by Craig Gaydas
“What does that have to do with me? I wasn't even there,” I croaked. My throat was once again descending into desert-like status, an apparent side effect of having my brain inhibited.
“You're one of them,” he growled.
I tried to shake my head but the effort was futile. I had to resort to shutting my eyes in frustration. “Not anymore. You realize I am being hunted by them, right?”
He chuckled. “Calypso was right. You are naïve.” He shook his head and retrieved a small drill from the tray. “The Insurgents had been born from a reaction to an action the High Prince took. They still believe in the same basic principles of the Consortium. Their goal is to remove Meta at all costs, but what happen if they succeed?”
The question lingered, unanswered. I considered his question and realized he had a valid point. Our goal was to defeat Meta, but the ideals of the Consortium still hold true in our hearts. I never had a chance to speak with Satou or Embeth but I was sure once Meta was defeated that a new Consortium would rise.
“I don't understand what your point is,” I responded. “Once Meta is defeated new leadership will take over and return the Consortium to what they were.”
“Exactly!” Shai thrust his index finger at me. “That is the problem. The Consortium will be reborn. I want them destroyed.”
“What about the insurgents?” I rasped. The inhibitor made it harder to talk. It felt like I had a mouth full of marbles. “What happens to them?”
Shai casually used the scalpel to dig out a piece of dirt from underneath his fingernails. “Casualties of war my friend.”
Between the drugs and fatigue I had little strength left to ask questions. “Let's get on with your stupid game,” I sighed.
He smiled and stood with the scalpel gripped tightly. “I will take it easy on you. I only have three questions.” He circled the bed but because of the inhibitor I could barely keep my eyes on him. “First question: Why did the Consortium attack Earth?”
I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I wish I knew,” I sighed.
Shai placed the palm of his hand across my forehead. His calculating eyes locked on mine. Without blinking he studied me for what seemed like an eternity. He brought the scalpel up so I could see it. “I may be crazy but I believe you,” he snickered. “On to the next question. How does the Universal Map work?”
Only then did I remember that I still had the map attached to the bracelet on my wrist. I would be the first to admit that I hadn't spent nearly enough time learning how to navigate with the map nor how to use it properly, but I found the timing of his question odd. Does Corvus plan on using the map to get back at the Consortium?
“I'm not sure,” I admitted. “I never got the chance to spend enough time with it.”
Shai's mood darkened. “Now that I don't believe.” He slid the scalpel down my right arm, toward my wrist. “I find it hard to believe you know nothing about the map or how it works.” I felt the scalpel come to rest on the back of my hand. He glanced at it for a long time before changing the subject. “Did you know that Deena was a human nurse on Earth?”
“Yes.” My voice was barely a whisper. The inhibitor continued sapping what little strength I had left.
Shai frowned and nodded. “It was good news for us because we were lacking medical personnel within our ranks at the time.” He switched his gaze from the scalpel to my face. “Unfortunately she wasn't too adept with advanced medical tools. We had to salvage some human devices so she could help us when needed.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Exhaustion begun to take hold and I just wanted this entire ordeal over.
“With a laser-imbued blade one can cut through flesh quicker and with less pain.” He removed the scalpel from my hand and held it up for me to see. “With these archaic devices, the pain is much greater.” In a flash he brought the blade of the scalpel down.
Even in my weakened state I managed to scream. It was high pitched and intense in the beginning, eventually tapering off to a raspy wail. The only thing I could see from my position was the top of the scalpel jutting from my right hand. The inhibitor prevented me from moving but it did not prevent me from feeling the burning sensation radiating from the center of my hand. It also did not prevent tears of agony from streaming down my cheeks toward my ears. The monitor started squawking loudly but Shai ignored it.
“I'm winning, Nathan,” he sneered. “You better answer the next question correctly or you are gonna lose.”
I blinked back a fresh wave of tears. “Why the hell did you do that? I answered your question.”
