Giles Kurns_Rogue Operator

by Ell Leigh Clarke

  Jendyg moved his leg away from Giles but made a polite kind of smile. With his Zhyn features though it unnerved Giles more than made him feel socially appeased. Giles withdrew his hand and shuffled his chair back a touch so that it was around the corner from where he had been sitting.

  Jendyg looked back up at Arlene. “I hope the talisman brings you the answers you seek. It was doing nothing on that rock. And I’m sure our ancestors intended for it to perform a function.”

  Arlene bobbed her head slowly as she carefully moved the device over his wound again and again. “I’m sure it will,” she responded.

  Beno’or was watching their interaction. “Well!” he said chirpily, “this calls for a celebration, and I have just the thing.” He moved around Giles and headed for one of the top lockers above the sink area and produced a bottle of whiskey. “Who is with me?”

  “Aye,” the Zhyn warrior gruffed.

  Arlene looked up at it. “I’ll have one,” she chimed.

  Giles raised his hand casually, his eyes now fixed unfocussed on the table. “I’m in,” he added.

  Beno’or reached for some glasses and started pouring. He handed out generous shots to each and then raised a toast. “To adventures with friends,” he said.

  The others muttered their approval at the toast. “Adventures with friends,” they repeated. They each went to drink, but Arlene stopped with the glass half way to her lips, one hand still administering the skin graft.

  Jendyg’s hand holding his glass suddenly started shaking. He moved to put it down but before the glass reached the table his eyes rolled back into his head and the glass tumbled to the table, spilled, and rolled with a clatter.

  His whole body started to shudder. Arlene placed her own glass down on the table and was helping him to the ground as he shook. “He’s having a fit,” she told the others, panic rising in her voice. “Giles, we need a nanite injection. Fast.”

  Giles was on his feet in an instant opening lockers and scurrying for a med shot. “Scamp?” he called loudly. “Scamp I need a med case stat. Help me out?”

  Scamp’s voice came over the intercom. “There are two med cases on the ship. One in the cockpit under the pilot’s seat, and one in the mess on the wall near the intercom.

  Giles’s eyes darted to the intercom on the far side of the room and bolted over to it. He pulled it off the wall and grappled to get it open. “Shit,” he cursed, shaking his hand and then sucking a finger briefly.

  He struggled with it some more before opening it. Rummaging inside he couldn’t find what he wanted. “Arse!” he shouted in frustration. “It’s not been replenished.”

  He ran to the cockpit and a minute later returned with another med case and an injection pod. He thrust it into Arlene’s hand as she held the Zhyn down, holding pressure under his chin to keep him from swallowing his tongue. “Try this,” he told her.

  She took it and pressed the cartridge against Jendyg’s neck. The shot administered, she pulled it away.

  They waited.

  A few moments later the fit subsided.

  Jendyg looked like he was asleep. Arlene bent over him to make sure he was breathing.

  “Agghhhhh!” the Zhyn suddenly screamed, sitting bolt upright, knocking heads with Arlene. Arlene fell back out of his way, clutching her head.

  The Zhyn gripped his chest where the wound was. “It’s okay. I’m ready to die!” he sobbed.

  Giles glanced over at a bewildered Beno’or. “I thought that was meant to heal him?”

  Giles nodded, kneeling down next to the warrior. “It does. It’s just the effect of the nanites pulling from his existing cells. It will normalize in a moment. It’s just painful right now.”

  He turned to make eye contact with Jendyg. “It’s okay. It’s healing you. You’re not going to die.” He could see the panic and pain in the warrior’s eyes. He realized the Zhyn may never have experienced medical tech like this before. How was he to know what was happening?

  Jendyg’s face creased up in trauma. “No. It’s okay. It’s my time to die. Just let me go peacefully…” he panted through the pain.

  Giles held his gaze, his arm now on his shoulder as the Zhyn sat on the floor, rocking back and forth. “I know that feeling,” Giles said, his tone slowly soothing the wounded soul. “I know what it’s like to want to just give up. We get weary. But there is always more. Another chapter. We can help you. Show you a new world. One where you don’t have to protect an old relic, where your efforts can mean something. Please, take this chance.”

