Saerin jumped at Zelkan. The man had just injected some unknown serum into Mevi as she was having some kind of seizure. It was too late, whatever Zelkan had injected had quickly emptied its contents into Mevi’s bloodstream. Yanking the device, a small and durable gold-cast hypo-injector, Saerin removed the injector from Mevi’s arm. She couldn’t worry about Zelkan’s unexplained actions, Mevi was convulsing and yelling like she was in intense pain.
Working quickly, Saerin cleared the area of obstacles Mevi might crash into during this sudden fit. She had resupplied an amount of emergency medicine and a digi-scanner that uploaded data to her nerve implant. After a quick scan, and moving cloth and bags to cushion the area around Mevi, it was evident that everything was wrong with the small girl. All of her vitals were spiking, yet at the same time they dropped suddenly, like she was flatlining one moment only to revivify with intensity the next. Her heart rate beat at over eight hundred beats per minute one moment, only to pause at near zero the next. Her adrenaline and nervous system was going haywire, over producing almost every chemical and hormone in her body one second just to completely shut down the next. Saerin had never seen a condition like this before, if the readings were correct there was no way Mevi could survive this for even a second. Yet Mevi spasmed on the ground, screaming in pain all the while for tortuously long moments.
Then, suddenly, it stopped. All of her abnormal symptoms returned to normal all at once. Saerin had been held captive by the experience, there was no way to help her friend despite all her medical knowledge. Yet she returned to normal. Her body stabilized, which according to all reason and logic shouldn’t be possible. The chemicals overburdening her system just started to vanish. Damage to her nervous system, which seemed irreparable and lethal, disappeared like it was never there in the first place. Like a nightmare, only to awaken and realize it was a dream, the chaos subsided and Mevi fell into a deep sleep.
Saerin was shocked and confused, nothing like this should have happened. There was no inclination for Mevi to have undergone such a traumatic episode, unless it had something to do with the strange lights Mevi had conjured? Saerin thought. As Mevi sat for several seconds, still and quiet, Saerin turned to Zelkan. The man stood by, silent and unreadable as usual. His mannerisms had changed since the Undercity. He was less like the man Saerin had known, his kindness had become a facade and he attuned only to what he thought was his duty. She hadn’t said anything, she knew some small portion of what he had been through, but to inject some unknown reagent into Mevi? To do so without hesitation, without any explanation, or prior warning? Did he know about some medical condition he had refused to tell anyone? The words Zelkan had spoken once before rang out once more, ‘-you are a Medical Technician. I don’t think you have earned your doctor’s qualifications. You run equipment, not operate on live subjects.’ Perhaps Zelkan truly didn’t trust her, yet still Saerin was supposed to be in charge of everyone’s health. The thoughts and questions boiled in Saerin as she scowled at Zelkan, the unsaid accusations and unspoken opinions of both of them tensed the air between them. “Acolyte…” Saerin hissed at Zelkan, “What did you do?”
“I did my duty. She is safe now. That should be enough for you.” Zelkan replied, arrogant authority in his voice.
“As the only one in our retinue of the medical vocation, I am in charge of our health… Especially when concerning our lady. I demand to know what just happened and what you did.”
“I. Did. My. Duty.” He clarified sternly.
“Oh I apologize, o’ so high and mighty one! I’ll turn a blind eye to the girl screaming and crying in pain only a few seconds ago! Whatever you say!” Saerin sarcastically yelled in mockery.
Zelkan turned, returning to the terminal he had been working with, “I owe you no explanation. I was given a duty to protect our lady, and I held to it.” he growled out the words.
“Whatever you know you need to tell me, if our lady’s health is reliant on some unspoken fact only you know; what would we have done if you died in the crash?”
He paused, his hands hanging over the console, “You…” he hesitated, “You are right… There was no way to know this catastrophe would happen, or if one might be coming again soon…”
“Then tell me what is wrong with her, how can I protect her? You aren’t the only one, nor even the best suited, to protect her completely alone.” Saerin begged.
“I… I cannot tell you the details. I do not even know very much. But I was given a private missive directly from our Lord Magi Odion’s office. It described almost exactly what we just witnessed, and after came a serum that was simply labeled ‘medicine’.” He turned to Saerin, his head hanging slightly, “I apologize for not notifying you. You are right that others should know about this condition, if it happens again and I am not around.”
Saerin hesitated. Directly from Lord Odion? What is happening that requires the Lord Magi’s direct intervention? Saerin worried. Looking back to Mevi, who was huddled on the floor among the cushions and torn cloth Tanaka had once sat upon. She was so small when she slept, almost entirely skin and bones even after staying in the Magi’s facility for so long. So young, yet with the weight of worlds on her shoulders. It was no surprise, now that Saerin thought about it, that some kind of side effect to the strangeness Mevi controlled was finally emerging. Saerin turned back to Zelkan again, “How much of this serum do you have?”
