Condition Evolution 4

by Kevin Sinclair

“Okay, I can kinda see why you might think that. But probably the biggest weakness of your ex-people, is that they think they’re so fucking superior to everyone else. Luckily for us, it’s an outlook that’s allowed us to continually kick their asses every time we meet. And if you don’t mind me saying so, you’re kinda displaying that very same arrogance. I mean, show a bit of respect. We didn’t get this far by accident.”

  I heard Ember snort and realized I hadn’t done a particularly good job of wooing our potential allies. I just couldn’t help myself sometimes. Fiekela looked offended, which didn’t surprise me in the least, but Jezai looked deep in thought before replying. “Very well, I apologize for my assumptions. Would you care to tell us how you managed to face down 40 elite level Fystr?”

  “Led by the great Heiliun, whose name is known to us from nearly seven thousand years ago?” Fiekela added, face neutral but words dripping with scorn.

  “Simple,” I answered. “He invaded my Mindscape and I fought him to a standstill. My friends here joined my Mindscape, hence why he fucked off very quickly. Later we fought again, but in normal-state. I’ll be honest, the bastard was tough, and if I hadn’t killed his wife, I might have needed help to finish him off. As for everyone else, my little army killed the lot of them.”

  “You have transcended, and you let people wander in your mind? It does not seem possible.” Fiekela looked confused.

  “Up to now, me and a few other crew members have transcended, but no, I don’t let people wander freely in my mind, other than Ember. The others I invited for a critical event.” I smiled.

  Jezai spoke once more “This is all very interesting.”. “And there is no doubt you have genuine strength. Yet your intention of facing the Fystr fleet someday is a gross underestimation on your part of what you face. Should they bring their full war machine to bear, I doubt there is a force in the universe that could stop them.”

  “Still, that’s the plan, my man, and if we can’t smash the bastards up completely, which I admit seems a little farfetched,” I chuckled, “we’re still gonna attempt to cause as much trouble for them as we can.”

  “Be that as it may, our immediate concern now is how close to our borders you have led them. We may have to ask you all to leave again to prevent them from discovering our home,” Jezai said, looking troubled.

  “I get you, and sorry if we have brought trouble to your doorstep. We can just get out of here now if you’re that worried,” I offered.

  “As I said earlier, you need do nothing so hasty. If you are willing to bring the caretaker to our medical facility, his recovery time will be greatly reduced. Until we have spoken with him and conferred among our number, you are welcome to remain here. It will not take long to bring him back to full health.”

  “Well, thanks for not just sending us back on our way, and for what help you are offering, even if it goes no further,” I said with genuine gratitude. Then I turned to Wulek. “You wanna have Ogun brought down?”

  They nodded, before speaking into their comm. After a brief exchange with someone on the Photia, they spoke to both Jezai and me. “My crew are preparing to move him, they will bring him down as soon as they are able.”

  “Cheers, Wulek, you’re a star,” I said, offering a thumbs up. Turning to Jezai, I said, “I probably should have mentioned that he has had both his hands and feet severed. Do you have any… like… robot feet? We can pay.”

  “Robot feet?” he asked curiously.

  Ember laughed out loud. “I think he is asking if you can give Ogun prosthetic limbs, so he can walk and function as before.”

  “Oh, of course. We can do better than that, I would like to think. We have technology capable of repairing and regrowing limbs so there is no cause for concern with that aspect of recovery. I am confident that we will have Ogun back to his former self in no time.”

  “I just hope he hasn’t lost his mind, too.”

  “I’m almost certain we can help with that.” Jezai smiled gently.

  “Goddamn it, I’m amazed. We will be grateful for all you can do. I only ask that you let us know when you're ready to wake him. The poor fucker won’t know where he is, or what the hell's going on. Seeing a friendly face when he wakes has got to help.”

  “If that is your wish, we will arrange it. Now, to lighter subjects. How did you find our cuisine?” Jezai asked, beaming and clapping his hands.

  “It was a pretty decent spread,” Ember answered with approval.

