Jazz pulled her from her stupor. “Captain! Are you okay?”
“No. Not at all. This is madness! That monstrosity is going to devour everything nearby.”
“You don’t know how right you are. In fact, I found the meaning of the name of the weapon in the Saharjs’ language: ‘world-eater’.”
Holding Squish tightly against her, she rose shakily. “If such a thing were to end up on Solicor or Earth… There’d be nothing left.”
“True, but at least it served to completely disable the Saharj fleet. Most importantly, the Vohrn have gotten close enough for communications! Now we can get out of this miserable place.”
From the bridge of the Urkein’Naak, Hanosk managed the battle effectively, giving the Saharj no quarter. He didn’t know why the enemy fleet had seemed to fall apart, but he didn’t hesitate to take advantage. The Vohrn fighters rampaged through the ranks of their opponents. Within a few minutes, the Saharjs’ numerical advantage was eliminated, and they were forced to surrender.
Satisfied, Hanosk looked away from the multiple data sources projected before him. He turned to his colleague at the communications console. “Contact the Sirgan. Its Natural Intelligence will forward the coordinates for the key asteroids. Send assault troops to take control. I will board one of them to go join Captain Sajean.”
With that, he left the bridge and walked down the wide passageway that ran through the cruiser from one end to the other along the synergetic tube, providing access to all sections.
Once at the landing dock, he mingled with the infantry who were boarding the shuttles.
Thanks to restored communications with the Sirgan, the parting ships received a set of coordinates that would lead them to the belt’s most important locations. The one bearing Hanosk left the Urkein’Naak and headed for the main portal node.
The information Jazz provided would allow them to take control of the hollow asteroid and to crush all Saharj resistance.
Mallory watched them approach with intense relief. They moved rapidly through the smooth red pond that stretched out of sight around the high tower crowned by its black sphere.
When they were close enough, the pilot saw that one of them was wearing a purple toga. Hanosk. By way of welcome, she shouted, “Torg is injured —he needs medical care!”
As he approached, he placed a translator box on his rostrum. “Your Natural Intelligence told me. We are prepared to deal with the situation.”
Mallory noticed that one of the aliens was wearing a wide, cube-shaped backpack. He approached Torg, who lay on the floor in a pool of red liquid. The Dva had used a synthflesh bandage to stop the cybrid’s bleeding but had not been able to do anything about the damage to his organs.
The Vohrn deposited his burden and began to open the top. He drew out a long, braided bundle of cables tipped with small suction cups, which he attached to Torg.
Mallory recalled her stay in the hospital on Kenval and recognized the strange machine: a starganon.
From the suckers protruded dozens of tubes as thin as a human hair that penetrated Torg’s skin. The Vohrn device began to function, its walls inflating and deflating. The cybrid’s blood coursed into the tubes, moving to the rhythm of the starganon’s pulses. The device was now controlling Torg’s circulatory system.
Hanosk approached the pilot. “He’s out of danger. We’ll let the starganon work for a while, and then we can transport him to the Urkein’Naak.”
She nodded, feeling as if she were watching a scene in which she was playing the part of herself. Seeing Torg so badly hurt had completely destroyed her composure. Fearing more bad news, she inquired about Laorcq and Alrine’s situation.
“They are on their way to our cruiser. Lieutenant Alrine Lafora is in stasis, apparently in critical condition. The commander was unhurt and managed to arrest Vassili.”
Mallory sighed. The good news was mitigated by the policewoman’s condition. They had accomplished their goal, but the end result left the pilot with a particularly bitter taste in her mouth. She couldn’t stop looking at Torg, whose life was now in the hands of an alien machine.
After what felt to the pilot like eternity, the Vohrn decided that the cybrid was stable enough for transport. Four of them took charge of him. Mallory was about to follow them but noticed that Hanosk had received a call from the cruiser. The Vohrn leader’s arms and long-fingered hands trembled slightly, a sign of anger or concern.
