Genesis #19

Chapter 8

________

A seemingly lifeless figure floated in purple sumeyveleri pulp, the liquid contained by a thick glass, and the glass surrounded by wires and tubes regulating the patient’s vitals. Augen Kuros placed his four hands on the glass, frowning up at the latest arrival. “I’ve never seen one like this.” He murmured. His companion smiled slightly.

“This is only the second we’ve had.”

“I know.”

“Has he already healed?”

Augen peered at the wound on the patient’s chest. He nodded. “The sumeyveleri did its job. Let’s go to the control room.”

The two strode away with their rolling gaits, their voices fading. It was a few hours after they had found their second arrival on the beach in critical condition. Now, the man was almost completely healed. But, by instructions from Augen, they sedated their second visitor just as they had their first. Now, they felt a strange sense of pity and boredom after the excitement of another visitor. Augen and his companion went back to resume their normal life.

________

Vibrant purple eyes blended with the surrounding liquid, almost the same color. Rune was awake, though he didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to be. The instant he came to, he realized he was floating in purple snot-like liquid. There was an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, but not his eyes. His eyes felt cold, and they stung as he opened them. He swore as confusion overflowed his muddled mind. The purple snot warped his vision, the only thing he could see beyond it was a blur of blinking lights, swirled with darkness. Rune raised his cybernetic arm, tentatively touching the glass before him. Then, raising his foot, he struck the glass. Nothing happened. Rune swung his metal foot again, slowed by the purple liquid. A small, hairline fracture appeared.

Rune had to stop as his eyes drooped. They stung painfully. His chest was heaving, unable to get enough oxygen. He kicked the glass again, fracturing it again. He swung his fist, his movements sluggish and weak. He hit the glass again, mustering all the strength he had left. The glass shattered, throwing him forward.

The sarsh pulled the oxygen mask off, gasping for breath as the purple snot oozed though the broken glass and onto the floor outside. Rune stepped over the jagged edges of glass, careful not to step on the glass with his normal foot. Glancing down, he realized someone had removed his shirt; and the wound marring his chest was but a scar. Rune blinked in surprise and morphed his dirty pants to black, clean ones, and a sleeveless shirt of the same color. He moved away from the broken glass, shivering in the cold air. His skin was still slick with the purple snot, his foot nearly slipped from under him as he walked, trying to get his bearings.

As Rune caught himself from slipping, his hand struck another glass tank like the one he’d just smashed to pieces. The glass didn’t fracture, and Rune could see a man floating in the snot-like goo. The sarsh frowned, realizing he couldn’t remember where he was, or how he got there. He recalled waking among grass, traveling to the beach, encountering the creatures, and then nothing. And before the grassy hill, his mind was blank save for flashes of battle, and an older man’s anguished face.

________

Augen heard the alarm for the cryochambers go off, and his eyes widened, his golden pupils expanding. “A visitor must have woken!” Someone cried.

Augen shook his head. “Impossible. The effects of the sumeyveleri have never worn off.”

“Proximity alert! Someone just left the cryochambers!”

“Get a Kor team down there, now!”

_______

Rune’s footsteps were uneven, a soft sound, followed by a clang of metal on metal. He traced his fangs with his tongue as he walked, his fingers frantically rubbed the scars on his neck and jaw. His heart beat wildly, booming in his ears and seeming to echo through the corridors. The hall he moved down was dark and quiet, not a person in sight. The only lighting was purple strips of light along the ceiling and floor; it cast a deep and shifting eerie light. Rune’s breath came fast, fear rippling over him. He turned into another hall, catching sight of a large door on the far side of the corridor. He ventured toward it; it opened upon his arrival and his breath caught.

_______

Augen heard the door open, and his gaze swept to it. Out of pure instinct, his body blended in with the background. To a normal eye, the room would appear empty as each of the creatures blended with their surroundings. What Augen didn’t know was, Rune could still see them.

____

Rune nearly jumped in the air as he entered the room full of unrecognizable creatures. Their bodies were strange, watery and wavering, making it hard to look at them. All their eyes were fixed on the sarsh, frozen by his sudden entrance. Rune saw half a dozen of them start toward him, he could hear their feet padding on the floor. He raised his cybernetic arm, forming the blade. “Stay where you are.” He commanded. They froze, their expressions twisted with confusion. The creatures glanced between themselves, then back at him. They were speaking in an unintelligible language, a warbling, rolling noise like water over stones. Quickly, the sarsh realized he shouldn’t keep standing prone in the threshold; he turned and sprinted out the door, heaving it shut behind him.

Rune turned down another corridor and ran full speed away from the creatures. His mind was still muddled, panic racing through his bones and giving him speed. He needed to remember what happened, where he was. But, he had to get out of the building first.

