by Trevor Gregg
Weapons fire erupted all around him, he barely made it to cover behind a large structural pillar. Leicara and Benjam hadn’t been so lucky. Well, Leicara had actually been lucky because Benjam had jumped in front of her. Benjam screeched in pain as Kyren leaned around the other side of the column and squeezed off several shots before the high velocity rounds traced their way to him.
Benjam recovered enough to drag himself and Leicara behind another pillar. Kyren leaned around again and fired more shots, then dashed to the pillar Benjam and Leicara hid behind. As he ran he fired several wild shots, hoping to keep the bot at bay.
“Benjam! Are you okay?” Kyren cried as more rounds thudded into the pillar they were sheltered behind.
“Ach! Ow! Yes, I think so,” Benjam groused.
“Leicara?”
“I think so,” she replied, her voice cracking.
He looked down and saw there was a spreading blue stain marring her white robes.
“Oh no, Leicara,” Kyren cried, moving to her side.
She looked down and grimaced, grabbing her abdomen.
“You have to leave me,” she pleaded.
“What you need lies beyond that door, behind the bot,” she was interrupted by the computer’s countdown.
“T-minus one minute and seventeen seconds remaining before self destruct. Exit the facility now.”
“I can’t leave you, you’ve got to come with us, I’ll find you help,” he said desperately.
Leicara stood on shaky legs and grasped his face in her hands. She kissed him gently on his lips, then to Kyren’s horror dashed around the column, waving her arms. He heard the skittering and saw her dodge behind another pillar as rounds streamed after her, pinning her behind the column.
“Wait, I have an idea!” Benjam squeaked triumphantly. “Leicara, shift!”
A look of recognition crept onto her face, and she nodded. Holding out her hands again, she closed her eyes. Just then the reaper stepped around the corner. Kyren only had time for a wild shot, but it distracted the bot long enough.
They shifted again and the reaper winked out of existence. The wailing self-destruct alarm disappeared also.
“That’s it, we’re back in Tharox’s timeline. Let’s move before we bounce again,” Benjam exclaimed, squiggling toward the door.
Leicara staggered and Kyren caught her. Benjam opened the door and he carried her inside. Gently setting her down, he closed the door and looked around. In the center of the room was a small console, and sitting on top, ejected from the interface port, was a data core.
But it wasn’t just any data core. It was the data core. The one they had discovered on Skotty station, the one that contained the messages to themselves. Here it was, again. Or rather, maybe for the first time.
“Alright Benjam, how do we get out of here?” he asked with as much urgency as he could convey.
“T-minus fifteen seconds…”
“I have a fade-gate we can use to escape,” Benjam said, extracting a door-width metal rod, with emitters every few inches.
Benjam placed the rod against the wall and activated it. The sound of rushing water came from the dim room beyond.
“T-minus ten seconds… nine… eight…” the Computer counted down robotically.
Kyren dashed through, carrying Leicara, and Benjam squiggled in after.
“Five… four… three… two…”
Benjam bent to the corresponding rod on this side of the portal and deactivated it, right as the Computer reached “one.” The portal flickered out and they were left in darkness, rushing water the only indicator of where they were.
57
Jealousy
Alis watched them emerge from the waterfall. Benjam first, looking cautiously around. Then Kyren, carrying Leicara. What?! That irked Alis tremendously. It didn’t compare, though, to how bothered she was that Kyren hadn’t heard the music too.
It thrummed in every cell, every atom. How could Kyren not hear it? She had been tremendously disappointed, but she could not take time out for disappointment. She had work to do. Kirugi was coming.
Kyren carried Leicara down the path, oblivious to Alis’ presence, hidden amongst the trees, shadowed by the night. She could make out his form receding into the darkness, passing into the shadows cast by the light of the Azorian’s second moon.
Waiting for them to make some distance, she thought about Kyren and Leicara. What was that blue-skinned, no-haired, deceitful creep trying to do with Kyren? All Alis knew was Leicara better back off, or Alis was going to make her.
She stalked from her hiding place and followed them down the path. She crept from cover to cover. Brush, branches, and bends in the trail shielded her from sight. She listened, ears perking, and could hear them talking.
“We’ve got to get Leicara to a med bay, but she’s not waking up. How’re we going to find it?” she heard Kyren say, desperation in his voice.
“We don’t need her to wake, I discovered the quartermaster’s station. There is bound to be medical gear there,” Benjam squeaked.
They picked up their pace so Alis made haste. She would have to intercept them before they reached their destination. She needed to separate Kyren from the others, so he could listen. She knew she would be able to make him listen, if given the chance. He had to hear it. He had to join her.
Alis found a path through the woods that she had used frequently while running. It cut through and came out not far from the main entrance. She broke into a sprint, attempting to make it to the border before her quarry. Reaching the edge of the woods, where soil turned to stone, she slowed her pace and began to scan, her ears twitching as she strained to hear Kyren’s steps.
But all was quiet. She had indeed beaten them. She found a pile of boulders just inside, right next to the main trail, and hunkered down. Transforming her wrench into the sonic emitter, she waited impatiently. It didn’t take long for her sensitive ears to pick up Kyren’s thudding footsteps, though.
