Viper (Second Wave Book 1) (18 page)

The rest of breakfast went
comfortably, with Lara feeling every bit a part of the team of men and women in
the room. They bonded well together; she thought as she laughed at the antics
of a Valendran and hybrid Relian in the corner.  

“All right warriors and gentlemen.”
Jax said to the giggles and grunts of the team. “Let’s get ready! Two teams
outside! Team leaders, will have the problem we’ll be dealing with today!”

Lara stood and rubbed her temple as
Jax handed her a comm unit. “You and I. Head to head today. Let’s make our last
day memorable!” Jax said with a wink.

Lara had an eerie feeling it would
be.

*****

Viper, Dread and Drago paced
outside of Ratoka’s home waiting for him to open the damn door. He’d told them
through the Shengari’ that he had news about Lara, and they’d arrived within
minutes.  

Since that bastard Grai, dropped the
news that he’d given Jax’s team the go for a training mission and wouldn’t tell
them where she was, they’d been going crazy with worry.  

Son of a bitch even took his family
to Koda’s ship to avoid them. Viper didn’t believe for a second that their
portal had to be taken down for repairs as soon as they got on board either.

Ratoka had no sooner opened the
door when Viper asked, “Where is she and is she all right?”  

“She is well. For now. I do not
know where she is though.” The man said, stepping back from the open door so
the brothers could enter.

Viper sighed in relief. “What do
you mean for now?”

“Sit. All of you.” Ratoka said
motioning to the ceremonial rug laid out on the floor in the living room.

Viper followed Dread’s lead and sat
in a circle on the rug, with Ratoka seating himself last. Viper was surprised
when the man began speaking instead of making them beg for information like he
normally did.

“Your mate has been given a gift,
by a crafter. One that is helping her to remember the past much more quickly
than the energy you gave her. Dog’ee said she is showing signs of brain heat.”
Ratoka said bluntly.

“What the fuck is brain heat?”
Viper asked, wondering what the hell could go wrong this time. He was starting
to get the feeling that the Gods brought Kinara back to him only so they could
take her away again.

“It is when too many different
energies collide instead of combining. She is human; her brain is incapable of
using the connections being made so rapidly in her brain through the memories.
It’s causing her brain to get too hot and will eventually kill her if we cannot
slow it down.” Ratoka told them honestly.

“You have to be fucking kidding me!
You’re telling me the Gods sent her back with a kill switch? What the hell kind
of second chance is that? ‘Remember little human’, and then you die?” Drago
said angrily storming to his feet.

“No! Of course not! Sit down and
calm yourself, you are not helping.” Ratoka said, glaring at the man until he
did as he said.  

“Explain.” Dread said simply,
trying to keep his own rage in check. He was not going to lose her again. With
or without the help of the Gods, he would make damn sure she and Viper would
have a chance to be happy this time.

“Humans… they are so different than
us. The last time I assisted a planet with the conversion, they were of beast
species. This is my first human conversion, and I am learning this as well, so
your patience would be appreciated.” Ratoka said to them defensively before
continuing.

“As a Tezarian, you know that each
planet has a heartbeat like we do. This heartbeat is like mother’s milk to all
creatures that dwell upon it. You hear this heartbeat along with your mothers
as you are created and grow.”

“Throughout your life, your body
requires you to hear that heartbeat, to feel the energy of it, or you become
sick and diseased. It’s as important to feed your body’s energy as it is to
have air to breathe, your very cells scream for it.”

“The more Lara remembers, the more
her body and cells are screaming for the heartbeat of her home world. If she
gets to hear that heartbeat, while on this planet with its own heartbeat,
without knowing how to separate the energy…” Ratoka left the sentence off,
knowing the intelligent young men would understand what he meant.

“She’s training with Jax. Jax gave
her the gear. Damn it!” Dread growled.

