I stepped towards the alien captain, gravel cracking as I crushed it between my boots and the hard pavement. The Fisher was screaming warnings in the back of my mind, but I didn’t need the blotchy images it sent to know that there were two soldiers approaching from behind. They had given up all pretenses of stealth. Each step was like the pounding of a drum, but I had no illusions I would have heard them had they not wished it.

It was a warning. We are here, behave.

I briefly wondered how long they had been following me, but it was useless speculation if they were even half as talented as Catyala. They could have been my shadow since I’d first stepped onto the beach, and I’d have never known.

Sebbit climbed down from the top of the massive transport — more of a tank really. His skin was a crimson that was a few shades darker than the blood red of his uniform. The raised bumps and jagged scars that lined his face gave his face the appearance of being hewn from coarse rock.

He carried no weapon, but still held himself with an air of intimidating strength. The captain was shorter than any of his soldiers, but I still had to look up to make eye contact and I was considered tall, at least by human standards.

Four massive Peacekeepers flanked their commanding officer, two on each side. Several more stood atop the vehicle, each staring down at me with steely eyes. The giant soldiers stood at perfect attention, with one hand resting on the butt of their rifles and unreadable expressions on their faces.

“Sebbit,” I said, subconsciously raising my hands slightly to keep them in view. “Is everything all right? Do you know where Catayla and the others are?”

“My subordinate is fine, Mr. Finn,” the alien said in the dull monotone of his computer translator. “As are the rest of your companions. I understand they are worried about your fate and are most likely looking forward to a reunion. I hope to facilitate that meeting as soon as I am able.”

Sebbit walked closer, his pace slow and measured. He kept eye contact with me the whole time, and even though his body language was relaxed my instincts screamed at me that I was in danger.

“Are they here?” I asked, slightly raising my chin to point towards the massive vehicle that Sebbit had descended from. “I’ve been trying to join back up with them. We got separated after an attack on the river — we were actually trying help Catayla find you.”

“I have been briefed, Mr. Finn. Thank you for your assistance in the matter.”

“How did you find them?” I asked. “And how did you find me so quickly? I appreciate it, of course, but I’m surprised to find you here … waiting for me?”

In answer, Sebbit reached down to his belt and unclipped a small disk with a single depression in the center. “Every Peacekeeper carries one of these. I believe you have one as well, yes?”

I nodded.

“Yes, uh, Catayla gave it to me in case we needed to communicate. It hasn’t worked since the sky exploded and that pillar of light appeared. She claimed that communication had been cut off due to some kind of interference. That’s why we were looking for her … I mean your Peacekeepers.”

The alien captain stared at me in silent appraisal, pausing for an uncomfortably long ten seconds or so before speaking once more. “If you would return the tracking device, Mr. Finn, I would appreciate it. They are generally not loaned to outsiders.”

“Tracking…?” I said. “Sure, uh … here.” I threw it to him with a gentle underhand. “I’m just here to help, I’m not looking for any trouble.”

I subconsciously took a step backward, but I collided with a wall of scaled flesh. I hadn’t noticed them get so close. Had I been that distracted?

“You seem nervous, Mr. Finn. Do not worry, I will be asking you to honor that promise of cooperation, in due time, but for now I am afraid that it is you who is once more in need of my help.”

“Me?”

My voice wavered. There was no threat to be found in Sebbit’s mechanical voice, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He’d helped me in the past, and yet something about his manner told me this time was different … his face was the same unreadable mask it had always been.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Yes, Mr. Finn,” he said. “It seems you have been infected, a pervasive corruption that threatens to overwhelm you both mentally and physically.”

He stepped towards me once more, this time coming within arm’s length of me before reaching out a hand and gently plucking something from my shoulder. One of the Peacekeepers behind me grasped my arms, holding me still as Sebbit continued to examine me.

It was a claustrophobic feeling; my heart rate increased, and my breath came in short, ragged pants. Every hair on the back of my neck stood up straight and sweat poured down my back despite the chill that ran up my spine.

I gulped and looked away, breaking eye contact with Sebbit for the first time since the conversation had begun.

“I’m —"

“Do not worry, Mr. Finn,” Sebbit said.

He held up his hand and showed me a small particle, the blue stood out in sharp contrast against the redness of his palm. “The Tartarus Grass is deadly, and its spores can induce a fate even worse than death, but we’ve had to deal with its likes before. We will cleanse it, and you — in good time.”

