Too Far Gone, page 15
part #3 of The Jaxon Grey Chronicles Series
"What do you think they will tell us," I asked.
"Hopefully news from the salvage crews," Mya responded.
"Salvage crews?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied. "They were sent out to the site of the Aramis to recover any usable material from its remains. We will need all they can find if we ever hope to have another aquaponics department up and running again."
The aquaponics department had grown food using a very sophisticated system that required no soil or any addition of plant nutrients. Instead, the plants received food from the nutrient rich waste excreted by the Dotaran fish, the iccythas, which shared the same water troughs as the plants. For the most part, other than providing the proper light and growing conditions for the plants, all they needed to do was feed the fish and the rest would take care of itself. That nearly autonomous system, however, had been lost with the Aramis, and that was one of the reasons the primadon hunts were commissioned. We desperately needed to increase our dwindling food stores.
"Well, if that's the case, I'll look forward to having a full stomach again soon," I remarked. "Any news on the prisoners?"
"Not that I am aware of," she replied. "Thuric and his band of rebels have been stubbornly silent, and I don't see that changing any time soon."
"Have you seen Nadina yet?" I asked her.
"Yes," she replied. “I see her every day, but I can never stay for long. She still mourns for her father, but she’s beginning to be herself again.”
“That’s good, at least.”
Mya continued, “I told her Thuric was captured, but she already knew. She saw him and his rebels being taken into the brig. He saw her too, unfortunately.”
I didn't mention it to her then, but Demtrius and the other captains had already agreed to allow me to see Thuric later that day. There were still questions I needed answers for, and I was hoping Thuric would be just arrogant enough to reveal some of them.
Our attention was stolen by a small procession of bridge officers that came walking out of the ship, lining up on either side of the entrance ramp. They were followed by the four first-mates, which was an ill-fitting title if you ask me. Then, finally, came the captains. Dolvin and Demtrius came out first, walking side by side, and directly behind them were Nepalen and Alexitus. They came halfway down the ramp and stopped where everyone would be able to see and hear them clearly. Demtrius and Dolvin then spread apart, allowing Alexitus and Nepalen to step between them, forming a line across the ramp.
Alexitus was the first to step forward. "In light of recent events, we would just like to thank each and every one of you for your continued loyalty and commitment to this crew. We know the recent tragedies haven't been easy on anyone, and we praise you on your perseverance through these tumultuous times. Thanks to all of you, we have never been closer to going home."
Some of the crewmen began to clap, but stopped when Dolvin stepped forward next.
"The salvage crews have finally returned from the Aramis," said Dolvin, "and soon it will be time to move on to the next phase of our plan: finding the detriminium deposits so that we can finish the advancements that Pharon started. We know the deposits are located somewhere within the Okala Mountain Range, but the exact location is still unknown, for now at least. First, however, we have other matters of importance."
Demtrius picked up where Dolvin left off. "It is almost time to meet with the Mercerians again for their answer to our proposed treaty. Though we have Dotara in our sights at last, we can't ignore our current state of affairs. Our food stores have been almost completely depleted, and without the support of the Mercerians, we will not make it through the remainder of the winter months. We need their help now so that we may get home later."
"That being said," Nepalen continued, "the recent attack by the Scynthians has cost us dearly, and we cannot spare two teams with ships and supplies. We, your dutiful captains, have discussed this matter over and over again, and we have finally decided upon what we believe the necessary course of action should be."
"We know you have waited far too long to see Dotara again," said Alexitus, "but the search for the detriminium mines will need to wait until after we meet with the Mercerians. Patience, that is what we ask of you, and, by the hand of Carnyle, we will go home!"
His final words elicited a grand cheer from the crew, and I was cheering with them. We were successfully picking up the pieces after the Scynthians' attack and plans were finally getting back on track. As Alexitus had said, we just needed patience now.
Chapter Twenty
Thuric
Not long after the briefing, Demtrius brought me to see Thuric. I wasn't looking forward to questioning him, and I had a debilitating migraine that made me keenly aware of every beat of my heart, as the pain perfectly synchronized to it. I had been having a lot of them lately, coming upon me quickly and without a discernible cause, along with a myriad of other random pains and ailments. It was like I was being tortured from the inside. It affected my days so much at times that I ended up seeing one of the ship’s doctors for some type of medication. He reluctantly parted with some of his limited supply, but it was only partially effective, leaving me still frustratingly sensitive to light and sound. All I wanted to do was remain in my bed with the compartment's lights off during these bouts of pain. Now, however, I just had to grin a bear it until we were finished with Thuric.
The brig was located on a lower section in the rear of the ship. The room was isolated from the rest of the vessel by a series of secured doors, the last of which consisted of interlocking bars of blue Dotaran steel. A pair of guards stood at each door, and the first pair initially barred our entrance until they recognized they were in the presence of one of their captains. Demtrius nodded at each of them, presented his access badge, and then patted the compact mattertron he wore on his back. The guards quickly bowed away, allowing us to pass through into the brig.
I rubbed circles on my temples, trying to alleviate some of the pain, but it didn't help much, and my entire head felt like it was going to burst.
