The Circle and Star
Page 42
West could sense what was happening as if he were far away, and in his mind’s eye, he saw Dragaan yelling in pain and frustration as the bridge door started to buckle and then open with Theo standing there with weapon in hand smoke all about him and the rest of the crew crowded behind him. Dragaan staggered to his feet and fired at Theo who ducked back into the hallway. Nika looked to Amal, and seeing her head down on her chest scrambled up to help Dragaan. They ran to the room at the rear of the bridge and through a door to the Commissar’s old room, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Theo ran into the bridge and to the door Dragaan had fled through but couldn’t open it.
“We’ll get it open,” yelled Theo, his face bright red and angry and ordered his crew to get some explosives. Theo ran to Madison and seeing the pod on her neck grabbed it and threw it to the floor in disgust. Madison, dazed, stood, and seeing West ran to him. His face was gray and his eyes closed. She could see his breathing had almost stopped. Amal staggered to them and pushed Madison away, “Radiation,” she said and then pulled West to her. “Stay back, I can help him,” and held him close to her breast.
In a moment of clarity West’s eyes improved and he opened them. He looked at Amal and managed a weak smile. He coughed and felt the coldness steal back over him and his vision of Amal dimmed and finally disappeared. His head fell to Amal’s breast. Madison started to crawl towards them but Theo pulled her away. They stared at Amal who had taken on an iridescent sheen.
Amal said to Madison and Theo while cradling West, “I can remove the radiation from him by melding my life force with his. It may not work but that is a chance I am willing to take. He did the same for my people and I owe him this sacrifice.”
They felt a bump and then on the view screen they saw the escape shuttle from the bridge shoot away from the Cyclops. “There goes Dragaan,” said Theo.
West lay still in Amal’s lap and his body twitched, followed by another, and then his body was racked by convulsions and tremors. Rae, with stretcher in hand ran to within several feet of Amal and West waving a hand meter to measure the radiation, and then, checking the gauge, said to Theo and Madison, “The radiation is dissipating, it’s somehow being sucked out of West and the room.” Rae put down the stretcher and with the help of two crew members placed West on it and rushed him from the room.
Amal was writhing on the floor, her colored patches on the back of her head flashing. Theo and Rae approached them while Madison knelt over Amal and took her into her arms, “Amal, what can we do for you?” Amal looked up at Madison while Theo stood behind her and said in a halting voice, “I am at peace with what I have done. My only regret is that my unborn child will not experience the sweet breath of life.”
Madison held her close and hugged her and said, “If we could only do something? Oh please, let me help you?”
Amal looked at her gravely and said, “I do not think such a thing would be possible. The embryo of my child is in a vial next to my heart where it would be safe until the birthing experience. Soldiers often postpone child delivery until their service is ended and they have the time to parent the offspring. An embryo can only be transplanted once it has been sealed in the vial and that would have to be in another Soshi.”
Rae listening in spoke up, “Madison has found that our DNA is very similar to your own. It might be possible that we might be able to carry the child for you.”
Madison asked, “Could I do it for you? I’m not a Soshi but I could take... the essence for you. Wouldn’t it be possible for me to carry the essence for the time necessary to have the child?”
Amal looked at her with a glimmer in her eyes, and said, “I doubt that it will work but it may just be possible.”
Madison, with sudden urgency said, “What do I have to do?”
“There is a vial under my skin near my heart, you must remove the vial and implant it next to yours.” Madison gasped at the news but nodded her head that she would do it. Madison looked to Rae and asked her, “Could you do this?” Rae nodded her head.
Amal shook her head and said it would probably not work but Madison said, “We’ll make it work and I will make sure it does. It’s the least we can do for you.” Amal’s fingers tightened around Madison’s hand and Amal said, “Then let it be done.”
The vial was small and it was a simple operation to remove it and implant it next to Madison’s heart where it would be kept safe until the time of the birth. Madison and Amal lay on operating tables next to each other with Rae standing over both watching Amal’s monitor with her face drawn and eyes focused. Rae called out to Theo who ran into the room, “Amal is dying and will soon pass.” Madison who was groggy but conscious, looked over and holding Amal’s hand said, “Amal, how do I birth your child?”
Amal looked over to Madison with weary eyes said, “You will find the way,” squeezed her hand gently, and died.
Madison blinked back the sorrow she felt while Rae pressed a button on the bed and it rose and hovered. She swiveled it and pulled to take Madison’s bed into the next room. In a separate cubicle, West lay asleep, his face covered in bandages and beams of light crisscrossed his face and body as he healed in the medic bath which would mend his damaged tissues and rejuvenate him.
Madison, looked over to West, her eyes softened and said to Rae, “Will he be all right?”
“Yes, he seems to be recovering, but his body has been changed by the exchange with Amal, and I’m not sure he’ll ever be the same again.” She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, “or that he will even still be a human.”
--The End--
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Foster is happily married, the father of two grown daughters, and lives in Southern California. He has been a professional archaeologist for the last 45 years with a specialty in Southern California prehistory and Mission Period archaeology. In addition to writing he enjoys photography, hiking, and fosters rescue dogs.
Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at Amazon, even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My grateful appreciation to James Holden for excellence in editing and patience. And thanks to my wife, Laurie Cook, for listening to endless ideas and supplying a huge amount of support, as well as the exceptional cover art (lauriecookart@gmail.com).