by neetha Napew
Reever sent the bulk of the guards on to continue their sweep. “The same as we found on the Perpetua.”
GothVar came over to peer at the remains. “It is filth, nothing more.”
“No, OverCenturon.” I deactivated the instrument. “This was a person.”
“So was this.” FurreVa entered the chamber, carrying the partial remains of another prisoner, and placed them next to the skeletal residue. What she’d brought in was gruesome, only a portion of a torso and one limb. It was bundled in a transparent material of a type I hadn’t seen before. “I found it in an adjoining compartment.”
GothVar stepped aside, as if offended by the sight of the bundle.
I unwrapped the material and examined the bloodless remains. “This appears to have been a female Tingalean.” I bent closer to study the unusual striations on what was left of her right lower appendage. “She was dismembered, but not very efficiently. These look like gnaw marks.” I glanced up at GothVar as I carefully replaced the material. Interesting, the way he’d reacted to the corpse. Wonder why?
“There are dozens more like this.” FurreVa hitched her weapon up on one shoulder. “All dead. All escaped prisoners, from the look of them.”
“They didn’t escape far. The pattern of the wounds suggests a large, sharp-toothed assailant.” I turned to Reever. “I’ll have to do a postmortem to be positive, Over Master, but from the marks I’d say one of your friends here got hungry. And this”-I indicated the chalky pile-“is what couldn’t be digested.”
“Hsktskt no longer consume lesser-evolved beings,” FurreVa said, her gruff voice almost soft and thoughtful. She wasn’t talking to me, I saw. She kept her gaze fixed on GothVar.
“I’ve heard plenty of Hsktskt threaten to eat prisoners,” I said, even as I realized I’d never seen a Hsktskt eat anything, other than the synthesized glop FurreVa had fed her brood.
“We threaten, yes. Perpetuating your ignorant assumptions provides an excellent means of control.” FurreVa took a step toward GothVar. “No Hsktskt would in fact devour a live being. That would violate Faction law.”
“Someone violated it. I need to see where you found them, FurreVa. With that many bodies, I’ll have plenty of saliva traces to identify who killed these prisoners.”
But I already knew.
I went still as an odd sound rushed in my ears. The sound of a low, monstrous voice...
For a moment, I was back in the launch bay on the Perpetua, my arm being gouged by the thresher. He had come up behind me. He had told me what he planned to do to me.
“I will take you on the tiers, Terran. Piece by piece, I will devour you. A small part of you each time. First your fingers... then your ears...”
He had told me exactly how he’d planned to eat me. I hitched in a breath at the thought of what these poor beings had suffered, then swiveled around slowly and stared at the one responsible for doing it.
GothVar must have realized I’d remembered, for he chose that moment to go completely insane.
“Move against the wall.” He gestured to two of the centurons who tended to hang around him, and the trio leveled their weapons at me, Reever, and FurreVa. Reever and I slowly backed against the specified wall. The big female stood her ground and hissed with what I could only call satisfaction.
“At last, you rankless son of a worm. I have you in violation.”
GothVar lifted the rifle and pointed it directly at her face. “Your new visage will not be so easy to repair this time.”
“He did this to you?” I asked FurreVa, hoping to distract FlatHead long enough for someone to do something.
“Tell her,” GothVar said. “It does not matter if they know. None of you will leave here alive.”
“This worm-“ FurreVa took great pleasure in enunciating that-“attacked me while we were on a planetary raid. He wanted my position, and sought to take it.”
I looked at her once-distorted face, then GothVar’s oddly sloped brow. “You did this to each other by fighting over how much junk is on your uniforms?”
“I would be interested in hearing more on this.”
TssVar and several heavily armed guards came into the storage area, which abruptly got rather crowded. There wasn’t even a question of a fight this time; GothVar and his cronies lowered their weapons and were swiftly disarmed.
“OverLord.” FurreVa made her report about the bodies she’d discovered, and implicated GothVar and his two pals as the perpetrators. “Dr. Torin believes she will have enough evidence to prove their guilt.”
