by Gregg Vann
He paused to look at me for a moment, but then kept walking without saying a word.
{That was close}
And completely involuntary. My stomach muscles spasmed without warning.
I made it the rest of the way to the transport hub without incident, and when the next car arrived, I fell down hard into one of the seats. I winced from the impact, but neither of the other two passengers seemed to notice. Or maybe they simply didn’t care. The pair were in the middle of a heated discussion about something, and seemed oblivious to my presence altogether. The car started moving again, and I pulled up the hangar’s location on the armrest and selected it.
As we get closer, Seeris, see if you can reach Uli on her scanner.
{I have already been trying, Udek}
I don’t know anything about Brenin physiology, but these injuries appear damn significant. How bad is it?
{The punctured lung is the larger issue. The diminished oxygen flow coupled with the blood loss could make you lose consciousness}
That makes sense; I’m already dizzy, and every breath hurts.
{Uli can repair my body, but we must hurry}
The car stopped and the other two passengers rose and got off, continuing their argument as they stepped out of the transport. The doors closed behind them and the vehicle smoothly slid into motion again. Just as it reached cruising speed, the armrest vibrated and a loud alarm began to wail. I looked at the display and saw that a general alert had been ordered.
They’d found Toz’s body.
The car came to a stop and I forced myself up, holding on to the seats as I moved toward the doors. I was relieved to find that I’d arrived at my intended destination, and not been diverted to some other area of the ship as part of a Brenin security protocol. As I stepped out onto the main concourse leading to the hangar deck, I was greeted with a picture of my own face—Seeris’ face actually—displayed on a wall monitor directly in front of me. Looking down the corridor, I saw that the same image was on every monitor.
Not good.
{Uli is near. They are hiding in an airlock just down this corridor. Turn left, and then go straight ahead about fifteen meters; they are at the end of the hallway on the right}
I remembered from the diagram that the scout ship was in the opposite direction, and toyed with the idea of leaving the pair behind, but I knew that I needed Uli to heal my injuries, and Boe to get us past the Obas military. I reluctantly started walking toward them just as four, armed Brenin came around the corner at the far end of the corridor. I slowed my pace to keep from appearing suspicious and focused in on the group. I could tell by their demeanor that they hadn’t identified me yet; one of them was holding a scanner and leading the others.
{They are following the Obas’ life signs…maybe even Uli’s. By now, they know everything that’s happened}
Tell her to seal the airlock door from the inside.
{What good will that do? They can simply override the controls}
I’ll take care of that. Ask her if there are any spacesuits in there as well.
{Why?}
Just do it! We don’t have time.
{She said yes}
Then tell her to put one on.
I stepped up to one of the wall consoles and pretended to work. When the Brenin turned down the hall leading to the airlock, I pulled Toz’s hand out of the bag and placed it on the panel—everything lit up green and a dialogue box popped up.
Ask her the number on the airlock.
{G-67. What are you doing?}
I input the information and the airlock controls came up, presenting me with a series of commands. I sealed the door using the marshal’s authority.
{You’ve sealed her in there…but why?}
So they can’t override her lockout. They won’t be able to trump Toz’s authority, and will have to cut their way in.
{What good does that do us?}
You will see.
I stuffed the marshal’s hand back into the bag, and then half-ran, half-shuffled back in the direction of the large flight hangar. At the entrance, I slowed my pace and calmly walked inside. I was greeted by the sight of many different types of Brenin ships, all in various states of readiness. Some were immediate response fighters, prepared to fly straight out and engage the enemy; others were torn apart and lay in different stages of maintenance—some merely framework. There were even a couple of the heavy bombers I’d seen in videos from Brenin planetary attacks; the ships they used to pacify their conquered subjects.
I followed a circuitous route to the closest, unattended scout craft, carefully avoiding the host of Brenin walking around performing their duties. When no one was looking, I crouched down low and unlatched the entry port, then I pushed it open and climbed up inside the ship.
{We are not leaving her!}
Don’t worry, Seeris. We are not leaving either of them.
I resealed the hatch behind me and dropped into the pilot’s chair, shaking my head to fend off the dizziness. Then I turned on the console and started the engines. As they warmed up, I pulled Toz’s hand out of the bag and placed it on the control surface; a multitude of new commands presented themselves and I started issuing orders to different departments; I knew that Seeris was watching my every move.
{Clever, Udek. Very clever}
I’m glad you approve.
{But will it work?}
I ignored him and returned to the flight controls, raising the ship off the deck and nudging it slightly to the side to clear some maintenance equipment. Among the many orders I’d just issued was one granting unrestricted flight clearance to this vessel, and as I hovered across the hangar, lining up with one of the many launch doors, I watched in satisfaction as it opened automatically at my approach. I flew into the waiting bay beyond, and the large, metal door closed behind me. The exterior door began to slowly open, and when it reached the minimum height clearance for the scout ship, I launched into space—immediately turning left and diving back in close to the massive vessel. I came to a stop just outside the airlock where Uli and Boe were trapped.
Tell Uli to get ready, Seeris. Instruct her to latch onto the Obas’ containment tank so I only have one object to catch.
