Resurgence: Katieran Prime

by KD Jones

  “I’ll look for something I can use to carry him.” With that, he walked away.

  *****

  Jenny stared in the direction ZenIM went. He easily jumped onto the ramp and entered the shuttle. Being dark and without her glasses, she couldn’t see much else. Bloody hell!

  “I’ll be right back,” she told AkER before standing.

  “Where are you going?” AkER asked, concern in his voice.

  “I lost my glasses again. I need them to see.”

  Jenny backtracked her earlier steps. Okay, this was the spot she tripped. Going to her hands and knees, she felt around the leaves and dirt. She ignored the possibility bugs and such crawled all around her. Sweeping her hands around her as she moved on her knees—thankfully she had on jeans—her knuckle brushed against something stiff. Picking it up, she smiled.

  “Thank God,” she said, placing her glasses on her face. Finally, she could see again. Getting to her feet, she headed back to AkER. “I found them.”

  AkER glanced up, his eyes weary. He fought the pain medicine which was not a good idea. She would need to up his dosage, but it would put him out. How were they going to get someone as large as AkER through the jungle when he couldn’t put weight on his ankle? ZenIM was strong, but he couldn’t carry AkER the rest of the way up a mountain.

  Watching in fascination as ZenIM came out of the shuttle, she admired his movement and strength. His arms were full. He held a toolbox, ropes, sheets and...was that a chair? He approached.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked, giving him room to put the supplies on the ground. He glanced up at her and froze. His nostrils flared, and he placed his hand slowly over where his large hunting knife was tied to his pants leg. The fierce look on his face had her worried.

  “What?”

  She looked around as if the enemy was upon them. Catching her off guard, he sprang forward and tackled her to the ground. He snatched her glasses off, tossed them to the ground, then jumped up and stomped on them.

  Jenny lay confused and in shock. She had never been assaulted even though he had held her carefully to keep her from hitting the ground hard. When he turned back to her, his strange colored eyes swirled, taking in her still prone form.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “I’m…” She tried to form words as she pushed up to a sitting position. Crawling over to where he stood, she searched for her glasses and sighed as she picked up a lens separated from the frames. The frames were completely ruined, and the other glass spectacle was cracked.

  Standing, she glared at him. “What in the bloody hell made you do that?”

  He seemed surprised by her outburst. “I protected you from that thing attacking your face.”

  She held the one piece of glass to her eye. “These are my eyeglasses, or what’s left of them. I can’t see well without them, and I don’t have my spare with me. Now what am I going to do?”

  His eyes ping-ponged from her to the glass she held then to the ground where he had destroyed her eyewear. “Why did the medics not correct your vision if you had problems seeing?”

  “Because I didn’t want them to. I liked wearing my glasses.”

  “I truly did not know. I apologize.”

  ZenIM seemed sincere. He really thought he was protecting her from something dangerous. She should reassure him but...she couldn’t see!

  “I hate to interrupt, but we need to get going before the enemy shows up,” AkER said from the ground. He sounded a little angry, but that could be from the pain coming back. She went to his side.

  “Do you need another pain shot?”

  “No, it might make me groggy. I can’t protect you if I’m not at my full capacity.”

  *****

  ZenIM looked at the female, wishing he could ask her more questions, but they didn’t have time. Pulling out the toolbox he found in the ship, he looked at the chair he’d carried out. Since the box transported supplies, it had hover abilities. He used ropes to strap the chair on top of the toolbox. The seat still had the safety belt attached to the bottom so he could strap the injured male in place. He just hoped the toolbox could bear the weight of both the chair and the warrior.

  “It’s ready,” he announced, looking at the female. She was fussing with the pilot, and something dark filled his chest. Envy or jealousy, he didn’t know, but it wasn’t pleasant.

  “How does that work?” the female asked.

  “He will sit in the seat; the toolbox will float with its anti-gravity feature. We should be able to push his chair through the jungle.”

  “I will walk,” AkER said, trying to stand.

  Jenny put her arms around his waist to keep him from falling. “AkER, sit on the seat.”

  “No.”

  The brave and tough warrior gave her a fierce refusing look, but she wasn’t going to be curtailed. “You can’t protect me if you pass out from the pain. Get your arse on the damn chair!”

  He was silent, but AkER did sit, refusing to use the built-in seat belts. “I don’t need those.”

  Jenny glared down at him. “Are you always this difficult?”

  “I’m not being difficult,” AkER said.

  “Yes, you are. We don’t have time for this. We need to leave now,” ZenIM told them cutting off any more arguments.

  *****

  Jenny looked at ZenIM who watched her with those strange swirling eyes. She felt the heat from him even at that distance, and it made her shiver but not in fear, with desire. The moment between them was broken when a strange bird noise called out in the darkness.

  “We need to go.” ZenIM moved forward and pushed the back of the seat.

  Jenny followed, stumbling as her eyesight was even worse in the darkness. The floating toolbox-chair contraption worked well. She was impressed with ZenIM’s ingenuity. Her first impression was of the famous fictional ape-man character. However, there seemed to be much more to this strange, exotic man than met the eye.

