Page 87 of May the Stars Have Mercy
Aphrodite waved at him weakly. “I know…nothing good…but first, the signals…then we can catalogue my injuries.”
Buddy made a few sad chirps but bobbed alongside her all the same. Aphrodite limped over Danny’s body before using the crowbar to knock him off the bridge and into the broiling depths of the ship where his body would eventually burn from the heat of the engine. Or it would warp and twist and break until it was nothing from the power of the crystal energy. Either way, no Brexzkit was using his body now.
It took all her willpower and upper arm strength to yank herself up bar by bar. Up. Up. Up the ladder until she could pop open the hatch. Her weak, sweaty palms slapped inside her padded gloves at the floor of the command deck. She tossed the crow bar aside to drag her lifeless body out of the hatch and onto the smooth floor. Denying her body the sweet relief of lying against its cool gloss, she crawled across the floor. Like a toddler barely able to put their nose over the kitchen counter, she slapped her palms onto the control deck. Buddy surged forward, following her command.
Aphrodite listed off ship commands, shutting off the emergency lights and restoring power. One by one, she deescalated the ship before she was able to turn off the S.O.S. Regular life and light returned to the ship as the front lights finally turned off. For a long moment, it was quiet as Aphrodite stared through the windshield breathlessly.
“Seven Delta Nimbus Four, we notate your emergency signal has been cut off. Are you no longer in distress?”
People. Aphrodite cried. Sobbed as she snatched up the microphone. Buddy wiggled his tentacles happily as Aphrodite croaked into the receiver. “This is Aphrodite Kerso! Tech Personnel of Apollo 1616 and the Mphronatch of the Vroskrowz. I command you safely return to your post. I repeat, do not come close to this ship. There is an infection aboard we are cleansing, and they took over the controls. I’ve reinstated control of the ship. Do. Not. Engage… please.”
A long, crackling fuzz filled the command deck before another voice filled the speakers. “Aphrodite?”
“Vivian!” She gasped for air.
“Iwas on my way to your station when we received the distress call. The infected, is it the Lyssavirus thing you were talking about?” Her distressed tone filled Aphrodite’s gut with delight and despair.
“It is,” she swallowed, “but we’re handling it.”
“You better not be lying to me Aphrodite Kerso, or so help me, I’ll throttle you!” Vivian’s wounded cry filled Aphrodite’s chest with pain. Then the adrenaline wore off. Pain shot through her body and reminded her about the fight for her life previously. Everything began to swim again.
“I’m not,” she lied, slowly slipping down from the command deck. Her vision grew dark. “Proceed to the station. This hunt is being handled by the Kannatch and myself personally. I’ll see you there.”
Aphrodite dropped to the floor and from consciousness despite the screaming of her drone or the murmur of someone calling her name from deep in the ship.
Chapter Fifty:
Xexis
“Aphrodite!”hecalledasthe lights came on. He’d lost her in the struggle until the message came across loud and clear.Aphrodite Kerso is headed for the helm through the engineer’s tunnel. Xnasis and Kinsi are locked in the Council room.
He cursed the day he was made to choose between fighting through a mob of creatures for his mate or his brother. However, Buddy’s other command came across and settled his internal war.She says this is her hunt, yours is for Xnasis.And thus, he was off. There was a gaggle of infected in every section of the ship. They fell apart like tender meat under his blade. None could be left standing. It took what felt like an eternity to get to the Council room.
The door hissed open and Xnasis and Kinsi tumbled out of the room, arms raised and ready to fight. Then the lights came on and Xexis knew his mate had succeeded in her hunt. Pride surged through him for only a moment until the inevitable comment from Buddy returned to his visor.
Aphrodite Kerso is injured.
His pained roar rattled the ship as he charged through it toward the command deck. Xnasis and Kinsi on his heels, he did not stop until he came skidding to a halt in the center of it. Buddy’s textfilled his helmet.Pests are eradicated; no other life forms are aboard this ship.Infection was cleansed. Xexis repeated it over and over as he scooped Aphrodite off the floor.
Xnasis immediately rushed to the command deck of the ship, hailing the Council of Beings. Kinsi stood by Xexis’ side, brushing Aphrodite’s matted, bloodied hair from her face. There would be time to ask what happened later. What mattered now was getting home.
“Buddy,” he barked, “Hail the station, inform Reevar that we are safe and coming home.”
Buddy chirped, filling Xexis’ visor with words he didn’t read. His attention was on Aphrodite limp in his arms. She was still breathing.It is my turn to care for you as you rest.He sat down in one of the command ships chairs, Kinsi joining her mate at the helm. Xexis scanned her body, inventorying all the bruises and breaks his scanner could assess. There was much he couldn’t study, as his technology wasn’t updated with proper human anatomical scans. But he knew her heart was beating, her lungs were working, and she was in his arms. He focused on that while Buddy did more scans, and the ship began to lurch. Guided by the instruction of Xnasis, Reevar over the comms, and the Council on the command deck, Buddy started to drive the ship home. Unlike the first ship he drove, he did so slowly.
“I will begin dragging the bodies together, best to incinerate them before we return. We will still observe death rites for all aboard,” Xnasis dusted off his robes as he pulled away from the command deck. “My mate, will you aid the drone in steering the ship. I know it’s been ages since you’ve flown, but…”
Kinsi grinned, waving him off. “I will do my best, my mate.”
The room went silent as Xexis finally tore his attention from Aphrodite. Xnasis and he locked eyes. Xexis exhaled heavily, “Where is his body?”
“We carved it in two…in the room. I could not stand that monster to taint his memory or create more with us,” Xnasis murmured, looking away quickly. “Watch over your mate, I don’t want her condition worsening. The Mphronatch is needed at the station. As are you, Kannatch. Do not think I will not lay waste to your ear for that stunt you two pulled.”
“Stunt?” Xexis huffed. “We came for you.”
“For which, I am grateful, Kannatch,” Xnasis snapped, his eyes glaring through Xexis’ mask. “But what would happen should I perish? What would happen if you had perished with me? In my stay, you are to maintain and keep the station. In the place of the Korzavic, the Kannatch should take control. Why not send one of the other hunters? We have a whole station of them, and yet you launched into the stars to chase after me in a life-or-death hunt? Were you so pent up in your Council office you couldn’t stand to give away another glorious hunt?”
Xexis could hear the worry in his brother’s voice. Despite his bite and bitter tone, the undertone of relief and mourning came through strong. Xnasis was Korzavic now, which meant that neither of them could run from their duties. They were the new guardians of their people.
