Emerald Earth

By Elizabeth Jewell

Twenty-five years after its disappearance, the long-haul freighter Lightning Girl returns to Earth with only two passengers left alive. Ash and Trev were lovers when catastrophe befell the freighter, but after twenty-five years of solitude and starvation,

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changeling Press
• Release date: Aug 23, 2018

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again.

Prologue

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Ash woke hungry. It was a few moments before he remembered what had happened, and why the ravenous need clawed through his body. Then he tried to breathe.

He choked and sputtered. The air coming into his lungs was real enough, but it tasted wrong, and there was nothing in it to nourish him.

Hush, a voice said quietly, and hands closed on his shoulders, easing him gently down to the floor. Hush. It’s okay. Just… The words trailed off and pressure built against his chest, soothing, as a palm stroked his chest.

Ash looked up, seeing Trev leaning over him. Concern creased the vampire’s face. The oxygen’s gone, he said, but you don’t need to breathe. Not anymore.

Ash closed his eyes, focusing on the burning panic in the middle of his chest. He didn’t need to breathe. Trev had Turned him, made him a vampire. But his body still thought he needed air to survive.

He swallowed, then experimentally let himself relax fully against the metal floor of the spaceship. Gradually, the panic faded, and his body stopped the useless effort of inhalation.

Good, said Trev. That’s good. Now --

I’m hungry, Ash interrupted. God…

I know. I have blood.

Carefully, Trev helped Ash sit up. The vampire held a plastic bag of blood in one hand, undoubtedly gathered from sick bay. Ash wondered fleetingly how much blood was there. Surely not much. Lightning Girl was not a large ship; her sick bay supplies would necessarily be limited. And with only one vampire on the crew, the food stores wouldn’t be extensive, either.

All thought vanished, though, when Trev tore the top off the bag, and the smell of blood struck Ash’s nostrils. The air could carry no oxygen, but it could carry that sharp, metallic scent. Ravenous, Ash ripped the bag from Trev’s hands and began to drink.

Easy, Trev said quietly, but he made no effort to slow or interrupt Ash’s crazed feeding.

All too soon, the bag was empty. More, Ash demanded, but Trev shook his head.

Not yet. We have to ration.

Ash nodded. His brain understood, but his body did not. His body wanted blood. Streams, rivers, oceans of it.

Sleep, Trev said. It’ll help.

Right, said Ash, and let Trev help him up from the cold, metal floor and back to his berth.

* * *

When he woke the second time, his lungs constricted again, and it was a few long, crazed moments before he once again regained control of his body. Trev had leaned out from his own berth underneath Ash’s, watching while Ash gathered himself. Ash was both annoyed and grateful that the vampire only watched, not offering either to assist or comfort.

Finally, the initial, gulping panic under control, Ash reached down to find Trev reaching back. Their fingers tangled together. Ash stared down at the vampire. No oxygen, he said, pointlessly.

No.

Do we know where we are?

No.

How much fuel?

Enough for a while. I’ve set a course.

To where?

Trev shrugged. I hope to home.

Ash snorted a derisive laugh, then pulled his hand back to cover his face with it. He lay like that for a long time.

* * *

The ship’s systems declared day not long after, and Ash fell into a deep sleep. When he woke, he was hungry again, the need a twisting, tearing demand he could do nothing to quench.

He swung out of his berth, feet landing lightly on the floor. Trev’s berth was empty. Wondering where the vampire might be, Ash headed down the empty, silent corridor to investigate.

He found Trev in the observation lounge. He was leaning over the railing between the seating area and the wide, black window on the side of the ship. An infinite wash of stars hung in front of him. Trev frowned at it, as if he were trying to force the spattering of bright lights to tell him where they were and where they were going.

Hey, Ash said.

Trev turned, his mouth curving into a vague smile. Hey. Feeling okay?

Hungry.

Trev nodded. There’s blood in the sick bay. We could eat together if you like.

Ash shook his head. I can wait. His stomach begged to differ, but he knew he would have to learn to control the hunger at some point.

Trev’s gaze turned evaluating. For a moment Ash thought the vampire was going to challenge his decision to wait, but in the end Trev said nothing, only turning back to look out the wide window. It’s beautiful.

Yeah, Ash agreed. Too bad we don’t know where the fuck we are.

Trev chuckled. Yeah. Too bad about that. He turned his back to the railing, looking squarely at Ash. This could be a long haul.

I know.

* * *

They did eat together, later in the day. Ash resisted the urge to down the bag of blood in one long gulp, instead sipping more slowly, matching Trev’s rhythm while trying very hard to pretend he was ignoring Trev entirely.

Only when he was finished did it occur to him to wonder which of his lost crewmembers had donated it.

Don’t think about it, Trev said, as if he had read the thought from Ash’s mind. Ash nodded and said nothing.

As they walked back to the berths, Ash clasped Trev’s hand hard, fairly crushing it in a desperate grip. Something around him needed to be solid. Real. And suddenly even that contact wasn’t enough, and he spun on Trev, slamming him into the wall behind them so roughly Trev gave an oof of surprise.

Ash -- Trev started, but Ash cut the words off with his own mouth, kissing the vampire hard enough to bruise. Then he went to his knees, tearing Trev’s uniform open on the way down.

Trev’s skin had felt cool to him once; it didn’t now. They were the same temperature now, pale skin flushed slightly from the fresh feed. Ash buried his face in the coarse hair at Trev’s groin, drawing in the smell of him along with a lungful of stale, useless air.