passed through the outer skin with precision. Leonard worked

20:54quickly, his brow furrowed in concentration, finger steady. A minute passed, then another. Blood

21:01welled slightly. Not too much. And then, metal. A curved chip, no larger than a grain of rice,

21:08embedded deep in the muscle. He clamped it, twisted, and pulled. The moment it left her body,

21:14a faint ping registered on the bench's signal monitor. Leonard froze. Signal just activated.

21:21They could track it now. Only if they're close enough to catch the spike. He dropped the chip into a

21:27sealed tin and slammed the lid shut. They both stared at it in silence. I'll dispose of it outside,

21:33deep in the east trench. Burn it, she said. They use residual trackers. They'll read the frequency,

21:40even in pieces. He nodded again and sterilized the tools. Her back was bleeding, but slowly.

21:47He patched the wound with synth gel and covered it with a dressing pad. How's your vision? He asked.

21:52Stable. Dizziness? Numbness? No. Just cold. She stood without needing help. That impressed him more

22:00than he admitted. The rest of the afternoon passed in quiet tension. Leonard walked the perimeter twice,

22:07checked the relay tower signal. Still jammed. No new incoming transmissions. He loaded the sealed

22:13chip into an old recon drone and sent it away on a deadman flight route, south toward a slag canyon.

22:20Far enough that any trace would vanish before sunset. When he returned, Ravel was sitting on the cot,

22:27rubbing her shoulder. Her eyes met his. You believe in second chances? She asked. No. She tilted her

22:35head. Then why are you giving me one? I don't believe in them, Leonard said, pulling off his gloves and

22:41setting them down. But I've learned not to waste them when they show up. He sat beside her. She didn't

22:47move away. You want to leave? You can. He continued. I won't stop you. But if you stay, we've got rules.

22:53I figured. No lies. No leaving without warning. You hear something. Anything. Out of the ordinary,

23:01you tell me. No hero stunts. No martyr moves. I'm not trying to be a hero. Good. I've buried too many

23:08already. She looked down at her hands, folding them into her lap. You really think the syndicate will

23:14come for me here? They might. They might not. Depends how valuable you were. I wasn't. Then,

23:21they'll come out of spite. That made her laugh. Just once low and bitter. He didn't join her.

23:27His tone stayed flat. They don't like losing property. I'm not property. You're not. But they

23:33still think you are. A long pause settled between them. Finally, she leaned back, resting against the

23:40wall. I never asked your full name. Leonard Thorne. You have a family name. I used to have a family.

23:46Ravel didn't speak after that. But she didn't move away, either. As the hours passed, and the wind

23:52picked up again outside, they sat together in the warmth of the tiny shelter. Two people who should

23:58have never crossed paths. A reclusive human tech with nothing left to protect, and a fugitive alien woman

24:05who'd spent her life being owned, ordered, and silenced. And for the first time, neither of them

24:11fell alone. But just past the edge of the storm, beyond the range of their failing sensors, something

24:17moved in the white. Sleek. Silent. Black casing. A syndicate drone. It hovered above the snow for only a

24:25second before vanishing into the storm again. Signal cloaked. It had locked onto a signature. A heat

24:32trail. Footprints. And it was not far. The wind screamed against the shelter walls. Inside, everything

24:39was quiet. Leonard stood near the signal monitor, arms crossed, watching the static roll across the

24:45screen. He tapped the side of the device again. No change. No new alerts. But something felt off.

24:52Too still. Too quiet. Ravel sat by the workbench, tying her hair back with a strip of torn cloth.

24:59The patch on her back from the locator chip removal was clean dry. She moved slower now,

25:05controlled, deliberate. But she wasn't weak anymore. Leonard didn't look at her when he spoke.

25:10Something's wrong. She looked up, eyes sharp. Sensor. No signal. No interference either. Which means one

25:18thing. They're cloaked. Leonard nodded once. Then crossed the room quickly. He pulled open a locked

25:25crate near the floor and retrieved a short-range scanner. Manual. Unlinked. Old tech. No smart

25:31systems. Harder to spoof. He activated the device. Nothing at first. Then a flicker. Weak thermal

25:39distortion. Maybe 200 meters out. Holding still. Then gone again. He lowered the scanner. It's here.

