VIII
Can't You See What's Coming?
"Uthane... what on Irk is uthane? I... uthane..."
Shil paused in her pacing only to press a hot cup of iaka into Min's cold hands. The gray-eyed mechanic was bundled in a blanket on Shil's shabby couch, trying to both warm himself from a sudden chill and calm the fear in his chest. Lidge had stormed out half an hour ago, her face stormy. Unfortunately, her departure left Min without a ride back to the med center. Without a way back to Pira. Shil had offered to take him, but they both needed to relax and think things through before rushing off anywhere in a voot runner.
"I've heard that name before, Mother knows I have... but... Irk, what is it?"
Min shook his head. "I don't know..." He was surprised at how scratchy his voice was. " 'Uthane and ahki mix'... Maybe it's a drink..."
Now Shil shivered. Why was it so cold in her apartment. "It's not a drink, Min. I, of all Irkens, should know. Slarking..." Another sigh. "Blast it, I wish we could just ask Cerol..."
"Best not to disturb him any more."
"I know, I know..."
Gloved hands fiddled with the cup as gray eyes were reflected in the dark liquid. The eyes were sorrowful, tired, and too old for the face they were set in. He'd seen eyes like that once... blue eyes... Min took an angry gulp, shattering his reflection for the time being. "Shil, maybe it's something like a drug... you don't mix anything in ahki other than yisok or vinel... Unless it's..."
"Something that's not supposed to be there." Dark green eyes regarded him over the rim of a glass, this one containing the aforementioned, yisok-ahki mix. "Call Jishet."
Min nodded, getting to his feet, legs trembling a bit under him as he made his way over to Shil's communicator. It hummed idly, screen a dull purple color. A few taps of the keys activated it instantly and in moments, he was speaking with Jishet Olon. "Evening, Jishet here. Lucky you caught me leaving work. Who'm I-Min Kaalae? That you?" Pale purple eyes peered at him, thin eyelashes fluttering slightly. "Heh. Course it is. How many Irkens've got gray eyes like those?"
Jishet's name "Olon" was what was known as a dead name. A dead name was a name whose final bearer died or was banished without ever having passed it onto a student. In this case, Leeri Olon had been executed for treason, and thus her name had died with her. Jishet, upon hearing about this, had changed her last name after giving her original name to her student. She had applied for a second student, in hopes that the Olon name would not die. No one was sure of Jishet's reason for this, as the heavyset female kept it to herself. Like Leeri, she was a chemical researcher and analyst, and perhaps she had known the late Leeri Olon during her life. Min had acquired her frequency while cleaning out Jendai's old desk when he inherited the apartment. Apparently, his banished teacher had bought cleansing oils and things of the sort from Jishet for his inventions.
"Not many," Min acknowledged with a smile. Jishet had a strange drawl that could make you grin despite yourself. "I won't keep you, Jishet, but, I had a question. We..." He gestured to Shil behind him. "thought you might know about."
"Well, I'm off now, so, feel free ta fire 'way!"
"Have..." Now he fidgeted, a bit afraid of the answer. "Have you ever heard of something called uthane...?"
"Uthane? Oh! Uthane!" She pronounced it, "oo-than-ee". After a pause for thought, Jishet continued. "Low-class drug... we don't make it here. I think you can get it in the Soldier areas for pretty cheap. We've done research on it though..."
Min felt cold. A blanket was draped over his shoulders and he was forced into a chair. Shil's work, no doubt. He didn't know he'd been shaking. Jishet's eyes were concerned, lilac slits. "What... what does it do?" He had a bad feeling, no, an awful feeling now. "What are the effects...?"
Another pause, this for a quick tap of buttons on a small palmtop. "Ehhh... let's see... it's a hallucinogen." She was reading now. "Takes at least twelve to fifteen hours for the effects to start. Gives users extreme euphoria, delusions of grandeur... blah blah blah... the user can loose sense of where they are, what they're doing... and some, if enough is taken, go on small destructive sprees until the effects wear off. Personality remains the same, even if judgment sense is non-existent." Pale eyes, now wide, scanned the writing faster now, as if their owner sensed Min's panic. "Can be injected, inhaled, or ingested orally. Sometimes mixed with a drink to mask its bitter taste."
That was all the two listeners had to hear. After a brief, and sincere thank you to Jishet for her time, Shil disconnected the transmission with violently trembling hands. She grabbed Min's shoulders to steady herself, trying to sort out what they had just learned and what Cerol had shrieked only a half hour ago. Min gripped her hands tight, just trying to find something solid in his world. "Those effects..." he muttered, mostly to the blank screen. "Shil... combine that with... with what Cerol said... what Jishet told us... and where it's found... oh Irk, Shil!"
"An... you don't think... Min, tell me you don't think the ahki Cerol was talking about is..."
"It's the only way. There's no other way Cerol could be right unless..."
"Maybe Lidge is right! Maybe it was just babble!"
"Shil..."
"I know, I know. I'm his teacher. If I don't believe what he says, who will? Still... I... I can't believe this is real. It can't be! That ahki can't be..."
"An Invader's...?"
~~~~
"WELCOME! INVADERS!"
That was the sign over the Soldier tavern in the south part of the city. Tomorrow was the launch date of Impending Doom. Tomorrow was the Great Assigning, the day these proud few Irkens would have their day of glory. They would always be remembered for that day and for their deeds after that day.
Too bad most of them would have such terrible hangovers.
Already, med workers were dragging those who were too drunk back to the med centers or barracks depending on the level of intoxication. They looked disgusted at having to do such a job, but were probably just disgusted with the fact that they were actually touching drunken Soldiers. Invaders were, according to the announcements broadcasted across the planet, the highest military rank now achievable. Why these idiotic Soldiers weren't acting like it was beyond the med workers.
Some were up on the tables, ranting at the ceiling or dancing, still celebrating their triumph. Their fellows tried to yank them off, only succeeding in being pulled up themselves. Others were bragging about their conquering abilities. A few were drinking up their bonuses, laughing at jokes no one else could hear. Still fewer sat quietly, staring around at the idiocy around them, sipping barely enough ahki to even seem to be celebrating anything.
It was one of these sober Invaders that Sen sought.
He'd obtained the small purple vial from a street seller. It wasn't hard to find one. They seemed to be everywhere these days. It had also been relatively cheap... for him anyway. Such a large amount would cost a normal buyer a week to procure. Concealed in his glove, no one would ever suspect an Imperial Guard of anything of this magnitude. The victim he'd chosen should get off easy, more or less, because of his height. No one ever punished the short ones too hard. They couldn't be expected to be at the same level as the taller ones. Therefore, their punishments were less severe. It was the only perk of being short.
Punishments. Sen was no stranger to punishment. Ten years in the Tallests' personal prison had shown him punishment to a high degree. Tallest Red saw to the discomfort of his prisoners, even when Tallest Purple frowned on it. The Soldier Tallest had spared no expense in showing Sen his displeasure in what the guard had done. Such a show of anti-Classisim was a bit startling, considering which Class Red belonged to. Sen blamed Purple's influence. Red was becoming too weak in Soldier ways, letting that tall Student take over the decision-making.
