D'Mok Revival 1: Awakening (29 page)

Determined to break free, the creature fell backward, slamming Ichini into the ground. The instant Ichini’s grasp broke, the Renzr got to its feet and barreled toward Allia. She yelled out and threw the weapon to Naijen, who squeezed and readied the bladed weapon for attack.

Seigie let loose a volley of crystals, bellowing, “Ruby fire!”

The crystals burst into fiery spheres and pummeled the Renzr. The creature howled as the hair on its shoulders singed off, but continued its charge at Allia. Mencari panicked when he saw a distracted Allia was still in harm’s way.

He shouted, “Allia, move!”

In moments it would be too late. Mencari clenched his fists as images of his son flashed before him. White light pooled around his hands. “Allia!”

Scarcely aware of his movements, he reached forward, releasing searing balls of energy. Streaking like a shooting star, the creature’s scaly armor yielded. Its two heads howled, and a different type of liquid burst from the smaller head while it dropped suddenly to its knees mid-charge, ripping up the ground and skidding to a halt.

As it fell, Allia turned and screamed. “No! Stop!” She ran to the struggling creature and knelt beside it just as its two heads fell motionless to the ground.

“Allia, no!” Mencari shouted and raced to stop her.

She laid her hands on the beast and began glowing with a fierce green light. Its eyes looked toward her. “We were wrong to attack it,” she whimpered.

Confused and annoyed, Naijen began to yell, “What ya doin’? It tried to kill us!”

The creature’s wounds began to share the green radiance, and Allia closed her eyes. “We’re sorry,” she moaned. “Don’t die!”

Thick liquid continued to pump from the creature despite her light radiating from inside it.

“Why isn’t it working?” she cried desperately.

Mencari noticed the sudden blank expression in Allia’s eyes, as the beast intensely gazed at her. He nearly moved to protect her when she gasped in alarm. The beast’s eyes began to wander and fade.

“No! . . . NO!” she yelled. A wave of heat blasted from her as the healing light bloomed into a pool of bright green light which danced around them.

Its eyes closed, its body gave a last twitch, then was still.

“It’s gone,” Mencari said, keeping his voice gentle.

Sobbing softly, Allia slumped against the creature’s carcass. “Why couldn’t I . . . ?”

He knelt and picked her up, cradling the child in his arms. “It’s okay. You did what you could. Let’s go now.”

Exhausted and weeping, the little girl collapsed, sniffling against Mencari’s chest. “You . . . don’t understand.” Her speech slurred. “It only wanted to feed. We were . . . in its way.”

“We got ground ta cover,” Naijen said gruffly.

Each of them nursing their aches and pains, they limped away from the fallen beast, returning to the path of glowing stones.

After the beast was out of sight, Naijen broke the silence. “I fought critters like that before, but I didn’t expect none’a
that
.”

Mencari felt Allia go limp and looked down to see her out cold. He exchanged worried glances with Seigie, then turned to Naijen. “What didn’t you expect?”

“How’d ya do that? Takin’ down the Renzr?”

Mencari hesitated, wondering what to reveal.

“That? It’s a concentration of energy. Like your attack against the androids back in the arena. Though, it never happened for me quite like that before,” Mencari replied with honesty.

“And you?” Naijen looked at the old woman.

“I transmute the energy of crystals into a physical form,” Seigie said.

“Whatever that means, it did the job.” Naijen looked back at them over his shoulder, still leading the pack, although the pace was now slow. “I saw that Ichi creature’s trick before. But the kid’s?”

He paused, selecting his words carefully. “And she was right about the Renzr coming. And . . .”

Mencari paused walking. “And?”

“The way she
looked
at it. Wuz she readin’ its thoughts?”

Mencari glanced down at her sleeping form. “Seems like another of her gifts.”

“And wha’s that green light-stuff?”

“Healing. We’ve seen her do it before.”

Naijen chided, “After that performance, you’re either the worst assassins I met, or you’re tellin’ the truth.”

The warrior kicked up dirt along the path, which tossed glowing flecks into the air.

