by Tim Kaiver
"Adi. Come here." The distance between them might be too great to traverse before he lost his hold. Adi ran, and felt Cherl rising as she slipped from his control.
Defended from rejects' attack using three-part skill attack.
Skill: Charm reached Level 1. 10% bonus to human charming.
+40 XP.
Emmit gained a level! Now Level 2 Ultra. XP 25/155.
Finally, Emmit thought as he ran.
Level-up bonus: mental or physical strength bonus for 5 seconds; offer can be selected at any point prior to next level, at which point it will be withdrawn.
Item found: waver bud.
Mentally and physically exhausted, he tossed the plant bud into his mouth and chewed through the bitter juice. He was unsure which bonus he preferred, but was excited for the chance to use one or the other.
22
The magnet Cullen had put on the new transmitter beeped as the eighth green bar filled.
*Mission update: transmitter 2 of 5 re-activated. Backup texts downloaded. Scan in process….*
+15 XP to Cullen.
70/130 to Level 3.
"Over here!"
Cullen spun, rifle ready. A black monkey swung from a vine and leapt onto a tree trunk ten meters up.
The speaker issued a phlegm-clogged laugh.
Cullen sighted his red pointer laser on the center of the bush.
"Nope. Try again."
Cullen wasn't so sure. I've got ves to spend. He fired into the heart of the bush, drawing a small circle of fire through its leaves.
But that was it. No body.
One jumped out from behind a tree. The man hit his elbow up and knocked him over. Cullen's shot fired high into the trees as he landed hard on his back. The man pinned his hands down and growled. "Cullen Re, son of the Star General."
"How do you know that?"
The man's name and past washed through him, and he knew: Justin, a Rucien with no memories of home.
"Join us. Take us back home."
How? was his first thought, conceding immediately the desire he shared with Justin. He was Rucien too. They deserved to go home. But how many were there?
A bush shook as a woman of Cullen's age broke cover. Her name, Scanis, entered his mind as naturally as an old memory.
She had been sent out by his father on the Sincaid to scout the Osuna progress. The ship had been intercepted and rescued from deep space after it was wrecked and depressurized. She and Justin were the sole survivors. "Schaefer bought us from the Osuna after we were tortured."
More rejects broke cover: thirty, maybe more, within ten meters. Relief eased into smiles as they made eye contact with him. Their collective memories shared that they'd sabotaged the train tracks in order to get him alone before he arrived at Fel Or'an.
"And now you're here," Scanis thought. "Come. We need to get you to Willo."
Willo's name evoked a twinge of concern. Scanis raised a gentle hand. "Don't worry."
Under her influence, he didn't.
"Come."
The group led him into a narrow valley at the bottom of the hill. A pool of water rested in the basin, shallow enough to leave dry sections on both sides for them to run along. The rain faded to a faint sprinkle on its muddy surface. Cullen ran behind Scanis and her flowing hair.
His cleanliness set him apart from them. He bent down as he ran to swipe a hand through the water, deep enough to snatch some mud and tiny sticks, then smeared it on his face and chest.
Cullen didn't have to ask why Schaefer had bought them. Their memories showed him experiments and efforts to make them telepaths with telekinetic powers. When they failed to produce consistent, usable results, he cast them into prison cells where further experiments were conducted at the cost of lives. Those who survived had broken out with Willo's help.
Now they drew him into their cause—to return to Fel Or'an and disrupt Schaefer and Ocia's plans. They would help Cullen get a ship to pullspace home with his memories. What that was exactly, and how they would accomplish it, was hidden from him.
What about Ehli and the others who came with me?
Something about them felt necessary for the path that lay ahead, but he couldn't pin how. Something was missing from his memory.
"This is their chance to prove their strength."
Strength, he thought. There was something unique about Ehli and Emmit's strength, but in the same odd way, he couldn't pin that thought down either to identify how.
"Willo will address whether they're coming or not when you meet her," Scanis 'pathed.
He didn't ask any more questions. They picked up speed along the riverbank. They've shown strength, he told himself. They'll survive.
