Thrissko

A light from above and around the corner lit the area. Svolun and Igwe - I refused to call them captain and second officer - were across the little walkway from me and Sally. I looked up in an effort to see the familiar constellations of Mars. I hadn't thought I would be back here so soon. I couldn't see the stars. The light blocked them out.

"Two guards," Svolun mouthed to me from across the walkway. I nodded. Svolun released the tiny robot that resembled a flying bug. It flew lazily towards the light. I tapped Sally on the shoulder to get ready. She blinked up at me with her big, round eyes. Her tiny hand tightened around the hilt of her knife.

The light went out. Sally and I rounded the corner. I punched the guard on the left with my barbed fist. He went down quickly. Little red cuts opened on his cheek from my barbs. Humans were so fragile.

I opened the little box that held the diamond transporter. A small wave of pink, shimmering miasmids came through. They entered the unconscious guard. His body went stiff and he began to scream. I turned to Sally to see if she needed help, but her guard was also out. More miasmids entered the second guard. Screams echoed all around the government storage facility.

"Let's go." Svolun and Igwe already had the storage door open. They didn't wait for me and Sally as they rushed inside. Sally took my hand and we entered.

"You know what you're looking for?" Svolun asked me. He pried open a crate and began to pull out various scientific equipment.

"Yes," I said. I pulled Sally passed him towards the two large crates at the back marked Ma'amaloa. I let go of her hand and pried open the crates. In each of them were cylindrical tubes that were taller than me. They each had a small computer in the front.

"I found them," I said.

"Anything inside?" Svolun and Igwe continued to go through the other crates.

I punched in the code the miasmids relayed to me. The first tube opened. I could see how it was setup to hold a body, but the wires inside weren't attached to anything.

"Empty," I said. "I'll check the other." But it was empty too. The miasmids disappointment was my disappointment. I wanted to please them.

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"He already used these clones then," Svolun said. "I was sure there were more."

Why do you want clones? I asked the miasmids. No. Why do you specifically want Ma'amaloa's clones? I had a wealth of knowledge from the miasmids that I would never have had otherwise. I knew Vai's father was a weird, secretive scientist, but he wasn't the only scientist to make clones. The miasmids didn't usually like clones so why were these an exception?

The miasmids didn't answer me.

"I don't see anything here that might be a preserver," Igwe said.

"What's a preserver?" I asked.

More screams awakened the night outside. The facility was far enough away from civilization that no one would hear. And everyone that was stationed here would soon belong to the miasmids.

Neither Igwe nor Svolun answered me. And even though the miasmids didn't give a clear answer, I got the impression whatever the preserver was that was the real reason we were here. The miasmids were even more disappointed. That disappointment seeped into me.

"Second Officer, take them to the larger storage unit and help the others destroy the parts for Aether Fields," Svolun said.

Igwe nodded and left the storage unit without looking back to me and Sally. I took Sally's hand and followed Igwe.

Don't you think it's strange that Svolun isn't coming? I asked the miasmids.

Go back, they whispered to me.

I released Sally's hand. When she looked up at me I nodded towards Igwe. She took a tentative step towards him. I nodded to reassure her. She went to stand next to Igwe. Igwe had turned around and watched our exchange. He shook his head at me. I took a step back towards the storage unit.

Igwe opened his mouth. He started to call out a warning to his captain, but the miasmids filled him with pain. He closed his mouth and grabbed at his head. I took another step back as I dared him to make another sound. He took Sally's hand and headed towards the larger storage unit.

I turned and went back.

"Dad? How? I didn't answer," an unfamiliar voice said.

Svolun was at the back of the unit with a small, square device in his hand. Similar devices were strewn along the floor near the crate he had been going through. He saw me.

"Tell Minmin her mother is dead," he said rapidly into the device as I rushed to close the distance between us. "She resisted them. She died a hero. She . . ." I ripped the device from his hands and crushed it in mine. I let the pieces fall to the ground.

"The miasmids are not happy," I said.

He bent over in pain. I smiled as the miasmids filled me with pleasure.

"You belong to them now," I continued. "Not the Gathering. Not your family."

Svolun shook his head. He grabbed me around the waist and pushed. I fell onto the hard floor. Red pain crackled through my back. I twisted out from underneath him, grabbed his head and slammed it into the floor. Svolun was a more experienced fighter than I was - although I had learned I was good at it. I didn't think my win over him would be so easy if the miasmids weren't already filling him with pain.

I leaned in close to his ear and said. "You aren't in charge anymore. From now on, you will obey my commands." The pleasure was so intense, my legs almost gave out on me. Instead, I managed to leave him there writhing in pain. I walked outside and passed the two screaming guards in a haze of shimmering pink.