“So much for those new tattoos,” Naijen added.

“Den said the same thing,” Mencari said.

“Yeah? I’ll bet. She craves ’em too.” He laughed cruelly then looked at Allia, cradled in Mencari’s arms. “She still out?”

“Yeah. The way she was acting before . . . I don’t like this. Maybe the radiation . . . I want to get her back to base as fast as we can. For her to fall asleep . . . something’s not right.”

Naijen nodded ahead. “Nearly there now. I’ll say my goodbyes, ’an we’ll be on our way.”

Naijen pointed to a small structure in the distance. “Ova there.”

The first rays of morning had begun to cut streaks into the darkness, and a green haze tinted the sky. On either side of the building’s main entrance, white-and-blue flames danced in large clay jars. An orange sun seemed to burst from the ground as it rose.

“What is it?” Seigie asked.

“A shrine.”

Allia began to stir, as the group paused. Mencari laid her on the ground, his arms burning from fatigue. Seigie hadn’t offered to help carry her, but he decided it was because, with her crystalline nature, she feared scratching the child.
And Naijen would probably be terrified of touching a child,
he thought.

He leaned down, shaking out his arms as he called her name.

“Rhysus,” she murmured.

“Right here,” he said gently.

“I don’t feel very . . .”

Her eyes closed again. He paused, waiting for her to respond further. She didn’t. Worry spread across Mencari’s face.

“I would suggest haste,” Seigie said.

Ichini nuzzled Allia’s forehead.

Mencari reached out to pat the creature’s snout, trying to reassure it, and maybe himself, that all would be well. Amazingly, Ichini allowed it.

“Look at his color,” Seigie said.

“What?” He looked down. A strange green cast was spreading over the beast’s body.

With no idea what could be causing it, the sight merely added to his worry as he picked Allia up and they headed together to the shrine’s entrance.

Inside, four guards stood waiting, their weapons thrust in front of them. Mencari and Seigie fell back defensively, but Naijen raised his hand and said, “They’re wit’ me.”

They followed Naijen as he edged farther inside, where they could see three bloodied bodies piled in a heap behind the guards.

One of the Kunren guards muttered, “Anto’lieans. Assassins. But not very good at their job.” He laughed coarsely.

Mencari noticed that the guards had cut small tattooed patches off the bodies of the fallen.

“Figured as much,” Naijen said, his voice showing frustration. Mencari suspected Naijen was disappointed to have missed that fight.

In explanation, the guard replied, “Den told the Master you’d be heading here. The Master figured you’d have the typical Anto’liea guests waiting for you. He wanted to make sure you weren’t at an unfair disadvantage.”

Naijen said, “Too bad, it could’a been fun.”

The guard nodded slyly. “We’ll get new tattoos for these three.”

Naijen nodded. “Mark your skin with honor. If I was goin’ back, I’d vouch for ya vic’try.”

Mencari relaxed a bit, relieved, but the second guard’s face turned white and he said, “What do you mean, if you was going back?”

Naijen replied, “I’m gonna train in a new place. Where I can have a real challenge.”

“You’re leaving Kunren?”

“Don’ get too cocky. I’ll be back, and I ’spect to see a team ready for my lead when I do.”

The second guard bowed. “May your days of training make your body burn at night.”

Naijen nodded. “Until the end.”

The warrior turned to Mencari. “’Dis is where the remains of our fallen Olympic warriors are buried. My brother . . . he’s at rest here.”

Going to a dip in the floor, Naijen knelt before a small plaque level with it. “I
will
be back, Jerin. And I’ll give the Anto’liea what they deserve.”

He paused and grunted a warrior’s prayer, then placed his hand on a symbol just above Jerin’s name on the marker. He pressed in gently, then twisted. With a popping noise, the embellishment broke off into his hands. He placed it into his pocket and rose.

Mencari said, “To the spaceport then?”

Naijen nodded matter-of-factly. “Dere’s a shortcut from here.”

* * * * *

“This’iz nutz,” Naijen muttered, staring out the craft window, the atmosphere of his world thinning away.

