Chapter One

BEGINNINGS

IKYIMIN
ODIN PATH

 

Ki-ZerShaz captures my gaze. I attend, follow into the lifter, to the hangar. Hhe seises a shuttle and to an iRain he orders: "Count ten emis then alert Jill uReglimi to prepare to receive a patient."

 

He energises the shuttle, takes us into the Nealay.  It was a brief journey to the quando vessel Parkinson. He did not produce discourse, I maintain silence. Clearly the mission arrives. As we gain the vault of the hangar he dispatches an iTay to secure seven disintegrator weapons, directs an oTay to alert iKhay iKhyarm and his Aide, and charges me with the acquistion of oeTembi.

 

Ki-ZerShaz himself would secure the Kema.

 

As I walked the corridor I informed my ancestors that I, iKyimin, was to embark on a enterprise with Ki-ZerShaz so that they may bask in my ZeShaZay.

 

As I slid the portal of oeTembi's cabin, the odor of fiuma assaulted, the drooping figure of the ZeSha filled me with contempt.

 

"Find your feet, oRain!"

 

He glanced at me.

 

"The mission commences." I announce.

 

He nods stupidly.

 

I stomp towards him. "Stand!"

 

He rose as smoke, then gained stature.  Granting me brief homage, he moves to the sani. He was pathetic. Were it in my hand, I would not select him, nay I would dispatch him to his ancestors.

 

I lost emis until he emerged. Finally we gain the hangar to where others awaited. Others of vastly higher rank had to wait upon this refuse of an oRain.

 

I presented myself to iKhyarm, for homage must always be shown to a superior, then boarded the flyer. iKhyarm secured the controls, the Great Lord beside him, iTafarick took the second seat as did I with aSefa, oeTembi behind.

 

The Great Lord spoke to Kema: "Upon landing, maintain silence, when the door imprisoning the ZeSha and Kema opened, lead them to oeTembi."

 

Hearing his appellation, the dullard awoke. The Great Lord ordered him; "You position on the road, as the ZeSha liberated lead him to this vesavi. iTafarick, your station is here. As oeTembi boards the ZeSha, engage engines."

 

To iKhyarm: "I do not assume you have experience of surreptitious landings." But he spoke warmly and they exchanged positions.

 

The Great Lord would pilot.

 

"Affix!" iKhyarm ordered and we clinched holders about us, I assisting the Kema.  The journey now is adventurous, unpredictable, and for emis, unbearable.

 

Gravity caused the Kema to cry out, the pressure within forced my lungs to close, then suddenly, a silence, the engine disengaged, we glided many hitarns, until we slowed so as to cease.

 

The portal unsealed, we spilled out to stand upon the murky ground. The Great Lord, securing a pouch, raced in direction we followed.  We thrashed upon sand, up a mount, then before us, a flatness, for hitarns.

 

The air cold upon my flesh, entered my throat as wire. Ki-ZerShaz gestured we walk singly, he, the Kema, iKhyarm, myself, oeTembi dawdling.

 

We maintained ourselves in the centre of the path, where darkness dwelled, for on either side were habitations, their illumination flowing unto the concourse, save the narrow band we traversed.

 

We moved rapidly until the Great lord ordered us to cease. Singly he advanced stealthily towards a habitation, holding low, exposed by the light.

 

Our weapons to palm, we scanned the perimeters for danger, but did not view life.

 

He took from the pouch an object, directed it at the dwelling and studied it. Then, pointed it at the fence which dissected the land.

 

He returned to us, extracted another object which he gave to iKhyarm, indicating he should pull it apart, then polish it.  I did not know the object, but it was of Terran origin, metallic. When opened and polished it appeared a reflector.

 

I judged ourselves fifty heartbeats run from the flyer, but we moved onwards, deeper into the realm of Argali. The night almost silent, the air steaming from our nostrils. I could not perceive if we were near to Nea's sleep or his rising. The flavour of the air suggested early dark.

 

The Great Lord led us deeper, our objective, a habitation hitarn distant which held no neighbor.  We moved with purpose, the numerate was unhappy, yet the Great Lord had secured seven weapons. Seven, yet there were only six--
I had never participated in an action upon a world, my only experience emtalfi and that many etalia gone. My life had been in the nealay, this movement on land, these challenges, unknown. Yet, I would not fail.

 

We arrived at the habitation.

 

It was a building of one storey, rectangular as is the method of building of the Argali. Each owned smaller habitation attached, the whole surrounded by fence, of which The Great Lord indicated the corners.  There was naught to distinguish, yet, on deeper examination, they were a hand higher than the rails. His eyes glittered, he gestured to iKhyarm.

 

He created a square with his fingers, indicated the corners, then formed a triangle. He pointed at the far post, then the one above us, indicating the near one should be amputated.  iKhyarm nodded, they caught each other's wrist, their eyes engaging.