It was a long corridor, just like on the Aramis. There were eight cells to each side on the first level, and the same layout for the upper level. The cells were small, rectangular rooms, roughly eight feet deep, six feet across, and perhaps another eight feet in height. They were bare, save for a small metal toilet in one corner and a small bench that hung suspended against the back wall, acting dually as a bed, but every cell we passed on the ground level was vacant; all except one. Nadina laid in her cell, sleeping, so we passed the cell without disturbing her.
"Where are the rest of the prisoners?" I asked.
"Above us," he said, pointing to the second, seemingly unreachable level. "We keep them up there for the added security. The cells are only accessible via the use of a mattertron and transmutation.”
"Do the guards not have mattertrons of their own?" I asked.
"Not while on duty here," he replied. "It wouldn't be wise to keep the devices even in the same general vicinity as the brig, so we must bring them in with us when we need to see a prisoner or add a member to one of our cells. Again, for the added security."
"As always, you're very thorough," I remarked.
"We try to be," he replied. He removed the compact mattertron from his back and went to press one of its buttons. He paused just before doing so. "Ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be.”
Before I even realized it, we were floating above the floor, ascending steadily toward one of the lofted cells in the middle of the upper row. The closer we came to the ceiling, the brighter the ceiling lights became, forcing me to squint because of my sensitivity. The pain was dizzying.
We came up under the cell and peered into the space, safe behind the incredibly durable window pane. Inside lay a Scynthian on his bench, twiddling his webbed fingers with closed eyes. His hairless brow raised, and he turned his head just slightly, somehow aware of our presence. He cast a devilish smile, and then rested his head back again.
"You actually believe he will be forthright with you?" Demtrius asked. He and the other captains had already attempted to interrogate the prisoners, but with no success. The Scynthians remained stubbornly silent and uncooperative, just as Demtrius had expected.
"We won't know unless we try," I replied, again rubbing my temples in small circles. To be sure, I thought my chances of eliciting a truthful response were much higher than the Dotarans. The captains were focused on a different set of concerns. My questions had little to do with the blood feud between the two races, and more to do with my personal predicament.
As I've already tried to explain, I just didn't feel quite like myself anymore. Ever since my fall while hunting the primadon, I felt an insatiable emptiness inside myself; a void that I couldn't figure out how to fill. It was eating at me, tearing me apart bit by bit. This eerie feeling came almost simultaneously with the realization that my body was healing slower than it had been, leading me to believe that the enhancement serum was wearing off. My body had become accustomed to the energizing and rejuvenating effects of the serum, and if my body was craving it, that would explain the feeling I had perfectly. It would even explain the headaches; they would be part of my withdrawal symptoms.
This was, of course, just speculation, so, in addition to my questions regarding the disappearance of my journals, I would inquire more about the serum too. Hopefully Thuric was in a talkative mood.
Demtrius gave a hand signal to the guards at the computer station, and a moment later a laser shot forth from high on the wall, landing on the center of the clear wall. It was one solid pane without any gaps or seams, but the laser instantly altered one section of the crystalline structure, providing us a means of ingress into the cell.
Thuric just stayed lying back, not even deigning to sit up and face us. He was apparently unconcerned by his imprisonment, but his steadfast confidence had an immediate unnerving affect upon me. Did he know something we didn't? Had we overlooked a crucial detail at some point? Nothing came to mind, but Thuric seemed so content and without a care in the world. What I would have given for such assurance.
"I was wondering when you'd come," he said, speaking in Scynthian, so at present only I could understand him. Demtrius had his utility device to translate, but he hadn't activated it just yet. "The blue bastards have already tried to pry answers from my lips, and you'll have the same luck they did."
"We just came to talk," I replied friendly, but I didn't know how long I could hold it up in my current capacity.
"Of course you did," he said dismissively.
Demtrius had now activated his translator and was able to understand the rest of the conversation.
"Still picking up the pieces from my attack on the Aramis, I presume?" Thuric asked Demtrius, taunting him. He sat up smiling and leaned on an elbow, "Tell me, exactly how many Dotarans died in the attack? I have a wager going with my brother that the death toll was no less than one hundred thirty crewmen. Am I close?" He laughed to himself. "And how is Pharon doing?” he asked in feigned ignorance. “Oh, I'm sorry, you lost him during the attack, didn't you?" He laughed again. “That weak old fool got exactly what he deserved. My only regret is that we allowed him to escape Scynthia with his contemptuous daughter before they received their just deserts. I would have pursued them across the universe if it came to that, but my brother didn't believe the pair would be a threat while on this planet. Orric is more merciful than I am; he's remained isolated on Scynthia for far too long."
Orric; I remembered hearing that name once prior. Before I had left Earth, one of the robed men in the cave beneath my uncle's cabin had said the name. Could this be the same Orric?
"Your brother is your superior then?" I asked, intrigued by this bit of information, though still squinting from the cell's bright lights. My head was throbbing in agonizing pain, and I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so miserable.