Teaching Red a lesson in Soldier ways was part of the reason he was here now. The other main reason was to keep those slarking Students in their place. Their female smeet of a leader showed no signs of stopping her attacks. A Soldier had to be found to straighten her out. Though, Sen hated having to use a fellow Soldier. Especially one who had earned the rank of Invader. Although, rumor had it that this one was only made an Invader due to that blasted Rael's meddling in the Tallests' decision. Poor wretch. He hoped this one dose wouldn't be enough to make an addict out of the little squirt. Then again...
Anything for the sake of his mission. If one sacrifice could make or break a mission, a Soldier must make the sacrifice. This Soldier would be that sacrifice.
Casually, he sauntered up to the bar, ignoring the lesser Irkens around him. He's planned this all out on the short march over here. No Irken would refuse a congratulation drink from a taller Irken. No one would question its origin or motives either. It was the perfect plan. A service robot popped up before him as he leaned against the stained plastic of the bar. "Two ahki," he said smoothly, nodding to the bot. A glance over his shoulder showed the little Invader to still be alone, although several celebrators blocked his view. The drinks came promptly, as expected. No one saw the slight flick of a Soldier wrist as the purple contents of the vial dripped into one of the ahki glasses. If they did, they wouldn't notice anything odd about it. There were stranger motions going on in this bar than that.
Everything was going well. Sen smirked behind the mask as he collected the two drinks. So smoothly. Invaders parted for him, most staggering. He made his way over to the little Invader's table with the smirk still hidden behind the red mask. Within ten feet of the table, he froze, a knot forming in his chest.
The small Invader was still at his table, finishing off what looked to be his first glass of ahki. That was normal. Beside him, to his right, sat someone who had not been there when Sen had first stepped into the bar. How he'd gotten there, Sen didn't know. He'd seen no one enter since he had. Dark red eyes bored into Sen, their owner's fingers curled delicately around a stemmed glass of amrinae. A cloak the same color as the eyes spilled across the seat, its hem barely above the crowded floor. There were faint, robotic movements under the table; flashes of a grinning mouth or slanted eyes.
Rael.
Blast him. Blast him to Blorch!
Sen tried to keep his antennae perked casually, his stride an even march, and everything else about him completely normal. Any flicker of any emotion other than confidence would be picked up by the careful gaze of Rael. He kept moving forward, not diverting an inch from his previous course. That too would alert Rael. Neither one at the table seemed to even notice his arrival. They seemed to be too engrossed in watching the celebrations with disdain to see anything else, and thus they started a bit when Sen set the tainted drink before the Invader. "Greetings, Invader. Care to share a drink in commemoration of your new rank?"
The Invader stared. "Ye... yes of course! Thank you, sir!" His gloved hands tightened around the glass in front of him. "This is a most unexpected honor."
"Honor? It's only a drink, Zim..." Dark eyes narrowed. "Don't make it out to be more than that." Now Rael regarded Sen. "Hmm... Never expected to see you again, Guard Sen. I had thought the Tallest locked you away for good."
"Not likely," Sen laughed. He kept his mirth dry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the small Invader take a small sip of the ahki. Good. Nothing was suspected by the victim. "I suppose they realized how valuable my guarding is. About time, I say."
Rael glanced at the drink suspiciously. It was a long moment before Sen could breathe again. "You are too full of yourself, Sen. Stop admiring yourself so much, the mirror is getting bored of your reflection..." A casual drink of amrinae. The face masks of Soldiers like Sen and Rael were made with a small opening in the mouth area for such times as when one needed to eat or drink in public. It opened when a sensor indicated food or drink near it.
Both stared, trying to comprehend the meaning behind what Rael had said. "Thank you for the drink, Guard Sen," the Invader said quietly, taking another small drink. "I do not deserve-"
"Blast it, Zim! Stop that! You deserve your new rank, you deserve your assignment, and you deserve a drink from a mere Guard!" Rael shot the Invader an annoyed look, his antennae flicking in. "Shortness is vastly underrated. I'm short. Look at me. I'm Rael."
Zim nodded. "Yes sir, I see that I am worthy... I understand."
"No you don't. For the Tallest to have named someone as short as you as an Invader, you have to be more than worthy. You have to be amazing." Dark eyes closed in a knowing expression. "Therefore, you, Zim, are amazing. As a Soldier, anyway." Now Rael took a longer drink, as if trying to clear his mind for his next revelation.
"Yes Sir!" Zim jumped to his feet on the bench, somehow empowered by Rael's short pep-talk. "I will be an amazing Invader! I will be so very amazing! I will conquer two-no, four planets in the name of the Empire!" A small gloved fist shook menacingly in the air as laughter rippled through the bar. "You shall see how amazing I will be! You will all know the name of Zim! You will know it and tremble at its amazingness!" At that, he sat down, gulping some more ahki and fuming.
Sen had to choke back a laugh. This little one had spunk, that was certain. Shame it had to be wasted on his plan... Though it was somewhat obvious that little outburst had been for the disbelievers in the bar. This Invader wanted to show them all up. Sen swallowed down the last of his ahki and rose. "I wish you luck at the Assigning, Invader," he said, smirking. "I'll see you there... though I doubt you'll see me."
He left then, after carefully checking to assure himself that the tainted drink would be drunk without suspicion.
~~~~
"Next! Invader Des!"
A chorus of angered hisses rose from the group gathered in Lidge's office. All of them had met the Soldier, none of them liked him. He was the perfect Soldier, and thus all of West Jihi despised him. He also brought in more wrecked transport vehicles than any Soldier on record, most probably smashed while demonstrating his piloting skill to his drunken, Soldier friends. Not to mention he was more or less branded for life as a weakling, due to the bruise scar on his forehead; a reminder of a childhood fight he'd lost.
Everyone who worked at the shop was here, watching the Great Assigning on Lidge's screen. Ahki had been passed out as a way to make the viewing more bearable rather than celebrate the Assigning. Half of those gathered were members of the Uprising. To them, the Assigning meant failure. Despite their best efforts, the Tallest still were keeping with the old ways, ignoring them and pushing Impending Doom on the entire Irken race. Sure the Soldiers would be conquering, but the Students would be doing the colonizing, the building, the planning, the repairs, almost everything else. And yet, the Soldiers were the ones glorified by this ceremony, this entire operation.
"Bah... Des must have paid some higher-up his life savings to get that job," Regert mumbled, leaning against Lidge's desk. "Either that or his higher-up's a female and she actually gets things for... anything."
A ripple of light laughter. There was no laughter from one corner of the room, Regert noted. He pricked his one antennae, straining to figure out who was hiding over there. There was a muted whisper in baritone followed by a quick agreement from a more feminine voice. Min... but who else? He scanned the room. Most of the females who worked at West Jihi were here, glaring at the Soldiers, except for one. Someone moved aside, showing him his guess was correct. Min and Shil stood quietly in the corner, their eyes wide as they stared at the screen with something akin to transfixed fear.
"Min! Hey! Come over here! Stop hiding like a smeet!"