{You are a madman, Udek. But she tells me she’s ready. Hurry…Uli says they’ve started cutting through the door}
I rotated the craft sideways and positioned the bottom hatch parallel to the airlock’s outer door.
“This would be a hell of a lot easier if this ship had a docking port,” I grumbled aloud.
I stood up and hobbled back to the flight locker, where I struggled to put on one of the spacesuits stored within it. The process was difficult and slow, especially the legs.
{Hurry up, Udek. They are getting in!}
I sealed the helmet and hit the atmospheric purge switch—starting the pumps that quickly rid the ship of air. Then I opened the exterior hatch, locking it in place before going back over to the flight console. Using Toz’s authorization, I overrode the safeties on the airlock where Uli was hiding and triggered a rapid depressurization. When I hit the final command, the airlock door flew open, shooting Uli and Boe out into space. A slew of debris followed them out, including at least one Brenin body. They’d already cut their way into the airlock by the time I opened it to vacuum.
I studied Uli’s trajectory, then briefly fired the ship’s thrusters to better align the hatch with her path. As I watched her approach the vessel, I was gratified to see that she’d locked herself onto Boe’s containment tank as directed. The chamber gently bumped into the ship as I bent down through the hatch, reaching out to grab Uli’s hand and pull them in. When she got close enough, I let go and she crawled onto my back, working her way over and past me to enter the ship. I held on to the container tightly as she squeezed by, and then tried to pull the tank in with me as I leaned back inside. It was a close fit, and I had to retract the rolling assembly flush into the carriage before I could finally drag it through the opening and set it
down on the deck. I turned around to seal the hatch behind me, and then staggered to the flight console to restore the ship’s atmosphere. As pressurized air loudly filled the cabin, I set a course away from the fleet and brought the engines to full power.
“The shield—” Uli started.
“I’ve already taken care of it,” I said.
We sped away from the dense, central collection of ships, making our way to the outer perimeter of the Brenin fleet.
“Why aren’t they chasing us?” Uli asked.
“Because Marshal Toz ordered all the hangar doors sealed, and then locked out the controls on every patrol ship. He also took the engines and weapons offline on the larger vessels.”
“But why would he do that?” she asked is amazement.
I gestured to the severed hand, still resting on the console. “He didn’t have much of a choice.”
A hole opened up in the Brenin shield as we approached, re-setting itself as soon as we passed through. Then my console beeped loudly, drawing my attention to an incoming message. I saw that it was a fleet-wide communiqué; the Brenin had finally realized what was happening and were rescinding Marshal Toz’s clearances. But it was too late; I knew they couldn’t undo everything in time to stop us now. I quickly checked my download queue and was relieved to find I’d gotten everything I was after.
At the same time I was issuing my departure clearances and locking down the launch bays, I’d also set up a program to ferret out all data pertaining to the shield technology, and directed it to make a local copy. It was all here. We had what we needed, and by the time the Brenin got everything straightened out and returned the fleet to normal operations, we would be too far away for them to catch us and get it back.
Toz’s authority had been most helpful. It was a shame I’d been unable to find a self-destruct order; I could have taken out this entire Brenin armada with a single slide of one finger.
But nothing is ever THAT easy.
Chapter Fifteen
I pulled off my helmet and placed it on the console, then reached over to engage the ship’s autopilot. Once I confirmed that the computer had chosen the fastest route to Obas, I turned around to speak with Uli. She was sitting in the back on a pull-down jump seat, and before I got a chance to open my mouth, she started yelling at me—the shrill voice amplifying as she took off her helmet.
“Are you are insane, Udek? We could have been killed! Wait…” She tilted her head slightly to one side and regarded me closely. “Why are you breathing like that? What have you done to Seeris’ body?”
“There was no other way to get you out,” I answered. “And the injuries are courtesy of Marshall Toz and his Veilcat.”
{It’s true, Uli} Seeris’ confirmed, his muffled words emanating from the scanner tucked underneath her spacesuit. {It was necessary to jettison you like that to get you off the ship…and the injuries did occur during the struggle with Marshal Toz}
Her features softened—but just barely—and she lowered her voice. “Get that suit off so I can see how badly you’ve been hurt.”
I unsteadily got up from the chair, and Uli came over to help me peel off the spacesuit. Even with both of us working together, it was a major effort to remove the tight-fitting outfit. It was sticking to my body—now bleeding again from several of my wounds, and severed tendons and partially unresponsive muscles were reasserting themselves now that the danger had passed. But despite the difficulties, we finally managed to get it off, then Uli pulled the scanner out from underneath her suit and passed it over my body. She read the litany of injuries aloud as the machine discovered and evaluated them.
“Collapsed lung, broken femur and metatarsal on the right leg…severe lacerations on both extremities. Transected artery in the left leg—emergency patch in place. Two penetrating wounds on the torso, both passing all the way through… Your bledi! What happened to it? It’s gone. Looks like it was broken off.
She looked up from the scanner and stared at my face. “How did you even make it this far?”
“The alternative was death.”