25:46Ravel didn't ask how close. She stood, crossed the far wall, and unzipped the storage cabinet where

25:52Leonard had stashed his old breathing masks and outerwear. She pulled down a compact emergency pack

25:59and began checking its contents. Thermal blanket. Flare pan. Food capsules. Coil battery. Leonard was

26:05already at the workbench, grabbing his sidearm and clipping two fresh cells into the housing. He shoved the

26:12weapon into a holster on his hip and glanced back at her. There's an old terraforming substation west

26:18of here. Five clicks. It's shielded, buried. They won't be able to track us inside. You think we can

26:25reach it before they drop a ground team? We'll have to. Ravel didn't ask more. She just tightened the

26:30jacket around her waist and secured her boots, Leonard Spares slightly too big. She shoved her arms into

26:37the sleeves of his second coat and zipped it halfway. It hung loose on her, but she looked ready.

26:44Leonard slung a small pack over his shoulder and opened the emergency hatch behind the workbench,

26:50a narrow tunnel carve between service panels and pipework. He'd dug it himself three years ago in

26:56case things ever turned bad. Tonight, they had. They moved fast, crawling through narrow shafts that

27:02led away from the main shelter. The metal was icy. Every scrape echoed. Leonard kept one hand on the

27:09pistol and the other guiding them forward. Ravel followed close behind, quiet as a shadow. After 20

27:16minutes, they emerged into open air. The wind hit them instantly, sharp and punishing. Snow lashed their

27:23faces. Visibility was low, but Leonard didn't hesitate. He knew the route. He pointed west, across the

27:30ravine. They ran. The terrain was uneven, collapsed walkways, broken towers jutting from the snow like

27:37ribs. Ravel kept pace, boots slipping slightly, but never falling behind. Her breath came in short

27:45bursts. Leonard glanced back once. She nodded at him. Keep going. They didn't speak. Halfway across the

27:52ravine, Leonard heard it. A feint were above them. Mechanical. Deliberate. He shoved Ravel behind a

27:59collapsed beam. They dropped into the snow and froze. Overhead, the drone passed. Sleek. Black.

28:06No lights. It hovered, scanning. Leonard held his breath. His hand brushed against Ravel's.

28:13She didn't move, but he could feel the tension in her fingers, coiled, ready. The drone hovered for a

28:19moment longer. Then it turned. Moved south. Disappeared. They waited ten more seconds.

28:25Then Leonard pulled her up. Go, he said. Now. They reached the substation just after nightfall.

28:31A circular hatch buried beneath a half-collapsed tower. Leonard dug the snow away with his gloved

28:38hands until the rusted handle revealed itself. He twisted it hard. The hatch creaked open with a

28:45metallic groan. Inside, warmth. Residual heat from an old geothermal pump still pulsed faintly through the

28:52concrete walls. The lights flickered once, then stabilized. Emergency backups. Low red glow. They

28:59stepped in and closed the hatch behind them. Locked it. Only then did they breathe. Leonard dropped the

29:05pack. Ravel leaned against the wall and slid down, her back pressing into the metal, hair damp with snow,

29:12lips pale. He knelt beside her. You okay? She nodded once, barely. I'm not hurt. Leonard reached into the

29:19pack, pulled out a blanket, and wrapped it around her. She didn't resist when he pulled her closer.

29:26She leaned into him. Not for warmth, just to stay grounded. He could feel her heartbeat against his

29:31ribs. We're safe here, he said. For now. Her head rested lightly against his shoulder. I wasn't going

29:39to come here, she whispered. He looked down at her. I was heading east, toward the trade ruins. But I saw

29:46the relay signal. It was weak. Faded. Still repeating. Every four seconds. Leonard blinked.

