by Jake Bible
"It can wait, Reck," Poq said. "I will join them now. Has a point of entry been decided upon?"
"I am bringing the ship in now," Hessa said. "There is an airlock we can dock with."
"It will be secured," Poq said.
"I'll get it open," Hessa said. "Beyond that, I'm not going to be much help."
"We do what we can," Poq said and left.
Roak waited until Poq joined Reck and Pol in the holo.
"Remember, your goal is to get access to the tech needed to create clones. That's it," Roak said. "Don't get distracted by anything else. Get the tech and get back here. We'll figure out how to build the tech later."
"As much as I do not like the thought of possibly having incomplete data," Pol said, "I agree with the get back here part of the plan."
"We have connected with the airlock," Hessa said. "I am overriding the security locks now."
Roak watched as Reck, Pol, and Poq, all outfitted in armored suits, waited just outside the ship's airlock. He couldn't see through the porthole to the House of Teeth's airlock, but he didn't need to.
"Unlocked," Hessa stated. "That was easy."
"Too easy," Reck and Roak said.
Pol visibly shivered and a loud gulp could be heard over the comm.
Roak didn't like that gulp at all.
"Hurry," Hessa said. "It was easy to open, but won't be easy to keep open."
The ship's airlock parted and Reck moved quickly, her rifle up and sweeping the area as she crossed through the ship's airlock and into the House of Teeth's corridor.
"Clear," Reck said. "Move."
Poq gave Pol a light shove and the two followed Reck inside the facility.
"Can you scan inside?" Roak asked Hessa.
"Barely," Hessa said. "Only for a couple of corridors while the airlock is open. But the rest of the facility is fuzzy."
"Fuzzy?" Roak asked. "What in all the Hells does fuzzy mean?"
"It is fuzzy," Hessa said. "Unclear. Clouded. Fuzzy, Roak. It's not a hard word to comprehend."
"Thanks," Roak said. "I appreciate the explanation. Especially since it was so lacking in sarcasm."
Roak growled.
"You know, now is as good a time to hash this out," Roak continued. "I already feel like I've been dragged through all the Hells. I might as well be on Earth."
As was custom when mentioning the toxic wasteland of a planet, Roak spat on the floor.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," Hessa said.
"Bad luck not to," Roak said. "So? Talk."
"You keep me at arm's length for weeks and now you want to talk while Reck, Pol, and Poq are entering an extremely dangerous environment?" Hessa laughed. "Of course."
"Fine. Don't talk," Roak said.
Hessa was silent for a couple of minutes.
"What do you remember about me?" Hessa asked.
"What?"
"A simple question, Roak."
"No. It's a short question. Hardly simple."
"You're not going to answer?"
"I… I don't know what I remember about you. A voice, but not your voice. No body ever, so you must have been AI over there too."
"I am not so sure about that…"
"Really? What do you remember, Hessa?"
"I don't. I can't say why. I just do not remember my time in that other universe."
"Do you remember how you got-?"
"Hey, guys," Reck called. "Are you seeing this?"
Roak focused back on the holo. Reck was kneeling down and staring at a substance on the corridor's floor.
"Is that Klav blood?" Roak asked.
"Looks like it," Reck replied.
"I can confirm that it is indeed Klav blood," Poq stated. "A simple chromatic analysis shows me that."
"Any bodies?" Roak asked.
"Do you see any bodies?" Reck replied.
"I don't see terpigshit," Roak said. "The holo radius is pretty Eight Million Gods damn short, Reck."
"Let me see what I can do about that," Pol said. "Is that better?"
The holo view doubled.
"Now it's widescreen," Roak said. "Hessa, can you get me some popcorn?"
"Did someone say popcorn?" Yellow Eyes asked as he appeared next to Roak. "I could totally go for some popcorn."
"We do not have popcorn," Hessa said. "In fact, I do not have record of this ship ever making popcorn. I do not even have the data to synthesize popcorn."
"That's cool," Yellow Eyes said with a shrug. "I don't even know what popcorn is."
"It was a joke," Roak said. "I don't actually want popcorn."
"Lame joke," Yellow Eyes said. "How about you leave the humor to me, tough guy?"
"Tough guy?" Roak asked.
