Chi finished his meal. Quietly he wrapped the remaining roll and one piece of Marian pineapple, looked around, and slipped it in his pocket. The old Adyan usually sat alone, but could hear the chatter from nearby tables. Gossip in the mess revolved around rumors of another raid. The Commander had taken a shuttle to the surface of Tau Ceti 4 and was thought to have met up with their contact from the Aurora Cartel. The crew noted that the members of the elite raiders were training again which usually indicated a raid within two weeks. At least that would mean the captive would be left alone for a time, he thought. It was their practice to do a blood fast to sharpen their wits before a raid.
When he arrived to take his shift, he waited for the two guards to disappear down the hallway before he checked the tapes. It had been two hours since the scientists returned the prisoner to his cell, neither the guards had not entered nor had the man moved. He could loop this time. He shut off the camera, and triggered the loop.
As Chi entered the small cell, he could see that something was not right. The man was still alive, but semi-conscious, his wounds healing more slowly. He noted that someone else had washed and dressed the wounds, probably one of the scientists. The tunic was neatly folded on the chair. The Captain's breathing was shuddered and fast, his eyes half opened and glazed with pain. He sat down next to the bed and put his hand on Jack's forehead. It was hot. Quickly he checked Jack's arm finding three injection sites that were slowly healing.
He cursed and started to turn the prisoner on his side to check his back for other puncture wounds to determine the pattern, but stopped when the prisoner trembled at his touch.
"Pleas…" the Jack moaned softly, "Just let me die."
Chi looked at him sadly knowing he could make the drug for the pain within his own body, a "benefit" of genetic engineering. However the scientists would discover traces when they checked his blood in the morning. It would make things be worse for the prisoner and could be traced back to him. Chi had been forbidden to practice medicine as part of his punishment after the mutiny, but there were more than one way to relieve suffering.
"Do you trust me, Jack?" the Adyan whispered.
Jack's eyes were feverish and wary.
"You have to let me into your mind."
The Captain's stared at the guard then grimaced as another wave of pain arced through his body. He refocused looking up at Chi, and nodded.
The Adyan carefully moved closer, placing his hands on both sides of Jack's face, gently closing the Captain's feverish eyes with his thumbs. Chi placed his forehead on Jack's, quietly counting until their breaths were in sync.
Chi could see into the landscape Jack's mind, and watched as the Time Agent barriers slowly dropped down allowing access. The landscape was dry and ravaged but still functional. He had heard about the boxes these agents created for protection, but had never seen one. The woman time agent they captured long ago, died before he could help her. Although the rest of the raiders did not have permission to breach the barriers, he could see the damage the Commander had done in her "training" sessions. Several boxes lay shattered like shards of glass, slicing into the land. Shadows from the boxes floated menacing the man lying on the ground The air was foul and chilled.
The Adyan could see Jack's still form, lying in the center, twisted with pain, burning with fever. As he walked towards him, a shadow near the Captain moved and disappeared among the trees as he drew closer. Strange. He looked again, but it was gone. He knelt down, placing his hands in the same position as before, synchronizing the breathing. Using his life force, he breathed into Jack's mouth disconnecting him from the pain, and letting him rest so his body could finish its natural healing. Jack's body slowly stopped trembling, and his breathing became slow and regular as he slept. Chi carefully stood up without disturbing the sleeping man. He turned to leave, but caught sight of a shadowy figure hidden in the trees watching. He squinted for a clear view, but it disappeared again. He had not seen anything like this during previous mind-melds. One thing he did know, it was not Adyan.
Chi's consciousness returned to his body as he sat next to the cot. He was pleased to see that the immortal slept peacefully and his body continued the healing process. He carefully turned Jack so he could examine his back without causing pain. The Adyan blanched when he saw the pattern of punctures. He had seen it before a long time ago in a medical book, a shape shifter practice that his people had long abandoned.
He looked at the time, realizing the loop was ending in minutes and the camera would soon reactivate. The guard gently eased the Captain on his back, and touched the Captain's forehead. The fever was diminishing. As he carefully brushed the hair away from the Captain's face, and Jack responded with a slight smile while he slept. So much like his son. He quickly tucked the quilts around the sleeping man, moved the chair back, dimmed the lights, and returned to his station. Inside the cell, the loop ran out, and the red light of the camera eyed the still form on the cot.