by Odin Oxthorn
“I was a liability to him. He kept me away from everything.” He looked down at his feet, his voice wavering at the recollection. “Even Baran kept his mouth shut.”
Nara examined his face upon the utterance of the man’s name. Innocence and ignorance. He clearly had no idea what that henchman was capable of. What he did to her. “What happened to Velonir was business. If I didn’t pull that trigger, someone else would have. He was going to die regardless of me.”
“And who would be capable of that? Cain?” Garrett scoffed. “There are very few mercs on the bounty boards willing to take on someone that high-profile and hope to succeed.”
“Listen, highborn, you and your family are not invincible. Your father is piss in a bucket compared to the company he pissed off.” She could hardly believe it herself. But when it came to the shadow corporation Paragon, no one would risk getting in their way. No one knows how the ubiquitous company established, who pulls the strings. Yet somehow, their brand of pharmaceuticals lines every shelf in the galaxy. When they decide to make a move, someone seriously fucked up.
“Who?” His anger deepened through flushed cheeks, the enigmatic account sending his brain further into a maddening rhythm of questions.
Nara hesitated. A chill ran up her spine at the recollection of the contract. “I am not about to disclose that with you.”
Garrett slunk in his seat, shaking his head in disbelief. “I am not sure how I am supposed to associate with you.”
“Then don’t.”
“That’s it? That’s your reply? Our time spent means nothing to you?” He slapped his hands against the armrests of his chair. “You cannot honestly expect me to believe you wouldn’t regret cutting ties with me.”
“If I regret every single thing I have cut out in my life, there would be nothing left of me.”
“And you are perfectly content with living with yourself?” His voice quaked, the stab of betrayal picking away at his social filters. “You can’t just keep drinking your problems away!”
“What do you want me to say?” Nara roared. “I was constantly under fire from YOUR ties every second we met. We didn’t have time to get to know each other. And we already discussed what would have happened if I knew sooner.”
“But we—”
“I am what I am, human.” The chair screeched behind her as she snapped to her feet. “I do what I must to adapt to a shitty, dark universe. You knew this, and yet you chose to stay around me. I do not need your pity or your desire to change me into a good person.”
Silence festered between the glass barrier as tempers began to boil over. Exhaustion fanned flames on both sides of the pot, both too tired to acknowledge the point of view of the other. Neither wanted to be having this conversation, but neither wanted the issue buried deeper.
Garrett, having nowhere to flee from the confrontation within the confines of his cell, lowered his voice to a whisper. “One of these days, you will have to face the consequences of your actions.”
CRACK!
He jumped in his seat as Nara’s fist smashed into the glass. Fissures spiderwebbed around her knuckles. A spray of condensation haloed around her fingers as the heat of her flesh cooled on the slick surface.
The commotion summoned a pair of guards running to her side, eyeing the spectacle in alarm. “Is everything all right, Savant?”
Nara slowly raised herself up, filling her lungs with air. She released it in a drawn out, steady rhythm through her mouth. Crackles pitted the air between them, the glass healing the damage in grating scrapes. “Everything is fine. I was just leaving.”
The wall filled in with inky darkness, leaving fear flickering across Garrett’s chest. He shook the feelings away, fanning the heat that scorched his cheeks. There was no use talking with her. She was hiding something from him, and it would take all the forces of nature combined to extract it.
“Fuck this.” He picked up his NetComm from the floor and went back to his assault against the door controls.
The logical fluid teased his prodding, binding with the input that he fed it. The unsuccessful attempts were grinding down his patience, but he thought he was getting closer.
Upon further examination, he noticed an anomaly in the network, a strange thin patch like a piece of gum stretched to transparency. It was oddly fabricated, artificial, even. He tuned his prods, sharpening them to needle-like precision. And with a few gestures, the film burst, revealing the access commands to him. Another adjustment, scraping the edges of the goo, and suddenly, the cell door opened behind him.