  While William abruptly, shouted, “Yae need ta ferment wot ever tha’ juice is. Wud go down a charm with a wee kick te it.”

  The Apochros, as one, looked confused by William. It made me smile to see.

  We spent another half-hour chatting with the Council of Elders about their planet and the Dark Sector, or the Apochros Alliance Sector as they described the area, before making our way back to the ship.

  Chapter 2

  Handy Skills

  Back on the Uprising, we made our way to our quarters. As soon as I walked into the room, Havok bombarded my mind. “You’re back! Finally! I really don’t like being parted, Shaun.”

  “Nor me, mate, but it was the right decision. They wouldn’t have appreciated me strolling around with you out there and we need to make a good impression.”

  “So no one to kill yet? Give them time, I’m sure they’ll piss you off.”

  I chuckled in response. “You're probably right, Havok, but for now we will try to be friends.”

  I switched my attention back to Ember, who had started talking to me. “Well, that didn’t go at all how I imagined, but at least they seem decent enough.”

  “Let’s hope they decide we can stay around for a while. I really don’t want to head back out just yet. I reckon we could learn a lot from these guys, if they’d be willing to teach us a thing or two,” I replied.

  “If we can make some kind of agreement with them,” Ember said, dropping down onto the couch, while I took a seat on the edge of the bed.

  “We’ll see. I hate all this uncertainty and it feels almost like we’re waiting for a death sentence.”

  “Come on, Shaun, stop being so dramatic. We’ve managed okay before meeting the Apochros and we’ll be fine again,” she replied with a soothing smile.

  “I know, it’s just that little flame of hope that we don’t have to keep doing this alone. One plus is that Ogun’s getting fixed up properly. That in itself is a pure stroke of luck. He’s gonna get a big fucking surprise when he wakes up. I can’t wait to see his face.”

  “Most people would get a surprise, if the first thing they see is your mug, Shaun.”

  “I’ll have you know, I’m extraordinarily good-looking.”

  “And a prat too! Congratulations,” she laughed.

  “So what now? It feels odd just waiting around,” I said to her as I lay back on the bed and stretched out.

  Unfortunately, Ember knew exactly what to do with the spare time. “Let's clear some inventory!”

  “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I said, rolling over in mock dismay.

  “Yes, Shaun. If we do get kicked out of the Dark Sector, it would be nice to think we’ve used this time wisely rather than pissing it away.”

  “I suppose we need to look at where we’d go from here too. If, or rather when, we leave. I mean, we kinda fucked the whole mercenary contractor thing up for starters.”

  “Yeah, you did. Maybe if we get Ogun back fit and well, he’ll have some insights, but for now let's just try to relax a little, and by relax, I mean inventory!” She shouted out the last word with glee at my reluctance.

  “Okay, I submit to your badgering. But after we see Ogun, I wanna go for a walk around if we're allowed. It's too bloody gorgeous here, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, a romantic walk? Sounds nice. It would uplift the crew if they could have a wander around too, except maybe William,” Ember added, and we both laughed at the thought of the captain of the Flying Scotsman.

  After a tedious hour of working on ordering inv
entory in the Mindscape, we made our way to the canteen and then bridge just to show our faces, chat, and generally mingle to get a sense of the mood on board. That was until we received a communication from Jezai.

  “Hello, Captain Shaun. Our doctor, having opened Ogun’s stasis chamber, has assessed his condition and administered care. He has been held in a coma, but they are now ready to awaken him. His wounds are healed, though his hands and feet are still in the process of being repaired. I am advised the estimated time for full regrowth is approximately one week.”

  “So, are you growing them in a tub or something and then attaching them?” I interrupted, struggling to comprehend exactly what they were doing with Ogun.

  Jezai laughed. “No, no. They will be grown from Ogun’s own cells using their genetic code. We just provide the engineering, materials, and encouragement. Please feel free to discuss the finer details with our doctor, if you would still like to be present when he comes around?”

  “Yes, we do,” I replied. “We’ll make our way over right now and I’ll inform the other ship captains, Astrid and Rufus. They will want to be there for him.”

