by Seth Libby
“He has been like a father to me. Could you leave us alone? I would like to be here with him when he passes. I will call you if he needs anything.”
The doctor nodded, before he ushered the nurse and himself from the room. Walking over to the door, Liam opened it slightly to make sure the doctor and the nurse had in fact left. Satisfied, he wouldn’t be disturbed he quickly closed the door and returned to Milton’s bedside. Leaning over he whispered into his Milton’s ear.
“I know you asked me not to interfere but I will be damned if I will let you go when I can save you.”
Liam pulled back the bedcover then withdrew a scalpel he had hidden in a pocket. Pulling back the hospital gown to expose his chest, he then made a small incision in Milton’s chest, right over his heart. Quickly, Liam then made a similar incision on his palm and pressed his palm to the incision on Milton’s chest.
He once again repeated the process he was quickly becoming accustomed to. Directing his nanites, he set forth on his task. His nanites quickly spread; first he positioned a pocket of them around his heart in the event they were needed to restart his heart. He then began seeking out and destroying the cancer that presented the most danger. Once a pocket of cancer was removed he also set his nanites to repairing any damaged tissue. Liam was thorough in his search for all cancerous cells. Once he was satisfied that he had eliminated most of the cancer and Milton was out of danger, Liam withdrew most of his nanites, leaving some behind to finish destroying the cancer. The instructions were to slowly destroy the cancer at a rate that would suggest he was responding to treatments. Once he was cancer free, the nanites would self-destruct, destroying all evidence of their presence.
Once the incision was repaired, Liam then replaced Milton’s hospital gown and bed covers. Grabbing a nearby chair, Liam pulled it up next to Milton’s bedside and then sat down. Looking at the clock he noted that almost two hours had passed. Sweat covered Liam’s face and he felt like he hadn’t slept in days.
Rubbing his eyes, he sat back and looked around the room. There were a few cards and flower arrangements on a nearby table but not really much that showed he had had a lot of visitors. In truth, Milton hadn’t been very popular with his coworkers. He had been known as a task master and always demanded the most of people. It was only over the last couple months that he had changed. Liam liked to think that he had something to do with this. Milton had begun to spend less time in the lab and more time with Liam and Leah. On several occasions, Liam had overheard people saying how the Grinch’s heart had grown.
Liam also had enjoyed spending time with Milton, filling the void of his father from his childhood. True enough, Liam had had a father but they had never been close. His parents had divorced when Liam was young, his father remarrying and effectively creating a new family which did not involve Liam.
As Liam reminisced, his stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him how little he had eaten today. Standing up, he decided he would head down to the hospitals cafeteria and grab something quick to eat. Upon reaching the door Liam realized that it was slightly ajar. He knew he had secured it before he had begun working on Milton. Had someone come in while he had been working? Maybe one of the nurses came in or the doctor but why wouldn’t they have tried to stop him?
Shaking his head he decided not to worry about it. There is nothing he can do about it now and he felt it was no big deal…what is the worst that could come of it? Quietly closing the door behind him he set off to get something to eat. It was going to be a long night and he needed to be back to the Kraken by dawn.
January 15th, 2014 11:58am
EDF Kraken, Terran system, high Earth orbit
Steve entered the brig and handed the guard on duty the orders he had been given. The guard took a few minutes to verify the orders before he acknowledged them and gave Steve the necessary clearance.
“Do you need me to accompany you, sir?” the guard asked.
“Nah, I should be okay.”
Turning Steve walked off down the hallway to the cells. Locating the cell he was looking for, Steve knocked on the clear cell door.
“Wakey, Wakey,”
Cryta sat up from his bed and looked over at Steve questioningly.
“I have met you before, you are pilot Barrows,” Cryta stated.
“Well, it is actually Steve Barrows, but yes I am a pilot,” Steve stated as he remember being introduced by Liam on one of the occasions Liam had come down to visit with Shizta. Steve had accompanied him for observational purposes.
“Ah…I see, I am not accustomed to using both names. We only use the first name when addressing others. How may I help you, Steve Barrows?”
“No, you don’t have to address me by my whole name, I was just…. Oh, never mind. I am here to give you some freedom,” explained Steve, the latter part he said while holding up a small electronic device.
Cryta stood and walked over to the door, clearly intrigued by what Steve had said as well as the device in his hand. The device was roughly two inches in length, one inch wide by a half inch thick. It was slightly crescent shaped and designed to fit at the base of ones skull. Noting Cryta’s interest, Steve continued.
“This little device is a new invention of mine. It will monitor your location at all times. You will be allowed limited access throughout the ship without an escort. We will provide you with areas of the ship that we expect you to stay clear of.”
“What is to stop me from entering areas I am forbidden from?”
Holding the device aloft Steve spoke.
“This will, it is designed to be affixed to the base of your skull. It will penetrate the skin and interface with your neural system. It is programmed to deliver a minor shock if you enter an area that is off-limits. If you proceed further into a restricted area then the shock level will increase until you are disabled. Also, if you or someone else tries to remove the device without the proper codes it will deliver a shock so great it will cook your brain.”
