Star Sailor #1: The Wolves of Sahlam

by Chris Fox

the hybrids," the doctor pondered aloud.

  "I'm a vegetarian, so they probably wouldn't like me."

  "You have quite the mouth, don't you, child?" the doctor, both grumpy and amused, replied.

  "I do like to talk. But like I said, I'm not attracted to you like that, dude, so don't try and go there."

  "And very sarcastic. She's quite funny," the man nodded, turning to the General. "I like her. May I speak with her?"

  "Very well," the General replied. "But make it quick. You aren't being paid to talk."

  "Of course not, General." The General left through the wall. Najima looked at the man, in his shimmering labcoat, with a wrinkly face, grey hair, and circular-lense glasses, which he adjusted as he spoke. "Now child, tell me what you know of the hybrids. You seem to have some knowledge."

  "I know that these are probably hybrids of a breed of native wolves to Sahlem II. And I know that they've been outlawed by your government."

  "Some rules are meant to be broken. Especially for the sake of science."

  "Tell me your name," Najima demanded.

  "So fiesty! So energetic. Yes, child, I'm Doctor Erast Ofreska. You might have heard of me." The man had an aura about him, something foul and negative that Najima instinctively did not like. In the bright white room, with his pale skin, he almost seemed to blend in with the walls, and might have were it not for his labcoat.

  "No bells ringing," Najima replied.

  "Alas, such is the nature of my business. It's the salesman that popularizes the product who gets all the respect, not the inventor. You might have known some friends to have paid for Geno-Mods," Doctor Ofreska said, pacing in front of Najima.

  "You mean friends who spliced."

  "Not a fan of Modding? You would look very pretty with a pair of green eyes and pink hair. Maybe a touch of green skin to match the eyes."

  "I consider myself a purist."

  "As do I, as do I,” Doctor Ofreska said, nodding and pacing in front of Najima, who watched him, although she was still bound to the table. He strutted with complete confidence, but Najima somehow was reminded of an animal in a cage – like a dog locked in a kennel. “Some find it odd that the man who eliminated the genetic anomalies of modding has never modified himself."

  Najima interrupted Doctor Ofreska, "Why are you splicing animals here?"

  "Well, as you mentioned, any modification besides cosmetic alteration is illegal in the Empire. Not so much in the Commonwealth, at least not by law. And besides, my lovelies need to feed. Sahlam has a rich wildlife to support them.” He stopped his pacing and gazed down at her intently, as if he could analyze Najima on a chemical level. Najima only felt a slight revulsion rising within her. “A very curious girl, you are."

  "I'm only asking so many questions because I don't make a habit of killing scientists," Najima returned bluntly. "I'm on the fence with you."

  Kneeling down to Najima's eye-level, Doctor Ofreska replied, "Do you know how it feels to be conscious as your DNA is altered? As the transformations take place? I can only assume it's fascinating, although wholly excruciating." He patted her face, and rubbed her cheek softly with his black-gloved hand. "Or how it feels to be ripped apart limb from limb?"

  "I wouldn't know. But your hybrid knew the moment before I ended its life."

  Ofreska's eyes widened behind his glasses, and he staggered away as if he had learnt that Najima was infectious. "You... You killed my Jasper? You..." Rage filled the man's voice as the Subedar suddenly entered and took Ofreska by the shoulders.

  "Saar, I feel you should take your leave," the Subedar stated. Ofreska, still enraged, sighed, collected himself, and with a curt nod left through the traditional door Najima had been brought through. The Subedar disconnected the electromag cuffs before wrenching each of Najima’s arms behind her back until the bonds were secured once more. As the Subedar led her out through the door, Najima noted the doctor walking down the corridor to the right, toward a large room at the end of the hall. The Subedar led her left, to a hallway divided by an energy field the guard accessed with an electromag key – Najima could hear the faint vibration of the field as they passed through. The interrogation room was to the left side of the hall, and a sign nearby with an arrow pointing further down the hall read "holding cells."

  "So, Subedar," Najima said as she was walked down the hall. The Subedar didn't respond. "C'mon, you're not that anti-social, are you? Must get boring, huh? Must get annoying, huh? Constantly taking orders and stuff? Like primary school all over again."

  "You talk too much, girl."

