by Cheree Alsop
She pressed several buttons, but the Nine didn’t respond.
Tariq cursed and something slammed into the side of the ship.
“I have an idea,” he said after a moment.
“That’s good, because I’m not sure what to do,” Liora replied.
“Send out the pulse.”
“The EMP?” Liora replied. “Are you sure?”
“It’ll affect the Ketulans.”
“It’ll disable the ship,” Liora pointed out.
Tariq paused, then said in a taut voice, “The Ketulans are destroying this thing from the inside and out. If we wait too long, there won’t be a ship, or us, for that matter. Zanden will be back to pick us up when we don’t appear at the Dreyer Galaxy. It’d be nice if something was left of us.”
Liora brought up the weapons system. She selected the electromagnetic pulse missile and set it to explode immediately. She could feel the scraping along the hull right outside where she sat. They were nearly through. The memory of what Gunsa had said about pilots being torn apart with their ships sent a shudder down her spine. Liora hit the button.
The nearly silent explosion occurred as soon as the missile left the hatch. The fine hairs along Liora’s arms stood up as silence filled the starship. She realized that all sounds had vanished completely. The electronic whir of the Ketulans, the hum of the Nine, even the barely audible hum of her atmosphere suit had stopped.
Fear brushed Liora’s senses. Of course the EMP would have knocked out her atmosphere suit along with everything else electronic. The thought made her breathe quickly even though she knew that in doing so, she was depleting what remained of her oxygen in the suit.
Something touched her arm and Liora jumped; adrenaline flooded her body until she realized it was Tariq trying to catch her attention. Tariq took her good arm and worked quickly on the control panel along the sleeve. He ejected a small fuse, slid another inside, and snapped it shut. The atmosphere suit gave a beep and Liora could breathe again.
Tariq’s mouth moved, but Liora couldn’t hear what he was saying. He paused and tapped his helmet. Liora hit the communicator button.
“That’s better,” Tariq said. He gave her a ragged smile. Blood colored the side of his face and he moved gingerly as if there were other wounds she couldn’t see. “Good to see you.”
“You, too,” she replied. Relief that they had survived another encounter with Ketulans filled her. “Can we change out some type of fuse on this Nine like you did with my atmosphere suit?” she asked hopefully.
Tariq shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. The damage to the ship is far greater than an overload of our suits’ circuits. We’ll have to wait for Zanden to swing back and pick us up.”
“What if more Ketulans appear?” Liora asked.
Tariq glanced out of the ship’s window with a worried expression. “We’ll be easy to pick off.”
“We won’t go without a fight,” Liora told him.
He smiled at her. “I pity the Ketulan that tries to take you down.”
“Us down,” she corrected.
He nodded. “I pity the Ketulan that tries to take us down. It would have quite the fight.” He gently touched the arm she held to her chest. “Let me see,” he coaxed.
Liora couldn’t hide a wince at the feeling of the bones grinding against each other. Tariq checked them carefully.
“We need to get you to a medical bay,” he said with concern in his gaze.
“When we see one, I’ll let you know,” she replied, forcing her tone to remain light.
She knew how quickly untreated injuries could go septic. By the pallor of Tariq’s face, he could use a medical bay as much as she.
Liora saw him shiver.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
A closer look revealed a tear across Tariq’s chest. Blood colored the uniform he wore beneath. She set her good hand on the tear. The drops of blood that clung to the fabric were frozen.
“The Ketulans maneuver surprisingly well in tight spaces,” Tariq told her. “This one got off a lucky swipe before I ended it. My suit’s having a hard time maintaining a steady temperature.”
Liora stared at him. “You could freeze to death before Zanden comes back for us.”
Tariq lifted one shoulder. “I’m harder to kill than that.”
Liora gave him a straight look. “Tariq, the Nine is down and your suit is torn. There’s no way you can survive the negative temperatures for very long. We need to come up with a plan.” Liora looked around. “This hull is too big to keep heated. We need to use the escape pod.”