 

I had only heard of this method, never before encountered two ZeSha match heartbeats, knew these not lord and vassal, but azi.

 

Abruptly they broke, Ki-ZerShaz to the more dangerous post, for he would be visible from the front of the habitation, iKhyarm to the corner in the rear.

 

I could see both, their movements synchronized. In an instant they had redirected the signals so the diagonal points would meet over the habitation, forming the triangle, breaking the square.

 

The Great Lord and iKhyarm converged at the near, now dead corner, the Great Lord raised a finger. Moving to the fence, careful not to touch it, he took the polished metal pieces and stretching his arms the distance, inserted the metal between what must have been sensors.

 

iKhyarm took a running leap to arrive directly before Ki-ZerShaz on the other side of the fence. Securing the metal from Ki-ZerShaz, iKhyarm did not alter the separation.

 

iKhyarm posed beyond the fence, perhaps the length of a ZeSha standing, Ki-ZerShaz on this side.

 

Ki-ZerShaz moved from the fence, perhaps the length of four ZeSha, then ran, sprang over the fence on his hands then to his feet over iKhyarm, to arrive behind him.

 

He secured one of the metal reflectors, moved towards the near point, leaving a wide corridor. He gestured to me, and to Kema, then to the habitation.  I lifted her in my hands, placed her over the fence, directed her to the habitation, then stepping back two paces, vaulted the fence, racing to the habitation, stopping the Kema from touching it.

 

Ki-ZerShaz returned the reflector to iKhyarm, pointed to the roof. I made a bracket with my hands, he stepped into them and I vaulted him above.

 

I moved to view him, he was altering something thereon, then nodded to me. I opened the door to what seemed a barn, directed the Kema in, heard her voice, as Ki-ZerShaz descended.

 

I entered the barn, espied a small animal, creating noises, but ignored, intent upon the ZeSha I located, who was impossible to rouse.  I lifted him on my back, grabbed the arm of the Kema, and hurried out.

 

We heard sounds from within the habitation. Ki-ZerShaz before me, opening a wider path, so I could gain the fence, toss the ZeSha to oeTembi, then lift the Kemas, ordering them to run.

 

Ki-ZerShaz and iKhyarm ceased their interception of the signal at the same time, sprang over the fence. I heard a shot, splinter ing the fence, and the sound of flesh being penetrated.

 

We ran, iKhyarm and Ki-ZerShaz together, I, letting them pass, firing true at the habitation with a weapon which causes the victim to disintegrate.

 

We thundered rapidly, then slowed when we passed the adjacent dwellings, then raced again, and I knew that either iKhyarm or Ki-ZerShaz had been injured, for I smelled blood.

 

oeTembi gained the flyer, tossing the ZeSha within, then the Kema's, now sliding into the second row.  I waited until iKhyarm and Ki-ZerShaz entered, noting the Great Lord's slacks torn, his blood flowing.

 

I sealed the portal, iTafarick engaged. We rolled along the ground silent, after fifteen heartbeats, the engine in fullness, and we tasted the sky.

 

The stink of the ZeSha rescued filled my nostrils and I could not dare breath. The sounds of the Kema chirping in their language almost as offensive.

 

The ZeSha lay as an empty bag, my eye could not be commanded to refrain from traveling his filthy scaled skin, protruding bones, his foul hair. He was the image of a sha in torment.

 

The flight seemed overly prolonged and I prayed we reached the Odin afore we asphyxiated. I was concerned about Ki-ZerShaz, but would not speak. Finally the Odin was in view.

 

As we entered I was commanded, "Convey the ZeSha to Jill, inform I soon arrive."

 

When possible to debark, iKhyarm assisted Ki-ZerShaz and I ordered oeTembi to lift the reeking hulk, carry him to the Re-An Unit.

 

The Kema anxious, afraid, aSefa spoke to her. I led into the Unit, Jill smelling our approach. The Kema squeaked unpleasantly upon viewing Jill, I demanded their silence, as oeTembi lay the wreckage of a ZeSha upon a flater.

 

"Where is he?" Jill demanded.

 

"He advises he will shortly appear." I reply.

 

She searched for further remarks, but I would reveal none.

 

"I shall return when I have refreshed." I say, indicating my mud covered garments and boots as I departed for my chambers, to imbibe zougati, cleanse and warm in a steaming tank, while the night's activities glowed in my consciousness.

Chapter Two

SHA IN DISGRACE

 

OETEMBI
ODIN PATH

 

I gazed upon the damaged ZeSha, deaf to the voices about me, shame eating me as gangrene. I could not remain. I could not but see the damaged as myself or view aSefa so animated with the other of her breed.

