Tuonis

„I don't like… this creature,” Tuonis says with a frown.

He watches this so-called god on the surveillance monitor in the room right next to the interrogation room he has ordered her to stay in. Since the moment he has placed her in there — about two to three hours ago — she hasn‘t moved a single muscle. All she does is sit at the table and wait.

„Can we be certain that she's the Pale God?”, asks Yagari, who stands right beside him.

„There's just one way to prove it,” he replies. „But I prefer not to go in there or even talk to her. I don't know why I feel this way, but something is off with her.”

„Selene isn't exactly a name I would associate with a god,” Yagari remarks. „It sounds quite mundane. But who knows…”

„Sooner or later I have to talk to her but for now, I think it's best if I speak with Tarrat and Urania. Maybe the injured Menkar can tell me more about her and their circumstances.”

„If he's conscious and, most importantly, still alive.”

„I trust Tarrat‘s and Urania's abilities. If someone can help him, then those two.”

„I don't doubt their abilities, but he wasn‘t in the best of conditions.”

„You're right, Yagari. Best expect the worst and be grateful for the best. Anyway, I want you to keep watch on this… being and make sure she doesn't leave the interrogation room. Elgevin?”

„Yes, Captain?“, the female Menkar behind Tuonis replies and stands at attention — she has piloted the transporter they used to get to the Pale God and her companion.

„Tell the crew we return to the encampment and request additional aid for our arrival.”

„Understood, Sir, but doesn't this endanger everyone? We don't know anything about this creature claiming to be a god.”

„You're right, Elgevin, but this is a risk we all must take. Only Talliomere or Geniva can tell us if this… being has told us the truth or not.”

She nods and leaves immediately the room. Without looking back, Tuonis leaves a few moments later and heads for the medical bay.

—

„How’s he doing?“, Tuonis asks Tarrat while cleaning his glasses.

The silence within the medical bay is suffocating. The smell of the medicine bitter and ever present.

„Do you want my honest opinion?“, the small medic asks, visibly unwell.

„If it’s something infectious, the crew and I need to know, Tarrat,“ Tuonis replies while feeling his heart sink.

„It’s nothing infectious, Captain,“ he continues. „But all signs point to it being Living Rot.“

„What?“

Tuonis‘ outcry is louder than he wanted it to be. Yet, the shock remains. Living Rot is rare, and most if not all die of it within days, sometimes just mere hours.

„I’m not certain, Tuo,“ Tarrat says unusually uncertain. „He shows all the telltale symptoms of the advanced stage, but he’s still stable. His heart beats too fast but regular. His breath is too shallow, yet he still breathes on his own. I’ve never seen anything like that, and Belden’s notes on Living Rot don’t help either.“

„Should we help him to a fast and painless death then?“

„No. At least not now. As long as his vitals are stable, I’ll try what I can to save him. For now, we mainly treat the infection in his shoulder as well as the symptoms of the Rot. If you want to, I let you take a look at him.“

„Take me to him,“ Tuonis says after a few moments of consideration.

Shouldn‘t the Pale God have healed him?, he asks himself while he follows Tarrat. As they arrive beside the bed of the newest addition to the sickbay, Urania heads towards them with a metal tray in her hands, on which are more bottles and syringes than Tuonis is comfortable with. Tarrat holds her up a moment and asks her something in a hushed tone. She shakes her head and continues towards the laboratory on the other side of the medical bay.

„What was that about?“, Tuonis asks since Tarrat doesn’t move on.

„Asked her about his condition,“ he answers solemn. „Unchanged. In and of itself good news but… Well, you know.“

Tuonis remains silent and the move on. The view on the bed behind the screen isn’t as bad as he has imagined. Still, it’s more than apparent that the Menkar on the bed is deadly sick. His dark bluish hair sticks to his sweat covered forehead. He looks thinner than an average-sized Terrestrial should look, and there are a myriad of dark bruises on his face and the parts of the neck. After a moment, he notices the Menkar‘s lips moving as if talking or rather pleading. It’s a heart-wrenching view.

„Is he conscious?”, Tuonis asks reluctant, although he knows that the question is dumb.

„He is fazing in and out of conscious in random intervals,“ Tarrat explains and walks to the other side of the bed. „Whenever he opens his eyes, he mumbles something about failing to save someone.”

„Has he said anything of interest?”

„Beyond a few names, he hasn't said many useful things. The only valuable thing I could glean from his uniform is the fact that he certainly belongs to the survivors of the Starblazer-Incident.”

