by Elin Wyn
Or, if she did, it didn’t eat away at her as it did me. It was entirely possible that I was wasting my life searching for a cure that couldn’t be found.
But even if I made the choice to stop searching for one, I don’t think I could even have just a normal life. The looming threat of the illness would weigh on my mind always.
I was grateful that Axtin didn’t ask any questions about it as we walked.
He seemed content just to walk in silence.
I should say something, I really should.
Thank him, maybe? I don’t know. I’d never been in this situation before. There wasn’t a set procedure to follow.
In the end, I decided not to say anything.
The silence didn’t last long.
We were soon approaching the Quake station. This building was part of a network that spanned a good majority of the settled world.
This planet was supposed to be a paradise, almost identical to Earth, but when the first generation arrived, that was not exactly the case. The air was breathable, and the natural food and water sources weren’t toxic, but the planet frequently trembled with earthquakes. The first generation built these Quake stations to combat the issue.
Each Quake station was built around a massive drill. Each drill was perfectly placed according to the seismic wave readings received at each station. The drills basically acted like earthquake reflectors.
The quakes still hit, but these stations helped redirect them to an area far away from cities and towns. I’ve always wondered if that will cause problems for us in the future. Humans have many gifts, but foresight is not one of them.
From the outside of the building, the drill wasn’t visible. It just looks like a very large, very square treehouse made from metal that has started to rust due to the damp, tropical climate.
It’s silent. Quake stations should never be silent.
“Something isn’t right,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Axtin.
I was about to run in and investigate, but Axtin grabbed my arm before I could even take my first step.
“We just had a long talk about you rushing into danger and already you’re looking to get yourself into trouble,” he said with a grin.
I rolled my eyes but still felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
For once, I let him take the lead. He drew a blaster and motioned for me to stay behind him. We crouched low and cautiously approached the silent Quake station.
We walked up the stairs into the main building, trying to keep our footfalls on the metal floor as silent as we could.
Axtin pressed his back against the wall beneath a window and pulled me in next to him. He lifted a finger to his lips, warning me to stay silent, as he slowly lifted himself up to look through the window.
“It’s empty,” he said.
“That’s strange. Quake stations need to be staffed at all times,” I said.
Seismic readings were constantly pouring in to be analyzed and geological experiments were frequently being performed in the Quake stations, not to mention the drill maintenance. Running the Quake station was a full-time job.
“I don’t want to upset you,” Axtin said hesitantly. “but a lot of the equipment and stuff isn’t looking too good. I think this place was attacked.”
“Xathi?” I asked, my eyes going wide in horror.
“It’s hard to say. I don’t see any bodies,” Axtin said, taking another look through the window.
“Maybe everyone ran away?” I ventured, knowing how foolish my hopefulness sounded.
“Perhaps,” Axtin said with a kind smile.
But I could see the truth in his eyes. Everyone was probably dead. From what I learned about the Xathi, they didn’t just kill populations.
They harvested them.
The image of the hologram child flashed in my mind’s eye. My chest tightened.
I had to stop. I had to stop thinking about it right now, or I would lose it again.
Think about your research, think about your research, I repeated to myself until I felt my heart rate slow down to a normal speed.
“Can we go inside?” I asked.
I think Axtin appreciated that I asked this time, rather than just charging in. He checked the window one more time before nodding to me. The door to the building was crumpled as if it had taken a heavy blow.
I couldn’t open it. I went back to the glassless window and hoisted myself in. I heard Axtin’s boots scrape against the metal floors as he followed me.
Most of the equipment was inoperable. Many of the larger machines looked like they had been smashed. Whether it was deliberate or not, I’d never know.
Crackling and sparks from some of the exposed wires told me that the power was still on. A small bit of luck in what was shaping up to be a disastrous excursion. I just needed that luck to last a little longer.
“I just need to find a working computer,” I said to Axtin. “Or even a data pad. I could probably work with that.”
“I don’t think you’re going to find one here,” Axtin said, looking around the ruined facility.
With a frustrated sigh, I quickly headed toward the back of the building. In most labs, there was a designated office space with three or four computers meant for everyday work, typing up reports, submitting supply orders, and the like.
There was such a room at the back of the lab.
The first desk was missing its computer entirely. The second boasted a smashed monitor. In the farthest and least damaged corner of the room, a monitor flickered weakly.
“You any good with computers?” I called to Axtin.
He laughed and gestured to himself.
“Do I look like I’ve spent a lot of time working on computers?” he asked.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Between the tactical armor and the insane number of weapons—especially the giant hammer—strapped to various parts of him, it was hard to imagine him sitting behind a desk typing away at something.
“Fair point,” I conceded.
I approached the flickering monitor. The cable controlling the display was badly frayed. I was afraid that if I touched it, I would only make it worse.
