The storm raged on for six hours, and it was showing no sign of yielding.
The pink and blue clouds that surrounded the planet acted like a superconductor to the magnetic substorm, like a power cable dipped in a swimming pool. Xeo only had a very thin atmosphere, but that wasn't how it sounded. Even under the mass of the mountain, Kas could hear the roar of furious thunder as lightning struck the rock and shook the base's foundations.
She had taken shelter in her room - not because she was scared, but because she was in no mood to keep company. Had Rhaspa allowed her to leave when she'd first insisted, she would already be on Polo and may even be making her way back to Lysan. She was not a superstitious person, but right then, Kas would have testified that she'd been cursed. All she wanted to do was go home and put an end to her adventure which had caused her nothing but trouble.
Out of sheer boredom, Kas had perused the small paperback collection on top of her chest of drawers and was curious to find a book on sign language. She wondered if it had been there simply by chance or if someone had left it there deliberately for her. She carried it back to her bed where she started reading, balancing the open book on her knees while she practised the basics of conversation.
After an hour, Kas had taught herself many useful little phrases and was looking forward to trying them out on Worm. She was busy testing herself on the alphabet when there was a knock on the door.
'Who is it?' she asked.
'It's Mana,' came the reply. Kas closed the book and tucked it under her pillow.
'Alright.'
The door opened revealing Mana in the doorway wearing a light blue cloak. 'I thought you should know we will be eating soon,' she said.
'OK. Thanks.'
'I understand you still want to leave.'
'I don't see me being much use around here.'
'I'm sure you have plenty of skills to offer.'
'Yeah, well, I also just want to go home. I feel like I'm suffocating here.'
'I know exactly what you mean. I would give anything to be able to return to my system.'
'So why don't you?'
Mana stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. 'I came to Primi twenty-two years ago when I was a member of the GFA.'
'You were a soldier?'
'I was a general. I was sent here on a diplomatic mission to strengthen ties between my system and yours. Upon arrival, I was met by generals from eleven other systems and a political representative from Kiko. Before we could attend the first of our meetings, however, something happened.
'The ship we were in was struck by an intense wave of radiation from a large solar flare. While our ship was fine, the Kikoan rep began acting very strangely. It started talking in some sort of code like it was having a fit. It didn't last long - perhaps only ten seconds - but when the alien recovered, it became extremely hostile. It started attacking the other generals viciously, killing them with its bare hands.
'We had brought no weapons with us - it was only a diplomatic mission - but I knew there would a small arsenal in the cockpit. Two of us made it there and took a weapon each, but the Kikoan burst in before I'd armed mine. The other general opened fire with his laser rifle, filling the alien with holes from head to toe. But it didn't die. It went for him and killed him while he was still firing.
'When it turned on me, I had only just powered my gun up. I aimed and pulled the trigger... but nothing happened. I thought it was broken or that the cells were empty. I thought I was going to die. But the alien collapsed on the floor. I looked at my gun and realised it was an EMP rifle. That was when I knew the Kikoan race was not what it seemed.'
Kas was amazed. 'The Kikoan alien... is that--'
'The one you saw. Yes.'
A loud clap of thunder rumbled through the walls and down Kas's spine.