Rising Warrior-Rising Threat Read online

  Dr Sares picked up a micro clamp and, nodding to his team, reached in to the braincase and focused on the Galdrick gland and the tubule it used to access the brain. “I’m preparing to clamp the Galdrick duct.” He secured the clamp a moment later and pulled back to watch what would happen next. The Galdrick still pumped, but the clamp closed it off from the rest of the brain and Bichard’s twitches began to slow. “Good, I figured that might happen.”

  Dr Sares then reached in to probe at the gland. Using his laser scalpel, he trimmed away at the connective tissue holding it in place until he exposed two nerves linking the gland to the brain. The nurse wiped the sweat from his brow: he looked up and made eye contact with Marda. “Now, this should work. Retraction.”

  The nurse reached in with a retractor and held the gland back as Dr Sares sliced through the two nerves. The gland stopped pumping.

  The room breathed a collective sigh of relief but, as Marda looked back down, saw to her horror that the Simpcam had begun to swell again. “Sir!”

  Dr Sares looked over, but still had the Galdrick to deal with. “I was afraid that might happen. Now Cadet, listen to me and act quickly. Clamp off all those nerve and duct connections to the brain before it starts pumping.”

  Marda complied, snatching the microclamp tool from her tray. She raced to pinch off the eight separate ducts which wormed their way into his brain. She had to act fast, as even if a single duct remained open the simpcam would spray neurotoxin into his brain and bloodstream. After setting the last clamp, she looked up at Dr Sares.

  He nodded, his proud smile evident even through the surgical mask. “Good work. Now we have to be very careful with that thing. It’s still swelling up something fierce and we don’t want to puncture it.”

  Marda nodded, but could tell that something was wrong. “I know, but it shouldn’t be filling anymore.” She closed her eyes for a moment, cursing herself and called up the last scan of Bichard’s brain on her micomm. “There are two main ducts that lead in and out of the simpcam, but they’re on the brain side.”

  Dr Sares nodded. “We need to get those clamped off. One must be feeding the gland and the other leads into his blood supply.”

  Marda wasted no time, and waved the other nurse in. The nurse held up each duct in turn. Taking the laser scalpel, Marda sliced through each of them just beyond the clamp to make sure that the poison wouldn’t leak out. As she severed the last line, she nodded to the nurse and she pulled the simpcam back far enough to reveal two thick veins leading in and out of the gland.

  Marda looked up as a wet slap echoed up from the tray beside Dr Sares. The Galdrick gland lay in a small petri dish on the simple metal bench, the nurse sliding the cover over it. Dr Sares gave the gland a curious look. “I’d imagine more than a few scientists will be interested in this.”

  He then looked down at what Marda was doing and nodded. “Good work so far. Now clamp them both off. Use two clamps each, then slice between the two clamps on both lines at the same time. I have no idea which one goes where. Then get that thing out of there.”

  Marda nodded, and reaching in, snapped four micro clamps into place. Taking a long deep breath, she then reached back in with the laser scalpel and with Dr Sares positioning the two blood vessels together sliced through them. Yellow liquid seeped from one of the lines. “Oh my god, what are his vitals?”

  The nurse checked the hologram above him. “Still stable.”

  “Calm down cadet. That looks like his blood to me, just ease it out now.”

  Bichard jerked and went into spasms. Marda looked up at the hologram above, Bichard’s vital signs scrambling, jerking and jumping in ways she’d never seen before. Some of the neurotoxin must have leaked out.

  Dr Sares looked up at her, Marda locking eyes with him. “You have him Cadet, make the call.”

  Marda looked at the gland in Dr Sares’ fingers and searched for some answer. “Suction, and give me more retraction. We must have missed something or nicked the gland.”

  Waiting Room, Medical Deck, UCSBA-13

  Almost a hect later the rest of the Blade Force had congegatedt in the waiting room. Less than three hects had passed since the incident on the flightdeck, and they’d heard nothing since. Blazer couldn’t stop staring at the doors to the operating theatre. He couldn’t be sure who to be more concerned for, his old friend or his wife. This can’t be easy on her. Bichard is our friend and she’s having to perform experimental surgery on his brain. I don’t even want to guess what she’s feeling right now.