Preparing herself, she watched Kyren stepping around some brush and into the open. She forced herself to wait until she saw Benjam. Springing from cover she aimed the emitter and fired. A thunderclap accompanied a wall of force that slammed into Kyren and Benjam.
Kyren dropped Leicara as he went flying, sending her tumbling to the ground and rolling away with the blast. Benjam was tossed into the brush with a squish. She ran to Kyren’s side where he lay in the dirt.
He blinked and stared, eyes unfocused, and tried to work his mouth but no sound emerged. She heard footsteps behind her and whirled to find several Azorians, the poor lowly Dras. Only now they were mighty. Now they had taken their lives back, and dedicated them to the Kirugi. They were slaves no more.
The Dras came forward, their usually colorless garb now decorated with blue Azorian blood. Wordlessly, they grabbed Kyren and hauled him away. Alis darted after them, looking back to see Benjam emerging from the foliage. She raised her emitter to fire. Benjam spotted her taking aim and dove back into the trees.
Wordlessly still, they made their way to the barracks where Alis and the others had set up a makeshift camp. Most of their number had gone to the capitol, to prepare for the Kirugi’s arrival by creating safe locations for its offspring to grow. They would spread the music throughout the entire galaxy. And when done, they would find a new galaxy.
Alis had remained behind, because she knew Kyren would be back. She so desperately wanted him to hear the music, to join her in the light.
Struggling against the Dras, Kyren barked, “Alis, what the hell are you doing? C’mon, snap out of it!”
She walked over and stood next to him, resting her hand on the chest-plate of his battle armor. Reaching over him, she unclipped his rifle and slung it over her own shoulder. Alis relieved him of his satchel as well.
“Alis?” he said, sounding defeated.
“Kyren, I’m here to help you,” she crooned, running her finger along his jawline. “Don’t you want to be with me? You should hear it, the mu
sic. It’s wonderful. You’ll understand when you hear it.”
“Alis, what are you talking about?”
“You’ll understand more when we get where we’re going,” she said quietly.
She walked away as Kyren continued to struggle. The Azorians were strong, and they were many to his one.
“Put him down,” Alis commanded.
The Dras simultaneously let go, dropping Kyren to the ground heavily. He coughed and lay there for a moment, obviously stunned.
Recovering, he pushed himself upright and looked her in the eye, “Alis, there isn’t any music. I don’t hear anything.”
“And that is a shame. We can’t be together unless you hear it.”
She leaned close, ears twitching. Then she pulled back. Anger overtook her. How dare he not hear it? It was Leicara, wasn’t it, she thought. That bitch was gonna pay.
“Keep him here, but keep him whole,” Alis said to the crowd of Dras that had gathered.
They didn’t nod, or react in any way, but she knew they understood and would do as she had said. She left the barracks and returned to the streets, backtracking to the eastern garden, to the woods where she had left Benjam and Leicara.
Alis raised Kyren’s rifle awkwardly to her shoulder and advanced down the path. Her ears panned but she heard nothing. She reached the spot where they had been hit by her emitter blast, but there was no sign of Benjam or Leicara. She did spot a large pool of blue blood in the dirt, though.
Looks like she really is hurt, Alis thought gleefully. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure where the quartermaster’s station was. If Leicara hadn’t kept things from them, maybe she’d know where it was. Growling to no one, she left the woods, heading back into the criss-crossing streets of the compound.
58
Nanites
Benjam waited for forty-six seconds before creeping back onto the path. He watched Alis, the Dras, and Kyren turn a corner and disappear from sight. Squiggling over to Leicara’s crumpled form, Benjam quailed. She was so pale, her normally deep-blue skin was faded to the color of the sky. She was still, unmoving.
He didn’t waste any more time. He quickly scooped her up and squiggled off in the direction of the quartermaster’s station. He made it there unseen, and in record time. His tentacles were tired, but he still managed to lower Leicara gently to the floor. Racing to the terminal, he summoned the holoscreen and rapidly began a search of the inventory.
Quickly enough he found references to emergency medical gear, and shortly had a list of devices ready. He hit the execute symbol, not sure what it would do. He waited and listened. Picking up the sound of whirring rotors, he tensed. But he didn’t have to flee, dodge, or even be wounded.
There were three hoverdrones coming up the aisle. Clamped in their robotic appendages were a number of odd devices and several small cases. The drones deposited the gear and whirred away back into the massive warehouse. Benjam’s tentacles snaked out and began to sift through the equipment, opening the cases and extracting devices.
Benjam grabbed a medical scanner and began to look at Leicara. She’d lost a tremendous amount of blood, and was going into organ failure. If he didn’t act, and fast, she would have no chance.
He took an injection gun and loaded it with a canister containing a swirling black substance. Benjam continued prepping, placing a mask over Leicara’s mouth and nose, and activating an oxygen supply. Then he readied a needle for her vein, and went about attaching what he hoped was indeed a blood replenishing solution.
Once he had the blood replenisher flowing into her veins, he placed the injection gun against her arm and pull the trigger. There was a whoosh as the contents of the cylinder entered Leicara’s body. Benjam hoped the nanites would do their job, but he didn’t know if she was too wounded, too far gone.
