Mourning Ember

by Odin Oxthorn

  “FARIEM!!!” Electricity jolted his heart as the situation dawned on him. He bolted to his feet and raced down the stairs, nearly tripping over himself as he sped into the lab. “FARIEM!!! HELP!”

  The medic appeared through the hangar bay with a basket of freshly picked flowers. “Why is the squishy making so much noise?”

  “Nara! It’s—” His mind reeled at the possibilities jabbed at him. “Help, she’s—”

  “Where is she?”

  He waved his hands frantically as he turned back, ushering Fariem through the apartment. They took one look at Nara’s unresponsive form and sighed, extracting a device from their pocket.

  “Old habits die hard.” They shook their head, placing a metal plate over Nara’s chest. With a snap, the device sprung coils of needles into her flesh. Fariem fidgeted with settings, the grids on the square display on its face fluctuating madly as it attempted to normalize her.

  Nara’s ribcage began to inflate, her eyelids flickering as the machine injected life force inside her. But her engine refused to catch, her breath a stagnant pattern of commands. The machine pulled the entire weight, sustaining her with air.

  From behind, the two assistants entered the room, eyes wide with exasperation.

  “Serr, if you please,” Fariem ordered the duo, who obediently carried her off. Garrett followed closely while they settled her into a new medical room. He watched intently as they hooked machinery and computers into her skin. Barbs and pipes invaded every space of exposed flesh, some injecting liquids, some removing. The sounds rattled his nerves, mechanical energy replacing the very essence of life itself.

  Fariem extracted a silver-barbed tube from a computer, placing it on Nara’s forearm. The object burst apart in a multitude of springs, snaking its way into her veins. The machine warbled in a hum as toxicity reports streamed from the interface monitor.

  “Should have expected that again, sooner or later,” Fariem tsked.

  “Is she—” He did not dare finish the thought.

  They dismissed his concern with a hum. “That is entirely up to her. She’s been through a lot, and it is only a matter of time before it consumes her.”

  The last words with her were those of ire. Guilt began to overwhelm him. Not like this.

  “You have psychiatrists here, don’t you?” The words were almost pleading. “Can’t you do anything about her mental state?”

  “Not without her permission.”

  “Surely, you can—”

  “OUT OF THE QUESTION.” The medic’s snarl jolted Garrett back. They saw the fear in the human’s eyes, sheer panic racing across their thoughts. Embarrassed by the show of aggression, Fariem cleared their throat. “I am sorry. But that is not how it works here. All we can do is wait.”

  “I don’t…” But before he could finish his plea, Fariem and the assistants wordlessly left him alone. He looked back at Nara’s body, wanting to leap out of his skin to try to send a piece of his own soul to save her. Perhaps he had asked for too much.

  It is only a matter of time.

  Chapter 12

  ##12.0##

  Eons have passed. Her flesh had been taken over by the warming embrace of the rocky soil, her armor melded with the fossils that existed before her. Blossoms kissed her form, swaying gently in the breeze as they reached up to drink in the sun’s healing glow. She was calm, but she could feel the storm approach.

  The Wind and Rain appeared before her, a dance of civility whirling in the sky. Back and forth they clashed, blades glittering against the clouds. It was nearing. As time passed, the strife intensified, strikes craving more violent prizes.

  Rain had been corrupted, darkened by an incomprehensible desire. Their cloak shifted to deep shadowy reds, enveloping the sky with its burning ambition. The earth mourned, the blossoms igniting in puffs of flame. Searing waves of heat rose to meet the sky. The soul of the world charred, dissipating from the bedrock below.

  She watched as the ground became saturated with tears, salt eroding her skin. The heat bubbled away the remnants of her flesh, her nerves numb to the tremors beneath her. The sky was obstructed by plumes of smoke, smoldering orange cinders swirling within the clouds.

  The noise intensified, escalating to a seismic clamor as the earth strained against its own torment. Cracks split in her ears, the earth writhing as it tore around her. The rock yawned, sending streams of emptiness in widening chasms speeding toward her. She was at the epicenter, the sutures pulling her apart until her bones separated. She watched the pieces drift out of sight, leaving her in a vacuum of space.