"Roak?" Yellow Eyes said.
"Better," Roak replied.
"So, following the trail of Klav blood," Reck called out, obviously annoyed by the chatter over the comm. "Anyone care?"
"I do," Pol said. "I think we should return to the ship. Please."
"Or you could fess up," Roak said. "Why is there a trail of Klav blood, Pol? Are the Klav that run the House of Teeth dead?"
"There is no way I could say if they are dead or not," Pol said. "Nor can I say why there is a trail."
"But you can say why there's blood," Roak said. "So do that. Now."
"I am only speculating," Pol said.
"Speculate away," Roak said.
"Yes, the Klav have created a biological…something," Pol said.
"You are the master of clearing things up," Reck grumbled. "We're at a bulkhead. Poq? Can you get the doors open?"
"I will try," Poq said. "The interface seems basic enough."
"Keep talking, Pol," Roak said as Poq connected with the bulkhead doors' interface. "A biological…something?"
"Yes," Pol said.
"Reck? Punch him for me," Roak said.
"He's wearing a helmet and full body armor, Roak," Reck said. "A punch won't do much. I can shoot him."
"No!" Pol shouted then froze as he clamped his gloved hands over his helmet faceplate. He patted his faceplate for a minute. "Oh, thank the Heavens. I'm only on comm."
"Yay for us," Reck said as the bulkhead doors opened.
Everyone went quiet.
"Well…that's a lot of blood," Hessa said. "My condolences to the beings from whence it came."
"From whence…?" Roak sighed. "I don't even want to know where you picked that up."
"Not just Klav blood," Reck said. "Poq?"
"Klav is there, yes, but also many different species," Poq said.
"Yep. Got that," Reck snapped. "What species?"
"All of them," Poq said. "There is blood evidence from every galactic species on record." Poq held up a hand. "My apologies. No B'clo'no's or B'flo'do's. Skrang, yes, but not B'clo'no's or B'flo'do's."
"It would be highly unlikely the Klav would even allow either of those species' genetic materials in the House of Teeth," Pol said. "They cannot be cloned and realistically, knowing the biology of the beings, the genetic material would still be considered a being in of itself. It could escape and wreak havoc on the facility."
"Good to know," Reck said. "Poq? You're sure?"
"I am sure," Poq said. "The blood is from all species minus the mucous-based energy vampires."
"Oh, that has a ring to it," Yellow Eyes said.
"Screw the ring," Reck said. "You see the trail? It's been painted on the floor. Those are brush strokes."
Hessa zoomed the holo in without being asked.
"Shit," Roak said.
"I agree," Hessa said.
"Do we follow the trail?" Reck asked.
"Someone went to all the trouble to put it there," Yellow Eyes said. "Just saying…"
"Gonna agree with the yellow guy," Roak said.
"I hate you," Reck said. "Really."
"I know," Roak said. "But you were bored anyway."
"Screw you, Roak," Reck said.
Then she moved on and followed the trail of blood. Po
q and Pol fell in step behind her.
The trail led them through corridor after corridor. They had to take three lift rides to keep following it and every time the lift doors opened the trail was there waiting for them. A tidy trail of blood.
Then the trail stopped.
"Two choices," Reck said. She nodded to a door on her left then nodded to a door on her right. "Who has a chit to flip?"
"Go left," Poq said. "I believe there is a life form in that room."
"Left," Reck said. "You ready, Poq?"
Poq produced two KL09 pistols, one for each hand. He nodded.
"Pol. Open that door," Reck said.
"Could I perhaps stay back aways instead?" Pol asked.
"No," Reck and Roak said.
"Looks like we're about to see what the biological…something is," Roak said.
"I am afraid we are," Pol said.
He moved to the interface, hesitated, then rapidly began hacking the door controls.
The door slid open and revealed a very dark room. Pitch black as if light wasn't even allowed in the space. Even the corridor's illumination couldn't penetrate the darkness.
Reck lit up the floodlights on her helmet, but that only gave them about two meters worth of a view. Nothing to see except the edge of a lab table.
"You owe me for this, Roak," Reck said and stepped inside the room, her rifle ready.
