Chapter One

EXCITEMENT NEVER ENDS

JILL UREGLIMI

The battle on the planet of Argale has completed. The rescued ZerShaz are in the medical unit. As the only actual doctor on this ship I should be there tending them, but am not.

Enslaved for over sixty years (Earth measure) by an unknown species, (rudely being called Pig Bods) who aligned with the humans of the TSF Gautier.

It was those humans who gave the Pig Bods the technology which enabled their enslavement of the ZerShaz who crashed on that planet.

Those ZerShaz have been rescued, are in the medical unit. They need my care, but I have been warned to stay away. For those ZerShaz despise humans.

And I am human.

I may be the adopted sister of their god/king. My step father was once an iSaz, king of a sector, not just a planet. My sister is half ZerShaz. I have spent years among the ZerShaz, speak their language, live their culture. But I'm still human.

So I lounge here, with imKoldi, the first ZeSha rescued from that planet. This first ZeSha who by some knot in reality is the brother of Daktoy's mother. Daktoy; eDapktchoy, my adopted brother and the god/king.

imKoldi appears to be alive no more than twenty years, but he has lived over eighty, sixty on that planet where the water is the fountain of youth.

imKoldi sits at a table, resting his arm on his upraised knee, a position I had often seen Daktoy adopt, as he sampled the coffee.

"Is the flavour so strong and rich or is it that freed of the poison my senses are heightened?" he asked holding the mug in both hands.

"A bit of both I'd say."

His eyes traversed the cabin as if it were wonderful.

"An iSazi chamber." He noted, again sipping the coffee, giving me a peculiar glance.

Being here with him was stressless, pleasant. But of course, there would be an interruption. Frantic pounding on the door and suPadry, burtst in: "iKhyarm injured, you must heal him!" She cried, pure emotion, "--he is to dock soon--come--Please! Come!"

Without pause imKoldi rose and to the door.  I followed.   suPadry led to the observation port behind the hanger. From our safe perch we waited; jostled by iTafarick,and others of iKhyarm's band.

I realised, belatedly, that Sharon, their 'goddess' should be with him. Although I didn't like her, Daktoy loved her, and if anything happened to her....

I wondered where Daktoy was, but did not mention his absence.

Two veDaks entered, we watched them through the locks. When atmosphere present, we moved to the flyers. I couldn't see the pilot of the first flyer and when the canopy didn't open, iTafarick and others hurriedly surrounded, pulled it open. I heard Sharon's voice; "iKhyarm, his back."

I moved closer. There was no seat behind her, iKhyarm lay supine, she, I suppose leaned against him.

"Help me," were her last words as she passed out.

ZeSha stared one to another, I did not understand why they did not move, to take her from the flyer when one whispered to me; "You can touch her." I realised her rank forbid the touch of all but the most elevated..

imKoldi and I neared and for those who didn't know, I announced he was her mate's blood, which got the necessary permission.

I don't know how he did it, but imKoldi leaned in, somehow extracted Sharon from her outside suit, and lifted her out of the craft. I ran my scanner over her as she lay in his arms, reporting; "She's just exhausted, Koli, take her to the room."

The way he held her screamed love, and it hurt me in such an obscenely puerile manner I stepped upon my own foot to prevent shrieking.  How is it that a she, with every repellent trait imaginable could gain their devotion?

Truncating thoughts,  I turned to the least important person in my world, iKhyarm. I ordered a flater, a ZeSha ran out.
From the other flyer had emerged iMindak who was recounting the incidents with great deference to Sharon. I didn't listen, couldn't anyway, due to the noise suPadry was making.

The flater arrived, iMindak coming to assist. It took a while for iKhyarm to be secured; then lifted out.

"Take him to the Re-An!" I ordered unnecessarily, running behind them.

We entered the teeming chamber, I assumed others had been shoved from this room, to make way for the Matchless One.

As we entered, I recalled the reasons why I shouldn't be here, but slapped them away as my eyes made a quick scour of the scene of hell which crowded around me. My nose wrinkled at the odor, and I felt raw hatred washing against me.

I waited while ZeSha removed iKhyarm's suit, he shouting for his 'hazi' (Sharon) and babbling about her ZeShaZay.
Not desirous of hearing I advised; "You need Re-An--now" over the din of iMindak reporting the

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 28.02.2022
ISBN: 978-3-7554-0881-9

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