  The cinders settled, cooling into a platter of pale starlight. The globe quaked and shifted, indiscernible voices rasping the air with heated intent. She watched as the world cracked, a jagged mouth splitting apart as tensions soared. Divides split the world asunder, each half repulsed by the other. Chunks of rock plummeted into the atmosphere as the struggle continued, steadily wasting the planet away.

  Her fingers tore into the furrows, every mote of energy focused on her one true desire. She pulled the rock apart, letting the voices scream their protests as the stone shrieked. Magma vomited from the chasm, the bubbling froth spilling onto her flesh. Rock fragments melted through the stream, morphing into gaping holes, vacant eyes and mouths that voiced their malice. Her flesh melted away as the flow slithered up to her throat.

  Her mouth spewed forth a bellow of malice. Her muscles strained as she heaved. With one final CRACK she tore the globe asunder. She hurled the pieces aside, letting them disappear into oblivion. A cackle echoed in the distance, a distorted mimicry of her own voice. Soon, it would be over.

  ##12.1##

  Light seared her brain as her crusted eyelids slowly peeled apart. Pain cinched them shut, waiting for the waves of ache to subside before allowing her to try again. The fragmented image her brain grasped told her she was in Fariem’s infirmary. Fucking hell.

  Her eyes moved to the ragged form of Garrett, his pallid face staring holes through the floor.

  “You fucking snitch,” she rumbled. With a groan, she turned her back to him, the electrolyte pumps bouncing playfully above her as she moved.

  The movement startled him in his seat. “Nara! You’re—”

  “I’m what?” Her lip curled over her fangs. “Alive? Great. Wonderful.”

  Garrett slumped back in the chair, her icy tone filling him with despair. “I’m—”

  “Spare me.” She was in no condition to deal with the human’s limited facets. Aches tampered with her mental state, her body bruised as if hit by a carrier truck. She was drained of all material fuel. And fucks to give.

  But Fate was not willing to grant respite, the gentle chime of a call piercing through the torrent in her brain. She flicked the answer with a limp wrist, answering the summons with a suppressed growl.

  “Tosk here. Are you well?”

  She refrained from honesty. “Given the circumstances.”

  “I know you don’t want to hear this, but Rothgar has been hailing us nonstop since your departure.”

  Of course she has. She winced as she sat up in the bed, plucking out each instrument from her skin. After dropping the bloody tangles over the side of the bed, she scrubbed her face, attempting to shake off the sickness clutching her guts. “I will be up shortly.”

  “Understood. Tosk out.”

  She slid off the gurney, never once meeting the human’s pleading eyes. Her fingers rebelled against her as she walked over to the computer terminal to order a clean uniform from the servo. She tried her best to hide the wavering in her step, leaning heavily against the bedpost as she fidgeted with the clasps.

  Breathing became a struggle, her muscles weakened by the struggle of keeping them inflated. She drank in several cleansing breaths, concentrating on her stance. When the fury pounding her head settled to a distant moan, she faced Garrett with piercing eyes.

  “You are coming with me. You will make a decision about your future along the way.”

&
nbsp; ##12.2##

  Garrett lurked behind the closed door to the command center, listening to the proceeding through his NetComm. He did not have the time to enjoy the travel to the Armored Wake. The foreboding tones and unnerving silence left him trembling in a clutter of possibilities. A world was about to evolve violently, and he was an impartial observer to its transformation.

  “Admiral Rothgar, I must protest at your insistence.” Nara addressed the viewscreen, her posture rigid, her voice unshakable. “The delegation proceedings are currently in session. I have already told you we will speak once our internal treaties have been established.”

  The representative had no interest in her words, flashing a document on the screen for the Wake’s crew to analyze. An arrest order from GaPFed High Command. “While the High Council is understanding of the situation on your planet, they are by no means willing to accept peace talks from a wanted war criminal. You are hereby ordered to surrender and answer for yourself at a designated GaPFed facility.”

