“I do not want to ruin your dress, dear Ninif,” he explained behind heavy breaths. She nodded as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
“Oh! Sir Daniel, it's horrible! Everyone is gone and these strange creatures are everywhere!” A screech erupted from behind before he had a chance to respond.
“We have to move!” Knight Captain Ja'Luk shouted, his metallic voice barely masking his hidden fear.
Daniel didn't think twice. He grabbed Ninifis's hand and started after the two combat armored guards who took point, heading towards the administration dome. Two creatures appeared on the gradually tapering roofs at their sides, jumping at them with a spine tingling shriek. One exploded in a puff of red and orange as laser bolts sliced through its body, while the other landed hard atop one of the guards who had taken up the rear, and to his surprise, no one even stopped.
Ninifis seemed to sense his confusion. “It's the orange stuff, if it gets you, you die,” she said between breaths. Daniel almost stumbled, it was the first helpful thing he ever recalled her saying.
They continued to flee with all haste, screeches attacking them from one side, while responding howls grew louder from the other. Four of the creatures broke out of an alley ahead. Daniel caught one with a lucky shot from his laser arc as the guards took care of the other three.
Daniel heard a thud behind him and glanced over his should to find Knight Captain Ja'Luk on the ground with a creature slashing harmlessly at his armor with the sharp bones protruding from its wrists, before it was easily tossed across the street, splattering against the side of a building. Ja’Luk stood, saluted, then turned to face the following hoard that Daniel noticed for the first time.
Thousands of the creatures were following them at a safe distance, a few breaking off from the main pack to jump onto the lowering rooftops or vanish down the many alleyways, the rest flowing straight at Knight Captain Ja’Luk. Daniel diverted his gaze just in time to see another of the guards fall as three of the creatures jumped from a nearby rooftop, landing together with a sickening crunch. He dove out of the way as orange spores erupted from the creatures, causing the guard to go limp before he could toss off his attackers. The other guard didn't hesitate, blasting both the creatures and fallen guard with his combat arc.
The door to the access tunnel leading to the shuttle bay and administrator's office appeared before them. But the howls and screeches were even closer, the intensity of those behind telling they had little time. He didn't dare look back.
The last remaining guard reached the door first, then turned, firing her combat arc to all sides with reckless abandon. The door slid open as Daniel and Ninifis sprinted past.
“Take care of her...Sir Daniel...” Ju’Lew Guard Tri’Sti told over the com as the door slammed shut behind him. Ninifis, tears gone, seemed to be confused by the situation.
“Where are the rest of the guards?” she asked. Daniel looked at her, keeping his rage in check.
“Dead, Ninif,” he responded coldly.
Her expression shifted to shock. “Oh no, whatever shall we do?” Daniel sighed. That is the important question.
“We need to find a way out of here. Follow me.” He hurried down the access tunnel towards the administration dome. As they passed the split that led to the shuttle bay, Ninifis tried to stop him.
“Where are you going, Sir Daniel? I think the shuttle is that way,” Daniel dragged her on as she pointed towards the intersecting tunnel.
“It's gone, Ninifis...they left us behind,” Ninifis didn’t respond and stopped resisting.
He caught a glimpse of the entrance to the administration dome, picking up the pace, then slowed as he came close to the door. He closed his eyes, listening for any sound, and when he heard none, he touched the access icon.
Slime still covered the floor of the lobby, which he carefully walked himself across, pulling the silent Ninifis along behind him. The door to the hallway leading into the main section of the administration dome was half ajar, though he recalled clearly closing it when he left the day before. As he crept closer, he noticed a grey furry ball, with eight, rubber-like limbs, wedged in the gape. Daniel didn't recognize the creature, its alien look at complete odds with the human-like appearance of the hideous creatures they left behind. But Ninifis stumbled, her breath catching.
“It looks like one of those things from the children stories...” she whispered with none of the empty humor that always seemed to tinge her words.
“What things, Ninif?” he asked, edging closer, trying to look through the gap without causing the door to open.