“A crate was delivered to the ship and the scripture ID was identical to the one sent from Lord Magi Odion’s office. Inside seemed to be thirty or so of these serums. I took one out of paranoia, I am glad I did.” Zelkan explained.
“We need to find that crate, and hope that medicine is safe. If something like this happens a second time, Mevi will die. There is no way a body could withstand such incredible stress again; the fact that she survived this time could only be a miracle of the Magi’s providence.”
“Agreed. Captain Lear’kin, would you stay here with our Lady and the sentinel? Tanaka, if you are fit enough to walk would you aid us in searching among the remains of the lower deck? Hellion you as well.”
“I can’t hardly move from my post anyway, I will keep watch. Our Nerve Net signal is weak, but the ship transmits enough bandwidth for simple communiqué. I’ll keep you posted if anything happens.” Laer’kin assured.
“Not to repeat what I’ve said ‘fore, but there is somethin’ outside. It’ll be close by if we go by the sound alone. Someone should keep track of what’s goin’ on, an’ at least be a unfortunate that can yell in horror to warn the rest of y’all.” Hellion interjected.
Zelkan seemed to think for a few moments, “You are right. Please, Hellion. If you can, keep watch of the main deck.”
“‘Course!” Hellion said, grinning wide.
The three of them, Zelkan, Saerin, and the newly awakened Tanaka, all rushed out into the dark of the ship. Mevi’s light had gone out, and only the bridge’s emergency power lights were functional. The dim red glow of emergency power only stretched so far out of the bridge, barely illuminating even a few steps out the door. Zelkan likely had vision assistance built into his mask, his version was so modified and augmented that it likely had every aid Zelkan could cram into it. Tanaka and Saerin, however, struggled in the dark. The two of them seemed equally unsuited for such blind scavenging, running into objects and kicking hard surfaces. Tzark had found a personal lumen from somewhere, but after he ran off it was likely gone with him.
After a few minutes of bumbling in the dark, using the wall as a general guide, Zelkan’s voice suddenly exclaimed, “Over here!” Then, suddenly light. Though small as it was, Zelkan had found another personal lumen. A small device shaped like a glass cage with metal wires intertwining in circular patterns; within held a jewel-like device that could bleed out bright light for hours without needing to recharge. The small device glowed its light throughout the lower deck, reaching ten meters or so in whatever direction its unveiled face was pointed.
The sudden light briefly blinded Saerin, but she was able to make her way towards Zelkan with its assistance. There was a small crate of lumens, most of which were broken or shattered and leaking strange electric fluid onto the ground. The remaining lumens, thirteen in total, seemed mostly functional. Each of them taking one, Zelkan deactivating his mask and using one as well, they could begin scouring the deck.
The mess that was the lower deck had crates, equipment, scrap, and rubble piled up in every spot imaginable. If this deck had ever been clean, Saerin wasn’t sure. Yet the amount of carnage throughout the deck made combing it for Mevi’s medicine almost impossible. The three of them dug and sifted through the debris for nearly twenty minutes. Grueling work, digging and moving the heavy items tossed atop each other made for extremely slow progress.
As Saerin began to heave and shift a large metallic sheet away from what she thought was a container, a scuttling was heard nearby. The strange sound, like many little needles clinking against the metal tiles of the ship, echoed slightly in the wrecked room. Everyone paused. Looking back towards Tanaka and Zelkan, Saerin saw them staring back at her and deeper into the deck. Something was in here. Something was with them.
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Tanaka began to slowly creep backwards, obviously spooked. Accidentally backing onto a piece of flat metal sheet he slipped backwards crashing to the floor with a clatter. The sound of the fall exploded loudly in the otherwise silent deck. Yet behind the sound of clattering metal and hard crashing, a skittering was heard once again. Instead of an echo it was closer, like it moved towards them. Saerin held up a hand, in some vain instinct like she could stop him from making more noise despite the distance between them. When the clattering finished, the sound of scuttling continued. It got louder and closer, twisting around the entire deck as it approached quickly. Tanaka had given up on stealth entirely, a whimper escaping him as he scurried away. Then they saw it.
Appearing suddenly in the light surrounding Tanaka was an insectoid worm. A scaled and disgusting thing, as large as a man and twice as long. It pounced on Tanaka, the man screaming in horror as the creature lunged at him. Zelkan ran towards him like he could somehow do something, Saerin could only sit and watch. The creature would tear Tanaka apart, despite all Mevi’s efforts to heal and protect the man it would be all for nothing. Then an explosion of light from the bridge door.