“Sounds like I do not have much of a choice.”
“Well, you could stay in your cell. I understand how this doesn’t really show trust in you but you have to understand it from our side of it. Once the information proves true then I am sure you will be accorded the freedom and trust you are looking for.”
Cryta weighed this over for a few moments before he nodded.
“I guess I can understand why you would take such precautions. I will honor your requests.”
Steve punched in the security code next to the cell door and the door slide open.
“Please turn around.”
Cryta obliged and turned around. Reaching up Steve placed the neural inhibitor in place at the back of Cryta’s skull.
“Okay, this will hurt a little bit,” Steve warned.
To Cryta’s credit, he barely flinched when Steve activated the device. The neural tendrils punctured through the skin down through the muscle to combine with the spinal cord. Once attached, they weaved their way up and into the base of Cryta’s brain.
“Okay, you are all set; let me show you to your quarters.”
“Quarters? You mean I will not be staying in your detention center?”
Steve was startled by the question, so only stared at the Cryta for a few moments before finding his tongue.
“No, you will be given quarters that are more comfortable. They are located near mine and the rest of Necro squadron’s quarters.”
Cryta seemed surprised but otherwise did not say anything.
Steve led Cryta to the section of the ship where the pilots were quartered. Stopping before a door, Steve punched in a code on the panel next to the door, and then turned to Cryta.
“Please place your hand upon the panel and leave it there until you hear a chime.”
Cryta placed his palm against the panel and held it there. Several seconds had passed in silence before a chime was heard.
“Okay, you can take your hand away.”
Steve now punched in a few more codes into the keypad and after a few more se
conds there was another chime.
“Your room is now set to your palm print and only your palm print. Too access your room simply press your palm to the panel.”
Cryta pressed his palm to the panel once again and the door slide open. Steve motioned for him to enter and Cryta entered with Steve following. Cryta only stared at the room before him.
“I know it is small, but it is better than your cell. There is a bathroom in there,” Steve explained, the latter part Steve pointed to a small door off to the left.
Walking over to the refrigerator Steve opened it to show Cryta the inside.
“I know it is empty now but that is because we are unsure what you would like for food. Once we have established that, then we can arrange to have it stocked with anything that needs to be kept cold.”
Cryta nodded but just continued to look around instead of saying anything. A little uncomfortable Steve indicated the rest of the kitchenette.
“There is also plenty of cabinet space for other food stuffs as well as cooking implements. You also have the use of the pilot’s lounge to eat or relax but we didn’t know how comfortable you would be with that so we made sure you had this available.”
Cryta still didn’t say anything but continued to look around, although at this point he had begun walking around touching and examining things.
“Ummm……is there something wrong?” Steve asked.
Cryta removed his hand from feeling the bed and looked over at Steve.
“Have I been given the quarters of someone important?”
“No, this is the traditional quarters of one of our high ranking officers. Slightly bigger than mine but close to the same, mine does not have a kitchenette. Like I said before we were not sure where you would be comfortable dining. Is there something wrong with it?” Steve asked as he looked around.
“I have never had living quarters such as these. My own quarters back on Shenkar were not even as big as the cell I just came from. These are equal to that of a supreme commander.”
Confused, Steve looked around again then back at Cryta.
“Would you like me to find something smaller for you with fewer comforts?”
“Huh? Oh, no….these quarters are more than sufficient. I thank you and your superiors for the freedom, these quarters and hope to prove worthy of such rewards.”
“Uh, yeah, no problem…well if you need anything feel free to let me know. You can contact me through the ships comm system located over here,” Steve explained as he indicated a panel and earpiece next to the door, “You just need to indicate the call button and speak my name, it should route to my earpiece if I am available.”
“Thank you….uhh…Steve,” Cryta said uncomfortably.
Smiling, Steve headed for the door. As he reached the door he turned around.
“Oh yeah, almost forgot, there is an entertainment center you are free to use. Simply use the remote control next to the bed. It will open a panel in the wall where the television is located. There is a complete database on all forms of entertainment you can choose from.”
Cryta looked over at the remote and then nodded before turning back to Steve.
“What am I to do now?” Cryta asked, clearly sounding confused by the entire matter.
“Relax here, watch some television or explore the ship. It is up to you, although I have to warn you, while you are completely safe aboard this ship you will be met with some strange looks if not a bit hostile. No one will do anything to harm you but you have to understand you are from a race that has been trying to kill us. Until people learn that you are in fact on our side they will be a little hesitant to trust you.
Otherwise you are free to do as you wish. Someone will contact you when you are needed or if anyone has any questions. I personally would take this time to relax as once we are underway we will not have a lot of free time.”
With that said, Steve turned and left Cryta’s quarters. He was surprised by the Shenkar’s manner and how polite he had been. This, Cryta, clearly didn’t fit the profile of the war driven Shenkar warriors he had come to know. From the initial meeting Steve had to say that he genuinely liked Cryta and hoped this wasn’t all an act as he would regret having to kill him.
