by James Somers
Grod looked at him and his anger softened when he thought of saving his son. Emil was all he had left; Tiet was right and he nodded his agreement.
“I’ve got the wreckage of the Whiplash on sensors.”
“They crashed?”
“It looks like a controlled landing, but the ship’s just sitting there smoldering. Something must have happened and they’ve left it to burn.”
“Any other ships in the area?”
“I’ve got three military transports on the ground and…wait a minute…yes, I’ve got them. Four people are traveling toward the transports; I don’t think they realize their heading into a trap.”
“Alright then, let’s get in there fast; ETA five minutes.”
“WE’RE coming into a clearing, Kale!” shouted Emil from the brush ahead of them.
The girl had not let go of him since they found her, but her trembling had stopped. He turned to look at her face as she raised it from his shoulder. Suddenly he felt something; another presence was with them now. The girl’s expression was strangely cold and blank, then she moved her hand almost faster than Kale could see and much too fast for him to react with her hanging around his neck. Her hand was over his mouth in a flash as she pulled herself up, putting her knees into his chest and her hand around the back of his neck to leverage her arm into his mouth.
Her strength was unbelievable for a girl her size. He was off balance before he knew it and her weight and effort forced him back to the ground. He could feel something more driving down his throat from her hand, like a slimy tentacle of some sort. He was strangling on the appendage and trying unsuccessfully to beat her off with his fists.
Despite his inability to scream for help, his mother was quick to respond. Mirah was beating and clawing at her, but the girl relentlessly remained fastened to her victim.
“Emil, help him! She’s one of them!!”
Kale could see only cold blackness in her doll’s eyes. She was killing him, he thought. He noticed Emil coming upon her with his ignited kemstick, but the little monster was faster than expected. Emil swiped at her, but she suddenly disengaged from Kale and rolled off of his body under the weapon’s strike and sprang in one move over Emil’s head to land on his shoulders.
He was caught off guard and the girl used his surprise to her advantage. She plowed her gnarled hand into his mouth as she pulled his jaw down with her other hand from behind him.
Now Emil was flailing with the girl on his back; her small legs were dug into his hips to brace herself. Emil dropped his weapon and Mirah grabbed it and swung at the girl. She disengaged her second attack under the threat and bounded away from him, landing on the trunk of a large tree nearby. She looked like a large squirrel clinging to the tree.
Kale was on his feet as fast as he could recover, with his own kemstick coming alive in his hand. The girl hissed, then boldly launched herself at him. His vision was blurred a little as he tried to focus on her and clear his throat from the choking. She bounced off of the ground under his first strike then tumbled in the air over his head. His second strike guided by his kinetic senses struck the girl in mid air as she came down behind him. It was a clean strike; she didn’t move again.
“Are you boys okay?” asked Mirah. “Let me get a bioscan.”
“We don’t have time,” said Kale, “The soldiers are near—I can feel it. We’ve got to keep moving.”
The group tried to recompose themselves quickly and moved on their previous path, leaving the girl behind. They came into the clearing that Emil had spoken of and almost immediately Kale could sense the soldiers waiting for them on the other side of the open area.
“Wait.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I think we’re walking into a trap here. They’re waiting for us on the other side of the clearing. Let’s move back into cover.”
They turned to recover their position back in the brush. Immediately blaster fire erupted on their position. Emil noticed that the blasts were meant to stun only, as they bounced around the trees without charring the timber.
Soldiers began to move out of their cover into the clearing and close the space between them. There were at least fifty or sixty heading for them while laying down a steady rain of stunning laser fire. Emil and Kale blocked many of the stun blasts that were coming at their position as they retreated further into the cover of the vegetation.
Then they were hit from the rear by more laser fire. More soldiers could be seen closing on them from the trees.
“I’ll take the rear!” said Kale, “Guard my mother!”
They were back to back around Mirah, deflecting the stun blasts of the symbyte soldiers. Kale decided more action was needed. Soon the soldiers would be upon them. He moved away from his mother and Emil and took to the trees. A kinetic bubble, generated by his mind, formed around Mirah as he took off away from her.
He moved from branch to branch and tree to tree and quickly found his way above the soldiers. Kale swooped down into the enemy forces and began to bring his sticks into play against them. He hacked into the soldiers, taking down as many as possible as he deftly moved among them.
Their attack from the rear quickly began to disorganize as he slipped in and out of their ranks. Many of their own men were being taken down by crossfire in the confusion.
Emil was not having as much success in his efforts. The soldiers were almost completely across the clearing now and the fire was too concentrated for him to block it all. Several blasts got by his defense and brought him down hard.
The kinetic bubble was still in place around Mirah as the soldiers took the opportunity of Emil’s unconsciousness and moved in on her. They blasted away in vain at the bubble, but Mirah could not move from the position to run either.
“WE’RE coming up on their position!”
Tiet brought the transport into a descent on the clearing just beyond the raging battle his family was involved in below.