“I claim reprieve as brood sire,” GothVar said at once.
“Indeed.” TssVar turned to gaze at the OverCen-turon. “You claim it now, yet you are not joined.”
“I’m definitely not following this,” I said to Reever.
“Hsktskt males can assume the higher rank of a female, if they join in a unity ritual. The female is reduced to the rank of Nurturer until she delivers her brood.”
“Yes, but OverSeer FurreVa refused to join with me.” GothVar’s tongue flickered rapidly. “Thus I persuaded her to cooperate.”
“He rendered me unconscious so he could sire my brood,” the Hsktskt female said. “When he told me what he had done, I refused the union. That is when he did this.” She touched her reconstructed face.
“Why didn’t you tell someone?” I demanded.
“As soon as my superiors discovered my state, GothVar and I would have been required by law to join.” FurreVa lifted her head, and her eyes resembled small, raging suns. “I preferred to be executed.”
“You are still required by Faction law to join with me. I offer it to you again,” FlatHead said, as though conferring a great honor.
TssVar hit him then, driving him back into a cluster of console units. “She does not accept. Once it is proven you violated Faction law by devouring these prisoners, you will be executed.”
“As sire of her brood, you cannot execute me, no matter what my crime is. I claim sire’s amnesty.”
“So be it,” TssVar said.
“Wait.” I looked from Reever to TssVar. “Let me understand this correctly. FlatHead beat and raped FurreVa, in order to take over her rank and force her to marry him. She refused, he tried to murder her. He didn’t succeed. She’s had to hide her pregnancy, avoid him, and wait all this time to nail him for some other violation of your laws. But when she finds out that he and his friends have been snacking on prisoners, he says he wants to get married and play Daddy, and you’re saying you can’t kill him because of that?”
“In a sense, yes, that is correct.”
“And she still has to marry him?” FurreVa hissed. TssVar nodded. I held out a hand. “I can solve this problem. Give me one of those rifles.”
“There is an alternative, brother.” Reever stepped forward to tug me away from the OverLord. “I remind you of the sire’s right of protection.”
GothVar sneered. “TssVar did not sire this female.”
If TssVar could have smiled, his lipless mouth would have stretched from brow ridge to brow ridge. “You forget, OverCenturon. We are at war with the Allied League of Worlds.”
FurreVa gaped for a moment, then performed a low, respectful bow. “I am honored, OverLord.”
GothVar, on the other hand, said nothing, but suddenly seemed to be shrinking a few inches.
“Escort them to the arena,” TssVar said to his guards, then watched them depart. “Doctor, I will need that forensic evidence immediately.” He walked out, and FurreVa followed.
“They lost me again,” I said to Reever.
“TssVar claims a sire’s prerogative-to defend his female young from a rank challenger. Something he can do only in wartime.”
“Why only then?”
“Mobilization during military conflict prevents FurreVa from returning to the homeworld and petitioning her sire to defend her. As her commander, TssVar may act in loco parentis and will fight GothVar for the right of protection over FurreVa.”
W
hich meant one or both of them was going to need my services immediately thereafter.
I had to transport the remains of thirty-seven dead prisoners to the infirmary, where I set up a temporary morgue. I performed five scans before I found enough DNA evidence to convict GothVar and the other two guards of Faction law violation. When I signaled the same to Command, TssVar ordered me to report to the arena.
“I don’t want to watch,” I said. “I’ve got thirty-one more autopsies to perform.”
“FurreVa has no comrades. No one to stand as witness.” The OverLord studied me for a moment. “Except you.”
“All right, all right.” He certainly knew what buttons to push. “I’m on the way.”
Every Hsktskt who could be spared entered the arena to watch the OverLord defend FurreVa’s honor. I managed to stay back out of the way, until Reever saw me and made me squeeze through to the front of the crowd.
“I really, really don’t want to see this,” I told him.
“FurreVa-“
“I know. FurreVa needs a pal.” I saw the big female standing beside the quad, looking distinctly isolated. No one came near her-probably another weird taboo of theirs-so I inched my way in her direction. When I got there, I saw the fine tremors of rage and worry running through her limbs.