“Good point. I’m going to get the ship’s medical kit and address these wounds. I’ll need to put you out for about ten hours—maybe longer—while I perform the necessary procedures to repair everything.”
“Ten hours!” I protested.
“At least,” she reemphasized. “It will keep you from waking up before I can adequately control the pain these procedures are going to cause. And believe me, you don’t want to be awake for this.”
“Very well.”
{And what about the Obas?} Seeris said.
“We leave him in the chamber until I’m conscious again,” I replied. “I don’t trust him—he might try to subdue Uli and take control of the ship.”
She bristled at the suggestion. “I can take care of myself, Udek.”
{He’s right, Uli. We needn’t take that chance}
“All right, Seeris,” she agreed reluctantly. She gestured at the ground. “Lie down on the floor next to the Obas’ chamber. We’ll have to make do with what we have to mend Seeris body, and it’s not like we have a bed in here.”
I did as directed, holding on to Boe’s tank and using it to lower myself down jerkily, while she went to the emergency locker to gather up the medical supplies. My mind raced as I laid down flat on my back; I was wary…uncertain of Uli’s motives. Would she try to remove the soul chamber while I slept? I didn’t think she’d do anything that might hurt her brother—especially with the lethal Bodhi precautions in place—but maybe she thought she could actually pull it off.
{Relax, Udek. She will do as she says…nothing more}
So you can hear all of my thoughts now, Seeris? Even when they’re not directed at you?
{No. I merely guessed at what you were thinking. But I am sensing more of your consciousness. Seeing more of who…of what…you are}
My mind is my own, Brenin. Remember your place in this arrangement.
{Heed your own advice, Udek}
Uli returned with a circular, red box and pulled it open, digging out a thin, metal band, which she then placed around my wrist. She slid a finger down the edge of the device and I felt myself relax. The pain, which had been with me since I first awoke on the Brenin flagship, finally began to subside. I was still fully aware, could see and hear everything, but could no longer speak.
I watched as she took out a pair of scissors and cut away my clothing, occasionally turning aside to throw the scraps toward the back of the ship. She then wiped some milky-green fluid around the holes in my chest, and produced a scalpel and what I guessed were a pair of surgical spreaders from the kit. Uli laid the implements down on top of a sterile pad she’d placed on my stomach, and then leaned over and adjusted the device on my wrist again. My vision began to blur, and the last thing I saw before drifting off to sleep was the scalpel coming toward me.
And then Seeris was in my mind.
And I was in his.
I sensed his anger—the helplessness of being kept at bay and unable to control his own body. The disgust he felt because a barbarian was sharing his thoughts…along with his form. But above it all, there was rage. The overwhelming hatred he harbored toward the other clans, a loathing that colored every other thought or feeling he experienced. But then, the intense emotions started to recede, and his mind faded away, replaced by a growing sense of being somewhere…being someone else.
An awareness of a time and place far removed from where I now existed.
I…
I was…in a tree?
Perched on one of its highest branches and looking out over an expansive forest. The trees went on for as far as my eyes could see—all the way to the horizon—and melded into one another so thoroughly that it was impossible to distinguish where one stopped and another began. The thick foliage even blocked out the ground below, making it hard to determine how far up I was. But I knew it was extremely high.
Peering in closer, I saw scratch-built dwellings interm
ittently spaced throughout the thick canopy—some were large enough to house twenty or more people, while others were much smaller structures, designed for a single family or individual.
And they were all on fire.
I watched as two hands rose into view and extended their bledi, jumping out to grab a lower branch and swing away. I was gliding smoothly through previously unseen, open areas between the thick branches, and I soon realized that I was seeing all of this from inside someone else. My host was obviously Brenin, and moved swiftly through the canopy for a hundred meters or so, before spinning himself into a ball and landing squarely on one of the smoldering platforms—just outside a small tree-home. Then I felt another presence beside me, and the view turned to the side where I saw a massive Veilcat, primed and ready to strike. But not at me—this cat was mine—I felt that with complete certainty. I watched with apprehension as my Brenin host approached the door warily, bledi at the ready, and looked inside.
Three dead Brenin were visible through the burned and broken door—one adult and two children. I felt my host’s pain at the sight, sensed the hurt twisting into rage as he focused in on the puncture marks left in the bodies. He analyzed the shape of the bledi wounds and knew that the murderers were Saba. And there were cat marks as well, especially on the children.
He stood there motionless, knowing that the house was on fire; realizing that soon, it would fall from the sky, raining charred wood and bodies down onto the forest floor below. He knew, as did every Brenin, that this type of wood resisted flames—that the live trees were almost impervious to fire—but sooner or later, the structure would succumb, and his mate and children would fall to the earth.
He vowed to himself that their killers would hit the ground first.
He called out to the trees, a shrill sound that brought his cat to attention, and drew reinforcements in from far afield. Soon, he knew, they would come. The Brenin looked around the village and saw destruction and broken bodies in every direction. He hoped that some of the Yano had managed to escape into the forest during the chaos—surely there would be at least a few survivors—but he also knew that when the dead were finally tallied, the price of failing to anticipate this attack would be unbearably high. For him…it already was.