Gray eyes grew wider, then snapped to face him abruptly. Sheepishly, Min came forward, Shil hastening to stay by his side. The sudden alliance startled Regert somewhat. As far as he knew, Shil was still firmly attached to Kaml, even during his continued stay in the med center. Perhaps Shil was only nervous due to the Assigning, and Min was merely being a comfort in his old teacher's absence. Yes, that was it. He had it. Meekly, the two approached him, their antennae down. "Yes sir?" Min asked, his voice barely a mumble.
"What's the problem? Usually, you two are yelling obscenities more than anyone else when we see a broadcast," the ex-boss said. He folded his arms. "Now you're hiding in the corner like a couple of newly hatched smeets in a Nursery."
Shil glanced at Min. He nodded and she spoke. "Sir... we can't discuss this here..." Her voice was quiet, fearful almost. "Lidge will hear..."
A magenta eye watched them from her desk. It was narrowed with annoyance. Regert blinked. What was Lidge's problem? He frowned, taking in the nervousness of the mechanics before him. "All right, let's go to the workfloor... Lidge is busy here."
"Thank you, Regert."
It was deadly silent on the workfloor. Normally the noise of repairs was deafening, but today was almost a holiday due to the Great Assigning being today. No vehicles had even come in today. All of the huge doors were locked, their hydraulics frozen to prevent any from coming in. When a day off was available, mechanics took full advantage of it. It wasn't that they were lazy, merely that what they did on their working days required so much physical effort. Any day off was a welcome chance to rest sore muscles.
Their boots were the only sound in the immense room, echoing from the walls and ceiling. Shil leaned against a box, half propping herself up on it with the palms of her gloved hands. She looked small in comparison to the object she rested on. Min paced slightly, unable to keep still under Regert's eye. Even his antennae seemed to fidget nervously. "All right," the ex-boss said, folding his arms smartly. "Out with it. What's up?"
Min stared at him, looking betrayed. The reason for this look was lost on both Regert and Min's own cohort, Shil. He slowly recovered his calm, blushing in embarrassment. This small incident interested Regert to no end. It was a while before Min spoke. His voice was soft, almost dismal. "We... something... something terrible is going to happen..." He leaned against a rack of tools, trembling terribly, his mind lost in some distant horror he would never forget.
Shil stared, not comprehending the action, then took up the story. She told her old boss everything, Cerol's sudden "illness", what he'd said to them, and Jishet's information. He didn't flinch, just stared at them, the same disbelief radiating from his red eyes as had come from Lidge's magenta all those weeks ago. When Shil had finished, they all were quiet.
"I hate to say it you two, but I think Lidge was right in saying what she said to you. Even if this Jishet told you what she told you," he said evenly, not a trace of anger in his voice. His reaction was exactly the opposite of Lidge's, albeit he took her side. He looked gentle, almost sorry he had to tell them the truth.
"Why would Cerol say those things in the first place if something weren't going to happen!?" Min shouted violently, kicking at a box of cables. "I don't believe even a DELIRIOUS Irken would say something like that without REASON!" When he faced them, his eyes were dark, haunted and foreign. Shil backed involuntarily into Regert who took a slight step in front of her. "I can't let anyone die like they did that day! I can't stand by and let them die! Not when there might be a chance I can do something!"
At the warped look on his face, Shil fled for the relative safety of Lidge's office, too afraid of the taller Student's strange anger to stay anywhere near him. Regert stayed. He watched Min's whole body start to shake again, his gray eyes glaze over as his mind once again drifted into the bound terrors of his memories. Cautiously, Regert's gloved hand reached out to touch Min's shoulder, trying to bring him back from the brink. It was a nearly three hours before either one moved.
The ex-boss wasn't sure how long it was before Min's antennae finally twitched, and his fingers grasped feebly for Regert's supporting hand. His baritone was scratchy, hoarse, as warped as his expression by what he kept reliving in his mind. "Thanks..." was all he seemed to be able to manage. His legs almost gave way. The young mechanic remained standing by both sheer will and Regert's lone hand.
"Come on... let's get you something to put color back in your face... you're as pale as Shil."
A few minutes later, they were seated in Min's workstation, Min sipping an akhi from the lunchroom. Regert had pulled up some empty crates as seats. No conversation passed for a while. The older Irken studied Min's posture carefully. He was slumped slightly, looking exhausted, circles showing under his sunken eyes-despite the green paint he'd applied to hide them.
"How long has this been happening to you, Min...?"
The gray eyes looked up sharply at the question, stunned that it had been asked. He didn't answer, so Regert continued. "Since Pira was injured? Since the Cerol incident? How long?"
"Since... the... the first battle... when Kaml was shot..." As the words tumbled out, ahki was gulped down to replace the hole they'd left.
Stunned silence.
"Why haven't you told anyone?"
"I... Regert..."
"Did you honestly think that we wouldn't find out? Or that we couldn't help you? Hmpf. I should have expected that much. Kaalaes are always so proud."
Min stiffened. He knew Regert meant nothing by that... but still... he should defend his Name. "We're not..." That was all his frayed senses could come up with right away. It was pathetic. Something a smeet would say, not an adult Irken. He didn't care. He felt like a smeet. All he wanted was his teacher to come and-no. His teacher wouldn't have done that even if he hadn't been banished. Min's fingers clenched around the ahki bottle.
To his surprise, Regert nodded in sympathy. "Swar... I remember her saying to Kas one day... after Jendai'd had something go wrong and not told Daske about it..." Red eyes were lost in the past, soft instead of pained. " 'Those who bear the Kaalae name, are born to suffer, and do so in silence; since the first Kaalae born twins died within their mother, their cries stifled'."
Another long pause.
"That's... depressing."
"Extremely, I know. But it's true. Has been of all the Kaalaes I've known. Elgan, Daske, Jendai... and now you. It's a name trait."
The younger Irken looked away. "I don't want Pira to carry it... she shouldn't have to... I won't let her."
Regert bit his lip. "I can understand that," he sighed. "I'm getting too old... seen too many of you blasted Kaalaes come through here and mess up West Jihi." There was a sly smirk on his face that softened his words immensely. "I'll try and be here long as possible for your Pira, Min. You have to give her the name someday otherwise it'll die. Jendai saved your name once... I assume he wouldn't like it if you let it die."
"Regert..."
"Hmm?"
"Your name..."
The red eyes were serious. "I know I'm carrying a dying Name. My Name's had a good run... but there's nothing I can do. My Name dies with me... but... hopefully I'll out-live some around here... maybe I'll get another student in time..."
Min's weary face held a look of sorrow that seemed so typical of Kaalaes these days. "Mother of Irk, Regert..." he murmured. "I hope to Her you do..."
A weak laugh. "Ach, I come out here to help you and you end up helping me..." He grew more serious. "Thanks, Min. Thanks a lot."
Before either of them could say another word, a scream tore through West Jihi. The two looked up, startled, as Lidge burst from the office, running straight into the railing that separated the Boss's platform from the workfloor. Her face was terribly pale, and, even from their distance, they could see her trembling. A soft, horrified voice carried down to them, barely recognizable as Lidge's once commanding tone.
"Get in here, Min."
He nearly ran to her. Despite the animosity between them over the past few days since the Cerol incident, Min still felt a deep loyalty towards Lidge. She'd been something of a younger mentor to him. Almost in the same sense of a sister, had Min known and understood the concept of siblinghood. Once by her side, Lidge's strong hands gripped his shoulders as if she feared he'd run away. Her face was nearly as pale as his, and her eyes were larger than a frightened smeet's.