  “I never introduced myself. I’m Jenny Sampson, a medic from Earth.”

  He glanced at her and smiled. “I’m ZenIM, leader of the mountain village.”

  “Thank you for coming for us,” she said.

  “It is my duty to ensure your safety. I am only sorry I could do nothing to prevent the attack. Do you know who attacked?”

  AkER shifted in his seat. “No. The other ship’s heat signature did not match anything we have.”

  “Was it the rebels?” ZenIM asked.

  “I don’t believe so. The rebels do not have anything we haven’t seen. Usually they confiscate retired equipment. My shuttle’s computer would have recognized it.”

  “So, if it wasn’t someone from the Colony, wasn’t one of the rebels, then who else could it be? Do your people have any other enemies?” Jenny asked.

  “Yes,” both men answered simultaneously.

  “Who?” Jenny pushed for an answer.

  “The Morins,” ZenIM answered. The silence fell hard and heavy after that.

  Chapter 7

  ZenIM watched Jenny stumble again and again. He felt horrible having damaged the eyewear she used to see. He just didn’t understand why she would not have her vision fixed if it was possible to do so. There were a few in his village who could not have their sight corrected because of their viral mutation. These mutations enhanced their other senses, and they could function just fine without vision. Obviously, Jenny needed her glasses. He failed her already, and it was unacceptable.

  “If you follow my exact steps, it may help you avoid the rocks and trees,” he suggested.

  “I’m trying to follow you, but you have long legs, and I have short ones,” she told him.

  “I could slow down for you,” he offered.

  “No, no, we need to get far away from the crash. I don’t want to slow us down. Let’s keep going.”

  They walked silently through the forest, well, he did. Jenny was not as stealthy. He heard every stumble and curse. If their lives weren’t at stake, he might find th
e circumstances somewhat funny.

  After an hour of walking, he noticed warrior AkER’s head bobbing, then he started to slide down in the seat. He halted the chair.

  “What’s going on?” Jenny asked, coming up from behind.

  “The male is falling out of the seat.”

  “Of course, he is. He’s so macho, he refused to use the seat belt,” she grumbled.

  “What is macho?” he asked as he watched her tend to the male. He almost envied the other male the attention she gave him.

  Jenny answered without looking up at him. “It’s someone, usually a man, who tries to hide he’s in pain because he thinks it hurts his masculinity. Nothing but rubbish.”

  AkER grunted as he came awake. “I heard that.”

  “Well, you’re about to not hear anything for a while. You need more pain medicine, and you need rest.” She knelt and opened her medical bag hanging from the back of the chair.

  “Wait…” AkER’s request went ignored as Jenny quickly pulled out a syringe and gave him a shot to knock him out completely. She tried to pull him back up in the seat, but he was too heavy.

  “Could you give me a hand?” she asked ZenIM.

  He walked to the front of the seat where the other male’s body slumped halfway off. “Move out of the way.”

  She shuffled backward, and he took AkER by his arms and pulled him up. Jenny quickly put the seat belt harness on him and hooked it.

  “There, that should keep him stable.”

  “You put him out. Why?”

  “He was in pain and nearly passed out from it. It would be better to go ahead and help him rest so the nanos can do their job. Also, he didn’t want to use the seat belt to keep him in place, and this was the only way I could get it on him. It’s going to be easier moving him without his interfering.”

  “Have the two of you known each other long?” he asked, trying not to sound too curious. They had the type of connection people who had spent time with one another had.

  “He’s been my pilot for several trips now and has also served as security for me.”

  “Has someone attacked you before? Why would you need security?”

  “It’s a precaution Prime Leader RendEL insists on with any of the medics traveling among the three nations.”

  “If he’s served you regularly, does that mean you two are together?” He knew it wasn’t any of his business, but he was...interested in her.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Are you a couple? Do you share sex?”

  “No, of course not. I mean, he’s nice, and all.” She stumbled over her words. “Why would you think that?”

  “You call him macho referring to his masculinity.”

  “I didn’t mean it as a compliment. I meant he was being a stubborn man, not wanting to show weakness.”

  “So, you don’t find him attractive?”

  “Well, he is handsome, but I’m not attracted to him. I’m not seeing anyone right now.”

  “I see.” He would not admit to the relief he felt at hearing she was not interested in the warrior AkER. A feeling of excitement and hope filled him.

  He had to remind himself to keep his thoughts off the interesting little female and back on the task at hand. A distraction could lead to all their deaths. Listening carefully, he heard multiple footsteps heading in their direction. He estimated three or four of them. His group weren’t out of trouble yet.

  “Are you rested enough to keep going?” he asked Jenny.

  “Yes. Let me help you by pushing the chair.”

  ZenIM hesitated, not wanting to put a heavy responsibility on her. It might slow them. Although, it would free him up to scout ahead or be ready for an attack. He also needed to keep their tracks covered as much as possible.

  “All right, but let me know if it gets to be too much for you. I’m going a little ahead of us. The suns will be rising soon, and we will be too far from the village. I must find us shelter.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to travel during the daylight?”

