Chapter 127

Everyone Always Aims For The Healer First

In combat, it is well expected that people will just aim for the Healer. Honestly, it makes the best sense, especially if they are a combat medic, which I technically am. Okay, maybe more combat than medic, but still why does every guard feel so intimidated by me, that they automatically make me the top target for their weapons.

“Stop right there.” A surprisingly fit Leopard looking Beastkin says from a form fitting space suit.

“Well, here is the welcoming committee.” I say, trying to defuse the situation as I raise my hands in the air.

Unfortunately for me, Beastkin is one of the many languages of the universe that I don’t speak. So, after the first “stop right there,” I am left listening to Día who attempts to defuse the situation.

As one might expect the Beastkin language is a series of growls and throat noises. Listening to the odd language I find it oddly musical, at least more interesting than Dwenvarian.

Also, I realize that there is a metalinguistic facet to the Beastkin language as well, as I see Día getting into a few of her pantomiming effects. I watcher her purr and paw her way for effect. I tried not to make any sign as to how funny I found the whole ordeal, but honestly the whole thing was rather cute.

At this time, I realized that I needed to learn this strange language that required one to half dance, half swim their way through a conversation. If only for the ability to communicate with Beastkin.

Looking at the Beastkin I could see why many humans would be attracted to them. They did have curves in all the right places. Of course, I also remember the fear of one Dwenvarian friend of mine who stated that Beastkin were out on account of not wanting to have to deal with rug burn down there. Again, just the thought of such an event was enough to cause me to pause, though I did make a mental note to see how much that might or might not affect others of the crew.

Well the other crew members, once they were finally allowed to disembark the ship.

As for now we had a job to do.

Happy beep.

The guards who had been speaking to us were met with happy beeps coming from their data pads. A quick inspection showed that they now had a happy green flashing app before their eyes.

With that the guards seemed to all visibly relax for a moment.

Día used this time to once again gesture to me, and the fact that I was one of the few people who was walking around without a helmet on and I still had a green app on my wrist.

“Come with us.” The first guard who apparently could speak Endarian, or space elf, said as she gestured for us to go with her.

It was hard to make out the actual sex of the guard at first, especially as the uniform spacesuit they used was a little less flattering on the figure and seemingly designed for personal protection. Still the more I saw, the more it looked like a fairly typical space suit. Honestly I thought there would be more to Beastkin physiology, something that made them lean more forward, have a slight hunch at the pelvis area. Maybe that was just me having a misconception that Beastkin were going to be like most animals from my home planet, ones that hadn’t evolved to take over the cosmos.

We are taken to a closed off section of the building, one that has multiple contamination rooms established to prevent us from moving forward. It takes time but eventually we are taken deeper and deeper into a contamination section of the building. Immediately upon entering the area we can all but smell the rank and rot.

The air to this section of the building has either been shut off or cut off to prevent the diseases here from spreading. This means that there is a sweaty and rank quality to the whole area that is unnerving.

I immediately use a tiny portion of Air-X to get air moving about the enclosed area. Since this is all air that I am creating, there is almost an immediate change in people as many who had been used to the smell suddenly relax slightly at the scent of fresh air.

“No magic.” The guard yells.

I turn back to see that my wind, subtle as it might have been having an impact on some of the protective plastic coverings that had been put up to protect the different portions of the landing zone.

Also, since this is a quarantined space port, I soon find that many different races are all here, all sick and dying and all quarantined.

As soon as we enter, the guard who had been escorting us, closes the doors behind us. It is at this point that I realize we are literally cut off from leaving here until we cleanse everyone present of the diseases going around.

Well just one disease.

I make my way through the crowd to the back end of building, trying to find those who were first infected. I decide to make this my ground zero.

Cough, cough.

Going back, the clothing and uniforms of those who were forced to stay begin to tell a tale of what happened. The most recent are the space faring people who were traveling the cosmos when they contracted an illness, that was seemingly unrelated to what was happening.

Then going further back were a mixture of patients and doctors and staffers who got sick while attending to the different patients. Then at the very back were the worst of the worst.

Grooann.

These were beings and creatures who were so pale and gaunt that they looked like they were half dead. Unfortunately, they were not, well many of them were not. I could feel their souls fighting desperately, even though their bodies were dying at a rapid rate.

Of course, we were already too late for some, a pile of bodies zipped up in black bags had been piled high in the back corner of one of the rooms.

“Welcome. Go ahead and find a cot where you can. If you find one with a dead body you can claim it as your own, so long as you dispose of the previous occupant first.” A pale receptionist said, as she held up two plastic body bags.

Looking at the scene, I felt there was a sort of dark horror to the whole event.