“What’s going on?”
“The phenomenon triggered by the strange weapon has spread to the rest of the belt. Soon, the cluster of habitats will be gone. We must evacuate the Dva and Saharj survivors right now.”
XXVI
TRANSFORMATION
ONCE aboard the Vohrn cruiser, Mallory felt a lead weight fall from her. The tension that had filled her throughout the confrontation with the Saharj left her bone weary as it ebbed.
Once again wrapped around her left arm, Squish tried to comfort her. Bathed in the positive feelings transmitted by the jufinol, she recovered slowly. The threat from the Saharj was over, but the price had been high. Upon their arrival, a medical unit had taken charge of Torg’s care: he would be back on his feet soon.
She realized why she was struggling to shake off her malaise when she went with Hanosk to the bridge of the Urkein’Naak. Laorcq stood in the middle of the control room and watched the holographic projection that occupied almost all the space in front of them.
Mallory saw the sadness in the tall, scarred man’s eyes. He had lost his family once, and he didn’t deserve to suffer such grief again. The pilot suddenly realized how important Alrine must be to Laorcq after his past experiences.
Mallory was extremely angry with herself. First because of the jealousy she had felt toward the policewoman, and then because of the distance she had kept from the newly formed couple. She was convinced that her attitude had led directly to the current situation.
If I had arrived earlier on Solicor, maybe I wouldn’t have… Stop! With an effort of will, she pushed these useless thoughts away. Rehashing the past wouldn’t do anyone any good.
She moved toward Laorcq and asked, “How is she?”
He didn’t answer right away. In front of them, the holographic projection showed a whole section of the belt in the process of being devoured by the world-eater. One by one, the asteroids collapsed in on themselves, leaving behind only the vacuum and a few photons. The Saharj ships suffered a similar fate. Their crews’ agony contributed to the gestalt’s shared suffering. Squish tried to filter it out, but Mallory still felt some of it, like a persistent queasiness.
Finally, Laorcq looked away from the scene of destruction and toward Mallory.
“The Vohrn decided to keep her in stasis. They already have enough to do with all of the wounded and the evacuation of the belt.”
Unaware of the humans’ awkwardness, Hanosk continued talking about the larger situation. “We have accepted the Saharjs’ surrender.”
Laorcq turned to the alien. “They turned themselves in? I find that strange. After planning their revenge against the Gibrals for centuries, why would they change their minds so easily?”
“It is indeed strange. We must confirm their sincerity by accessing the gestalt.”
Hanosk spoke to Mallory. “Captain, will you come with me to visit the Saharj prisoners? The jufinol will help you link your mind with one of them.”
She looked closely at the alien leader. The conical snout, which she associated in the Vohrn with a face, betrayed absolutely no emotion.
Did he realize what he was asking? Probably not. She leaned toward Squish and stroked the rainbow-colored animal. A wave of warmth filled her, giving her courage. “Okay. I’ll come with you.”
Hanosk guided her through the gigantic ship to a section constructed from a composite the texture and color of bone. She could not help noting that Laorcq remained on the bridge. Come on, stop it. You have work to do.
While she struggled with her thoughts, Hanosk led h
er to a large door guarded by two Vohrn soldiers.
It opened on a room with simple necessities: water, a protein paste dispenser, and sanitary facilities tucked into a corner. There were three Saharj inside.
Before Hanosk could enter, one of the guards stopped him and handed him an object.
Mallory examined it as Hanosk held it between his long, prehensile fingers. It looked like a white sea urchin, just big enough to fit in the palm of a human hand.
The aliens conversed, but the guards did not have translator boxes. The pilot still managed to understand that the thorny ball had been discovered on one of the prisoners.
Hanosk slipped it into his toga and advanced towards the Saharj. Unlike their guards, they were equipped with translators. The Vohrn was direct. “We need to access your collective consciousness to confirm your intentions.” He pointed at Mallory and the jufinol. “This will be done by the human who is with me, and her telepathic symbiote.”