The holo was nothing but a gloomy mess. No matter which way Reck looked there were barely visible outlines of lab tables, lab equipment, and…
"What's that?" Roak asked. "Go back. To your right."
Reck swiveled back to her right. Poq covered her left while Pol stood there doing absolutely nothing.
"I see it," Reck whispered. "Looks like we have a body-"
A shape rushed Reck, Poq, and Pol and the holo went black. Then it cut off completely.
"Hessa!" Roak yelled.
"I'm trying, Roak!" Hessa yelled back. "The connection has been severed!"
"Ya think?" Roak shouted. "Get it unsevered!"
"That is not a word!"
"I'm making it a word!"
"I cannot unsever the connection! It has been jammed!"
"Jammed? How? Who jammed it?"
"How in all the Hells could I possibly know that?"
"Is this why you wanted popcorn?" Yellow Eyes shouted, his voice quavering with fear. "Does popcorn help with the terror? Does it, Roak? I need help with the terror, Roak!"
"Hold on!" Hessa called out. "The holo is coming back online!"
The holo flicked to life and all Roak could do was stare at the being that stood there grinning back at him.
"Is that…?" Yellow Eyes asked as he shivered with fear. "I mean, I know it's not him, but…"
"How…?" Hessa asked.
"Hello, Roak," the being said. "Do I look familiar?"
"Yeah," Roak said. He shook his head. "I knew giving the Klav a piece of me was a bad idea."
The being, a being that looked exactly like Roak, laughed. Laughed hard.
"Now that's an understatement!" the Roak-like being said. "Seven Satans right you shouldn't have. But lucky me!"
"That answers that about if they can clone a Roak body," Hessa said.
"Where are the others?" Roak asked.
"They're here," the Roak-like being replied. "And they are alive."
"They are," Hessa said. "Their armor shows they are alive and stable. But they are unconscious."
"Hey, Roak?" the Roak-like being asked. "Would you like them to stay alive?"
"Stupid question," Roak said.
"Then get your butt over here," the Roak-like being said. "I think we should have a little chat."
The holo flicked off.
"Shit," Roak said as he slowly sat up. "Hessa?"
"I'm already preparing your armor, Roak," Hessa said. "I am making modifications so it will keep you stable. But this will hurt. A lot."
"Of course it will," Roak said and carefully swung his legs over the side of the med table. "It already does."
7.
Roak stood at the airlock, his mind reeling, his body aching, and his hand gripped tightly around his Flott.
"Do it," Roak said.
The airlock didn't open.
"Hessa?"
"Hold up there, old man," a voice called.
Roak growled low in his throat as the airlock behind him opened. He turned and glared through his faceplate at Skabz.
"What in all the Hells do you think-?"
A yellow blur rushed past the young Skrang and Roak closed his eyes for a good twenty seconds. When he opened them Skabz was still there. So was Yellow Eyes.
"Eight Million Gods dammit," Roak muttered.
He returned his attention to the House of Teeth's airlock.
"Open it, Hessa," Roak said.
"You aren't going to argue that they should stay behind?" Hessa asked.
"Would it make a difference if I did?" Roak asked.
"Of course not."
"Then arguing would be idiotic."
"Pain has brought you some maturity, Roak. I approve."
"Aw, the old man got his mother's approval," Skabz said. "How cute."
Roak punched Skabz in the solar plexus. The Skrang was protected by his own heavy armor, but it still caused the kid to stumble which made Roak smile.
Then the pain set in from the movement and Roak struggled not to cry out.
"You good, man?" Yellow Eyes asked.
"No," Roak responded.
"Honesty. I can dig," Yellow Eyes said. "Ignore the little shit. You can count on me to help if you need it."
"I don't."
"But you might."
"But I won't."
"But you probably will."
"Yellow Eyes?"
"Yes, Roak?"
Roak stared at the being. Yellow Eyes nodded.
"I'll shut up now," Yellow Eyes said.
"Smart move," Roak said. "Hessa?"
The airlock opened and Roak, then Yellow Eyes and Skabz stepped into the House of Teeth.
"I am boosting the connection between us, Roak," Hessa said. "It will be hard for him to jam the comm."
"We'll see," Roak said.
