Respin

The bowls were never a frequented place but since the murder everyone avoids getting down there at all cost. Even Respin, to whom the avoidance of the crew is a great advantage, has to concentrate to keep his body from trembling and his mind of from calling his plan off. Judging by the tense faces of his comrades he knows that they’re just as afraid as him. Only the Insectoid seems somewhat content. I can’t abandon them now, he thinks while taking slow measured breaths. I’ve asked them to come along. I must stay calm. I can’t run.

Yet, despite repeating those thoughts like a mantra he can't keep his mind from the murder. Only a fool would call this killing a coincidence. The brutality… The location… The timing… All of this points to the murder being connected to the pale creature. Yet, Respin doubts that it was this beings doing. Why would she just kill one guy and not flee? Why hasn't she killed Respin or Serfin? There had been more than enough opportunities.

Sweating and slightly trembling Respin arrives with the others at the Recuperation-Section. Luckily, the corpse has been removed but the blood still remains splashed across the walkway and the wall next to the Recuperation-Section. It’s silvery grey sheen is enough to trigger painful memories within Respin. Memories causing his back to hurt and his throat to tighten.

"What's this?" Topasa asks frowning and points at an area on the wall next to the door to the Recuperation-Section.

Respin albeit reluctant move closer with the others and looks at the wall.

"Looks like someone has written something with the blood on it," remarks Nethra with a frown. "How tacky."

"Tacky?", Topasa replies with a crooked smile. "I would call this creepy. Besides those laters aren't just drawn, they’re carved into the metal."

"And what do they say?", asks Serfin squinting his eyes at them. "They look like gibberish."

"What do we care what they say?", hisses Nethra. "This is the artwork of an insane person, no questions asked. And we’re trapped with this maniac on a crappy spaceship in the middle of interstellar space!"

While they bicker, Respin can't keep his old memories back any longer. They flood him, trap him in pain and misery.

"Respin? Are you alright?"

Topasa’s voice sounds distant as if she's speaking through wool. Only Serfin’s warm Hand on his manages to bring him back into the present.

"Only some… bad memories," Respin forces out of himself. "That's all."

Topasa nods and looks at him with an empathetic smile. A moment later she returns her attention to the letters.

"It’s alright, Res," Serfin whisper to him. "We gonna make it."

Respin thanks his Bondmate with an exhausted smile but the nauseous feeling remains.

"What kind of language is this?" asks Respin to keep his mind on track.

"Divine-Lettering," explains Topasa without any hesitation.

"You can read it?" he asks interested.

"It's been a long time but I think I can manage…" she muses and trails off.

"Leave the writing be," Nethra demands and crosses her arms. "I want to get away from here as fast as possible."

"A moment, please," Topasa replies and twists and turns herself around, so she can read everything. "Uh-oh…"

"What is it?" Respin asks with a frown. "I… I also don't want to linger here any longer."

"You're smarter than you look, pipsqueak." Nethra remarks, which he ignores.

"Those are our names," Topasa says. "Written around this strange eye-symbol. But there're also other names as well. Ever heard of someone named Laapis or Tuonis?"

"How, in the Void, can you be so calm about that?" asks Nethra shocked. "Our names? How many can read this shit?"

"None one on the ship except me, or we would be already dead," replies Topasa without being bothered in the least.

"What does this eye-symbol mean?", Respin asks still trembling — Serfin puts an arm around him.

"Calm down." he murmured into his ear, while Topasa takes a step away from the mural.

"I don't know." she says and shrugs. "Oh! There's also a poem…"

Disaster arrives faster than the speed of light.

Providing the void to create your plight.

My blade spilling blood silvery grey.

Forcing you on your way.

"That's one sick bastard," muses Serfin with clear admiration in his voice.

"Please, stop staring at this… painted monstrosity and get on with the job," growls Nethra through clenched teeth. "Worse enough that I've to remain out here alone while you work around the tank. I don't need my name written square on a murder scene either. Show me where it is, so I can scratch it off."

"I do think those who found our dead comrade have taken pictures

"I do think those who found our dead comrade have taken pictures," Topasa remarks with a grin. "Besides, I’ve also taken mind-pictures now, Net-Net."

"I swear, one day I'm going to knock all of your teeth out over and over again," she hisses. "How do you even know how to read this shit?"

"I told you, I've got an eidetic memory. Back on Cetus I read every book I got my hands on. Naturally, there were a few rather esoteric and ancient ones."

