As soon as everyone was back on board, he and Stephanos had something very important to do.

CHAPTER 17

AFTER SHE HAD SEEN the survivors settled into their temporary quarters, Milla found herself wandering the corridors of the Odyssey. The captain had been very clear that the majority of the survivors were not to leave their designated areas, but she and Saraf had been given exemptions. Even so, Milla wasn’t certain where she was going. She had simply felt the need for a walk. She stopped at one of the vessel’s unobtrusive computer terminals and asked it a question.

“Computer, where may I find Commander Stephanos?”

“There is no Commander Stephanos listed in the ship’s directory.”

Milla stopped for a moment, remembering her earlier conversation. “Then please direct me to the location of Commander Stephen Michaels.”

“Commander Michaels is currently on deck eight, second habitat. Training facility.”

It took her thirty minutes of wandering, but Milla finally found her way to the location the computer had specified. Standing outside the doors of the training area, she pressed the buzzer on the wall.

“It’s not sealed!” The voice was muffled but audible from the other side of the door.

Milla walked in tentatively, not certain what to expect. She half thought to see rows of workout equipment and other physical-training devices. Instead, she found a long, empty room that seemed to stretch an immense distance for a shipboard area. Stephanos was standing idle a few meters away, with a chunky black rifle cradled casually in his arms.

“I…I didn’t realize you were…” Milla stammered. Handheld weaponry was quite foreign to her despite her experience with shipboard batteries. The concept seemed so much more personal—and final.

“No worries. Just working off some steam.” Stephanos looked relaxed, a sheen of sweat on his brow, but the smile she had become accustomed to was no longer present.

“With a weapon?” Milla shivered.

She saw a slight expression cross his face—annoyance, perhaps, but maybe not.

“For some people, shooting is the ultimate form of therapy. A lot of aggressions can be worked off in a very short while. Stay if you wish. I’ll be here for a while, yet.”

Milla watched in fascination as Stephanos turned back to his “therapy.”

Stephanos turned his attention back to the weapon in his hands. It was identical to the ones carried by the Special Forces troops when they were planet-side. Comparatively short for a rifle, the weapon was built with versatility in mind. He thumbed the clip ejection switch, and the hefty clip dropped to the deck with a solid clang. Moving over to a small workbench, Stephanos slapped open the rifle’s grips and exposed two long blue-green cylinders, which he also ejected from the weapon. After examining the cylinders carefully, he reinserted them into the rifle and closed the breech. Pulling a full clip from the bench, he slapped it into place and flipped off the safety.