Neverwylde (4 page)

“Could it be another creature from this world?” Jules wondered aloud.

“There’s no telling,” Mellori answered. “I bet we haven’t met a fraction of the life forms this planet has to offer.”

“And all of them unfriendly,” Tojun stoically intoned.

Kyber nodded in agreement. He managed to get to his feet and trudged over to another door. The others automatically moved to the side, prepared for whatever might rush out at them. Slapping the symbol, the Seneecian steeled himself. The door dropped into the floor…

And nothing.

He gave it another couple of seconds, then glanced inside. Behind him, someone thrust a torch closer. Shadows from the flames danced across the inner walls, but nothing menacing tried to accost them. Reaching around the opening, his fingers found the light symbol and pressed it. The room brightened to show it was empty.

“It appears safe.” He waved for them to follow and stepped inside, palming the lock again to keep the doorway open. Fullgrath, Mellori, and Massapa joined him.

He quickly found the symbols and pointed them out. “There. Those three curving ones. They designate food and water.” Kyber paused as he continued to stare at the glowing marks. Massapa noticed.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking…”

Three marks. We’re inside a nonagon.

A quick check over at the doorway confirmed what he suspected. There were three marks there, also.

Curving lines for food. Straight lines for doors. A circle for a sun and light.

He spotted the circular glyph. Next to it were two more similar but different symbols.

“You got that look on your face,” Fullgrath commented. “You think you’re on to something, don’t you?”

“I think Kelen may have stumbled upon a very important discovery,” Kyber admitted. “The apartments, these symbols, they’re in groups of three. In multiples of three.”

Mellori picked up his train of thought. “You’re thinking this civilization is rooted in a trinary system, rather than a binary system? That everything they built and utilized is somehow connected into being grouped in threes, sixes, or nines?”

Leaning over, Fullgrath pressed one of the curved symbols. After a moment, the panel slid open to reveal a blue pancake.

“I only got one.”

“Try again,” Mellori and Kyber chorused together.

A second try gained the ex-weapons master a second pancake. Without being asked, he went for a third, receiving a third. But on his fourth try, nothing.

“Well, I’ll be. It dispenses three, but no more.”

“I think we’re on to something important,” Mellori surmised. “We need to shift our entire way of thinking and start looking at everything from the viewpoint of trios and triads, and multiples of three.”

Remembering that he and Kelen had been able to eat the next morning after supping the night before, Kyber nodded. “It must follow a time table. After so many hours have passed, it’s able to produce three more.”

“Maybe after three cycles, like our hours?” Mellori guessed.

“It would make sense. We need to look for more sets of threes,” Massapa muttered.

“I agree. It might help us to understand this culture better,” Kyber added.

They exited the apartment and returned to where the others were waiting. Fullgrath grinned as he held up his prizes.

“Found the pancakes. Found out something else very important, too. The thing only dispenses in three. Three pancakes per person before the thing recycles to give you more.”

“Which probably also means that it’ll give out three bowls of what Kelen calls oatmeal,” Kyber told them. He squatted beside the woman, who remained unconscious, and gave the physician a worried look. “She should have come to by now, shouldn’t she?”

Sandow gave a little shrug. “I can’t tell you for sure because I don’t know what was in that black morass that attacked you two.” He peered closer into Kyber’s face. “How are you feeling? Any headache? Dizziness? Upset stomach? Damn! I wish I knew more about Seneecian physiology!”

Kyber inhaled deeply. “It continues to burn when I breathe,” he confessed.

“Anything else?”

“No.” He shook his head. “No. Otherwise, I feel unaffected.”

Sandow winced. “Hopefully, after some food and decent rest, you’ll be able to shake it off.”

“I have a question.” Tojun stepped forward. The others waited for him to speak. The Terrans had quickly learned that the Seneecians were content to listen, speaking rarely and only when an issue needed to be brought forth that had yet to be mentioned.

The gray-furred systems operator, still cradling his injured arm, looked to Kyber for permission to continue. Although Kyber had stated he was no longer their Por D’har, the crew members maintained deferring to him for guidance and leadership. Kyber gave a slight nod to let Tojun know he was within his rights to ask.

“What’s your question?” Sandow pressed.