Tariq followed her with a skeptical expression. She climbed into the small pod. At her motion, he squeezed in beside her. She shut the hatch above them manually.
“We’ll use both of the suits to keep the pod as warm as possible,” she said.
She tried to take off her helmet with one hand.
When Tariq realized what she intended to do, he stopped her. “Liora, your suit works. Don’t mess with it. I’ll hold out for as long as I can.” His teeth chattered as he spoke. He forced a smile and wrapped his arms across his chest. “I’m t-tougher than I look.”
Liora shook her head. “I’m not about to sit here and watch you freeze to death while I’m warm in my suit. Here, look.” Before he could stop her, she managed to turn the helmet and free it from its catch. Her breath fogged in the bone-chilling cold that bit at her exposed skin. She could feel the heat escaping her suit into the small space around them.
“Put your helmet back on,” Tariq insisted. He tried to take it from her to place it back on her head, but she deflected his hands.
“My suit will keep working to warm the air,” Liora told him. “It’s the best chance we’ve got.”
Tariq gritted his teeth and pulled off his helmet as well. He grimaced at the rush of cold.
“I think this is a t-t-terrible idea,” he said.
Liora nodded. “P-probably.” Her teeth chattered together. She was amazed how quickly the chill was getting to her. “B-but together, we might have a chance.”
“Liora,” Tariq protested.
Liora shook her head. “We’re t-together in this, remember?”
Tariq hesitated, his mouth open as if he wanted to argue. He shut it and sat back with a huff that colored the air white.
“We could both f-freeze to death in here,” he pointed out.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” she shot back.
A million reasons why she didn’t want to die rushed to Liora’s thoughts. It felt strange to have so many. She had once been a lone girl wandering the desert of Ralian until she was picked up by slavers. She hadn’t cared whether she lived or died. If anyone had asked, she would have told them to kill her. Now, though, the thought of death was painful. She had too much left to do. Brandis needed to be rescued, she hadn’t even begun a true relationship with her real father, she wanted to know if Mrs. Metis and Kiari were happy and settled in, and she needed to see the wedding between Shathryn and Tramareaus.
“That would be a t-terrible t-t-thing,” Tariq told her.
He pulled her close in the tight space, his arms wrapped around her, his hands rubbing her arms in an effort to keep her warm. The humming of the suits filled the tiny area as the temperature modulators fought to warm the space. To Liora, it felt too little to make much of a difference. The cold became a piercing pain to every part of her body. She couldn’t stop shivering and she felt Tariq shaking as he held her, his chin resting on her head and his arms wrapped around hers.
“T-they should be h-here any m-minute,” Tariq said, his teeth clicking together with each word.
“A-any m-m-minute,” Liora replied. She kept her eyes shut, afraid that they would freeze in the extreme cold.
“I-I’m giving him a p-piece of my mind,” Tariq said.
Liora tried to laugh, but the effort was too great. She merely nodded. She felt Tariq’s head settle heavily on her shoulder. She leaned her head to the side and wish
ed she could smell his warm, masculine scent; with the cold, it was impossible for even her sense of smell to work.
The thought that she was sad she couldn’t smell him made her wish she could laugh. She tried to open her mouth to tell him, but her jaw was locked against the cold and refused to work. Liora wanted to slip her gloved fingers though his, but her fingers wouldn’t respond. At least she could no longer feel the pain in her crushed arm.
“Tariq?” Liora said.
There was no reply.
Liora maneuvered within his tight hold until she could just barely glimpse his face out of the corner of her eye. His eyes were closed and his cheeks were deathly pale. No breath colored the air in front of his nose and mouth.
“Tariq,” she said again. The puff of air from her mouth clouded white. “Tariq?”
She reached her hand up. Her fingers refused to open. She brushed his face with the back of her gloved hand. His head lolled back, but his eyes didn’t open.
A tear escaped Liora’s eye and froze at the edge of her eyelashes. Liora closed her eyes and her breath escaped her in a sigh.