  Chris stood next to the door in a set of coveralls, the first garments she’d found after the decon shower. Arion stood beside her. No one dared speak about the attack yet. It was so uncharacteristic of Bichard. Everyone kept themselves focused on his condition.

  A movement at the door from the main medical deck drew everyone’s attention and Alieha strode in. She looked around the room then bolted over to Arion. “I heard what happened, is he okay?”

  Arion shrugged his shoulders. “We don’t know yet, but what are you doing here?”

  “He’s your friend, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I heard what he did on the flightdeck.” She then turned to Chris. “The rumors circulating the academy and weave are pretty vicious, are you okay?”

  Chris turned on her, her face a closed mask, but her eyes screamed rage. “What kind of rumors?”

  Alieha looked at Arion for support for a moment then answered. “They said that he, that he forced himself upon you, that he…”

  Chris waved an angry, dismissive hand. “No, he didn’t. The others stopped him, and even if he did, it wouldn’t have been Bichard.” Chris paused for a moment. “I wasn’t so much afraid of what he tried to do, not even at the time. It wasn’t Bichard in there, but some animal that took him over, and made him feel compelled to breed. He had no control over it. That he could be turned so suddenly was what scared me.”

  Everyone in the room nodded their agreement.

  “I just hope he’s all right.”

  “I didn’t realize he was so well hung,” Rudjick commented, in a vain halfhearted attempt to ease the tension. But even he couldn’t laugh, not now.

  Blazer and Arion nodded. It was a monster at his last molting, and I think it might be bigger now.

  Gavit got up, walked over to the surgical doors, and after peaking in, turned towards Chris. “You didn’t seem all that scared of it Chris…”

  “Just what are you implying Gavit? You think that Bichard and I really would have done that? I’m not attracted to him that way, nor are we some puppets in one of your sick fantasies.”

  Gavit held up his hands. “They’re not my sick fantasies. You know what the rumors have said about you two before.”

  Chris turned away angered.

  I thought those rumors had died, Blazer thought. Where does that crap come from?

  Before anyone could say another word, the doors to the surgical suite swung open. Marda strode in, the sleeves of her surgical gown still smeared with Bichard’s blood. She looked around the room before removing her gown and tossing it into the recycler. “He’s going to be all right, we think.”

  Blazer breathed a sigh of relief, the others joining him.

  Relief turned to concern as she spoke and Chris broke from the wall to approach her. “You think? What happened to my Bichard?”

  Marda shook her head. “We got this Galdrick out easily enough. But when we removed his Simpcam, there were…, complications... Some of the neurotoxin leaked out.”

  Everyone exchanged nervous glances.

  “We don’t think they’ll be any permanent damage, but his neck and shoulders are extremely stiff. He’s in recovery now, was just waking up when I came out here.”

  They all looked around and Blazer wondered just how badly the surgery could have gone.

  “We have no idea what his long-term prognosis is at this point. This is the first time anyone has performed a surgery like this. There’s a very good chance he could come out with some paralysis. We did what we had to do to save his life.”

  They all nodded in understanding as Dr Sares burst into the room. “He’s fine,” he announced and Blazer felt as if he’d just emerged from a gas giant as the pressure let up. “I just spoke with him, his speech is slurred, but he’s coming around.”

  Blazer sat up straighter. “Is he clicking?”

  “Yeah, made it really hard to understand him, and then he started to just click.”

  Arion stepped up. “Did you record it?”

  Dr Sares thought about that then fished out his macomm. “The recovery room is always recorded, hold on let me pull it up.”

  He found the relevant recording a moment later and played it back for them, the hissing and clicking was erratic. Blazer could pick out only a few words before he turned to Gokhead.

  “He, he says he wants some jelly, or something else sugary,” Gokhead explained.