"This only means that we're fucked in the long run, once the Eradicators find out about us," Nethra says taken aback. "How lucky I am…"

"We should do what we're here for…" says Respin.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"I second that, pipsqueak."

A moment later everyone except Nethra enter the Recuperation-Section. The lights are off. Only the tank with the pale alien inside illuminates the room with a pale bluish glow.

They stop in front of the tank and start their preparation. All the while Respin can’t avoid staring at the creature in the tank. Her eyes are slightly open but as blind as if she’s sleeping. But he doubts that she can be truly asleep.

"Let's go," Serfin says enthusiastic and pushes him towards the tank.

Respin nods and lets his Bondmate lift him up to the top of the tank. Next he grabs some pipes with his feet and leans down to lend Serfin a hand. Once they are at top of the tank, Topasa throws them the crowbar.

The motor beside the hatch hums gently and radiates pleasant warmth. The pumps absorb the wasted air that collects at the top when she breathes and filters it so it can circle back to her. The other pumps change the water in full in regular intervals. Between pump and motor is the hatch to access the tank.

Respin pushes it up at the handle until the gap is large enough for Serfin to shimmy the crowbar into it. Once the crowbar is in place he pushes it with all his strength and weight down. After a few moments the lock gives in, and the whole hatch is lifted along a painful squeal of metal on metal. Simultaneously cables and electronics bulge out of it alongside sparks, smoke and the smell of ozone. The light of the tank flickers off, and the hum of the motor comes to a stuttering halt along a small puff of black smoke.

Respin immediately dives into the tank and grabs both the aliens arms. He hopes that she doesn’t need a constant flow of air to stay alive. With the help of Serfin he pulls her free and pushes the breathing mask off her face. Together they let her down where Topasa and the Insectoid take her and warp her in the towels they brought along.

Once Repin’s and his Bondmate are down from the tank, he checks the alien's vitals. Unsure if the regular heartbeat is alright for her species or not, he pulls more towels from his hyperspace-bracelet. Together with the others he dries the creature and himself up. Suddenly Nethra bursts in with a panicked expression on her face.

"Someone's heading our way!" she says while trying not to be too loud.

"Fast! We need to hide!" Respin says.

Immediately they carry the creature behind some tanks in the next row.

A few moments later the doors open with a swishing sound. Respin hears how Slicer growls at Lappor, who whines one apology after the other. Suddenly, both fall silent. A second later Slicer bursts into a fit of rage.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" he shouts at the top of his lungs "LAPPOR! WHERE IS IT?!"

"I… I don't know, Sir!" whimpers Lappor shocked judging from the tone of his voice. "It should be 'ere, Sir."

"BUT IT ISN'T!" yells Slicer loud enough to make the empty tanks vibrate. "SOME OF THOSE MUDSWIMMERS MUST'VE TAKEN IT OUT! FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY OR I'LL THROW YOU INTO THE VOID!"

"Understood, Sir!" Lappor yelps.

Respin and his friends tighten up upon hearing those words. A moment later the door closes with a low hiss. Thinking both have left Respin relaxes. But then everything goes wrong.

The pale creature wakes up. Her eyes flutter open and close again while low groan escapes her lips.

"Is there someone?" echoes Lappor's nasal frightened voice through the room — he is close, too close. "Show yourself!"

Everyone glances up in utter shock. This is it. This is the end, thinks Respin shocked, but suddenly, he feels a strange resolve within him. No. I won't let the others get killed because of me.

He stands up. Agonisingly slow in his own perception. Without haste, he places his right hand on the hyperspace-bracelet on his left wrist and pulls one of his brand-new knives out. The carbon blade is oval, shaped like a leaf and deadly sharp. The handle is made from a synthetic material offering extra grip. Respin is all too aware of the bumps on the handle for his fingers and the roughness of the material. The knife feels heavy yet fits comfortable in his hand.

Lappor turns around their hiding spot. His eyes widen as Respin jumps at him. With a fast elegant move, he slams the handle of the knife against the other Menkar's temple.

It connects.

Smack!

Lappor's bluish green eyes roll up into his skull. He slams to the ground The head-set and ocular covering the right half of his face skitter across the floor until they stop beneath another tank.

"What the fuck do you thinking you're doing, Gloomer!" Nethra shouts and time resumes its normal speed.

"I'm saving your lives," Respin replies monotone and panting while looking neither shocked nor relieved at the unconscious Menkar at his feet. "Bring her to the life-ships! You're going to leave this cruiser and head for Cetus in one of those."

"This is insane!", protests Nethra but is silenced by Topasa.