"Lidge! What... what's the matter?"
She only dragged him into her office in response. Inside, the laughter had been replaced by small, almost inaudible gasps of horror. The broadcast was the only sound in the room. It was enough.
"Evacuate all businesses, med centers and residences immediately! This is not a drill! Planetwide Evacuation in effect! Get off the planet now! We have a grave situation! An Invader has lost his mind, hijacked a Conqueror robot and is attacking anything in sight, moving currently in a northwestern position! All Soldiers to assemble in squads! Repeat, all Students to evacuate planet! All Soldiers to assemble!"
Min could only stare, wordless. Nothing like this, in all Irken history, had ever happened. As he stared at the footage being aired, Cerol's fevered words came back to him, almost taunting his helplessness.
.... Lidge has to stop... two days... then uthane and ahki mix... hundreds die....
Cerol... Cerol had been right. He'd been right and they hadn't been able to do a single thing. Now... oh Irk...! Now what would happen? Already, a flood of panic was spreading throughout the room. Irkens were fleeing to their voot runners, teachers holding their terrified students close to them, to protect them as best they could. Students... Teachers... Oh IRK!
Pira!
The Upriser's med center, in order to protect itself from being traced, had no way of hearing the broadcast. There were no holo sets in the entire building. They would have no idea what was happening until the Invader was upon them. And he would be, judging from his path. The med center would be demolished, and everyone within would perish.
His hands clenched. No! It was too late for some, but he wouldn't allow it to be too late for those he loved. Dimly, he could hear Lidge calling his name, fearing his intentions as he calmly turned on a heel, hastening to the roof's voot docks. He didn't care who knew what he was doing. No one was going to stop him from keeping his promise to Pira. Not this time.
~~~~
Min's arrival was greeted by a flurry of panic. The med workers ran, some on their robotic legs, to get valuable patients and equipment into the safety of the varse runners. The young mechanic was drafted instantly to help. He found himself doing everything from packing file disks to loading unconscious Irkens into the transports. As soon as a transport was filled to almost beyond capacity, it took off, blasting away as if the crazed Invader were firing on them. Not surprisingly, the med workers had moving patients down to a science.
The upper floors were evacuated first, as they were more likely to be targeted than the lower floors, the most critical patients being moved before any of the others. Min had managed to hook up his voot radio to the PA system, giving the entire place constant updates on the Invader's position and speed. So far, over a hundred buildings had been completely obliterated, the condition of their occupants unknown, and Soldier squads were unable to halt the Invader's march. It was a seemingly hopeless situation.
"Min!"
He turned from the stretcher he'd been loading into a varse on the rooftop docking bay. A med worker was running up to him, pale. "Yeah?" he asked, fearing the answer. The Irken on the stretcher watched him, eyes wide. Min attempted a smile for the injured Irken's sake.
"We have all the patients moved... accept a few who are nearly recovered. We're out of varses." Despite the worker's obvious panic, his voice remained calm. "I'm going in this varse... but... your voot..."
"Done. Where are they?"
"The ninth floor, room 943."
He was already on his way down. The PA in the elevator gave announcements that were a cause for panic. The Invader had increased his speed and was encroaching on their position. He would arrive in a matter of minutes.
It seemed as if the elevator moved slowly on purpose, delaying his arrival until the last possible moment. Once the doors opened, nothing could have stopped him from getting to the room as fast as his robotics could carry him. He should have been prepared for what he found in that room. Life had thrown him so much, why shouldn't he have known? But when the door opened, despite what he'd seen all his life, Min almost fell to his knees, defeated and ready to finally give up.
"Teacher Kaalae!"
He could only stand there, rigid, as Pira reached towards him, her face pleading for a hug. Kaml was perched on the edge of his bed, masked fear deep in his eyes. There were three other Irkens in the room, none of which Min knew, all of which were making no attempt to hide their fear. Six in all, counting him. A voot only held five at the most. Cold fear started to settle in his chest as, already, the vibrations from the Invader's robot could be felt.
Kaml pushed himself up, wincing slightly from his nearly healed injury. "Our turn...?" he asked gently.
"The... the varses are all gone..." Min choked. Faces paled. "I... I have my voot... that's all..." Hysteria nearly broke out.
"Six Irkens can't fit in a voot runner!"
"We're all going to die here!"
Pira was crying, feeling the collective fear of the room. Her teacher went to her side, trying to keep his own tears from showing as he held her close. His mind was racing. There had to be a solution... He'd come so far to keep Pira safe, failed so terribly that fate couldn't possibly allow him to fail again.
"Oh IRK! I see it!"
"Mother save us all..."
The solution, the potentially deadly solution came to him. "Kaml..." His surrogate teacher was by his side quicker than Min could have expected. "Kam... I need you to take Pira and the others... My voot is on the roof." Min's voice was tight.
"Mother of...! Min... There's got to be another--"
"I've made up my mind." The vibrations were too strong now. "Hurry Kam! Before it gets here!" He kissed Pira's forehead, hugged her close, then handed her over to Kaml's arms. "You know my codes. Keep her safe."
Kaml choked. "I will... Min... I..." He broke off, unable to continue. Turning away, he yelled for the others to follow him before darting out the door. Pira cried out, reaching back for Min as she was pulled away. The door closed and Min was alone.
Silence overwhelmed him once they were gone. Only the thunder of the marauding Invader kept him from going crazy over the quiet. He prayed Kaml could keep his student safe, even when Min had failed miserably. He didn't care now. He could die, no one would care. Not Pira, she would be thankful he'd died, no one would be there to allow her to get hurt. Kaml wouldn't, he hadn't wanted a second student anyway. Lidge would be glad her constant annoyance was gone.
When a shuddering blast shook the building, Min didn't cry out, even when he was thrown against the wall behind him. The wall that looked out over the street below had been sheered clean off, showing the torso of the Invader's robot. For a moment, he lay still in the dust and rubble, hardly believing what was happening. He really was going to die.
And his name with him.
All at once, his conversation with Regert came back to him. He had to live. He had Pira, he had the Kaalae name. Slowly, he got to his feet, staring at the firing robot. In his gloved hand was a sharp steel rod, a piece broken from the ceiling. He'd been powerless to keep Pira safe so far, helpless to stop Lidge from killing, so, what could he do in the face of Imperial technology? How could he stop something huge squads of Soldiers could not?
The building began shuddering around him. Carefully, Min approached the abrupt edge. He studied the robot. It looked simple enough... there had to be someplace on it where you could power the shields down exteriorly. He was a mechanic, he could find it. If he couldn't find it, he didn't deserve to have his name, he didn't deserve Pira. He hadn't lived up to the expectations that came with the Kaalae name. He'd been the opposite. Tried to avoid the responsibilities in an attempt to be nothing like his original teacher had been. And he'd failed. He didn't care if he died or not, no one would miss him, but... he would prefer it if he lived.
His robotic legs came out, bracing him as the rest of the building started to collapse around him. The panel would be on the torso, somewhere in the back. Min tensed, aiming...
And then he leapt out into the abyss.
