James Somers - Heir to the King

"Yes, but that ship will know where the bunker is and lead the others there if we go now."

It won't matter as long as that ship can do what you say it can; we're leaving this rock."

LUCIN slammed his fist on the control panel, shutting off the negative report from the ground forces. The boy had gotten away, but he had still been infected by the girl.

It was very draining on his limited power to maintain collective control on so many human hosts. Controlling the whole population was necessary, but he needed the boy's powerful mind to control the entire body as one organism.

"Can we catch the ship?" asked Lucin.

"We're keeping up, Sir, but they're flying the same thing we are. We can't overtake them until they stop somewhere."

"Can you pinpoint where they might be headed?"

"They're heading on a course that will bring them near the area of Nagon-Toth."

"That's it. They're heading to Grod's compound. They don't realize it's gone. Send all available ships and troops to Nagon-Toth."

"Yes, Sir."

The boy was of the utmost importance, but he was fighting the takeover of his mind and body; Lucin could feel it. He hadn't thought of the possibility that the boy might be able to resist him. It hadn't been a problem before when the Three had been assimilated to control the Baruk, but the boy was much more powerful than they had been; all the better for their purposes.

WYNN piloted the ship while Tiet stayed at Kale's side as Mirah examined him. He was still unconscious. Mirah passed a hand-held medical scanner slowly over his body. The information fed to a portable display she had setting on the floor of the ship next to his head.

"What is it Mirah, what's wrong with him?" asked Tiet anxiously.

Tears welled in her eyes as she continued to pass the scanner. Any professionalism as a doctor was gone now as she saw the information pouring onto the display. This was happening to her baby; her only child.

"Mirah?"

"It's one of those things, like we found inside the bodies of the Baruk. It's taking over his neural pathways; winding its way around his brainstem and infiltrating his spine.

"Can you stop it?"

"I don't know anything I could do to remove it without killing him," she said through sobs.

"What about Emil?"

"That's just it. His scans aren't showing the same level of infiltration. Somehow his body is keeping it at bay; fighting the takeover and keeping it confined near the entry site. It might be something about being a Horva; I just can't pinpoint it right now with this limited equipment."

Grod was listening intently as Mirah spoke of his son. Emil was still unconscious, but it appeared to be completely related to the stun blasts he had received in the battle.

Tiet knelt near his son and focused on him mentally, shutting out everything else. He could sense his pain now and more than the physical pain he could sense his mental anguish. The symbyte organism was fighting for control of his body; trying to push Kale's own mind out. He could hear his thoughts, as he cried out in the darkness of his unconscious mind.

Kale, I'm here.

Father?!

Kale, you must fight the symbyte's control.

It speaks to me, Father; I don't know how to stop it.

Concentrate, Son, you're more powerful than it is; use your power to fight its takeover of your body. You've got to focus and take control back before it can gain anymore ground.

I'll try…it's hurting me!

Fight it, Kale!!

It hurts!!

Kale's body began to spasm on the floor of the compartment. Mirah quickly looked for something in her medical kit to sedate him and suppress the spasms. She pulled a hypo from the bag and went for her son's arm. Tiet grabbed her and stopped the effort. "Wait, Mirah."

I'm trying, Father! It hurts but I'm fighting it; Are you still there?

I'm here, Son. I'll never leave you.

His body continued the spasming as Mirah watched helplessly, wanting to intervene with her medical training, but knowing that something more mystical was happening between Tiet and Kale; something she had never quite been able to comprehend.

His trembling then began to quiet and his body became still. Within a few moments, with Mirah terribly concerned and recommencing her scanning, Kale began to breathe normally and his heart rate normalized. Then his eyes opened to everyone's relief.

Mirah fell on him kissing his cheek, as he turned to look at his father. Kale reached for Tiet's hand and grasped it tightly.

"Thanks," said Kale weakly.

Tiet only squeezed his son's hand tighter.

"What's going on?"

"It's still with me, Mother. I can't kill it." He looked at Tiet again. "I can't kill it."

Tiet squeezed his hand again. "We'll figure out something, Son, don't worry."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to escape the planet; Grod has a way. Just rest, for now."

Kale laid his head back on the rolled up jacket that was serving as a pillow, while Mirah continued to conduct scans of the organism inhabiting his body. She knew it would be up to her to find a way of removing it; if there even was a way to remove it.

GROD paced the cabin compartment of the transport as they approached the area of Nagon-Toth. He had not informed his two remaining soldiers of the fate of their home, of their families. Once they passed over a few more ridges the compound would be in sight.

He looked out the window through the front of the ship and saw a column of black smoke rising up beyond the farthest ridge ahead. His heart sank at the thought of his own wife and all of the families that had perished. His rage was kindled again, and he wanted nothing more at the moment than to be face to face with as many of those creatures as he might be able to put his lethal grip upon.

Grod looked at Emil, still unconscious, but apparently doing fine even with the symbyte in his body and Grod's emotions settled again on what was best for his future. He had to think responsibly about saving his son from the infestation of this planet. Then he looked again at his men and decided now was the time to let them in on the fate of their brethren.

"Jael, Merab…"

"Yes, Sir," they said.

"I have something to tell you and it won't be easy for you to hear."

His men looked at him, puzzled at what he was about to say to them. Wynn watched the exchange from the navigator/weapons console chair. He could see Grod trying to control his own anger and frustration as he told them what had happened to their fellow Horva and their wives and children.

He felt bad for him as a leader having to break that kind of news to his men. He could see the rage crossing over the faces of the soldiers as the realization of what had happened gripped them. They looked forward through the windshield of the ship and he followed their gaze to see the huge plume of black smoke rising above the area ahead where Nagon-Toth was supposed to be.

Jael rose to his feet and walked to the bulkhead across the compartment; he couldn't stand to hear anymore of it. Grod lowered his head as he sat before Merab who was still looking at the column of smoke in disbelief. Jael slammed a fist into the wall of the transport so hard Wynn was sure he must have broken several bones in his hand, but he did not cry out for pain.

"I want them dead!" said Merab from his seat.

"I know, Merab, but…"

"DEAD!!" he shouted.

Grod just looked at him. What could he say? He felt the same way and the only way he was controlling his own rage was his responsibility to his son, but their children were dead; they had nothing left.

Wynn continued to watch the two men as they fought to keep their control within the confines of the transport. The walls were closing in on them now as their rage grew.