by Adair Hart
“Emily!” said Dr. Snowden.
Emily paused for a moment as she studied it. “Unc … Uncle Albert?”
“We’re on our way! Stay where you are!” said Dr. Snowden.
The PSD went blank.
Emily shuddered as tears ran down her face. It was finally over. She slumped back down against the tree. No more trying to survive in this hellhole. She smiled as she thought of figuring out what she would do back on the ship.
After a few minutes, the Torvatta landed on the path. Dr. Snowden burst out of it with Evaran and V in tow.
Emily jumped up, ran over to Dr. Snowden, and hugged him tightly. She trembled as Evaran reached them and put his arms around her.
“It’s good to see you,” said Evaran.
Emily narrowed her eyes. Her nanobots were at full throttle when they should not have been. Her focus became pinpoint. Something was off. She stepped back and studied Evaran. “You sound different.”
“What’re you talking about?” asked Evaran.
Emily’s eyes narrowed. “You never talk like that.”
“I’ve always talked like this.”
“No … you haven’t,” said Emily. She looked around. “This isn’t real.”
“You’ve been here a long time, but you’re free now. No more Kazaal, shadowy presences, or weird creatures,” said Dr. Snowden.
Emily frowned as she shook her head. She slumped to the ground.
“Emily?” asked Dr. Snowden.
“I never told you of those things. I haven’t even seen you yet. This isn’t real.”
“Of course it’s real,” said Evaran. “Ezekial is on board the Torvatta. We were able to save him.”
“Ezekial’s dead!” said Emily as she stood and balled her fists. Her nanobots pulsed wildly. A sharp pain on the side of her stomach made her eyes pop. Another pang traveled up from her leg. Blood spots appeared on her clothing as the environment began to shake violently.
Dr. Snowden ran over and put his hands on Emily’s shoulders. “Emily! Stay with us!”
“Get away from me!”
The environment shuddered, then stopped. The Torvatta, Evaran, and Dr. Snowden were gone.
Emily looked down and saw blood soaking her shirt. A small spear stuck out of her leg.
Two humanoids standing three feet tall with dark skin stood before her. They were covered in some type of white dried substance that looked like caked mud. Dome-shaped helmets that also seemed to be made out of mud covered their heads. One had a spear and was approaching her. The other was behind the first and reaching for the spear in her leg.
She pulled the spear out and shouted in pain, startling the two humanoids. With a quick glance, she tossed the spear at the nearest humanoid. It busted through its helmet and into its head as it went down.
The second one yelled and pulled out a large knife. It charged her. When it got close, she knocked its arm down and hit it on top of the head, shattering the helmet. She could feel bones breaking from her hit.
The humanoid walked around for a moment in a stupor, then collapsed.
Her breathing went all over the place as her vision flickered on and off. She cursed herself for not bringing any medicine. Hopefully the nanobots would be able to cure this much damage. The smell of blood permeated the air. The decision to head back the way she came was an easy one. If she was going to pass out, better there than here.
With her hands applying pressure to her stomach and upper leg area, she limped back toward the air pod facility. Maybe she could use the air pod itself to rest in. Although it crashed, it was still intact, and more importantly, it had a door she could lock. It took her three pain-filled hours to cover the seven miles. She figured her injuries must not have been too critical; otherwise she would have passed out much earlier. When she reached it, the familiar skittering sounds broke the silence, but she did not care.
She found the air pod and climbed in. The door slid shut. Her eyes widened as it lifted, spun around 180 degrees, and began to fly over the chasm. Even better, she thought. At least the other air pod warehouse was secure. When it arrived, she crawled out and crashed to the ground.
Her eyes closed.
Four hours later, she awoke. She lifted her head and got up on all fours. Vomit flowed from her lips. Her body shook. The nanobots were trying to help her, but whatever was in her system was not going down without a fight. She decided to head back to the third facility. There was a medical station there and hopefully something to help. She stood while using the air pod as a brace. Her breathing was shallow, and nausea rocked her body, but the drive to get to the facility overpowered that.
It was dark when she hobbled out of the warehouse. The bright moonlight was her companion as she trudged back to the facility. It was only three miles away and a predator-free path with grasslands all around. Several times along the path, she thought she was going to pass out. Her eyes fluttered as the facility came within reach.
A brief thought of the creature she killed in the tunnels ran through her mind. If she had let it live and it caught her in this condition, she would have been easy prey. She smirked despite her pain. The lesson learned there was to end the threat or it could be a problem later. The pillars scanned her, and the mini pyramid slid back. She used the wall of the ramp as support as she entered. The pyramid above her closed.
“Kal! Activate!”
Kal shimmered into view. “Good evening. How may I be of service?”
“Something’s wrong with me.”
A beam scanned her as she entered the main room and headed to the medical area in the living quarters.
“You have the mimecan trail parasite inside you.”
“What is that?”
