“If you try to run anymore,” said one of them, “we will shoot.”
“Enough of this!”
She focused all the sussa she could on them, breaking the mechanism that fired projectiles in six of the guns and knocking eight of them unconscious. But the other two managed to hold their ground and fire, with one shot wounding Melissa in the arm.
What was that? she thought, as she fell to the ground. How it hurts!
The nulling field, though weak, was still in place, leaving her unable to muster anymore strength. She lay in the snow, bleeding, and the two men came to stand over her.
“You fat, stinking heretic.” He held up his weapon and aimed it at Melissa’s head. “I should shoot you here and now.”
Melissa wanted to cry, wanted to beg for mercy, but a switch flipped inside her. She could feel rage, red hot, coursing through her veins. Through the pain, she drew on sussa through the invisible network, and twisted the gun in his hands. He threw it into the snow and it boiled through, issuing a cloud if steam in its wake.
“Enough!”
She turned to find Richard standing over her. The last thing she saw was him shoving the butt of one of the weapons into her head.
Melissa woke in another small, white room. It was cold; from the metal chair she sat on, to the thick, smooth panels that made up the walls, she felt like she was buried again in the snow, surrounded by unyielding frigid white. Her arm was sore, and she saw a thick bandage where the bullet grazed her. Richard and Sliona sat across from her, with Richard anxiously fidgeting with a small grey pistol. She opened her mouth to speak, but all she could feel was pain.
Melissa felt mentally disconnected, as if she was peering through a pinhole to her body. She could tell they exchanged words about her, but they were garbled and faint. Richard pressed a few buttons on a console before him, and slowly Melissa could understand their words.
Sliona brushed back a strand of grey hair and said; “so, the Nemesnik wasn’t bluffing.”
“No. She clearly was able to access sussa, even with our nulling field,” said Richard. “But she wasn’t very powerful.”
“She was strong enough -- a few more minutes, and she would have incapacitated all our guards.” Sliona examined her quizzically. “But she didn’t kill them. Why is that, child?”
Melissa moved her mouth, but was unsure if words came out.
“You feel the effects of the ‘stabilizer;’ a piece of technology we were able to salvage from one of the wrecked ships. While it is as effective as the portable device Richard has, it works in a fundamentally different way. It isn’t geared to affect Archsussa specially, just any mind we focus it on. We are able to, with other salvaged technology, scan your mind and get a unique print of it. With that, we can target you with this device, and sit here in perfect comfort. I’ll turn it down a little so you may speak, but be warned; we have three guns trained on your head, so even a hint of sussa will result in your death.”
Melissa felt the discomfort ease, and she was able to put together thoughts more coherently.
“Is this all you do; play with technology?”
Richard harrumphed. “One could argue that all you do is play with sussa.”
“So how are we any different?”
“All can learn of science,” said Richard proudly, “few can learn of sussa.”
“That’s a lie Richard, and you know it,” rebuked Sliona. “I may hate sussa, but science is a skill that few can master. You forget how special you are.”
He bowed slightly. “I am sorry, honored elder.”
“That’s all right, child. Now girl; why didn’t you kill my guards?”
“I . . . hate killing. My father killed, and my brother now kills, but I cannot.”
The old woman nodded with approval. “You look like an Archsussa, with all that fat, but you certainly seem to have a mind of your own. I can’t blame you for trying to escape. Tell me; where would you have escaped to?”
Melissa sighed. “I don’t know. I lived in the home of my dead mother, with a man I created. I grew arrogant, and mistreated him, and I decided to leave, so I might change myself.”
“See! Just another arrogant Archsussa!” cried Richard.
Sliona slammed her wrinkled hand on the table. “Do you listen, child? One day I’ll be dead, and there’ll be no one to correct you.” She began to cough, doubling over as Richard patted her back. Melissa hadn’t seen anyone that sick besides her mother, and wondered why they forsook the aid of an Archsussa even when their most important was ill. Sliona recovered after a few moments, wiping her mouth with a blood-stained cloth. “I heard you. You are different; you have felt the temptation to become arrogant and domineering, but have rejected it. You have seen others of your family kill, and you reject it. The question is; what path will you follow?”