  Garrett’s eyes widened at the proclamation. They can’t possibly mean the incident on Arcadia?

  He examined Nara’s expression, but the threat did not move her. The two leaders stared at each other, stoking fires of uncertainty between the two worlds. Finally, she raised her head, addressing the Admiral with a flat tone. “If I do, will you leave our airspace?”

  There was hesitation on the Admiral’s side. She searched through Nara’s stony demeanor through a wary lens. “Fine. But only until discussions have been concluded. GaPFed will not tolerate terrorists running freely in our galaxy.”

  Your galaxy? Arrogant cur. It was a proposition meant to trap her. GaPFed’s thirst for conquest was infamous even to Homeworld. Even if they were true to their word, who knew where she would land? But she was pursued by these forces every waking moment, if not from bounty hunters and governing warmongers, it was her own personal demons pressing her on. I am so fucking tired.

  “Very well. I surrender to these terms.” Her knees began to falter beneath her, and she raised a steadying hand to the control panel. “I will be alone on a transport. Send an escort to rendezvous at the coordinates of your choice. Elam out.”

  Wait, what? Garrett blinked, unsure his ears discerned what she had said. The screen went black as the channel disengaged, denying him access to the remainder of the conversation.

  Inside the bridge, Nara walked over to Tosk. “I delegate you to supervise the negotiations. If you are not comfortable speaking, call for the Past to bring a Scribe to engage on your behalf. Tell them it is ordered by me.”

  They regarded her solemnly, certain that she would not listen to protests. Only a soft wish, a disquieting sendoff. “Xannat’s Favor, Savant.”

  “And to you.” She nodded and departed the bridge. The door slid open, revealing Garrett’s panicked befuddlement staring back at her. Wordlessly, she passed him by, heading down to the hangar bay.

  He bolted up and sprinted at her heels, barely able to keep pace as the world around him started to crumble. “What is going on?”

  She did not stop to address him, calling out to the air. “Tosk will assist your departure. He knows Trade, but if you prefer someone familiar to interpret, Prism or Bellanar should be available by NetComm.”

  A vessel awaited her with open jaws. The stammering mental process of the human behind. She didn’t know what she was about to do, and in the end, she didn’t care. The fight was long and devastating. It would be a relief to see it end.

  She stepped up the ramp of the vehicle, only to be stopped by a stifled sob. She closed her eyes. Breathe in, breathe out. The wisps centered her focus. Everything would be fine. She turned to address Garrett, a sardonic smirk twitching a corner of her mouth. “Guess those consequences caught up to me.”

  “Wait, you can’t just… how long are you…” The vehicle door raised, sealing the answers behind its cold grasp. A hiss of steam swallowed his form as the ship elevated, gliding toward the bay doors.

  His mind reeled as his world crumbled around him, heart aching with the indescribable loss. Something inside him snapped, and he found himself gasping for air. He chased after the transport, watching in disbelief as the craft sped out into the stars, a boom of engine wash shuddering across the deck. She’s gone. I can’t just... someone help. Anyone. This can’t be happening.

  Translators. Two choices. Who would possibly help?

  He raised his wrist to his face, frantically pressing buttons until the signal connected. The reception barely registered before he shouted into the speaker. “Bellanar! Are you there? I need you.”

  “Of course, Garrett. What is the matter?” The sound of his voice sent reassuring waves across the channel.

  “It’s Nara. She’s been captured by GaPFed and—” The admission choked out his words. He pushed back the tears with a chain of sharp inhalations. “And I don’t know if she is coming back.”

  “Understood. It’s going to take me a minute to get the ship back.” He slung a string of obscenities, the sound of clattering metal behind him. “It’s been impounded.”

  “We don’t have a—”

  Bangs drowned out his response, the noise ceasing with an agreeable electronic beep. A whirr of wakening machinery replaced the clamor. “Oop! There we go. Heading your way.”

