Wealth, memory. Faint images of being something more...

Wealth, Power. I caress the shard holding the memories, the potential, the wealth, and the movement.

A role expanded from those who heal, to cure, a trade. To create another role, to gain from all that comes from that.

And yet, there is toxic. A possibility of a cure. But toxic.

But...

What else is there? A role to heal others, to grow, to remember. To have others. At least to have the memories of them. A future beyond...

I again go to the role of a healer, for the cure for toxic, and I take the role I intend to risk this in search of a cure, they know, and so the role is reduced, I am given a portion of the role identical to some others, only what is reduced to be shared within it. The material can be cleaned of toxicness if I take this risk.

I thank the others for their worries, but this task was approved, and accepted, which one will wait for me to return to test if I carry what is toxic with me?

One shall, and I remember their touch. And they shall remember mine.

I am touched, I did not expect that. If I cannot return I shall show you the location of my pod, will they... will you preserve my memories.

I shall they shall we shall. If needs be we shall be only one. But they do not expect this. They shall return to their role, and perform it near the needed exist. An edge worker shows me where and I go to gain the method.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

----------------------------------------

He Who Dwells at the edge awakens. And the others are all in stupor. I am awake I am aware I quickly rise to action. I check our sensory systems and all seems to be okay. We remain tethered to the home of the large ones and approaching, one of them is nearing us,

Slowly, Floating, hesitant to approach.

I reach to create a travel-pod of memories regarding our contact, I copy quickly what I can I pack a weapon in case there is danger and I go to see why one approached.

Toxic, and yet here we live. my movements are easy and... I check the others to see if any are near waking. And Crui is not in a true stupor, he is suspending himself. I rouse him. Hleis' pod is surrounded by many of our shards' memories a method. There is a cure for the toxic that plagues them?

It exists, and I must go see why this other approaches.

----------------------------------------

I enter the toxic, but there is a cure, I go deeper, feeling it sink into me, infest me. It entered my tendrils and it is not only a matter of time until it ruins me in my entirety, but within the center of this, there is a cure. And I reach something, one of them.

I can complete the deal, to give healing in exchange for a cure to toxic...

----------------------------------------

One is brought to Crui, a large one brought into the ship, it is too delirious to communicate but there is fear, toxic-death I perform maintenance on it as shown in the shards, I have figured this out. But then I shall need to return to my stupor. The rest will have to wait.

Will Frei guard?

He Who Dwells at... He Shall Dwell here. At least until He Who Defends awakens.

----------------------------------------

I let them act upon me, heal me, and remove the toxic from me. And I feel clean again.

Yet it surrounds us and infects us. The hive will trade for this technique it shall be ours, I shall bring it in and gain wealth as the provider and first owner of this role. It shall be mine, first.

But what was the payment these ones need for the shards holding the technique?

They wanted healing for one of the ones here, and they wanted the pod of a healer.

But that one cannot be healed, This role does not have a way to wake one that cannot rise from a stupor. It is a delicate situation. But, if you provide me with a pod of a detoxifier, This healer's pod shall be yours. Equal trade.

There is pain there, on the other side of this communication, but the deal is struck and I shall gain value with which to repay the hive-home for this healers pod.

I return and find the one that remembers me. We meet, and we rejoice.