Can't You See What's Coming?
"Uthane... what on Irk is uthane? I... uthane..."
Shil paused in her pacing only to press a hot cup of iaka into Min's cold hands. The gray-eyed mechanic was bundled in a blanket on Shil's shabby couch, trying to both warm himself from a sudden chill and calm the fear in his chest. Lidge had stormed out half an hour ago, her face stormy. Unfortunately, her departure left Min without a ride back to the med center. Without a way back to Pira. Shil had offered to take him, but they both needed to relax and think things through before rushing off anywhere in a voot runner.
"I've heard that name before, Mother knows I have... but... Irk, what is it?"
Min shook his head. "I don't know..." He was surprised at how scratchy his voice was. " 'Uthane and ahki mix'... Maybe it's a drink..."
Now Shil shivered. Why was it so cold in her apartment. "It's not a drink, Min. I, of all Irkens, should know. Slarking..." Another sigh. "Blast it, I wish we could just ask Cerol..."
"Best not to disturb him any more."
"I know, I know..."
Gloved hands fiddled with the cup as gray eyes were reflected in the dark liquid. The eyes were sorrowful, tired, and too old for the face they were set in. He'd seen eyes like that once... blue eyes... Min took an angry gulp, shattering his reflection for the time being. "Shil, maybe it's something like a drug... you don't mix anything in ahki other than yisok or vinel... Unless it's..."
"Something that's not supposed to be there." Dark green eyes regarded him over the rim of a glass, this one containing the aforementioned, yisok-ahki mix. "Call Jishet."
Min nodded, getting to his feet, legs trembling a bit under him as he made his way over to Shil's communicator. It hummed idly, screen a dull purple color. A few taps of the keys activated it instantly and in moments, he was speaking with Jishet Olon. "Evening, Jishet here. Lucky you caught me leaving work. Who'm I-Min Kaalae? That you?" Pale purple eyes peered at him, thin eyelashes fluttering slightly. "Heh. Course it is. How many Irkens've got gray eyes like those?"
Jishet's name "Olon" was what was known as a dead name. A dead name was a name whose final bearer died or was banished without ever having passed it onto a student. In this case, Leeri Olon had been executed for treason, and thus her name had died with her. Jishet, upon hearing about this, had changed her last name after giving her original name to her student. She had applied for a second student, in hopes that the Olon name would not die. No one was sure of Jishet's reason for this, as the heavyset female kept it to herself. Like Leeri, she was a chemical researcher and analyst, and perhaps she had known the late Leeri Olon during her life. Min had acquired her frequency while cleaning out Jendai's old desk when he inherited the apartment. Apparently, his banished teacher had bought cleansing oils and things of the sort from Jishet for his inventions.
"Not many," Min acknowledged with a smile. Jishet had a strange drawl that could make you grin despite yourself. "I won't keep you, Jishet, but, I had a question. We..." He gestured to Shil behind him. "thought you might know about."
"Well, I'm off now, so, feel free ta fire 'way!"
"Have..." Now he fidgeted, a bit afraid of the answer. "Have you ever heard of something called uthane...?"
"Uthane? Oh! Uthane!" She pronounced it, "oo-than-ee". After a pause for thought, Jishet continued. "Low-class drug... we don't make it here. I think you can get it in the Soldier areas for pretty cheap. We've done research on it though..."
Min felt cold. A blanket was draped over his shoulders and he was forced into a chair. Shil's work, no doubt. He didn't know he'd been shaking. Jishet's eyes were concerned, lilac slits. "What... what does it do?" He had a bad feeling, no, an awful feeling now. "What are the effects...?"
Another pause, this for a quick tap of buttons on a small palmtop. "Ehhh... let's see... it's a hallucinogen." She was reading now. "Takes at least twelve to fifteen hours for the effects to start. Gives users extreme euphoria, delusions of grandeur... blah blah blah... the user can loose sense of where they are, what they're doing... and some, if enough is taken, go on small destructive sprees until the effects wear off. Personality remains the same, even if judgment sense is non-existent." Pale eyes, now wide, scanned the writing faster now, as if their owner sensed Min's panic. "Can be injected, inhaled, or ingested orally. Sometimes mixed with a drink to mask its bitter taste."
That was all the two listeners had to hear. After a brief, and sincere thank you to Jishet for her time, Shil disconnected the transmission with violently trembling hands. She grabbed Min's shoulders to steady herself, trying to sort out what they had just learned and what Cerol had shrieked only a half hour ago. Min gripped her hands tight, just trying to find something solid in his world. "Those effects..." he muttered, mostly to the blank screen. "Shil... combine that with... with what Cerol said... what Jishet told us... and where it's found... oh Irk, Shil!"
"An... you don't think... Min, tell me you don't think the ahki Cerol was talking about is..."
"It's the only way. There's no other way Cerol could be right unless..."
"Maybe Lidge is right! Maybe it was just babble!"
"Shil..."
"I know, I know. I'm his teacher. If I don't believe what he says, who will? Still... I... I can't believe this is real. It can't be! That ahki can't be..."
"An Invader's...?"
~~~~
"WELCOME! INVADERS!"
That was the sign over the Soldier tavern in the south part of the city. Tomorrow was the launch date of Impending Doom. Tomorrow was the Great Assigning, the day these proud few Irkens would have their day of glory. They would always be remembered for that day and for their deeds after that day.
Too bad most of them would have such terrible hangovers.
Already, med workers were dragging those who were too drunk back to the med centers or barracks depending on the level of intoxication. They looked disgusted at having to do such a job, but were probably just disgusted with the fact that they were actually touching drunken Soldiers. Invaders were, according to the announcements broadcasted across the planet, the highest military rank now achievable. Why these idiotic Soldiers weren't acting like it was beyond the med workers.
Some were up on the tables, ranting at the ceiling or dancing, still celebrating their triumph. Their fellows tried to yank them off, only succeeding in being pulled up themselves. Others were bragging about their conquering abilities. A few were drinking up their bonuses, laughing at jokes no one else could hear. Still fewer sat quietly, staring around at the idiocy around them, sipping barely enough ahki to even seem to be celebrating anything.
It was one of these sober Invaders that Sen sought.
He'd obtained the small purple vial from a street seller. It wasn't hard to find one. They seemed to be everywhere these days. It had also been relatively cheap... for him anyway. Such a large amount would cost a normal buyer a week to procure. Concealed in his glove, no one would ever suspect an Imperial Guard of anything of this magnitude. The victim he'd chosen should get off easy, more or less, because of his height. No one ever punished the short ones too hard. They couldn't be expected to be at the same level as the taller ones. Therefore, their punishments were less severe. It was the only perk of being short.
Punishments. Sen was no stranger to punishment. Ten years in the Tallests' personal prison had shown him punishment to a high degree. Tallest Red saw to the discomfort of his prisoners, even when Tallest Purple frowned on it. The Soldier Tallest had spared no expense in showing Sen his displeasure in what the guard had done. Such a show of anti-Classisim was a bit startling, considering which Class Red belonged to. Sen blamed Purple's influence. Red was becoming too weak in Soldier ways, letting that tall Student take over the decision-making.