  “Can I suggest keeping visitors down to a minimum for the initial awakening? The doctor shares your concerns that he may not be quite himself.”

  “I see. Probably best not to overload him. Only Ember and I will come for now.”

  “I assure you, it will be for the best. I will meet you at the facility,” Jezai replied, then ended the communication.

  “Come on then,” I said, turning to Ember.

  “We should at least let Astrid and Rufus know what’s happening and why. We don’t want this causing a divide.”

  “Sure, you’re right. It's the sensible thing to do. I’ll contact Astrid, if you break it to Rufus. I don’t want the prick to ruin my good mood,” I mumbled.

  “But you don’t mind if he ruins mine instead? Real considerate, Shaun.”

  “For fuck’s sake, I’ll do Rufus then,” I grumbled, raising my arms in frustration before connecting to Rufus through the comm on my chair.

  “Captain?” came Rufus’s clipped tone through the speaker. There was still obvious awkwardness between us.

  “Hey there, Rufus,” I said cheerily, trying to cut through the tension. “They are about to bring Ogun around, but we don't quite know what his mental state’s gonna be. I’ve insisted I be there for him waking, but understandably their doctor suggests we don’t have too many people present. As soon as I know he is up to visitors, I’ll let you know.”

  “Why you, Captain? I’ve known him a lot longer. Surely I should be there,” he replied.

  I gritted my teeth and ignored what he’d said. “So, as soon as he is awake and ready for visitors, I will let you know. Goodbye, Rufus.” I closed the line with an angry stab of my finger.

  Ember, sitting back in her chair, was watching me with a self-satisfied smirk. “How’d it go then, partner?”

  “How you’d expect. The prick said he should be the one to go. What about Astrid?”

  “Oh, she said that it’s totally fine, and she wasn't sure what she’d say to him anyway after he fucked off and left them in the arse-end of the galaxy, without so much as a word.”

  “No way Astrid said arse-end of the Galaxy,” I laughed.

  “I summarized it for you using language you’d understand.”

  “Well, at least one of them is bearable. I swear, I’m trusting Rufus less and less. We should get one of the Veiletians on his ship to watch the dodgy bastard.”

  “It would cause a bit of a stink if they’re ever uncovered, especially if he’s just a dickhead and not a traitor at all. I’ve thought about it, and I just can’t see a scenario where he could have been in touch with the Fystr.”

  “How about when Ogun deserted their ship, and they were alone for a while?”

  “But the Fystr had Ogun. What deal could Rufus offer? All the Fystr were after was to capture us lot, and no one knew if we were alive at that stage.”

  “Damn, you’re right. So, he’s just an incompetent tool then?”

  “We won’t discount anything, but for now we just keep a close eye on him without going too far. And before you bring it up again, too far is putting one of the Veiletians in the horrible position of having to creep around after him, on a ship where they’re tolerated rather than welcomed.”

  “That’s just another thing against him isn’t it? But that’s all problems for later. We need to move.”

  We left the ship to find one of the Apochros waiting for us.

  “Hey there,” I said as we descended the ramp.

  “Good day to you both. My name is Abrial,” he said with a slight bow. “I am Ialos’s assistant, and I will be your guide to our medical facility.”

  “That’s all great, Abrial, but who the hell is Ialos?” I asked.

  “Oh, my apologies. Ialos is Accre’s doctor.”

  “Wait a second,” Ember said, holding a hand up. “Accre’s doctor? As in this whole planet only has one doctor?”

  “Yes, that is correct. Other than myself, of course, though I am her apprentice. Now we should hurry, as Ialos is waiting for you.”

  “Okay, dude, lead the way,” I said with a gesture for him to get moving.

  Abrial headed off into the town, or village, or whatever the fuck it was. Ember didn't let the walking interrupt her questions. “What happens when someone is ill in a city across the other side of the planet?”

  “Illness and injury that require a doctor are exceedingly rare for the Apochros. Should someone require the attention of a doctor, only one of us will travel to the location.”

