Burn With Me (Legend of the Sun Whisperers) (8 page)

“
I estimate all systems at one hundred percent in three point two hours, Draco.”

Draco pulled a red handled lever and a small screen rose out of one of the far panels. He beckoned Serra and Maddelyn over to see.

A picture came into focus on the screen. Though static distorted the image a little, Maddelyn could make out the landscape outside the ship. The camera panned around until they could see the direction they came, and the glow of the processing center in the distance.

“
That place where the mining facility is, used to be the heart of our town. The square in front of the Government Center is where we’d hold all our parties and celebrations.”  Remembering life before the Raknorg was sometimes an exercise in self-torture. So many people she cared about were gone. So many lives lost. Her entire culture had been practically wiped out.  “The Raknorg destroyed it all. They leveled our buildings, took away our homes. All for some precious Dirennium ore that they use to make weapons. We never even knew that space travel was possible before the Raknorg came. What an introduction to the galaxy, huh?”

Tears stung behind Maddelyn
’s eyes, but she blinked them away as a thought came to her. “This ship is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or imagined. Does it have weapons we can use against the Raknorg?”

Draco reached out and grasped her hand gently, which was shaking.
“I’m sorry. Though CAIT is capable of many things, destroying a Raknorg mother ship isn’t one of them.” He squeezed her hand gently. “Besides, the Raknorg have fleets of ships, all connected to each other through the core of the mother ship’s mainframe. Attacking one will only bring the wrath of all.”

The small seed of hope that had blossomed in Maddelyn
’s chest withered as she removed her hand from Draco’s. What good was it showing her all of this if there was no way for it to help?

“I did want to take Serra to the
Medical Bay to see if CAIT had anything that might aid her.”

Hope sprang forth again at Draco
’s words. Could it be that her prayers would be answered after all? That Draco fell into their lives so her niece could recover? “You think you can help her?” She didn’t want to get her hopes up too quickly, but it was hard to disguise the excitement in her voice.

Draco touched a fingertip to Serra
’s nose before he lifted her easily into his arms. “Since my people heal quickly, the medical facilities on board are meager, but it can’t hurt to try, right?”

Maddelyn breathed deeply and followed closely behind Draco as he turned and walked down one stark gray hallway on the far side of the room. His steps pinged loudly along the metal flooring as he turned to the right and entered the second doorway.

The room was dark, but Maddelyn could make out cabinetry that lined the walls. A few long tables were present in the room, each surrounded by a collection of equipment that made them into separate exam stations. Draco made his way over to one and set Serra down on the padded surface.

“CAIT.  Lights, please.  Dim to full.”

Light filled the room slowly, and chased the darkness from the corners like a slowly stalking predator. This gave Maddelyn a clearer view of the room. The walls and cabinets were also shades of gray, but lighter than that of the main control room. The cushion of the exam table was upholstered in black. Silver knobs and levers glinted along the gray surfaces. The entire place seemed devoid of any humanity, and the immaculate order of everything pointed toward the room’s lack of use.

Serra fidgeted impatiently where she sat.
“What are we gonna do?  Is your magic spaceship gonna cure me?” She coughed for emphasis, her blue eyes wide in expectation.

Draco chuckled and shook his head.
“No, small one. But CAIT may be able to help ease your discomfort. And she isn’t magic.  She’s just very smart.”

“Thank you, Draco. I appreciate your compliment immensely.” CAIT’
s seductive voice filled the room, full of pride at garnering praise. “Now if you’d please have the child lay back on the table, I’d like to perform an intensive biometric scan.”

Serra swiveled and pulled her legs up on the table, then eased back until her head rested on the cushion. Draco walked over to a large white machine on wheels and guided it back to where the child rested. He unfolded a mechanical arm with a box on the end and positioned it over Serra
’s head. 

“Will it hurt?” She stared up at the thing, her forehead creased with worry.

Maddelyn glanced sharply over at Draco, the same question on the tip of her tongue. He shook his head. “No, it won’t hurt. Just lie completely still and it will be over before you know it.”

Draco flipped a switch and the contraption flared to life, the unit on the end of the arm spitting out a bright light that made Serra squint. A steady hum emanated from the machine as it systematically moved down Serra
’s body, bathing her in the yellow-orange light. 

Draco stepped to the side and laid a hand on Maddelyn
’s shoulder for reassurance. He leaned over, his lips brushing her earlobe as he whispered quietly. “CAIT should be able to use this scan to determine if anything can be done. But there may be too much damage to help significantly.”

Maddelyn nodded in understanding, but still couldn
’t quash the hope that maybe her niece’s life would be spared after all. She watched in silence as the machine scanned its way back up Serra’s body to where it began. Draco moved in and turned the scanner off, then helped Serra back to a sitting position. She coughed again, struggling for breath with the excitement.

“Well?” Maddelyn questioned impatiently. Too much had happened and her patience was at an end. 

“Just one moment. My systems are running slightly slower than normal, due to the resources needed for my healing.” 

Maddelyn picked at her already ragged fingernails, fidgeting nervously as she waited for the verdict.
Please let there be something that can be done.  Please
.

“There is significant damage to the child’
s lung tissue due to long-term exposure to environmental toxins. Her lungs are unable to effectively process the oxygen she needs from the air she breathes.” There was a small pause while a mechanical sigh filtered through the air. “I’m sorry, due to the extent of the damage and the limited supplies at hand, there’s nothing I can do.”

Maddelyn
’s heart dipped to her toes in disappointment. If anyone deserved to be saved, it should be Serra. The little girl was the most innocent of all of them, and one of the last Ternos children alive. The universe was entirely too cruel. A lone tear escaped Maddelyn’s eye and slid down her face.