Thuric's smile lessened. "Orric and I are equals, my small-minded friend, but it is not just the two of us who oversee operations on Scynthia. We have many supporters that aided us in our revolution, and several of them now serve on the new Council with us."
"But Orric apparently has more influence than you do," I remarked. My migraine was almost unbearable, and I was sure Thuric could see my present discomfort, but if he did, he didn't comment on it.
"We are a civilized society," he replied in calm indifference, "and we make decisions based on the overall benefit of Scynthia. In this particular situation, the Council found Orric's plan more favorable."
"What is his plan?" I asked quickly. Could drawing the information out of Thuric be this easy? For the sake of my headache, I could only hope it would be.
"To put it simply," Thuric replied, bearing another devilish grin, "the slow-burn is much more satisfactory, though I've always been a fan of an expedient execution."
So it won't be that easy, I thought. Damn.
"Not that it matters much now," he continued. "Your crew is hopeless and in tatters, and the refuge of this hidden camp will not last for long. Orric will find this place, and then he will take advantage of your weakened state. We'll finally be rid of you all, and our plans can go ahead unimpeded once again."
"What makes you so sure of that?" I asked.
"History!" he exclaimed, now standing up. "History has a tendency to repeat itself, and the Dotarans have never fared well when pit against my people."
“We managed to capture you,” Demtrius replied. I could tell he was growing agitated.
“A one-time anomaly,” Thuric answered dismissively.
"The Iccaryn will never be found," said Demtrius, but lacking conviction. "Not while I have any authority here."
"And if you honestly believe that," Thuric shot back, "then why are you here with me now? You are desperate, and there's no concealing that. Soon someone on your side will make a costly mistake, and then my people will capitalize."
"You're a cocky bastard, huh?" I asked.
"And you're so naive!" he said enthusiastically. "We know everything about what you have been doing here, and we have planned accordingly! You haven't a hope in the world of escaping Orric's wrath! None of you do!"
"Enough." said Demtrius, cutting Thuric off. He was standing just behind my right side, and the volume of his voice sent additional pangs of pain coursing through my head. "You are our prisoner, and your paltry threats do not scare us in the least. Now stop wasting our time; that is not what we came here for."
"Of course it isn't," Thuric laughed, "but why pass up the opportunity to rub salt in your wounds?"
Demtrius didn't respond, and was somehow able to remain calm.
"You claim to know an awful lot about us," I said, trying to get the conversation on track. My head had stopped throbbing, and the migraine seemed to be dissipating. "Too much, as it would appear. I'm curious, how have you been gathering your information?"
Thuric looked at me with scrutinizing eyes, judging my intentions. "I know what you are really asking, and I believe you already know the answer to that question."
"Please, if you'll indulge me for just a few minutes," I said. "There are some things that I don't quite understand."
He looked at me tiredly, like it wasn't worth explaining himself to a mere human, but then he shrugged his shoulders. "Not like I'll have company again for a while, eh?" He looked at me with his black, beady eyes.
“We know it was you who took the journals,” I told him matter-of-factly. “If you knew how to get to them, then why not just finish us off?”
"Perhaps I wanted you to capture me," he suggested connivingly, grinning slowly. "Perhaps you've done everything I've wanted you to do."
I just didn't have the time or energy for his games. "So if this is your genius plan, what is so important about being aboard this ship?" I asked.
"That is for me to know, and you to worry about," he replied unhelpfully.
My headache suddenly came back in full force, hunching me over in extreme agony.
"You don't look well," Demtrius whispered into my ear. "Perhaps we should come back another time?"
"I'm fine," I lied. In truth, the resurgence of the migraine came with terrible nausea, and beads of sweat suddenly began running down the sides of my face.
"Interesting," said Thuric, regaining our attention. "It must have been...yes yes, that would be about the right amount of time."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Tell me," he asked, "other than your apparent discomfort, have you been experiencing any other unpleasant sensations? Any sudden illnesses, or perhaps you've noticed you're not healing quite as quickly anymore?”
I just stared at him.
"It's just," he paused, feigning thoughtfulness, "the enhancement serum administered to you on Scynthia should prevent you from experiencing any bodily pains, infections, or diseases.” He paused, “If the dose you received is still effective, of course."
"What are you trying to say?" I asked, impatient with concern.
"I've seen these symptoms, innumerous times, with our human subjects back on Scynthia," he said confidently. "It happens when the enhancement serum begins to wear off, and the symptoms only worsen the longer you go without a booster shot. How long has it been?" he asked in delight. "Three, maybe four Tatoran months? I'm surprised you’re not already writhing in relentless pain. It will pass eventually, but the withdrawal symptoms will get much worse for you before they begin to get better. Not all of our human subjects make it through the withdrawal stage."
I didn't trust him, but I must admit, Thuric had me fairly concerned. I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting to me though.
"Still," Thuric continued, "your fate will be far better than the one that awaits your woman."
"My woman?" I questioned him. The only woman Thuric could be referring to would be Mya, and I was instantly worried for her safety, but I tried not to betray my feelings to Thuric. "Mya is safe. You are the one whose fate hangs in the balance."
