Estrenar clenched a fist to her gut in an effort to detract from the pain to no avail.
Though, she'd experienced pain at the hands of a man before.
Can't let him win.
Kathar, coward he was, shot her and ran.
She grit her teeth, resolved to not pass out, and began a slow and steady crawl from the Comms room to the adjacent living quarters. At a snail's pace, she entered a round module, similar to a bubble. Along the wall was a bed, an enclosed bathroom, and a private comms station. In the center of the room, a lone dura-chamber shone like a beacon in the dark.
Forster's bulky, naked body hung inside, eyes closed in dura-sleep. He'd only been encapsulated for a few hours, but it would have to be enough. Estrenar dragged herself up to reach the control panel. She depressed the "release" option. Immediately, the dura-fluid drained, a confirmation beeping intermittently. A body hung from the sustainability tubes, then tumbling onto the white mats.
On hands and knees, Forster coughed and sputtered, dura-fluid running in rivulets down his back. Estrenar collapsed along side him.
Her face next to his raised head, she managed to grate out, "I need your help."
In her wounded state, she managed to convince Forster she was clear of infection. At least, he accepted what she said because he understood the bigger issue: Kathar.
Still naked, he requested from the interface: "Locate Kathar and lock down the area."
"Locating."
While the machinery hummed in the background, Forster lifted Estrenar from the floor. She cried out, but he shushed her, carrying her like she weighed nothing. He deposited her onto a white surface near the bathrooms.
Through half-lidded eyes, she noticed small, sponge-like circles covering Forster's midsection.
That's my blood.
Cauterized openings usually made for less mess, but from moving around had torn open the wound from Kathar's weapon. Estrenar tried sitting up to assess the damage better, but a hand forced her back down.
"Lay," Forster commanded. Then, he adjusted the arm of a white hanging tool over Estrenar's body. To the interface, he said, "Scan and repair."
"Scanning." A beam shot out from tool, a blue light spanning over her stomach, passing over the charred flesh.
"Bite this." Forster handed her a hand towel. She held it, uncomprehending, until he repeated himself. She stuck it in her mouth and bit down.
"Repair initiated."
Intense heat followed the blue light. It felt like lava was pouring into her, and she wanted nothing more but to escape it. Probably seeing her tense up, Forster held Estrenar down with one hand, reminding her to bite down.
She bit into the towel, tears running over her cheeks as the devilish tool continued spitting out torture.
Finally, the interface said, "Repair complete."
The searing heat ceased. Estrenar dropped onto the med bay table, the soaked towel falling from her mouth. She drew her legs up to her stomach, wishing she didn't have a stomach, that she didn't have a body at all. She pressed her palms into her middle, suddenly realizing that the wound had closed up.
It seemed like a small consolation for the amount of torture that had been imposed upon her.
"What the fuck?" she moaned, rocking from side to side.
Forster had moved to the interface screen, but glanced over his shoulder at her.
"Didn't have time to anesthetize you against the med bay laser. Sorry."
"Motherfucker," she half-laughed, half-sobbed.
In response, she thought she heard him mumble something about how she hadn't minded it rough before. Her retort faded on her lips when the interface announced:
"Kathar located."
On the comms screen, a live image streamed, with Kathar hauling a suit and equipment to likely prepare for a pod of his own. Kathar stopped prepping to stare ahead.
"Launch area. Lock down confirmed."
"What's he looking at?" Forster said, mostly to himself.
"Probably realized how fucked he is," Estrenar wheezed.
"Well, Captain," Forster drawled, and Estrenar shook her head. "What should we do with him?"
She breathed in through her mouth, trying to expel the pain still rippling across her newly generated flesh. Then, an idea hit her.
Expel.
"I have a thought."
YOU ARE READING
Piece Simul ✔
Science FictionRuss, a former janitor, is now second-in-command on a mission to find a cure for The Storm. The Storm eradicated those sixty and older. There might be a cure, but not on Earth. After each newly discovered planet, a team finds their minds and bodies...
