an outstretched finger and shook it indignantly at Malo.
“Malo feel good.”
“You could put that arm through the hull of a star freighter without hurting yourself,” Dr. Blink said.
“Um—er—DO NOT put your arm through the hull of a star freighter, Malo—Doctor’s orders!” he amended sternly, looking up at the roguish grin on Malo’s mouth before turning to face Colonel Abalias.
“Thank you, Colonel. I don’t think I would’ve been able to save his arm without your quick action.”
“Don’t mention it,” the colonel said dismissively.
“Are you all right?” asked Blink.
“It’s really nothing—I’ve done much more than that in my time,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Blink had a thousand more questions about the colonel’s powers burning in his mind, but before he could start his inquisition, Otto beat him to the punch.
“Now I know why your office is always so damn cold!” Otto exclaimed. “That was amazing, Colonel!”
“Well, my body gives off cold like yours does heat. So, the room isn’t actually colder, my being in it just makes it that way. I actually prefer the heat—I’m permanently cold, so being anywhere warm is like a nice vacation.” He allowed himself a rare bit of humor and it worked flawlessly as everyone, except Malo and Bertie, shared an enthusiastic chuckle.
“Malo kill Mewlatai now.”
Malo’s solemn words brought the colonel, Otto and Dr. Blink crashing back to the grave reality their laughter had momentarily released them from just seconds before.
“Yes, Malo,” Abalias said. “Tell me what happened with the Mewlatai after you posted on the plateau.”
“Fish man and Malo cover entrance. Wait for Mewlatai. Ship land…”
“What kind of ship, Malo?” Otto interjected. “Do you remember?”
“Black—dark—Zebulon,” Malo growled.
“Zebulon?!” Otto said with disbelief. “A dark black, Zebulon star freighter?”
Malo nodded in confirmation and then snorted in disgust.
Otto slowly lifted his hand to his mouth and placed his first three fingers to his lips. He stood there silently as Colonel Abalias continued the debriefing, and he had the appearance of someone who had figured out the deepest, darkest secret of the universe but didn’t quite believe it yet.
“Then what happened?” the colonel continued, casting a curious, sideways glance at Otto.
“Mewlatai land. Inject fish man…inject…fish man…with poison. Try to inject Malo. Malo try to SMASH!” he roared, and this time it was the colonel’s turn, along with everyone else—including Bertie—to jump in surprise. “Malo fail. Mewlatai too fast, too strong. Hurt Malo’s arm, knock down. Inject Malo…”
“Injected you?” All three questioned him simultaneously.
“How could he have injected you? If the Mewlatai had injected you with poison, you would be dead!” the colonel said adamantly.
“Not necessarily,” Dr. Blink countered as he approached Bertie’s side once again. “There are several possibilities that we may consider. First, the Mewlatai may not have injected Malo with enough poison to kill him. Given Malo’s size it’s possible but unlikely, because he hasn’t shown any symptoms of poisoning…” Dr. Blink paused and looked up at the Moxen giant. “You haven’t felt sick or thrown up since you were injected, have you, Malo?”
Malo shook his head.
“Then we must consider the possibility that the Mewlatai injected him with something else.”
Otto and Colonel Abalias looked at each other with a shared expression of concern.
“But, gentlemen, we won’t know what it is or if it’s dangerous or if it’s contagious until I draw some of Malo’s blood and run some tests.”
Dr. Blink signaled to Bertie to prepare a syringe and his mechanical hand enthusiastically dove into another compartment. Suddenly the room vibrated again, only this time it shook more vigorously than when Malo had approached the outer door. Powerful booms
“Malo feel good.”
“You could put that arm through the hull of a star freighter without hurting yourself,” Dr. Blink said.
“Um—er—DO NOT put your arm through the hull of a star freighter, Malo—Doctor’s orders!” he amended sternly, looking up at the roguish grin on Malo’s mouth before turning to face Colonel Abalias.
“Thank you, Colonel. I don’t think I would’ve been able to save his arm without your quick action.”
“Don’t mention it,” the colonel said dismissively.
“Are you all right?” asked Blink.
“It’s really nothing—I’ve done much more than that in my time,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Blink had a thousand more questions about the colonel’s powers burning in his mind, but before he could start his inquisition, Otto beat him to the punch.
“Now I know why your office is always so damn cold!” Otto exclaimed. “That was amazing, Colonel!”
“Well, my body gives off cold like yours does heat. So, the room isn’t actually colder, my being in it just makes it that way. I actually prefer the heat—I’m permanently cold, so being anywhere warm is like a nice vacation.” He allowed himself a rare bit of humor and it worked flawlessly as everyone, except Malo and Bertie, shared an enthusiastic chuckle.
“Malo kill Mewlatai now.”
Malo’s solemn words brought the colonel, Otto and Dr. Blink crashing back to the grave reality their laughter had momentarily released them from just seconds before.
“Yes, Malo,” Abalias said. “Tell me what happened with the Mewlatai after you posted on the plateau.”
“Fish man and Malo cover entrance. Wait for Mewlatai. Ship land…”
“What kind of ship, Malo?” Otto interjected. “Do you remember?”
“Black—dark—Zebulon,” Malo growled.
“Zebulon?!” Otto said with disbelief. “A dark black, Zebulon star freighter?”
Malo nodded in confirmation and then snorted in disgust.
Otto slowly lifted his hand to his mouth and placed his first three fingers to his lips. He stood there silently as Colonel Abalias continued the debriefing, and he had the appearance of someone who had figured out the deepest, darkest secret of the universe but didn’t quite believe it yet.
“Then what happened?” the colonel continued, casting a curious, sideways glance at Otto.
“Mewlatai land. Inject fish man…inject…fish man…with poison. Try to inject Malo. Malo try to SMASH!” he roared, and this time it was the colonel’s turn, along with everyone else—including Bertie—to jump in surprise. “Malo fail. Mewlatai too fast, too strong. Hurt Malo’s arm, knock down. Inject Malo…”
“Injected you?” All three questioned him simultaneously.
“How could he have injected you? If the Mewlatai had injected you with poison, you would be dead!” the colonel said adamantly.
“Not necessarily,” Dr. Blink countered as he approached Bertie’s side once again. “There are several possibilities that we may consider. First, the Mewlatai may not have injected Malo with enough poison to kill him. Given Malo’s size it’s possible but unlikely, because he hasn’t shown any symptoms of poisoning…” Dr. Blink paused and looked up at the Moxen giant. “You haven’t felt sick or thrown up since you were injected, have you, Malo?”
Malo shook his head.
“Then we must consider the possibility that the Mewlatai injected him with something else.”
Otto and Colonel Abalias looked at each other with a shared expression of concern.
“But, gentlemen, we won’t know what it is or if it’s dangerous or if it’s contagious until I draw some of Malo’s blood and run some tests.”
Dr. Blink signaled to Bertie to prepare a syringe and his mechanical hand enthusiastically dove into another compartment. Suddenly the room vibrated again, only this time it shook more vigorously than when Malo had approached the outer door. Powerful booms
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