Rouhr Read online

  At the moment, she was creating simulations on what a hybrid’s brain chemistry looked like in various stages of infection. Once those simulations were complete, Leena and Evie could test their work.

  The trio worked in harmony while I sat off to the side fidgeting, wishing there was more I could do.

  “So, how long until we have a cure?” It’d been hours, at least, since I’d asked.

  Evie sighed heavily and glared at me.

  “If you ask me that one more time, I’m banning you from the lab. You know full well that this sort of thing doesn’t run on a schedule. I could have a breakthrough in five minutes or five months.”

  I understood her testiness. There was a lot resting on her shoulders now.

  “I know, I know.” I put my hands up in surrender.

  “It’s actually not a bad thing that the hybrids keep flinging themselves at the sonic barrier, you know,” Leena commented mildly. “Certainly, doesn’t hurt that we have a steady supply of samples for testing.”

  “Leena,” Evie gasped.

  The chemist just shrugged. “You know I’m right. We can’t work blind, and being soft-hearted isn’t going to solve anything.”

  I could see that Evie didn’t like it, but we all knew the truth. We needed every advantage we could possibly get, even if it was a tad… grisly.

  “I don’t understand why they’re doing it, though,” Leena added. “You’d think after they saw one die, they’d stop.”

  “I don’t think they can control it.” Evie would know better than any of us. Not long ago, she’d nearly lost her mind to the Xathi queen.

  It still boggled my mind. “Then why would the Xathi queen force them into a barrier that would kill them? She must have realized she can’t get to us.”

  “Maybe they’re a distraction? She could be planning something bigger.”

  I agreed. “Still doesn’t seem very logical.”

  “They’re giant crystal bugs hell-bent on wiping out our population. Why are you looking for logic?” Leena gave a dry laugh.

  “Because they’re supposed to be military geniuses, too,” I replied.

  Evie amended that it could be a psychological thing. “She tried to manipulate me when she was in my head. She knows we know that the hybrids were once humans. Maybe she’s just being spiteful by forcing so many to die in front of us.”

  “That’s horrible.” I shuddered.

  “Hey, Leena! Come look at this.” Evie was peering through a microscope.

  Despite the topic of conversation, a smile bloomed over her features.

  I took that as a good sign. Leena abandoned her work and peered through the microscope, too.

  “That’s great!” A smile appeared on her face, as well.

  “What’s great?” I didn’t want to look through the microscope. I wouldn’t understand what I was seeing.

  “Hold on.” Evie’s excitement was growing by the second.

  She gestured to Glint, who wasn’t fond of using the speech-pad to talk, and asked her to look into the microscope, too. Glint silently analyzed whatever she was seeing. When she pulled away after a few minutes, she nodded at Leena and Evie with approval.

  If she had a mouth, I guessed she’d be smiling.

  “What is it?” I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “Did you find a cure?”

  “Not yet,” Evie cautioned me. “But we’re finally seeing the reaction we’ve been looking for. I think we’ve found the right combination of chemicals.”

  “So, what does that mean?” I asked.

  Leena chimed in to explain that we needed to find the correct proportions. “We believe the Xathi queen alters the brain chemistry of a subject until it’s shifted to a state that’s compatible with hers. Once it’s compatible, somehow she’s able to take control, not only mentally, but by changing the body’s physiology.” She drummed her fingers on the workbench. “I’m not sure if we’ll ever know exactly how she does that. But now, we have the correct mixture of natural and synthetic chemicals, so it could be possible for us to reverse the queen’s damage.”

  “And that all means…” I prompted.

  “We can potentially kick the Xathi queen out of someone’s brain,” Evie clarified.

  “Incredible!” I clapped my hands together. “And you’re sure?”

  Leena opened her mouth, no doubt to launch into another lengthy and technical explanation, but Evie cut in.

  “Yes, we’re sure.” she grinned.

