D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology

by Michael Zummo

  As the door opened, a fierce roar echoed through the bay. Mencari gasped when he saw Nikko lying on the ground. “Nik—Moyah!”

  “It hit her hard,” Cogeni yelled, charging the beast. “I’ll keep it distracted!”

  The pilot of the vessel, or what was left of him, lay scattered beneath the creature’s feet. Mencari and Tyne fired the tranquilizers at the creature but were unable to penetrate its thick skin.

  Reddic said, “What the hell is that thing?”

  Growling, the creature lunged toward Cogeni. Static filled the air, and a bolt of blue energy struck the creature. It howled and tumbled to the ground. Mencari traced the shot back to Kiyanna.

  “Get the girl!” she commanded.

  As the beast recovered she grunted in disgust. “Stupid stunners!”

  “There’s a weapons locker on the catwalk,” Tyne said with a quick gesture up.

  Mencari ran to a stack of crates and scaled them, making for the catwalk, keeping an eye on the beast. It looked preoccupied with Kiyanna, gazing with angry eyes at the person who shot it.

  Mencari hurried and pulled the large gun from the cache, armed and charged it, ran to the rail and took aim. The beast snarled and hissed at Kiyanna, pacing angrily, but then turned and lunged at her. Mencari pulled the trigger, unloading multiple rounds. Each hit its mark, but only seemed to enrage the beast further, leaving it unharmed.

  “Kiyanna!” Tyne screamed.

  Mencari watched, helpless, when it reared up, ready to strike. She pulled a knife from her boot and rolled to the side, dodging the powerful bite and swipe of the beast’s claws.

  A warm, familiar feeling shot through Mencari as her hand went back, ready to use her blade. Time felt like it slowed. A tingle filled him, the sensation of kinship, a feeling he’d felt with those with D’mar abilities.

  As time returned to normal, the beast turned to swipe again. With a gleam in her eyes, Kiyanna snapped her wrist, sending the knife whizzing through the air.

  The creature’s yelp was followed by a geyser of blood when the blade sliced cleanly through the back of its neck. She calmly sidestepped its futile attempt to claw her.

  Mencari bounded over the rail, blaster pointed at the creature. Kiyanna watched proudly as the beast writhed on the ground, bleeding out.

  A gaggle of scientists burst into the bay.

  “Don’t kill it!” one shouted angrily.

  She scoffed. “I suggest you take better care of your shipments.” Looking back at Mencari with a piercing gaze, she retrieved her knife and shook off the goo.

  The scientists administered injections to calm the beast, and begin patching the wound.

  Mencari handed the rifle to Tyne, while watching Kiyanna mount her hoverbike.

  “Rygill, she’s hurt badly!” Cogeni said, trembling over Nikki’s form.

  “There’s a gurney here,” Tyne said, pulling one from a storage area. Visibly shaking, he carefully prepared her to be moved to the infirmary.

  * * * * *

  “I’m okay. It just hurts a little,” Nikko said, weak and wincing from the gurney. A nurse sponged the gash.

  “I should have taken the hit,” Cogeni said.

  She smiled adoringly. “I could have gotten out of the way faster.”

  “I cleaned the wound. She should rest and keep it covered,” the nurse said.

  “Thank you,” Cogeni said, still not taking his eyes off Nikko.

  With care, they moved her back to the maintenance quarters. When Tyne and Reddic left to perform their duties, Mencari watched Cogeni pull out his necklace, the holy relic given him by Nikko on their homeworld. With it clutched in his hands, he began to pray. Radiant light streamed from the object, bathing Nikko’s body. He’d seen Cogeni manifest power from relics before, but each time it was as equally awe-inspiring.

  Nikko reached out and touched his face. “I feel much better,” she said with a kiss. “Just a little tired.”

  Cogeni tucked the artifact away, then ran his hands through her hair.

  “We’re going to do the power grid fixes tonight, but Nikko should just sleep,” Mencari said.

  Cogeni nodded, his eyes still locked on Nikko as she drifted into a deep sleep. “We should inform the scientists of our plans, otherwise Tyne said they’d be testy.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Mencari said in midstride toward the corridor.

