The Spider and the Fly

by C.E. Stalbaum

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The soft hiss of the door shook Markus from his unintentional nap. He’d taken a lot of those since they’d escaped the Nidus, but his brain never allowed him to sleep more than a few hours at a time. He wasn’t sure whether that was a result of the psychological trauma from his torture, the physical pain from the various drugs sparring for dominance in his system, or maybe just good old-fashioned anxiety about the fact his home was about to be obliterated. Whatever the case, though, he was absolutely certain about the fact that right now he felt somewhere between terrible and dead.

  “We’re coming up on New Keledon,” Jen said, her voice still oddly plaintive. That was good—he’d half-expected her to devolve back into full-on bitch mode by now. Regardless, he still wanted to shoot her in the face.

  “I need to be there when we signal,” he croaked. His voice sounded even worse than he felt; the brawniest holovid action heroes couldn’t pull off a throaty grumble like this. “If they see your face over the com someone might start shooting.”

  He started to sit up as gingerly as he could, but a fresh spike of agony jolted through his chest and he had to grab onto the side of the bunk to catch himself.

  Jen was there in a heartbeat to steady him. “I can route the com through here. I just wanted to make sure you were awake.”

  “No, I’ll come to the cockpit,” Markus insisted. “Just…just help me stand up.”

  He wondered if she might protest, but instead she did as he asked and supported him as he got to his feet. A wave of intense dizziness nearly caused him to black out, but he managed to hold his ground while it passed. He hobbled forward, arm slung limply over her shoulder, and when they reached the small cockpit she eased him into the rearmost chair.

  “You know, I guess it’s a good thing those turrets don’t work,” he murmured. “Otherwise they might just start firing.”

  “Hopefully they’re at least willing to listen, though based on my limited experience with them, your Council didn’t seem particularly rational.”

  “They can be. Some of them, anyway.”

  “Well, we might have another problem,” Jen commented as she glanced out the window. “There’s another ship docked in the port, and I have a sneaking suspicion you’ll recognize it.”

  Markus frowned as he followed her eyes to the unmistakably awkward vessel floating just off the main docking ring. “The Golem…”

  “I thought you said the Council didn’t allow the rest of the Mire to visit the city.”

  “They’re not supposed to. They’re not even supposed to know where it is.”

  She pursed her lips. “Well, I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for it, right?”

  “If there is, I can’t think of one,” Markus said gravely. “I really hope Foln didn’t do something stupid…”

  “You mean like try to take over the city?”

  “Yeah, like that.” He grimaced and reached over to the com terminal. “But there’s only one way to know for sure. Let’s see if we can get some answers.”

  He flicked on the receiver and hailed the city, and a few seconds later an angry female face appeared on the small viewscreen—an angry female face that just a few days ago had tried to kill him.

  “Tayla,” Markus greeted, trying not to sound overly sarcastic. “You’re looking well.”

  “You look like shit,” Grier said, though her voice lacked its usual caustic edge. She almost looked relieved to see him, as bizarre as that was. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were done with us.”

  “I have vital information for the Council,” he told her. “I need to speak with them immediately.”

  He’d expected her to glare laser bolts at him or maybe even just hang up. But instead her expression sank and she glanced away. “The Council is…indisposed. Lord Foln has taken command of the city.”

  Markus swore under his breath. So it was indeed every bit as bad as it looked. Fantastic. “Then I need to speak with him. We have a serious problem on our hands. We have to evacuate the city as soon as possible.”

  Grier’s expression sank even further. “What are you talking about?”

  “The Convectorate knows we’re here, and they’ll be coming soon.”

  A hundred variations of how and why flickered across her face, but eventually she just grit her teeth. “How long do we have?”

  Markus glanced to Jen, then back to the screen. “I don’t know, but not long—a few days at the absolute most. We can’t afford to waste any time.”

  “I’ll tell Foln that you’re coming. He’ll want to know everything.”

  “Good, and have Doctor Varm meet us at the docks. Thexyl is badly injured and will need medical attention.”

  Her lip twitched. “Varm is dead.”

  “Dead?” Markus gasped. “How?”

  “It looks like we’ll both have plenty of explaining to do,” she said evasively. “I’ll meet you on the docks, and I’ll see what I can do about getting one of the alien physicians. New Keledon out.”

  The connection closed, but Markus continued to stare at the blank screen. “What the hell is going on down there?”

  “Are any of those people actually capable of treating a Kali?” Jen asked.

  “A few of the others have some training, but medical knowledge and supplies have always been sparse. Frankly, the para-sentient medical AIs Davin stole a few years back are the only reason most of the people get treatment. Acquiring a real doctor like Varm was one of the only parts of the Mire alliance the Council agreed with.”

  Her face hardened as she slowed their descent into the docking area. “Do you think they’re even alive? If Foln was willing to bring in troops from the Golem, he might have executed them.”

  “He wouldn’t go that far,” he said, wishing desperately that he believed it. “Not without serious provocation. Something else must have happened.”

  “If you say so,” Jen murmured. “I just hope they’re willing to cooperate. If they stay here they’re as good as dead.”

  “They will,” Markus assured her, wishing he believed that even more. “I’m sure of it.”