“I . . . I don’t know. Why don’t you let an Archsussa heal you?”
“Haven’t you heard anything,” spat Richard, “we despise your kind!”
“But you would let your most important person die, from an illness we could cure?”
“You would cure me,” asked Sliona, “even as a captive, even though we probably would keep you as one?”
Melissa thought for a moment. “Yes, I would.”
The old woman leaned back with a gentle smile, taking a wheezing, deep breath. “Dear Melissa, I think we might be friends.”
“How did you know my name?”
Melissa waited for a response, but all she got was Sliona examining her again with her penetrating steel-blue eyes. “Your brother mentioned his sister was missing, and said your name. Now, Richard, show Melissa some kindness. Ask Daria to show her to the toilet, and find some clean, warm clothes. And give her some food -- not too much, for it is about time she lost some of that weight.”
Melissa nodded, and shed a tear, unable to hold it in. “Thank you.”
Sliona squeezed her hand. “You’re welcome. There will be no dissection; it was merely a ploy to see if the Nemesnik was bluffing. But if you truly do hate the Freilux, consider helping us find a way to defeat him.”
Suddenly the door opened and a boy that seemed to be a mirror image of Richard came through. But instead of a serious brow, he had only joy in his eyes. In fact the first thing of him Melissa noticed was his affable smile.
“Sorry to bother you brother, but you said you’d join us for a game of nuvia.”
“You play nuvia?” asked Melissa, perking up. “I used to be pretty good at it!”
Richard’s brother smiled at her and for the first time Melissa felt like someone wasn’t looking at how fat she was. “You’re that new girl, that Archsussa, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. Who are --”
“Enough of this!” shouted Richard, bolting to his feet. “We’re in the middle of something important, Vincent. Can’t it wait?”
“Sorry,” said Vincent snidely. “Don’t worry about him,” said Vincent to Melissa, “he’s just drunk with what little power they give him.”
“Out! Out!” yelled Richard, pushing him back through the door. “I’ve had enough of you.”
Melissa couldn’t help but smile, and relaxed a little in her chair. Even Sliona’s withered lips curled into a kind smile.
“Now you know what I go through.”
Richard sat back down, his cheeks blushed. Melissa took pity on him.
“Why wouldn’t you join with my brother against him?” she asked. “He commands a sizeable army.”
“An army of Archsussa,” stressed Richard, eager to regain the foothold he lost. “While we desire to overthrow the Freilux, we would never replace him with another Archsussa. Your kind has ruled our world for far too long.”
Sliona shook her head. “While my young friend may be a bit crude, he speaks the truth for our people. Now; have you seen any wrecks of great metal ships, like this one?”
Melissa paused, debating about whether or not to tell them. “Well . . .”
Sliona’s eyes op
ened, and they both leaned forward. “Speak up, child!”
“I came across several on my journey, but they all looked as if someone had been in before me. Only one ship I came across was untouched, and it lies near my home.”
“You lie,” spat Richard. “You just want us to take you home.”
“Be calm, child,” rebuked Sliona. “What was in it?”
“It had several glass panels set in metal boxes, and it had an immense hole in its side.”
“We need to go there as quickly as possible,” said Richard to Sliona.
“Why?” asked Melissa, “what is so important?”
“Not now. Get cleaned, dressed and fed, and we shall talk in the morning.” Sliona got to her feet, and Melissa felt immensely relieved. “Oh, and hopefully I don’t need to say that you would be much better off if you tried not to escape. We could turn the stabilizer back on to full for all your waking moments, and you would go insane.”
“I understand. And my offer was sincere; I could heal you.”