  On his way, he ran into Reddic and Tyne, who insisted on coming, saying, “You’re not ready to face the scientists alone.”

  The three arrived at the lab and found themselves unable to get through the secure area. Reddic activated the security system panel.

  “What do you want?” an unfriendly voice slobbered through it. How was it possible the same hostile, drooling scientist was the front man for all their contacts with the scientists? The slobbering the scientist did as he talked was revolting, just like the man’s attitude.

  Reddic answered, each word said with great care. “We’re going to do maintenance on the power grid tonight. We need you to have everything off before 2200.”

  The scientist scoffed. “It’s about time. We’ll have everything ready. Just have it done by morning.”

  The speaker abruptly clicked.

  * * * * *

  “Let’s go, it’s time,” Reddic said, picking up his gear.

  Tyne, Cogeni, and Mencari followed suit, and headed with Reddic through the corridors and up to an outer hatch. A breeze blew when the way outside opened. With the setting sun came a rapid drop in temperature. Mencari was last to climb outside, grabbing the guardrail that skirted a catwalk around the top of the dome. Their breath turned into foggy puffs from their noses. Far below was the animal habitat, surrounded by electrified gates.

  To Mencari’s horror, he spotted the beast from earlier. A large bandage covered in dried blood wrapped around its neck. It survived? Either the creature was that tough to kill, or the scientists worked their miracles and saved it. Either way, he hoped to not have to face it again.

  “Many of their lab pets roam around down there,” Reddic said. He pointed to small indentations along the dome surface. “Follow those up to the power platform.”

  One by one they scaled up the rim of the dome. Halfway up, unexpectedly stronger winds blew, chilling their hands and slowing their climb. At the top, the setting sun provided a spectacular view of the pitted landscape around them.

  Tyne pointed into the distance. “That’s the Arthi Dome over there … and the Eorg Habitat directly south.”

  Deep reds, oranges, and brilliant yellows painted the sky. The color splashed across the tops of the other facilities.

  “It’s quite beautiful,” Cogeni said.

  “Wouldn’t have thought there’d be a view like this. Outdoors is usually pretty inhospitable,” Tyne said. “We need to get moving,” he added, returning their focus to the task.

  The men synchronized their actions. According to plan, the backup systems revved to life as the main power generator went off-line. The many lights around them and in their research dome went dark, with the exception of key systems the backups maintained.

  Mencari pulled out a charred component and studied it. “What happened to this?”

  “Strange isn’t it?” Tyne said. “Thought the same thing the first time I had to fix it. Doesn’t even look like it should work at all.”

  He lifted the component in Mencari’s hands, exposing the connector. “Only half fried. Almost looks like something drew amazing power and started to cook the circuit. Can’t tell if that’s from one event or multiples, but I have to keep replacing these things. Makes me wonder what those scientists are doing.”

  In the distance, the whir of a hoverbike rang out. The men stopped, unnoticed from their current position, and watched while Kiyanna hovered above the animal habitat. Using her bike she appeared to be herding a group of creatures together.

  “What’s she doing?” Mencari said.

  “I don’t know,” Tyne said, confounde
d. “She’s not supposed to be doing anything with the beasts.”

  She pulled out a rifle and aimed at the beasts. A flash of light was followed by a pained yelp. She shot multiple times, each shot hitting a different creature.

  “Is she killing them?” Mencari said. He squinted, and noticed those struck were limping but not dead.

  Without explanation, her bike turned and sped off.

  “That’s really odd,” Reddic said.

  “Let’s stay focused, guys. We’re nearly done here,” Tyne said.

  After completing the repairs, they headed back down the dome. With the lights back on, Mencari paused to look at the beasts. He saw light reflect from small metal medallions on the beasts. Bloody blotches seemed to stain the area around the tags.

  She tagged them?

  * * * * *

  With the new day came another round of cleaning responsibilities. The group divided up duties, still allowing Nikko to do the easier work.

