Sacrifice:The Shenkar War (36 page)

             
Scyren hurried up his pace at this news. A short time later, he was in the examination room. The human’s body still lay upon the examination table unmoving, except for the slow rise and fall of his rhythmic breathing. Nothing seemed to have changed from the first cursory examination.

It wasn’t until he took another glance at the face did he notice a change. Leaning closer, he pressed his figures to one of the human’s eyes and separated the eyelids, revealing the eye. Before, the eye had been severely bloodshot
, with damage to the cornea that would have left the human blind. Now, however, the eye looked perfectly healthy. Releasing the eyelids, they once again snapped shut, and he began to examine the skin around the face. Retrieving a long razor-sharp blade, he carefully cut at a chunk of blackened flesh. The dead skin flaked away, easily revealing healthy yet raw pink flesh below. Setting the blade aside, he stood.

             
“
Your assumption was, in fact, correct. The body is rejuvenating at a remarkable rate. But while the body will eventually repair itself, we still do not know if the mind will be intact. We need to find a way to neutralize the nanites within, but I think we should let the body repair itself a bit more before we proceed. I do not want to neutralize the nanotechnology only to kill the human. We need information, and if this means we let them heal him, then so be it.”

             
Turning, Scyren began to remove chemicals from a shelf.
“
We can at least test the nanites I have removed. In addition, we will need to pull some more samples before the body has rejuvenated enough to devote more power to that force field that was erected earlier.”

             
“
Do you think that once the body is stronger, it will be able to do that?” asked the assistant.

             
“
Yes, I believe so. Once he is close to full strength, I would imagine we will not be able to penetrate his skin under normal means.”

             
As the assistant went about taking blood samples, Scyren began to prep small amounts of the samples. Once he had prepped four, he picked up the first chemical and dripped a few drops into one. After a few moments, he placed the first sample under the microscope. Leaning over, he examined the effects of the chemical. The blood cells had been completely destroyed, yet the nanites still functioned. Repeating this process with the next three samples proved nothing--nothing except that all the chemicals he had tried so far destroyed the blood cells yet left the nanotechnology intact, the exact opposite of what he needed.

             
“
Prep the next four samples.”

             
Several hours later, their research showed nothing new. All the chemicals he had tried yielded the same results.

             
“
This isn’t going to be easy. I am going to get some rest. Let me know if anything changes.”

             
Turning, without another word, Scyren exited the room.

Shenkar Battlecruiser
Tryliene

              Consciousness came back to him, and he opened his eyes slowly. Bright lights burned across his blurry vision. Slowly, his vision cleared, and the brightness seemed to lessen. Turning his head slowly, he looked about his surroundings. He appeared to be lying on his back on a table. Several sharp and wicked-looking instruments lay upon a bench off to his left. Containers of chemicals were strewn about here and there.

             
A thin humanoid sat with its back to him, looking into a microscope. It seemed to be familiar to him, yet he couldn’t remember where he knew the humanoid from. The humanoid seemed to be examining blood samples. Attempting to rise, he realized for the first time that his body was held down. A cool bar of metal lay across his chest with metal clasps locking his wrists and ankles to the table upon which he lay. His muscles straining, he pulled against the restraints to no effect except that the metal cut into his wrists and ankles. Settling back down, he tried to remember how he got there, and for the first time, he realized that he didn’t even know who he was.

             
Fragments of images flashed across his mind but nothing more. Mostly, he remembered flying a spacecraft of some sort. He had been fighting someone, and he lost. His fighter’s engines had exploded and engulfed his cockpit in fire, burning a good portion of his body. He couldn’t remember his name, but he could remember the pain of his flesh searing off. Glancing down at his bare chest, he saw flesh that was raw yet not burned like that of his memory. How could this be? And who was the humanoid who sat at the bench?

             
Straining again at his restraints, again he tried repeatedly to break free. Movement near his head caused him to look around. The humanoid stood over him, looking down, a wicked smile on its face. The humanoid had dark blue skin, black hair, and dark soulless eyes. It seemed somewhat familiar different. When it finally spoke, its voice was cold.

             
“
So you have awoken finally. Do you understand me?”

             
He just looked up at the blue humanoid, not saying a word. After a few moments, the humanoid grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled back. He gritted his teeth in pain and continued looking defiantly into those soulless eyes. Pulling his hair harder, the humanoid leaned closer, its breath putrid, and spoke again.
“
I know you can understand me. I know those little friends throughout your body make you understand what I am saying.”

             
Little friends? What was this thing talking about? What mad world had he woken up in? A sound to his right made him turn his head and crane his neck to look. A second humanoid entered through a door he hadn’t noticed before. This humanoid looked much like the other except that it had a larger build to its body. Also, it seemed to carry a sense of power about itself. The new addition stopped in the doorway and looked from him to the other blue-skinned humanoid in the room. In two long strides, it quickly crossed the room, grabbed the thinner humanoid by the throat, lifted it off its feet easily, and slammed it against the wall. The humanoid attempted to pry the clawed hand from around its throat as rasping noises escaped its mouth.

             
“
I told you not to touch the human when I am not present. What is it you think you were doing?” the larger humanoid asked.

