Challenge Submission Love lost in Ice

[EllieInChainz]

Spoiler: The Calling

The cold was blistering and Sandanka struggled up the side of the pass through knee high snow. She raised the rangefinder to her eyes but the blizzard had started to come in ferociously now. She knew she was too close to the frozen sea for safety, but... Well... He said he'd be back.

Cresting the rise she could see the wreckage of an arctic rover, clearly blown over sideways, the emergency radio array snapped off and swinging in the wind.

Choking back tears Sandanka trudged towards the stricken vehicle.

***

Based at the top of the world, Indigo 7, a small polar research station was the size of a couple of containers studded together, full of clutter and knickknacks inside, but it was cozy and an insulated haven against the cruel weather outside.

Sandi had walked into the room carrying two large mugs of hot coffee. Vren had turned from the screen, his smile playing across his mauve skinned face as he held his hand out.

"Oohh thanks, must you do that by the way?" He questioned, looking down at her state of undress, his eyes taking in her beautiful dusky skin and curves. She often hung around the station in just her underwear and a T-shirt.

"Do what?" She flirted, batting her eyelashes at him. She knew it drove him crazy, so she did it all the more often.

"You know what, it's very hard to concentrate when my research assistant..." He seemed to struggle for the human word. "Entices me so. This is important work you know!" He laughed, putting his coffee down on the workstation and pulling her in close for a hug. She responded accordingly, leaning down and kissing his dark purple hair.

He turned back to the monitor and pointed with a long black nail.

"This concerns me Sandi, a strong weather front that's headed towards settlement Gamma 6. It looks dangerous... "He looked up at her, his deep golden eyes full of concern.

"Ok, we can radio it through?" She took a deep swig of her coffee, studying the reading herself. The front did look dangerous, they needed warning. If it caught them unawares it could lead to damage to vital equipment or loss of life.

"Sadly not, the radio has been undependable, and lacks the range, I have already tried. I've given it a lot of thought. I'll take the rover."

"Vren! No! That's really dangerous." She stepped away from him her eyes scolding. "You could die."

""I have evauated the risk, and will take appropriate precautions." He got out of his time worn swivel chair, it protested with the creak of springs, he stood up and caught her wrist. Caressing the soft, tanned skin of her cheek with his other hand.

"I'll come back to you, i promise." There was no arguing with him when he was this determined. Stubborn ass...

***

Vren had been right of course, he always was. A horrendous glacial storm had set in. Sandi had busied herself by repairing the radar array. She had kept in touch with Vren throughout his journey. He had made the settlement in good time and warned them. They had begged him to stay with them, that it was too dangerous to travel. Vren had been confident he would get back in time.

"You should have stayed, i'd have been fine on my own" Sandi chastised him, but with a smile on her face, storm sex was the best!

"I know, but i'm only an hour away, i thought you'd only get lonely and eat all the peaches again!"

"THAT WAS YOU!" She laughed.

"Oh yes, so it was. Look the weathers biting Sandi, I must go."

"Ok baby, come back to me. I-I love you."

She signed off and went to make a hot meal, he was always hungry when he'd been out in the rover, it took a lot of concentration.

An hour passed, dinner burned. Two hours, no answer on the radio. Then an emergency beacon flared up, it was four miles away.

Sandi didn't waste time, putting a heavy, silver-skinned thermal suit on and taking a survival and tool kit she practically ran out into the storm.

***

The storm had ravaged the rover, metal screamed, the temperature was -60c/-76f on her readout. She approached cautiously, but as she got to the cab she could see the vehicle was ruined, the protective screens blown in. Vren's lighter suit and natural resiliance to cold were no match for the temperature. With a heartbroken cry of pain and anguish Sandi realised he was already gone...

It had taken her four hours to get his body back, the storm had calmed a little though. She had taken Vrens body to medbay and started tearfully preparing him for enbalming.

As she washed his hands she found a tiny data seed in his hand, a tiny, red flashing light indicated a recording. She tearfully took it over to the player and hit playback.

A grainy image showed Vren, shaking with cold, his skin already deathly pale.

"Hey Sandanka, Sandi, my love. Guess i'm going to have to break that promise I made. But, well I don't want you to be sad, ever."

He cleared his throat and in his beautiful voice sang a song from old earth, the first song they had ever made love to.

"So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place?
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face

I love you..."

The screen clicked to black and Sandi's sobs continued way into the night...