  Cogeni retrieved tools from the maintenance closet then stumbled his way through the lower corridors down to the animal habitat. He found the gateway jammed halfway open. He popped open the service panel and reviewed the mechanisms.

  While he studied the contraption, animal cries rose from the pen across the way. He hesitated and listened carefully, thinking how familiar they sounded. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more they sounded like the beasts back on his homeworld, Argosy.

  And it was tags from the creatures killed there that led them to K’pec to begin with!

  Home.

  It seemed like forever since he and Nikko fled Argosy. He wondered how Blupp and Pultch were doing back in the BP Hovel. His thoughts were suddenly consumed by his mother, and by questions about her progress in getting rid of the Nukari from their world. Would she be able to do it? If she only hadn’t worked with them to try to find him in the slums of Selsamed! Of course, she wasn’t aware of the Nukari’s other activities in the Smog Sea until Mencari and the team revealed them.

  He found a defective component in the retraction mechanism and swapped it out. After a few tests, he closed up the panel. As he headed back, the creatures’ cries grew louder. He peered through a portal down into the adjacent pen and saw the same clawed beasts that roamed in the slum areas back home. There was no doubt; they were in the right place. Quietly, he turned and headed back.

  * * * * *

  Mencari and Reddic had just returned from doing a recalibration of key instruments in the lab, when a tone rang out from the computer in front of Nikko.

  “The inventory is complete and I submitted it to Xel,” she said. “There should be a new supply run tomorrow.”

  “Good,” Reddic said. “Looks like we’re all caught up.”

  “Let’s take this moment to catch up, then,” Cogeni said, entering the maintenance area.

  Cogeni shared his findings. To provide some background, Reddic then shared a little more information concerning their operation in K’pec. He explained they’d been there for more than a year, moving from research facility to research facility. Both Tyne and Reddic were well known and liked by the support staff, and trusted by scientists in many of the research domes.

  Since they arrived, a number of strange occurrences including unexplained accidents or disappearing people had happened.

  Mencari noticed Nikko’s soured expression. “Are you okay?”

  She shook her head. “No, I feel really nauseous. Please excuse me.” In a few strides, she’d dashed to the bathroom. Cogeni followed.

  After a short time, Nikko and Cogeni returned. She looked exhausted. “If you all don’t mind, I’m going to turn in,” she said.

  * * * * *

  Cogeni gasped loud enough to wake Mencari. Despite the darkness, the holy man spun through the room, disappearing into the bathroom before reemerging in a panic.

  “What’s wrong?” Mencari said in a hushed voice. Despite his intentions, Reddic awoke from the noise.

  “Moyah’s gone.” He looked over his sleeping comrades. “Tyne’s missing too. She wouldn’t have left without telling me.”

  The three suited up. Reddic pulled up the facility map and noticed Tyne and Nikko’s traces in a space no room should have been. Concerned, they quickly headed into the hall.

  In haste, they nearly passed Kiyanna who was doing her usual patrol.

  “Little late isn’t it fellas?”

  “Tyne and Moyah are missing,” Mencari said.

  “Again?” she said, annoyed. “You people need a leash.”

  “They were there when we went to sleep, and they’re both gone,” Cogeni said.

  Kiyanna smirked. “Maybe they needed a little personal time.”

  Cogeni bit his lip as Reddic called to her. “Here, look at this.”

  He projected the map and showed the trace markers.

  “How are they …” From the squint in her eyes it was clear she noticed the impossibility of where the missing two went. “Let’s go!”

  They dashed down the corridor toward the main labs. As they rounded the corner into an intersection hall, Satori flung herself against the wall to avoid being trampled. “What’s the rush?”

  “A little early for a jog,” Kiyanna said, accusing.

  “I agree. I’m actually heading to the lab. I wanted to check on my bird— What’s wrong?”

  “Tyne and Moyah went missing, and their tracers put them in a space that doesn’t exist.”

  “This way,” Kiyanna said, impatient.

  They headed down the short corridor and entered the infirmary.

  “How could they be here?” Satori said, more confused. Reddic projected the map and markers. “That looks just beyond the back of the labs.”