______

“Go after him! We can’t let him get away!” Augen gestured after their most recent visitor. They were all confused by Rune’s reaction to seeing them; they were supposed to be invisible to normal eyes, but Rune acted as if he could see them. Despite their confusion, a dozen of them tromped out the door after the escaped visitor, Augen in the lead.

“He’s probably trying to find an exit, so he’ll end up in the southern wing. But, in case he goes elsewhere, we’ll split.” Augen shot out orders rapidfire, all his men nodding as he spoke. In seconds, four teams of three men each moved down separate corridors.

___

The sarsh glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was behind him. He could hear their footsteps, though. They were gaining on him, whatever they were. As Rune’s feet pounded on the floor, a regular clang of metal on metal, his heart pounded and his eyes stung. He wished, so deeply, just to have one moment of peace and joy, something besides running, hiding, and fighting. Something other than the war his life had become.

But, now, alone in the halls of an unknown place, being chased once more, Rune felt no joy or peace. He felt defeat. He wanted to collapse and never rise, to fall asleep and never wake. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the young, innocent faces of his siblings. They still needed him to be there for them, to love them, to be the brother he was supposed to be. So he kept running.

The maze of corridors seemed to never end, all of them looked the same. The same eerie purple lights, rows of un-labeled doors. Rune quickly became disoriented, his chest heaving from running. He stopped, glancing around him, hoping to find something to mark this hall as unique. There was nothing different. Rune shouted in frustration, his voice echoing through the halls. He sunk to his haunches, head buried in his hands; his thoughts whirled through his head, his vision spun. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten or had water. He couldn’t run anymore, but he heard them coming. He wouldn’t fight them; they had done nothing to hurt him, so why should he hurt them?

______

Augen heard a shout of anger echoing faintly down the halls and he smiled. “I hear him!” He said to his companions. “This way!” Through a communication device in their ears, Augen told the rest of the teams to head their way.

The teams grouped together again, moving quickly with ease through the corridors. It was only moments before they came upon the sarsh, balled up like a child on the ground. He didn’t lift his head, but his eyes were following their movements. Augen and his men were no longer invisible, or Kor, as they called it. Augen crouched several meters away from the man. Finally, Rune lifted his head. “Please let me out of here, I need to get back to...” Confusion etched its way across his face and he sighed.

“Where? Where do you need to go?”

“I-I don’t know. I can’t remember what happened. I woke up on a hill, wounded and you helped me. I woke again in a tank of purple snot and still can’t remember how I got here.”

“That happened to our first visitor who came through the Saach, it’ll come back soon.”

“The Saach?”

“That’s not important right now. I need you back in the cryochamber.”

“Why? Actually, I don’t care why, no.”

“I cannot have you roaming our home. We do not know who you are or your purpose here. That is why you must go back into cryosleep.”

“No. Let me out of here.”

“I’m afraid there is no way ‘back,’ we do not even know where you came from.”

Rune’s face was screwed up with fury, his fists shaking with anger. He rose to his feet, towering over the creature. “Then I’ll find my own way back.” Then, he stood up and ran, new strength and determination coursing through him.

_______

Augen’s face twisted with anger and pity. “He’s scared.” He pointed out; his men nodding in agreement. “We’re going to have to put him in the Sandraum, the sumeyveleri won’t keep him asleep. Alright, everyone fan out again. Get your Verkots out, we’ll need them; he won’t stop running.”

Seconds later, they were moving again.

_____

Rune heard them speaking with each other as they grew closer to his position. He hunkered himself down inside a small utility room, sharp tools digging into his backside. Rune didn’t move, barely breathed. He knew the creatures could find their way around this place better than he could, his best shot at avoiding them was to hide. His heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it was going to explode. His breath was coming fast, but he tried to hold it back, causing darkness to shroud his vision. He could hear them coming.

______

Augen knew where the young man had gone, he called all his men to him again. This time, they would catch him. The squad turned into a hall, where there were several doors along the wall. Under the farthest one, they could see a bare foot peeking out from the crack. The young man didn’t know they could see him.

_____

Rune heard them right outside the door and he knew they had found him. There was no getting out of this. Making up his mind, his arm slid into blade form and he plunged it through the door. He heard cries of surprise and he smiled grimly. If he couldn’t run, he would fight his way out. Rune’s instincts took over his body, seeming to move on its on accord. He sliced the door in half, kicking it away. Surrounding him in a semi-circle, all carrying massive guns, were the creatures. Their faces were full of surprise and fright, but the tallest, the leader, motioned to one of them and the creature pulled the trigger on his gun.

The sarsh watched as a net soared towards him. He raised his blade, ready to slice it. But, the instant the net touched the metal of his arm, he felt a surge of electricity blast through him. His body stiffened and he collapsed into the floor, his body convulsing. The tallest of the creatures knelt by him. “I am sorry we must do this, but we cannot have you here. I didn’t want to hurt you, but you forced our hand.”

Rune watched the creature motion to his men, and as they moved, his surroundings melted into darkness.