He shook his head. “You know more about that map than you are willing to share.” He shrugged and retrieved what appeared to be a drill from the tray. When he held it up in front of me I observed a fine, steel saw blade attached where there should have instead been a drill bit. The blade was about six inches long and no thicker than a pencil tip. “You used your freebie, Nathan. You only have one more chance to win.”
If I wasn't already paralyzed by the cerebral inhibitor I would have been from fear. Shai was a nutcase with a saw. Only God knew what he planned to do with it. He waved it back and forth in front of my face like he was conducting an orchestra.
“Last question, Nathan. This one is for all the cash and prizes.” He smiled. A snake's smile. “Where are the Insurgents hiding?”
Oh, God no. This answer I did know but my response would doom them. Between the Scarlet Moon and the Lumagom, Corvus' forces outnumbered Embeth's. Even with the help of Vigil and Vayne they would be no match. I witnessed their might on Earth. Their ships nearly blocked out the sun. If I answered him correctly I would be passing along their death sentence. On the other hand, if I didn't then I was most likely passing along mine. I shut my eyes and prayed. God, Allah, Odin, Zeus; I prayed to whoever would answer.
“Well?” Shai pressed. His smile was wide. He knew I would never answer the question and he reveled in it.
“I don't know,” I whispered as another tear fell from the side of my face.
His smile remained. It didn't even waver. “I see.” He pulled the trigger on the drill and the blade began to oscillate. It barely made a sound. “I'm sorry to say, Nathan, but you lost.” He let go of the trigger which cut off the power to the tool. He mysteriously returned it to the tray. It was only then that I realized I held my breath. I let it out slowly. He grabbed the handle of the scalpel and turned to me. “I suppose you won't be needing this so I will take this off your hands. No pun intended.” He yanked the scalpel out of my hand and tossed it on the tray. He studied the hand pouted. “I'm afraid that your wound is going to be difficult to repair.”
The drill was in his hand again. “No,” I grunted weakly.
“Don't worry, this won't take long,” he replied. He pressed the blade of the saw to my wrist and pressed the trigger. At first I felt a burn but I was too weak to cry out. Eventually the pain subsided followed by wisps of smoke. “Almost done,” Shai purred.
The blade of the saw squealed when it met resistance. Smoke rose in larger plumes and the scent of blood reached my nostrils. The room spun, eventually fading into grayness. It wasn't long before one of the gods answered my prayers.
I fell into darkness.
Starting Over
“Come on, Nathan. Hurry up!”
I finished tying the rope around my waist and looked up. Sam eyeballed me impatiently. “What's your hurry?” I asked.
He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. “My mother needs me to run to the grocery store.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. Shoving the rock hammer in my waistband I checked the integrity of the knot one final time before stepping into the cave.
“Final time”.
I stopped. Sam clutched the rope in both hands, watching me through eager eyes. “What did you say?” I asked.
His face crinkled with confusion. “Huh?”
I cocked my head and studied him, trying to figure out if he was messi
ng me. His expression didn't change. “Um, nothing I guess. I thought I heard you say something.”
He waved his hand at me impatiently. “Come on, let's get this over with. I gotta go soon!”
I switched on the flashlight and made my way to the collapsed wall. It was in the same condition as the last time we left it with the exception of the small gap I found. I took out my rock hammer but before I could work the hole I froze.
“Wait a minute, this isn't right,” I muttered. “The hole was bigger.” Looking down at the rock hammer in my right hand a distant memory came flooding back. “I lost this hammer on Xajax.” I looked at the flashlight in my left. “I lost this here.” Suddenly a sharp pain shot through my right hand and I dropped the hammer. I broke out in a cold sweat and backed up against the wall. “What the hell is happening to me?”
“Nathan.”
I whipped my head around and looked back toward the entrance. I thought Sam made his way down but the cave was empty.
“Nathan.”
Sweat stung my eyes and the pain in my wrist worsened. I fell to one knee and realized the sound came from the hole in the wall. I stumbled and fell against it. I raised my head so I could look through the hole. On the other side stood the shadowy outline of a woman. When she approached the hole the light hit her and I recognized her.