  “If it’s easier for us, it will be easier for the enemy as well. The darkness is better to hide our movements.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.” She put her medical bag on the chair back and took his place.

  He stood there for a moment, being so close to her that he hated to leave. He felt the heat from her body, and her scent was divine. His body responded despite the circumstances they were in. Placing his hands on top of hers, a spark lit between them at first contact. She shivered, and he immediately was bombarded with images of them naked, him on top of her, making her shiver for a different reason.

  “You don’t have to push too hard, and if you let go, the toolbox will stop floating, and lower to the ground.”

  “Got it.”

  ZenIM let her go and took the lead. “Come, we have a way to go before we can rest.”

  *****

  Jenny pushed the chair. It was the strangest thing, but also, incredibly clever. Her estimation of ZenIM had been growing since the moment he dropped into her world, or more like, since she crashed into his.

  At first, she tried to keep up with him, but her legs were just too short, so she kept a slow and steady pace. It allowed him to run farther ahead and disappear among the trees, seeking the right path. The slower pace also helped her since she couldn’t see very well. One thing she noticed was how ZenIM moved like a mist, one minute solid, and then the next, gone. Even if she still had her glasses, she wouldn’t be able to detect him. He was just that good.

  “Jenny, girl, what have you gotten yourself into now?” she chided herself. Her grandfather used to ask her the same thing when she was little and getting into everything. She had been a curious child, and often made a mess while trying to take care of every stray or injured animal that crossed her path. There was no patient she wouldn’t take on.

  Speaking of patients, she stopped and let the chair lower to the ground. Walking around to the front, she squatted to check AkER’s pulse. Good, strong, steady beats. She took a few moments to rest. Her feet were sore.

  “Why did you stop?”

  “Yikes!”

  She fell back onto her butt. She glared up at him. “Why do you keep doing that? Just jump out of the darkness and scare me?”

  He leaned down and offered a hand. “I apologize. I didn’t hear your footsteps and worried something happened.”

  Well, now she felt like an asshole. Here he was trying to keep her and AkER safe. She should be a little more understanding. Taking his hand to help her up, she felt tingles all the way to her toes from their touch. Heat flooded her cheeks, and she was grateful it was nighttime so he wouldn’t see her blush.

  “It’s okay. I should have been paying better attention to my surroundings.”

  “Is he doing well?”

  “AkER is resting quite nicely. We’re lucky he’s not snoring or he might give away our location.”

  ZenIM laughed. “I know a few warriors who snore so loudly, it sounds like a battle is taking place.”

  She laughed with him. It was good to take a moment to let off some tension. When the laughter died down, Jenny asked the question she’d wanted to ask him the past hour.

  “Did you find shelter?”

  “I did. There’s a cavern under a waterfall a few hundred feet ahead. I will take you there then backtrack to cover our tracks.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “Let me push the chair the rest of the way. It’s going to be tricky getting into the cavern.”

  She stood back to let him take over and followed. Such a relief. It didn’t seem to be heavy, but after pushing the chair for so long, she felt much lighter without it.

  It didn’t take too long before she heard the sounds of the waterfall. They came to a small clearing, the moon and stars shone down, sparkling off the water.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “During the daylight, the water is so clear, you can see the bottom,” ZenIM told her.


  Suddenly, she felt her chest tighten and her stomach turn queasy. “Will we have to cross the water to get to the cavern?”

  “No, there’s a small opening behind the trees to the right. We’ll enter this way.”

  She sighed with relief. Good. Now wasn’t the time to learn to swim.

  “Pull those branches back, and I’ll go in first.”

  She followed his directions. Once the tree limbs were pulled back, an opening about four feet high appeared. ZenIM ducked low to get through. Jenny didn’t have as hard a time. As soon as she entered, she saw the roof of the cavern was much higher farther in. When the entrance was covered by the outside tree, Jenny was enveloped in total darkness. Fear overwhelmed her, keeping her from moving forward.

  “Um...ZenIM?”

  “I’m right here.”

  She looked in the direction of his voice and felt relief that his strange swirling eyes were clearly visible. He touched her arm. “Put your hand on my back, I’ll lead you in.”

  With shaking fingers, she reached out and placed them on his wide back. An overwhelming desire to wrap her arms around his waist and hold on tight overcame her. Maybe she could climb on his back and let him carry her in. No, that was just ridiculous and cowardly. However, she kept hold of him.

  Finally, they came to a large open cavern with the waterfall on the other side. Moonlight filtered through the water, creating shadows in the depths. She let go of his back and turned in a circle to look at everything. Large stalactites dangled from the top of the rock ceiling. With the moonlight streaming in, they sparkled like stars.

  “This is incredible.”

  “It should do. We’ll leave again when the suns set. There are blankets inside the toolbox. I’m going to cover our tracks. Are you hungry?”

  She would have denied it, but her stomach chose that moment to be absolutely honest and growled. Laughing, Jenny nodded. “A little bit.”

  “I will bring food back. The water from the falls collect into a small hole and is safe to drink.”

  “Good to know.”

  He gave her a strange look as if he didn’t want to leave. “If you hear anyone but me, stay as quiet as possible.” Then he was gone.