Page 54 of Alien Barbarian's Little Human

Since that time, there has clearly been an invasion by Ataxian forces. Judging from the condition of this city, the attack did not go well for either side. The Ataxians would want to maintain the infrastructure for their own use. They are also not known for such scorched earth tactics.

Perhaps the fighting grew so fierce that the city suffered as a result. Or maybe, the Alliance forces, seeing they were goingto lose the city, destroyed it themselves. In any event, it has created a desperate, dangerous environment where civilization once thrived.

I try to access the memories of the ones called Gog and Varona, but that only confuses me further. Neither of them are Vakutan. Why would I have the memories of alien men? What’s more, they don’t seem to be stored on my internal hard drive.

My neurological net was programmed with many things. Language, military tactics, basic medical knowledge, and many other useful skills. I was also given the relative experience and aptitudes of a Vakutan raised to adulthood, meaning I know how to take care of my bodily functions among other matters.

However, none of that included the implantation of other memories, other personas. It makes no logical sense for them to have done so, but that leaves me with no explanation.

I have been ‘taught’ to have a great reverence for the Precursors. Perhaps this is their doing? I have no other explanations.

The memories are distracting me. I push them aside for now, focusing instead on finding my User. Her odds of survival drop by the moment. She must have been resourceful indeed to have made it so long on her own.

I stop to strip the Ataxians of their weapons and equipment. I don’t bother with their armor. It’s weaker than my nanites, and anyway I have little need for clothing. I have a concept of modesty, but I also have a built in dislike of Ataxians. I don’t want to wear their colors.

The woman’s trail is still fresh. It’s easy to follow her scent, because it stands out amongst the other aromas. It seems almost as if it’s familiar, even if I’ve never scented it before.

Her trail leads me through a veritable maze of toppled buildings and wrecked machinery. Several times she passes through a stream of brackish, industrial wastewater. An attemptto throw me off her scent? Perhaps she is not as panicked as she seems. I have come to respect my User even though I have yet to actually meet her.

At last, I find her scrambling up the steep side of a pile of debris. I swallow the dryness from my throat, and then speak my first words.

“Please, halt. I am here to assist.”

She looks over her shoulder, and her footing slips. The User shrieks as she plunges toward the ground. I swiftly calculate her trajectory, then leap into the air. Reflecting off the pile three separate times, I position myself beneath her so she falls safely into my arms instead of a jagged pile of shrapnel.

Her hair falls over her face as she settles in my arms. I feel her body stiff as a metal rod, tense and fearful.

“Please remain calm. I mean you no harm. I am Vakutan Gene Splice Project 6669, designation Magog.”

“Gog?”

Her puzzled reply heralds the lifting of her pale hand. Trembling, she pulls the hair away from her face. My mouth falls open, for this is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Granted, I have not seen many, but I suspect this fact will remain true in perpetuity.

I focus on her eyes, as blue as an autumn sky on her native Earth. Within her azure gaze, I find mysteries that steal my breath away. It is as if two concurrent rivers suddenly overflow their banks and become one, true, powerful cascade. I feel something of myself given to her, but there is no sense of loss. Instead, I know I have gained something more precious than words.

A confusing flood of memories inundates my mind. Those eyes, I’ve seen them twice before. When I was the Drokan known as Gog, and the Ishani known as Varona. Twice I have found my jalshagar.

And twice she has been untimely ripped from my grasp. No more. Never again.

“Micah,” I gasp. “Chloe, it is I! I told you I would find you, because our love will never fade. Not even when the stars lose their shine.”

“Um,” she says, licking her lips as she pants in my arms. “Actually, my name is Nerita.”

“Nerita, a lovely name but nowhere near as lovely as your immortal soul.”

We fall silent, staring at each other for long moments. I detect a glimmer of recognition in her gaze.

“Have we met before?” she asks in a breathy whisper.

I don’t know how to respond. The answer is both yes and no. But then, something passes between us. Unspoken, mutual accord of the heart and soul. When I move in, she is ready to accept my kiss.

All the world, all the memories melt away, leaving only this perfect moment. I’ve found my love at last, and that is all that matters.

CHAPTER 16

NERITA

Everything melts away. The horrors of Horus IV, the gnawing hunger in my belly, the anxiety over the patients I left behind in the hidden clinic, it all vanishes under the power of Magog’s kiss.

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