The interior of the hospital was dim with night and quiet with the lateness of the hour. The only motion to disturb the filtered air was the drifting of pages. Twin spheres of chestnut hued eyes flickered as they roved along the dog-eared page of the large bound book. Mera's brows were furrowed in concentration. Her elbow was propped upon the desk where she cradled her cheek in her hand. The sound of movement made her lift her lids to look to the doorway.
The dull plodding of metal against the floor sounded. A Syrynykk stepped through the door, the tipped end of his fetish spear, held in one clawed hand, repeated with each step he made. He came through the door and Mera straightened her posture. Her warm smile was offered kindly to the Syrynykk.
"Greetings, sir."
The cold gaze of the reptile drifted slowly toward Mera. "Greet you, I do," he said. His forked tongue snaked out between a row of razor edged teeth.
About then, a slender young man walked in dressed in a hospital jumpsuit from one of the patient rooms. He glanced about and muttered, "Check yerself in and they take all your clothing." Various light colored bruises covered his face and what was visible of his body.
Noting movement from the corner of her eye, UoM aide Mera turned, taking in the form in the hospital jumpsuit. She chuckled as she smiled to Mr. Grey. "Is there something I can help you with, sir?" Her chestnut eyes glanced curiously towards the bruises, but she was too polite to ask what happened when he’d been treated already.
The man named Shad Grey attempted a polite smile to the aide. "Some food would do quite nicely."
She smiled. "Sure. Have a seat."
"Been run through more tested by the med. than I'd think Huumunnly possible." He walked carefully so as not to disturb any of his bruises. He made his way to one of the seats. When he noticed the way she took interest in his bruises, Grey said, "I got jumped by missionaries a few nights ago. Trying to save some street rats ..." He shook his head. "They 'saved' one of 'em anyway."
Mera winced towards Grey. She nodded and slide the chair out from under the desk. She stood up and padded towards the cafeteria, turning for a moment to address the Syrynykk "Would you like something as well?"
Another look toward Mera breaks the reverie of the Syrynykk known to some as Sitharis. "Good, meat isss.. Have meat, you do?"
Mera nodded. "I'm afraid its Phlupp again ... seems to be the most plentiful thing about ... the way they breed."
"Phlupp?" Grey chuckled slightly. "My favorite. Ye make do with what ya can.."
Mera winked at Grey, glad to see he was in good humor and realized that Sitharis was staring at her, not understanding her answer. To the confusion in the Syrynykk's eyes, she said, "Small rodents … we make stew from them."
"Underssstand, I do..." He made a small nod of acceptance and moved toward one of the speakers on the walls. Mera wasn’t sure if he’d accepted her offer of the stew or just her explanation.
Grey grinned slightly to the girl. "I developed a taste for 'em ... well that or die ... not much of a choice ..."
Deciding he’d get some if he were hungry, she made her way towards the counter. She lifted a bowl and ladled out some of the thick brown stew. Her feet carried her towards the water purifier, and there, Mera filled a small glass for Grey. Her smile widened at his words. "Really. But it would be nice to have something else for a change." She carefully balanced the items within her arms, made her way to Grey's table, and set them before him. She provided a fork with a flourish.
He smiled graciously to the girl. "My thanks. Is Starvation another test at this hospital?" Mera chuckled and moved to playfully nudge him. But she remembered his bruises and decided against it.
"Yep," he said then, oddly. "Church rations aren't that bad."
Her brow lifted at his words. "What do they eat?" For surely, if he said such a thing, he must know.
"I don't know ... or want to ... Nuclear waste?" He shrugged.
Strange man…
==
The fetish spear in Sitharis’ clawed hand was turned over, the blunt end raised to rap against Elliot's speaker on the wall. "Ssspeak, you will. Asssleep again, you are?"
"Elliot Enterprises Inc, Series 7 at your service" the computer's singsong voice echoed through the speaker. "I am not Huumunn or Syrynykk, sir, I do not require sleep."
"Recordsss of people, you have?"
"My database includes many entries of the inhabitants of New Rydynn."
"Putter, you have?" He rapped the speaker again with the blunt end of his spear. His slitted, yellow eyes stared at the speaker as if it were actual a being who spoke.
"Engaging data search....please wait." There was that ever-helpful tone in Elliot’s programmed voice. "I need more information sir, to due a proper search."
"Female, she is ... Huumunn, she is ..."
"Searching ... ‘Putter, Josi’ – scavenger. Her whereabouts are unknown at this time."
A small hiss slipped from Sitharis’ lips, not anger, just his natural way. "Ssslow, you are." Another hiss followed, this time with a clear note of irritation in the sound.
"I shall run a diagnostic check immediately. Engaging self-diagnostic mode"
There came another rap against the speaker with the blunt end of the spear, then Sith turned toward the main part of the room. His slitted eyes narrowed. He moved to a corner area and stood, watching the others with cold calculation in his orbs.
