The Genesis Saga

Reya slammed her hand down onto her beeping alarm clock for the fourth time. Cracking an eye open, she glared menacingly at the source of her irritation, willing it to stay silent. A lazy sunbeam peered through a crack in her floral curtains, weakly illuminating the room. Reya groaned and turned over, putting her head under her pillow in an attempt to rid herself of the pesky ray that disturbed her.

She lay snugly under her covers, the warmth lulling her back to sleep. Knowing that she should get up and actually unfurling herself were two very separate things. A wave of drowsiness washed over her as she fought desperately to open her eyes. She’d made the mistake of doubling up on her sleeping pills the night before, no longer finding them strong enough to help keep the nightmares at bay. The resulting grogginess had her regretting her decision.

When the alarm went off for the fifth time, Reya decided she’d had enough. She glanced at the time and saw that it was half past one in the afternoon. Any longer and she was going to be late to her appointment with the General later in the day. The General hadn’t specified what the meeting was going to be about, but Reya was finding it hard to care in her current state.

A chill swept over her as she threw off the covers, letting precious heat escape out into the open. Fighting back a yawn, she sat up in her bed. “Okay, Reya, you can do this. Just get up and get moving,” she grumbled to herself, her eyes heavy. She didn’t so much as move a muscle, sitting there with her head hung low.

She counted to three and forced her limbs to move. The cool floor beneath her feet jolted her awake. She hissed in surprise and sat back down on her bed, raising her feet off the floor as she did so. She spotted her slippers and scooted over, putting her feet inside their cozy confines. “Much better,” she said. Her feet agreed.

She stood up and stretched, enjoying the feeling. With heavy steps, she trudged over to her kitchenette and opened her fridge. Utterly uninspired by the emptiness within, she settled on popping two pieces of bread into her toaster and fetching some jam from her pantry. She sat at her small, one-person table that barely fit in the room and mechanically munched on her food. Despite it being afternoon, Reya had very little appetite.

She eyed the box of ration bars on her counter. Her doctors had recommended she try eating as much of one as she could each day, the dubious food item having enough of a caloric content to satisfy a soldier’s daily needs. A half-eaten coffee-coloured bar lay in its wrapper on top of the box. It had been her dinner the night before, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to finish it. It always surprised her how filling something so small could be.

Finishing her toast, Reya dumped her plate in the sink alongside the other dirty dishes. She reminded herself to wash the growing stack later when she got back. It had been several days since she last washed her dishes and she was quickly running out of room in her sink. Her limited counter space was precious real estate she couldn’t afford to lose to the overflowing stack. One day, she told herself, she was going to have a house with a large, beautiful kitchen. And a dishwasher.

Fantasizing about her future home, Reya rummaged around in her closet for a uniform to put on. A quick sniff told her that she needed a shower before leaving. It wouldn’t do to appear in front of the General completely unkempt. Some modicum of effort was required.

She decided to spoil herself with a long, hot shower, relishing in the warmth of the water as it loosened her muscles and woke her up further. Hopping out, she dried her hair, avoiding looking at her reflection in the mirror. She still had trouble accepting the scars that marred her once perfect skin. With her clothes on, she could at least pretend they weren’t there.

Reya checked herself over one last time before grabbing her keys off of her nightstand and putting them in her pocket. Deeming herself to be presentable, she checked her phone as she left her apartment. There were several missed calls and texts from Irric, who was undoubtedly checking in on her. It was sweet of him to look after her at Tassie’s request, but his incessant need to make sure she was alright was becoming a bit annoying.

Swiping through her missed messages, she spotted that Irric proposed going out for a bite to eat later when she was done with her meeting. Strange, she thought. How did he know I have a meeting today? She pushed the thought out of her mind and fired off a quick reply, informing him that she’d tell him when she was done.

The afternoon sun hammered down on her from high above. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky to provide relief from the constant barrage of heat. It was a beautiful day that Reya was determined to take advantage of. Leaving her apartment complex, she made her way to the shuttle stop and checked the schedule posted on a large board in front next to it. She could either wait twenty minutes for the next shuttle to bring her to the central command tower or she could walk there herself. Checking the time, she decided that there was no harm in getting the extra exercise.