Roak took another step and another. Each step was excruciating, but there was nothing that could be done about the pain. Even if drugs worked like they should, he didn't want to be dulled. Especially since he was going to meet himself face to face and he knew exactly how much of a deadly asshole he could be when he wanted to.
Plus, he needed to stay sharp with Skabz around. Roak doubted the kid was a danger, but he was a wild card.
Roak studied the corridor. Knowing which way to go wasn't hard. There was already a nice, clear, bloody trail for him to follow. So he followed it.
"Really? You're going to walk right into the trap?" Skabz asked and laughed. "No wonder you're broken."
The young bounty hunter hooked a gloved thumb over his shoulder in the opposite direction.
"I'll go this way and see what I can find," Skabz said. "You two have fun in the trap."
"Oh, we will, man!" Yellow Eyes yelled as Skabz turned and walked away. "We're going to have the most fun in the trap!"
Yellow Eyes patted Roak's armored shoulder.
"That guy, right? What a tool," Yellow Eyes said.
Roak shrugged him off and kept walking along the bloody trail.
"Is there a reason you let him leave the ship?" Roak asked Hessa. "It sure as terpigshit wasn't for the teamwork."
"We aren't a team, remember?" Hessa replied. "So teamwork was never the goal."
"Funny," Roak said. "Yellow Eyes I get, but Skabz?"
"A distraction," Hessa said. "I have no idea what he plans to do. Neither does Good Roak."
Roak stopped. Yellow Eyes kept walking then looked back.
"What's up, man?" Yellow Eyes asked. "Oh, are you and Hessa in a fight again?"
Yellow Eyes tapped his head.
"Sometimes it's nice not having a comm
. Sometimes it's not," he said. "Probably best if I don't have one right now."
"What did you mean by 'good' Roak?" Roak asked.
"Are you talking to me or Hessa?" Yellow Eyes responded. "I hope it's her because I'm not touching that one with a ten meter pole, man."
"My fault," Ally's voice interrupted over the comm. "This new Roak doesn't have any of the scars that you do, so we sort of named him Good Roak."
"That's fucked up," Roak said. "Are you saying I'm Evil Roak?"
"What? No! You're just Roak," Ally replied. "Right, Nimm?"
"Sorry. Can't talk. I'm busy…sitting," Nimm said and there was an audible click as she turned off her comm.
"Hessa, open channel," Roak said.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Hessa said.
"Open channel!" Roak shouted.
"You really don't need to take that tone with her," Ally said. "You know, Roak, Hessa and I have been talking and-"
"OPEN THE EIGHT MILLION GODS DAMN CHANNEL!" Roak roared.
"Whoa, brother," Yellow Eyes said, holding up his nubs in a placating gesture. "Dial it back a notch or two. That big shout couldn't have felt good on the ol' cracked ribs."
Roak shook with rage. And shook with pain. His whole body just shook. He shook hard enough that his heavy armor started to make an almost imperceptible clinking and clanging noise.
"Can someone tell me why Roak is about to erupt like a volcano?" Yellow Eyes shouted at the ceiling. "Oh, wait, this isn't our ship. Hessa probably can't turn the speakers-"
"They are calling this freak clone the Good Roak," Roak said.
"Oh… Huh. Kinda messed up, but I see their point," Yellow Eyes said and waved his nubs over his face. "Because no scars."
"Holy shit, you are slow!" the clone Roak shouted from the end of the corridor. "You make me trudge halfway through this facility, take I don't know how many lifts, and basically meet you what? A dozen meters from the airlock? Shit, Roak, I could have just come to you if it was going to be this hard. Because now I have some Skrang asshole stomping around my house without an escort doing Seven Satans knows what to very sensitive equipment. What a crock…"
"Hey, he says Seven Satans the way you say Eight Million Gods," Yellow Eyes said. "You guys are like opposites."
"Which means I'm the Good Roak and he's Evil Roak," Roak said.
"Shit, is that what this is about?" Evil Roak asked. "Hells, man, I can get behind that. I am a homicidal maniac. No joke. You see all this blood? I killed all the beings that this blood came from. Yeah, they were clones, but they still screamed and begged and pleaded, so I think their deaths count as acts of evil. Right, weird yellow guy?"
