Death Dealer

by T. G. Ayer

  Nerishka sent along a soft laugh as she replied to Judith.

  Judith’s voice was warm at the memory.

 

  Judith said caustically.

  Nerishka snorted.

 

 

  Judith snorted.

 

  She chuckled.

  Nerishka replied drily before realizing how that would have sounded to the other woman.

  But Judith didn’t seem to be bothered by Nerishka’s words.

 

 

  Nerishka laughed.

  came Judith’s reply, her tone deeper now, fake threatening.

 

  The redhead laughed. She paused and then cleared her throat.

  Nerishka shrugged. Then Nerishka gave a sigh.

  Judith snickered.

 

 

  asked Nerishka, frowning and wondering where Judith was leading her with that question.

  Judith cleared her throat, and there was a grin in her voice as she said,

  Nerishka’s eyebrows rose and she was about to offer a rejoinder about how she’d been wearing armor all day, when Dresden called out on the team channel for them to halt. Nerishka hurried to catch up with him where he stood at a break in the trees.

  When she got to his side, she swallowed a gasp. He stood at the edge of a cliff, looking down on a valley that should have been covered verdant green forest. But the color had begun to shift to a greyish hue with splotches of brown throughout. The further along they looked, the worse the condition of the forest became, and Nerishka heard Kelem’s whistle over the team Link.

 

  asked Nerishka with a chuckle.

 

  Nerishka shook her head and spoke to Dresden on a secure channel.

  He nodded.

 

 

  Nerishka nodded. She was sure of it, but she couldn’t tell Dresden. She shifted her head to find him staring right at her through his faceplate. She shrugged, maintaining eye contact.

  Something in Dresden’s expression changed, hardened as though he’d suddenly become angry with her.

 

  Nerishka frowned.

 

 

  Dresden paused, his expression flattening for a moment. Then he nodded. < I guess I’ll have to trust in what I do know about you. Because I thought I knew you well. Very well. But it seems I can’t entirely trust my own judgment. So, I hope you see fit to divulge this information before one of my team ends up dead.>

  Nerishka lifted an eyebrow, her face warming both from his scrutiny and the truth of the words he’d thrown at her.

  Dresden didn’t reply. He shifted comms to the team Link and said,

  A chorus of affirmatives came over the link and a flurry of activity erupted from the small team. Before long they were all dressed in hazsuits pulled over their armor, breathing tanks supplying their air.

  Nerishka knew it was probably overkill—any armor worth using in combat and vacuum could protect against viruses and radiation, but they didn’t have any way to scrub it down, and no one wanted to have contaminated armor hanging around.

  Kelem shifted on his feet.

  Nerishka’s response was sharp and loud and had Kelem freezing in mid-turn. He twisted his neck to stare at her, his face filled with confusion and annoyance even as she continued firmly,

 

  Nerishka lifted her hand even as the man looked beyond her shoulder for Dresden’s support. With that, Nerishka stalked off away from the crew, weaving between the boulders that littered the hillside.

  asked Lyra, her tone curious.

  Nerishka scowled as she lost her footing and slid a few meters down the incline before managing to regain her balance. she snapped as she hurried down the hill, deciding it was best to take it at a jog than to attempt to move one step at a time.

 

 

 

  asked Nerishka, not hiding the sarcasm in her voice.

  Lyra chuckled. clarify where things stand. This harebrained idea of running into the poisoned forest seems a little foolhardy. Especially since I’m not sure you even thought about me.>

  asked Nerishka as she reached the bottom of the hill and moved slowly to the trees that appeared to have been affected by some strange disease. Then she stiffened.

 

 

  said the AI, laughter in her voice.

  Nerishka groaned.

 

  Nerishka muttered as she used a small plas tube to capture an air sample. Once the lid sealed, the screen ran the diagnostics and Nerishka sighed. Using the team Link, she said,

  asked Kelem, his voice a little high

  Dresden swore.