_______

Augen and his men neared what they called the Sandraum, an armored room full of chemical sand that moved on its own accord. They collected it from their beach and added a chemical by accident, discovering that it swallowed anything that touched it. They used it to contain animals who often caught an unnamed disease, or sometimes their own people. Now, it would contain their most recent, dangerous visitor.

They entered the room, careful not to touch the sand. It would not cover the young man’s airway, the sand seemed to know how to keep its captive alive, but contained. Nothing Augen and his men did to experiment on the sand explained how it happened.

Augen ordered his men to lay the young man down, and as they did, the sand crawled over his his body, stopping when only his head was visible.

One of Augen’s men swore. “It freaks me out every time! I’m leaving.”

Augen watched the man leave, an amused expression on his face. He understood the soldier’s caution, though. Their newest visitor was dangerous. Augen motioned to two of his men.

“Stay here and monitor him through the window, try to avoid contact.”

They nodded and moved out the door, appearing in a large window on the wall. The rest of them streamed out of the Sandraum. Augen took a deep breath, glancing back at the closed and bolted door. “I feel sorry for the kid. I understand how he feels, the first was the same way. But, there’s nothing we can do for him now. Let’s go.”

________

Sagara and Jairaj, the soldiers Augen assigned to window duty, sighed in unison.

“This has got to be the most boring job we could have gotten today.” Sagara complained, his eyes fixed on the figure among the shifting sand. Jairaj gave him an odd look.

“This is better than janitor duties or computer monitoring. Nothing exciting happens then, but when this guy wakes up, he’s going to be so mad and he’s going to fight the sand. That won’t be boring.”

Sagara shrugged. “I suppose not.”

As they waited, Jairaj pulled his handgun from the holster, smirking when he saw the layer of dust on the handle. “I think this is the first time we ever used the Verkots. I don’t even understand why Augen thinks we need weapons.”

“He thinks more people are coming. It’s strange, though. Every time the Saach comes back, he takes it to his chambers and I can hear two voices in there, even though he’s by himself.”

“Why are you spying on him, anyway?”

Sagara blushed and scuffed his feet. He clicked his gun from the holster and inspected it. Jairaj smirked, but their amusement vanished as they heard a sound over the speaker in the Sandraum. Sagara saw their captive’s head turn toward them, his face screwed with anger. His dark skin was black with fury, his purple eyes seemed to spark.

“Whoa!” Jairaj exclaimed. “He’s furious.”

Sagara nodded, his eyes glued to the struggling figure in the sand. “Wait!” He exclaimed. “Look!”

Jairaj squinted through the glass, and his eyes widened. Struggling its way out of the sand, they could see the young man’s metal arm. He was fighting against it, and he was winning.

_______

Rune woke to a stiff, sore body and crawling sand covering his body. After discovering he was being watched, he began to fight. Fury coursed through him and gave him strength. He strained to turn over onto his stomach, and once he did, he had extra leverage. His flesh arm was no use against the living sand, but his cyber arm propelled him up and out. In minutes, he was on his feet.

______

Jairaj and Sagara watched in shock as the young man turned over and pushed himself to his knees, the sand fighting its way back up his legs.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Jairaj whispered. “Should we call Augen?”

Sagara shook his head. “Even if he is strong enough to fight the sand, he can’t fight forever. There is nowhere for him to go. He’ll tire out and the sand will subdue him again. It’ll be fine.”

Jairaj looked skeptical, but he resumed watching. “He could go to the ledges.”

The ledges were where they stood when placing the captive in the sand. The sand didn’t crawl up there, providing a place to stand. Sagara’s already milky skin paled as he realized his companion was right. He nodded fiercely. “Contact Augen.”

When Augen heard Jairaj’s panicked voice over the comms, he knew the excitement was far from over. First the boy escaped from the cryochambers, now something had gone wrong in the Sandraum. There was something inexplicably courageous about the young man, but it was causing trouble for all of them. The master would have to know. Augen shook his thoughts away.

“Get a team down there, please!” He called to his corps manager. The man nodded and left.

_______

Rune struggled to the ledges on the far side of the room, directly beside the door. The two soldiers behind the glass were pleading him to comply, to stay where he was. He ignored them. He reeled back his cyber arm, preparing to strike. The soldiers’ cries increased, drowned out in the crash of metal against metal. His blow left a massive dent marring the door, and a small gap between the door and the wall. He could hear boots striking the floor, several hundred meters away. Backup was coming. This time, Rune decided, I won’t fight. I will speak to them, and if they don’t listen, I’ll... He realized he didn’t know what he would do. I’ll improvise. Rune pulled his arm back and struck the door again. The force traveled up his arm, making him wince slightly. This time, the door caved so far it was almost three feet between the doorframe and the door.

They were getting closer.

Rune gave the door one last mighty shove, and it fell to the ground with a deafening, Clang! And at the same instant, they arrived. Rune swore as the creatures surrounded him, weapons of all sorts pointed at him. He raised his hands in surrender.