  I couldn’t wait to inform General Rouhr. I so hoped he’d be pleased. Like everyone else, I heard the swirl of rumor and worry that floated through the ship. I knew that soon he’d have to make some decisions. Hard ones.

  Hopefully, this bit of good news would be enough to buy us more time, maybe give him some leverage. “Excellent work, ladies. I’ll check in later.”

  I rushed out of the lab, excitement bubbling under my skin. Evie was so close. A cure could be days, maybe even hours, away.

  Rouhr’s office was empty when I checked for him, so I asked one of the guards stationed nearby. He wasn’t on the Aurora at all, but on the ground outside. I thought that was strange, but I needed to speak with him immediately.

  I took the elevator down to what we’d all started calling the ground floor. It wasn’t the main hub of the Aurora, but it was where the tear in the hull lead right out to the ground.

  I stepped back in surprise when I stepped out of the elevator. More than half of the rip in the hull was sealed up and in its final stages of repair.

  At this rate, we’d need a new name for the level. I figured it wouldn’t be long until the hull was completely finished and they could move on to repairing the engines and thrusters.

  “General?” There were several soldiers stationed in front of the tear in the hull. They’d brought out storage crates to use as barricades, though they weren’t taking any fire. Their guns and blasters, on the other hand, were aimed at the invisible wall that was the sonic barrier.

  On the other side, I could see a large gathering of Xathi and hybrids. The Xathi still held back, while the hybrids charged right into the barrier. The frequency of the sonic barrier was calibrated to deter full Xathi.

  I could only imagine what it was doing to the weaker hybrids, day after day. The sonic barrier didn’t kill them right away, but that didn’t stop the hybrids from running into it over and over.

  Occasionally, one was strong enough to fight through the disruptive wavelengths. The soldiers immediately shot it down.

  General Rouhr stood behind his men, surveying the damage.

  “Wouldn’t it be kinder to shoot them before they encounter the sonic barrier?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  “Kinder, perhaps,” he nodded, eyes still fixed on the attackers. “But I’d rather watch and see if they learn to stop trying. Besides,” his lips twisted into a half-smile, “we need to conserve ammo.”

  My shoulders slumped. “Evie thinks they don’t have any control over their bodies.”

  “I’m inclined to agree with her. When they’re exposed to those sonic wavelengths, they’re essentially rattling their own brains.”

  I could’ve been mistaken, but I thought I detected pity in his voice.

  “I’ve got some news that might cheer you up.” I smiled. “Evie, Leena, and Glint have made an astounding breakthrough. A cure isn’t far off.”

  “That’s terrific.” Rouhr’s dark eyes glinted. “How long?”

  “Evie almost threw me out for asking that question,” I playfully warned Rouhr. “She can’t give a timeline. It doesn’t work that way. But it’s only a matter of time.”

  The warmth drained from Rouhr’s eyes. “Everything is a matter of time.” There was a barrage of blaster fire as another hybrid managed to get past the barrier, though it was already falling before the first blast struck it. “I’ve made a decision.”

  “What’s that?” Dread pooled in my stomach.

  “As soon as the Aurora is flight-ready, my men and I ar
e leaving.” At least Rouhr had the courage to look me in the eyes when he told me. I’d give him that, but that’s all I was going to give him.

  “You can’t be serious.” I laughed, though nothing was funny. “I’ve just told you how close we are to finding a cure, and you tell me you’re abandoning us?” Rage shot through my veins, white-hot and searing.

  “I have to start thinking realistically.” Rouhr’s voice sounded infuriatingly calm and even. “I want to give you as much time as I can. But you said so yourself, Evie can’t tell us when she’ll have a cure. Thribb has told me when the Aurora’s repairs will be complete, and I know how long we can sustain ourselves this way. We can’t wait indefinitely for a cure that might not come in time.”

  “I’m not asking for you to wait indefinitely.” My voice was rising. “I’m asking you to think about what your decision means for us.”

  “Night after night, it’s kept me awake.”