  He knew he didn’t have to convince him. Just distract him for another few minutes while the pain passed.

  “But how?” Jendyg winced.

  “How? It’s happening now,” Giles explained again. “That injection is a suspension of nanites which are tiny robots that are creating the cells that you need to heal. It just hurts because they are having to destroy non-essential materials in your body in order to give them the chemicals they need to reconstruct the damage around the wound. Trust me, my friend. You’re going to be okay.”

  Giles glanced over to see Arlene watching him soothe her patient. They had bumped heads at the moment of Jendyg’s revival and Arlene was rubbing her forehead at the point of contact. It seemed Jendyg had a harder head than she.

  Jendyg had started to calm, the pain subsiding. “There now,” Giles cooed, “Your mood may even improve too.”

  Jendyg nodded, releasing his grip on his wound and relaxing.

  “Looks like he’s ready for another drink” Beno’or said as he located the spilled glass and poured him another one. Arlene and Giles helped Jendyg to his seat again and put the glass in his hand. It didn’t take long before Jendyg was looking almost fully recovered, but for the memory of the pain and experience he had just undergone.

  Giles slumped into the next chair and Arlene took a pew too. They each took nice big swigs of their drinks and Jendyg watched their facial expressions relax into bliss.

  Jendyg picked up his glass and examined the contents. He sniffed it suspiciously. Then he held it to his lips and took a tentative sip, trying to emulate the motion that Arlene and Giles had each just performed.

  “Ewwwwww!” he growled in disgust, quickly replacing the tumbler onto the table.

  The others laughed out loud.

  Arlene touched his arm. “It’s okay,” she reassured him, “You’ll get used to it!”

  Beno’or stepped forward from the sink unit he’d been leaning against and sat down at the table. “All too quickly,” he added, smiling and raising his glass at their new friend.

  The others chuckled, knowing only too well how they had become accustomed to drink, mocha, and indeed the earth drink “coffee” that they had to wean themselves from every time they ventured far from the Meredith Reynold or the ArchAngels.

  “So,” Giles said, his own fatigue and injuries already dealt with by his own nanocytes from his upgraded state long ago, “How long have you been down there? On Aibek?”

  The Zhyn searched his mind for the answer. Finally he shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve lost count. Probably several life times by now,” he confirmed.

  Giles frowned. “How? You say lifetimes. How come you’re still alive?”

  He glanced at Arlene, who was equally intrigued.

  Jendyg looked sheepish. “Land energy of the planet I believe.” He shrugged. “Though I’m not an expert.”

  Arlene’s eyebrows arched high. “Hmm. Average life cycle of a Zhyn is what? Forty standard cycles?” She looked over at Beno’or for confirmation.

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “If you’re lucky, or smart,” he chuckled remembering something he’d read once about the human “Darwin Awards.”

  Arlene looked back to Giles. “Might be possible,” she said. “Especially with the right conditions and training.” She turned her attention back to Jendyg who was sipping at his drink while examining it in the glass. “Did you have any special training?” she asked. “You know, to draw life force
from the rock?”

  Jendyg shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t remember. We were taught to meditate. And fight.”

  Arlene nodded her head, contemplating.

  The conversation moved on, but later, when it was just Arlene and Giles in the cockpit, the subject arose again.

  “So what do you think?” Giles ventured, tilting back in his console chair. “You reckon he’s gone stir crazy down there?”

  Arlene shook her head. “I dunno. I was wondering if maybe the elders he told us about did something to the place. Maybe something they wired into the force field.” She swung her chair round to face him. “We both felt something down there. Maybe it wasn’t just the land energy?”

  Giles rubbed his chin. “Maybe. I’m thinking we should have Scamp run a full medical diagnostic on him though. Psych, physical, etheric. The works. Just in case.”