“I don’t want to fight you, please just listen to me. I need your help.”

The tallest of them stepped forward. “My name is Augen Kuros. I am the leader here. What is your name?”

“I am Rune, designation 682.”

The leader, Augen, frowned, but said nothing. “How did you come through the Saach?”

Rune bowed his head, twisting his dark fingers. “I- I can’t remember,” He whispered.

“Ah, you said you had forgotten. I believe your memory will return within the day or two.”

“I need to get back to my friends, I know they need me. I left in the middle of something important. I... I think somehow... They’re not on this planet. I.. went through something-”

Augen nodded. “The Saach.”

“What is the Saach?”

“We do not know. It’s like a doorway to other planets. You are only the second to come through.”

“Is there a way back?”

“...”

Rune frowned when Augen didn’t respond. “Well?” The sarsh asked, trying to meet the man’s eyes. “Is there?”

“... No.”

________

Rune had deja vu as he stood beside Augen, the two of them gazing into dark water beyond a massive window. He could remember standing beside Artemis, the two of them speaking of war. War. Rune remembered now. He and the rebels storming into his own peoples’ fortress. War wrought, and coming to an end, Rune recalled the deafening bang of a gun and the pain shooting through him. He remembered falling, darkness, and then waking again. He felt immense relief realizing he remembered. He turned to Augen. “I remember now.”

“Can you tell me?”

Rune hesitated for only a second before beginning. “My friend, Artemis-”

“Is he like you?”

“A sarsh? No. Anyway, he was planning to battle my people for freedom; we have been ruling them with brute force for as long as I can remember. I was already a fugitive from my people, and Artemis captured me while I was running from my Admiral. He forced me to join him, but eventually I joined him voluntarily. I came up with a bigger idea that wouldn’t involve killing my people, but it didn’t work out.”

“What was your idea?”

“To move my people from the vessels we’re living in to another planet; to give us a new home.”

Augen’s silver brows lifted, widening his large, strange eyes. “That’s an enormous gift,” He stated, a bit of awe obvious in his voice. Rune nodded. “And they rejected it.”

“They- They rejected your offer? Why?”

“The Admiral was too bitter toward humans.”

“Why, what have they done?”

Rune opened his mouth to speak, but he trailed off as a wailing alarm echoed through the room. The sarsh hissed, wincing as he covered his ears. Augen frowned. “Another?” He mumbled.

“Another what?”

“That sound is a perimeter breach alarm. Someone else just came through the Saach.”

_____

Rune and Augen were talking for nearly two hours before the alarm sounded, dragging the heart-pounding adrenaline back as Augen’s men began stirring from their stupor.

“We have to go,” Augen said. “And you have to come with us.”

Rune caught up with Augen as he rushed away, mixing in the crowd. There were about twelve soldiers heading in the same direction, led by Augen. Rune pushed his way through them. “Where are we going?”

“The submersion chamber.”

Rune raised a pale eyebrow. “Submersion into what?”

“Water.”

Rune shook his head. “I’m thoroughly confused. We’re going into a room full of water in order to leave?”

Augen shook his head. “We don’t have time for this. You’ll see when we get there.”

_______

When the group of fourteen Gellen (Augen’s species) and the sarsh arrived at ‘the submersion room,’ Rune frowned. The floor was flimsy metal, and scrapes marked the wall as if the entire room moved often. As he had the thought, the sarsh’s eyes widened. “Is this building underwater?”

Augen smiled, his dark teeth showing past his oily, pale skin. His strange, opposite eyes glimmered. “You figured it out. How long can you hold your breath?”

“Twenty minutes.”

Augen’s jaw fell open. “Excuse me?”

The sarsh shrugged. “Most of us can hold it for thirty or forty minutes.”

One of Augen’s men tapped Augen’s shoulder. “Shouldn’t we be going?”

Augen nodded. He turned to Rune. “Do you need to borrow one of our aquatic suits?”

“No.” Rune morphed to match the black, formfitting suit Augen was donning, minus the third and fourth arms. All the Gellen gasped, their eyes fixed on him.

“Don’t we have to go?” Rune asked, a hint of amusement clear in his voice.

They all nodded, ripping their gazes away from him.

“Prepare for drop in five... four... three... two... one.”

Rune felt a rush in his head, a moment of weightlessness, and the frigid water crept up his legs. He snatched up a Gellen helmet, pulling it over his head. Moments earlier, Augen had said it wouldn’t prevent the water from coming in, but disguised their faces to keep from scaring anyone who arrived. The sarsh filled his lungs with air as the water rose to his chest, neck, and then closed over his head.

_______

In the deep, black water, fourteen lights shone like stars in the night as they moved toward the surface. It felt like hours before the water lightened and they surfaced, their visors dripping black water. Rune turned his head to the same hill he’d appeared on. He could see a tiny figure silhouetted against the vermilion-red sky. Augen heading towards them, and Rune quickly followed. “Do you have any weapons?” Rune asked.