"Most of us were part of the Saemeran Army, or S.A. Rescued by the S.A. from the planets and ships we were captive on. The S.A. brought us here and trained us under the banner of freeing other Rucien and Esune from the Osuna Oligarchy. That is—" Scanis paused as they jumped over a branch lying across their path. "—we didn't know that our training and missions were only the first stage of his experiments, weeding out those who had potential to become ultras."
Ultras? The word knocked on the door to the memories he could not unlock. Is that what Emmit and Ehli are?
"Yeah. It's the Ancients' term. We're just as much ultras as they are, but we prefer 'rejects' because we embrace not being part of Schaefer's plan."
The anger Scanis shared in that thought was the same as he'd harbored since his father let him be exiled. You are my people. I too am a reject.
***
Ehli's shoulder's burned as she hacked desperately at branches, trying to clear a path to Emmit. Her last attempt to 'path him had been deflected by a sharp pain in her head. The grip she now kept on his location made her stomach twist with nausea, but she wasn't letting go.
Footsteps padded behind her. Something shoved her and she flew forward. Her mental grip on Emmit snapped.
She crashed through prickers, and fat leaves doused her with water. Turning, she caught sight of the reject lunging for her. One eye was almost completely red, its light-blue center chilling by contrast. She tried charming him, but he grabbed her wrist and his strength distracted her. She lost her grip on the machete, and he tossed it into a purple bush. Then he struck her collarbone and she stopped breathing. She hit her back, coughing for air.
What had Willo said? Sneak into the snake's mind? She tried to separate from the pain in her chest and blend into the man's strength. She inserted herself into the desire—
"...to beat his wife into pulp and drink the prize."
Being one with—Haritz—opened her to his memories: eighteen months of torturous nights, days parched under the sun, suffering from too many drugs and hallucinations, all in the name of Schaefer's attempts to create a psi-army of ultras.
Her blood ran cold. How had she ever shared her bed with such a monster? No. She wouldn't tolerate explanations. The pain in her chest faded. New strength flowed into her.
Except she doesn't love him, she 'pathed to Haritz. And came here to make him pay.
To her relief, Haritz relaxed his fist.
She saw herself in his eyes, smiling in the way she imagined she'd smile for Schaefer when they met in person.
Ehli's sight returned to her perspective. Haritz offered her a hand. She took it, and his great strength swept her off her back and onto her feet. "Thank you."
As he released her hand, Haritz grimaced and doubled over in obvious agony. She caught him, straining under his weight. Groaning, she lost the fight to keep him upright. "Haritz, what's wrong?"
"Go. Run." He stumbled forward, shoving her backward weakly as he did so. She spun, grabbed his hand and pulled her along.
"Where are we going? My son. He's...."
As she tried to reconnect with Haritz, she sensed the pain he ran from. Whatever her son was doing would have to be dealt with from a distance.
+15 XP – charm.
90/130 to Level 2.
**
*
As Emmit and Adi ran, Emmit's mind pushed forward like a train bursting through sand drifts. The soggy forest floor sucked noisily at their boots. Even with their hands soaked from the storm, he clung to Adi. To his relief, Dy had emerged as a tickle on his collarbone. Sorry, Dy. I hope this is over soon.
Some rejects had escaped his influence, while the rest remained within his grasp. He now kept them in front and behind, a buffer in case those outside his control attempted to cross the line.
"How long are we gonna run?" Adi thought.
Emmit's waver bud had only given a little relief to his mental strain, so as they ran, he looked for more of the blue plant. They were now halfway up a tree-covered hill. The trees helped them climb when the slope was too slick.
Emmit and Adi had done longer treks on Setuk, but Adi's reason for stopping wasn't fatigue; he didn't want to be chased. Emmit had to admit, his headache was draining his energy. Sprinkles, it would sure be nice to hear from you. Where'd you go?
A woman's scream shredded the silence, as though she'd been ripped open. Sara! The cry came from the other side of the hill. Desperate to reach her, he grabbed a branch and continued pulling himself and Adi uphill.