Sliona paused for a moment, leaning heavily on Richard’s shoulder. “If Richard were as sick as I, I would order him taken to a Levitating City, so he might be healed. But for me, the woman who leads, I cannot show such weakness. One day hopefully you will understand; the temptation of sussa is strong, and corrupts us as it does you. The only way to remain pure, to remain free, is not to use it or take advantage of one who does. That is our mantra, our firm belief.”
Chapter 12
The morning brought a hard rap at the door, and a guard’s voice yelling; “make yourself decent, we’re throwing in some warm clothes.”
She scrambled to cover herself, and in a minute the bolts slid open and in was thrown a thick pair of fur-lined pants and a thick white jacket.
“What’s this for?”
“You said you would show us where the vessel was, didn’t you?” asked Richard.
“Why should I?”
“We could threaten you. We could turn the machine on to full. Or you could just realize that staying here would be interminably boring, and choose to do this for us. Your conditions would improve immensely if you helped us in this.”
She picked up the pants thrown at her, which reeked of a foul, musky odor. “Fine, I’ll do it. Can someone at least wash these clothes?”
The door was slammed shut, and Richard’s faint voice could be heard saying; “the arrogance of an Archsussa knows no bounds.”
Just as the first sun crept over the distant horizon line, Melissa set out on her first sled-ride. A pack of ten charaks pulled two sleds over an ocean of shifting white. They were smelly creatures, who panted and growled as they pulled their cargo over steep hills and down low mist-shrouded valleys. A few complained about their stench, particularly after hard exertion, but Melissa found it warm and quaint, a welcome change from the clinical nature of the ship of the scientists.
Richard led the group, and with them rode Daria, three guards and Vincent. Melissa gathered Vincent was a late addition, and only after a prolonged argument with Richard was he allowed to join them. As for Daria, Melissa learned Daria was the closest thing Richard had for a friend. She prattled on as they rode about how he was such a precocious youth, how the many technological advancements he discovered allowed them to live in relative comfort.
Daria was tall – taller than Richard. She had pale skin with a lot of acne on her face, and long, stringy brown hair that looked as if it hadn’t been washed in several weeks. Her teeth were yellow, her cheeks puffy and her eyes wide apart and Melissa knew if she lived on the levitating cities she would be one of the uglier girls around. But out there, in the cold wilderness, Melissa could appreciate her sparking personality, and thought she was prettier and prettier with each moment spent.
As she listened to Daria, she also felt a twinge of jealousy. When she lived on Imathrin, she had a crush on a neighbor’s boy who was also smart and intelligent, and suddenly she felt an extreme longing to see Asil.
“So what do you think of Richard?” asked Daria, as they waited for the charaks that pulled their sleds to be fed and rested. Melissa smiled as she understood why they were called ‘ charaks,’ as after every bite of food they would utter ‘charak, charak.’ It was unseasonably warm, allowing them to sit unprotected around a small fire to talk.
“Well, seeing as I’m his captive, I have a rather low opinion of him.”
“Ouch -- that’s kinda harsh!” cried Daria. “I mean, I heard they were a little rough with you at first, but you’re out here now, aren’t you?” She took a deep breath of air, and nodded with approval. “Free to lean back and drink in the fresh cool air.”
Melissa couldn’t help but smile. “You’re different than the others.”
“Yeah, well, they all take themselves a little too seriously. I mean, life can’t always be about studying and crap like that.” She pointed to Richard, who was tinkering with a small metallic device. “Just look at him -- don’t you wanna just push him up against a wall, and plant a big one right on him?”
“No!” squealed Melissa. “Besides, I don’t think he’d know what to do.”
“Exactly -- that’s why you’d do it!” cried Daria, as she pushed back the thick tan hood to reveal more of her face. She was very light-skinned, and Melissa noticed for the first time the dozens of red freckles that clustered around her mouth, nose and eyes. “He’d go all red, and you’d finally wipe that insufferably smug smile off his face.”