“Why would we need that?”

“What if this person is dangerous? They’re wearing armor.”

Augen squinted up at the hill, then nodded. “So they are, so they are,” Addressing his men, he said; “Stay here. Rune and I will greet them peacefully.”

Rune continued to assess the figure from afar, but as they got closer, he realized something he found strange. It was a girl, several years younger than himself, and she was obviously distressed. The girl crouched, was speaking to someone. Rune could barely make out her words, but he could tell she was on the verge of tears. Quickly deciding, Rune morphed his appearance beneath his helmet. “Augen,” He murmured. “I’m going to remove my helmet, I’ll go talk to the girl. Don’t take off your helmet yet. I don’t want to scare her.”

Augen looked at him strangely. “You’re more intimidating then I am,” He pointed out.

Rune pursed his lips. “Trust me.”

Augen held up his hands in a surrendering motion. “Alright.”

The sarsh, disguised as the dark-haired young man from earth, strode up the hill, not threatening, but purposefully.

“Are you well?” He called to the girl. Her head snapped up; she wasn’t aware she was not alone. Seeing Rune’s looming, muscular figure and dark clothing, along with his helmeted head, she snatched something off her back, which Rune quickly realized was a blade.

“Wait!” Rune called. He slowly removed his helmet, wincing slightly in the bright light. As the girl saw what she thought was a human, she nearly collapsed with relief and fear.

“Please don’t hurt us!” She cried, leaning over to protect something hidden in the grass.

“Who else is with you?” Rune asked softly. He moved silently through the grass to the girl.

“My friend, he’s injured. Can you help?”

Rune stepped onto the crushed grass where the girl was walking. Beside her, lying on the ground, was a young man, probably the same age as the girl. There was blood blooming on the side of his head, his eyes closed and his skin pale. Rune’s eyes widened as he realized the boy was missing an arm. Viscous mud covered the both of them, coating their armor and faces. “What happened to you two?”

The girl shook her head, tears carving trails down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook as she fell to her knees. Rune nodded to himself. She is exhausted, Rune thought. Whatever they’d been through, it was traumatic to the both of them.

“My companions can help you,” Rune told the girl softly, kneeling beside her. “Can you stand?”

She slowly pushed herself upright, her armored arms shaking. Her face was pale beneath the layer of grime, her black braid was tangled and unraveling. Rune gripped her upper arm, supporting her. “Augen!” He called. “Come up here!”

The gellen made his way up the hill, followed by his men. None of them removed their helmets. They didn’t want to distress the girl further. Together, they lifted the boy, grunting at the weight of his armor. The girl leaned heavily on Rune, her feet catching on every obstacle.

“What’s your name?” Rune asked.

“Keila,” She responded in a strained, tired voice.

“I’m Rune.”

_____

The girl, Keila, was barely conscious when they reached the water. Augen retrieved Keila’s helmet, and after a quick inspection, they discovered its underwater abilities. The boy, Clint, had a helmet of the same type. Augen felt relieved their helmets provided them with air. He said their first visitor nearly died because they had to take him underwater. Unbeknownst to them, he couldn’t hold his breath for over thirty seconds.

Rune gently slipped the girl’s helmet on. He lifted her easily, morphing back to his original form. “Let’s go,” he said to Augen, his voice hushed. The sarsh felt concern for the young friends, though he didn’t know them. He had seen how exhausted, dirty and battered the two of them were. What had happened to someone so young that could leave them this way? Rune wondered as he waded into the water, flanked by two of Augen’s men. As the obsidian-black water closed over his head, Rune couldn’t help but wonder what had brought them here.

The cold water stung Rune’s eyes as he strained to see the gellen in front of him. He could just make out their silhouettes in the inky water. They had purple lines of lights across their suits, making them more visible. The group was nearly there. Rune could see the lights of Kaiele, Augen’s home.

The seventeen people entered the submerged, cage-like room, and it rose, the water draining out and the floor sealing shut. Rune shifted Keila’s weight in his arms. Watery mud coated his arms, streaming down in frigid rivers and pooling on the ground. The sarsh wrinkled his nose at the suddenly obvious smell of body odor, mud, and blood.

“We should get them out of this armor and warm them up,” Rune advised. He could feel the girl trembling; he pulled off her helmet and gently pushed her tangled hair out of her face. Her skin was frighteningly pale. The boy, Clint, looked even worse. Blood trickled down his face, mixing with the water and mud marring his cheeks. Augen nodded in agreement to Rune’s suggestion.

“Come on, let’s get them to the medical bay,” The gellen commander briefed.