“I’ve got two transports rising out of the trees ahead!” said Tiet.
“I’m on it; locking on targets.”
Wynn brought the transport’s missiles online as the targets began to clear the tops of the trees. He fired nearly every rocket the ship was carrying at the enemy transports.
As soon as they had cleared the treetops, the ships turned toward them to fire and were greeted by almost twenty high-powered rockets. The transports shattered to pieces before they could fire a shot and fell back to the ground much faster than they had risen.
Tiet continued his descent and landed the craft very roughly as he bolted for the door. Wynn and Grod quickly followed with Jael and Mareb close behind. They all ran into the battle.
The symbyte soldiers now turned to fight them as they ran into the fray. Tiet and Wynn began to maneuver through the symbytes, cutting them down at every turn of their swords. Tiet could see Kale far off among a second group of soldiers, battling with them furiously; his dual sticks whirling about him like circles of death dealing light.
When he came upon Mirah she was under attack by several soldiers trying to penetrate a kinetic bubble being maintained by Kale’s mind. Tiet quickly dispatched them and somewhere in the fight Kale sensed him there with his mother and released her from her protective imprisonment.
She immediately moved to Tiet’s protection and he headed for the transport with her. Kale and Tiet spoke in mental sensations through the space between them and Kale disengaged the fight and took to the trees after his parents as they headed for the ship.
Grod already had Emil’s unconscious body in his powerful arms and was heading back to the transport after them, as Wynn and the two Horva soldiers laid down cover fire and defense for them.
The main group made it to the transport safely, though still under fire, as Kale bounded through the treetops over the symbytes and came down into the clearing en route for the transport. Tiet was already lifting off with Kale in his mind, knowing that he could make the jump to safety without any problem, but somethi
ng happened as he ran for the ship. Tiet could sense a complete loss of control in Kale’s mind and waves of pain taking over his body. He looked back through the open troop deployment door to the field below in time to see his son fall.
No shot had hit him, but he was losing consciousness quickly. Kale could see the transport just ahead and above him, but he could not make his body respond to his desire to lift himself up to it. As his eyes closed he caught a faint glimpse of Wynn touching down next to him on the ground.
Tiet brought the blaster cannons to bear on the soldiers emerging from the trees as Wynn lifted Kale’s body to his shoulder and made the leap under mental power to the transport.
“I’ve got him, Tiet! Let’s go!”
He punched the engine throttle controls and the ship surged away from the battle. The computer on board signaled a warning. One of the Horva soldiers slipped into the chair and read the display’s information.
“I’m showing an enemy ship following us from ten miles back, sir.”
“Grod, are the coordinates plotted in the navigation system?”
“Yes, but that ship will know where the bunker is and lead the others there if we go now.”
It won’t matter as long as that ship can do what you say it can; we’re leaving this rock.”
LUCIN slammed his fist on the control panel, shutting off the negative report from the ground forces. The boy had gotten away, but he had still been infected by the girl.
It was very draining on his limited power to maintain collective control on so many human hosts. Controlling the whole population was necessary, but he needed the boy’s powerful mind to control the entire body as one organism.
“Can we catch the ship?” asked Lucin.
“We’re keeping up, Sir, but they’re flying the same thing we are. We can’t overtake them until they stop somewhere.”
“Can you pinpoint where they might be headed?”
“They’re heading on a course that will bring them near the area of Nagon-Toth.”
“That’s it. They’re heading to Grod’s compound. They don’t realize it’s gone. Send all available ships and troops to Nagon-Toth.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The boy was of the utmost importance, but he was fighting the takeover of his mind and body; Lucin could feel it. He hadn’t thought of the possibility that the boy might be able to resist him. It hadn’t been a problem before when the Three had been assimilated to control the Baruk, but the boy was much more powerful than they had been; all the better for their purposes.
WYNN piloted the ship while Tiet stayed at Kale’s side as Mirah examined him. He was still unconscious. Mirah passed a hand-held medical scanner slowly over his body. The information fed to a portable display she had setting on the floor of the ship next to his head.
“What is it Mirah, what’s wrong with him?” asked Tiet anxiously.
Tears welled in her eyes as she continued to pass the scanner. Any professionalism as a doctor was gone now as she saw the information pouring onto the display. This was happening to her baby; her only child.
“Mirah?”
“It’s one of those things, like we found inside the bodies of the Baruk. It’s taking over his neural pathways; winding its way around his brainstem and infiltrating his spine.
“Can you stop it?”
“I don’t know anything I could do to remove it without killing him,” she said through sobs.
“What about Emil?”
“That’s just it. His scans aren’t showing the same level of infiltration. Somehow his body is keeping it at bay; fighting the takeover and keeping it confined near the entry site. It might be something about being a Horva; I just can’t pinpoint it right now with this limited equipment.”