“It’
s all right, CAIT. At least you tried.” Serra made a weak attempt at a smile as Draco helped her off the exam table to her feet. An awkward silence descended upon them while they processed the disappointing news.

Maddelyn glanced over at Draco, the deep sadness she felt more than obvious on her tear-stained face. When he managed to meet her gaze, his golden eyes were bright with his own un-shed tears. He mouthed the words
I’m sorry
, the phrase only slicing deeper into her heart like a hot knife. She batted the tears away with a swipe of her hand.

The sound of Serra
’s wracking coughs exploded in the quiet room, and jolted Maddelyn out of her thoughts. She glanced over to where the child had slid to the floor, her body convulsing with the effort to breathe.

In a flash, Maddelyn was on her knees, rubbing Serra
’s shoulders and murmuring.  “It’s ok, baby. Just hang in there. It’ll pass.”

Maddelyn
’s fingers moved in small circles along Serra’s shoulders and neck. The cold panic that iced her veins every time Serra had a bad attack set in and chilled Maddelyn to the bone. She found herself praying for everything to be all right, though in her heart, she didn’t know who or what she was praying to. What kind of a God would let things like this happen?

With a shudder, Serra took another breath and her coughing ceased. Relief flooded through Maddelyn as it did each time this happened. She hugged Serra fiercely and realized that someday, this would end in a completely different way. And having seen it end for so many people, Maddelyn knew that day was coming all too soon.

Standing up, Maddelyn scooped Serra into her arms and turned to Draco, her eyes silently pleading with him. “We need to get Serra to bed.  Too much excitement for sick little girls.”

Draco nodded.
“I had hoped all systems would be fully restored, but since they are not, we do need to leave.”

He led them out of the
Medical Bay and back to the main control room, pausing at the central core unit once more. After he pushed a few more buttons, the screen returned to its home within the console. “CAIT, please continue restoration of systems, and remain cloaked at all costs. I will return when I can.”

“As you wish, Draco.”

Maddelyn turned toward the door as she heard the whir of it opening and descended the stairs. “We’ll be home in a flash. Just close your eyes,” she whispered in Serra’s ear as she pressed her face into her shoulder to shield her niece from the biting wind and dust of the outside.

* * *

As she watched and felt the humans leave the protection of her walls, CAIT allowed herself a brief moment of self-pity. Though she had just met the two females, she instinctively wished to be of assistance to them, even more so because the life of one so young was at stake.  If she had been properly prepared for voyage, instead of being taken away from her space dock in the heat of battle, things might have had a different outcome. Though given the severity of the child’s disease, the probability of another outcome was slim. Still, the fact that there was a probability at all got her neural circuits in an irritated bunch.

CAIT mentally took stock of her systems, re-routing power as needed as she continued her self repair. After making sure once again that her cloaking shield was intact, she re-analyzed the data collected from Serra
’s scan. Accepting defeat of any kind was difficult for CAIT to accept, so she needed to be completely sure that the situation was as she originally believed it to be.

Even after processing more than a thousand scenarios in mere seconds, CAIT
’s conclusion was the same. Serra’s sickness would undoubtedly end her young life. This detail only fueled the anger and frustration that had been building since she’d landed on this primitive planet. And unlike those with physical forms, she had no way to deal with the conflicting feelings coursing through her system. She couldn’t punch a wall like she’d seen Draco do many times. No fists. Besides, she
was
the wall, so the point was moot.

CAIT turned her attention back to her internal systems when a small idea popped up in the recesses of her neural core. She quickly moved programs and processes aside and concentrated on the nugget of information, even dedicating a few more circuits to this new byte.  Data scrolled past in vast streams as she pursued the idea, excitement replacing her frustration with each new calculation. Though she had concentrated on Serra
’s lung function with the biometric scan, CAIT had taken a complete and thorough data blueprint of Serra’s entire body, which included brain function and mapping. And with that kind of information at hand…

The excitement of her discovery made CAIT work with even more fervor as she divided her systems between this new project and her system repairs and really buckled down to work.

****

The trip back to their ramshackle home passed quickly, and in silence. Draco tried to carry Serra himself, but Maddelyn refused, unable to relinquish the little girl from her grasp.  Feeling the child
’s heartbeat against her own was one more reassurance that Maddelyn needed.

Draco hurried ahead and opened the door for them to duck rapidly inside. Maddelyn set the child on her feet. Her face was paler than usual, her blue eyes dim.
“How about something to eat before bed, huh?”

Serra shook her head.
“I just want to sleep, Maddie.”

The little girl sounded so defeated, Maddleyn
’s heart wrenched. “Ok, sweetie.  Let’s get your nightgown on and get you in bed.”

Maddelyn helped Serra change her clothes and tucked her tightly in under the covers. 
“Sweet dreams, baby. I love you.”

“Love you too, Maddie,” Serra whispered. Her labored breathing almost immediately fell into the even pattern Maddelyn had grown so accustomed to.

She walked over behind the curtain where her bed was, Draco following. Anger and frustration heated the blood in her veins. The past twenty-four hours had taken their toll.

She spun and jabbed her finger into Draco
’s chest. “We should never have taken her out again so soon after last night! Her lungs are stressed enough already! That attack was your fault!” Maddelyn’s voice came out in a hot angry whisper.

Draco widened his eyes, stunned at her reaction.
“I never meant to cause you or Serra any distress, Maddelyn. I only wanted to help you as you helped me. I didn’t plan to crash into your world, or your life.”