Navigating through the trees forced him to relinquish Adi's hand, and the pair clambered up the incline as fast as they could. Ahead, levitor beams lit the tree canopy in flashes of red. As he crested the top, he paused to catch his breath and scanned the jungle. Tree branches and bushes swished and cracked with activity, but he couldn't pinpoint Sara's location.
Another red levitor beam shot a blast of light through several bushes before cutting through a tree trunk in a blast of smoke and splinters. Nearby, a mara stalked around a bush, its belly close to the jungle floor. Its dirty white coat emitted a florescent teal in ripples of charging brightness.
"Sara!" Emmit shouted, not caring if he alerted every mara and reject in the jungle. He shot a mental blast of Charm at the one stalking Sara. The mara's progress slowed, but it squirmed to get free.
Adi arrived at his side and fitted his hand in Emmit's. The contact instantly strengthened Emmit's hold on the mara.
"Emmit!" Sara appeared, aimed her levitor to Emmit's left, and fired.
Adi's grip slipped, weakening Emmit's hold on the mara. She just shot Adi! He spun to find Adi on the ground and terrified, but unharmed. Emmit lost his balance and landed with a hand in the gristle of mud. Above them stood someone else, gazing at the smoking hole in their chest.
The scent of burning flesh and vesparan gas mixed with a pervasive odor of sweat. Strands of wet black hair stuck to the man's grimy face. How had this reject come so close without Emmit sensing him?
The man fell backward, coughing blood. More blood seeped out from between his fingers, pressed to the hole near his heart.
"Emmit, come here! Quick!" Sara shouted.
Emmit used his free hand to grab Adi's, and yanked his friend off his back.
Once again, their contact brought the surrounding fifty meters into his awareness. Sprinkles! The telescoped charm hooked and he sensed his wolverine changing direction to head up the hill toward them.
+5 XP – charm, bonus for urgency of call.
The Cipher's note provided short relief as Emmit sensed more rejects. Three climbed the back of the hill, while another was between Sara and Sprinkles.
I'm coming, Sara, he 'pathed.
The wet slope forced him to release Adi again so he could catch trees and slow his descent. As soon as he lost his grip on Adi's hand, he lost the connection with Sprinkles. Shoot.
Sara fired off another long blue beam into shaking bushes.
He leapt over an eroded chunk of the soil and skidded on landing, both feet sliding out from under him. His head connected with an exposed root and the world twisted on its axis. Hands pushed him up into a seated position. Ugh. The world spun.
"Come on, Emmit. I can feel them getting closer."
With Adi's arm around his ribs, he forced his feet to navigate the uneven slope. A snake slithered out from a waver plant, its scales a pixilated collage of red, black, and yellow. Emmit watched as it wove back and forth, so light in its touch that it barely left a swath of smoothed soil in its wake. Emmit slipped his mind into that of the unsuspecting snake, diverting it over a clear patch of dirt to follow them. That's it, Pix. You're going to do well. And when we're done, I'll make sure you eat well.
With the new pet at his command, he plucked the waver plant.
Item found: waver plant
He took a bite as Sara appeared, running up the hill. Sweat and rain had matted her black-blonde hair to her face. Ten meters behind her, a mara broke cover. Its tail, pulsing with bright blue energy, was hooked around its hind leg, ready to fire.
Pix was on its way, but nowhere near close enough to stop the mara. Emmit swallowed the waver plant mouthful and cried out at the mara, "Stop!" His word passed like wind through an open window; the mara's tail whipped around and a bright ball rocketed from the tip. Time seemed to slow as Emmit watched the shimmering orb. Its blue tendrils stretched its diameter and curled back inside while spikes shot up and down from the turbulence. Emmit's ears tingled and his teeth itched. He almost had it….
A sick cough from behind distracted him.
The orb smacked Sara in the ribs. She yelped and spun.
"Em."
He turned to Adi's weak voice.
A spike extruded from Adi's chest. The wooden shaft, carved to a sharp point, dripped with black blood and entrails.