==
"Hmm?" Grey glanced around for the voice that came from the overhead speakers. "Oh … is that the computer?"
The aide nodded to Grey, sinking down into the seat across from him with a soft sigh. "Yep ... that’s Elliot." She was surprised to hear Grey say, almost mechanically, "Artificial Intelligence.. E7.. built by Elliot Enterprises." He shook his head then with a grimace. "Oye.."
Her brow lifted as he spoke. There was definitely something almost ... odd ... about him. "Yes. You know of Elliot then?"
"I've been.. catching a lot up.. connecting into the system.. Don't know why but I've been feeling like learning a lot these past few days.. I'm here 'cause I caught some virus in some ruins of a science facility.. The heads of research here have been studying me.. I've been.. 'loving' it.." He held his head suddenly and gasped in pain.. then just as suddenly it stopped and he groaned in disgust, "Aggh.. that again.."
Mera was nearly ready to jump out of her chair at the expression on his face. "Are you all right?"
"Been feeling pains.. like I'm being rearranged from the inside out.. That virus I think is rearranging my.. genetic structure? what ever it is.. I'm changing. And it's not pleasant..."
Mera blinked. "Has Dr. Calso found anything?"
"He just found the virus Wednesday... He and a few others have been studying me and.. 'it' since. Something strange they've been saying... nothing quite like it.. and it seems to be selective... not contagious ... I'm its ... ‘chosen' I guess..."
"Chosen? That is very curious." She offered a sympathetic look. "Well...if there is anything I can do to make things a bit more comfortable...just holler." Her smile was kind.
Azreth padded in from without, his leather soled boots silent on the tile. He nodded to Mera after taking a look around the room. Noting that movement, the subtle change in lighting catching her eye, Mera glanced up, and offered a nod to Azreth in return.
Grey faced her squarely, quietly, explaining, "I've tried the pain killers.. they don't work. It's all very strange. Then again this is Sabatt."
Mera nodded. "I will inform the doctors, perhaps they can prescribe something a bit stronger." Her chestnut eyes flickered toward the immobile Syrynykk. She silently wondered what brought one of the tribal members so far into the city. She watched his obsidian black, clawed hands wrap around the shaft of the fetish spear, and saw he was watching in return with a stoic calm.
Grey chuckled slightly. "I'm already on the strongest stuff. My body keeps rejecting it’s effects. I have noticed my mind's been acting up to …"
Azreth leaned against the doorway to the cafeteria, then said to Grey, "Try narcotics yet?"
"Yep.. nothing.. like I can't get any effect off *anything*..."
"Sucks to be you, I suppose."
He turned to Azreth with a nod. "You have no idea."
"You'd be surprised."
"Always had some mental abilities," Grey said, as if that were normal. "But this virus is really workin it up.."
Concern crossed Mera’s features. "Acting up? in what way? can you describe it?"
"I've been experiencing -- other's thoughts. Visions. Heck once I think I even saw the ... atoms? ... of something swirling around."
Mera sat up straight, her arms gliding from the table into her lap. "Thoughts? That is odd indeed. You told the doctors?"
He didn’t really answer her question, just went on. "Telepathy.. empathy... Memories of.. other times and places… That or I've actually lost it finally."
"What about, um, telekinesis? Can you move things with a thought? That's always a cool party trick." Az sounded much like he was living in world where he’d "lost it" already. He was even smiling.
"Yeah... can actually do that.." Grey glanced to one of the spoons and concentrated.
"Ooo, are you going to bend it?" Az’ eyes may have widened just a touch.
The spoon shook but didn't lift off. Grey’s hands moved up to hold his head. "I've never been able to do even that..."
"You should practice. Practice makes perfect, you know."
Mera glanced about – as thought the walls had ears – and then leaned in to whisper, "I would be careful sir, if the church finds out, who knows what kind of heresy they will accuse you of?"
Az, hearing despite her whisper, said to Mera. "They only care about the mages."
She pressed the backs of her fingers to Grey’s forehead. "And, it hurts?"
"It hurts slightly... but then my head has been hurting the past few days.."
"Never the psychics. Only the mages." Az said again and sighed.
Mera glanced to Azreth, not wanting to argue details, but prepared to argue caution. "Yes. But they might mistake him for one."
"I doubt it. I really doubt it. Just appeal for awhile."
"Well some psychics… They did kill my mother."
Mera nodded to Grey with understanding sympathy. "They killed my parents too."
Grey explained, the way anyone does when they find a common thread of experience – the sharing of information giving the loss validity. "She was a Medic. But she left with my father.."
"My parents were both medics," Mera told him. "They worked with Ash. But when they were out in the field, a bomb went off in a local shop ... they were too close."
"With Ash? I met her Wednesday.."