29:53I haven't touched that relay in over a year. I thought maybe it was broken. But it was still

29:58calling. And I, I didn't want to die in the snow. Silence fell between them again. Then she said,

30:04I was the only one who escaped. From my transport, there were seven of us. The others that didn't make

30:10it pass the second night. Leonard didn't ask for details. He didn't need them. Instead, he reached

30:16over and pulled the heater coil from the pack. He activated it and set it between them. The soft

30:22red light warmed their hands. For a long time, neither of them spoke. Then, softly, you still

30:28want to go? He asked. Ravel turned to him slowly. Her face was flushed from the heat. Her eyes tired but

30:35alert. I don't know yet. That's fair. He didn't move. She didn't pull away. They sat there,

30:42shoulder to shoulder, sharing one blanket. The red light flickering across their faces as the storm

30:47raged above them. And beneath it all, for the first time since she arrived, there was calm. But above

30:53ground, the drone had returned. It hovered near the shelter's ruins, scanning the wreckage. The heat's

31:00signatures were gone. The hatch was buried. It activated a long-range signal. And far away,

31:06on a drifting merchant cruiser, a new alert blinked. Asset missing, confirmed. Retrieval team

31:13authorized. The power coil died just after midnight. The heater clicked three times, then shut off,

31:20the red light beneath it fading into black. A soft hum vanished from the room, leaving only the sound of

31:27their breaths. Leonard leaned forward, pressing the back of his hand to the housing. Cold. Ravel pulled

31:33the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Her skin was damp from melted snow, now drying into a chill.

31:41She didn't speak, but her eyes followed Leonard's every movement as he pried open the heater casing

31:47and checked the connector terminals. Burned out. No charge left in the battery cell. Backup's dead too,

31:53he said flatly. I've got one more coil, but it'll barely give us an hour. She nodded slowly. We'll

32:00ration it. Wait until sunrise. If we make it to sunrise. He didn't mean to say it that way. It just

32:07came out. Ravel didn't flinch, but she turned her head slightly, looking toward the hatch. They're here,

32:13aren't they? She asked. Leonard didn't answer. He didn't need to. Above them, silence had returned to

32:20the storm. No wind. No shifting snow. No drone sounds. Just the quiet that usually came right

32:27before something worse. Leonard stepped to the far side of the room and opened the terminal panel.

32:32He connected a small screen to the external sensor feed. A signal spike pulsed faintly in the northwest

32:39quadrant. Human. Multiple heat signatures. He lowered the screen. They deployed a ground team.

32:45At least three. Ravel stood now. The blanket still clutched around her, but forgotten.

32:51How long do we have? Maybe an hour. Maybe less. Depends how well they know the terrain.

32:57Ravel took a slow breath. They'll sweep the towers first. Then the maintenance tunnels.

33:03They'll guess I went underground. They'll find the hatch eventually. Then cut through the lock.

33:08She looked at him. Then we don't wait. Leonard stared at her for a moment. She wasn't panicking.

33:14Not freezing up. Not looking to be saved. She was thinking. Focused. He grabbed the emergency bag,

33:21stuffed the last coil inside, and shouldered it. There's a secondary exit. South wall. Leads into

33:27a collapsed service corridor. Where does it go? Nowhere good. But it'll buy us time. He moved fast,

33:34pulling aside an old floor panel and exposing the access tunnel beneath. She dropped in first,

33:40landing softly on a maintenance grating. He followed and sealed the hatch behind them.

33:46The corridor was narrow, barely shoulder width, and low enough that they had to crouch.

33:51The air smelled of old rust and carbon dust. Ravel crawled ahead, using one hand to steady herself,

33:59the other pressed to the cold metal. Her breathing was shallow but controlled. Leonard followed close

34:05behind. Watching their rear, they reached a rusted grate and pushed through into a deeper shaft.

34:12Wider, older. The walls were slick with condensation. Every sound echoed. Their footsteps. Their breaths.

34:20Then a light flickered above them. White. Artificial. Leonard froze. He pushed Ravel against the wall

34:26and held her still. A red laser that traced across the far corner. Then another. Syndicate units.

34:34Already inside the substructure. He grabbed her wrist. They ran. Down the slope. Across a half-collapsed

34:41bridge. Through a doorframe half-sunk into the snow. Gunfire echoed behind them. Short bursts. Not aimed.