“So the gear is pumping the
Tezarian and Valendran energies into her while she wears it and being in the
forest, away from all the EMF energy they are inundating people with on the planet;
she's feeling the strong heartbeat of Earth. The humans call it a Schumann
Resonance.” Drago said glaring at his brothers when they looked unsurprised and
unimpressed that he knew that.

They teased him constantly about
being the biggest one of them and also the more intelligent one. So he wasn’t
about to add that the humans had also figured out the importance of the
heartbeat. That they sent astronauts into space with recordings of the
resonance to help prevent sickness and delay cell and bone degeneration.

It had been easy to figure out from
there why the Relian’s had convinced the humans to blanket huge populated areas
with cellphone towers and other EMF producing technology. Although they kept
the science, mostly from the population, they had figured out that disrupting
the ability for your body to feel the heartbeat, would cause mass sicknesses of
the body and mind.

Because the cell structure of each
person is unique, they would each react differently to the loss of the ‘food’
for their cells. Mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal
and homicidal thoughts, dementia, lack of empathy and a host of others, could
all present themselves among the people.   

That didn’t include the physical
problems that could manifest as well and because cells make up the whole of
your body, every part of it could become affected. With usually the weakest
point being affected first.  

“So her cells are fighting each
other now, choosing sides between her first world and this world, and she’s
being ripped apart from the inside because she’s human and doesn’t have a beast
to help her. And someone gave her a gift to speed this up? Awesome. Just
fucking awesome.” Viper said sarcastically, his hopes of keeping Lara alive
this time diminishing by the moment.

“What the hell can we do?” Dread
said, feeling the hopelessness bleeding from his brother.

“We must get her and remove her
from all but the Earth’s heartbeat until her brain catches up to the changes
being made by the memories. We need her back here. Quickly.” Ratoka said, the
seriousness of the situation all too clear by the worry in his voice. It was
obvious to all of the brothers that the normally stoic man was a little shaken
by the situation.

“Can we fix it?” Viper asked, his
tone implying that he doubted it.

“Of course, course it can be fixed!
Do not think the Gods did this to punish, Viper. They did not. It is up to us
to understand what is happening and try to help. That is what we will do.”
Ratoka said, laying a comforting hand on Viper to help his negativity.

“How the hell are we going to find
her if no one will tell us where she is?” Drago asked, voicing the problem
they’d made no headway on over the last two days.

Even training missions were kept
‘need to know’, in order to ensure the protection of the team members. They had
already exhausted everyone who knew, and they weren’t talking under order from Grai,
and no one would cross him. Not because they feared him, but because they
respected him.

Ratoka sighed, as if he had dreaded
the question. “If Dog’ee is correct, I believe they will end their trip early.”

Viper stood abruptly. “You mean
we’re supposed to wait until they come back with her body? What the fuck? I
thought you were going to help before it was too late!”

“Of course, course it won’t be too
late! Her physical symptoms will bring them back, but it won’t be anything that
cannot be fixed…” Ratoka said, hoping no one noticed that he left the sentence
off without finishing it. He should have known better.

“There’s something you’re not
telling us. What are you leaving out?” Drago asked with narrowed eyes that
studied Ratoka intently.

Ratoka felt really uncomfortable
under the stares of the three brothers and cleared his throat quickly before
answering. “Since we do not know how far away that they are… or how rapidly she
may be deteriorating, there is a small chance that she can decline too quickly…”

“Damn it Ratoka! So she can die! We
need to get Grai. How the hell can we get him to give the order to make them come
back?” Viper asked, pacing the room with worry.      

“We’d have to tell him the truth about
the prophecy.” Drago added, willing to project it on the side of his ship and
fly through the middle of Paris if they had to.         

“How long do you think it’ll take
him to find out about it anyway? Seriously… he probably already knows half of
it by now. We just don’t know he knows. He’s a smart bastard.” Viper muttered
clenching his fists, wishing he could choke the man for letting his mate leave
like that.

“Look, he’s going to have to know
sooner or later anyway because it’s going to get hard to explain when we start
finding and bringing lost souls here next. Not including the fact it would be
unfair to use him to protect them without explaining why.”