Teaching Red a lesson in Soldier ways was part of the reason he was here now. The other main reason was to keep those slarking Students in their place. Their female smeet of a leader showed no signs of stopping her attacks. A Soldier had to be found to straighten her out. Though, Sen hated having to use a fellow Soldier. Especially one who had earned the rank of Invader. Although, rumor had it that this one was only made an Invader due to that blasted Rael's meddling in the Tallests' decision. Poor wretch. He hoped this one dose wouldn't be enough to make an addict out of the little squirt. Then again...
Anything for the sake of his mission. If one sacrifice could make or break a mission, a Soldier must make the sacrifice. This Soldier would be that sacrifice.
Casually, he sauntered up to the bar, ignoring the lesser Irkens around him. He's planned this all out on the short march over here. No Irken would refuse a congratulation drink from a taller Irken. No one would question its origin or motives either. It was the perfect plan. A service robot popped up before him as he leaned against the stained plastic of the bar. "Two ahki," he said smoothly, nodding to the bot. A glance over his shoulder showed the little Invader to still be alone, although several celebrators blocked his view. The drinks came promptly, as expected. No one saw the slight flick of a Soldier wrist as the purple contents of the vial dripped into one of the ahki glasses. If they did, they wouldn't notice anything odd about it. There were stranger motions going on in this bar than that.
Everything was going well. Sen smirked behind the mask as he collected the two drinks. So smoothly. Invaders parted for him, most staggering. He made his way over to the little Invader's table with the smirk still hidden behind the red mask. Within ten feet of the table, he froze, a knot forming in his chest.
The small Invader was still at his table, finishing off what looked to be his first glass of ahki. That was normal. Beside him, to his right, sat someone who had not been there when Sen had first stepped into the bar. How he'd gotten there, Sen didn't know. He'd seen no one enter since he had. Dark red eyes bored into Sen, their owner's fingers curled delicately around a stemmed glass of amrinae. A cloak the same color as the eyes spilled across the seat, its hem barely above the crowded floor. There were faint, robotic movements under the table; flashes of a grinning mouth or slanted eyes.
Rael.
Blast him. Blast him to Blorch!
Sen tried to keep his antennae perked casually, his stride an even march, and everything else about him completely normal. Any flicker of any emotion other than confidence would be picked up by the careful gaze of Rael. He kept moving forward, not diverting an inch from his previous course. That too would alert Rael. Neither one at the table seemed to even notice his arrival. They seemed to be too engrossed in watching the celebrations with disdain to see anything else, and thus they started a bit when Sen set the tainted drink before the Invader. "Greetings, Invader. Care to share a drink in commemoration of your new rank?"
The Invader stared. "Ye... yes of course! Thank you, sir!" His gloved hands tightened around the glass in front of him. "This is a most unexpected honor."
"Honor? It's only a drink, Zim..." Dark eyes narrowed. "Don't make it out to be more than that." Now Rael regarded Sen. "Hmm... Never expected to see you again, Guard Sen. I had thought the Tallest locked you away for good."
"Not likely," Sen laughed. He kept his mirth dry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the small Invader take a small sip of the ahki. Good. Nothing was suspected by the victim. "I suppose they realized how valuable my guarding is. About time, I say."
Rael glanced at the drink suspiciously. It was a long moment before Sen could breathe again. "You are too full of yourself, Sen. Stop admiring yourself so much, the mirror is getting bored of your reflection..." A casual drink of amrinae. The face masks of Soldiers like Sen and Rael were made with a small opening in the mouth area for such times as when one needed to eat or drink in public. It opened when a sensor indicated food or drink near it.
Both stared, trying to comprehend the meaning behind what Rael had said. "Thank you for the drink, Guard Sen," the Invader said quietly, taking another small drink. "I do not deserve-"
"Blast it, Zim! Stop that! You deserve your new rank, you deserve your assignment, and you deserve a drink from a mere Guard!" Rael shot the Invader an annoyed look, his antennae flicking in. "Shortness is vastly underrated. I'm short. Look at me. I'm Rael."
Zim nodded. "Yes sir, I see that I am worthy... I understand."
"No you don't. For the Tallest to have named someone as short as you as an Invader, you have to be more than worthy. You have to be amazing." Dark eyes closed in a knowing expression. "Therefore, you, Zim, are amazing. As a Soldier, anyway." Now Rael took a longer drink, as if trying to clear his mind for his next revelation.
"Yes Sir!" Zim jumped to his feet on the bench, somehow empowered by Rael's short pep-talk. "I will be an amazing Invader! I will be so very amazing! I will conquer two-no, four planets in the name of the Empire!" A small gloved fist shook menacingly in the air as laughter rippled through the bar. "You shall see how amazing I will be! You will all know the name of Zim! You will know it and tremble at its amazingness!" At that, he sat down, gulping some more ahki and fuming.
Sen had to choke back a laugh. This little one had spunk, that was certain. Shame it had to be wasted on his plan... Though it was somewhat obvious that little outburst had been for the disbelievers in the bar. This Invader wanted to show them all up. Sen swallowed down the last of his ahki and rose. "I wish you luck at the Assigning, Invader," he said, smirking. "I'll see you there... though I doubt you'll see me."
He left then, after carefully checking to assure himself that the tainted drink would be drunk without suspicion.
~~~~
"Next! Invader Des!"
A chorus of angered hisses rose from the group gathered in Lidge's office. All of them had met the Soldier, none of them liked him. He was the perfect Soldier, and thus all of West Jihi despised him. He also brought in more wrecked transport vehicles than any Soldier on record, most probably smashed while demonstrating his piloting skill to his drunken, Soldier friends. Not to mention he was more or less branded for life as a weakling, due to the bruise scar on his forehead; a reminder of a childhood fight he'd lost.
Everyone who worked at the shop was here, watching the Great Assigning on Lidge's screen. Ahki had been passed out as a way to make the viewing more bearable rather than celebrate the Assigning. Half of those gathered were members of the Uprising. To them, the Assigning meant failure. Despite their best efforts, the Tallest still were keeping with the old ways, ignoring them and pushing Impending Doom on the entire Irken race. Sure the Soldiers would be conquering, but the Students would be doing the colonizing, the building, the planning, the repairs, almost everything else. And yet, the Soldiers were the ones glorified by this ceremony, this entire operation.
"Bah... Des must have paid some higher-up his life savings to get that job," Regert mumbled, leaning against Lidge's desk. "Either that or his higher-up's a female and she actually gets things for... anything."
A ripple of light laughter. There was no laughter from one corner of the room, Regert noted. He pricked his one antennae, straining to figure out who was hiding over there. There was a muted whisper in baritone followed by a quick agreement from a more feminine voice. Min... but who else? He scanned the room. Most of the females who worked at West Jihi were here, glaring at the Soldiers, except for one. Someone moved aside, showing him his guess was correct. Min and Shil stood quietly in the corner, their eyes wide as they stared at the screen with something akin to transfixed fear.
"Min! Hey! Come over here! Stop hiding like a smeet!"