“Deena,” I muttered.
She put her hand up to the wall and leaned in close. “Nathan, stay with me.”
Before I could respond, her face vanished and was replaced by a bright light. Everything around us fell into darkness. A steady beeping echoed off the walls. A warm touch fell on my forehead before the stone walls of the cave gave way to the metal walls of prison. The darkness faded and I found myself surrounded by familiar fluorescent lights. Deena hunched over me with her hand pressed against my forehead. Her panicked expression broke through the remaining fragments of the dream.
“Stay with me, Nathan.” The beeping, frantic at first, slowed eventually. She continued monitoring my vitals as the pain in my wrist subsided, giving way to a dull throbbing.
“I'm not dead?” I croaked.
She tossed me a weak smile. “Not yet.” She returned her attention to the monitor.
I was glad to see that the cerebral inhibitor was no longer in the room. Another item had replaced it. The mysterious box was no bigger than a toaster. Concerned about Shai's sadistic nature, I asked, “What's that?”
Even though I was too weak to point at it, she knew immediately what I was alluding to. Her smile faded and she turned slowly and removed her hand from my forehead. She pushed the table away quickly. “It's nothing,” she replied before returning her attention to the monitor.
Although she tried to hide it, her mouth tightened when I asked again about the box. She knew what was inside but withheld its contents. I found myself wondering if Shai was playing another one of his games. I changed the subject. “Where is he?” I asked instead.
Her eyes were full of sympathy. “He returned to his quarters. You're safe now.”
“Am I?” I replied, perhaps a bit harsher than intended. “I'm aboard his ship flying toward a meeting with my enemies. How safe am I really?”
She turned to the monitor, watching my vital signs with brooding silence. I felt a tightness on my right bicep and looked to find a quarter-sized rubber patch fastened there. Attached to the patch was a lead and a wire leading back to the machine.
“What's this?” I asked, nodding my head toward it.
“A blood pressure monitor,” she replied quietly. “I attached it after your meeting with Shai.” She turned from the monitor and her face hardened. “Despite what you believe, I'm here to make sure you make it out of here alive.”
My gaze drifted to the far wall. Someone had moved the gurney since my meeting with Shai. During our meeting walls were on both sides. Now the door was on one side. I watched it fearing Shai's return.
“He won't be back,” Deena said, watching my gaze. “He is done with you.”
“Is that what he told you?” I asked sharply.
The beeping of the monitor slowed. Instead of answering the question she rubbed my shoulder. Her touch was not unkind. “Your blood pressure is coming back up. I was worried, for a while it was critically low.”
She continued to rub my shoulder and I found myself strangely aroused by her touch. Looking at her it would be difficult for any man to not be aroused by her appearance. She was one of the hottest girls I had ever seen. My teenaged hormones must have been in overdrive because of the drugs I had been given. I never had such a reaction to a woman before.
“What's wrong?”
She caught me gawking at her. I shut my eyes violently and tried to shake the feelings of lust which suddenly gripped me. It didn't work. As soon as I opened them I found my eyes drifting over every curve in her body.
“Um, I…uh,” I stuttered and looked away. “Boobs.” I felt a flush creeping into my cheeks.
Embarrassed, I reluctantly looked at her. I expected her to be horrified, irritated or perhaps even angry. Instead she smiled. “It's the side effect of the drug I gave you. It helps coagulate the blood.” She stifled a giggle. “It also increases testosterone.”
“So are you trying to tell me that this drug you gave me makes me horny?”
She laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I suppose it does.”
I smiled weakly. “Well, I guess that's better than other drugs on Earth where the side effects could be diarrhea, cramps, bloating or even death.” She laughed harder and for a moment I joined her. It felt good to laugh again. Eventually the pain in my right wrist became too much and overcame the laughter.
“What's wrong?” she asked, suddenly concerned.