“Those bad things...I don't remember the names, but they're our enemies,”
Daniel froze. Could it be an ASU species? He thought back to the Battle of Earth and remembered the rumors that the ASU were involved with the destruction of TSB Earth Base. At the time, he found it ridiculous, but now it made sense. They must responsible, he realized, delivering the creatures to Earth as a test, some sort of biological weapon, and they were now delivering them to real NHA colonies. It made a strange sort of sense, he thought. But it still didn't add up, the choice of Earth illogical.
Finding the hallway beyond the alien creature empty, he opened the door fully, hopping over the tentacle-like appendages, and started towards the administrator's office, a silent Ninifis in tow. Another of the furry grey, ball-like creatures was ripped apart further down the hall, then another, and another. It seemed that they had been picked off one by one as they ran towards the door he and Ninifis just entered, towards the administration domes exit. Most were mutilated beyond recognition, but since he knew what to look for, he could tell their discolored blood splotches, slightly more purple then that of a human.
A howl sounded from a door they hurried past and Daniel instinctively broke into a sprint. He didn't look back, answering howls emerging from almost every doorway that lined the long hallway.
“They are behind us...” Ninifis said unemotionally. A creature appeared from the doorway near the end of the hall. Daniel's laser bolt caught it in the midsection, sending a puff of orange into the air. He slid to a stop, spinning in the process, firing on the snarling pack that followed only a few meters behind.
“Tell me when the orange cloud has dispersed, then hold your breath as we run through,” Daniel instructed as he continued to fire.
“It's gone.” Ninifis said. He turned, sprinting the last 50 meters to the administrator's office. The doors slid open as they approached and Daniel felt relieved as he found the lobby beyond empty. The door slid shut behind him, but opened again as the creatures followed. He rushed through the lobby, into the office proper. He threw Ninifis to floor as he dove over the desk PDU and slammed the hovering icon that would lockdown the office proper, then collapsed to the floor as the door slammed shut. Ninifis walked to his side, ignoring the clawing of the creatures at the door. She pulled off his helmet. He gasped in shock, prepared to shout in anger at the idiotic woman.
“We're going to die...I don't care anymore,” she said, her lack of emotion sliding off his ice covered heart. But her words did light another fire. I have no reason to care anymore, either, he realized, knowing it likely they were going die. She pushed the release button on his exosuit and removed the slime covered disc once it finished retracting. The moment it hit the floor he pushed her down upon the desk, forcefully ripping off her pink dress, ignoring her look of confusion.
The next few hours were a haze. Daniel took all his hate out on Ninifis, who at first resisted, screaming her resistance, then, to Daniel's surprise, showed noticeable enjoyment. When he finished, and she had fallen into a restless slumber, he found he felt better, better than any time since he first met Trent. The mere thought of the name made him livid. So he awoke Ninifis, and again, took her with all the rage that boiled within him.
After a time, he left her trembling on the floor, not quite sleeping, but not quite awake. He again, felt better, ignoring the gibberish pleas for more escaping Ninifis's puckering lips.
With a sigh, he sat upon the edge of the desk and accessed the PDU. He searched through the menu options, finding most had been deleted or sealed. He resisted the urge to bring up the live record feeds from around the colony, knowing it would only call back his despair. His gaze then fell upon Ninifis as he thought about the anger that the images may cause. Knowing she would need rest before they went for another round. He put his exploration on hold, his stomach suddenly crying out, and went in search of food. He located a nutrition dispenser in an alcove that appeared to still work. He selected some water and a nutrient rich broth.
He returned to the still quivering Ninifis's side, and sat her against the wall behind the desk, wrapping a blanket that he'd found around her shivering form. Her eyes were glossy, vacant, so he fed her the water and broth with his mouth, holding back the growing desire to continue their earlier escapades. She gulped down the water greedily, then the broth, allowing her to calm and her eyes to close. Her light breathing told him that she had fallen into a deep sleep.