„What about his other injuries?”, asks Tuonis after a few thoughtful moments.

„That's a long list, Captain,” Tarrat replies melancholic as he checks the peeping heart monitor next to the bed.

„Then let's start with the major wounds.”

„Okay. The fever he suffers originates not only from his stomach area, but also from a gunshot wound in his right shoulder. The bullet got wedged deep into his shoulder and had been embedded right in the shoulder blade. Urania was able to remove the bullet without a problem, despite the infection, which has spread almost throughout his whole arm. Two to three hours more and we would've been forced to amputate. His blood samples show signs of dehydration as well as very high inflammatory response.

„Beyond the gunshot wound he has three fractured rips, which we had to break again and reset, a broken cheek bone, which healed just fine. Then there are various bruises and bone fissures. He has also suffered a minor concussion as well as a tear in his left ear. During check up we also found older, properly healed injuries. For one, he has suffered a broken wrist in the past, which healed without any loss of movement. He also has a large scar running down his back, which seems to have originated from a sharp object. A blade, perhaps. And he also shows damage to his gills from an anti-pain medication taken off the market a few Circles ago — it caused terminal damage to the gills. I guess he's unable or has difficulties breathing underwater.“

„What about the Living Rot?“, Tuonis asks concerned.

Tarrat doesn‘t immediately reply. Instead, he lifts the blanket from the Menkar and pulls the thin white gown slightly up.

„Do you see those huge dark splotches?“, he asks Tuonis.

He nods. They’re spread across the sick Menkar‘s stomach as well as parts of his chest.

„They’re the main sign for Living Rot,“ Tarrat explains. „At the beginning they can be easily misidentified as bruises, but their size and fizzled edges show their true nature. Usually, at this stage, the patient would be unresponsive and close to death but this one… Again, I don’t know what to make of it.“

„Could this so-called god have kept him alive until we picked them up,” Tuonis wonders and frowns — the thought isn’t very appealing to him.

„Perhaps, but I don't think so. I mean, why healing him barely enough to move around until we show up? While I guess a god knows when and how things are going to happen, it still makes no sense. It seems just cruel.”

Cruel, Tuonis tastes the word in his mind. It’s disgusting. The way this so-called god has treated the Menkar before him doesn’t bode well. But he has to bring this god to Talliomere. After all, haven’t all the Desertwalkers not waited for this moment? Hasn’t Talliomere promised that everything will change for the better once the Pale God has returned?

I don’t want this creature close to Vajira, Tuonis thinks, his tail twitching in agitation.

„What are you doing for your patient?“, he asks Tarrat to get his mind back into the present.

„Well, Urania has administered the strongest anti-inflammatory we have as well as antibiotics,“ the medic replies. „Beyond some additional painkillers, this all we can do for now. If his vitals become erratic or drop, I advise for euthanasia.“

„Call me if he wakes up and can be asked questions. For now, all I can do is to speak with this creature claiming to be a god.”

„Good luck, Tuonis.”

„Thank you, Tarrat. I’ll probably need it,” he replies and heads back to the interrogation room.

—

The moment he enters the surveillance room, Yagari moves aside from the monitor.

„How's our sick newcomer, Captain?”, he asks him.

„He's still unconscious, but it looks grim.”

„No surprise there, I say. To be honest, I thought he was dead when you brought him in.”

„What about this… god?”

„Sits still where she has all the time. Said nothing. Requested nothing.”

„I should’ve talked earlier with her but… I'm going in.”

„Be careful, we don't know what she’s capable of.”

Tuonis nods and walks out of the surveillance room and around the corner. But before he can enter the interrogation room, someone grabs his arm and pulls him aside. Tuonis barely manages to stifle a scream as he looks into an empty eye socket.

„By the Void, Amaris!“, he wheezes and takes a step backwards. „You've startled me.”

This was not my intention, she replies as monotonous as usual, direct in his head.

„What brings you here?”, he asks her after a moment. „You certainly don't want to speak with this creature, do you?”

The Void has told me this creature is dangerous, she tells him, staring blankly at him with her remaining eye. She will bring suffering to all of us.

„Then what shall I do with her? Kill her?”

Amaris closes her remaining eye. A heartbeat later, her empty uncovered eye sockets starts to glow red. Frightened Tuonis takes a step backwards and almost walks into the wall next to the entrance of the interrogation room. Before he knows what is happening, Amaris grabs him at the arms and gets uncomfortably close.