“When we were at the lakes, we discussed and decided to return here because of the food source,” Tojun began. He paused.

Kyber coughed and cleared his throat. “Tojun, are you asking if we’re staying here?”

The Seneecian rubbed his bad arm. “I’m worried that our signal for help we broadcasted before we landed here will be answered. If a search party arrives, we won’t be rescued because we’re not at the surface.”

“Do you seriously believe a rescue ship might land here?” Fullgrath questioned.

“What if it does?” Tojun challenged.

Fullgrath straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry, but as much as I want to get off this forsaken planet, I don’t know what would be worse. Facing those creatures, or being taken prisoner by the Seneecians.”

Jules started to object. “We don’t know that.”

“He’s right,” Mellori interrupted. “We may have a tenuous relationship with Kyber and his men, but that won’t guarantee we won’t be treated as prisoners if others arrive.” The man stared at Kyber as he spoke. Kyber had to agree with him.

“I agree, but know this. If any of my kind do manage to make it here, I will do everything in my power to see that you are released at the nearest orbital station so you can return to your own planet.”

“You can’t guarantee such a thing,” Sandow argued. “I appreciate your intentions, but you can’t make those kinds of promises, Kyber. You know it. We all know it.”

Kyber nodded. Again, the man was right. “Still, I will intervene.”

            “I believe you,” Sandow noted. He gave Kyber a stern look. “If it’s any consolation, and I think I’m speaking for all of my species here, if a Terran ship should make it through that rip in space that we fell through, we’ll do all we can to assure your safe passage back to Seneecian space.”

            “So what are we agreeing to?” Jules asked. “Are we going back up to the surface?”

            “Kyber?”

            He turned to where Fullgrath was watching him.

            “What do you suggest?” the Terran inquired. Snorting, he waved a hand to encompass the room. “Do we stay here? Or go back up top? Or, keeping with the theme of threes, what’s a third option?”

            “I say we stay here for at least a day or two,” Kyber announced. “We need to rest. We need some time to recover. We still haven’t gotten over the shock of crashing on this planet, or what we went through when we fought those eye worms and other monsters. That’s taken a heavy physical toll on all of us.” He eyed Tojun. “We can discuss this further tomorrow, after we’ve recuperated and had something to eat. But I agree with you. If there’s any chance we can get off this planet, we’ll take it. It doesn’t matter if it’s by Seneecian or Terran ship.”

            Sandow stood and stretched the kinks out of his back. “As a doctor, I second his suggestion of food and some decent rest.”

Mellori glanced around. “All right. So, do we all quarter together? Or do we split up?”

“If the food’s doled out three servings at a time, I think it would be best that we divide up,” Fullgrath suggested.

“We first need to make sure all the apartments are safe,” Massapa interjected.

“Agreed,” Kyber noted.

“What about all those bodies?” Jules pointed to the pile of bones a few meters away.

“I suggest we pile them in that apartment that cloud came out of,” Mellori suggested. “We should do that first, then we can partner up.”

Gaveer took the initiative to grab a couple of skeletons, holding them carefully, and went over to the doorway, hitting the symbol with his elbow and stepping away. Everyone tensed when the door dropped, but nothing emerged. The Seneecian went inside to deposit the bodies, then returned to grab two more.

Working together, they managed to clear the main atrium within a few minutes. A series of quick inspections of the other apartments didn’t reveal them to contain anything harmful. Nearby, Sandow remained watching over Kelen and Dayall, who remained unconscious. Kyber stared at her lying there. She didn’t appear to be in any distress, but he worried for her wellbeing.

Mellori wiped his hands on his pants as he emerged from the apartment. “That’s the last of them. By my count, I’m estimating there were sixty all total.”

“Sixty-three, counting the infant remains,” Kyber amended.

“Sixty-three is a multiple of three,” Jules pointed out.

“Well, I’m ready to call it a day. Who’s with me?” Fullgrath punched Jules’ shoulder. “Willing to bunk with me?”

“I’ll take Dox with me,” Mellori offered.

“Doc, shouldn’t you should take Dayall and Chambliss?” Fullgrath pointed out. “Make sure they’re okay when they wake up?”