“And there’s the commitment our
people have already made to help them defeat the Relian’s. We have no choice
but to tell him. It is the right thing to do.” Dread said, proud of the way he
had reasoned that out.  

“Funny how the right thing in this
case is also what you need the most. The Gods surely weave such an intelligent
design don’t they?” Ratoka said with a knowing smirk, opening his personal path
through the Shengari’ to Grai and sending a brief message. He grinned at the
quick response.

“He’s blocked our paths on the Shengari';
we can go to Ivint…” Dread began when Ratoka stood and interrupted him.

“He is meeting us at the conference
room in twenty minutes.”

The brothers looked back and forth
curiously before running to follow Ratoka out of the door.    

Chapter Seventeen

Amun looked at the scans again,
even though he knew that the results would be no different than they had been
when he looked at them earlier. With all he had seen and learned since coming
to this planet, he was still surprised by his findings.

He couldn’t stand around rerunning
tests or reviewing them all day, he had to tell Ivint and Grai, there was no
avoiding it. They had to be warned. Using his private path through the
Shengari’ with Grai, Amun learned he was already back and heading into a
conference room.

Amun was stunned to learn that Grai
had intended to call him to the meeting anyway and headed out of the door of
the MedLab on the Adaria and to the port station to Dillon. He sent another
apologetic message to his mate, Jess, and disappeared through the portal. He
didn’t even blink in surprise when Grai met him on the other side.

“We need to speak before we go in
the meeting.” Grai said, pulling the doctor from the room.

*****

Viper spent the drive to the office
building trying to go over in his mind the best way to get Grai to help them,
and he kept hitting a wall. He couldn’t concentrate. Between his beast Zaxin,
screaming in his mind to find their mate and his brothers warning him not to
piss off Grai, he was drawing a blank.  

He wasn’t sure if he felt better or
not when they entered the conference room and Traze, David, Risk, Ivint, and
Reven were already there. Viper slid into a seat on the other side of the table
from them, while his brothers and Ratoka sat on either side of him. He was
getting ready to ask where Grai was, when he entered the room, followed closely
by Amun.  

Grai stood at the end of the table
and looked directly at the Tezarian brothers. “I’m warning you now; we have
some major issues going on right now, and we have much to discuss. I know why
you are here, but you need to listen. Do you understand me?”

“I don’t think you…” Viper began to
say before Ratoka cut him off by squeezing his arm and glaring at him.

“We need to hear what he will say.
I believe it will be important to us.” Ratoka said cryptically enough to make
Dread grind his teeth in frustration.

Grai nodded to Amun, who connected
his scanner to the screen behind the table. He tapped in a few commands, and
the screen filled with a dozen different images that looked like complex brain
scans.

“These are scans of the different
humans that we work with like David,” Amun said nodding to the man seated near
him. “Lara, Tricia, and others that we are treating in town.”

“Let me explain. Because of the
inability for rapid cell regeneration, humans will not live nearly as long as
we will. This of course, represents a major problem for our mated couples like
Grai and Tricia and other possible couples in the future.”

“A lot of what prevents their
extended lives we have easily corrected, and they will now live at least
another five decades longer than they would have. We have the Schumann
Resonance pumped around the entire town and their homes, to increase their
energy levels and promote emotional and mental stability.”

“We only allow the food and meats
grown on Grai’s farms to be available for sale, and we’ve been curing the
diseases, but all of our efforts cannot produce the results that we have
because the humans are not evolved enough physically, and they don’t have a
beast. At least, that’s what we thought.” Amun said, looking around the room at
the confused and curious faces before he moved to the screen on the wall.

Amun switched the picture on the
screen to one brain scan. “This is a normal human brain. There are no anomalies
and it represents a normal human, with a normal brain growth and intelligence.
This…” Amun said changing the picture.

“This is the scan of one of our
humans. If you look farther back here, see the long, thin, dark spot?” Amun
asked the room as he pointed out the shaded area on the scan.