  Dr Sares laughed. “All right, I’ll see to that. Now remember we did have to hack open his skull, so he’s immobilized right now. We resealed the exoskeleton, but we’ll have to keep him under observation for at least a decle to watch for any neurological damage. He can see one visitor right now, and he’s asking for you,” he pointed at Chris.

  Chris slipped through the double-doors immediately; Dr Sares turned back to the team. “The rest of you are stinking up my waiting room in your flightsuits, go get yourselves cleaned up.”

  ***

  Chris bolted into the recovery area and found Bichard sitting up bed, a support frame immobilizing him. She couldn’t find any words. The whole back of his head was engulfed in a plastic bubble filled with a horrid-looking yellow fluid. Within it medical nanobots were resealing and reinforcing his exoskeleton. She took a seat next to him and he laid his big hand on hers and clicked away, too weak to speak.

  Chris took a moment to translate then looked back up at him, his antennae hanging. “I know big bug. It wasn’t your fault. It was that pedlick from Chertsin’s squad.”

  Bichard clicked back at her a little more agitated this time.

  “Yeah, Zithe and security had a long talk with them, not sure what the outcome is yet.”

  Bichard chittered at her again.

  “It doesn’t matter if it was meant to be a prank or not. Someone could have gotten hurt, killed, or worse.”

  Bichard’s antennae twitched to mimic a shoulder shrug, his big eyes drooping.

  “And don’t go into that conforming to the universe crap right now, he went too far.”

  Bichard chittered again.

  “Exactly.”

  He chittered more at her.

  “I, I don’t know what to say big bug,” she patted his hand. “But I know this. It doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

  Bichard clicked back at her in relief, and she smiled up at him.

  “But I’ll tell you this, unsheathe that thing around me again, and I’ll cut it off.”

  Bichard tried to laugh, but winced in pain instead.

  “It’s okay big bug, but you get better soon. I need my WSO out there.”

  Bichard smiled and hummed Chris’ favorite tune back at her.

  “This cycle is forgiven, just come back to me my Bichard.”

  Bichard continued to hum and clicked out one last tired message, his antennae drooping.

  Chris looked up at his monitor, they were sedating him again. “You’re my best friend Big Bug, and I really do love you so much.” She waited until his vitals showed he was asleep and gave him a kiss on the head. “And yes, I wish we could love each other that way too.”

  UCSB DATE: 1002.297

  Medical Suite A-18, Med Deck, UCSBA-13

  For the first time, Bichard began to understand why others seemed to enjoy silence so much. When he was younger he couldn’t stand it, he had to hear something at all times. His mother had complained that he couldn’t just sit and be quiet, or enjoy the quiet solitude of space. On trips with them aboard the good ship Bichard, he would blast his stereo. When his father confiscated that, he’d camp out by the engines or the life-support shop, anything to give him some stimulus. Now, in a soundproofed wing of the medical deck, he understood why some people liked it so quiet.

  Sitting in his hospital bed, studying his classwork on his macomm, the silence allowed him to get ahead of his classes. He had a roommate, a Chret cadet. It was the first time that Bichard had seen a Chret cadet out of their full environment suit. This one was experimenting with a new nano-film suit. It was almost invisible and covered his skin and feathers to protect others from the toxic excretions the chlorine breather’s body released. The only traditional part of his environment suit left was the chlorine atmosphere-flooded mask covering his beak and eyes. Bichard smiled, knowing that this cadet no longer felt encumbered by a full environment suit. He would now be able to interact with those around him with more freedom. He was a perfect roommate for Bichard. Since he’d arrived the cycle before, they had spoken only once. At this moment, they were both content to quietly get their work done.

  A knock at the door drew their attention. Through his multifaceted eyes, Bichard saw Alieha standing there. Why is she here? Why would she visit me? I could do with a visitor though. The team hadn’t come by at all this cycle due to classes and other duties. Even his Chret roommate took notice of Alieha and sat up.

  Bichard waved her in and she took a seat on the end of his bed. “How are you feeling?”