_______

Rune leaned against the wall on the far side of the medical room. He had morphed back to the dark-haired human. He fixed his piercing blue eyes on the two figures across from him. Clint and Keila lay on starchy white cots, finally rid of the mud and grime. Clint’s head was bandaged, Keila’s knuckles and lip were split. Bruises peppered their bodies, their eyes dark with weariness. It was nearly an hour after their arrival, and only Keila had shifted a few times. The physician, Tora, worried for Clint. She said head injuries were serious, though she believed there would be no lasting damage. At the moment, the sarsh was just eager for one of them to wake. He was curious of their story.

Augen roused the idea of placing them in cryosleep, but Rune quickly shot it down. He subdued Augen saying they should at least hear the friends’ story before putting them in cryosleep. The gellen agreed, but was still anxious about having their ‘visitors’ free to roam. For this very reason, Augen confined to the medical ward. Augen said it was to monitor Clint and Keila, but Rune knew the gellen didn’t entirely trust him yet.

As Rune watched the two humans’ slow, even breathing, he found his own eyes drooping. He stumbled to a nearby cot, collapsed and fell into slumber within minutes.

___

Rune woke to hushed weeping. His ice-blue eyes snapped open and he turned his head, brushing his long black hair from his face. Keila sat upright in her bed, her head in her knees, her body trembling with her tears. The disguised sarsh swung his legs over the cot, rubbing the sleep form his eyes. He licked his lips, uncertain of what to do.

“Keila?” He whispered. Clint had still not woken. Her head snapped up, eyes blinking quickly to get rid of the tears impeding her vision. She swiped her pale sleeve across her face and tried to smile.

“Thank you for saving Clint. He has been in an infirmary too many times to count. What was your name?”

Rune stood, realizing there were multiple bruises on his own body from his recent scuffles with the gellen. The scar of his gunshot wound still ached occasionally.

“I’m Rune,” He smiled, attempting to calm her. “I think he and I are similar in that way. I have been injured too many times. Are you okay? I heard you crying.”

Rune’s calm tone lessened Keila’s tears, which still slipped down her flushed cheeks. “I’m worried about Clint. Like I said, he’s been in an infirmary too many times to count. Lately he’s been in anguish because his-” Suddenly she stopped. “Do you know a Jethro Chaser?”

Rune shook his head. Keila’s face crumpled, her breath hiccuping. She laid her watery eyes on Clint’s still face. “He’s going to be devastated,” She whispered. “We came here because Jethro was supposed to be here.”

The sarsh screwed up his face, confused. “Who is Jethro?”

“Clint’s father, he went missing a while ago. Clint and I have been searching for...” She thought for a minute. “Three months? I can’t remember exactly. Anyway, we were led here; Clint was sure his father would be here. I guess it was all for nothing.”

Rune pursed his lips. “Stay here for a minute, I have to ask Augen a question.”

“Augen?”

“He’s the leader around here.”

“I thought you were.”

Rune laughed softly. “No, I just got here this morning. I arrived the same way you did. Oh, did you forget like I did?”

Keila nodded. “I forgot until I slept. I remembered through dreams.”

The sarsh nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

______

Augen was speaking with Jairaj and Sagara, reprimanding them about their performance in the Sandraum. When they saw Rune, they jumped nearly a foot in the air. Augen turned. “What are you doing? I told you to stay in the medical bay.”

Rune nodded. “I know. What was the name of the first visitor?”

Augen frowned. “Why do you need to know?”

“It’s important. Can you just tell me?”

“... Jethro. Jethro Chaser I believe.”

The sarsh’s jaw fell ajar. He turned and ran. “Wait!” Augen shouted, sprinting after Rune. The two of them burst into the medical ward, forgetting the two young humans didn’t know about the gellen yet. Keila screamed at the sight of Augen’s strange figure. Rune grimaced and cursed. “Augen, leave!” He hissed. The gellen turned and left the room.

Rune smiled tightly. “I’m sorry about that. We were going to have to tell you, anyway.”

“What was that?” Keila squeaked, her knees against her chest, a blanket over her shoulders.

“That was Augen. He’s... not human. Like me.” The instant he said those words, Rune’s eyes widened and swore. Keila’s face twisted with horror and confusion. “What do you mean ‘like you?’ What is Augen? What are you?”

Rune sighed, swearing quietly. “He’s a gellen. I’m a sarsh.”

“Those don’t exist, there are only humans and avichii. Where do you come from? In fact, where are we?”

“One question at a time. Can I morph back to my original form?”

Keila’s nostrils flared, fear sparking in her eyes. “I guess,” She squeaked. Rune morphed, his fangs growing, pupils thinning, he grew at least a foot; Keila shrieked and dove off the side of her bed. Rune nearly laughed, but he knew he’d only scare her further.

“It’s alright,” He called. “I’m still the same person, but this is how I actually look.”

Keila’s head peeked above the cot. Her wide eyes took in his muscular build, scarred neck and cheek, fangs protruding over his bottom lip and his cat-like eyes. Her breath was coming fast.