“Hi.” I took position at her side and studied the gore-spattered panels in front of us. “Should we get some popcorn?”
She turned to me. “Some what?”
“Popcorn. It’s what Terrans eat when they watch holofilms. Sort of goes along with entertainment.”
“I think not.” Her perfectly proportioned head swung back toward the quad. “Even now, you seem determined to provoke me.”
“No. I’m determined to be your friend.”
“You are Terran. I am Hsktskt. We should not be friends.”
“Shouldn’t we?” I saw the crowd part on either side of the arena. “Here comes the main event.”
TssVar and GothVar entered the quad. Both were stripped down to minimal garments and displayed fairly awesome physiques. As far as size went, TssVar held the advantage, but GothVar had more bulk. It looked to be a fairly even match.
The crowd fell silent as TssVar stepped into the center of the quad and held up two of his limbs.
“My people. I come here defending OverSeer FurreVa, with sire’s right of protection.” He turned to indicate GothVar. “This male has violated her, attempted to kill her, and now tries to force unity. He is a coward, undeserving of the honor of brood-sire’s rights.”
Now it was FlatHead’s turn. “My comrades. I have but wished to join with my mate. She has delivered the brood I sired. By law she is to be mine. OverLord TssVar claims sire’s right when none is necessary. She will be mine.”
“Now they beat each other’s brains out?” I murmured to FurreVa.
“Yes.”
And with no further speeches or ceremony, that’s what they did. I’d seen hand-to-hand combat before, even participated in some myself. It paled in comparison to this.
Hsktskt use all their limbs in the quad-upper, lower, and even their prehensile tail appendages. The results ranged from bone-cracking grappling holds to violent impacts of limbs into torsos and heads. TssVar sent GothVar sprawling to the surface of the quad over and over. GothVar ripped huge gouges in TssVar’s hide.
The blood and brutality made me sick. “How long will they keep this up?” I yelled to FurreVa over the shouts of the crowd.
She never took her eyes from the quad. “Until one of them dies.”
For a short time I thought that might be TssVar. FlatHead sank his teeth into one of the OverLord’s upper limbs and held on, tearing and pulling at the joint until with a horrible cry TssVar went down.
The limb, however, stayed in GothVar’s mouth until he removed it and threw it from the ring.
“No.” I ran over to where the limb had landed and grabbed it. Reever appeared. “I need a cryo-unit to preserve this,” I said. “Get the infirmary to send one down at once.”
Exhausted and bleeding copiously now, TssVar launched himself from the quad surface to wrap his remaining limbs around GothVar’s torso. He planted his huge feet, contracted his limbs, and bones began to snap. GothVar screamed.
I’d had enough of this, I thought, and reached up to climb into the ring. Reever pulled me back down.
When I started arguing, he pointed toward the grappling pair. “Watch. He will finish it now.”
TssVar kept tightening his limbs, GothVar kept bellowing. The crowd fell oddly silent. I stepped back as I heard tissues tear and blood spill between the two Hsktskt. There was a loud, final snapping sound, then GothVar sagged limp and motionless in TssVar’s lethal embrace.
The OverLord released the body, which fell like a sack of broken servers to the quad. “It is done.”
I didn’t have time to applaud. I raced under the cords and over to the tottering Hsktskt, who was now reeling in a pool of GothVar’s blood, and contributing a lot of his own to the same.
“Congratulations.” I tore the sleeve from my tunic and used it as a temporary tourniquet over the jagged stump. “You’re a mess.”
“I will leave you to deal with the repairs,” he said, then sat down heavily.
“That’s what they all say.” I moved my foot to avoid a stream of GothVar’s spreading body fluid, then squinted at it. Like Terrans, the Hskskt had red blood. So there was no reason for GothVar’s blood to have streaks of black... unless...
A feeble strand of black lifted out of the congealing red puddle and started to elongate toward TssVar.
