NovaForge by Toney Scott

Author:Toney, Scott [Toney, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Breakwater Harbor Books
Published: 2014-04-29T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Julieth’s company traveled through the heat of day wearily, exhausted and yet on constant watch for an enemy attack or food of some kind. Andral consumed their last container of food that morning. Though the rest of them could survive without food, hunger still tired them quickly.

“I see the essences have begun scorching your skin,” Riad remarked without looking to Julieth. The two of them led the others.

“Yes. How long is typical until it kills?”

Sunlight radiated off Riad’s metallic limbs. “One never knows. I have seen people crumpled days after the markings began, and though I am marked, my health is seemingly never affected. Perhaps that is because my essence is in my cybernetics, and not in my flesh.”

“Do you hear your essence’s voice?”

Riad turned his head slightly and gave her a half grin. “Yes, but not as you do.” He tapped his hand on his leg where Vrax connected to him. “The essence has taken over my repair bot. It speaks to me through it.”

It made sense. It also made her nervous when she thought of how Vrax had connected with her skin and spoken through her thoughts in the temple. “You said you would explain your past. The others are not that close to us, now. We seem to have the opportunity and the time.”

“I will share some.” Riad reached out his hands and cracked his bone knuckles in the one. “I am not from Solaris, or really any planet. A long time ago I was birthed on a space vessel in this galaxy. My parents and my people were soldiers stationed in that place. I grew, learning to fight and defend. When I was a young man there was a battle on a planet near us. My limbs and face were irreparably scarred as a group we thought were our allies ambushed us. I threw myself on a mine to protect my company. That day it was decided for me, as I was unconscious and dying, that the cyborg program would be run on my body.”

He paused. Walking on without word or emotion. “A meteor was discovered on the edge of the galaxy after the races of that planet were defeated. We detected a life in its core, and a strange energy surrounding it. Then word came from our home planet that we were to investigate.

“That day we left with a company of fifty, half our stationed force, and months later arrived in our star-fighter to Solaris.

“While nearing your planet an asteroid collided with the back of our ship, partially destroying landing gear. Flames writhed over our ship’s hull as it plummeted in Solaris’s atmosphere. A blast that must have shaken the planet itself exploded as our ship thrust into Solaris. Then it all went dark.”

Julieth watched Riad’s emotionless face.

“When the ship’s power rebooted we realized all thrusters and guns were destroyed in landing, along with COM connection that would have allowed us to communicate with our home station. Sensors, though, were still viable and indicated a nearby civilization.

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