             
“
He . . . is . . . awake. I . . . wanted . . . to see . . . if his mind . . . was intact,” the first humanoid said in choked gasps.

             
The larger humanoid turned its head and gazed at the examination table. It released the thin humanoid, who hit the metal floor hard.

             
“
Did the human speak?”

             
Massaging its throat, the thin humanoid regained its feet before it spoke.
“
No, Master Scyren. I was attempting to see if the human’s mind was intact, but I am as yet unsuccessful.”

             
“
Very well, let us begin.”

             
Both blue-skinned humanoids positioned themselves to either side of him, both looking coldly down into his eyes. He didn’t know who he was or what he was doing here, but he was sure of one thing--he was going to suffer for his amnesia.

Shenkar Battlecruiser
Tryliene

              “
We have been unable to get any information from the human, Supreme Overlord. I believe his mind is not intact. It seems the nanites have their limits. I have, however, brought you some good news. We have been able to modify some of the nanite extracted from within the human. I have implanted them in one hundred of our own warriors. These nanites enhance the speed and strength of our current warriors by ten. Due to the new exertions the warriors can withstand, they will be able to pilot the new Shrike fighters that we have been, as of yet, unable to fly. These new fighters will be a match for those humans we have gone up against so far.”

             
“
Excellent--one hundred is a good start. When should the next batch be ready?” asked Krailsha.

             
“
I am afraid these will be the only batch we produce. It seems the nanites learn and now self-destruct when extracted from the host body.”

             
“
Send those pilots and their new Shrike fighters to me immediately, and I suggest you find a way to extract the nanites or get the human to talk.”

             
“
Yes, Supreme Overlord.”

EDF Hidden Asteroid Base

              Evan studied the reports as the rest of the pilots filed into the briefing room. The past few weeks had passed like a blur. Lately, the Shenkar had been pushing the assembly of their fleet and the Templar Knights had been running missions endlessly. Evan hadn’t slept in almost two days, and he was starting to really feel the effects. The bigger issue to him, however, was the lack of quality time he had had lately with Crystal. Looking up, he glanced over at April. She sat there staring at the wall, lost in deep thought, a distraught look upon her face. Tim had been watching her regularly, both on missions and at the base. So far she always did her job, but Evan felt she was close to breaking.

             
Tim walked up and sat down across from Evan. Following Evan’s gaze, he also looked at April.
“
She is hurting bad, but she always does her job,” Tim commented.

Evan looked at Tim and noticed
that he once again had that monogrammed handkerchief Evan had seen him with the first time they had met. Slowly, he twisted the handkerchief without even knowing he was doing it. After a few moments, he seemed to notice Evan looking at the handkerchief and quickly tucked it in a pocket and out of sight.

             
“
Tim, we are friends, right?” Evan asked.

             
“
Yes, of course.”

             
“
Well, why do you carry that handkerchief around? I know it is a personal question, but you wear such a look of sorrow when you do look at it that I need to ask. I want to know if there is anything I can do for you.”

             
Tim looked at Evan for a few seconds, then withdrew the handkerchief from his pocket to place it flat on the table. He took his time smoothing it out until no wrinkles showed before he looked up and spoke.

             
“
The initials stand for Sabrina Wellmo. She was . . . is my daughter. We haven’t spoken in years due to a falling out we had. In fact, she still hates me, last I heard. Several years back, her mother and I were returning from a company party. I had been drinking but felt I was okay to drive. Her mother tried to tell me she was fine to drive, but I wouldn’t listen. Back then, I was a man used to being in charge. I was a doctor with my own very successful practice and very arrogant. On the way home from the party, there was an accident. I had been speeding and I hit a patch of ice, causing me to lose control of the car. My wife died at the scene of the accident. Because of my social status, I got off lightly with only a license suspension. My daughter hasn’t spoken to me since that day. Any time I have tried to speak with her, she has rejected my efforts. I lost my family due to my arrogance, and it is something I have never been able to forgive myself for.”

             
“
I am sorry, Tim. Does your daughter know you are here?”

             
“
Yes, I sent her an email just before we undertook this mission.”

             
“
Well, maybe she has realized how much she cares for you now that you are gone,” said Evan hopefully.

             
“
I doubt it. Anyway, it is something I will never know, seeing as we won’t be returning to Earth.” Tim got quiet for a moment, then looked up as if suddenly remembering where he was. “So what do we have planned for today?”

             
Evan felt sorry for Tim. He at least had Crystal; Tim had no one. Evan swore that if he ever made it back to Earth, he would make sure Tim’s daughter knew how much her dad cared for her and how much he had thought of her.

             
Out loud he spoke,
“
Transmissions were intercepted that a convoy would be inbound tomorrow. The cargo is supplies, but there is also a report of a special cargo. There is strong evidence that the special cargo is a one of their high council, second only to their Shelecore.”

             
“
Really? What brings one of their high council out here?” asked Tim.

             
“
Probably the trouble we have been giving the Shenkar. From what Reeta has said, the Shenkar have never suffered so many defeats by a foe in their history. I am sure their Supreme Overlord will have some explaining to do.”