From what I could see, the computer was still connected to the university network. The touchscreen was tricky, often not responding to my touch correctly, but I managed to open the database.
I carefully entered my credentials, having to start over several times because the monitor kept flickering out and resetting. Eventually, I was granted access to my personal database. The display was blurry and inconsistent, but it was there.
All of my research was right there where I’d left it. I could have sobbed with relief.
“It’s here!” I exclaimed, beaming at Axtin. “It’s all here. I snuck a data drive into the pack with the prototype bombs. Can you hand it to me?”
Axtin stared at me in disbelief.
“I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that you stole a data disk from a refugee lab, or that you want me to reach my hand into a bag of experimental bombs,” he said.
“Just be careful, and it shouldn’t be a problem,” I shrugged.
The look he gave me almost made me laugh out loud.
“Or if you’re too scared, just give me the bag, and I’ll get it myself.”
“No, I can get it,” he said quickly.
He gingerly reached into the bag and pulled out the small silver data drive. He tossed it to me. I caught it and eagerly jammed it into the data port.
It took a few tries. The port was damaged. The computer didn’t recognize it right away.
While I was waiting for my research to copy itself onto the data drive, Axtin spoke up.
“So, how close are you to finding a cure?” he asked.
I furrowed my brow, not sure how to answer.
“Well, that’s a complicated question,” I replied. “As of right now, I have the largest collection of data pertaining to this genetic disease. However, I still don’t know what caused it in t
he first place or what could possibly be used to fight it. It’s resistant to all medications used to treat illnesses with similar symptoms.”
“I see,” Axtin said, though I could tell he didn’t fully understand.
“I’ll explain it to you better when we’re somewhere safe,” I offered with a small smile.
“I’d like that,” he grinned back at me.
Ideally, I would want to return to Duvest to work in the lab there. But I couldn’t bring Axtin with me. I didn’t want to risk another mob situation.
I didn’t know what I would do if Axtin was seriously hurt, or worse, killed, by angry hateful humans.
Maybe I could work on the Vengeance. It’d be safer, and I could potentially convince Mariella to join up with me again.
And Axtin would be there. I realized with a jolt that I didn’t like the idea of not having Axtin close by. But I couldn’t think about that right now.
I swiped the data disk and tucked it away somewhere safe once the transfer was complete. Just having my research with me made me feel so much better.
“Let’s go,” Axtin suggested. “I don’t want whatever caused this mess to come back looking for more.”
I nodded in agreement.
We walked through the forest once again in silence. All I could think about was how I would get to the next step in my research. I was so lost in thought that I collided with Axtin’s back when he stopped short.
I was about to ask him why he stopped, then I heard the shouting.
He motioned for me to get low and stay behind him. I obeyed. We worked our way through the thick trees until we came upon a small clearing.
People in dirty clothes huddled in groups as Xathi soldiers rounded them up. Some of them were children.
“Axtin,” I whimpered, clutching his arm.
He put his hand over mine and squeezed.
The Xathi were wearing some kind of…suit. It didn’t look like armor. They were hard as rocks, they didn’t need armor in the first place. I could see energy rippling across the surface of the suits.
I was still staring at them when Axtin tried to guide me away.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
“Leaving,” he whispered back.
I dug my heels into the ground and yanked against him.
“There are children in there, Axtin!” I said, trying to keep my voice as quiet as possible.
Axtin didn’t meet my gaze as he tried to move me away again.
I held fast.
If Axtin wasn’t going to fight for those people, I sure as hell would.
12
Axtin
Srell.
I looked at Leena and knew what the look on her face meant.
She wasn’t about to leave these humans to the Xathi, and I guess, neither was I.
I had to admit though, the idea of fighting the Xathi excited me, even those wearing the power suits. If I was honest with myself, I had been itching for a fight since everything happened in Duvest.
I tensed up, ready to rush in, when Leena grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back. With her finger at her lips, she pointed off to the left. I looked back and saw three more Xathi coming, bringing more humans.
At least a dozen children, maybe more, were herded over to the other humans. Shouts of recognition and curses resounded from where the humans were held.
I shot a look of thanks at Leena. If I had rushed in…I’m just glad she had held me back.
There were ten Xathi there, too many for me to handle on my own at the same time. The original seven would have been difficult, but I’ve taken down that number before.
“We need a plan,” she whispered in my ear.
A small grunt of agreement was the only sound I made. I was trying to come up with exactly that.
I turned my head slightly, so she could hear my whisper.
“I’ll distract them, try to draw them away from the prisoners. You take them to that small clearing we saw a mile back. If I’m not there before dusk, then get them back to Duvest.”
“What about you? You can’t handle that many.”
There was actual concern in her voice. I liked hearing that concern, it gave me hope.
I summoned up some bravado and flashed her a “really?” look.
“And who says I can’t handle that many Xathi on my own?”