The memory Tariq had shown her when she first reached the hangar surfaced. It felt more real than the escape pod they waited in. Liora let it wash over her. It was from Tariq’s point of view, yet it felt as though she was the one in the memory.
Tariq fought to reach the orbs on Ralian. The Nameless Ones tore into him, shredding his body as they pulled at his soul in their attempt to suck him dry before he could reach the Omne Occasus. The pain was unbearable and she saw his steps falter. He fell, rose again, and fell against the case. The Nameless Ones battered him mercilessly and Liora felt the strange sensation of life being pulled away. He collapsed to the ground.
“He’s gone, soulless one,” the leader of the Nameless Ones hissed at Liora. The voice was distant and muted. “He was weak, and had little left to give. We took what he had, his memories, his fears.” The leader paused, then said, “His love for you. It’s gone, Liora.”
Tariq gritted his teeth and pushed up to his hands and knees. Nobody could ever take away his love for Liora. He would protect her if it was the last thing he did.
The Nameless One continued to speak, its voice a grating, dry rasp, “As a token of our anger against your betrayal, we have sucked everything that made him what he was. He is an empty shell, worthless, useless. Your love is in vain.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Tariq replied.
He felt everyone turn to look at him. The attention of the Nameless Ones was palpable along with their fear. He lifted his hand and slammed the blade into the green orb, followed by the black one. A burst of power shoved him backwards behind the case.
Black and green energies swirled together in a whirlwind that sparked and pulled, drawing the Nameless Ones in. Tariq felt the force pulling on him where it could reach him, coaxing what remained of his life from his body. He opened his eyes just enough to see the form of the leader of the Nameless Ones standing in front of Liora. He couldn’t hear what was said, but satisfaction swelled in his chest when he saw the Nameless One pulled backwards into the whirlwind.
You think you’ve won.
The voice in his mind felt like claws scratching inside of his thoughts. He couldn’t move; he couldn’t get free. It was the most painful thing he had ever experienced.
You’re wrong, human. You’ll pay. You’ll see.
An image surfaced in Tariq’s thoughts. It was of an oblong planet encircled by red and blue rings. Other smaller spheres circled slowly, caught in the great planet’s gravitational pull. The image dove through the clouded atmosphere to the surface where liquid bubbled, then hardened into thick lumps of red rock. A sulfur scent filled Liora’s nose and a dome met her gaze. The image took her to the top where voices reached her ears.
“They eliminated the Gateway, Master,” a voice said.
“The Sadarin were supposed to ensure that didn’t happen.” The voice that replied spoke the tones in thoughts instead of words.
“The Sadarin failed,” the first voice said. “The orbs were destroyed.”
“You told me that the Coalition’s greed would ensure that the Omne Occasus was used. They would destroy a galaxy, and that would open the Gateway. We need access to their planets.” There was a pause and a crash. A moment later, a Ketulan burst from the side of the dome. One of its claws hung crookedly and it listed to one side as it flew away. “These machines are useless to me.” The voice grew stronger. “Who destroyed the orbs?”
“The Ketulans have brought the name Liora Day.”
A grunt sounded, followed by the words, “Bring this Liora Day to me. If she refuses to come along in peace, make her an offer she can’t refuse.”
Liora was aware of someone lifting her. She opened her eyes to see that her helmet was on. Tariq must have placed it back on her head. He leaned against the wall. Frost showed on his blue lips and his eyes were closed. Liora reached for him. The hand she was using to stabilize herself gave out and she fell against his chest. She couldn’t hear his heartbeat. She struggled to say his name, but her body was so cold it wouldn’t respond to her demands. She felt herself slipping away. The cold faded, the pain became a memory, and she sunk into unconsciousness with Tariq’s name on her lips.