  Arlene tilted her head at him quizzically. “You’re wondering if he just lost track of time without a normal star cycle and orbital period?”

  Giles rolled his lips inward before he answered. “Either that, or it might give us some more clues. There’s definitely a layer or two of technology we’re missing with this whole talisman thing. We are almost certainly without pieces of the puzzle, figuratively as well as literally.”

  Arlene chuckled quietly. She leaned forward in her console chair and tipped herself out onto her feet. “I agree. Okay, lemme know what Scamp finds.” She started to leave. “I’m going to get some rack time while I still can.”

  She was halfway to the door when she heard the snoring coming from the two Zhyn in the sleeping quarters. “Actually,” she said, doubling back and reaching into a compartment under her console. She produced a little box. “Ear plugs,” she explained.

  Giles chuckled. “Good thinking!” he agreed.

  Arlene smiled and headed out. “Good job today, partner,” she called as she disappeared out of the door.

  “You too,” he called back, turning to watch her leave, and wanting to talk some more.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Approaching Kurilia, Zhyn Empire

  “We’re heading into orbit,” Scamp announced.

  Giles sat up in his console chair, suddenly more alert. “Okay. Take us in, Scamp. I’m assuming the skylift option will be most appealing to the Justicar.”

  Scamp remained on audio only. “Very good, I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

  Giles bounced to his feet and headed for the mess room. “I’ll let them know,” he told Scamp.

  Arlene was sitting at the table talking with their new friends. “So you killed it?” she was asking Jendyg.

  Jendyg nodded. “I had no choice!” he protested. “It was all a test to see if we were worthy of survival.”

  Beno’or snorted with laughter. “I’d love to know who these guys were,” he said, noticing Giles hovering in the doorway. “All okay, Giles?”

  The jovialities subsided. “Yes, yes…” Giles confirmed. “We’re coming into orbit around Kurilia. I thought you’d like to know.” He lowered his eyes, knowing that this was where they were going to have to part company.

  The Justicar collected himself up. “Well,” he exclaimed slowly and with forced levity, “I suppose I’d better get my gear down to the cargo hold,” he said, pushing his chair back.

  Jendyg did the same.

  Giles took another step into the room. “May I just say,” he said quickly and loudly, stopping them in their tracks. He looked down at his hands and fiddled with his fingers before bringing his eyes up to the Justicar. “It’s been an honor, sir. I’m sorry to see you leave.”

  Arlene had been staring at her mug of mocha, but now turned to Beno’or as well. “Me too,” she said quietly, a certain sadness in her eyes.

  Beno’or shifted in his seat and took a breath. He placed a hand over Arlene’s. “I’m sorry to go too. I’ll miss you,” he told her. He looked up at Giles. “Both of you,” he qualified, with equal sincerity.

  Giles nodded. “I’ll meet you down there when you’re ready,” he said, retreating from the room to give Arlene a chance to say her goodbyes.

  Jendyg understood what was happening. “I need to gather my things, as well,” he declared, getting up and heading out of the other door. Though he had nothing more than his weapons and the clothes he had been wearing when he jumped on board, Beno’or appreciated the gesture. “I’ll meet you down there in a second,” he said.

  Jendyg nodded and bowed to Arlene. “You have been most kind to me. I thank you for rescuing me from the moon and for healing my wounds. If there is ever anything I can do for you, you know you have a friend on Zhyn.”

  Arlene got up and hugged the warrior who had been lost in time. “You’re more than welcome,” she told him. Releasing him, she smiled, looking into his eyes. “And you have a friend in us, too. I look forward to seeing you again in the future,” she said, a tear forming in her eye. “Good luck, Jendyg.”

  Jendyg bowed respectfully once more and then left, taking his heavy mass through the door with a strange level of agility that was still odd for an Estarian to fathom.

  Arlene turned back to Beno’or. She smiled a moment, just being present in the situation. “I don’t really know what to say,” she told him. “I mean… you’re leaving. I just didn’t think of this.”

  Beno’or nodded empathetically. “I know. When you’re on an adventure that’s all that exists. But, we both must return to our other lives.”