  “Poor thing, I’ve been awake night after night, too, because the fate of my race was in the hands of someone else.”

  Rouhr opened his mouth to speak, but I cut in anyway, too angry to care about interrupting a general. An alien. Whatever.

  “Do you realize what happens when you leave? Evie loses her lab. She loses every chance of finding a cure. Hundreds of people lose their food, shelter, and protection.”

  “I’ve offered the shelter of the Aurora indefinitely. That includes when we leave this planet.”

  “So that’s the only choice we get? Abandon our home or die? And what of the thousands that aren’t on the Aurora? Don’t they matter?”

  “I have to think about my men.” Rouhr’s calm tone was cracking. “My men are trapped here while the Xathi are ravaging their homeworlds, too. Don’t you think they deserve a say in where they go?”

  That did it. I snapped.

  “You’re paying for your worlds with mine. There’s a chance to save thousands and thousands of lives, and you’re choosing not to take it. Justify it however you want, but that’s the truth of the matter. Now, please excuse me.”

  I stormed away, leaving Rouhr standing among his soldiers with a scowl on his face and sadness in his eyes.

  3

  Rouhr

  I hadn’t slept in two days. Vidia’s words echoed in my mind every moment of every day since we’d last spoken.

  She was right.

  I had allowed myself to mistake the logical decision for the right decision when I knew that, oftentimes, it was never that simple.

  Vidia hadn’t spoken more than a few sentences to me since I informed her of my decision, which wasn’t surprising. We still had to interact often, since our jobs overlapped so much, but she avoided me as much as possible.

  I knew how much she believed I’d do the right thing.

  She’d put her faith in me, and I let her down.

  I couldn’t pin down why the thought bothered me so much, besides the obvious reason. It wasn’t just that I’d be letting the humans down—it was that I’d be letting her down.

  This was a war. War required sacrifices and difficult choices. I’d made a wrong choice, and if I could find a way to amend it, I would.

  Vidia said there was always something to be done. I just needed to find something more substantial than a cure that might never come.

  “General!”

  I turned my head sharply toward the soldier who had called my attention. I could tell by his tone that it wasn’t the first time he’d called me.

  “Speak.” I nodded.

  “More Xathi and hybrids are arriving at the barriers. The strike teams have docked to restock their ammo.”

  “They’re in the docking bay now?” The soldier nodded. “Tell them to come to the main conference room immediately, but only if you think the ground soldiers can handle the Xathi.”

  He confirmed that they could. “Hardly any actually make it through the sonic barrier. The Xathi don’t even try. It’s just the hybrids.”

  I paused, processing his statement. It suddenly made sense.

  “Call out the snipers to join the ground crew, except for Tu’ver. But I’ll send him out after the strike team meeting. Replace the entire ground team with snipers if you can.”

  “Sir?” the soldier confirmed.

  “The Xathi aren’t trying to attack. They’re just trying to get us to waste our ammo. Snipers will take out the hybrids in one shot. Make sure they know to conserve as much as possible.” The soldier nodded his head once and walked away.

  I made my way to the larger conference room one deck up. It didn’t take long for my crew to arrive.

  They looked confused. I’m sure they were wondering why I’d pulled them from combat. It was strange to think that the Xathi were so close to us, but couldn’t reach us.

  Once everyone I’d asked for was present, I spoke.

  “I formed your strike teams long ago as a way to reward the best and brightest of my soldiers and to make sure superior forces could be sent where they were needed most. Today, I’ve called you in for a different and somewhat unusual reason.”

  “Is this about the Aurora repairs?” Vrehx asked.

  “It is.” I nodded. “Thribb and I have been meeting regularly for some time now, as I’m sure you all know.”

  “We know Thribb wants to leave,” Sakev scoffed. “Can’t think about anything else.”

  “And you don’t?” Karzin shot back.

  Sakev was going to say something back, but I cleared my throat. All attention was drawn back to me.

  I ran my ship differently than most other generals. My crew didn’t need permission to speak. They were free to voice their thoughts.