For now Steve decided not to worry about it and take a bit of his own advice. With the little bit of free time, he had at the moment, he decided he would go call his wife. Even though he had spent the previous night with her, having their farewell dinner, he wanted to speak with her again. The Kraken was scheduled to depart in three days so who knows how much time they would find together. Once he left on the coming mission he didn’t know when, if ever, would he see her again.
January 15th, 2014 12:45pm
EDF Kraken, Terran system, high Earth orbit
Cryta continued to look around the room, awed by the accommodations. The comfort these humans bestowed upon their warriors was astounding. Testing the bed had proven that it was a comfortable as it appeared and the cleansing room that Steve had identified as a “bathroom” was also more than suitable.
Picking up the remote control, Cryta keyed the power button. A panel on the wall slide aside to reveal a large monitor mounted within the wall. The monitor powered on to display a programming library to choose from. Using the navigation buttons, Cryta selected entertainment. This revealed another library to choose from. Reading the list Cryta soon found a subject that intrigued him…history. Selecting this yet again displayed a library to choose from. Sitting down on a nearby chair, Cryta selected “World history” and soon lost himself as he began to watch the history of humans.
Cryta was unable to say how much time had passed when he heard a chime emit from the panel next to the door. Standing, Cryta walked over to the panel and looked at the display. The only thing displayed upon the screen was two boxed out words. One read “door” and the other read “intercom”. Reaching up, Cryta pressed the “intercom”.
“Hello?”
“Cryta, this is Lieutenant Commander Maxis, I am here to escort you to a briefing.”
Cryta thought for a second, he seemed to recognize the name but was unsure where he knew it from. Pressing the word “door” on the panel, the door slid open.
Cryta studied the human before him. The man was tall for a human, equal to the height of a one of the Shenkar clones, and wore a smile upon his face. The weapon the human wore at his belt was easily identifiable as a plasma sword. Wearing that weapon would make the man one of the humans elite warriors they call Templar knights. But it wasn’t the sight of the plasma sword that made Cryta do a double take but a name on the humans left breast.
From what Cryta had come to understand, humans used what they called “callsigns” to identify each other during combat situations. Typically, these callsigns were given to each other by other pilots within the squadron. The name sewn into a patch on this pilot’s suit was Zombie, a pilot that in combat, administered destruction in the wake of his fighters passing.
“You do understand me, right?” the pilot said, his smile faltering as uncertainty began to show.
“Yes, Lieutenant Commander Maxis, I apologize I was just surprised by you.”
“Surprised?”
By the look on the human’s face it was clear he was completely confused at this point.
“Again, I apologize if I am causing you any discomfort. What I meant is I know you by reputation. You are unmatched in combat with a fighter. Naturally I was taken a little aback that someone of your stature would be the one to come escort me to a meeting. I am honored by your presence and look forward to speaking with you.”
At this point the human looked completely uncomfortable by Cryta’s praise as his face turned slightly crimson. Clearly, this human was not used to being praised for his accomplishments and clearly didn’t relish in the destruction he dealt. This was something that interested Cryta as it was not the way of the Shenkar.
In truth, the renowned warriors of the Shenkar usually suffered from arrogance. As they rose in rank th
ey would grow accustomed to receiving praise and gifts that fueled the growing belief they deserved such rewards. On several occasions, the sheer arrogance of a Shenkar warrior, resulted in an innocent being punished for a wrong they did not commit. Over the past decade it seemed the only place you could find any honor was within his own elite caste.
“You humans are an interesting race, you are not the bloodthirsty warriors that we have been led to believe. I compliment you on your ability to deliver destruction and it clearly causes you discomfort. I believe you do not approve of the deaths you have dealt….am I wrong?”
“You would be correct; I only do what I do to protect my friends, family and the safety of the human race. To take pride in taking another’s life would be inhuman. We do not invite war but we will not back down from it. While we may be new to space travel, we are no strangers to war, even if it may have been with each other.
That is why we gamble on you and your information. We take this war to your Shelecore so we can try and disable his ability to make war. If we destroy his shipyards then he can’t continue with this war. By destroying those shipyards we save millions if not billions of lives.”
Cryta weighed the words he had just heard. These humans were extremely complex. When Cryta first discovered the news of another race capable of destroying the Shenkar, he didn’t believe it. He had rationalized to himself that the footage he witnessed had to be false. The horrifying footage of a human warrior slaughtering the crew of the Tryliene had been shocking.
When he had managed to get himself aboard the next invasion fleet he had told himself he would finally see the truth, although part of him wanted it to be true. The Shenkar needed a race that could stand against them yet would be willing to help them as well. The footage gave little evidence that the humans would be such a race.
The latest conflict looked as if the humans would finally be defeated. Severely outgunned, they managed to turn the tide of battle and destroy most of the Shenkar forces yet again. Cryta had thought his life over and his mission failed but fate intervened in the form of Overlord Shizta.