“I never knew there were more species,” She murmured, her voice stronger now. “This is amazing. Can you bring Augen back in?”

Rune smiled, showing his gleaming white fangs. “Sure.”

“Even your voice is different,” Keila marveled as Rune walked from the room to get Augen.

_____

“... So you’re from a different dimension as Clint and I?” Keila craned her neck to see Rune’s face as she finished her tirade of excited scientific calculations. She was sitting on her cot again, a white blanket around her shoulders. Rune stood at the foot of her cot, and Augen stood beside him. The gellen was shaking his head.

“I have learned much about this. Dimensions are worlds in another time, which doesn’t exist, but our worlds are like one huge universe divided into many sections.”

Rune glanced at the gellen. “How do you know this?”

Augen’s pale skin flushed a greenish color. He glanced down at the ring on his finger, shifting the orange jewel on it. Rune nodded. “I see,” He said, though he didn’t. There was a moment of awkward silence, then Keila broke it.

“So, is Jethro here?” She prompted, voice worried.

Rune’s face was transformed with a smile. “He’s here! Augen said his first visitor’s name was Jethro Chaser!”

Keila smiled, joy gleaming brightly in her eyes. She got to her feet, wrapping the blanket further around her shoulders to ward off the crisp temperature of the room. “Where is he? Can I meet him?”

Rune turned to Augen, stepping close to speak. “Take him out of cryosleep. I don’t know Clint, but I know it would distress him to see his father floating in purple snot.”

“It isn’t snot,” Augen complained.

The sarsh grinned, his eyebrows raised. “Have you felt it?” Augen shook his head and Rune coughed, still grinning. “Yeah,” He laughed. “It’s nasty.” The gellen nodded, smiling slightly.

“I will take him out. Rune, do you mind staying with our young friends? When I have Jethro out, I will bring him here.”

Rune nodded. The gellen left, leaving the room in unbearable silence. The sarsh sat across from Keila, tracing the scars on his jawline. Keila licked her lips, and cleared her throat, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes.

“May I ask where you got those scars? And what happened to your arm and leg?” She shrunk a little. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’m curious.”

Rune swallowed. “No, It’s alright. It was a detonator. I am a soldier and I was on an assignment. Things didn’t go as planned and it detonated only a few feet away from me,” The sarsh bowed his head, twisting the black metal with his dark flesh fingers. “I nearly died that day,” He whispered.

Keila looked stunned. “I’m sorry,” she glanced at Clint. “Clint lost his arm to a poisoned blade. He wasn’t fortunate enough to have it replaced. How long ago did that happen?”

“I don’t know, I’ve lost track. A year maybe?”

“Clint’s been missing his arm for almost a year now. He still struggles.” Keila turned and bent over Clint, whispering something in his ear. They’re probably a little more than friends, Rune thought. As Keila continued to whisper, Rune heard a faint reply. Keila exclaimed loudly. “Rune!” She shouted excitedly. “He’s awake!”

The sarsh stood quickly, about to greet Clint, but quickly realizing his appearance would frighten the human, just as it had Keila. Keila realized Rune’s uncertainty and murmured something to Clint, who nodded faintly. There was a quiet conversation between the two friends and then Keila turned to Rune, beckoning for him to come. Rune strode over, peering down at the pale boy before him.

“Hello,” The sarsh greeted. “My name is Rune. Are you well?”

Clint stared at Rune with a crease between his brows. “Where’s my dad?” He groaned, sitting up. His hand gripped his head, his eyes closed in pain.

“He should be on his way, though he will be asleep.”

Clint nodded, but still seemed confused. He turned his head to Keila, whispering to her. Rune got the feeling their conversation was private, and he stepped away, going to the far side of the room where he lay, his hands crossed over his stomach. There was a crease between his blue brows. A vivid image of his siblings’ faces lurked beyond his vision, tears on their cheeks and their eyes shining. He swore aloud, wishing he was there to protect them. Anger swelled in his heart, anger at himself. Rune turned on his side, fists clenched tightly. The rebels defeated my people just before I disappeared, Rune thought. But if I ever went back, where am I going to go? All the men are dead or captured, but I didn’t feel ready to care for my siblings on my own. Am I supposed to just forget about the men and live as the only male among several thousand women?

Rune swore so loudly, Keila shrieked. The sarsh sat up, his head down and his hands gripping the bed so hard, it dented. Fury coursed through him. He felt like it was everyone else’s fault, but his own at the same time. If only Gallas agreed, if only his heart softened. If only Gallas didn’t shoot Rune, the Saach wouldn’t have been activated. If only things were different. But they aren’t. Rune swore again. Clint turned to him. “What is with you?” He asked, his voice slightly hostile. Rune sighed, lifting his head. He didn’t reply, heart thundering with anger.

Clint’s brown eyes scanned Rune’s face, taking in his squared jaw, fangs denting his bottom lip. His metal fingers carved their shape into the metal frame of the bed.