“If you train with us,” Seigie sighed from the pilot’s seat, “you’ll get used to it.”

Mencari checked Allia, and found her still sleeping. He immediately called up Osuto and told him what had happened. Toriko and Ujaku’s worried faces joined their mentor’s.

Toriko said, “I’ll rework one of the new rooms we’re adding into an infirmary. I’ll start researching the effect of radiation, too.”

Osuto looked deadly serious. “Get her home fast, Rhysus.”

* * * * *

“Don’t look like much of a battle fort. This it?” Naijen griped, unloading from the ship and looking about.

“
It
is for now,” Mencari said. “Still building things out.”

The warrior’s expression remained dubious.

Mencari carefully lifted Allia from her restraints and carried her off the ship. Toriko cried out when she saw the child’s limp body and green color. She and Ujaku escorted them to the new infirmary. Osuto followed a few moments later.

Mencari laid her on the bed. He was startled as a small ray passed over her body, and looked around to see flashing results up on a screen.

“It’s radiation, all right,” Toriko said. “She’s permeated with it!”

She rushed out of the room. Naijen entered as she left. As the grizzled, hunking warrior looked at Allia, his apathetic expression softened. “Somethin’ good about that kid,” he muttered. Despite the rough start, his respect was reflected in his eyes, as he gazed at her motionless form. “Had some amazing combat moves, too.”

Toriko returned with a monitor that she strapped onto Allia’s arm. “It’s only a gizmo to analyze how deep the radiation is, not to treat it.” She looked at Naijen. “Where were you all when . . . when this happened?”

“My world,” Naijen replied, eyes still locked on Allia.

Toriko waved a hand scanner over them and frowned. “You all have radiation. Not as much, though. Naijen, your level is lowest. Perhaps because you have adapted to your world. But Allia? She has a hundred times the toxic level!”

Toriko glared at Mencari. “You let her get hit by a bomb or something?”

“She tried to heal a tainted creature,” Seigie said.

“She must have absorbed whatever was in it,” Mencari said.

Ichini had slipped in behind Naijen. He yowled sadly, then hopped onto a chair next to Allia.

Mencari nodded at him. “He still has that strange greenish color too.”

Toriko tried to scan Ichini. “Nothing at all. It’s supposed to scan any organic being, but . . . maybe it won’t work on whatever species Ichini is?”

She looked at the others with desperate eyes. “I’m sorry, medical engineering isn’t really my area.”

Osuto motioned toward the door. “Let’s give her a chance to rest, Toriko.”

“I’ll stay,” Toriko said. “I can try to run a few more tests or something. Try tweaking my scanner, maybe do a little more research.”

Osuto nodded and again motioned to the others. Mencari moved toward the door, but paused to look back at the sleeping child. “Watch over her, Ichini.”

Ichini whined, licked his jagged green snout, and lowered his green head to a set of equally glowing, equally green forepaws.

* * * * *

“Perhaps I should show Naijen around?”

Ujaku was the first to break the silence as they made their way down the corridor to the elevator.

Osuto nodded. “When you’re finished, we’ll be in the meeting room.”

As the elevator arrived, Ujaku motioned to Naijen, who grunted in acknowledgement. The two headed down the hall.

Osuto, and Seigie entered the elevator with Mencari.

“I’m grateful to see one more added to our number,” Osuto started. “But there’s little else we can do for Allia, so we should plan what’s next. Toriko and Ujaku need to finish setting up their work areas. And we have to finish the station expansion.”

Seigie cleared her throat and said, “We should continue to monitor the communication channels, too. Although it will be difficult to concentrate,” she cast her crystalline red eyes downward. “In light of the circumstances. I wish I knew more about the barite we found on Naijen’s planet. I’ll examine the samples I brought back right away.”

They gathered in the meeting room.

Osuto led off. “Did you come across any Nukari on Naijen’s world?”

Mencari shook his head. “None detected. So Naijen’s planet’s probably clear for now.”