Using his scanner, he put the 4D
image on the table in front of them and turned it slowly so everyone could see
the area more closely. The area as more noticeable in the 4D image.

“We’ve done everything but a biopsy
on it. And we found out that we can’t either. That is a beast. One we have
never seen before and one that is not like our own or any of the thirteen known
beast clans.” Amun paused as the room erupted in questions.

“Whose scan is that? Is that
Lara’s?”

“How many humans are affected?”

“Holy shit! The humans have
beasts?”

“What does it do to them?”

Grai’s loud whistle calmed the room
instantly. “Let him finish.”

Amun nodded to Grai and tried to
pick up where he left off. “We know that right now, it’s dormant. Not like our
hybrids were dormant, these are almost like in a stasis. Every indication we
have is that these beasts are fully functional in almost every way that our own
are, but they sleep.”

“The enzyme leakage of the beast is
causing their body’s cell regeneration to be accelerated as our own, and will
prolong their lives, but it is the only indication that the beast is affecting
its host in any way. This scan is Lara’s. This is Tricia’s. Maggie’s. David’s.”
Amun said, putting up each of their scans, the dark shadow designating the
beast, easy to see. He laid a comforting hand on David’s shoulder and waited
for the questions to fly.

“What the fuck?” David said,
staring at his scan alongside the others. He unconsciously rubbed his head
where the dark shadow resided in his brain.

“How is it possible that we did not
know of another beast species?” Ivint asked, staring pointedly at Ratoka, who
looked away.

Dread, Viper and Drago looked at
Ratoka’s guilty expression, and Viper erupted at him. “You knew? You fucking
knew? Why the hell didn’t you tell us? Will it keep her alive if she
remembers?” Viper demanded, fighting his brothers who were keeping him seated
in his chair and away from Ratoka.

“I did not know until right now! I
suspected though… it is in the prophecy. I do not know if they will all be
beast, but it is likely that will be the case with them and the others chosen
for the coming battle.” Ratoka said distractedly, his mind working to add this
new information to what he already knew.

“Settle the hell down now!” Grai said,
looking over at Viper as Decano and Niklosi came to stand behind Viper and his
brothers, obviously called by Grai.

Grai walked slowly up to Viper and
looked in his eyes. “I would gladly rip his heart out for keeping something
like this from me when it concerns my mate. However, it would serve no purpose.
Calm yourself and listen and I promise you I will move this Earth if I must, to
protect our mates.” Grai said through their private path on the Shengari’
before holding his arm out to Viper.

Viper looked at the determination
in Grai’s eyes and knew the man would be the best ally he could ever have to
protect Lara. He didn’t hesitate to grab Grai’s offered arm near the elbow
while Grai did the same, in the traditional warrior’s grasp. Similar to the human
handshake it was done as a sign of respect and agreement between the warriors
of the beast species.

Grai nodded his head, let go of
Viper and turned to Ratoka. “You will sit your ass down, and you will tell us
every damn thing you know. And before you argue or think to begin with your
usual evasiveness, consider this my request of repayment for your blood debt.”

“Holy shit!”

“A blood debt?”

The shock reverberated through the
room at Grai’s words. A blood debt was the highest debt that could be owed to
another. Only an act of the highest order could invoke a blood debt. It was, as
it implied, a debt that could require the sacrifice of blood if requested. Even
the spiritual man would be required to spill blood, if Grai asked it of him.

Whatever Grai had done, had been a
lot more than anyone could have guessed. It couldn’t have only been Grai’s
assistance in saving their planet from his father. Whatever had happened
between the two men was much more than that, Ivint thought as he watched Ratoka
deflate a little at Grai’s words.

Ratoka sat slowly in the chair; a part
of him relieved that this was all Grai would ever ask him of the debt he owed.
The other part of him would not allow himself to repay such an enormous debt
with such a paltry offering in return. However, he would think about that
later. Right now, he would at least ease the mind of his friend.