“Keila told me you rescued us,” Clint said. “Is that true?”

Rune shook his head. “I don’t live here, I’ve only been here a few more hours than you two. I carried Keila when she was weak, but nothing more. Augen and his men saved you, not me.”

Clint’s face showed hints of exasperation as he glanced to Keila, whose dark eyes were fixed on Rune’s upset face. Keila stood, left Clint’s side, and sat by Rune. “Is something bothering you?” She asked softly. Clint’s hand balled into a fist as he saw how close together Rune and Keila were. The sarsh replied quietly to Keila, oblivious to the angry eyes watching him. The door swung open to admit four gellen bearing folded cot, led by Augen.

“I see the young man has woken,” Augen noticed. “Are you well, Clint?”

Frustration marred Clint’s face as he turned to the gellen. “Who are you?” He asked, calming himself.

“I am Augen, the leader of Kaiele, my home and the very building housing you.”

Clint blinked. Rune stood and strode over to Augen, murmuring in his pointed ears. The gellen nodded and turned to the four behind him. “Set him down, if you please. Rune and I must go.”

_____

Clint felt anger boiling inside him as he watched the tall young alien walk away with the leader, Augen. He could tell Keila was drawn to the muscular, tall, and militant alien; that scared him. Keila was his one good friend, more than a friend. He couldn’t risk losing her to some angsty half-metal man. Because Keila liked him, Clint instantly didn’t. Keila could see the anger on his face. “What’s the matter?” She inquired innocently.

“You like him, don’t you?” Clint grumbled.

“Clint, I barely even know him. Yes, I think he is kind, but it’s a little ridiculous of you to get jealous I sat next to him for five seconds.”

The young man nodded, cheeks flushing as he realized how right Keila was. “I don’t trust him, is all,” Clint mumbled.

Keila smiled faintly. “I think you have trust issues.”

“You were the one who said you barely know him! Now you’re sitting next to him and listening to his life problems?”

“Clint,” His friend’s voice was stern, like a mother.

“What?”

“Just try to get to know him. We don’t know how long we’re going to be here, and you don’t want to be around someone you hate just because you don’t know him.”

Their conversation faded away as Clint’s eyes fell upon the figure lying on a cot across the room. “Dad?” He whispered, voice choked with emotion. Keila’s face lit up with joy.

“I forgot to tell you,” She smiled. “You were right, Jethro was here all along.”

Clint stood quickly, crossing the room and dropping to his knees next to his father. “What’s the matter with him?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure he’ll wake soon.”

Keila stood beside Clint, looking down on Jethro. She held her friend’s hand, leaning her head on his shoulder. “After so long, we finally found him. You realize we’ve been looking for probably... five months now? Now all we have to do is go back to your family. I wonder how we get back.”

______

Rune stood before a large screen, in front of him, Augen was spewing orders. The computer technicians were quickly calculating how to contact Artemis. The sarsh asked how the universe worked, how all the worlds were inter-connected. Augen merely shook his head and said he knew very little. It took the gellen thirty minutes before a man’s worried face appeared. All the gellen moved out of the screen, leaving Rune standing alone on screen.

“I must speak with Artemis,” Rune commanded, afraid the connection would vanish. The rebel squinted at the screen, gasped and nearly fell from his chair.

“Rune?” He asked incredulously, standing in surprise. “We thought you were dead! Where are you? We’ll retrieve you instantly! Just gi-”

“Shut your trap!” Rune roared, interrupting the rebel. “I need to speak with Artemis, now!”

“He’s busy, but I’ll notify him of your presence immediately. I’m sure he’ll want to speak with you.”

There was a commotion off-screen and Artemis shoved the rebel out of the way, his nose in the screen. “Rune?” His voice boomed over the speaker. “I heard you contacted us. Where are you? Are you alright? What happened to you?”

The sarsh held up his hands to stop the flow of anxious question. He felt emotion boiling inside him as he prepared to tell Artemis the life-changing news.

“I’m on a planet called Sulien. It’s not in your solar system, not in your world. I came here by accident; but, Artemis-”

The rebel leader interrupted him. “What do you mean, not in our world? How can we come get you?”

Rune bowed his head, swallowing hard. “I’m not coming back, Artemis. I can’t.”

“... Why not? Rune, you’re not making any sense. Tell me what’s going on!”

“I know you won’t believe me, but I’m in another world outside of your own, and there’s no way out. There’s no way back, Artemis!”

“... Rune, come back. We need you... Your people resisted capture. The battle has started again. We are being crushed. Rune... you have to come back.”

A tear slipped down Rune’s cheek. He imagined his siblings, knowing he’d never see them again. Every time he realized again there was no way out, anger and pain swelled in his heart, threatening to explode. “I can’t,” He sobbed. “There’s no way back.” The sarsh dropped to his knees, hands on his head. His shoulders shook with grief.

“I can’t.”