He glanced around the room in disbelief, stepping toward the opening. Poking his head out, he looked both ways to watch for the guards. No one in sight. Odd. He gingerly stepped out, slinking along the wall as he crossed the hallway.
Now what?
He turned around the corner, just to collide with an Ara’yulthr individual speeding his way. He tripped on his feet and landed on his backside, the jolt sending sparks rioting through his spine. Fuck.
“You have been released.” Their glittering violet eyes scanned him up and down, their disapproving glare shifting a crescent mark just above their cheekbone. With a disapproving hum, they cleared their throat, flipping their navy hair over their shoulder. “I have been tasked with escorting you back to your living quarters. If you will follow me.”
“Sure.” He kept his eyes on the strange figure, slowly raising himself up from the ground. Their regal no-nonsense aura radiated as they gestured him forward, and something in their posture made him hesitate.
“Come along, now.” They turned around and glided through the hallway.
Garrett quietly pattered along as they traversed the labyrinth of the prison. His eyes darted at every seam and crevice, looking for a potential escape route if things went south. He noted the expressions of the patrols that crossed their path. Initially, they bowed in respect to the seemingly high-ranking official that led him around. But as he looked around, he met their double-takes, their curiosity of the wandering human. Shrugs met with acceptance as the patrols continued their watch. But there was something else there.
The cool air of the hangar bay met them as they walked into the mechanical chasm. His guide continued forward, marching toward an aircraft just outside the entrance.
“This way, if you please.” The escort waved an inviting hand toward the open craft.
He hesitated, the situation beginning to etch at his suspicions. “Do forgive me. I have been away from the beauty of your nature for some time. I cannot help but admire the gorgeous scenery.”
“Time is of the essence.” They gave him a disapproving frown. “I have other pressing matters to attend to.”
His legs were leaden as they moved forward. A bog pulled at each step as he climbed up the stairway, and he stared blankly at the interior of the aircraft. Something isn’t right.
“I would like to see—” A gasp stole his words as the guide snapped a hand on his shoulder. A sharp sting penetrated his flesh, and his body lost all sense of balance. His head met metal, his eyes darkening. His body was raised and placed on a cool shelf.
Voices echoed through his brain, speeding away from him as the world around him began to fade.
“Your assistance in this matter has been appreciated, Councilor.”
“Spare me. After this, I want to hear nothing more from you. I want this conflict resolved.”
“As you wish.”
Chapter 9
##9.0##
After collecting herself, Nara made her way to the lab and marched straight for Syf, who was minding their own business fiddling with calculations on their screen.
“I need you or your associated network to scrub this.” She dropped the armor badge in front of them. “I would prefer not to have it restored to factory defaults, but do what you have to.”
“Oh, what is this? Third-party human technology!” Syf squeed with delight, snatching the device with greedy claws. “What is the phrase? Ah! ‘Voided Warranties.’
Yes!”
Nara turned to head for her apartment. “Have fun. Bring it back in one piece.”
Just as she raised a hand to switch the security lock, Fariem charged at her with a travel pack in tow. “Ah, good. You’re on time. Come along now.”
“What now?” She ejected a sigh as she rested her forehead on the door.
They disregarded her disdain, opening the satchel to count off ration parcels. “It is time for another Specimen Expedition.”
“You have two lab assistants.” Her head lifted slightly as her brows scrunched together. “The same two assistants you have made do with for the past thirty years.”
Fariem continued shoving materials into transport packs, darting back and forth to load them on a small buggy. “But neither of them could hunt for dinner as efficiently.”
“Ugh.” Specimen Expedition was code for camping, used as an excuse to get out of the lab while still being productive. Fariem was never opposed to the idea of leisure, but they took an amusement in napping on the job. After all, it was not fun unless you were breaking rules.
Nara wordlessly turned around, brandishing a searing scowl.
“There’s a good soldier,” Fariem chirped, pointing at a box of equipment. “Help me with that crate there.”