Chapter 4
Liora’s eyes flew open. Half-formed visions of a freezing escape pod contorted into a round room with a bed in the middle. There wasn’t a single source of light, yet the room held a warm glow that seemed to come from the walls themselves. Shimmering bands held Liora’s arms across her chest. She struggled and pain coursed up her right arm. A glance at it showed a metal case around her forearm where it had been crushed. Liora had no idea what state her arm was in. She wondered if Tariq was in better condition.
Thoughts of Tariq brought her last memory of him to the forefront. His lips had been blue in the freezing cold of the escape pod, and when she leaned against his chest, there hadn’t been a heartbeat.
Liora struggled against her bonds. The need to make sure Tariq was alright coursed through her with a strength that muted the pain the movements brought. Her knives were gone along with her Ventican clothing. In its place, she wore a simple beige shirt and pants of willow wool. She had nothing with which to break the hold the bonds had on her; she tried to slip her arms free, but couldn’t make any progress against the strange energy.
A door opened and Liora stilled. She thought of it as a door only because no other word matched. Nothing had slid aside or been pushed or pulled. Instead, the oval had simply appeared in the wall where there had been nothing before.
Liora’s heart slowed at the sight of the being that stepped through. She had never seen such a race before.
The being was so slender and tall that the oval door was barely able to accommodate him or her. White delicate robes covered a bald head with skin just as pale. Large green eyes looked down at her from a skull whose only other adornment was two tiny holes that appeared to be nostrils.
Four sets of hands branched from the being’s wrapped torso. The hands ended in fingers so long and slender they were half again as long as the arms. The subtle white robes with which the being was wrapped ended just above the ground and gave a soft shushing noise when the being stepped into the room on feet that appeared too small to support such a tall form.
Upon seeing her awake, the being folded both sets of arms in a gesture that was simple yet guarded. The being bowed a graceful neck, the motion elegant and filled with deference.
“I am most happy to see you awake.”
Liora stared. The words had come from a gap at the base of the being’s neck that opened when it spoke, and the voice carried masculine tones.
The being tipped his head to one side.
“Am I saying the words wrong? I fear my Berverek is rusty.”
As much as Liora wanted to stay silent, she had to know where Tariq was.
“Where is my friend?”
The being’s huge eyes chang
ed from green to yellow and he said, “I am glad we can communicate.”
Liora had no patience for pleasantries. Being strapped to a table with an angrily throbbing arm and no way of knowing what condition Tariq was in filled her with a rage she could barely hold back. She had to break the strange energy bonds somehow. She struggled against them again.
The being pressed a button on the bed with a slender finger and the bonds disappeared. Liora pushed to a sitting position, ready to defend herself. She looked up to see the being watching her again, his hands crossed and eyes green once more.
“Where is my friend?” she demanded.
The being’s eyes took on a greenish-blue shading. “Your friend?”
Liora fought back the urge to shout. She pushed up from the table and set her bare feet on the warm floor; she leaned against the table when her legs refused to hold.
“You were nearly dead when the Cherum found you,” the being said. “Your body needs rest.”
“I know what I need,” Liora snapped. “Where is Tariq?”
The being’s eyes shifted to completely blue. “Unfortunately, there was no other viable lifeform in your pod.”
Liora stared at him, attempting to understand what he meant. “Of course there was. Tariq was with me. He’s human with black hair, a bit taller than me. His eyes feel like they see clear through you.” She knew she was babbling. She never babbled. But the meaning of the being’s words poked at her like a dagger in a festering wound. She refused to let them sink in. “He has to be here.”
The being merely watched her with his enormous eyes colored in a blue so deep Liora had only seen the shade in the depths of the oceans of Gliese where they destroyed the orb.
“I give you my sorry,” he said. “Your friend was not alive when the Cherum found you.”
Liora grasped onto the words that didn’t matter. “The Cherum? Who is that?”
The being bowed his long, pale neck once more. “We are the Cherum.”
Liora didn’t care about his reply. She pushed away from the bed and willed through desperation for her legs to hold. “I need to see the pod. I need to know what happened.”