  Please hurry, Garrett pleaded. I don’t know what I will do without her.

  Chapter 13

  ##13.0##

  Guns were fixed on her from the very moment she stepped on the transport, her wrists bound by manacles. The expedition to the prison ship was grueling, fire creeping closer around the edges of her vision. The cold blinding white walls were no match for the churning inferno inside her. Concentration decayed as she was led down the corridor. Unable to keep track of her location, she could only focus on walking, one foot in front of the other.

  Voices of the guards crackled around her, but the sounds did not knit into words. The flames licked at her ears.

  “Why—security? Aren’t they….”

  “Can’t take…” The corridor stretched out to oblivion, twisting before her eyes. An endless march to an unknown end. “…explosions. Lots of lives—”

  Sickness swirled her senses, the waves of nausea magnifying with each second of her resistance. She had been here before. The shackles, the collar. The anger.

  “… holding—for….. wait…..—xecution…”

  Breathe.

  “Sir…?” In. Out. In. Out. “What should we—”

  The shackles tightened around her wrists, a jolt of static chastising her hesitation. Her jaw clamped shut, the blaze coursing through her veins. An insatiable hunger tore at its restraints.

  “Hah.” A jagged grin contorted her lips, the light flickering between a spectrum of emotion. Her mind was slipping away. Losing control. She clawed at her consciousness, grasping at the fleeting sensation of her body.

  I can’t. Not here.

  A cackle shattered across the halls. The scent of prey released fear into the atmosphere. Three hearts. Blood.

  Is this where you want to end? Are you willing to…

  … juST….Let iT…….ALL…

  …BURN…

  ##13.1##

  “Do you have something with human tech on it?” Garrett’s fingers were a blur of taps as he set up his hawking system over the NetComm. “I haven’t learned enough of your systems to do anything useful.”

  “How about this?” Bellanar stepped out wearing the full uniform of a GaPFed security enforcer. Intimidation was certainly an aspect of the sleek design, but the man’s stature amplified it tenfold. By Ara’yulthr standards, he was not a particularly strong individual, but the uniform demanded respect and exuded power.

  Garrett eyed him up and down, startled by Bellanar’s resourcefulness. “Where did you get that uniform?”

  “Don’t ask incriminating questions.” He tsked, brushing the sleeves of his uniform. “I should be able to get a connection to the helmet.”

  Th
e GaPFed prison ship rumbled beneath them, the engines of the behemoth churning with a course correction. They sat comfortably inside the pilot fish craft they requisitioned, docking clamps sunk into the hull to hitch alongside.

  “You sure they can’t see us?” Garrett scanned the viewscreen nervously, watching the bay door of the GaPFed ship.

  Bellanar nodded emphatically. “They have no idea we are here.”

  “If that is the case, how did you get caught?”

  “I ran out of battery and couldn’t put the shield back up.” The man scratched his neck sheepishly.

  Garret rubbed his forehead and walked toward the cockpit, checking the fuel cell levels. Now would not be a good time for that to happen again.

  “Don’t worry, we will be fine! Trust me!” Bellanar flipped his helmet over his face, sealing himself from the air around him. “Off I go!”

  He sauntered off to the airlock, leaving Garrett with an astonished expression. A jaunty tune frolicked inside the helmet, joined in by the hiss of air pressure cycling. The hatch peeled open, and he emerged from the belly of the ship, his boots clamping down on the GaPFed ship’s hull with a magnetized clunk. After checking the status of his artificial environment, he climbed up to the prison ship’s escape hatch, toying with the settings of the key panel.

  A beep of delight prodded his ear. “Ah! There you are! So glad you worked it out.”

  “Yeah. It’s just a matter of refreshing my memory.” Garrett connected his feed to the helmet’s sensors.

  “You should give yourself more credit.” The door slid open, and Bellanar glided inside the ship’s hold.

  “Sure.” He didn’t know how to take the strange person’s peppy outlook. He was used to Nara’s bitter cynicism. The interaction made him slightly uncomfortable. “So, what’s the plan?”