It felt good to be walking again. It had taken almost a month of intense physiotherapy and medical aid to rebuild her lost muscle mass so that she could stand on her own two feet. After her experience of being confined to a chair for a month at the facility and then again to a hospital bed after being rescued, the thought of having agency over her actions again had left her highly motivated to push through the training regimen. She was nowhere near as fit as she had once been, but she was glad about her progress. Modern medicine truly was a wonder.

After almost forty minutes of walking, Reya found herself in front of central command. The large behemoth of metal and glass towered above her with its tasteful design. The doors slid open of their own accord as she approached, granting her entry.

She scanned her security clearance badge at the check-in before being allowed further access into the building. Unsure of where to go, she made her way to the receptionist seated behind a black-stained wooden desk with wave-patterned glass inlays on the front. “Excuse me,” she said, trying to get the busy secretary’s attention.

The receptionist’s curled, deep purple hair bobbed as she raised her head at the call. Her eyes flicked to the scar on Reya’s cheekbone. “How can I help you?” she asked with a fake smile plastered on her face, meeting Reya’s eyes for the first time.

“I have an appointment with General Nessah. I’m unsure where I’m supposed to go to meet her.”

The receptionist frowned, clearly not believing that she actually had an appointment with somebody so important. It wouldn’t be the first time an army grunt tried to bluff their way past security to reach Command. There were protocols to follow for this exact situation.

“Excuse me while I verify that you actually have an appointment with the General,” the receptionist said dismissively. She picked up her data slate and punched in the General’s secretary’s number. After several short rings her face appeared on the screen. “Hello Sytha, I have a – what did you say your name was again?” she asked Reya.

“Reya Ayala,” Reya replied.

“Right, I have one Reya Ayala here who claims she has a meeting with the General this afternoon. Can you verify this for me?”

Sytha didn’t even bother verifying. She was already aware that Reya was supposed to arrive shortly. “That’s right,” she said. “We’ve been expecting her, actually. Send her on through.”

The receptionist’s eyes widened as she looked back at Reya. “Please follow our guide. He will bring you to the General,” her tone immediately changed to a more respectful one. Only important people had the opportunity to meet with the General. The sudden change in character amused Reya. The receptionist waved over one of the security guards near the elevator and instructed him on where to bring Reya.

The guard stood ramrod straight and saluted Reya, throwing her for a loop. “Right this way, ma’am,” the man said. When he remained in his pose unmoving, Reya tentatively dismissed him. “At ease, soldier,” she said hesitantly, unsure if she was the one that was supposed to do so. The soldier immediately relaxed and turned around, beckoning for Reya to follow him.

A curious feature of the command building was that the elevators were completely see-through. As Reya stepped onto the platform and the doors closed behind her, she stood transfixed as the world fell away beneath her. Floor after floor, the ground outside shrunk until she reached a dizzying height. Finally coming to a halt on the top floor, the doors opened.

Reya immediately noticed the difference in décor compared to the first floor. The walls were a mixture of white granite with silver and gold veins, and dark, contrasting wood, giving the room a unique feel. Her escort brought her towards the secretary’s desk.

Looking at Sytha’s beautiful black uniform equipped with gold tassels, Reya was keenly aware how out of place she was in her standard military fatigues. Even the guard was dressed more formally than her.

Sytha smiled at Reya as she approached. “Miss Ayala, please take a seat,” she said politely while motioning to the small sitting room in the corner. “The General will be with you shortly.”

Reya obliged, sitting in one of the leather chairs that adorned the space, finding it to be extremely comfortable. Lost in thought, she wasn’t aware that fifteen minutes had passed. Secretary Sytha called out to her to get her attention, snapping Reya out of her thoughts.

“The General will see you now,” she said, standing up and moving in front of Reya. “This way, please.” The woman brought Reya around behind the desk towards a set of imposing double doors. She opened one for Reya, motioning her through. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest as Reya walked past the threshold with trepidation. Now that she was actually here, she found herself to be quite nervous. Her last meeting with the General had been under less-than-ideal circumstances. Reya hoped this meeting would be more pleasant.

A lush red rug with gold borders lay on a lovely hardwood floor. Reya walked forward towards the chair in front of the General’s desk, which had a beautiful wooden box sitting upon it. When she got close enough, she saluted the General, only dropping the pose when she was told.