34:49Just probing. They ducked into a narrow side room. Slammed the hatch shut. And backed into the darkness.

34:55Breathing hard. Too loud. Too fast. Leonard turned to speak, but stopped. Ravel was against the wall.

35:03Chest rising and falling quickly. Eyes wide. Not in panic. In pure alertness. Her pupils had

35:11narrowed. Her fingers twitched at her side. Her body leaned close to his. So close he could feel her

35:17breath against his jaw. I know this place, she whispered. Leonard blinked. What? This layout. The floor

35:25design. I clean a compound like this. South quadrant of TeraVex. 12. Syndicate uses these layouts over and

35:33over. They copy blueprints. So, there's a tunnel ahead. Leads to a sealed power chamber. Old battery

35:40vault. No one scans it. It's lead-lined. If it's the same structure, it's our best shot. Leonard didn't

35:47question her. They moved fast. The path curved sharply. Then opened into a room lit by faint

35:53ceiling glow. They ducked under a fallen beam. Slipped through a collapsed panel. And found a

35:59vault hatch. Ravel keyed in a manual override. The panel blinked red. Then green. They stepped inside.

36:06Leonard shut the door quietly and locked it. No lights inside. No signals. The air was musty.

36:13Dead power cells lined the walls like metal coffins. Ravel sat on one and exhaled hard.

36:21For the first time since they ran, she slumped forward, elbows on her knees, face in her hands.

36:27Leonard knelt in front of her. You okay? She didn't answer. Not right away. Then, I always knew they'd

36:34find me. I just didn't think it would be so soon. You think they'll stop? They don't stop. Ever.

36:40She looked up at him. Her eyes were red. Not from crying, but from the strain. Her voice was low.

36:47Ragged. They'll burn this whole sector to get me back. Not because I'm valuable. But because I left.

36:53And if I left, others might too. Leonard sat beside her. You're not going back. Her gaze locked onto his.

37:00She didn't blink. I can't let you die for me. I'm not planning to die. Silence. Then, softer.

37:07I didn't ask for this, she said. I know. You could have shut the door. I didn't. He reached out slowly,

37:14brushing a strand of damp hair from her face. She didn't pull away. His fingers rested just long

37:20enough to feel her cheek warm under them. Neither spoke. Not until she leaned in, resting her forehead

37:26against his. Close. Still. No desperation. No sudden kiss. Just quiet contact. Raw. Human. Real.

37:35I don't know what this is, she whispered. Me neither. But I trust you. Leonard closed his eyes

37:41briefly. So do I. Outside. Heavy footsteps moved through the tunnels. Searchlights swept over walls.

37:49But inside the battery vault, there was only silence and breath. Two people alive. For now. The

37:56silence didn't last. A distant thud shook the floor. Ravel's eyes snapped open. Leonard had already

38:03stood, weapon in hand. His body angled toward the vault door. Another thud came. Closer. Rhythmic.

38:11Purposeful. Like something heavy slamming against reinforced steel. They found the hatch. Leonard

38:17muttered. They're trying to breach it. Ravel pulled the emergency pack closer and checked its contents.

38:23No food. No heat. Just a low-yield battery. A flare. And a multi-tool. Useless in a fight.

38:30She glanced at Leonard. He was calm. But the tightness in his jaw gave him away. His breath

38:36came slower than normal. Controlled. How many do you think? She asked. Could be two. Could be six.

38:43Depend how much they want you. Another impact. Dust drifted down from a cracked ceiling panel.

38:49The vault walls shuddered slightly. And a faint creaking started in the hinge.

38:54Leonard looked around the room quickly. No escape tunnels. No back access. No vents. If we stay

39:01here, they'll cut through. If we run, we'll be out in the open. Ravel scanned the floor. Power

39:08conduits. Maintenance panels. Coolant valves. Half of them dead. Then she noticed the warning

39:13stencil painted on the far side of the chamber. Do not vent. Con what chamber below? She pointed

39:19to it. That subchamber. What is it? Old heat dispersal tunnel. Used to flush coolant into

39:26the lower reactor lines. Still active? Doubt it. Still full of coolant? Leonard blinked. Then

39:32checked the side terminal. Dust covered the display. But the pressure indicator flickered.

