Read Online Blood of Denebria (Star Sojourner Book 4) by Jean Kilczer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jean Kilczer
Ads: Link
me into the rear seat of the BEM's vehicle.
I crawled inside and exhaled a breath as I slumped into the strange seat, with holes for tentacles. My wet hands were numb. I wrapped them around my shaking arms and rubbed them. I felt nauseated and disoriented.
“Lie down,” Bat said and lifted my legs onto the seat.
Through the open window, the BEM's body exuded a sickening odor of rotted fish. I closed my eyes and relaxed my mind as his kwaii, his soul in Terran terms, squeezed out of his ruined body and frantically searched for direction.
There's nothing to fear, brother, I sent. Your anguish is over.
Where am I?
In geth. The state between lives.
I'm afraid, brother! Where should I go?
You have nothing to fear. Great Mind will direct you to a new lifebind, probably on some other planet.
When? I'm in a void. I have no substance and I want to scream!
I felt the touch of a great love, beyond anything I'd ever known even with my daughter or Willa, as Great Mind approached. It wasn't the first time.
I'm being called,
the BEM's spirit sent.
Go in peace, brother.
You too, my brother.
Then my kwaii was gently nudged aside. This was not my calling.
Wolfie studied a small yellow-stained unit he'd taken from the BEM's body. “Locater.” He winked at Bat and got into the driver's seat.
Bat took my pulse and I saw him shake his head. “Put the pedal down, Wolfie.” He took a rag from behind the front seat and wiped my face.
I felt the vehicle crunch along a dirt road. The buildings became sparse as we left Korschaff. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“Back to base camp,” Bat said. “We need to get you cleaned up.”
“That's the least of what I need. Have you got a canteen of water?” I felt weak as the proverbial kitten and my throat was desert dry.
“I do. But with all that mud you're wearing, you could swallow some deadly Denebrian parasite or other. Can't have that, Bubba.”
I laid my arm across my eyes. “Christ and Buddha. What else can go wrong?”
“Shock,” Bat said.
“Why not?” I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.
Chapter Four
“Can you believe they don't have an SPS?” Joe flung aside the tent flap and strode toward my cot in the base camp. Bat's “Do Not Disturb” sign fluttered to the ground.
Night had stretched its wings over Denebria's dying sun like a bird guarding prey, and only a pale glow of Western light escaped to frame the cloth window.
With my back propped on pillows, I stopped chewing the mock steak, piled with dripping mashed potatoes. “No SPS?” I didn't want to tell Joe, but I'd been so concerned with my own needs I hadn't thought about it.
“That's what I said. Goddammit. No SPS!” He made a fist to slam against the wall and realized it was made of cloth.
I held onto my tray. The bowl of crisp salad with slices of tomatoes and avocados slid and I grabbed it. I gripped the mug of Earthbrew coffee with the other hand.
Someone had vibed my clothes while Bat helped me thermicone off my beard, and shower. I'd brushed my teeth. I'd wanted to eat first, but Bat insisted I get the mud and those possible parasites washed off first. Good idea, really, although I could've saved any for Huff. Bat wouldn't allow him into my tent. He said that with the state Huff was in, he would've just upset me and I didn't need that. I acquiesced, but Bat didn't understand how Huff and I consoled each other.
“Who are these people, anyway?” I asked Joe. “Not that I'm complaining. Man, talk about arriving in the nick. They saved
my
ass.”
“Didn't they tell you? It's a Shaka team from Alpha.” He went to the window and stared out, his hands clasped behind his back. “When Alpha lost touch with Sojourner, they sent in a team to search for us on Denebria.”
“Then why no SPS?”
“Alpha hasn't been in contact with the BEMs since they declared the Twelve-Year-War, and lost, over a hundred years ago.”
“I know. But what changed?” I stabbed some
I crawled inside and exhaled a breath as I slumped into the strange seat, with holes for tentacles. My wet hands were numb. I wrapped them around my shaking arms and rubbed them. I felt nauseated and disoriented.
“Lie down,” Bat said and lifted my legs onto the seat.
Through the open window, the BEM's body exuded a sickening odor of rotted fish. I closed my eyes and relaxed my mind as his kwaii, his soul in Terran terms, squeezed out of his ruined body and frantically searched for direction.
There's nothing to fear, brother, I sent. Your anguish is over.
Where am I?
In geth. The state between lives.
I'm afraid, brother! Where should I go?
You have nothing to fear. Great Mind will direct you to a new lifebind, probably on some other planet.
When? I'm in a void. I have no substance and I want to scream!
I felt the touch of a great love, beyond anything I'd ever known even with my daughter or Willa, as Great Mind approached. It wasn't the first time.
I'm being called,
the BEM's spirit sent.
Go in peace, brother.
You too, my brother.
Then my kwaii was gently nudged aside. This was not my calling.
Wolfie studied a small yellow-stained unit he'd taken from the BEM's body. “Locater.” He winked at Bat and got into the driver's seat.
Bat took my pulse and I saw him shake his head. “Put the pedal down, Wolfie.” He took a rag from behind the front seat and wiped my face.
I felt the vehicle crunch along a dirt road. The buildings became sparse as we left Korschaff. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“Back to base camp,” Bat said. “We need to get you cleaned up.”
“That's the least of what I need. Have you got a canteen of water?” I felt weak as the proverbial kitten and my throat was desert dry.
“I do. But with all that mud you're wearing, you could swallow some deadly Denebrian parasite or other. Can't have that, Bubba.”
I laid my arm across my eyes. “Christ and Buddha. What else can go wrong?”
“Shock,” Bat said.
“Why not?” I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.
Chapter Four
“Can you believe they don't have an SPS?” Joe flung aside the tent flap and strode toward my cot in the base camp. Bat's “Do Not Disturb” sign fluttered to the ground.
Night had stretched its wings over Denebria's dying sun like a bird guarding prey, and only a pale glow of Western light escaped to frame the cloth window.
With my back propped on pillows, I stopped chewing the mock steak, piled with dripping mashed potatoes. “No SPS?” I didn't want to tell Joe, but I'd been so concerned with my own needs I hadn't thought about it.
“That's what I said. Goddammit. No SPS!” He made a fist to slam against the wall and realized it was made of cloth.
I held onto my tray. The bowl of crisp salad with slices of tomatoes and avocados slid and I grabbed it. I gripped the mug of Earthbrew coffee with the other hand.
Someone had vibed my clothes while Bat helped me thermicone off my beard, and shower. I'd brushed my teeth. I'd wanted to eat first, but Bat insisted I get the mud and those possible parasites washed off first. Good idea, really, although I could've saved any for Huff. Bat wouldn't allow him into my tent. He said that with the state Huff was in, he would've just upset me and I didn't need that. I acquiesced, but Bat didn't understand how Huff and I consoled each other.
“Who are these people, anyway?” I asked Joe. “Not that I'm complaining. Man, talk about arriving in the nick. They saved
my
ass.”
“Didn't they tell you? It's a Shaka team from Alpha.” He went to the window and stared out, his hands clasped behind his back. “When Alpha lost touch with Sojourner, they sent in a team to search for us on Denebria.”
“Then why no SPS?”
“Alpha hasn't been in contact with the BEMs since they declared the Twelve-Year-War, and lost, over a hundred years ago.”
“I know. But what changed?” I stabbed some
Similar Books
GRE Literature in English (REA)
James S. Malek, Thomas C. Kennedy, Pauline Beard, Robert Liftig, Bernadette Brick
