Page 29

New plan, Gehenna! Get to the elevator! Jace directed.

Right, of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Gehenna muttered.

She shifted into her murderball form and bounced down the two steps she’d managed to get up on the wounded leg. She was spinning down another hall at full speed.

Maybe the others will be able to get there first using the stairs, Gehenna suggested, but she must have known that was a wish rather than a reality.

Khoth and the others are coming, but they’re having to maneuver down hallways away from the dead Khul, Jace said. They can’t just roll through Khul blood, bodies and larva.

Yeah, especially without their hard suits! She agreed. I’m going to have to ditch this body after this, aren’t I?

Yeah, I really don’t want to bring it aboard the Osiris even if it's able to be cleaned, Jace admitted.

No worries! As soon as we have communications up with the Osiris, I can beam myself into another new, awesome form! She told him.

Another form, huh? I cannot wait to see what you’ve picked.

Jace found himself laughing, knowing that it would be something from the media that Gehenna would misunderstand. Or maybe she did understand and did it to make him and the others would find it funny. A little humor--or maybe a lot--was necessary. His mind flashed back onto the hostage Thaf’ell--his name was Wrael Moturin according to records--and his brave, but horrible death.

After what we’ve experienced here, we do need some laughs, Jace thought.

He turned his attention to Khoth and the others. He caught glimpses of Khoth in full out sprint mode through cameras, but his Commander was at least five minutes behind them like he’d feared. Typhon was in fast pursuit, powerful legs and arms pumping, but Khoth was like the wind. Nova, Davies and Dr. Hayter were bringing up the rear. Dr. Hayter urged the others to go on without him as his knee was injured.

“No, we three need to remain together,” Nova stated flatly with a slice of her hand through the air.

“Why? There’s only the one Khul left and it isn’t here,” Davies stated suspiciously. “Dr. Hayter will be perfectly safe.”

Did he think that Nova was going to harm Dr. Hayter or himself? Not even Jace believed that of her and he had a pretty low opinion of the High Councillor. Or rather, former High Councillor, the AIs told him.

So she gave up her position for the good of the Alliance. I’m surprised that she thinks anyone can do a better job. It would be too much to ask that she regrets her actions with Khoth and Thadden.

“Because there are enough people going to the Pilot’s location to take down one Omull. We’re more likely to shoot each other than the Khul. And, more importantly, you’re human,” Nova explained, which was no explanation at all.

“After what you’ve seen us, you still think we’re unable to take care of ourselves in a fight? Because the only ones not covering themselves in glory here are the Thaf’ell!” Davies snapped. “You’d all be dead without us!”

Nova nodded. “I agree. And that’s why I want to make sure you survive this.”

“Why would we not survive this?” Davies’ hand was edging towards his draagves.

Nova saw that and gave a faint smile, but she kept her hands well away from her weapons. “Because this place is contaminated now in the eyes of my people. And all that are within it are suspect of being contaminated too. They will accept the word of a Thaf’ell that they were not infected, but I fear that they will not believe the word of a human. So at best, you’d be quarantined for who knows how long.”

“And at worst?” Davies asked, all narrowed eyes and itchy trigger finger.

“They’d kill you when they burn this place,” she said quietly.

Burn? Oh, boy, yeah, the place needs to be sterilized, Jace realized.

Just like Gehenna’s body, he understood why they couldn’t have the Compound or any of the affected buildings cleaned conventionally. One of the AIs tugged at him and showed him a way to clean the buildings completely, but not actually destroy them.

Good job! We’ll look into that once we deal with the Omull, Jace said.

It offered to make one of the machines to show him. He gave it the go ahead. It zipped away, happy to be of use again.

Thammah had now dealt with hers, saving a woman and her daughter as well as a host of other people. She had been incredible and he was so proud of her. More than proud. He had let her know where the final Khul was. Here. Just feet away from him. But he urged her to stay where she was and handle things there. Nova had not been wrong that there were enough people here to deal with the creature.

But if it gets through the door, even if everyone blasts it, I’m betting that some will be sprayed with larva, Jace thought with a feeling of horror. Can’t have that. C’mon, Gehenna, move faster!

And Gehenna did, nearly smoking as she turned corners at high speed, and bumping into walls like a ping pong ball. He turned his attention back to Davies and Nova. They regarded each other like two junkyard dogs for long moments. Jace wasn’t sure what Davies might do. The threat of quarantine or death was not good. But Jace realized that she was right. She was actually helping them by offering to stay. Would Davies realize this? But it was Dr. Hayter who figured it out first, even though the man was still semi-high on stims.