Shooting out like a comet, a blue blast of super-powered energy flew past the countless random obstacles filling the lower deck. Finding exactly the right angle to fly through gaps and barely graze obstacles. The blue blast impacted into the grotesque head of the insectoid worm, exploding the upper half of the creature’s body as it was overwhelmed with energetic current. The remainder of its body fell to the ground, flailing and twisting in place for a few moments before finally curling into a bloody spiral and dying.
Saerin rushed over to Tanaka, who was covered in partially glowing green ichor. The goo was electrified and fizzed wherever it landed from the energy of the blast. Parts of Tanaka’s skin that touched the blood sizzled and burnt slightly, but the man was so in shock he didn’t even notice. Saerin looked up through the rubble, seeing the path the energy blast took marked by melted metal and seared objects; the energy blast avoided most of the debris on the deck, but what it couldn’t avoid it tore through leaving a melted husk behind. At the source of the blast was the door to the bridge, standing in the doorway and illuminated by the dim red glow was the looming golden frame of Mevi’s sentinel protector.
Zelkan reached where Tanaka was suddenly, he having to cross and climb over more obstacles than Saerin did. Yet Searin’s eyes were on the sentinel construct, or what should have been a construct. Zelkan followed Saerin’s gaze and equally gawked at the golden figure. As they both stared at it, the thing turned and returned back into the bridge to stand over Mevi. Staring down at the small girl, and watching her carefully. “Are sentinels supposed to act without direction?” Saerin asked, hesitantly.
“No.” Zelkan replied grimly, “There should be no reason for it to act unless there is a direct threat to lady Mevare’s life. I know for certain it was programmed to only think about and protect our lady…”
“Why did it protect Tanaka..?”
“I don’t know. There should have been no reason for it to respond at all… According to this sentinel’s internal scripture, it should only protect lady Mevare. It responds to her direct orders above all else, but shouldn’t go out of its way when not directly commanded. It might respond to me, but it will ignore even the highest chain of command if it conflicts with our lady’s directions.”
“Mevi did ask it to protect us at one point..?” Saerin wondered.
“A sentinel’s directives would have considered that order moot and void after Mevare fell unconscious… There should be no other thing it does except stay by Mevare’s side until she awakens, protecting only her and sacrificing others to do so if it felt the need. To waste precious ammunition on something that wasn’t an immediate threat to its master…”
Saerin and Zelkan stared at the golden thing. Illuminated by the red dim as it stood next to Mevi, staring down at her without a single move or hint of emotion. A sentinel, at least according to everything Saerin knew, should have been an automaton; a constructed cybernetic warrior with no ability for higher thought functions. It would definitely never disobey its base programming, choosing to prioritize its resources and energy reserves for only direct threats or the most effective of movements. Saerin had once seen denizens of the City of Light break out into a brawl on the street, all the while sentinels watched silently. Since the sentinel’s directive was to prevent entry of a building, besides from certain important figures and to protect those figures, the sentinels ignored the fight. Only when one of the brawler’s feet barely moved a centimeter past where the sentinels stood did they act or do anything, and even then it was a brutal slaughter that ended in an instant and left a dead body for the auto-cleaners to remove. A sentinel should never act outside its designated programing, so the fact that it had attacked without a prompt meant only one thing, “The sentinel’s internal processor has been corrupted.” Zelkan said, finishing Saerin’s mind’s conclusion.
The three of them watched the sentinel for a few more moments, Tanaka slowly rising and listening silently to their conversation. The sentinel stared down at its unconscious mistress without any hint of the corrupted infection they suspected. It stood there so silently and stiffly, its gaze on only Mevi. Saerin couldn’t help when a shiver went down her spine, the idea of a corrupted sentinel construct was a terrifying one. If its corrupted scripture designated something a threat, there were few things and even fewer living creatures that could stop it from eliminating said threat.
Without any way to address this new issue, they were forced to return to their original task. Tanaka, scared from the insectoid, volunteered to go to the main deck; but despite his proclaimed fear of the bug monster, his eyes didn’t once leave the sentinel. As they returned to their tasks Saerin quietly hoped their suspicions were somehow wrong. It didn’t take them much longer to find the serum that was Mevi’s medicine. Yet the sight dissolved most of the hope Saerin had that Mevi would be safe from whatever affliction she suffered. Inside a crushed metal crate was once a supply of a blue-tinted liquid serum housed within small injectors. The injectors were all crushed. Zelkan dug through the wreck, getting cuts from sharp metal and broken glass as he desperately excavated the pile. To some small relief, three serum injectors seemed to be intact, but the remaining were destroyed beyond repair or had cracked so badly they drained most of their fluid. “Saerin…” Zelkan mumbled, cradling the medicine as blue and red coated his now-cut and torn gloves, “Can you synthesize more of this…?” he asked.