He used a medical scanner to check her vitals again. He could detect the nanites, and could even see evidence of their repair. But she was still critical. There wasn’t any more he could do at the moment, it was up to Leicara’s will to live.
He turned back to the terminal and used it to access his research computer in the lab. The nanites had given him an idea, but he didn’t know if it would be feasible, it was such a long shot. But he had to try, of course. Alis’ very life depended on him finding a way to remove the Kirugi’s influence.
There had to be a way, of course. It couldn’t be all-powerful, could it? Benjam fervently hoped that wasn’t the case. Either way, though, he had to try, for Alis. And at least he had an idea.
He figured that since the Kirugi was influencing people from a great distance, it had to be using some sore of a faster-than-light communication system. There was only one method Benjam knew of to propagate a signal instantaneously. Quantum transmission, it was the only thing it could be.
So how to block the signal? It was likely interfacing with the brain’s electromagnetic field. That would mean he needed to protect the victim’s brain waves.
Benjam set about designing his solution, testing configurations in simulations. He had discovered that the nanites were essentially blank, containing no purpose by default. It was how they were “programmed” that made them function.
Two hours and forty three minutes later, Benjam’s tentacle pressed the execute key, and his programming was uploaded to the raw nanites. Eleven minutes later, the drone bearing a rack of small injection canisters whirred over.
Only sixteen vials. At least he had enough to dose Alis multiple times if necessary in the event his calculations were off. Unfortunately, he only knew what his calculations told him, and that was still within a range of significant uncertainty.
With the remaining vials, he was going to try to free some of the Dras. They could use allies, he knew. Picking up the small rack of vials and the injection gun, he stuffed them in his bag.
Benjam returned to Leicara’s side, checking her with the scanner again, he was delighted to find the nanites well at work. The mending was already apparent. Her vitals were stronger. It look like she had a better chance now.
But he would have to leave her to go save Alis and Kyren, and that made him nervous. What if the Dras found her? What if she needed more medical attention and he wasn’t there?
At the terminal once again, he requested the items he needed in order to execute his rescue plan. Stuffing the items delivered by the whirring drones into his sack, he squiggled to the door. Glancing back one more time at Leicara, he was surprised to find her eyes open, if only by half.
“Mrrrrrh,” she groaned.
He squiggled over quickly, running his med scanner again. She had improved dramatically, she might make it after all, he thought.
“Just rest, you’ve been through a lot,” Benjam squeaked, placing a tentacle gingerly on her shoulder.
Her eyes fluttered again and closed, her breathing even and deep. Hoisting his overflowing pack, he opened the door, half expecting to see the Dras waiting for him. Thankfully, the street was empty and dark, illuminated only by the light of the second moon. Benjam made his way into the maze of streets and buildings. He didn’t know where Alis was hiding, but he was sure he could draw her out.
59
Get Their Attention
Once he located a small plaza with an appropriate layout, Benjam began his setup. This would be tricky, he knew. And it could be painful. He quailed at the though, but steeled his resolve. This was for Alis, after all.
With that thought in mind, he raised the flare gun he had brought, and fired several flares into the air. They burned brightly, hanging on silken parachutes, illuminating a majority of the compound. That would get their attention. Well, he hoped it would anyway. Tapping a button on the boxy device next to him, it flared to life, a hologram of an Azorian woman, dressed in finery, singing some Azorian dirge.
Benjam cranked the volume up and waited. He had strategically placed barricades at all the entrances to the square, save one narrow alleyway leading in.
He needed them to come in that way or his p
lan would fail. Taking a look at the handheld controller, he viewed the square from the surveillance drone hovering above. It wasn’t long before he saw it. Coming down the only open alley were a dozen or so Dras. And Alis! Excellent! She had come, maybe he would be able to save her after all.
Alis stalked down the alley towards him, flanked on either side by Dras bearing knives. She stopped them with a wave at the alley mouth, while she stepped forward a pace.
“Benjam, Benjam, Benjam…” she said as if she were scolding a child.
“Alis, you’re going to be okay. I promise. I’m here to save you,” Benjam squeaked, hoping he didn’t sound as frightened as he was.
“You don’t have to save me. There’s nothing to save me from. You should try listening, you’ll understand when you hear the music.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” Benjam taunted.
“Fine, have it your way,” she replied hotly, raising her wrench, configured in sonic emitter form.
Before she could fire, Benjam grasped the two stun rods he had hidden behind his back. Using his lower tentacles, he engaged two fade gates he had positioned directly to his sides. He shot out his tentacles bearing the stun rods, thrusting them through the now active fade-gates. The stun rods passed through the gates and out the other side.
The other side, which had been strategically positioned at the entrance of the plaza, up against the walls, just before the opening. His stun rods found their targets, the two Dras flanking Alis. They went rigid and fell to the floor, dropping their knives with a clatter.
Using the tentacles now poking through into the alley, he activated several fade gates just behind Alis and the two Dras. He had placed them strategically so that they returned the person back to the alley way going in the opposite direction. He had effectively cut Alis off from her reinforcements. It was just she and Benjam now.