“Tartarus Grass, I…”

I realized that he was talking about the creatures I had fought and the massive intelligence that controlled them from its hiding place beneath the earth. I let out my held breath in a sigh of relief. I clenched my hands and squeezed my eyes shut, calming my nerves before looking back towards the alien captain once more.

“Thank you,” I said. “That thing will be in my nightmares for quite a while.”

“You are welcome,” Sebbit said. “I am, however, surprised at how well you are taking the news, you seemed almost relieved to find out it was the Tartarus Grass infecting you.”

He crossed his arms, raising a single, clawed finger to rough skin of his chin. He regarded me, staring silently ahead. I wanted to speak, but each time I held back because it seemed as if the Captain was on the verge of saying something.

“Well, I mean —” I finally said, before being interrupted.

“It seemed that perhaps you thought I meant something else, Mr. Finn? How many corrupting influences might you be under? Perhaps, we will have time to talk about your other secrets soon? For now, I am going to have to ask that you join me, as my guest. I apologize that I cannot extend this conversation further.”

He looked over my shoulder and gave a slight nod before turning on his heel with a sharp and practiced twist that ending with him walking back towards the transport.

The hands that still rested on my arms tightened, twisting my hands behind my back as something cold and hard snapped around my wrists. I immediately felt weak and would have fallen to my knees if those same hands hadn’t clamped down even harder.

I yelled out and tried to shrug off my captors, but I found that my arms were useless. My limbs felt numb and tingled with pinpricks as if my circulation had been cut off.

“What have you done to me?”

Sebbit stopped, taking the time to turn his head towards me a final time. He glanced at my two captors and gave a nod which prompted them to let me fall to my knees. They continued to watch as I tumbled into the road, bits of shattered pavement grinding into my face like sandpaper.

“I have done nothing to you, Mr. Finn. I have not removed anything that was yours to begin with. You will feel weak, but it will pass as your body quickly adapts to your natural strength. You are no weaker now than you were before the system saved this primitive world, and no permanent harm has been done to you.”

“So, you’ve chained and crippled me … is this how you generally treat allies? I was helping you, God dammit. I risked my life to help Catayla. I almost died trying to help her find you.”

“Allies are those I trust, Mr. Finn. They are those with whom I share a common cause, those that do not lie to me, and those that I can rely on to have my back — you, Mr. Finn, have none of those qualities. You will be treated fairly, and in accordance with imperial law and Peacekeeper protocol — I recommend you cooperate fully. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

I felt cold metal digging into my wrists as I was dragged to my feet.

***

I awoke in a small cell. The pale grey paint was chipping from the walls and the only furniture was the concrete slab I was currently laying on and a metal toilet in one corner. I felt cold, and I recognized the early pangs of hunger. No one had taken the time to give me so much as a mattress, let alone a blanket or food.

The cuffs were gone, but I could feel bruising on my arms. Otherwise, I was unhurt but still felt weak as if my muscles had atrophied. Even sitting up was a major undertaking that left me feeling dizzy and short of breath.

There were no windows or bars and the only door was a solid piece of metal without so much as a sliding panel or a slot to pass things through. I was completely isolated. I wasn’t sure how long I had been here. It felt almost a day, judging from the hunger, but it could have only been hours or minutes.

At first, I yelled, demanding to be released. My screams soon devolved into sorrowful pleading and promises. I also tried pounding on the door, but my fists quickly became bruised. I was surprised by how fragile I had become. I had grown used to feeling like a demi-god capable of superhuman feats.

Now… I just felt human. Tired.

I spent hours trying to open my stats. I used mental commands and visualizations, even spoken commands, but nothing happened. Nothing. Even the Fisher had gone silent.

I felt a sense of loss almost as great as if I’d lost a limb, a part of me. I’d only had access to the system for a relatively small part of my life, but already I had grown accustomed to it — dependent even.

After failing to view my stats I tried casting a spell, hoping that perhaps I was only blocked from viewing my abilities and not cut off from them entirely. It was useless. Powerless and bored, a maddening combination. With nothing to do and no hope of escape, I closed my eyes once more.

I would simply have to wait for them to come to me — hopefully, I wouldn’t die of thirst, or boredom, in the meantime.