Daniel returned his attention back to the PDU projection, browsing mindlessly through the thousands of menu options. A screech outside the door caused him to freeze, a desperate banging bringing him to his feet, in search of his laser arc. He kneeled behind the desk, aiming at the door as the screeches grew louder and the banging became more insistent. But as suddenly as it began, it stopped, the creatures retreating. Daniel let himself relax, returning to his previous search.
An interesting icon caught his eye, labeled; Messages to Wife. It was interesting, not because of the label, but because during his investigation he’d found that the administrator was single and never married. He selected the icon and almost choked on the water he was sipping.
Emergency Escape Plan, the name of the only letter in the list. He caught his breath as he selected the message.
“In case of emergency: A39D93083 for access to emergency shuttle.” The message that streamed in the air before him was unbelievable. There is an escape shuttle! Daniel's hope returned, then vanished as he realized it might have already been used. He buried the depressing thought as he called up the data entry pad on the PDU, inputting the code from the message with trembling fingers.
A seam formed in the wall of the office and a door appeared, sliding open to reveal a tunnel hidden in darkness. Daniel grabbed his laser arc and ran to its entrance, peering in, but was unable to see anything. He activated the dark vision on the portable PDU he wore on his ear and the hallway brightened, as if lights now filled its interior. With careful steps, he started down the tunnel, finding that after about 10 meters it began to descend out of sight. He took a deep breath and continued on, then stopped, looking back at the sleeping Ninifis.
It would be difficult to have to worry about her and save myself, he thought, knowing he should just leave her behind. But we may be stuck in the escape shuttle for a long time. Wouldn't it be better to have some sort of entertainment? The two conflicting thoughts fought back and forth, before finally, he came to a decision. He trotted back to Ninifis's side and woke her, bleary eyes turning to yearning as she looked at Daniel kneeling before her.
“We need to go,” he whispered gently, suppressing his desire, urging her to stand, trying to ignore her whimpering. Finding she was unable to stand on her own, her legs too wobbly, he dragged her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist as he started towards the tunnel. As soon as they entered, the door slide shut behind them. They were locked in. Ninifis started trembling uncontrollably since unlike Daniel, she didn't have a portable PDU on her ear, so she was completely in the dark. He tightened the blanket around her, along with his arm.
“Just follow me,” he tried to force caring into his words, but it ended up sounding more like annoyance. She complied, and they started slowly down the tunnel. They walked for what felt like hours and Daniel finally was forced to stop as fatigue overtook him, slumping to the floor and letting himself fall into a restless sleep.
An ear shattering screech woke him, but he couldn't tell the direction from which it came, his mind still foggy from sleep. He waited, hoping for another, but found only their ragged breaths filling the air. Ninifis lay in a ball beside him, shivering in fear. He forcefully pulled her to her feet and dragged her along, down the ever descending tunnel. Within moments, to his chagrin, the tunnel leveled and opened into a large cavern. In the center, lying undisturbed, sat an escape shuttle, ready to launch. Without thinking, he rushed forward, dragging the whining Ninifis behind.
The shuttle door opened as they approached, light appearing all around them. Daniel all but threw Ninifis in before climbing in himself, hitting the emergency launch icon and forcefully buckling Ninifis into her seat, before taking his own. The shuttle started its pre-launch sequence, a PDU powered viewscreen appearing before them, and the door slowly started sliding shut.
A horrible screech assaulted his ears, originating from only a few meters away. Daniel fumbled for his laser arc as a dreadful creature appeared in the doorway to the shuttle, wearing a tattered Ju’Lew administrators rob. But the door was closing too fast, and the creature couldn't squeeze through, its hideous, elongated form being caught within, unable to attack or retreat. But the creature didn't give up, forcing its human-like body into the ever closing gap. Terror overwhelmed him as the cracking of bone and the ghastly screams of the creature filled the tiny shuttles interior moments before he was engulfed in a cloud of orange.