Shaking my head, I feel almost disgusted at the offered bags.

Instead, I just focus on exerting my will, and changing my Healing Aura from being just a passive feature to an active power.

Healing Aura.

In moments I see how the human before us offering body bags has her face slowly change. Then after a few more minutes, I want to vomit as I realize the really sick looking human, was actually a completely bald Beastkin.

I can’t quite tell what form of Beastkin the female was supposed to be, instead I just turn my face to look away.

“Maybe a song?” Día offers.

At that, I nod and pull out my violin. I really have nothing else to do now, other than healing everyone present and trying to avoid looking at the bald Beastkin who are slowly coming back from the brink of death, playing my violin is likely the best option.

“Everyone, my friend will heal you. Once you are free of your disease, please move back so others can also be healed.” Then just like that Día the director comes out and takes charge of everything.

This is good as I already have to split my focus to keep the active effects of my area wide spell and my playing. Granted I could probably have just as much success keeping my aura in passive mode, but then it would seemingly take twice as long.

Instead, I just begin to focus on playing the first song that comes to mind.

I ended up playing a version of the new pop song that was out. Fortunately, just listening to music was so easy that I could disassemble the notes and keys being used and mimic them in my own pacing.

Somewhere during the process, a young waif of a girl recognized the song I was playing and began singing along.

Hearing the girl, I open my eyes and lock onto the girl.

Instantly a sense of fear rushes through her but try to set her at ease with a silent gesture that encourages her to sing.

Finally, after a moment she picks back up, and I nod happily at her.

Stop the racket, buy the jacket.

Nothing else will hack it.

Looking back on it playing a song about buying things might not have been the best course of action, but hey it was one of the few songs I could recall at the moment.

Still over time others began joining in to sing.

Happy beep.

First one light went green. Seeing that they were now pronounced healthy, Día gestured for them to get up and start moving towards the back.

I began playing other songs. Ones that weren’t just related to selling different gear and apparel, but no one seemed to mind. Instead, everyone just got to within an arm’s length of me, then stopped. No doubt Día had some part to play int that, but I was lost. This was a free concert being put on by people that were forced to sit and listen to me play and I took full advantage of that.

Slowly one by one, people began to move back. There was definitely a radius effect going on, as those that were closest to me were the ones to be pronounced healed the fastest. In the end paths were made for people to escape from, while everyone that was still infected would just move one step closer with every person that left.

After a point everyone sang, regardless of race, vocal range, or even if they knew the lyrics. Honestly it sounded terrible, but for those moments everyone was happy.

Finally after what felt like hours, the last of the patients around us all have their communicators go off, signifying that they have been cured.

Still I continued to play, as there almost seemed no point to stop now.

We were all stuck here until people decided to finally let us out. No doubt all of our communicators were all being monitored by the building’s AI systems and was aware that we were all pronounced healthy.

Rather than worry about trying to get out a few minutes faster than was necessary, I decided to stay and play. Día for her part had taken a moment to sit down on a recently vacated bed. Sweat was pouring down her face, but it was the good kind of sweat that one gest from a hard day’s worth of work.

Seeing her in that state, I couldn’t help but smile. She was pretty impressive, at least that is what I found myself thinking as I looked at her during moments of playing.

With everyone finally pronounced cured, I stopped pumping energy into my Healing Aura. Letting it fade to its regular range of effectiveness.

As I did, I could almost see the way everyone who had been energized by the aura slowly begin to sag, as the waves of energy that were coursing through their bodies suddenly faded.

Had I not known the cause of the sudden shift in mood, I might have been alarmed. As it was, I just waited to see if anyone would revert back to being infected. In particular, I worried about some of the first people that were healed. The ones that had been furthest away from me the longest. If there was going to be someone that was re-infected, it would likely be those people.

I continued to play, until finally I heard a sound that was even music to my ears.

Woosh!

All at once the air units that had been cut off from this side of the building, to prevent the flow of the airborne disease were back up and running.

At that, everyone cheered.

“YEAH!”

I had to admit, the feeling of the AI controlled building turning back on the air flow to our building was the best form of music to my ears. I might even admit, I liked that sound better than my own playing, if only for that moment.

Within seconds the oppressive stench of sweat and rot that had settled over the room slowly began to be cleaned out.

Then, for a moment, everything looked like it would be perfect. We had won, the disease was gone, and we would soon be let out. Nothing could possible go wrong.

Rustle.

“What was that?” Someone asked, as they pointed to the far end of the room. The one with the body bags that were full of patients that didn’t make it, but hadn’t been able to be properly disposed of.

There in the corner of the room one of the bags began to twitch.

At that, just one word came to mind that could accurately describe my emotional state at that moment.

Fuck!