Gray eyes grew wider, then snapped to face him abruptly. Sheepishly, Min came forward, Shil hastening to stay by his side. The sudden alliance startled Regert somewhat. As far as he knew, Shil was still firmly attached to Kaml, even during his continued stay in the med center. Perhaps Shil was only nervous due to the Assigning, and Min was merely being a comfort in his old teacher's absence. Yes, that was it. He had it. Meekly, the two approached him, their antennae down. "Yes sir?" Min asked, his voice barely a mumble.
"What's the problem? Usually, you two are yelling obscenities more than anyone else when we see a broadcast," the ex-boss said. He folded his arms. "Now you're hiding in the corner like a couple of newly hatched smeets in a Nursery."
Shil glanced at Min. He nodded and she spoke. "Sir... we can't discuss this here..." Her voice was quiet, fearful almost. "Lidge will hear..."
A magenta eye watched them from her desk. It was narrowed with annoyance. Regert blinked. What was Lidge's problem? He frowned, taking in the nervousness of the mechanics before him. "All right, let's go to the workfloor... Lidge is busy here."
"Thank you, Regert."
It was deadly silent on the workfloor. Normally the noise of repairs was deafening, but today was almost a holiday due to the Great Assigning being today. No vehicles had even come in today. All of the huge doors were locked, their hydraulics frozen to prevent any from coming in. When a day off was available, mechanics took full advantage of it. It wasn't that they were lazy, merely that what they did on their working days required so much physical effort. Any day off was a welcome chance to rest sore muscles.
Their boots were the only sound in the immense room, echoing from the walls and ceiling. Shil leaned against a box, half propping herself up on it with the palms of her gloved hands. She looked small in comparison to the object she rested on. Min paced slightly, unable to keep still under Regert's eye. Even his antennae seemed to fidget nervously. "All right," the ex-boss said, folding his arms smartly. "Out with it. What's up?"
Min stared at him, looking betrayed. The reason for this look was lost on both Regert and Min's own cohort, Shil. He slowly recovered his calm, blushing in embarrassment. This small incident interested Regert to no end. It was a while before Min spoke. His voice was soft, almost dismal. "We... something... something terrible is going to happen..." He leaned against a rack of tools, trembling terribly, his mind lost in some distant horror he would never forget.
Shil stared, not comprehending the action, then took up the story. She told her old boss everything, Cerol's sudden "illness", what he'd said to them, and Jishet's information. He didn't flinch, just stared at them, the same disbelief radiating from his red eyes as had come from Lidge's magenta all those weeks ago. When Shil had finished, they all were quiet.
"I hate to say it you two, but I think Lidge was right in saying what she said to you. Even if this Jishet told you what she told you," he said evenly, not a trace of anger in his voice. His reaction was exactly the opposite of Lidge's, albeit he took her side. He looked gentle, almost sorry he had to tell them the truth.
"Why would Cerol say those things in the first place if something weren't going to happen!?" Min shouted violently, kicking at a box of cables. "I don't believe even a DELIRIOUS Irken would say something like that without REASON!" When he faced them, his eyes were dark, haunted and foreign. Shil backed involuntarily into Regert who took a slight step in front of her. "I can't let anyone die like they did that day! I can't stand by and let them die! Not when there might be a chance I can do something!"
At the warped look on his face, Shil fled for the relative safety of Lidge's office, too afraid of the taller Student's strange anger to stay anywhere near him. Regert stayed. He watched Min's whole body start to shake again, his gray eyes glaze over as his mind once again drifted into the bound terrors of his memories. Cautiously, Regert's gloved hand reached out to touch Min's shoulder, trying to bring him back from the brink. It was a nearly three hours before either one moved.
The ex-boss wasn't sure how long it was before Min's antennae finally twitched, and his fingers grasped feebly for Regert's supporting hand. His baritone was scratchy, hoarse, as warped as his expression by what he kept reliving in his mind. "Thanks..." was all he seemed to be able to manage. His legs almost gave way. The young mechanic remained standing by both sheer will and Regert's lone hand.
"Come on... let's get you something to put color back in your face... you're as pale as Shil."
A few minutes later, they were seated in Min's workstation, Min sipping an akhi from the lunchroom. Regert had pulled up some empty crates as seats. No conversation passed for a while. The older Irken studied Min's posture carefully. He was slumped slightly, looking exhausted, circles showing under his sunken eyes-despite the green paint he'd applied to hide them.
"How long has this been happening to you, Min...?"
The gray eyes looked up sharply at the question, stunned that it had been asked. He didn't answer, so Regert continued. "Since Pira was injured? Since the Cerol incident? How long?"
"Since... the... the first battle... when Kaml was shot..." As the words tumbled out, ahki was gulped down to replace the hole they'd left.
Stunned silence.
"Why haven't you told anyone?"
"I... Regert..."
"Did you honestly think that we wouldn't find out? Or that we couldn't help you? Hmpf. I should have expected that much. Kaalaes are always so proud."
Min stiffened. He knew Regert meant nothing by that... but still... he should defend his Name. "We're not..." That was all his frayed senses could come up with right away. It was pathetic. Something a smeet would say, not an adult Irken. He didn't care. He felt like a smeet. All he wanted was his teacher to come and-no. His teacher wouldn't have done that even if he hadn't been banished. Min's fingers clenched around the ahki bottle.
To his surprise, Regert nodded in sympathy. "Swar... I remember her saying to Kas one day... after Jendai'd had something go wrong and not told Daske about it..." Red eyes were lost in the past, soft instead of pained. " 'Those who bear the Kaalae name, are born to suffer, and do so in silence; since the first Kaalae born twins died within their mother, their cries stifled'."
Another long pause.
"That's... depressing."
"Extremely, I know. But it's true. Has been of all the Kaalaes I've known. Elgan, Daske, Jendai... and now you. It's a name trait."
The younger Irken looked away. "I don't want Pira to carry it... she shouldn't have to... I won't let her."
Regert bit his lip. "I can understand that," he sighed. "I'm getting too old... seen too many of you blasted Kaalaes come through here and mess up West Jihi." There was a sly smirk on his face that softened his words immensely. "I'll try and be here long as possible for your Pira, Min. You have to give her the name someday otherwise it'll die. Jendai saved your name once... I assume he wouldn't like it if you let it die."
"Regert..."
"Hmm?"
"Your name..."
The red eyes were serious. "I know I'm carrying a dying Name. My Name's had a good run... but there's nothing I can do. My Name dies with me... but... hopefully I'll out-live some around here... maybe I'll get another student in time..."
Min's weary face held a look of sorrow that seemed so typical of Kaalaes these days. "Mother of Irk, Regert..." he murmured. "I hope to Her you do..."
A weak laugh. "Ach, I come out here to help you and you end up helping me..." He grew more serious. "Thanks, Min. Thanks a lot."
Before either of them could say another word, a scream tore through West Jihi. The two looked up, startled, as Lidge burst from the office, running straight into the railing that separated the Boss's platform from the workfloor. Her face was terribly pale, and, even from their distance, they could see her trembling. A soft, horrified voice carried down to them, barely recognizable as Lidge's once commanding tone.
"Get in here, Min."
He nearly ran to her. Despite the animosity between them over the past few days since the Cerol incident, Min still felt a deep loyalty towards Lidge. She'd been something of a younger mentor to him. Almost in the same sense of a sister, had Min known and understood the concept of siblinghood. Once by her side, Lidge's strong hands gripped his shoulders as if she feared he'd run away. Her face was nearly as pale as his, and her eyes were larger than a frightened smeet's.