“It's my wrist,” I grunted. “The pain's starting to come back. Why the hell does it hurt so much?”
“I'm sorry, Nathan,” she said, glancing uneasily at the box. She tried to hide the look, but I caught it.
“What's in the box?” I asked.
“You didn't tell him?” A voice from the door spoke. Colonel Noz leaned against the wall, smoking a pipe made of glass. A dark substance sat in the bowl of the pipe while white smoke wafted from the top. In our brief moment of hilarity neither of us heard him enter. Whatever he was smoking was completely odorless, which helped mask his entrance.
“No I didn't,” Deena replied coldly. “What are you doing here anyway? Shai assured me he had no further use for Nathan and promised he wouldn't come for him until we reached Gorganna.”
Noz held out his hands innocently. “Hey I'm just checking on our patient and making sure he is going to make it. Can't a guy show a little concern around here?”
I turned toward Deena. “What's in the box?” I repeated.
Deena shook her head and drew a deep breath. “They never told me they would do this,” she exhaled slowly. “I would have never agreed to help them if I knew.” She turned slowly toward the box and picked it up. She laid it gently beside me.
Grimacing with pain I tried to roll over but I was too weak. She removed the lid and tilted the box. I blinked while my eyes adjusted to the gloom inside. Once the overhead lights penetrated the shadows I noticed the map bracelet that Satou had designed for me. Next to it was a hand.
“What the hell?” I muttered. In one violent motion I knocked the box to the floor and struggled to sit up. “What the hell did you do to me?” Noz chuckled but I ignored him. Deena tried to stop me from sitting up and I almost fell out of the bed fighting her. Finally she conceded and helped me into a sitting position. I looked down at my right hand. My wrist throbbed so bad it felt like someone was playing drums on it. When I looked down I froze. My right arm ended with bloody bandages. My hand was missing. For the first time since emerging from the bowels of unconsciousness I found inner strength.
I used it to scream.
Broken
“Is he gonna be okay?” Noz hovered over me, exhibiting a surprising amount of concern.
“Yes. His heart r
ate is steady. His blood pressure has been stabilized,” Deena responded with her eyes glued to the monitor.
Noz looked relieved, although it wasn't out of concern for my well-being. He needed to cover his rear. Bringing damaged goods to Corvus was okay, but bringing dead goods to Corvus would be crossing the line.
“Good. We are approaching Gorganna and should touch down within the hour.” He turned and left.
When the door closed I turned toward Deena. She fiddled with a knob on the side of the monitor. The pleasant exchange we had only a short time ago was now a distant memory. The joy I felt when we laughed was gone. I now viewed the universe through a red curtain of rage. A hole formed in my heart that would never be filled with anything except hatred. My anger had no outlet at the moment. I was angry at Shai for what he did. I was angry at Deena for letting him. I was angry at Kedge for abandoning me. I was angry at Meta for starting this war. Hell I was even angry at Embeth for allowing us to leave Xajax. My anger didn't have any reasoning behind it. My anger had no path and stumbled through my soul like a headless chicken.
“You have to help me get out of here.” I reached over and grabbed her arm with my left hand.
She looked at my hand as if it was a ghost until she saw it was my left. “There is nowhere to go.” Her face suddenly hardened and she pressed her lips together tightly. “Don't you think I've been thinking of a thousand ways to get you out of here? We have reached our destination, there is nowhere to go but down.”
“There has to be a way to get to a radio or something,” I pressed. “If I can get to a communicator I can call for help.”
She shook her head sadly. “All communications are conducted from the bridge. There are at least twenty crew members in there right now.”
I wasn't a warrior like Embeth or an infiltrator like Vayne. I wasn't a charmer like Calypso or a tactician like Wraith. There would be no way for me to get around the issue of the crew. I was no one but Nathan Chambers, one-handed failure who spent more time captured than asleep. I was nothing but an intergalactic stray dog. Her tone reinforced the impossibility of the situation.