Emmit's gut locked. His legs lost strength. His stomach roiled and readied to puke.
Adi's wide-eyed gaze held his, helpless and confused. "How?"
"Adi!" Sara shouted.
Emmit couldn't speak.
The reject behind Adi swung his arm back. Adi's chest released a sucking sound as the spear left his body. Adi swayed, his knees buckled, and as he fell, his sad eyes locked on his friend's.
The reject jabbed his spear toward Emmit. Unable to dodge, and furious, he stopped the spear with a Charm lock. Right arm clenched with the effort of his mental grip on the reject, Emmit stepped forward. He read fear in the man's eyes. Fear spoke to him too, of consequence and a line crossed. But that was my friend. Knowing he couldn't live with himself if he passed on the opportunity to avenge Adi, Emmit forced the man to point the spear's tip upward. He enjoyed the fear rising in the reject's eyes. In a snap quick move, he grabbed the back of the man's neck and thrust him down. The spear's tip entered the reject's throat.
Defeated reject.
+10 XP.
"Emmit."
He turned toward Sara's voice, and growled at the sound of the man suffocating behind him. Revenge did not quench his anger. The fire only blazed hotter.
She tossed him a thumb-sized white stick. "Stick yourself with that."
He caught the stick, but slipped it in his jacket pocket and zipped it shut.
Sara started to protest before twisting to see what he was looking at.
Behind her, the mara charged up the hill. Fangs out and body low, it moved with the grace of a snake. She grimaced and raised her levitor pistol. The mara shifted its hips. She fired. It leapt out of the path of her red laser. She swung her pistol back toward it, but Emmit felt the trembling coursing down her arm. Her shot soared high. The mara tucked in like a coiled spring, preparing for the death strike.
Adi's gurgling coughs threatened Emmit's focus. He didn't have time to both help his friend and stop the mara.
The shimmering teal tiger leapt for Sara, paws out and claws stretched. Time slowed.
Become the claws. The strength of the forelegs. Into the heart. Squeeze!
The mara locked up mid-flight. Breaking through Emmit's Charm, it stretched toward Sara, but lacked accuracy and its usual power. Sara rolled down the hill to avoid the swipe. Emmit grabbed the spear and shook the corpse off. Maintaining some grip on the mara's heart, like palming a snake's head to the ground, Emmit took two quick steps and raised the
spear.
As he drove the spear down, his Charm on the mara broke and it sprang into the air. He missed. The spear planted in mud. The mara swiped at Emmit's face. He spun and lost his balance. His spear snapped and he fell, landing on his backpack. Bounced. The momentum of his fall pushed him over onto his stomach, and he slid down the slope.
As he slid, his attention drifted toward Adi. He didn’t really care to survive this attack if Adi didn’t. A red beam flashed off the mud. Emmit looked up to see Sara fire another shot at the mara. This time she got a headshot, and the mara's mental touch faded.
Adi.
Exhausted, Emmit managed to plant a foot for balance, but as he rose, the mud slipped beneath his boot. He grabbed a bare branch and pulled himself up, stepping onto a weed-covered mound.
Defeated mara.
+10 XP – assist.
"I don't care!" Emmit shouted. The notification disappeared.
Sara climbed down, using the weed covering to keep her balance. "Do you still have that injection stick I tossed you?"
He pushed his jacket down over the mud caking his stomach, dug in his pocket and took it out.
Sara took it and examined both sides. She exhaled, and indicated for him to step closer. "I'll do it myself."
Emmit didn't sense anything to fear, but he still wanted to know what the stick contained. He lifted a hand and glanced up the hill toward Adi. Adi was nowhere to be seen. He didn't feel any rejects or maras either. The ones he'd controlled had broken free.
Sara stepped close enough to hug him. Even in the mix of their sweat, she still smelled good, like a sweet flower he didn't recognize. A sharp prick entered his neck.
"Hey!" Emmit twisted away, but she held him still.
She finished the injection, eyeing him with a mother's good sense, then dropped the stick. "There." She turned back up the slope. "Do you see him?"