  “Get us in there,” Kiyanna barked.

  Satori waved them through the secure door, then headed to the rear.

  “They’re on the other side of this wall,” Reddic said, looking at the map.

  “There’s indentions along the wall. Looks like a … door?” Kiyanna ran her hands across the wall. “How does this open?”

  The others looked around for some type of trigger.

  “There’s unusual wearing of the wall here,” Kiyanna said, pressing a slightly discolored panel next to the wall indentions. With a hiss, the section of wall pushed in, then slid into the ceiling. Gasps rose from scientists on the other side as the door opened.

  Kiyanna rushed in before them. “Frack!”

  Mencari followed, and saw huge cylinders filled with a gel-like substance, each containing various creatures or other humanoids.

  “Those people … they’re the missing staff from other habitats!” Kiyanna said in horror.

  “Stop!” Reddic yelled to the scientist probing a body with platinum locks. Directly to their right, Nikko was bound and unconscious on a gurney.

  In the corner, a number of caged creatures stirred madly. Each seemed to be grossly deformed with unnatural appendages.

  “What is this?” Satori screamed.

  Gasps turned to panicked cries among the scientists. Kiyanna pulled out her Taser. “Satori. Go to my cycle, call for backup—NOW!”

  Still unsure of Satori’s loyalties, Mencari yelled to Reddic, “Go with her. We’ll take care of this.”

  “But Tyne …”

  “Go!”

  Reddic nodded hesitantly, and ran with Satori. Kiyanna shouted, “You are in violation of Xiteb’rn Codes 123.2351.33 and 55.133.64.1—illegal and unethical scientific practices including abduction and murder. You will cease your operations and surrender to me.”

  A few raised their hands, while others darted into the corners. One reached for a control panel as another hit a button, opening the cages. A bulky beast slunk toward the intruders. The scientist who freed the beast followed behind the other creatures, a twisted gleam in his eyes.

  “I order you to stop!” Kiyanna cried before firing the Taser at the beast, with no effect. The accompanying scientists shuddered as their limbs morphed into spears.
Cogeni and Mencari rushed the creatures and knocked them back, but were unable to land a single blow. Kiyanna turned her Taser on the scientists. They shrieked and shuddered before falling unconscious.

  Mencari noticed a connection between creature movements and actions taken by scientists behind the computer consoles. “Take out the consoles, they’re controlling the beasts!”

  Cogeni and Kiyanna bounded past the beasts, knocked out the scientists, and destroyed the machines. Without control the creatures squealed and spun madly.

  Another scientist pounded a stake-shaped device into Tyne’s chest, bringing a geyser of blood. His body lurched and sat up. Tyne’s platinum locks twisted and flared as if each strand had a mind of its own. Tyne rose from the table, eyes glassy and lethargic, his expression twisted in agony.

  A circular device swirled with energy over his heart. The blood dripping from the wound stopped, as the bones of his arms began to crack. The very muscle under his skin began bunch up like massive tumors before crawling and rearranging. Similar to the scientists, his arms began to transform into large, clawed appendages. The three backed away, not wanting to hurt Tyne.

  He began to shriek. His cry became inhuman as his whole body twisted and lurched in agony. The glowing device on his chest sank inward. In seconds, it was totally absorbed. His skin began to bubble. They watched in horror as his insides slowly folded outward.

  “Tyne!” Kiyanna yelled.

  “Attack them!” the scientist screamed.

  The mass that used to be Tyne turned and wrapped around the scientist. A pained scream turned to gurgling as the body dissolved, entombed in Tyne’s exposed flesh. Tyne turned and lumbered toward them.

  “That thing isn’t getting any closer,” Kiyanna screeched.

  The group backed away from Tyne. Kiyanna used her stun gun against him, but it didn’t slow him. “Why can’t I just have a normal gun!”

  Satori and Reddic returning. Satori screamed at the sight.

  “Help is coming,” Reddic said, his eyes locked in horror.

  Mencari’s mind spun. There was no way they’d find a way to reverse what happened to Tyne. They needed to stop his creature form before others got hurt.