Defeated, Nara hefted the metal container onto the cart, letting it down with a dramatic thud. She knew what they were trying to do, and she also knew they would not accept no for an answer. No matter how many stars were threatening to collapse in their solar system.
“That should be the last of it.” Fariem dusted their hands then shimmied into the driver seat of the vehicle. “Right, let’s go.”
Letting off another grumble laced with obscenities, Nara begrudgingly slid into the passenger seat. “One. Night. That is all.”
“The world isn’t going to end in one night,” Fariem remarked before unleashing a sharp whistle to the pair of lab assistants who obediently filed into the machine.
Nara could only shake her head. You sound so confident.
The trip to the campsite was relatively calm, the gentle hum of the hovercraft drowned out by the chirps and hisses of the local ecosystem. Fariem did not instigate conversation, letting Nara stew in her mental froth.
I just stomped around in the beast’s lair, and Fariem thinks it’s a great time for a vacation. She ground her teeth as the storm of “what ifs” seeped into her mind. Plots and contingencies wove a tapestry of possibility. Would he act first, or would she have to? Who did Abberon manage to build allegiances to? How can bloodshed be avoided?
The light in her eyes warped to a pink shimmer as the vehicle glided past the safety of the warding shield covering the city. With a blink, the iridescent glaze slinked behind them, leaving them exposed to the full force of Nature’s arsenal.
The swaying of the machinery lulled her into a desensitized state. She peered in the rearview to find Syf laying their head in Ki’nit’s lap tinkering with her armor badge, brow furrowed in contemplation. Their partner was lost in their own world, staring out the windows while idly twirling Syf’s ponytail through their fingers.
Nothing changes around here. She was jealous of their peacefulness, the nostalgia burning a hole in her spirits. Contentment to such an intimate degree was a foreign concept to her, replaced by an unrelenting sense of duty and sacrifice for the behalf of others. Though was that really different? Taking security in control over her own actions?
Fariem ushered the craft through a network of trees, navigating through the maze of stony trunks. Blurs of multi-legged creatures leaped out of the foliage, letting off cries of scorn at the mechanical disturbance. Gravity pulled at them as they crested the hill, a clearing of moss and grasses awaiting at the peak. The sun’s rays danced through the branches, tickling the hull of the craft as they ventured forth.
“Ah, here we are.” Fariem announced. The vehicle swirled to a whisper as it lowered to the plush carpet of moss below.
Wordlessly the group unpacked and began to set up camp. The lab assistants took the initiative and constructed shelters with miniaturized domicile cubes. Frames of triangular prisms sprouted from the ground, while a delicate thermal sheeting coated each of the faces with a glistening sheen. Once assembled, the sheeting morphed into a mesh of screen that permitted the view of the wildlife.
Nara distracted herself with the campfire, summoning a metal safety pit along with cooking devices and a few seating areas. She then gathered fallen branches and dead leaves, forming a pile in the center. The pit chirped as each offering was placed inside, reciting how long the fire would last based on the weight of the kindling.
EIGHT HOURS DURATION. IGNITING. PLEASE KEEP ALL PERSONNEL AND FLAMMABLES AT A SAFE DISTANCE, the cheery voice requested as Nara pressed the control.
Fariem oversaw the production with their eyes glued to a tablet, muttering the occasional names of species surrounding them. They made circles around the campsite, tapping controls and settings with a free hand as their mind reeled with numbers.
Before long, the barebones shelter was finalized, complete with lab tables and running water facilities.
“All right, this should be enough for now.” Fariem passed a data file with a map of the area. The image was coated in colored blobs for each party member, and a key listed off each plant and fungi desired. “According to the weather charts, it should be quite a frugal hunt. Your computers should be synched, so call out if you need help.”
The two assistants bowed in acknowledgement while Nara waved indifferently, poking the fire with a stick.
“Off you get. There isn’t that much daylight left,” Fariem chastised. “You’ve got the east quadrant.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Nara groaned and stood up, brushing fallen blossoms from her thighs.