"Lidge! What... what's the matter?"
She only dragged him into her office in response. Inside, the laughter had been replaced by small, almost inaudible gasps of horror. The broadcast was the only sound in the room. It was enough.
"Evacuate all businesses, med centers and residences immediately! This is not a drill! Planetwide Evacuation in effect! Get off the planet now! We have a grave situation! An Invader has lost his mind, hijacked a Conqueror robot and is attacking anything in sight, moving currently in a northwestern position! All Soldiers to assemble in squads! Repeat, all Students to evacuate planet! All Soldiers to assemble!"
Min could only stare, wordless. Nothing like this, in all Irken history, had ever happened. As he stared at the footage being aired, Cerol's fevered words came back to him, almost taunting his helplessness.
.... Lidge has to stop... two days... then uthane and ahki mix... hundreds die....
Cerol... Cerol had been right. He'd been right and they hadn't been able to do a single thing. Now... oh Irk...! Now what would happen? Already, a flood of panic was spreading throughout the room. Irkens were fleeing to their voot runners, teachers holding their terrified students close to them, to protect them as best they could. Students... Teachers... Oh IRK!
Pira!
The Upriser's med center, in order to protect itself from being traced, had no way of hearing the broadcast. There were no holo sets in the entire building. They would have no idea what was happening until the Invader was upon them. And he would be, judging from his path. The med center would be demolished, and everyone within would perish.
His hands clenched. No! It was too late for some, but he wouldn't allow it to be too late for those he loved. Dimly, he could hear Lidge calling his name, fearing his intentions as he calmly turned on a heel, hastening to the roof's voot docks. He didn't care who knew what he was doing. No one was going to stop him from keeping his promise to Pira. Not this time.
~~~~
Min's arrival was greeted by a flurry of panic. The med workers ran, some on their robotic legs, to get valuable patients and equipment into the safety of the varse runners. The young mechanic was drafted instantly to help. He found himself doing everything from packing file disks to loading unconscious Irkens into the transports. As soon as a transport was filled to almost beyond capacity, it took off, blasting away as if the crazed Invader were firing on them. Not surprisingly, the med workers had moving patients down to a science.
The upper floors were evacuated first, as they were more likely to be targeted than the lower floors, the most critical patients being moved before any of the others. Min had managed to hook up his voot radio to the PA system, giving the entire place constant updates on the Invader's position and speed. So far, over a hundred buildings had been completely obliterated, the condition of their occupants unknown, and Soldier squads were unable to halt the Invader's march. It was a seemingly hopeless situation.
"Min!"
He turned from the stretcher he'd been loading into a varse on the rooftop docking bay. A med worker was running up to him, pale. "Yeah?" he asked, fearing the answer. The Irken on the stretcher watched him, eyes wide. Min attempted a smile for the injured Irken's sake.
"We have all the patients moved... accept a few who are nearly recovered. We're out of varses." Despite the worker's obvious panic, his voice remained calm. "I'm going in this varse... but... your voot..."
"Done. Where are they?"
"The ninth floor, room 943."
He was already on his way down. The PA in the elevator gave announcements that were a cause for panic. The Invader had increased his speed and was encroaching on their position. He would arrive in a matter of minutes.
It seemed as if the elevator moved slowly on purpose, delaying his arrival until the last possible moment. Once the doors opened, nothing could have stopped him from getting to the room as fast as his robotics could carry him. He should have been prepared for what he found in that room. Life had thrown him so much, why shouldn't he have known? But when the door opened, despite what he'd seen all his life, Min almost fell to his knees, defeated and ready to finally give up.
"Teacher Kaalae!"
He could only stand there, rigid, as Pira reached towards him, her face pleading for a hug. Kaml was perched on the edge of his bed, masked fear deep in his eyes. There were three other Irkens in the room, none of which Min knew, all of which were making no attempt to hide their fear. Six in all, counting him. A voot only held five at the most. Cold fear started to settle in his chest as, already, the vibrations from the Invader's robot could be felt.
Kaml pushed himself up, wincing slightly from his nearly healed injury. "Our turn...?" he asked gently.
"The... the varses are all gone..." Min choked. Faces paled. "I... I have my voot... that's all..." Hysteria nearly broke out.
"Six Irkens can't fit in a voot runner!"
"We're all going to die here!"
Pira was crying, feeling the collective fear of the room. Her teacher went to her side, trying to keep his own tears from showing as he held her close. His mind was racing. There had to be a solution... He'd come so far to keep Pira safe, failed so terribly that fate couldn't possibly allow him to fail again.
"Oh IRK! I see it!"
"Mother save us all..."
The solution, the potentially deadly solution came to him. "Kaml..." His surrogate teacher was by his side quicker than Min could have expected. "Kam... I need you to take Pira and the others... My voot is on the roof." Min's voice was tight.
"Mother of...! Min... There's got to be another--"
"I've made up my mind." The vibrations were too strong now. "Hurry Kam! Before it gets here!" He kissed Pira's forehead, hugged her close, then handed her over to Kaml's arms. "You know my codes. Keep her safe."
Kaml choked. "I will... Min... I..." He broke off, unable to continue. Turning away, he yelled for the others to follow him before darting out the door. Pira cried out, reaching back for Min as she was pulled away. The door closed and Min was alone.
Silence overwhelmed him once they were gone. Only the thunder of the marauding Invader kept him from going crazy over the quiet. He prayed Kaml could keep his student safe, even when Min had failed miserably. He didn't care now. He could die, no one would care. Not Pira, she would be thankful he'd died, no one would be there to allow her to get hurt. Kaml wouldn't, he hadn't wanted a second student anyway. Lidge would be glad her constant annoyance was gone.
When a shuddering blast shook the building, Min didn't cry out, even when he was thrown against the wall behind him. The wall that looked out over the street below had been sheered clean off, showing the torso of the Invader's robot. For a moment, he lay still in the dust and rubble, hardly believing what was happening. He really was going to die.
And his name with him.
All at once, his conversation with Regert came back to him. He had to live. He had Pira, he had the Kaalae name. Slowly, he got to his feet, staring at the firing robot. In his gloved hand was a sharp steel rod, a piece broken from the ceiling. He'd been powerless to keep Pira safe so far, helpless to stop Lidge from killing, so, what could he do in the face of Imperial technology? How could he stop something huge squads of Soldiers could not?
The building began shuddering around him. Carefully, Min approached the abrupt edge. He studied the robot. It looked simple enough... there had to be someplace on it where you could power the shields down exteriorly. He was a mechanic, he could find it. If he couldn't find it, he didn't deserve to have his name, he didn't deserve Pira. He hadn't lived up to the expectations that came with the Kaalae name. He'd been the opposite. Tried to avoid the responsibilities in an attempt to be nothing like his original teacher had been. And he'd failed. He didn't care if he died or not, no one would miss him, but... he would prefer it if he lived.
His robotic legs came out, bracing him as the rest of the building started to collapse around him. The panel would be on the torso, somewhere in the back. Min tensed, aiming...
And then he leapt out into the abyss.