“Corporal Ayala, please have a seat,” Nessah said warmly. Reya obliged and found herself face to face with the General. “You’re no doubt curious as to why I’ve called you here today,” Nessah continued. Reya nodded. “As you’ve probably guessed, it has to do with your most recent mission. The doctors have informed me that you’ve been recovering at a remarkable speed.”

“You spoke with my doctors?” Reya asked, taken aback.

“As a matter of fact, I have. I’m deeply sorry for what you went through on my orders,” Nessah intoned seriously. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on your recovery. I digress. What I’ve called you here today for is to talk about what comes next for you.”

“And what’s that?” Reya asked, hoping that she would find out when she could return back to active duty. Sitting at home alone was incredibly boring. While she had no desire to ever return to that gods forsaken planet, she missed her team greatly. It felt very strange, knowing that they were out there without her.

“In honour of your service, we’re bestowing upon you the Silver Star medal. What you went through was nothing short of a horror show. In spite of it, you didn’t break and returned to us with valuable intel. We would’ve never known that the facility was a gru’ul research lab had it not been for you. There’s absolutely no doubt in our minds that you merit this medal.”

Reya’s jaw dropped. The Silver Star was the medal of service recruits dreamed about. It was one of the most respected medals in the entire military. It was so exceedingly rare that there were only six people in their entire military’s history that had been awarded such an honour since its conception. To receive this medal was to have one’s name recorded in the annals of military history for all time.

“I – you . . . what!?” Reya sputtered in disbelief.

“You’ve provided us with the opportunity to greatly advance our civilization at great personal cost. You are exactly what this medal represents, and it is our greatest honour to bestow it upon you. Wear it with pride, Miss Ayala. You deserve it.”

“But shouldn’t this go to the person who discovered the facility to begin with? Why isn’t Irric being given this instead of me?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Irric has also been rewarded for his role in this. You, however, are the one who paid the price for it.” Nessah looked at her with a heavy expression, then reached over to the ornate box in front of her. She opened it, revealing a beautiful, stylized silver medal inside in the shape of a star with a glittering sapphire in the centre, designed to be pinned to the military’s formal uniform. She took it in her hands and stood up, walking around her desk towards Reya. She instinctively stood as well, watching as the General stopped short in front of her.

“Lieutenant Reya Ayala, in honour of your exceptional service and sacrifice for the Sunalii faction, we hereby present you with the Silver Star medal of honour. Thank you for your service,” she finished as she pinned the medal upon Reya’s breast. Nessah took a step back and saluted Reya, the respect in her eyes tangible.

Reya stood in disbelief that the army’s General was saluting her, of all people.

Her mind went blank at how surreal the entire scene before her was. Never in a million years had she expected this to happen today. The medal’s weight tugged at the fabric of her shirt, making her acutely aware of its presence upon her breast.

Nessah dropped her salute. “Your story will one day be told, Reya,” she said. “Perhaps not right away, as the ongoing operation is still a secret from most military members, but mark my words, you will be remembered for your service.” Her eyes flicked towards the scar on Reya’s cheek. Reya raised a hand and touched it briefly. Nessah returned to her chair and sat down, prompting Reya to do the same.

“Now then, on to the rest,” Nessah said with a slightly bitter expression. She was not looking forward to what came next. “As you’ve guessed, you’ve been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Commanding officers, regardless of how they come into their position, are granted a stipend for life – not a large one, mind you. You will also receive this stipend. Additionally, the medal you now wear also grants a stipend for life. The military will ensure that you are well taken care of, Reya.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Reya was at a loss. “When do I return back to service?”

Nessah eyed the dark circles under Reya’s eyes with a grimace. It was clear to her that she hadn’t been sleeping much, if at all. She understood now the doctors’ concerns about her abusing sleeping pills. “That’s the last thing I wanted to speak to you about. Unfortunately, you will not be returning to active duty.”

“What?” Reya frowned. “For how long?”

“Perhaps I wasn’t clear. You won’t be returning to active duty, ever. Due to your medical condition, the Tribunal has deemed you unfit for combat. You’re being honourably discharged from the military.”