“Ah! Before I forget…” Syf approached and delicately placed the armor badge in her hand. “It was relatively clean. Whatever was inside appeared to have self-destructed. Didn’t leave much of a residue.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure of that?”
“Perfectly. Lots of foreign languages on it, though, but nothing I haven’t seen before.” Syf met her eyes with a wolfish grin. “And I may have added a thing or two in there for later use.”
“I would not have expected anything else from you.” She scoffed and pocketed the device. “I appreciate the time you took.”
“It’s always fun.” A soft giggle echoed from their throat as they turned and disappeared into the foliage.
Nara dismissed their revelry and picked up a collections pack from the pile of supplies. She raised a tablet to her face, examining the territory she was assigned. A few fungus strains, several moss colonies, a flying insect or two if she could manage. Nothing too burdensome. And, of course, whatever they were planning to eat for the evening.
Walking down the hill, she increased the magnification of her view of the area until grids of species and numbers overloaded the map. Percentiles of probability, the time of year, and growth cycles gave her input to plot her journey. As she selected a few waypoints to traverse, the ground beneath her began to soften. She was nearing her target straight into marshlands.
She slipped the device in a sealed compartment of her bag and examined the landscape. Directly in front of her was a gently bubbling pond, the waters dark with plum-colored algae. Wind-etched reeds pierced through clusters of broad-clawed leaves that floated on the water, the tips of their spiked fibers adorned with shining jewels of tempting berries.
Her boots sank into the greyish-green mud as she wandered around the bank of the pond, the sickening slorp of suction following her with each step. She took comfort in the pull against her legs, having forgotten the last time she was this close to the wilds. Her eyes glazed over the area, watching the movement of creatures shifting beneath the mire.
She knelt down to a tangled foam-like structure. Strands of milky-blue stalks knitted into an intricate knotwork, perfectly symmetrical as if hand-illustrated by a master artist.
Too perfect to form in nature. Each vine ended in a bulb of shiny black dots reflecting the scenery like a set of compound eyes.
Dream-Eye. That will do quite nicely. She took out a blade from her pocket and sliced through the base of the knot. The severed ends shifted colors, the blue flesh morphing to a vibrant fuchsia, as if reacting to the damage. She slid out a container, placing the specimen delicately inside. As she closed her satchel, a flash of movement caught her eye. A wistful smile deformed her lips.
I wonder if I still have it, she mused and rose to her feet. Hanging her satchel on the gnarled branch of a nearby tree, she rolled up the cuffs of her pants, exposing her shins to the humid air. With slow, cautious steps, she glided into the murk, letting the cool liquid caress her skin with delicate ripples.
Her breathing slowed as she neared the center, the waters buzzing with the life surrounding her. She closed her eyes and focused, cutting off the sounds of the air in her ears. Every nerve of her being became still, in harmony with the liquid, feeling the flow of the vegetation trickle over her skin.
Stillness, silence.
…and then?
A flicker, a spark of movement nearing. Curious. Closer. Yes.
The weeds stirred around her ankles. A little closer.
She inflated her lungs with air, her rhythm quiet as a shadow.
Now.
The water erupted as she lunged to her side, clawing at the shining scales of a slithering creature. She drove her nails into its skin, cinching it in her grip as it flailed violently. Tightening her hold, she steadied herself and yanked it out of the water. Gotcha.
The whip-like creature gnashed its pointy rows of teeth, glaring at her vehemently as it was extracted from its home. Its rippled scaled pattern weaved like the waters, a cunning disguise for its prey. Perfect.
But Nara did not have long to revel in her victory when something in the distance stirred behind her. A rhythmic clatter of thunder. A snapping of trees.
Fuck! She dropped her quarry with a sploosh and charged up the water, tearing her footfalls out of the mud with each step. Abandoning her satchel, she raced to the camp, swatting at vines and branches threatening to trip her flight.