“Zel… If I wanted to even try I would need to know what it is, and if we don’t know what it is I would need to analyze samples to try and guess what it might be. It could take days, and it would take more serum than we have without a better lab.” Saerin explained grimly.
Zelkan stared down at the ground, resting the serum gentle on his lap and forming his hands into tight fists, becoming silent for a few moments before suddenly shouting, “DAMN!” and slamming his bloodied fist against the hard metal container.
“Zel…” Saerin reached a hand out, but stopped as she noticed the usually stoic man tremble slightly.
“The missive…” he mumbled, “The message said that without this she would die… That she would soon experience seizures, and without it she would die…” his voice trembling, “I’ve failed…”
“No!” Saerin grabbed his shoulder firmly, “Mevi isn’t dead yet, our lady will survive this. I can gather as much of the serum that is in this crate as I can… I’ll find some way to replicate it. Even without it, we just need to hold out until the ship repairs itself and then we can leave, can’t we?”
“The ship can’t leave.”
“What do you mean…?”
“The ship’s internal scanners are functional. The reactor leaked so much mana and so many necessary components were destroyed or lost as we crashed, the reactor cant synthesize anymore the necessary materials… Soon the auto repair systems will deactivate, and all power will be gone soon after that. The ship will be a metal husk within a few days, a week at the very best. We can’t escape.”
The revelation shocked Saerin. She knew the ship was in a bad state, but it was a Magi’s vessel! There was almost nothing that could seriously harm or deactivate Magi-tech besides other Magi-tech. What Zelkan said would be considered blasphemous to even imagine, regardless of if it was true or not. Yet blasphemy or not, if the ship couldn’t repair itself and leave how would they escape? Would the Lords Magi send more vessels to retrieve them? They didn’t even fully know what had happened or why they had begun to crash. What if the Magi decided it was too dangerous to send rescue parties? The fear and worry began to boil and spark fires of anxiety in Saerin. Despite her confident words she too began to panic. Yet she refused the very idea of giving up.
Firming her grip on Zelkan’s shoulder, Saerin quickly left and started gathering as many bottles and siphons as she could find. She and Tzark had briefly organized the medical supplies they had already found, thankfully most had piled in the same spot due to the strong ties and magnetic locks. Saerin refused to give up, she would study this serum and figure out a way to keep Mevi alive until the Magi came to rescue her. Saerin knew her own worth, and knew her life was nothing in the eyes of the Magi, but she also knew her lady’s. Maphet and Odion would not abandon a newly appointed Magi’s Apprentice, especially not the first apprentice Maphet had ever fostered. Despite their generally aloof political attitude, even they could not ignore the impact losing such a new and valuable asset would have on their reputation. Returning to where Zelkan sat, and beginning her collection of what little serum remained, Saerin reassured her companion with confidence, “Mevi will survive. The Magi are coming for our lady. We only need to last until they get here. If I can even make a serum that is even one-fiftieth the potency of whatever this medicine is, I will. Whatever it takes to keep her alive and safe. We will not fail.”
Saerin began to work. Sifting through the crate and trying to find where the serum pooled at the bottom, trying her hardest to avoid the specs of red blood floating in the liquid. Zelkan still sat there, holding the three injectors gently and hanging his head. Saerin hated being so firm and blunt, but she grabbed the man by the arm-mid work and forced him to his feet. He still hung his head, already giving up. She had seen one of her superiors do this to a battle-shocked medical technician during one of her first outings into the Undercity. She and several other medical vocation recruits had left to reinforce a Legion outpost while they were under attack from a horde of Undercity Gangs. Saerin hoped this trick would have the same effect as it had on that recruit. Balling her hand into fist, Saerin punched Zelkan square in the mask. With her relatively unfit and weak body not suited for combat as it was, Zelkan only stumbled backwards a few steps but it had the desired effect. Zelkan looked up, picking up his head from his dread and stared at Saerin, a small crack in his mask now stretched across the dark screen. “Wake up Acolyte!” Saerin shouted, “This is no time to quake and cry! We have a job to do, and I expect you to do it!” Saerin shouted nearly the exact same words she had heard her superior yell at the recruit that day.
Saerin couldn’t see Zelkan’s face, but the man stiffened his posture and regained some of his confidence. A slight tremble was still shaking both of them, their hands not as steady as they had been even moments before, the cascading revelations about their situation shaking them deeply. Yet Zelkan had woken up, and Saerin needed him to be his normal self and help direct and fix such a chaotic situation as this. “You’re right. I apologize. I will leave the important task of studying this serum to you. We will need your expertise as the chief medical knowledge in our retinue to make it through this.” Zelkan turned, his body clearly showing his confidence had regained slightly, “I am going to go fix this ship. We will survive this.”