“I do. You might be some alien superman, but you’re not Superman. They’ll kill you before I can get those people away.”
“What in the name of the systems is Superman?”
Now it was her turn to flash me the look.
“Never mind. You can’t fight ten of those things alone. But I do have an idea, if you’re willing to listen.”
I raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue. I turned back to watch the Xathi, but kept an ear on what she had to say.
“We have the scent bombs and some smoke grenades. Why not use them?”
It was a good idea. The scent bombs had been made specifically for this occasion, and the smoke grenades would impede their sight. They would impair our sight as well, but it wasn’t a bad idea.
Before I could say anything, she reached into the pack I was carrying and brought out two of the scent bombs.
As I looked at her in shock, she smiled and threw. The two scent bombs flew, one landing between a cluster of six Xathi, the other one landing a few feet to the left.
With two consecutive “thwump” sounds, the bombs went off, spreading a pink haze into the air.
Shaking my head because I knew the pink was her decision, I watched and waited. An agonizing three seconds, which felt so much like thirty, went by before the Xathi began reacting.
Xathi soldiers are usually very disciplined thanks to their direct connection to either a queen or a sub-queen. They didn’t act on their own, they were basically an extension of a queen’s own body, that’s how tight and instantaneous their connection was. What I watched was a brand-new experience with these crystal bugs.
They went ballistic.
Each one started chittering and dancing around. They bumped into one another, tripped over their own legs or someone else’s, one even started biting at another, trying to snap off one of the arms.
I looked over at Leena, and she was smiling from ear to glorious ear. She was happy with herself.
I was, too. She had done well.
The sense of pride that my human female had succeeded was nearly overwhelming. Then she motioned towards them while giving me the “well?” look.
I gave her a toothy grin. Battle was to commence.
And then I charged in.
This was my element.
The closest of the Xathi turned towards me—I must have let out a growl or something as I charged—and brought its six arms up to defend itself, but it was disoriented, it actually hit itself in the face with three of the limbs.
As it staggered, I shot it twice in the face with my blaster, smirking as its head cracked open.
Nine left.
Two of them started attacking each other, one fell on the ground twitching, another started digging a hole, and one began marching on the humans, causing them to shriek and scream. I took aim and fired, hitting it square in the back. It turned towards me and lunged, screaming at me as it did.
I had never heard that kind of scream before, and it hurt my brain. I fell to one knee, dropping my blaster.
I needed my blaster, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t think straight.
I screamed in pain, my hands pressed so hard against my head, I thought I felt something crack.
It stood over me and stopped screaming. One of its legs kicked my blaster away as it reached down and picked me up.
Through the haze, I could see that its eyes were clouded. It shook its head, then opened its mouth, spreading its mandibles out wide. It leaned in and turned its head to the side.
I punched and kicked, but it ignored my blows. As the mandibles closed around my head and started to squeeze, there was a jolt an
d the Xathi’s body shook. It let me go and dropped me.
I was barely able to roll out of the way as the body fell. I looked up to see another of the Xathi holding the first one’s head, staring at it quizzically.
I didn’t wait to see what it would do next, I grabbed one of my other blasters and emptied the clip into the thing’s torso and head.
I threw my empty blaster aside, picked up my rifle—I must have dropped it when I got picked up—and started firing at anything crystal.
Seven left. No, make that six…one of them had stuck its own claw through its chest.
I emptied the clip on my rifle, reloaded, and emptied it again.
I didn’t see the humans anymore, Leena must have gotten them away.
Four left. But only five bodies. One of them was missing.
My rifle clicked. I reached for another clip and realized I was out. A quick search confirmed that I had dropped them when the Xathi had picked me up.
Damn.
The mist had also dissipated. The Xathi were beginning to return to their senses. I had to end this quickly before they could broadcast back to their queen, if they hadn’t already.
I unstrapped my hammer, smiled, and let out a roar as I charged. I only spent a few seconds pounding one in the back, breaking it in two.
Three.
I reached into my pouch, pulled a grenade, flipped the pin, and tossed it in the direction of one as I raced towards the other two. The “thwump” behind was all I heard.
Srell. Missed.
Not one of my better throws.
I blocked one of the Xathi’s blows with the haft of my hammer, ducked under the other, and broke two of the legs of the first as I rolled between them.
With two of its three right legs broken, it fell over onto its side. It was almost comical watching it try to regain its footing, but I didn’t have time to laugh. The second one came at me, with the third almost a hundred feet away.
The fight with the second one took too long. By the time I managed to get my hammer to connect with its neck, shattering it, it had already cut up my chest and cut me on the back.
Two more.
The third one, the only one still able to move capably, was wearing one of the suits…just like the one that hurt me with the scream. How in the name of all the systems had I missed that? I could see it hesitate as it seemed to take in everything.