Azreth grinned. "Ash is cute."
Mera let the tempting melancholy slide away and chuckled to Azreth. "Don’t tell HER that"
"I know. She is, though."
"They shot my mom while I was watching," Grey added, giving a shrug, not so ready to just let the shared losses slip away. He made a fist shaped like a gun and pointed his finger to his forehead, then sighed slightly. "Just like that." Mera, drawn back in, shook her head slowly, saddened. Grey stared for a moment into his nearly finished stew. "Was about.... hmm.. 15.. 18 years ago?'
"If it makes you feel any better," Azreth, said, one-ups-man-ship at it’s best, "My mom took it from the business end of a hatchet while I watched."
Hmph. Grey glanced at him. "I guess you win."
"I'm good at that."
Grey nodded. "You don't quite look like someone who's been on this planet all they're life." Why he’d say that wasn’t completely clear, but say it he did.
"No, I haven’t been here my entire life. Under a month, I think."
"Ah." Grey nodded, not bothering to ask how Az had arrived since everyone knew the Nexus was long withdrawn and ships, if they existed, never came here. After all, it had been so long since Sabatt had had contact with other worlds most of it’s people forgot they even ever existed. "A warm welcome to Sabatt then." Grey’s words were heavy with irony. "Planet of... joy.."
"And warm it certainly is here."
"I'd drink to that if I had anything to drink.."
Curiosity winning out, Sitharis broke from his stillness and moved with heavy steps toward the others. His long, thick tail swayed slowly behind him. An almost relieved smile curved Mera’s lips as she noted that he had joined them The Syrynykk was tempted by the smell of food which stopped his progress. His scaled nose lifted to sniff, then his tongue slithered out to taste the air.
Mera smiled to the "Lizard." "There is plenty in the pot if you would like some."
"Ssstrange tassste, it hasss..." He lowered his gaze to Mera.
"Well....we try to doctor it up with what we can....excuse the pun." smiles
"Explain pun, you will.." staring straight down at Mera now
"Pun? a play on words.. a double meaning.." Grey tried to fill in the answer for her.
"Well...I said we doctor it up....and we are....doctors.....get it?"
Sitharis’ only movement was flicker of his long forked tongue out. Mera felt almost like a mouse beneath that heavy stare. "Sssee, I do.. Healer, you are?"
"Well....not me....not yet. But some day. The others who work here are healers."
"A healer's apprentice you are..." The Syrynykk seemed satisfied with that.
Azreth said to Mera, "You're a healer too, doll. Just because you can't cut people open doesn't mean you can't make them better."
"Thanks," the girl said with a smile.
"There are different sorts of healers.. Physical, mental and most important spiritually.. Are to put it.. soul healers.. Not just the cult of demons and the church of nukes.."
"For spiritual leaders, you have to go to a religion. A church or a cult, for example," Az said. "Mmm, so you're saying that the nukes are soul healers?"
"Azreth," Grey said, the name just there in his head. "They are soul destroyers.."
"In a place like this, the deader the better."
Curiosity getting the better of her...Mera glance up to the Syrynykk "What brings you to New Rydynn?"
"Knowledge... Ssseeker, I am... "
"A seeker?" Az echoed.
"Seeker?" Grey repeated. "Sounds.. familiar.. Seekers.. That sounds familiar.. yet I can't place it"
"Souls aren't needed," Az said, returning the philosophy at hand. "Only hands and work ethics."
Grey shrugged to Azreth. "That unneeded part has helped me to survive..."
"And why do you think that? What couldn't a robot have done?"
"Too much reliance of tech.. Nukes control most of it and control everything because of it.."
"So?"
There was a long pause. Az was about to prod him when Grey suddenly look up and glanced about. "What did I say? I just blanked out..."
"That your soul is worth having."
"Oh.. did I?"
Azreth nodded.
Uninterested in this soul discussion for the nonce, Sitharis turned his gaze to the rest of the rooms beyond the cafeteria and lobby. "Thisss place, big it isss...."
"Yes, it is...it is the capital after all."
He shook his scaled head slowly. "City, not. Thisss place." One clawed hand swept to indicate the hospital itself.
"Ah....I understand now. Yes....it needs to be...with all of the wounded that we receive."
He looked once more at the room then back to her at her statement. "Few, there are."
"Few?"
"Many there are, you make it sssound... though few, there are."
She nodded. "Thankfully, it is a quiet night. Some nights are like this...other nights, it is very busy."
"Believe you, I will..." Despite the evidence. He stared down at her still from his greater height. "Name, you have... tell me, you will."
She smiled to the "Lizard." "Meralynn, sir"
He gave one nod. "Underssstand, I do Meralynnsssir."
She let out a chuckle. "No...not Meralynnsir.....Meralynn"
"Confusssesss you, your name doesss?"
"Sometimes."
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