I jumped away from the fluid pool, trying to pull the Hsktskt with me, then yelled at two nearby cen-turons. “Help me!”
Without hesitation the two guards assisted me as I dragged the OverLord away from the contaminated plasma.
The black streaks subsided, and began to crystallize.
I didn’t have time to celebrate what I’d discovered. The OverLord’s condition required immediate surgery. I ran in front of his gurney to the infirmary, shouted for a scrub team to move faster than the speed of light, and checked the still-twitching limb in the cryo-unit.
“I need full text on Hsktskt limb replantation,” I said as I scrubbed. “If they’re not in our database, signal Command and tell them to relay them now.”
A nurse brought them in on a data pad as I geared up, and I studied the data carefully. Had GothVar torn off TssVar’s tail, it wouldn’t have been a problem-Hsktskt regenerated those naturally. But the limb was going to require some very special, fancy cutting, especially in areas where the ruptured vessels were not as easily accessible, in and around the major shoulder joint.
“Plan on being here for a few hours, people,” I said as I walked into surgery, gloves up to prevent accidental contamination. TssVar’s vitals were weak, but gratifyingly steady. “Power up the laser, and remove the tourniquet. Clamp.”
The microsurgery turned out to be no picnic. GothVar, obviously a pro at rending a victim limb from limb, had done extensive, serious damage.
I clamped off the bleeders and started prepping the stump, then the end of the limb for reconnection. Blood vessels and nerves had to be accurately rejoined in order for regeneration to occur, so I worked with a scope in my face for the rest of the procedure.
I rejoined the major vessels first, then watched the scanner display as circulation was reinstated. “Okay. Six vessels down, twenty-four to go.”
Seven hours later, I stripped off my mask and deactivated the sterile field. “We’re done for now. Wheel him out into recovery.” I turned around and nearly ran over Duncan Reever, who was also dressed in surgical gear. “What are you doing here? I thought surgery made you sick.”
“He is my brother,” Reever said.
“Whatever. I want GothVar’s body brought over here for an autopsy,” I said as I went to the cleansing unit. “Make sure whoever handles it uses a hazardous waste transport and wears an envirosuit.”
“Why
?”
“His blood has been contaminated.” I peeled off my surgical gown. “I’ll let you know by what as soon as I get it under a scope.”
“I’ll see to it. You performed well today.” Without another word, Reever turned and left.
That might have been a thank-you, I thought, then went to scrub TssVar’s blood from my hands. I’d have to think about it, though.
Two fully suited centurons delivered GothVar’s body in an enormous, sealed receptacle, and I pulled Vlaav off the ward to assist me with the postmortem. What I’d suspected showed up a moment after I’d made the median incision.
Hundreds of solid black growths encrusted his internal organs.
“I’ve never seen a disease like this,” my resident said as he handed me a clamp.
“It’s not a disease, and yes, you have seen it before.”
The growths couldn’t be detached, I discovered, after practically burning out a lascalpel. Taking a sample required the excision of an entire lymph node. I had to modify the electroniscopic scanner to accommodate the over-large specimen before I could examine it from the molecular level up.
Vlaav had completed the brain examination and brought a slice of GothVar’s outer cerebral tissue over in a specimen tray. “You’re not going to believe this, Doctor, but he was-“
“Infected with meningitis?” I glanced at the mucus-covered sample. “Yes, I believe it. He wouldn’t let the Lok-Teel near him.”
Vlaav appeared totally confused now.
“The meningitis was the body’s natural reaction to the bacteria, which isn’t a bacteria, by the way. It’s minute particles of this black crystal.”
I adjusted the scope’s magnification and had Vlaav take a look at it.
“Those cells resemble the microbe we found in all the spinal fluid samples.” He lifted his head, confused. “But these are transparent, and there are no nuclei present.”
“It’s not bacteria. This mineral seems to have two forms: liquid, and solid. Heat seems to be the factor. The pseudo-bacteria solidifies when the body temperature cools.”
“But why didn’t we find any of them in the autopsies we performed?”