39:38Minimal charge remaining. Enough for a flood, he said. She was already moving. Help me open the valve.

39:44If we time it right, we can blind them with mist and cold shock. Leonard followed her lead,

39:50pulling the pressure release switch and angling the emergency crank until the valve seal twisted

39:55loose. A deep, groaning hiss started to build in the pipes. Cold mist began to leak into the edges of

40:03the floor. Then the door shook again. A cutting torch ignited from the other side. The dull orange glow of

40:10plasma spread in a circle, burning through the lock housing. Now, she said. Leonard pulled the final

40:16release. The chamber floor vented downward with a roar, and a wall of pressurized mist shot up into

40:22the air like steam from a ruptured pipe. Visibility dropped instantly to near zero. The entire vault

40:29filled with biting cold and shimmering vapor. The door burst open. A figure stepped through, black armor,

40:36rifle raised. Red visor blinking. But he paused immediately, blinded. Leonard fired. The first

40:43shot clipped the soldier's shoulder, spinning him sideways. Ravel grabbed a loose tool and hurled it

40:49toward the second, one entering behind him, smashing into the faceplate. Both dropped hard.

40:56No time to check if they were dead. Go! Leonard shouted. They rushed through the broken hatch and into

41:01the corridor. Another soldier was waiting near the left bulkhead. He raised his weapon. Leonard didn't

41:07stop. He shoved Ravel behind him and tackled the man straight into the wall. The rifle discharged once

41:14into the floor before Leonard slammed his elbow into the man's jaw and wrenched the weapon away. But the

41:21man struck back hard. A punch to Leonard's ribs. Then another to his side. Leonard staggered, weapon

41:28falling from his hand. The soldier lunged again and Ravel moved. She came from behind, slamming a

41:34scavenged steel pipe into the base of the soldier's skull. He went down fast. Leonard collapsed against

41:40the wall, gasping. Blood spread across his shirt. Just below the ribs, shallow, but deep enough to hurt.

41:48Leonard, she knelt beside him. I'm fine, he hissed. Keep moving. If they regroup. No. Her voice was firm.

41:56No more running. You got me this far. I'm not leaving you behind. Leonard stared at her,

42:02breathing hard. He wanted to argue. He didn't. Ravel looked around, then dragged him into a side

42:08alcove, a broken access tunnel, barely wide enough for both of them. She pulled him in close,

42:14crouching against the wall. His breath hitched as she wrapped an old strap around his side,

42:20compressing the wound. You've done this before, he muttered.

42:23I watched enough people die not to forget how. Footsteps echoed down the main corridor. Searchlights

42:30swept by. They pressed closer. Leonard could feel her heartbeat against his arm. Her breath on his

42:36neck. Ravel, he whispered. She didn't answer. Just pressed her forehead to his temple, both of them

42:43listening to boots stomp past, missing them by inches. She whispered, barely audible. If we survive this,

42:51I'm not going anywhere. He turned his face toward her. Are you sure? I'm tired of running. And I'm

42:57tired of not choosing. Leonard swallowed hard. Then we get out of here. Together. She nodded.

43:03They waited until the noise passed, then slipped out and made their way through the broken auxiliary

43:09tunnel. It curved downward toward a collapsed service shaft. The snow had bled through in spots.

43:15The air was getting colder again. But behind them, no more sounds. No more pursuit. They emerged into

43:22the lower trench system. Forgotten, buried, but still structurally intact. It would lead them out

43:28beyond the grid range. Leonard was limping. Ravel kept an arm around his side. He didn't resist.

43:35The snow outside was soft, falling quietly now. They stepped into it together, slow but steady.

43:41No words needed. They were still alive. And for the first time, that meant something more than

43:46survival. It meant they had each other. The wind had finally stopped. Leonard and Ravel stepped into

43:52the remains of an old relay station built into the side of a ridge. Its antennae had snapped long ago,

43:59but the reinforced structure held. No lights. No heat. But shelter. Enough. Inside, the air was dry.