Without warning, the familiar feelings of helplessness hit Mencari like a sucker-punch. Images of his lost wife and son spun through his mind, along with Allia’s limp body.

“Osuto, she needs serious medical help.” he said. “Who knows what that radiation will do to her? I know Toriko’s doing her best. But she even said it’s not going to heal Allia.”

Osuto’s body grew rigid. “But . . . we’re an isolated outpost. And . . . we have to keep our focus on the Nukari. This is a fight for our lives. It might be rough to accept, but there will be casualties. Do you think no one else will be hurt?”

“But we weren’t fighting Nukari! She was just healing a creature.”

“We can’t stop everything when one of us gets injured.”

Seigie spoke up. “What about other Coalition facilities?”

Mencari gave a resigned shake of his head. “The Coalition has left us out to dry. They’re no help.”

“Then where? Maybe we should at least take her back to her world?”

To die?
Mencari thought. He shook his head. “I doubt they’d know what to do with this condition either. And . . . we promised to take care of her.”

“Rhysus, I realize how harsh I must sound,” Osuto said. “But I’m a warrior trained by D’mok himself. Any distraction could mean the loss of many lives to come. To have any chance against the Nukari, you must somehow retain your warrior’s heart—”

Mencari’s face flushed. “No,” he said, standing up. “I won’t accept that.”

Osuto’s conscience wouldn’t allow it either. Mencari could see it in Osuto’s eyes. How could they possibly maintain a warrior’s heart when there was a little girl grievously wounded?

Osuto sighed. “We can’t just stop every time someone gets hurt,” he muttered.

Light steps approached. As Toriko entered, she looked like she wanted to cry. “I’ve taken bio readings, but I don’t know what any of them mean. She’s still sleeping.”

“The trading post.”

Seigie had spoken quietly. The others swiveled to look at her.

“What?” asked Osuto.

“The trading post. Use your contacts, Rhysus. Find help there.”

“She’s right,” Osuto said acquiescing.

Mencari looked up, encouraged. “Should I go alone, or should we just take her there?”

Toriko bobbed her head enthusiastically. “She’s not going to get better here. Anything would be better than her staying. Just give me a sec.” She projected a display of information on a display. “The medical data I have isn’t packaged for transfer. . . I’ll go with you.”

“I wanna go too,” Naijen said from the doorway.

Mencari turned surprised. How long had he been standing there? Ujaku’s heavy steps pounded quickly towards them down the hall.

“We’re not all going to fit along with the medical equipment,” Toriko added. “Maybe we could take one more?”

Arriving out of breath, Ujaku grunted to Naijen, “Why’d you run off?”

“Changed my mind,” Naijen said.

They all looked at Osuto. He looked around the room, then nodded.

“I’ll go, too,” Seigie said. “Osuto, can you handle things while I’m gone.”

“Ujaku and I will keep things going here,” Osuto said.

* * * * *

“Stay put. I’ll be back soon,” Mencari said as he dashed out of the airlock.

The sound of a small robot approaching brought unexpected relief. If Bob was anything, it was predictable. And amazingly useful. This was one of those times where being pounced on upon arrival reduced his stress rather than increasing it.

“Greetings and salutations, Coalition visitor, Rhysus Mencari.”

“Bob, are there any medical facilities here?” he asked hastily.

“Seven decks up. In the Hyer Metro district,” Bob said flatly, before chirping inquisitively. “Are you hurt?”

Before Mencari could answer, Bob’s sensor eyes flashed yellow. “Detecting. . .  marginally higher radiation, heart rate, and blood pressure. . .  Body structural integrity appears uncompromised. . .  You are in very good health, Rhysus Mencari!”

“It’s a companion of mine—she’s still on the ship,” he explained. “She’s been exposed to more radiation than me.”

“Perimeter scans in progress. . . ” Bob’s antenna grew suddenly rigid, its digital eyes changing to a deep red. “Environmental levels of radiation appear nominal. However, safety protocols dictate an immediate quarantine of this area.”

Informational displays appeared around them, with flashing lights of warning.