 

I strode from the Re-An sector, my upper thigh throbbing, causing me to limp. I did not consider it, as all of my body throbbed and ached, most especially my liver and sha. It was all distant, through a haze, the fiuma forming the impression of dream.

 

I ought not have imbibed, I ought not have been included in the mission. My years amongst humans have debilitated me. I can not run as a ZeSha, or leap, or formulate strategy, know with certainty, or feel connection.

 

I am watching a holo which happens to be my life. I arrive at the portal of Den's chamber, enter.

 

The lumis flashed on; it was then I perceived he and his mate aroused from sleep; my shame had been compounded. They stared upon me, I offered my palms to excuse my breach.

 

"Temmy, wait, don't go--." Den called, while Bari pushed her hair from her eyes, clamping her cover to her chest.

 

"Please absolve me, I am confused--"

 

"Wait Temmy--" Den repeated.

 

I shook my head, through the portal, then held against the bulkhead, not knowing where to go, what to do, only that if I should try to take my life, I would probably fail.

 

The portal opened, Bari and Den emerged, she passing, employing the word Re-An, Den's hand on my arm, pulled me into the room.

 

"Tem, what is it man? Rads, you're cold as ice!"

 

"I have so disgraced myself, death would be an achievement."

 

"What happened?" He asked, putting a cloth about me.

 

"What happened? We went to the world, imKoldi proving his greatness, I proving my uselessness."

 

"Temmy? You're bleeding."

 

"Hmmm?"

 

He pointed. I looked down. My thigh had ached, now I notice my blood running free, a projectile lodged in my flesh.

 

"Don't you feel it?" he asks.

 

"I feel so perverse it was just another pain."

 

He touched the area. Now I felt it.

 

"Let's go to Re-An, man."

 

"You can't take it out?" I ask.

 

"No, I can't take it out!"

 

His arm around my waist pulled me to the Re-An section.  Well, at least I had an excuse why I had been laggard and near useless--on the return. I hadn't yet gotten an explanation for my behaviour on the advance. Maybe Den would think of a good justification.

 

Chapter Three

TERROR

 

SHARON FEINSTEIN
ODIN PATH

 

I'd been praying, counting minutes, and when the door opened, and he stepped in, I almost screamed in joy, but didn't.

 

He stood with his back against the wall, just looking at me, just waiting. I shot out of the chair and embraced him, sounded like I laughed.  He held me to his body; he was frosty cold, but before I could chat I smelled blood.

 

"The mission successful, and, as usual--." He held me away from him.

 

I stopped breathing, climbed into his face, which was dirty, sort of ruddy, sort of okay. Then, he turned around. The whole batty of his pants was a mess. It was like he'd been gratering it. I could see what looked like wood splinters sticking out. A whole zillion of them.

 

I bit my lip not to laugh, but I think he knew it, cause he made a little huff, sort of limped to the bed, lay face down, shivering.

 

I came behind him, said, "I'm going to yank the pants off."

 

"Okay." He gave.

 

I opened both side seams, gave one jerk, and the slacks came off with this obscene sucking sound, and I was splattered with blood.

 

"I think you should soak your tush, then I'll try to pluck out as much as I can--"

 

"I need zougati or similar." He shivered.

 

I didn't have nothing like that in the room, went to the com, called the Bar where I'd bucked up iMindak, asked for Brandy by describing the bottle, came back to Daktoy, covered him with the sheets, then into the sani to run a hot bath.
If only this was all that happened to him on this mission, I prayed.

 

In a little minute Daktoy entered the sani. He was cold as ice, I removed his boots and jerkin and he got into the steaming water. He lay there, keeping his batty up a bit, still shivering.

 

There was a thump at the door, I went, took the bottle. I opened the Brandy, passed it to him and he took a deep swallow.

 

I was just looking at him, in a minute I'd become hysterical, so turned to the sink, washed my face, calmed myself.
Overcoming the fact he'd gotten shot in bottom, he chatted real smart.

 

"I reviewed systems of security utilized between one hundred and and eighty years ago, considered materials on the ship and planet, compared methods with the absences evident in the holo. I was able to identify and neutralize. Unconsidered; the inhabitant owned a pet."

 

"You killed it?"

 

He looked at me like to say, no I let it tear me to shit , but didn't say it, and went on; "One ZeSha in abominable condition, one Kema, extremely filthy, are aboard." He says turning over, exposing his rump.

 

"I wonder if gelmark--" I suggest.

 

"No."

 

"It burns." I teased.

 

"Oh yeah", he gave, sort of out of character; "I'd prefer a Terran preparation." He said carefully turning again.

 

He was being so precious, I took up a wash cloth, wiped his face, slow, gentle, while he just looked at me. Softly, I kissed him.

 

"You didn't anticipate I

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.02.2022
ISBN: 978-3-7554-0823-9

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