44:07Dust hung in the shafts of daylight, breaking through fractured wall panels. A collapsed bunk lay

44:13against the far corner, half covered in debris. Leonard sat down slowly beside it, wincing as the

44:20movement pulled at the dressing across his ribs. Ravel dropped the emergency pack near the wall.

44:26Her hands moved quickly, lighting the portable coil heater and setting the last thermal blanket around

44:32them both. She didn't ask if he was alright. She already knew the answer. He looked worse than

44:38before. Pale. Shaky. But alive. You should rest, she said quietly. I'll rest when we're sure they're not

44:46following. They won't. You don't know that. Ravel knelt beside him and opened a medkit salvage from the

44:53relay storage. She cut away the old bandage and cleaned the wound carefully. The bleeding had stopped.

44:59The bruising hadn't. Leonard winced as the antiseptic stone. You've done this before?

45:05She nodded. Too many times. First for others. Later for myself. He looked at her, studying the

45:12curve of her jaw. The faint burn scar near her collarbone. The fresh scrapes on her knuckles.

45:18None of it took away from her beauty. If anything, it made it more real. She was flesh and willpower.

45:25No longer just someone surviving. You saved my life, he said. Ravel met his eyes. And you saved

45:31mine long before that. He didn't know what to say. So he didn't. The heater pulsed between them,

45:37casting soft orange light across the wall. She sat beside him now, pulling her knees close.

45:44Her jacket was open, revealing the under wraps she still wore beneath. Cleaner now, but worn thin.

45:50She didn't hide. She didn't shrink. Leonard broke the silence. So what now? Ravel took a breath.

45:58We're past the syndicate's scan grid. If we stay hidden, move low, we could make it to the southern

46:04passage. From there, it's open territory. Old fringe colonies. No oversight. He nodded slowly.

46:11We could disappear for good. We wouldn't be the first. Leonard looked down at his hands. I can clean.

46:17They were shaking slightly. I could be quiet. Adrenaline was fading. He opened his door.

46:21Fatigue was catching. Somehow his life. And what would we be? Ravel tilted her head.

46:25What do you mean? If we survive. If we disappear. Were we then? Just fugitives with nowhere to go?

46:33No. She turned toward him. We'd be people who made a choice. Leonard met her gaze. For what? To stop

46:40running. Silence stretched between them. Then she reached for his hand. Held it. Not tentative. Not

46:47unsure. She made the choice for both of them. And this time, he didn't pull away. They sat there for

46:53a while. No words. No movement. Just warmth. Just the sound of old metal creaking above and wind

47:01brushing faintly through a cracked panel. Eventually, Leonard leaned back against the wall,

47:07eyes half-closed. Ravel rested her head on his shoulder. I don't know how to live free,

47:13she said quietly. Then we'll figure it out together. She smiled. It wasn't wide. It wasn't bright.

47:20But it was the first real smile he'd seen from her. That night, they shared a meal from old ration

47:25packs. They reconnected a field radio to the internal grid of the station. Not to call for help,

47:31but to listen. Static. Faint transmissions. Unimportant chatter. But for them, it was

47:38something alive in the silence. Ravel stood beside the console, adjusting the frequency.

47:44Leonard watched her from where he sat. Her silver-white hair caught the flicker of the firelight.

47:50Her silhouette was sharp against the dark. She turned. He stood, walked toward her, and wrapped his

47:57arms around her waist. She didn't flinch. She didn't question. Her hands came up, resting against

48:03his chest. They kissed. Not in desperation. Not from fear. Just quiet certainty. It lasted as long

48:10as it needed to. When they parted, Leonard rested his forehead against hers. No more hiding, he

48:17whispered. No more cages, she agreed. They would leave in the morning. The road ahead was long.

48:23Their names would vanish into static. But that was the point. There would be no more syndicate.

48:28No more orders. No more bargaining for breath. Only freedom. Only each other. And that was enough.

“I can cook. I can clean.” He turned the handle—and fate shifted | HFY

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