  I believed that, because of that, the respect my crew had for me was genuine. I didn’t demand respect, then punish them when it was withheld. I sought to earn it. I believed it made all the difference.

  But this was still my meeting, and it would run to my time.

  “Thribb continuously runs calculations, measuring everything from ammunition to refugee resources. Finding the Urai and saving the Aurora was a stroke of luck. It’s much better equipped to house refugees than the Vengeance was. What it lacks in defense weaponry, it makes up for in its technology, like the sonic barriers.”

  “General, you’re not saying you prefer this luxury cruise liner to the Vengeance, are you?” Sk’lar lifted a brow.

  I gave a short chuckle.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” I replied. “The Vengeance was designed to fight the Xathi. That’s what we need. However, I think we all know the Vengeance isn’t likely to fly again. The Aurora, on the other hand, has a much better chance.”

  “The hull is nearly repaired,” Axtin interjected. He’d been one of the first to see the Aurora when she crash-landed. “But do you think she’ll fly again? That’s two entirely different things.”

  “From the reports, I have high hopes,” I answered honestly. The repairs were going more smoothly than I would’ve guessed.

  “So, is that it, then?” Rokul spoke up. “The Aurora will likely fly again, and when she does, we can finally pack up and get back to the real fight.”

  “This is a real fight,” Tu’ver said through gritted teeth.

  “This is one Xathi ship targeting a small civilian population. Back in our galaxy, there are hundreds of ships ravaging our worlds as we speak—our homes, remember? I’d consider that a higher priority,” Rokul shot back.

  At this point, I took a step back and listened. This was the sort of open discussion I’d been hoping to elicit. This was when I learned the most about the crew.

  If things got out of hand, I’d step in. But these unfiltered discussions were more informative than anything else.

  “It’s our fault the Xathi are here. It’s our responsibility to deal with them,” Vrehx remarked.

  “It’s your fault,” Karzin emphasized. “It was on your order that an experimental weapon was fired, tore a hole in the universe, and brought us here, away from the real war.”
r />   Vrehx’s eyes were murderous, but he knew better than to resort to violence.

  “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is,” Sk’lar argued. “We’re not going to abandon a civilian population to the Xathi. It’s against everything we stand for.”

  “I joined up to protect my people on my world,” Rokul interjected. “I have sisters and a mother that need my protection, and I’m no good to them if I’m stuck here.” His brother, Takar, echoed his sentiments.

  Axtin rolled his eyes upon hearing this. “We all have families to worry about.”

  “Not all of us,” Sakev muttered.

  But Karzin wasn’t one who would easily back down. “Just because some of you don’t have anything to go back to, it doesn’t mean I want to trade the lives of my family for the lives of these humans, galaxies away from home.”

  “Enough.” I raised one hand. The crew went silent, though I could still feel their anger radiating off them. “It would seem that you have some mixed feelings on the subject of leaving. Not a surprise. Let’s turn the discussion to solving a problem, rather than arguing about it.”

  “What’s there to solve? This isn’t our planet. This isn’t our problem,” Karzin stubbornly insisted.

  Whether or not I agreed, I did understand his frustration.

  Some of the crew knew for a fact that their loved ones had been killed in the initial Xathi attacks on our respective worlds.

  Karzin was one of many who didn’t know if his family was alive or not, which was arguably worse.

  I hadn’t been able to receive any reports from other units concerning the state of our home planets before we fell through the rip, but I remember when the Xathi first appeared.

  They were quick to kill and destroy.

  On my planet, they knew exactly where to strike to hurt us the most. I’m sure it was the same for the other planets.

  I wouldn’t dare say this out loud. I hated to even think it.

  But if we did return to our homeworlds, I doubted there would be much left to return to.

  “Even if the Aurora is ever declared fit for space travel,” Tu’ver spoke over Karzin, “I can tell you now, I won’t be on it. I’ll be staying here. I’ll fight for the humans, regardless.”