You, who has seen me enter this universe, make sure not to fall for her lies and charms, whispers a different hollow voice inside his head, paralysing him. She has destroyed uncountable lives only to amuse herself. Do not let her sacrifice this world as well. I will protect you and those you care about for as long as I can, but my essence is not fully united yet. I am counting on you, Tuonis Jundpid. I am counting on you to do the right thing.

Suddenly, Amaris takes a deep breath, the air hissing through her exposed teeth on the marred side of her face. With a fast movement, which almost knocks her over, she steps away from him.

„Amaris? Are you alright?”, he asks her cautiously while moving towards her.

I am fine, she says and straightens her clothes. This was just a normal possession, albeit a sudden one.

„We talk later, if this is okay with you.”

It is, Tuonis Junpid, she replies and walks away without looking back.

For a few moments, he remains where he stands, staring along the corridor Amaris left. The encounter with whatever’s inside Amaris has shaken him to the core. Danger? Destruction?, he can’t help but feel the words of this Void-creature still in his head. This wasn’t the best conversation to have before talking with something equally dangerous and unknowledgeable.

Tuonis can’t wait any longer. Time’s of the essence. Still, he enters the interrogation room almost reluctant. Inside it, the alien creature sits nearly completely still on the chair, with her head resting on the desk and her arms crossed over it. As he enters, she runs her fingers through her eerily white hair.

„Hello,“ he greets her, doubtful if this was the right way to address her, and sits down in the chair on the other side of the table. „I'm Tuonis Junpid, Captain of the Cometgracer, which is the Flare we are currently on. Who are you?”

„Hello,“ she says somewhat bored and looks disinterested at him. „My name is Selene. How’s Respin doing? Is he… alright?“

„Much better, but he needs some rest,“ he lies to her, as the way she asked bothers him. Almost as if she needs to think about the right tone of voice and the right expression to convey her feelings…

„What a relief,“ she exhales and leans back.

„You know him for how long?“

„Long?“, she asks with a huff, which could be anything from annoyed to amused. „Not at all. Just a few days. But he freed me out of my imprisonment.“

„You were imprisoned on the Starblazer?“

„Kind of…“

„And, am I right to presume you’re the weapon, the reports spoke about?“

„Weapon? I'm a weapon? I don’t like to be reduced to a thing, but I guess that’s what they called me,“ she answers with a blank smile. „I'm a god, not a weapon. Although, the difference just lies within the fact a weapon isn't usually a living thing. It needs to be controlled, right?”

„Are you the one who has destroyed the cruiser?“

„No,“ she says straightforward, leaving him no room to doubt her answer.

„Okay then,“ he continues. „Do you know who has left on the other life-ships?“

„Other ships?“, she replies, frowning. „I just know of one. The one I and Respin escaped in.“

„What about Captain Slicer?“

„He’s dead,“ she says, her voice emotionless and her face blank. „I’ve seen his corps and the one of his partner Lapper or Lappor. They were killed by debris raining from the ceiling while the Creature of the Void attacked the cruiser.“

„You’ve seen this creature?“

„Yes, I’ve seen it. Giant, black, slimy thing with tentacles and plenty of eyes.“

„And where were you, and how did you call your companion? Respin? Where were you two heading to?“, Tuonis asks, changing the subject slightly because he can’t help but think about what Amaris and the thing within her have told him.

„I planned to bring Respin to a friend of mine, who might help him,“ she answers. „You should know him. His name’s Talliomere. He’s waiting for me, as you surly know.“

„And you expected to get to him with your injured companion?”

„He didn't want me to heal him. I guess he was afraid of me, although he had felt the need to save me. Can I walk around the Flare?”

„No,“ Tuonis says matter-of-fact. „You stay in this room until we arrive at the encampment.”

For a moment, she doesn’t seem too happy about it. Although her face only contorts for a fraction of a second into something less than friendly, Tuonis feels his heart skip a few beats. Feeling unwell, he wonders if he’s made the right decision to deny her.

„I guess I can't change it…,” she muses with a shallow smile.

„I’m sorry, but I can't trust you until Talliomere has confirmed who you are,” he says and stands up. „You may request anything you like as long as it's within reason.”

„I don't want anything at the moment,” she replies carefree. „I'll guess we speak again at a later time.”

„We'll see to that,” he responds and leaves.