"We have no other choice!" she says and slaps the back of her roommate’s head. "We carry her to the life-ships. But what about you, Res?"

"I don't think Lappor will be out for long", he says marvelling at the courage in his voice. "I'll go to Slicer and distract him so you can flee."

"NO!" shouts Serfin and startles Respin with the volume of his voice.

A second later he is locked into a bone-breaking hug.

"I won't let you do this!", cries Serfin as he lifts Respin slightly from the ground. "He'll execute you on the spot once you tell him it was you! Let me go instead!"

"No," he responds, hanging limply in Serfin's arms. "Lappor has hopefully only seen me. Once he wakes up, he'll tell Slicer, and I'm afraid that we won't be able to reach the life-ships in time."

"Don't, Res… Please, Don't do this", Serfin mumbles against Respin's shoulder — Respin can feel his tears seeping into his uniform.

He can almost feel the emotional almost physical pain his Bondmate is in, but he can’t do anything else. Still, tears well up in his eyes. They know each other for such a long time that it appears absurd that they are now parting ways — likely forever.

Again Respin wishes himself back to Cetus. Back in his housing. Back with Serfin, who was, after his first Bondmate's death, for a long time the only Menkar to actually like being around him. The only Menkar to not see him as a mutant, a freak of nature, but as an equal.

In the same vain Respin wonders why he is so prone to self-sacrifice. Does he want to prove something? Does he want to show others his worth by wasting himself away? No, he tells himself, still in Serfin's arms. I don't want to prove anything. I love all of them and I don't want anyone, not even Nethra, to suffer because of my mistake.

He frees himself from Serfin's arms and looks up while taking a step backward. First, his green eyes lock into Serfin's indigo ones. Tears run down his checks, but his gaze is clear albeit filled with gut-wrenching pain. Respin looks over to Topasa, who looks worn and tired but her golden eyes are filled with determination. Nethra, whose posture expresses stern unwillingness, watches him with a frown. Yet, in her pinkish eyes, Respin can see that she cares. Or he likes to imagine seeing it.

Suddenly something warm and smooth but very sturdy touches his hand. As he lowers his gaze, he sees into Toddy's bright golden compound eyes. Despite the lack of expression Respin feels the confidence and trust the Insectoid puts into him. Respin nods in return.

"I'll be back. I promise," he says and hugs Serfin again, but he can’t bring himself to believe his own words. "I'll try my best to stay alive. Once I'm in the clear I'll go on another life-ship and meet you on Cetus."

Upon those words, he feels how Serfin digs his claws into his uniform-jacket. Sniffing and wiping his tears away he forces himself to smile and places his forehead on Respin's. The touch his tender and intimate.

"I trust you." Serfin murmurs and moves away.

A moment later he lifts the pale creature into his arms.

"Let's go!" he says and heads for the door.

"Stay alive!" Topasa says, patting Respin's shoulder. "I like you enough to be truly devastated if you get yourself killed."

Nethra does not say a word as she passes him. Toddy follows them and gives Respin four thumbs up. Those gestures make Respin smile despite the stone forming in his guts.

"This is going to be a long day…" he murmurs once he is alone with Lappor.

—

A conversation in the mind...

What the hell is this strange vibe supposed to be?

I'M AFRAID A SPLINTER OF MINE HAS NOTICED HER PRESENCE ON BOARD OF THE STARBLAZER. IT IS HEADING FOR YOUR EXACT LOCATION. FOR ALMOST FOUR WEEKS.

This wasn't supposed to happen! I thought you had taken care about the possibility?

THE VOID IS THE VOID. AND A SPLINTER OF MINE HAS ITS OWN MIND. I DO HOLD A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF POWER OVER IT, BUT RIGHT NOW I CAN'T USE MY FULL POTENTIAL.

What the fuck are you at? I thought you were the great creator those Menkar harp about. Void here! Void there! You are the fucking god, not me!

I UNDERSTAND YOUR DISTRESS.

My distress? You understand my distress?! Tell me how to fix this shit!

IN MY CURRENT STATE I CAN'T INTERFERE MUCH WITH THIS UNIVERSE. THAT IS WHY I SEND YOU AFTER HER. IF I COULD DO ANYTHING I WOULD HAVE DONE SO ALREADY.

And what about me? Is killing me an option?

I HAVEN'T PLANED FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IF THAT IS WHAT YOU MEAN. ALL I CAN DO IS HOPE THAT YOU SURVIVE. SO TRY YOUR BEST.

Don't you dare vanish on me! You… DAMIT!