  “What! To the other side of the planet?” I asked, incredulity plain in my words.

  “Yes. What is unbelievable about that? From any of our cities, it takes approximately 20 minutes to travel to the furthest point on the planet.”

  “Ah yeah,” I snapped my fingers with the eureka moment, “I'm thinking in terms of my home planet's infrastructure. But I suppose we could easily get around the planet from here in that time if we used the Uprising.”

  “I am glad you understand,” he responded, and I felt Ember nudge me in the ribs. I turned to see her smirking.

  We all fell silent for the rest of the walk to the medical facility. It was an uninspiring building, visually pretty again, but lacked any sense of what I expected from a clinical hospital. Inside, I was surprised again; there wasn’t a load of fancy equipment or machinery, and part of me began to suspect these Apochros were having a laugh at our expense. A few things looked quite cool, but I had zero clues as to what they were. I didn’t bother to ask either as my eyes fell on Ogun’s body. He was looking much better. Apart from the gross red-purple blobs at the end of each severed limb.

  Ember saw Jezai and spoke first. “It seems a very frugal medical facility. I honestly thought you guys would have clinical areas brimming with technology.”

  “As Fystr we did and would build bigger, stronger, and smarter than any other species, constantly adapting and improving. As Apochros, we have discovered that the real power does not lie with technology, but within us. Most of what our talented doctor and her assistant achieve is down to their own powers, fortitude, and knowledge of the harmonious workings of the body and mind.”

  “What you’re saying would make sense up to a point, but we’ve seen your ships, they looked very techy.”

  “Everything we use is advanced; however, the ships you have seen so far belong to our alliance members, those races we work with and live alongside in this sector of the galaxy. The ships of the Apochros are less reliant on mass technology. Instead, they are designed around our own abilities. This makes for far more responsive and intuitive combat and flight capabilities.”

  “Shit!” I exclaimed. “This I need to see.”

  “I had hoped to give you a demonstration before we part company and personally feel duty-bound to help in your quest in any way I can. While we cannot aid you directly, for many of our kind
fear we will lose everything in doing so, I cannot ignore we have a bond and for me a responsibility toward you. And while they may not have found my people yet, I fear it is only a matter of time before they do. The Fystr are a resilient foe with long memories.”

  “It’s a shame though, right? From what I’ve seen, and you’ve just said, you could well and truly fuck them up if they come knocking on your front door.”

  “I am in complete agreement. We would show strength and hold our ground admirably. And between us, I would at least like to see your little army thrive,” he said with a good-natured smile. “Alas, I do not rule alone. All views must be balanced through our council.”

  “We would like to thrive too,” Ember butted in, “but do you think we should wake Ogun up at some point today?” Up until that point, I hadn’t even noticed the other person in the room. They must have come in while we were chatting about intergalactic war. They now stood by Ogun’s bedside waiting patiently.

  “Yeah, sorry,” I said sheepishly.

  Jezai nodded confidently to the medic to begin the process to rouse Ogun. My heart was suddenly in my mouth. Ogun’s eyelids slowly flickered open. For a moment he seemed okay as his eyes focused, then he began to scream a truly horrific sound that somehow captured the essence of pain, anger, and despair. It was made all the more terrifying, coming from the usually happy and unflappable Fystr. His face looked like a twisted mask of horror and insanity. It occurred to me that his very last memory would have been whatever they did to him before placing him in the chamber. He suddenly passed out again.

  I looked at the doctor to see a bead of perspiration running down her temple. Tall and perfectly formed, she was like every other Fystr I had ever seen with an extraordinarily beautiful face, set in stern concentration.

  “I am sorry,” she said, some strain clear in her voice. “I thought he was far more stable than what we just witnessed. It is hard to get a true feeling while he is held in a coma, but please accept my apologies. I shall try once more to bring him around. Be prepared, I don’t know if he will have calmed any.”

  Ogun’s eyes fluttered open once more, and this time he sat bolt upright, looking around angrily, his eyes falling on us. His deep voice boomed out, “What kind of trick is this now, Heiliun! How have you done this?”