“The mimecan trail parasite is an organism that lives symbiotically on the mimecan trees. It ingests the seeds of the tree, then infects a living host. The death of the host signals the parasite to expel the seeds. The decomposing body then serves as nutrients for the seeds.”
She grunted in pain. “How do I kill it?”
“Antiparasitic medicine specific to the mimecan trail parasite is available in the medical station. You will also need antivenom.”
“What?”
“The mimecan trail parasite uses venom to paralyze its host.”
She reached the medical room. “Well … I’m not paralyzed.”
“That is not possible.”
“I’d say otherwise! Where is the antiparasitic?”
Kal walked over to a cabinet. “It is here.”
She limped over to the cabinet and tapped it. It slid to the side, revealing a host of metallic containers, syringes, and plastic pouches. “Which one!”
Kal pointed to a container. “This is the mimecan antiparasitic.” Kal pointed to a plastic pouch. “These pills are the antivenom.”
She grabbed both and leaned against the wall. She pressed the top of the container, which popped out a pill. “How many of each?”
“Two of each, given your body size.”
She popped the container again and then swallowed both pills. The antivenom pouch opened with ease as she gobbled two pills. She slipped off her clothing and assessed her damage. “Is there anything I can cover these wounds with?”
“You have internal bleeding,” said Kal. He walked over to another cabinet. “Pads, sealants, and recovery gel are here.”
She sighed as she used the counters to walk over. Opening the cabinet revealed a bevy of various-sized white pads, translucent blue pads, and a container that reminded her of a whipped cream can. “What do I need to do?”
“Apply the gel to the wound, then seal it.”
With a quick motion, she grabbed the can and applied the gel as it oozed out across her puncture wound on her stomach and leg. The pads had a sticky substance on their edges, and when applied, they seemed to form a fit that still allowed breathing via the small holes scattered around it. She eyed a bed in the corner and walked over to it. Once she was settled in, she looked at Kal. “Loc
k the door.”
Kal waved his hand to the side, and the door to the room slid shut.
“Don’t go anywhere, and alert me if anything comes near me.”
“You are the only living being in—”
“I don’t care! Just do it!”
“As you wish.”
She gripped her PSD as her breathing slowed and her eyelids got heavy. After a moment, she was asleep. Dreams of the incident danced in her mind as she tossed and turned through the night. Each time she awoke, she checked the room and asked Kal if she was the only one there. The thought that she was only alive due to her nanobots did not escape her. If they had not interfered in the hallucinations she had been seeing, it would have been all over.
When she awoke the next morning, she clenched her jaw. She did feel a bit better, but there was pain all over. A headache pounded away inside her head. “Kal, is the parasite gone?”
A beam scanned her.
“The parasite has been cleansed, and its poison removed.”
She sighed. “How are my other wounds?”
“The internal bleeding has stopped. No vital organs were punctured. The gel has formed a protective cover over your wounds.”
“Feel like shit.”
Kal stared at her.
She shook her head. The smell of feces and urine rankled her nose. Looking down, she saw that her bodily functions did not care if she had been asleep. “Ugh … I need a shower. Is there something that can waterproof the pads?”
“The blue pads can be applied over your current pads.”
“Fine … I’ll come back and clean this bed later then.”
“The bed is self-cleaning. Once you leave, it will automatically clean itself after one hour.”
She nodded at Kal and slid her legs to the side. Pain shot through her as she climbed off the bed. Limping over to the cabinet, she was able to get the translucent blue pads and apply them over her wounds. She reached her living quarters and went directly to the hygiene pod. Sitting in the shower area as the water massaged her sent waves of relaxation through her. After cleaning up, she went to her bed and lay down.
She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Emily opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She reached down and touched her pad. The pain had been minimized. Touching her leg wound verified that. The nausea had gone as well as her headache. Tingling sensations were still active around the wounded areas, but for the first time since the incident, she felt normal. She looked around for her PSD and found it had rolled out of her hand and to her side.
Opening it up, she half expected to see a message waiting for her, but she now knew that was a hallucination. It had been so real to her. Her head lowered as she remembered the sensation of hugging Dr. Snowden, then Evaran hugging both of them. The realization that she was just a week shy of being on the prison planet for three months danced on the edges of her mind. If the Torvatta had not come by now, something was very wrong. She hung her head as she thought again of having to spend the rest of her extended life on this nightmarish planet.
After checking her injuries, she cleaned up. The gel that had been on under the pads looked like it had sealed the wounds. However, the pain underneath them suggested she was not at full health. At least she could take off the pads she had wrapped. When she was in the shower, she paid extra attention to making sure she did not aggravate the new skin that had formed overnight. She suspected the nanobots had a hand in helping to speed it along.
After showering, she stood in front of the clothing adjuster closet. “Kal. Activate.”
Kal shimmered into view. “Good morning. How may I be of service?”
She gestured at the empty block that had embedded clothes in it before. “I need a new outfit. My old one is torn and blood soaked, and I don’t know what else might be on it.”
“What type?”
