The Scientist: A Monster's Resentment by Scott F Jarvie

Author:Scott F Jarvie [Jarvie, Scott F]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2020-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

The Refuge

Duncan regains consciousness to the sound of the droning alarms echoing throughout the Anathema. The Spy is floating around the cockpit with a fire extinguisher, controlling the fires that pop out of the control panels.

He quickly passes out again.

#

The Philosopher is strapping Duncan into an escape pod when she notices that Duncan has woken up.

“Persevere, this is not your denouement,” she says as he loses consciousness.

#

The escape pod shakes violently as the engines engage, waking Duncan. He looks out the window to see another escape pod launching from the Anathema. Tiny chunks of debris break away from the Anathema’s battered hull as it sits lifelessly in the middle of space.

Duncan notices that the Gladiator is strapped into the seat beside him, her shirt has been removed and there are bloody bandages wrapped around her pelvis. She is completely unresponsive.

Struggling to catch his breath, Duncan slumps back in his seat and allows the distress beacon’s flashing red light to guide him back into unconsciousness.

#

A tiny nurse jumps onto Duncan’s gurney and presses a towel against his chest wound. The sharp pain awakens Duncan to notice the nurses surrounding him. They are frantically working together to do everything they can to keep him alive while they wheel him through a metal space station.

Limited by a thick foam neck brace, Duncan tries to look around.

A nurse grabs his jaw, holds his head in place, and demands, “Keep your head straight!” before Duncan passes out again.

#

The triage station is an open warehouse converted to care for tens of thousands of injured people. As Duncan regains consciousness, he notices that he is wearing a blue gown, like all the other patients, but he is the only one wearing a paper mask and scrub cap.

A dull pain in his chest directs his attention down to see a purplish stain on his gown right over his heart. He reaches to inspect his injury, but the handcuffs attached to his wrists rattle as they keep him restrained to his gurney.

“Stay calm,” Valtina says with a hint of exhaustion as she approaches his gurney. “We’re in crisis mode here so if you rupture your injuries it could be a while before we reseal them.”

Duncan relaxes in his gurney and quickly reads the ID badge attached to her purple scrubs. “Where am I, Doctor Valtina,” he asks.

Pulling a flashlight from her breast pocket, she forces Duncan’s eyes open. “Do you remember your name?” she inquires.

“Philip Duncan,” he replies, “but everyone calls me Duncan.”

“What shuttle did you arrive on?” she asks, putting her light away.

“I don’t recall,” Duncan dismisses.

“What planet are you from?” she interrogates as she starts writing notes on the clipboard attached to his gurney.

“I don’t recall.”

“You’ve accumulated some pretty impressive scars,” she says studiously, “are they all from the war?”

“It was a terrible time for everyone,” he non-answers.

Valtina puts the clipboard back and gives Duncan a stern look. “If you’re not going to be honest with me,” she says, leaning in close to Duncan’s head. “I’ll

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