 

  GROUND ZERO

  STELLAR DATE: 10.13.8948 (Adjusted Gregorian)

  LOCATION: Caspian Forest

  REGION: Xerxes, Ayra System (Independent)

  As they progressed further into the dying jungle, the air and ground continued to be clear of any contaminants—aside from a rather unpleasant fungal growth that was surviving all too well on the decay. Its spores were thick in places, and they alone made the hazsuits worth the trouble.

  Dresden’s voice came over the Link.

 

  Lyra spoke up on the shared link. Then she paused and replied to Nerishka privately.

  asked Dresden as he held a giant frond aside for Nerishka. Though he kept his tone light, he didn’t sound happy about her omission.

 

  Dresden grunted as he came to a halt. Nerishka slowed her pace to come to stand beside him. The density of the vegetation had begun to lessen and with that, the effects of whatever toxin had attacked the plant-life further away had become more pronounced.

  Across the next hundred meters, plants and trees had suffered devastating effects, everything—even the persistent fungus—was dead.

  asked Kelem, pointing off to his left.

  Judith shifted out of the line and crouched beside it.

  Nerishka hurried over.

  said Kelem as he bobbed his head.

  He worked quickly, taking a vid recording and then drawing blood and tissue samples from the dead animal. While he worked, Nerishka and the rest of the team studied the area, taking measurements of air quality as well as testing the plants.

  Judith’s tone was hard as she turned and hurried over to Nerishka.

  Dresden walked over too, making it clear that the woman had come to Nerishka and not to her boss. Would that have been considered a breach of protocol? And would Dresden take issue with it? Nerishka didn’t need to have to deal with discord within the team, but she was the lead on this mission.

  Judith gestured to Nerishka and showed her the screen on the rad counter.

  Lyra had already accessed the data and had thrown it up on Nerishka’s HUD. Speaking to both Dresden and Nerishka on their private Link, Lyra said,

  Judith was walking across the dead zone and stopped, then slowly began to back up.

 

  Dresden asked.

  Lyra suggested.

  Nerishka sent her AI an affirmative thought and glanced over at Dresden. she asked, knowing she needed his confirmation at this point.

  A wind stirred the trees, startling the team, and revealing a nearby rooftop rising above the dying foliage.

 

  Dresden gave a low grunt, then spoke over the team Link.

  asked Kelem, his tone faintly edged with concern, though not enough that Nerishka would be worried that he’d pull out.

  She cleared her throat.

  came Kelem’s low response.

  There was a moment of silence in which the crew considered their next move.

  asked Dresden.

  Nerishka glanced over at him.

  asked Dresden, his baritone a low hum in her ear. Then he let out a soft, and decidedly resigned, chuckle.

  She glanced at him and held his gaze for a moment, aware that the crew was already scouting the area beyond the cover of the trees.

  Lyra cut into the conversation unexpectedly.

  Dresden shrugged.

 

  Dresden replied.

  The team pulled the cloaks out of a
case on the a-grav pad, and formed up at the edge of the dying jungle.

  Ahead of them was a kilometer of fields, all the grains and plants long-since dead. Beyond that was a small settlement, and stretching toward the horizon were more fields, filling a cleared area that Nerishka estimated to be at least a hundred square kilometers.

  Kelem announced, and waved the team forward into a field of shoulder-high wheat.

  They remained silent as they approached the settlement, and Nerishka kept thinking something was missing, something wasn’t right.

  she said after a minute.

  Lyra replied.

  Kelem said.

  Nerishka said to Dresden and Lyra.

  said Lyra, her tone somewhat despondent.

  said Dresden, addressing the AI directly for the first time.

  Lyra fell silent then and Nerishka sensed her withdrawal.

  Though surprised to find that the AI had been so clearly upset, Nerishka didn’t have time to probe right now. They’d reached the first of the homes on the edge of the settlement.

  Lyra spoke over the team Link.