Mallory was not looking forward to contacting the alien gestalt again, but she was determined to follow orders. She decided to get down to it. She stepped around Hanosk and extended her right hand, resting it on one of the Saharj’s forearms.
She immediately felt Squish tense. Without any transition, she found herself bathed in a purple glow. Unlike the first time, when she had been assailed by a deafening hubbub, she heard a faint echo, a sad and distant murmur. As she adjusted to the gestalt, the bright network of glowing threads representing the connections between the aliens appeared before her.
The Saharj she was touching helped her to move freely this time, instead of having to struggle to maintain her presence. With a thought, she moved toward one of the spheres of light she had seen during her first “visit.” It consisted of a bundle of cords. She regretted her curiosity: deep suffering filled her mind, burning like a white-hot iron.
Trapped by the world-eater, hundreds of Saharj were flooding the gestalt with their torment. The connection nearly broke, but Squish managed to reduce the pain. Mallory then addressed the entity as directly as Hanosk had. “I need to know if your surrender is sincere.”
Just as it had the first time, a powerful voice answered. “Our decision is firm. Our thirst for revenge almost obliterated our existence. The pain we feel will be with us forever.”
Surprising Mallory, the collective mind opened itself to her. She received a jumbled flow of information and feelings. The process the gestalt had followed to reach its decision. Sadness at their abandonment by their creators. Hatred of the Gibral. The discovery of the belt and the Dva. Disagreements when the collective was too divided. Centuries of wandering.
Mallory screamed on both the spiritual and the real planes.
Returning to the physical world, she found herself in Hanosk’s gnarled arms, which she could feel through her clothing, strong and thick like steel cables.
The alien leaned his scaly rostrum toward her, examining her carefully. She sat up and saw Squish on the ground, curled in a tight ball. Connecting to the gestalt had exhausted him. She picked him up and cuddled him gently against her.
She spoke with difficulty. “It’s alright. They… They no longer represent a threat to us, the Gibrals, or the Xilfs.”
She was about to leave the cell, but Hanosk hadn’t finished. He produced the ball of thorns the guard had handed him and asked the Saharj with whom the pilot had entered into contact, “Where is this from?”
“We discovered it on a Tarcax. He was traveling between Solicor and Spica, and we seized his ship so we could return him there after he had been implanted.”
At the mention of the technique used by the Saharj to control the Gibrals, Mallory shuddered with disgust.
The Saharj continued, “It’s advanced technology that contains mind and physiology-altering substances. We tried to use it to ourselves, but we aren’t compatible, unlike Gibrals or humans.”
The remark piqued the pilot’s interest, despite her exhaustion. “How do you know that?”
The Saharj’s red eyes darted towards her. “Vassili Cole has used it repeatedly. We noticed when he arrived in the belt. His metabolism deviated significantly from the norm.”
The Saharj turned again to Hanosk. “I am surprised by your ignorance. This object is a ktol, one of the Primordials’ favorite tools. Without it, Vassili could not have beaten us with his bare hands and managed to escape.”
Mallory repressed her first question concerning the species whose existence she had discovered: a second question required an immediate response. She riveted her eyes on Hanosk’s rostrum. “If Vassili is so strong now, how did Laorcq manage to capture him?”
Before he could reply, the artificial gravity cut out and the few halos of light disappeared. The usual calm aboard the cruiser was replaced by a shrill sound: the alarm.
As if he were a mere human, Vassili had been imprisoned in a small room with a bed made of a piece of synthetic fur stretched on a frame and, behind a sliding door, facilities that were perfect for a Vohrn but were unfortunately challenging for an Earthling to use.
These details were of little interest to him. Focusing on his own body and the enhanced perception granted by the ktol, he prepared to face his captors.
His muscle fibers were now sheathed in a film that was several molecules thick, making them extremely robust and powerful.
