5. Bikar
BIKAR
We cannot stay here.
I am not sure if this realization saddens me or not.
Truth be told, my mam and the others have barely been surviving on this rock, and now we know why.
Even though the vegetation is lush around the compound, the soil is not as fertile as it should be.
Which, in turn, means the sustenance-bearing trees are not producing properly.
This ripple effect cascades through ecosystems; it is one of the many ways The Scourge kills entire planets.
It consumes them from the inside out.
I am shocked that there have not been signs of the blight closer to the compound, since there are so many living beings here. The Scourge is drawn to anything living in its single-minded intent to devour all that it touches.
I voice my thoughts quietly to my family.
“We need to make preparations to leave. Immediately. SCOUT must have figured out what we were facing and sent us the means to escape. It all makes sense now that I know why SCOUT equipped this shuttle in the manner he did—it provides everything we could need while on a long-distance voyage across the Void. I am sure it has not escaped everyone that this shuttle is designed to hold multiple beings with some room to spare.”
They all nod and murmur in agreement, so I continue. “Mam, how soon do Myev and Lurtza think it will be before The Scourge is here?”
“That’s just it… It already is here.”
Realization hits me. “You’ve known about this longer than just now, have you not?”
Wearily she scrubs her hands over her face.
“Yes. Myev told me of their findings when you all first arrived, but did not want to worry you with this until it became imperative. I knew that getting everyone on the Zenith would be a tight fit, and resources would be stretched with so many aboard a ship meant for a small crew. Then EvO, ViN, SCOUT, and DESTINY showed up. Everything happened so fast that this is the first real opportunity I have had to discuss it with you.”
Einar, ever the medic, moves over to our mam and pulls her into a comforting embrace. “Mam, you must calm down, or the stress is going to make you sick. None of us are blaming you for keeping this to yourself.”
“I honestly thought we would have a little more time, but according to Lurtza and Myev, we have a rotation, maybe two at the most, before the full bulk of The Scourge arrives. It has consumed at least half Deapra by now, and is moving rapidly.”
Mam’s words are rushed and full of turmoil as she explains the gravity of our situation. Glancing over at Murgul and Ruarc, I can see the worry beginning to eat at them.
“Slavic, you or Murgul are fully capable of piloting the Zenith. I will fly this shuttle since I am the only one who can. None of you are familiar with this operating system, and we do not have time to waste arguing about it.”
Slavic nods in agreement. “What you say makes sense, Bikar. How long will it take you to do pre-flight checks on both ships?”
Taking a tic, I run scenarios through my mind before answering. “Less than half a rotation, as long as I am not interrupted.”
Slavic nods decisively. “Get it done,” he orders. “The rest of us will take care of everything else. You focus on getting our only transportation off this rock fully functional for a swift departure.”
“I hate to break up a well-thought-out plan, but where in the frack are we going to go?” Ruarc’s sarcasm is scathing as he glares at all of us. “Last I checked, none of us are welcome on Uzrul since we are all abominations. Kallen’s uncle, the frackin KING, will have us all killed on sight!”
Einar and Slavic look at each other knowingly, then back at me expectantly. “What?”
Ruarc and Murgul’s heads whip around at my overly nonchalant tone. Ruarc, ever the impatient arse, barks. “Well?” He asks. “What do you frackers know that we do not?” he finishes, gesturing to himself and Murgul.
Offering them an evil grin, I reply. “We’re going back to Viri 9, of course. And Ruarc, you should close your mouth. You look like an aquatic dweller struggling to breathe on land.”
Murgul snickers at that and dodges Ruarc’s half-hearted punch.
Rolling my eyes at them, I finish explaining.
“What you and Murgul do not know is that before we left Viri 9, I infected all the Aynar tech, their ships, and the facilities they used to experiment on us with a virus. Slavic and Einar were smart enough to ask questions after we escaped.”
Dodging Ruarc’s leg as he tries to kick me, I dart to the side and keep talking. “Nothing the Aynar gained from our exploitation was left. I also managed to wipe all the ships that were still docked planetside before we escaped. We all know that not all of our people made it off that rock...”
Pausing, I look around at my brothers and can tell this knowledge has weighed heavily on them for orbital rotations, just as it has me.
Einar speaks first. “We all knew that there were Rukuhks left behind, but we were in no place to offer aid to those who may have been resentful that we were able to escape.”
At least I can offer them some semblance of reassurance that the ones we left behind were not eradicated by those frackin faeries the tic we escaped.
“One thing I can assure you of is this: there are no Aynar left on Viri 9. The virus I used rendered anything they relied on useless… including the amplification tech that broadcasted their mental powers. Unless they had physical contact with a Ruk, the tool they controlled us with is now inoperable. I also may or may not have checked in on the status of Viri 9 over the orbital rotations.”
Everyone’s jaws drop at that, even mams, her shock evident. “Well, that certainly puts another perspective on us going back to Viri 9,” she remarks. “Bikar, you are saying we would be safe and accepted there, considering the way we left?”
Looking at her, I offer the truth as I know it. “We have a better chance there than anywhere else in the Void.” Nodding her head in agreement, she waits for the rest of us to make a decision.
“Agreed.” Slavic decisively states.
“Frack, I guess that works.” Ruarc grumpily intones.
“I concur.” Einar gently acquiesces.
“Yesss,” Murgul hisses.
They all turn to head down the ramp to leave, but I slide in front of Murgul before he can depart. “Brother, I need a favor from you.”
He pauses, tilting his head to the side contemplatively, causing his alabastrine hair to sway. A lift of his chin tells me he is listening.
Gathering my courage, I blurt it out. “I need you to figure out how to get my mate on this ship and not the Zenith. I do not need Bambi hiding with that other female, Heather, on a completely different ship. She will want to return to something familiar instead of boarding here where everything is new.”
Murgul’s facial expression does not change for a few tics, so I hurry to tell him the rest of my plan.
“You are the most skilled in subterfuge, as it was part of your training. That is why I have not broached this with any of our other brothers. They’re all too frackin earnest and honest, but you and I…
we can be sneaky when it is needed. It would be even better if you could figure out how to get our mam on the Zenith as well.
Perhaps put mam in Falon’s old room, so she and Atasha have a space to themselves.
Bambi and Heather have grown very close, so it would stand to reason that they will wish to remain together.
Getting Bambi away from her friend whilst on the shuttle will be my objective. ”
Slowly, an evil grin develops until a radiant smile full of wicked glee at my plot is stamped across his scarred face. “Leave… it to… me.”
Relief makes my knees weak for a tic before I force myself to stand strong. I impulsively pull Murgul into an embrace, ignoring the way his body stiffens before gradually relaxing into the contact. Releasing him just as abruptly, I spin on my heel and stalk back to the helm room.
I have work to do.