Melissa nodded, relaxing a little, happy to talk like she did when she still lived on Imathrin, with nothing to worry or upset her.
“You ever kiss him?” asked Melissa.
“No -- almost,” she said dreamily. “About a year ago, when we were out exploring the metal ships, we got trapped in a shaft for a few minutes. We said a few things, and just as we almost got close enough . . . bam! The door slid open, my dad hugged me and helped me out, and that was that.”
“You never did anything since?”
“No,” she said with a sigh. “And I’ve tried every trick! When my father got sick, and I was upset, I purposefully cried a little more in front of him to try to get him to hug me and spend time alone with me.”
“You didn’t?” cried Melissa with glee.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, it’s lame, but it almost worked. He hugged me, and it was one of those long hugs, when I could even feel his heartbeat.” Daria sighed. “I tried a couple of more things like that, but none of them worked. He’s too important now, too focused on all the discoveries he made. Sometimes . . .”
“What?” asked Melissa.
“Sometimes I hate science. Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends and where I live. But I can understand why so many people for so long have let you Archsussa do all the hard work. I mean, to be freed of so much work, so many worries? I’ll bet if Richard and I had grown up in a world like that, we would’ve been together a long time ago.”
“Yeah, well, after the Second Apocalypse, you two might alo be dead.”
“But wouldn’t it be glorious to die together?”
Melissa was about to respond, as Daria’s tone worried her, when Vincent came and plopped himself down next to Melissa. She suddenly stopped caring about Daria, and started brushing back her hair and sitting up a little straighter for Vincent.
“You talking ‘bout Richard again?” he asked, obviously irritated.
“No -- don’t be jealous!” squealed Daria. “What’s it to you, anyway?”
“I dunno. You sure you won’t try some glleli when we get back?”
Daria wrinkled up her nose. “You know I don’t go for that sort of stuff.”
“What’s glleli?” asked Melissa.
“You can’t have not tried it?” asked Vincent arrogantly, affecting airs. “I mean, you have schools up there in those levitating cities, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“And what do you do when you just want to get away, but you can’t go anywhere? When you just want to forget?”
Vincent sneered. “Well, we only have science. Snow and science! And there are sometimes you just want to feel warm and safe, sometimes when you don’t have a friend and you just want to feel like you belong. When we get back, and if they let you out, look me up, and I’ll let you try some.”
“She doesn’t want any of that stuff!” yelled Daria, pushing him.
“She just lost everything she knew, and is stuck with us, out here, looking at the wrong ends of a lot of guns.” Vincent laid a soft hand on Melissa’s knee. “If you ever want to feel like you’re back at home, safe, then try what I’ve got.”
“Come on, everyone!” yelled Richard. “Time to get going again -- we’ve got a long way to go.”
Vincent got to his feet, and extended a hand to Melissa. “Well, come on my Archsussa, can’t let our lord and master be kept waiting too long.”
It took a full hour to harness the charaks back into the sleds, but Melissa enjoyed the hard work. Though strong, with vicious teeth and intimidating eyes, the charaks were actually docile creatures who liked to have their lone ear massaged and scratched. Daria showed her how, and Melissa quickly got the hang of it, making one of them coo with delight. As she worked with the charak, Melissa noticed Richard’s eyes kept straying to her.
“I think he notices you,” said Daria.
“I think he worries I’ll get free. I see how he speaks to you -- he always lowers his voice, and it’s always softer and less harsh.”
“Maybe,” shrugged Daria, as they got back into the sled. “Maybe it isn’t too late for us after all.”
“What about Vincent; what’s his deal?”
Daria shook his head. “He’s the younger brother, and lives in Richard’s shadow. I think all the attention focused on Richard has made Vincent bitter. He was never into glleli when we were younger.”
“Is he . . . is he seeing anyone?”
Daria grinned from ear to ear, and Melissa blushed. “You like him, don’t you! Well get in line -- he’s got a lot of girls hunting for him. It’s just none of them ever caught him.”
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