Grod was listening intently as Mirah spoke of his son. Emil was still unconscious, but it appeared to be completely related to the stun blasts he had received in the battle.
Tiet knelt near his son and focused on him mentally, shutting out everything else. He could sense his pain now and more than the physical pain he could sense his mental anguish. The symbyte organism was fighting for control of his body; trying to push Kale’s own mind out. He could hear his thoughts, as he cried out in the darkness of his unconscious mind.
Kale, I’m here.
Father?!
Kale, you must fight the symbyte’s control.
It speaks to me, Father; I don’t know how to stop it.
Concentrate, Son, you’re more powerful than it is; use your power to fight its takeover of your body. You’ve got to focus and take control back before it can gain anymore ground.
I’ll try…it’s hurting me!
Fight it, Kale!!
It hurts!!
Kale’s body began to spasm on the floor of the compartment. Mirah quickly looked for something in her medical kit to sedate him and suppress the spasms. She pulled a hypo from the bag and went for her son’s arm. Tiet grabbed her and stopped the effort. “Wait, Mirah.”
I’m trying, Father! It hurts but I’m fighting it; Are you still there?
I’m here, Son. I’ll never leave you.
His body continued the spasming as Mirah watched helplessly, wanting to intervene with her medical training, but knowing that something more mystical was happening between Tiet and Kale; something she had never quite been able to comprehend.
His trembling then began to quiet and his body became still. Within a few moments, with Mirah terribly concerned and recommencing her scanning, Kale began to breathe normally and his heart rate normalized. Then his eyes opened to everyone’s relief.
Mirah fell on him kissing his cheek, as he turned to look at his father. Kale reached for Tiet’s hand and grasped it tightly.
“Thanks,” said Kale weakly.
Tiet only squeezed his son’s hand tighter.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s still with me, Mother. I can’t kill it.” He looked at Tiet again. “I can’t kill it.”
Tiet squeezed his hand again. “We’ll figure out something, Son, don’t worry.”
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going to escape the planet; Grod has a way. Just rest, for now.”
Kale laid his head back on the rolled up jacket that was serving as a pillow, while Mirah continued to conduct scans of the organism inhabiting his body. She knew it would be up to her to find a way of removing it; if there even was a way to remove it.
XIX
GROD paced the cabin compartment of the transport as they approached the area of Nagon-Toth. He had not informed his two remaining soldiers of the fate of their home, of their families. Once they passed over a few more ridges the compound would be in sight.
He looked out the window through the front of the ship and saw a column of black smoke rising up beyond the farthest ridge ahead. His heart sank at the thought of his own wife and all of the families that had perished. His rage was kindled again, and he wanted nothing more at the moment than to be face to face with as many of those creatures as he might be able to put his lethal grip upon.
Grod looked at Emil, still unconscious, but apparently doing fine even with the symbyte in his body and Grod’s emotions settled again on what was best for his future. He had to think responsibly about saving his son from the infestation of this planet. Then he looked again at his men and decided now was the time to let them in on the fate of their brethren.
“Jael, Merab…”
“Yes, Sir,” they said.
“I have something to tell you and it won’t be easy for you to hear.”
His men looked at him, puzzled at what he was about to say to them. Wynn watched the exchange from the navigator/weapons console chair. He could see Grod trying to control his own anger and frustration as he told them what had happened to their fellow Horva and their wives and children.
He felt bad for him as a leader having to break that kind of news to his men. He could see the rage crossing over the faces of the soldiers as the realization o
f what had happened gripped them. They looked forward through the windshield of the ship and he followed their gaze to see the huge plume of black smoke rising above the area ahead where Nagon-Toth was supposed to be.
Jael rose to his feet and walked to the bulkhead across the compartment; he couldn’t stand to hear anymore of it. Grod lowered his head as he sat before Merab who was still looking at the column of smoke in disbelief. Jael slammed a fist into the wall of the transport so hard Wynn was sure he must have broken several bones in his hand, but he did not cry out for pain.
“I want them dead!” said Merab from his seat.
“I know, Merab, but…”
“DEAD!!” he shouted.
Grod just looked at him. What could he say? He felt the same way and the only way he was controlling his own rage was his responsibility to his son, but their children were dead; they had nothing left.
Wynn continued to watch the two men as they fought to keep their control within the confines of the transport. The walls were closing in on them now as their rage grew.
Wynn found it a little difficult to empathize; he had never married. He was used to being alone and had grown to like it. The closest he had ever been to having a family was mentoring Tiet and continuing his training after the death of Orin Vale.
Then he thought about Kale lying back on the compartment floor with a symbyte fighting for control of his body and mind and it hit him. Kale had been his pupil with his father from the time he could walk and he loved him like a son. His reaction to almost losing him back at the clearing among the symbyte soldiers had been to immediately jump out of the transport, risking his own life, without a second thought, to save the boy. Kale was stable for the moment, but Wynn could understand now how much more terrible it must be for these men.
