Thrissko

They pulled the ancient enemy out of the water with aluminum ropes. Blood pooled on it's wet fur in several places. Only the Bundu-Jo could pull it out of the deep water, but more of us waited on land. The many Bundu-Jo that pulled it out moved away once they were on land. They were all wounded. Medical personnel moved to tend to the wounded. Several groups that had waited on land moved in at once. They fired their plasma guns at the enemy, but the pulses of plasma never reached the enemy. They were stopped by an invisible barrier. The ancient enemy roared, low and deep. All of the groups were flung backwards.

A hoarse scream distracted me from the projection coming through my volo. Our volos and okuli had been modified. They kept recording our daily activities and we could communicate with each other, but all ties to the Gathering were severed. We even created volos and okuli for our new Brist companions. That was who I was connected with at the moment - the Brist who had joined my small group.

Most of us were fighting the ancient enemy and I was stuck on the Armstar because the captain didn't want to leave the dying first officer. We were in the lounge. The first officer was placed in one of the booths. Her husband cradled her head in his lap. The captain and second officer sat around them.

"I've never seen anyone refuse the miasmids," I said to Sally. She blinked up at me and twirled the knife between her fingers. She then turned her eyes back to the projection coming from my volo.

"Let me die in my quarters." The first officer's voice was barely perceptible after all her screaming.

Her husband bent his head over hers. "Just accept them. Stop your suffering."

She reached up a shaky hand and caressed his furry cheek. "Never. I will die."

The captain stood up. "We'll take you to your quarters."

The second officer stood up and moved beside the captain. The captain bent down to pick her up.

"No," I said. "She is to suffer."

Captain Svolun turned to face me. "You are the same age as my son. You don't tell me what to do."

"I won't. The miasmids will," I said.

Captain Svolun and Second Officer Igwe grabbed their heads in pain. The miasmids filled me with pleasure. I smiled. Sally smiled.

The first officer let out a weak moan. Then she went limp. She was dead. She had managed to resist the miasmids enough that the pain killed her.

Her husband hugged her to his chest. Second Officer Igwe's shoulders dropped. Captain Svolun turned away from them. His eyes met mine before they turned to Sally. She stopped twirling her knife and put a thin cut in her forearm. The captain walked quickly over to us, grabbed her knife out of her hands and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Stop doing that," he told her.

I stood up, retrieved the knife, went back and sat down next to Sally. I handed her the knife. She looked at the captain defiantly as she placed the palm of her hand over the barbs on the back of my hand. She sliced her hand open and blood oozed out.

The captain shook his head, pinched his blue lips tightly together and walked away from us. He stopped and turned back around. "Let's go kill the ancient enemy."

I stood up and followed him out, Sally always by my side. Second Officer Igwe followed us out to leave the first officer's body alone with her husband. We exited the ship. I could see the battle in the distance. It didn't take us long to join the fray.

"Form up with the others and obey the commands," Captain Svolun told me. To Sally he said, "Go stand over there and keep your distance."

I paused as I listened to the miasmids. They told me to do whatever I wanted. I looked down at Sally. She reached up and took my hand.

"We'll do what we want," I said to the captain. He scowled at me, but I moved passed him - Sally with me - and charged the back of the ancient one. The captain - all of the Gathering leaders - needed to realize they weren't in charge anymore. The miasmids were and I only answered to them.

I tried to punch the ancient one in the back with my barbs leading the way, but they hit an invisible barrier. So did Sally's knife at the back of his leg. We looked at each other. She indicated we should go to the front of the creature. There were already a lot of people at the front, but I trusted her. We ran under his arms as he swung them wildly. He clobbered a group of people who had chosen to rush him at that moment.

"The plasma guns aren't working," Captain Svolun called out. "Use the electric batons. We need to attack together and in rapid succession. It's the only way to break his barrier."

The ancient enemy's hand came down over Captain Svolun, but the captain dove out of the way. Several of the Gathering - former Gathering - surrounded the ancient enemy and attacked him all at once. He roared and they went flying backwards. I felt the power this time as it blasted from the ancient enemy. It knocked Sally from her feet. I lifted her back up and set her right. Another group immediately attacked. Captain Svolun gave orders and everyone obeyed. Except me and Sally. We waited for our opportunity.

The enemy roared again and another wave blasted from him, but this time not as strong and even little Sally managed to stay on her feet. Our people charged him again. Most of the electric batons were repelled, but a few managed to get passed the barrier and strike the enemy's legs. His barrier was weakening. Sally placed her small hand on my arm to get my attention. She pointed to herself and then to the enemy's eye.

I wasn't sure what she wanted at first, but the miasmids relayed it to me. I calculated the distance between me and the ancient enemy. He was much taller than any of us - more than twice my height. Second Officer Igwe stood with the group directly in front of the enemy now. I picked up Sally and ran to the officer's back. I jumped up and used his shoulders as a springboard just as the other group attacked. I ran up the enemy's arm.

I threw Sally up to the ancient enemy's face. Her knife stuck in the invisible barrier centimeters away from its left eye. She landed on his shoulder. I jumped and used the momentum to punch the knife as hard as I could. It slipped through the shield and into the eye. The knife and my hand continued through the eye and into the brain. I retracted my arm - now covered in blood and brains and gooey eyeball mush. I grabbed Sally and ran down the enemy's arm as he fell. I jumped and rolled along the ground with Sally safely tucked in my arms. I stood and set her on her feet as the ancient enemy crashed to the ground. The dirt beneath our feet vibrated with the fall. The enemy was dead.

There was a moment of silence. Then my fellow people cheered. I cheered. Sally pumped her arms up into the air. And then the miasmids filled us with a euphoria so strong our legs gave out. All of us reclined on the ground among the dead enemy basking in our euphoria. Sally dipped a finger in the blood and brains on my arm and wiped it on her cheek. Then she did the same for me.

I would do anything for that feeling. I would do anything for the miasmids.