His skeleton had also been reinforced, and although his skin looked the same, it was now stronger than any synthetic material.
His senses hadn’t been neglected: his sight could easily pierce the permanent darkness inside the cruiser, and his hearing allowed him to detect the flow of electricity in the devices around him. His nose transmitted so much information about his environment that he could rely on smell alone to navigate.
Concentrating on his perceptions, he gleaned the ship’s characteristics in an instant and was pleased that he had left the Antarian jet: the Vohrns’ genotech science blended the biological and the mechanical, making it more similar to a living being that an assembly of housing modules and spatial navigation systems. Such a ship offered endless potential!
Vassili approached one of the cell’s walls and touched it. He oriented toward the organic and incredibly complex machinery that controlled the cruiser. He stroked the metal panel, seeking a place where he could feel the genotech fibers that transmitted data throughout the gigantic structure.
“There. Let me in,” he whispered when he found a spot where the pulses were particularly pronounced.
He tensed his fingers and pushed them into the partition, which parted like canvas. The metal creaked, deforming under his superhuman strength. He then thrust his other hand in and, with a sudden gesture, tore the panel away as easily as opening a curtain. The gap revealed dark, gelatinous matter traversed by a network of black wires that looked like thick tendons. The cables were bundled into a mass the size of a fist.
Vassili grabbed hold them and froze suddenly. He had just connected to the cruiser’s nervous system. Despite the powers provided by the ktol, the influx of information and perceptions almost overwhelmed him. A normal human being’s mind would have been obliterated in a split second.
After a few painful moments, he regained control of his thoughts and inserted himself mentally into the living network.
Initially hesitant, he gained confidence as he progressed. His incursion became deeper and more incisive. The Urkein’Naak was revealed to him completely, naked and vulnerable to this new kind of attack.
Vassili first identified the life support systems, including the delicate balance required by the presence of an entire biome aboard the cruiser. He found his way to the synergetic group, which he immediately disabled. His mind then ventured into the maze of access controls and isolated the sections from each other. Finally, he cut off the electricity, leaving only the emergency generators running.
Intoxicated by the feeling of power provided by his merger with the ship, he had trouble breaking the connection. “This is interesting, but since this is
now my home, it’s time to evict the former owners…”
He left the nervous system and approached the “cell” door. He placed his palm on it and forced the panel aside.
In the corridor, two Vohrn guards turned toward him. Through a translator box fixed on its rostrum, one of them blurted, “Stay inside! The power interruption won’t last.”
“Sorry, I have other plans for the day.”
With all of his increased strength, Vassili leapt at the alien who had spoken to him and threw a punch, striking just below the cone formed by its rostrum. Despite his robust constitution, the Vohrn folded in half in shock. Under its grayish skin covered with fine scales, its skeleton cracked in multiple locations, creating splinters that the pressure exerted by the blow drove like needles into his vital organs.
In the time required for the dead soldier to collapse, his comrade suffered a similar fate. The modified human’s abrupt and brutal attack had not given them a chance to fight back.
Vassili’s gaze swept the gangway onto which his cell opened. There was nothing alive in the vicinity, but his overdeveloped senses detected many Vohrn nearby. He pondered, noticing that they were near the passageway to the rest of the ship. In all likelihood, they were trying to restore access to the nearby bridge.
Out of the question! He had isolated the major sections of the cruiser for a good reason. It would be much easier to take care of the occupants in stages.
He picked up the weapons of the guards he had just massacred and walked quickly to the junction.
He moved rapidly through the vessel. His brief connection with the Urkein’Naak had allowed him to memorize the architecture and to grant himself the highest authorization level. The ship considered him to be its new master. Every door opened and closed for him automatically.
He entered a wide corridor, where he saw the group of Vohrn he had sensed earlier. He opened fire in stride. Surprised, the aliens delayed their reaction. He neutralized three of them before realizing that the guards’ weapons were nonlethal. This discovery made him angry: he was going to have to kill them with his bare hands.
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