“As you know, at times, the God of
Gods, sends his emissaries to warn us of how to prepare for troubling times
ahead. Since the times of the ancients, the beast species have always come to
the assistance of our brethren in need.”

“Each of our species has been given
prophecies detailing our responsibilities and what is to come. Some of us also
have prophecies that we share. In this case, it is a shared prophecy of the
Tezarian and Zendarian people. And the Valendrans.”

“Long ago in the time of the
ancients, the Prophet Ocarion blessed a council between our people with his
presence. He gave them a prophecy of a time to come when they would need to
join their strengths and clans in battle.”

“It is called the Prophecy of
Ocarion”

In the
darkest of days, when life hangs between extinction and evolution, the warriors
and light bringers will be called by the God of Gods.

The light
bringers will guide and give home to the lost. Destiny awaits the lost deemed
worthy. To those the light will be gifted unto them. The God of all Gods will
watch. The children of his light will issue his call.

The world
will tremble in the darkness. As the balance must be restored. Shudders of
rebirth will shake the old and young souls. The energy too much to bear. Others
drawn to the light bringers. A refuge in the storm of chaos.

The old
souls following the path destiny has shown will find the beast in their time of
need. As the world is torn asunder. Evil will rise to legion. While hope is
light. Faith is strength. The triad of Warrior, Light and Beast will bring
peace. The children to begin the age of dawning and unity.

“You’re kidding right? What the
fuck was that supposed to mean? It doesn’t tell me why that thing is in my
head!” David asked getting to his feet angrily, before turning quickly on
Traze.  

“I will put you down and keep you
there if you even consider it boy.” David threatened while Traze stared at his
own upraised hand like it didn’t belong to him, and he couldn’t believe it was
poised to smack David in the back of his head.

“I… um… yeah… it always works on
me! I was only trying to help!” Traze said, putting his hand down quickly and sitting
back down in a huff, unsure where that bit of insanity had come from.

“Tristan is bringing the lost souls,
here isn’t he? Lara is one of those lost souls. It makes more sense now…
Tricia?” Grai asked, looking to Ratoka.

“She was Zendarian. I do not know
much more than that. Do not force her memories much further though until we
know how to deal with Lara’s. There is a problem, which is why we came.” Ratoka
said, looking to Dread to explain.

“The beast must not be helping her
at all because Lara is going through brain heat. The memories rushing at her, a
crafter gift and our armor are overheating her brain. Dog’ee said she’s showing
signs of severe headaches, nose bleeds and sweating. You need to call them back
Grai.” Dread said, worried that Grai and the others were taking this better than
he had expected them to.

“Wait! Are you telling me, I’m some
kind of lost soul from one of your planets?” David asked, standing up.

“There is a good chance that you
are, I can’t know for sure unless I sift your energy. We can discuss that
later. If you listen, you will learn it is not a good idea to know more until
we can figure out how to keep Lara from dying first.” Ratoka told the nervous
human honestly. He hated to seem so cold, but he was having a difficult time
with Dog’ee screaming in his mind. Ratoka turned to Grai.

“It is too late; she has passed out;
your people need to find her quickly. Have the cats lock to Dog’ee, he’s
guarding her body.” Ratoka said while Drago, Dread, Niklosi and Decano tried to
stop Viper from running out of the door.

“You can’t find her! You don’t even
know where she is! Calm down! They will bring her here!” Drago said, trying to
get through to his distraught brother.

“Fuck… yeah I’m good not
remembering anything.” David said, staring sadly at Viper, wishing there was
something he could do to help the man.

“Let’s head to the portal room and
wait for them.” Grai said, putting an arm around Viper and leading him out of
the room.

“How did the beast get here?” Ivint
asked, changing the subject to something less emotional.

“An analysis of the enzymes that it
excretes show indications of materials that are not indigenous to this world.
It looks to be something that may have been brought here through planetary
impact and evolved. I won’t know more until I can run more tests.” Amun
answered distractedly as he spoke to his medical team through the Shengari’.