Sandow looked at Kyber. The expression on the man’s face was impossible to read. Kyber felt a cold dread go through him at the thought of Kelen being in the same room as the psychotic commander, even though he tried to tell himself it would be better for her, as the physician would be there in the event she developed any complications from her contact with the black cloud. He never expected Sandow’s reply.

“I need to stick by Dayall, but I would prefer Kyber and Kelen be quarantined in a separate apartment, in the event there are any residual effects.”

Massapa gestured toward Gaveer and Tojun. “We’ll room together. What about sentry duty? Who should go first? And how many should be on guard?” He indicated the three corridors leading away from the atrium.

“You can seal the doors behind you,” Kyber answered. “We can do without guards while we’re here. We should be safe, even if the eye worms return.”

Fullgrath almost crowed with delight. “All right! Sounds like we’ve made our choices. Come on, Jules. I want to try some of that oatmeal Kyber told us about. Then I want to see if there’s any sort of shower or bathing stall. Hell, I’d be happy just to have some hot water I can use.”

Kyber watched as the men separated and disappeared into their choice of apartments. Before long, there remained he and Kelen, and the doctor and Dayall. Bending down, he cradled her in his arms and lifted her.

“Which apartment are you taking?” Sandow asked.

Kyber pointed at one of the doors on the other side of the room with a nod of his head. “That one.”

The physician glanced at it. “Good. I’ll be in the one next to it…in case Kelen or you need me.”

“Thank you,” Kyber murmured.

A faint smile lifted the corners of Sandow’s mouth. “You’re welcome,” he replied. Grabbing the commander by his boots, he proceeded to drag the man into their quarters. Kyber watched until the two of them were inside and the door sealed behind them, then carried Kelen into their own apartment where they would spend the night together.

Alone and undisturbed.

Chapter 6

Alone

            The room was cool but not stuffy. Kyber could smell fresh air coming through several tiny ducts located near the ceiling. In his mind’s eye, he could see conduits circumnavigating through the rock and soil overhead. This had been a highly evolved civilization that no longer existed, but they had left behind indisputable evidence of their genius.

            A glance at Kelen showed she hadn’t moved since he’d laid her down. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was the fact that her breathing appeared normal, not irritated as his was. He scanned her thin body. What kind of aftereffects would she have when she awakened?

           
If she awakens,
an unwelcomed voice whispered in his ear.

            Growling softly to dismiss the voice, he ran a hand through his fur, feeling the dampness that remained close to his skin. He needed to dry out and soon. There was no telling if this world held spores or microbes that could accelerate the growth of harmful bacteria if he didn’t keep himself clean.

Kyber stared at the dried blood on his uniform. Without a second thought, he rid himself of the outfit, dropping it in a corner before striding over to the section of wall where the symbols for food and water were located. He paused, staring at the glowing glyphs, and smiled.

Three. Three signs. Pancakes, oatmeal, and water.

Pressing the oatmeal sign, he waited. Presently, a panel opened to reveal a bowl of the odd-colored gruel. He cupped the steaming container. Sitting with his back to the wall to where he could watch Kelen, he crossed his legs and used two fingers to shovel the warm stuff into his mouth.

He was chewing on a blue pancake when he heard her moan. Quickly, he crawled over and placed a hand to her cheek as she slowly regained consciousness. After a while, she sighed and rolled onto her back, opening her eyes. It took her a moment to focus. Seeing him bent over her, she smiled, then glanced around the room.

“Where?”

“In an apartment,” he murmured, smiling back at her. It was unbelievable how happy he felt being with her. Being alone with her. Being able to be himself, without the mandates of Seneecian protocol hanging over him whenever he was with the others.

Kelen appeared confused. “Wow. That must have been one crazy dream.”

“What did you dream?”

She blinked, craning her neck a bit. “I dreamed we left this place and ended up in a huge cavern that had a lake in it. And a net-like object strung across it. A gakkin’ big monster came up out of the lake and we escaped into more tunnels. There was a room off the tunnel where we found some natural sulfur baths. I was taking a bath when your rogue crew member attacked Dr. Sandow and me, then carried me through more tunnels. You came after me and you fought him.” She reached up and touched his chin. A fingertip traced the scab above his upper lip. Kelen stared at it, then into his eyes. The unspoken question was clear in her eyes.