  Najima smiled and quickened the speed of her words. "Oh, sorry, did you like primary school? I didn't. It was so boring, so drab. It's because I was bad at math. Great at astrophysics, mind you, but always sloppy at traditional algebra. You know what I'm saying? Course you know what I'm saying! Soldiers don't need math. They just take orders, and boom, job gets done. Easy as pie, although I prefer cakes. Mmm, cake. By the way, I was hoping for a pizza. Do they serve pizza or cake here?"

  "You'll get a serving of bhat."

  "How about curried bhat? I love me some curried bhat? How about you? Got a favourite food? Bhat, perhaps?"

  "Please, stop," the Subedar sighed.

  The volume of Najima's voice was raised to a level of obnoxiousness now. Another door to the left, nearer to the cells down the hall, opened; a soldier appeared, asking if everything was alright while Najima continued racing through her words. "Puh-lease, you MUST have at least one favourite food. You shouldn't be so uptight. At least tell me ONE food you like to eat."

  "Yes, everything's okay. Would you..." the frustrated Subedar began to the new guard who asked if he had things under control.

  But before the Subedar could finish his sentence, or even react, Najima hastened her pace by one step, leaned forward, and quickly threw her head backwards. She struck the Subedar in the face and heard his nose crack with the blow. The soldier before her instantly reacted, and began to draw his weapon, which Najima kicked out his hand with a full 360º spinning kick, hands still locked behind her. Once her foot returned to the ground, Najima threw her body backwards at the Subedar, knocking him off balance and to the floor, while simultaneously using his as a springboard to launch her entire weight at the soldier in front of her, tackling him to the ground. She quickly rose to her feet and dropped her boot upon the soldier’s temple.

  "I'd like to let you know that breaking your nose hurt my head a lot," Najima quipped, blinking slowly and groaning melodramatically as she returned to the Subedar, still fumbling in confusion on the floor, and placed her boot heavily on the Subedar's neck as he moaned in pain, blood trickling down to his mouth.

  "Are you going to be a good, respectful little boy? Or am I going to have to kick you in the face like your friend?" The Subedar replied something unintelligible through coughs and bloody gargles. "I'll take that as a yes." She lowered herself to the floor and straddled the man, facing him, while weaseling her still bound hands into his pockets. She found nothing. "You gave the General the electromag key for my cuffs, didn’t you? Tsk tsk, poor show."

  Najima grabbed the Subedar's gun instead, making sure the Subedar heard the mechanical click and hiss of the gun separating from the electromagnetic holster, aiming the weapon around her hip before rising and returning her boot on the Subedar's neck. "I'm going to borrow this gun to break these binds. I'd hate to use your own gun on you, so you should probably cooperate with me. The consequences of disobeying would be pretty embarrassing. Nobody wants to tell their friends they got shot in the knees by their own gun.”

  The Subedar gargled a response as Najima looked around the hall. She glanced back to her interrogation room she had been in only minutes before. “Is that interrogation room soundproof?"

  She lifted her foot enough for the Subedar to blabber a response, "Yes."

  "Let's take a walk buddy. You all never gave me a proper tour of the facilities."

  ∞∞∞

  In the central co
ntrol room of the facility – a room of large screens and computers along every wall – Doctor Ofreska and the General analyzed a holographic and interactive map of the local Sahlam system on a 3D console in the middle of the room. "And your plans are to expand to every planet?" the General asked.

  "Yes, at least to the inhabited planets, and this inhabited moon here. This would take little or no effort on our part at all. Simply send down a few escape capsules to each planet. The wolves have been modded to be quick witted - they will almost instantly form a pack. And because of their strength, they will dominate the local food chains, not only upsetting the balance of the planet's ecosystems, but will most certainly terrorize the townspeople."

  "You believe this is an effective strategy?"

  "I was brought into this operation by an official higher than you, General," Ofreska noted. "This means I am trusted for my expertise in my field."

  "Our goal is to disturb this territory of the Commonwealth by any means necessary. I'm just not convinced rabid dogs are the correct mode of action,” the General conferred in a remorseful tone.

  Doctor Ofreska merely shook his head. "Guns are too loud, my dear General. Any act of violence - even with guerrilla tactics - would be seen as a provocation for war. Wars are costly and resource consuming. Bending an ecosystem out of its form and letting the planets destroy themselves is much more efficient. Besides, hybrids don't need to