  Bichard tried nodding his big head but couldn’t due to the brace holding it in place. He settled with nodding his antenna. The exoskeleton on the fused back of his skull was still very sensitive.

  “Good, you’ve been through a lot. I just thought you might want to talk.”

  Bichard smiled and Alieha didn’t recoil. “I feel all right. Though, I feel like I’m in lower gravity.”

  She smiled and giggled in response.

  “There’s no need to psychoanalyze me, I swear.”

  Alieha smiled and patted him on the leg. “That’s not why I’m here, I’m here as a friend.”

  “You’re Arion’s friend girlfriend, I suppose.”

  She blushed. Their relationship was no secret, nor was the fact that security had written them up twice for inappropriate public displays of affection. She had a definite effect on Arion. “You’re Arion’s friend. I’m his girlfriend, so that makes you my friend too.”

  Bichard smiled back at her. It all seemed very familiar, like what Marda had said to him annura before. “You didn’t come by just to see me did you?”

  Alieha shook her head and, pulling up her sleeve, showed where the doctors had just taken a blood sample. “I have to come in for regular blood tests. Please don’t tell Arion, he would only worry and he shouldn’t.”

  Bichard tried to cock his head, regretted it and grasped at his neck in pain.

  Alieha looked on concerned, “Are you all right?”

  Bichard tried to nod, once again regretted it and nodded his antennae instead. “I still have to get used to nodding and shaking my head with my antennae, it is difficult to remember. I will be very glad when this blasted brace is off. But, are you okay?”

  She smiled. “I understand. Really I’m fine. I just have to get my liver function checked regularly. Let’s just say that my liver’s an off-the-shelf model and doesn’t always perform up to original equipment specs.”

  Bichard smiled at the analogy. “I see. So then you’re not the perfect woman everyone says you are.”

  She laughed, smiling at him and his roommate. “Please, don’t let that out. I have an image to maintain after all.”

  All of three of them shared a quick laugh.

  “Your second heart doesn’t take care of the toxins?” Bichard asked.

  She shook her head. “No, the second heart is for inhaled toxins, the liver for ingested toxins.”

  Bichard tapped his head against the wall behind him. “Yes, that’s right I remember that from biology class.”

  “But how are you doing?”

  “Mostly, I’m bored.”

  A figure blocked the light from the doorway and then Arion strode into the room. “I figured you were bored you lazy bug.” Then seeing Alieha he stopped and turned to her. “Alieha, what are you doing here babe?” A dirty grin broke his face and Bichard could only imagine what thoughts were running through his friend’s head.

  “I just thought I’d come by and visit. I’m thinking of using Bichard as a psychological case study.”

  Bichard’s upper right and lower left mandibles clacked together for a just a moment in a nervous twitch, Arion caught the movement then turned back to Alieha. “I’ll forgive the little lie, so long as you’re just here to see how my friend is doing.”

  She stared back at Arion, shocked. “How did you know?”

  He shrugged and pulled up a chair next to the bed. “It’s one of Bichard’s tells.”

  Bichard shrugged his shoulders, and she gave him a reassuring pat on the leg. “It’s okay Bichard. But you Arion, what are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to see my friend. And I figured the lazy bug might want something to do.”

  “I’m not being lazy. I’m a decle ahead in almost all of my classwork.”

  “Good then you can help me with mine. How’s your head feeling?”

  Bichard laughed, it felt good to laugh again. He hadn’t had many opportunities since the surgery. “It’s there. I think I’ll be all right by next cycle.”

  “What painkillers do they have you on?”

  Bichard shook his antennae. “I’ve refused them. I don’t want to risk addiction, and I don’t know how the gland loss will affect my tolerance levels.”

  “All right, it’s your call. But I brought you something.” Arion pulled a long thin musical bow from behind his back,

  Bichard’s antennae went rigid in excitement.

  “I figured it’s been a while since you’ve played. If you’re stuck in here the rest of the decle, you might as well get to practicing again.”