His senses faded, and as everything went dark, the last thing he heard was Ninifis's cry of utter despair.
*********
Green, foul smelling slime covered half the sitting room, bubbling and oozing, seeming to move of its own volition, as if it was alive. In the center of the sitting room, where the slime was thickest, two human-like shapes could be seen swaying, shedding layers of the slime to reveal the pink skin hidden beneath. The strange creatures gurgled, making inhuman sounds, as if the slime penetrated their very beings. Tiana couldn't hold back her laughter, falling to the floor in exaggeration as she grasped her belly.
“Lady Tiana, I would ask you to remember at who it is you are laughing,” Queen Vahna said sternly, her voice emerging from one of the slime covered ladies.
“I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't recognize you,” she lied, knowing it not wise to admit she was knowingly laughing at the queen.
Tiana had completed the catillian bonding process along with Empress Yukie the previous evening. So after a tearful goodbye, Tiana had hurried straight for her apartments to finally catch a good night's rest. Then, after a late breakfast, she found Regalia missing, and tracked her down to Queen Vahna's apartments. When she arrived, she found two, slime covered guards exiting one of the queen's sitting rooms. Her queries went unanswered, so she let herself in to find the current slime covered mess, with Queen Vahna and Regalia at its center.
“I find that hard to believe, Lady Tiana...but I will forgive you if you promise to keep this...our little secret.” Tiana pulled herself up from the floor, the laughter starting to become painful.
“Very well, Queen Vahna,” Tiana responded with a curtsy, trying to the keep the playful mocking out of her words, but having little luck. “May I ask what happened to cause this mess?” The queen glanced down at Regalia, who appeared to be blushing under the cover of slime. Regalia pointed to a brown box that Tiana recognized as a botany collection kit, with built-in analyzer, which seemed to be the epicenter of the green slime, its covering extra thick.
“I added too much of the forced growth agent,” Regalia's voice trembled and Tiana knew tears would be close behind. Queen Vahna must have sensed it as well.
“It's ok, my dear, we all make mistakes. Let us remove ourselves to the bath, then to another sitting room while the servants deal with this mess,” Regalia nodded stiffly, removing herself from the edge of sadness.
“Your Majesty, I will give you a hand as well, but you must tell me what the two of you were doing while I was gone,” Tiana said with delight. The queen, lik
e her daughter, seemed to sense the hidden mockery in Tiana's words. But she nodded her agreement, nonetheless. Tiana tiptoed over the slime covered floor to their side. It took only a few minutes to strip them both down to their undergarments, then carefully moved to a clean portion of the sitting room. They wiped their feet, and as regally as one could in just their undergarments, left the sitting room behind and made their way to Queen Vahna’s private bathchamber.
It took an hour to get all the slime out of the two ladies hair, but luckily she had assistance. Queen Vahna's attempt to keep what had befallen secret had failed the moment her guards had left the sitting room. They'd called her servants, who had been waiting for them in the entry to the bathchamber, expressions stern as if they were dealing with a group of naughty children.
An unexpected visitor also stood within the crowd of servants, Regalia's mother, Belia, cheeks of crimson and an expression Tiana could only call disapproving. Queen Vahna noticed her as well, pulling Belia aside before she had a chance to speak to Regalia. After a few whispered words and apologies, Belia's cheeks went white and she rushed to her daughter's side, hugging and kissing the young girl like a mother should. Tiana stared at the queen, hoping to glean some idea of what she said to cause such a drastic change, but the only response she received was an emotionless stare.
“You have such beautiful hair, my darling,” Belia cooed into her daughter's ear as she brushed out her long, blond hair.
“Thank you, Mother,” Regalia responded happily, with the aged tone she always used around her mother.
“Stop bothering the queen, now she's mad at me,” Tiana barely heard the second whisper, Belia’s kind, friendly tone changing to that of command. Regalia went stiff as Tiana turned her attention away from the fluffy red dress she was helping the young girl into.
The Noble Petty, Complete Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 2) Page 29
