Andra-D054/November Sixth

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November 6, 2558. Hard to believe Andra Kearsarge, Andra-D054, was thirteen years old today, she felt like sixty.

The female Spartan youth stared down the terraced garden plots and watched a few refugee children run freely under a forested canopy. Behind her, a small congregation of adult refugees murmured amongst themselves at their tables in front of some insignificant Italian restaurant.

The UNSC Infinity and her escorts were making rescue attempts when possible and shuttling them aboard the carrier. Beneath Andra’s feet were dozens of more refugees from stranded starships after the Created knocked out the power across Human space. The crowd around her was the product of such humanitarian missions. Many of them were congregating here, probably the one place left to escape reality on the ship.

Andra didn’t frequent the UNSC Infinity’s Memorial Park much, not in 2557, not in 2558. But times changed, circumstances changed. Her birthday was expiring by the hours as she listened to the happy chatters coming from the children and adults – in fact, the entire park facility, a multi-story hemispheric structure a half-kilometer in diameter seemed to propagate a sense of tranquility, even normalcy. Birds chirped in the air and crickets hummed in the grasses.

It all stood in opposition to Andra’s sour demeanor. It was hard to believe that these people could enjoy themselves with the whole galaxy burning down outside the skydome above their heads and with how little and desperate life had become.

Merlin-D032, her best friend, was dead – lost to the extremities of Slipspace. It was a little more than a week now. And her mentor, Joshua-G024; he was dead too. Died fighting pirates the day the whole galaxy went to shit. His teammate, the only person Andra really had left was still in a medical-induced coma, recovering from her injuries.

Andra was alone. There were acquaintances, commanders, and bunkmates she could talk to of course. But they weren’t the indulging-type, they couldn’t begin to understand her pain. She had lost the last people she could call family. Team Hadron, another SPARTAN-III Delta Company unit and her recent bunkmates, couldn’t dream to fill the chasm in her heart.

She watched the children among the trees below her again and developed the urge to spit at them.

“She is proud, she is struggling with herself; she–,” Andra spun around, shooting a menacing glare as Lieutenant Commander Frendsen approached her table. He froze in place, a soft smile slipping from his lips as his quotation drowned in Andra’s stormy wake.

“What do you want,” the Spartan growled, before biting back her venom – hesitantly. “Sir?”

The Lieutenant Commander paused, studying his subordinate with a calculated, anxious stare before huffing in disappointment.

“I was going to say, ‘but you’ll get there,’ but I’m not so sure now.”

“Sorry,” Andra stated through grit teeth before looking back out toward the Memorial Park’s expanse.

She listened as the Lieutenant Commander closed the distance and sat down at one of the three lawn chairs at her table. She bristled but refused eye contact, saying nothing.

“I should be reprimanding you for that but given today and all that’s happened, I’ll let it slide.”

“Lucky me,” she shrugged without a care for the world.

Frendsen sighed. “It’s your birthday, this isn’t a day to be alone. Merlin and Major Duceppe would have agreed with me. Joshua too.”

It was Andra’s turn to sigh. “It’s hard to not be alone when everyone who’s ever cared for me might as well be dead.”

Frendsen visibly recoiled, becoming a loss for words. It took him a few moments to compose himself. “There are still people that care. Hadron does, they’re looking for you, you know that?”

“Let them search,” She snapped back without delay. She wanted to scream at her commander for incurring the names of her best friend, mentor, and former father figure but she muzzled her rage for the moment. “If they really cared – they would have asked Roland directly. He may not be serving as my personal alarm clock right now but still; he keeps an eye on me.”

The officer said nothing regarding that, simply taking a swig from a water bottle he’d been holding under the table. Andra had a suspicion Roland had something to do with his presence, the mentioned shipboard AI had a way with irritating her.

The Lieutenant Commander burst the forming silent bubble, “We don’t get to choose who cares about us, but we can choose to push them away. Those that do, live short lives – nobody left to support them.”

“That another quote you pull out of your books?” Andra asked, scowling at the officer as her shimmering-blue eyes drilled into his dark ones.

“My own words actually.”

Andra leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms. She huffed, feeling slightly impressed. “And that shit you were spewing when you got here?”

“Fyodor Dostoevsky, vaguely.”

She hummed at the author’s name, not recognizing it. “What are you really doing here, Frendsen?”

“To wish you a happy birthday actually,” The officer lifted his left hand to the top of the table, revealing a small, lavender gift bag with a pink bow on the top of it. “Duceppe previously said you never got a chance to celebrate a birthday. Consider this a step at correcting that.”

Andra took the gift but didn’t open it, eyeing Frendsen.

“Go ahead and open it,” the officer gestured before continuing to talk. “Besides the birthday thing, I just wanted to let you know that they’re getting ready to wake Amy up. I think you both could use each other’s company; you want me to get you before she does?”

“Yes,” She mumbled but gave a small cheer inside at hearing that Amy-G094, Joshua’s partner, would be waking. She pulled out a can of soda from the gift bag and eyed Frendsen. “Kiwi-strawberry soda?”

“Hard to come by, that’s the last one from the officers’ mess. Been saving it for an occasion, this seemed as appropriate as ever – especially as we don’t know when the Infinity will be able to replenish on supplies.”

“Thank you,” Andra mumbled softly, cracking the sealant open.

“You’re welcome,” Frendsen said, getting up from his chair to stand. “I’ve got to get back to work now. I’ll come to get you when the doctors are certain everything is ready for Amy. Happy birthday, Andra, I mean it. Just remember, don’t push your friends away for too long. Grieving alone will do a number on the body and mind.”

Andra said nothing, taking a swig of the sweet taste of her gifted soda. She gave a vague nodding gesture at the Lieutenant Commander as she looked at him silently.

Taking that as his cue, Frendsen nodded back at the girl and left, disappearing into the background of chattering refugees.

Andra looked on, still drinking her soda slowly, absorbing the taste and the tranquil aroma of the Memorial Park.

It was sometime later when she got back to her sleeping quarters and found Liv-D214, Hadron’s point-woman, leaning against Andra’s bed in thought.

“Where’s everyone?” Andra asked as the room’s sliding door zipped closed behind her.

“Still out looking for you. Why’d you run off?” Liv asked, an uncertain frown folding across her face.

Andra sighed and closed her eyes, composing herself for her next words and the storm that would soon follow. “Because. It-it’s my birthday…”