  Arlene nodded, sitting down again at the table.

  “Although,” he continued, “there is always a place for you on Kurilia, if you’d like to return there with me. Now, or any time in the future.” He paused, immersed in his thoughts. “We have excellent anthropology departments across our academic institutions, and lots of space-going scientific projects if that’s what you’d prefer.”

  He looked up to gauge her reaction.

  Arlene took a moment to understand what he was suggesting. “Er… erm… Oh!” she exclaimed when the penny dropped. “I… I’m flattered.”

  From her reaction Beno’or had all the information he needed. He nodded his head slowly, his eyes lowered to the table. “I get it. Your place is here.” He shifted his tone to make it brighter. “Besides, you have all these adventures to look forward to. You’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of this talisman quest.”

  Arlene took a deep breath and reached out to his hand over the table. “Yes. But this won’t be forever, and honestly, I don’t think I want to go back to my life the way it was before.”

  Beno’or’s eyes brightened as he lifted them to look at her. “Well…” he said, clearly enthused, “that is good news. I think I can go back to my duties happy in the assumption that perhaps when this is over you will at least pay me a visit. Will you permit me to count on that?”

  Arlene smiled at him, her eyes tearing up. “Yes. You can count on that,” she confirmed, her own mood lifting.

  Beno’or nodded, his manner much more jovial than it had been since Giles had told them they were arriving. “Very well then,” he said, standing up. “I shall bid you au revoir, as the humans would say. Until we meet again.”

  He put his hand out to shake hers and she jumped up and hugged him. He was large, and even she had problems getting her arms around him. She felt like a little girl hugging a grownup.

  But the connection between them was nothing of the kind.

  He held her tightly as long as he could before propriety and a waiting ship forced him to release her. The two ambled down to the cargo hold ready for docking with the skylift.

  ***

  “So, I take it you got his number?” Giles asked, once they were safely back in the cockpit, having delivered Jendyg and Beno’or to the skylift.

  Arlene grinned. “Of course,” she said simply.

  Giles glanced at her sideways, the frames of his glasses obscuring the expression around his eyes. “And when do you think you’re going to see him again?”

  Arle
ne shrugged casually. “Dunno yet. If we’re passing by any time soon I’ll probably want to pop in. But he’ll be around once I’ve finished chasing this talisman thing down with you.”

  She sensed Giles relaxing. He shifted in his console chair trying to mask his relief. “Ah. Right. Okay then,” he responded.

  Arlene smiled to herself. “You’re not jealous, are you?” she asked. “Only… we got done a looooong time ago.” She pointed to him, then herself, and then back and forth a couple of times.

  Giles spluttered. “No… God no. No. Like you said. Besides, you know. Molly.”

  Arlene grinned to herself. “Yes. Of course. That girl you won’t even talk to without a chaperone present…” She looked at him deliberately and he ignored her, pretending to perform some serious and urgent operational checks on his console.

  It didn’t go unnoticed that this was the first time he had openly verbalized that he had any interest in her.

  Aboard the Scamp Princess, Sark System

  Giles rubbed his face wearily.

  Arlene looked over at him in the low light of the cockpit. “Last night’s drinking sesh catching up to you?” she quizzed.

  He grinned back at her. “You know my nanocytes handle that, don’t you?”

  Arlene shrugged. “Allegedly. But you always have a weary look about you after a late one.” She flicked a couple of switches and closed a holo screen she had open before glancing over at him briefly. “I always assumed it was a psychological quirk of yours.”

  Giles shook his head and tipped himself out of his console chair. He stretched his legs and wandered around the cockpit a few paces. “I’ve been thinking about the Estarian talisman,” he confessed.

  “Uh huuuu,” Arlene cooed, her eyes returned to her console work.

  “Yeah,” he said. “I think it’s going to still be on Estaria.”

  She stopped what she was doing and spun round. He was holding onto one of the other chairs and stretching out his calf muscles like he was some kind of athlete.