“You mean there are other types of outfits?”
“There are seven outfits available.”
She sighed. “And you … didn’t mention this before because …”
Kal stared at her.
She shook her head. If V had been here, he would have told her of the various suits, probably to the last detail. She had gotten used to Kal, but found it easier to look it up in the Coraanan systems sometimes. “Well … which one has the best defensive capability?”
Kal waved a hand. “The field guard suit.”
A gray mesh-like suit with rubberlike pads on every segment of the body appeared in the clothing block. It was a one-piece suit and looked much bulkier than the one she had previously. The neck area had a circular metal band separating the body from the wet-suit-like head covering. To the sides in smaller embedded blocks was a small forearm guard, a set of rubberlike boots, and a belt with various pouches on it.
Emily looked at Kal. “What defensive capabilities does it have?”
Kal pointed at the mesh. “The underlying mesh is highly resistant to physical force while allowing freedom of movement. It is also waterproof.” He tapped the upper leg rubber pad. “The defensive pads can mitigate large amounts of physical and energy damage.” He gestured at the boots. “These can absorb falling damage.”
“You mean like if I jumped off a cliff?”
“It can sustain up to around fifty feet.”
She eyed the forearm guard. “What about that?”
“It is the interface. It allows for interaction with the suit and general information.”
She sighed. “What interaction and what general information?”
“The interface allows the suit to extend a helmet and camouflage. It also displays general information such as the time and has an onboard database for identifying objects.”
“This woulda been nice to have back in the first facility,” she said. “But I guess I asked the wrong questions. Lesson learned the hard way.”
Kal stared at her.
“Kal. Deactivate.”
Kal shimmered out of view.
She stood on the clothing adjuster pad and hit the button. Once the suit and other items had been adjusted, she slipped into them. The suit had a zipper-like device in the back, and she noticed that it went all the way around to the front of the crotch. She smirked at the thought that it would be easy to unzip if she needed to relieve herself. The boots slipped on with ease, and the forearm guard snapped into place. She had half a mind to cut her hair as she tucked it into the suit. Moving around, the suit seemed just as light as the other one. She wondered why they did not just wear this all the time.
The forearm guard had several buttons on it, but the big green button seemed obvious to her. When she pressed it, a vertical screen shot up with various options available. She pressed the helmet option. Out of the metal neck guard shot a series of overlapping steel bands. A glass-like shield shot down over her face, and a HUD appeared on the edges of the inside. She pressed the helmet button again, and the helmet slid back. Her senses had been obscured when it was up, but maybe there was a situation where having it out could be advantageous.
The field guide feature would highlight an object positioned in front of the screen and provide additional information about it. She could see the usefulness of the suit if out and about in the field. It reminded her of the PSD’s augmented reality feature. The camouflage option intrigued her. When she activated it, she could still see herself. Going in front of a mirror told another story. Although it was not perfect, her form was somewhat still visible in the light distortions, but it would be hard to see at a distance. She leaned flat against the wall and noticed that her suit took on the appearance of the wall.
Outside the general information like time and the overland map feature, the power bar stood out to her. It looked like it could operate for a week or so at a time continuously. If she did not use the systems much, maybe she could stretch that out. She figured there was probably a recharge station somewhere in the facility.
She placed her PSD in one of the side pouches and headed up to the specimen surveil
lance lab. Several hours passed as she perused the field guide, a section she had skimmed over before. Looking at the section that covered the area between this facility and the next one, she saw the tree and parasite that had infected her. She snorted. If she had known this beforehand, the life-and-death drama could have been avoided. Another lesson learned. Take the time to be prepared.
She eased back into the chair. It irked her that letting her guard down, even for a moment, almost led to her death. That was a brutal lesson to learn, but one she would hold close and make instinctive. She had to if she wanted to survive. Some things would be hard to prepare for, like Kazaal. Even the advanced suit she wore would not have helped much. It might have slowed Kazaal down, but she concluded that the end result would probably have been the same.
She spent the next two weeks healing up and researching. Going out would only be feasible if she could respond to a situation without being hampered. The healing went by fast, but she knew that if she had to do it without the facility’s help, it would have been much longer. The creatures that she had run into were not listed in the field guide. She suspected they must have appeared after the Coraanan left, although if not through the rift doors, then from somewhere else. The field guide was probably out of date, but it did have some pertinent information. She still had her PSD to help out. Getting her sleep cycle in sync had been hard, but with the help of some sleeping medicine, she was back on track.
On the last day of the final week, she did a final check. She had found a backpack that was a bit bulkier than the one she had before. The suit had some load-bearing qualities to help offset that. She made sure to test out her training with the suit on and found it flowed naturally.
The waterproof sleeping bag was her second-favorite find. It had a similar material to the suit mesh, but without the rubber pads. There was a button to seal it, and it had micro holes to allow air in. The part she liked about it most was that it was small when folded up and lightweight. She planned to use it in the upcoming journey. With a restock of water and food, she headed out.
