XXXIII: Martyr Harder (XXII)

As soon as the Sampson touched down, Jake cradled Neytiri's body in his arms and carried her inside, ignoring the basket. Neytiri, still locked in P'all's body, had to take it up and carried it as Jen followed. Jake quickly but gently laid Neytiri's body down on a medical table, despite the flurry of confusion it caused, "Guys I need a medic!" Norm and two others quickly came over and began taking readings.

"Oh crap Jake, what happened to Neytiri?" Norm gasped.

"It's Paul." Jake answered through his teeth.

"Paul did this to Neytiri!"

Jake scowled, annoyed more than he should be, "No Norm, I'm saying Paul is in her body!"

Norm blinked but before he could respond, results popped up on the numerous still activated monitors around them, "Oh wow, this is not good at all."

Jake's anger rushed away on Toruk wings as fear took hold, "What, what's wrong?"

Norm paled, "This is bad Jake, real bad, her internal organs are bruised from severe trauma, her spine looks like a worm on a fishhook, but her brain activity is the worse, it's like she's a totally different person-" then Norm's eyes dawned. "Oh, wait, Paul is inside her?"

"Yes." Neytiri's voice said from behind as Paul came walking in.

Norm did a double take, "Oh man… uh, Neytiri? What happened?"

Neytiri, apparently, stalked over looking instantly worried and then burying it, "We have changed, my braid touched his skin, and I was sparred the agony he now takes in my place. Can you help him?"

Norm looked at him/her blankly and then his head drifted back to the monitors as they began making a high beeping noise. "What is that!" Jake said in alarm.

Norm starred at it a moment, then his eyes widen, "Neytiri's brain is having an some kind of seizure! It must be rejecting Paul's consciousness?"

Jake looked to Neytiri, then to Paul's body, "Neytiri you have to switch back!"

"But Norm interrupted them, "I don't think that's a very good idea-" quickly the doctors around him began injections of some kind and hooking up further leads, "-if Neytiri tried to, uh, switch consciousnesses during this kind of stress she might undergo brain damage!"

Paul's body clutched the table, "What is happening to my body? No, what is happening to him?"

Norm quickly circled the table, pushing Paul and Jake back so the medical staff could do their thing, "Listen guys, I'm not a doctor, but what I know is the electrical activity in Neytiri's brain is, crisscrossing, going haywire, like uh, too much water poured into hundreds of tiny bowls."

"What will happen to him?" Paul clutched Norm's arm.

Norm frowned, "I don't know, but trying to do a brain, uh, switch may just make it worse!"

Jake opened his mouth to argue when Jen entered the room, "That isn't important, Neytiri you have to figure out how to become invisible before smith arrives." All three turned to her.

"How can you say that?" Jake furrowed his brow.

Jen looked hurt but also burying it, her eyes burned into Neytiri, "You made your choice, now you have to deal with its consequences. And so dose he." All became silent at these words, "We are out of time, Mr. Smith could drop in on the Omaticaya any moment and if Neytiri can't use Paul's body to load the drop ship, whatever happens to Paul will be for nothing."

The truth in her words, but more the coldness of her tone, reached the trio and they all fell silent. Until Norm's hand drifted down absently and touched Jake's side. "Ah!" Jake hissed through his teeth.

"Whoa Jake, what happened to you? Do you, do you have a broken rib!" Norm said in astonishment.

Jake sucked in his teeth and backed away from Norm's careless hand, "Yeah." he answered simply.

"What could break a Na'vi rib! Did you wrestle a Hammerhead?" Norm joked.

"Yeah." Jake answered again.

Before Norm could puzzle this out Paul stepped forward, "Jin, I am sorry. I will try." Neytiri's voice said firmly, then she turned and walked past all of them.

Jake and Norm watched her go, and turned back to each other, frowning each. Then Norm pulled on Jake's arm, still the doctors worked on Neytiri's body, and still none of them could do anything about it. "C'mon Jake, let's look at that rib." Jake allowed himself to be pulled away as he watched Neytiri exit out into the night air of Pandora. All hope now rested on Neytiri's Tshaik training, she would somehow need to plumb the depths of Paul's mind and understand his alien body to someone activate the natural invisibility he possessed. And if she couldn't, before Mr. Smith returned, the plan would be lost. They would be forced to go underground and fight a guerilla war with an enemy they could not see, day in day out, watching the skies and waiting for that terrible light to fall down. Like picking a fist fight with god. Jake hoped with all his heart she could figure out a way, and then they could quickly shuffle Paul back to where he belonged and Neytiri to- they did not expect the scream of alarm. In a flash Jake, Norm, Jen and several others ran after, bursting into the night to find Neytiri in Paul's body standing stock still… before... a drop ship and a smiling Mr. Smith.

"Oh come now, why the surprise?" Mr. Smith grinned easily in the silence. "You act like we haven't been watching your every little scurrying step like little ants under a magnifying glass; you act like we're bound by some military protocol or chain of command with moral anchors. We saw what you were doing, and we didn't like it, so we changed the deal. That's what happens when you have no power what so ever in the negotiations." Smith held up his right hand. The next events happened quickly, too quickly for anyone to make sense of. Neytiri's voice screamed and Paul's body leapt forward, gripping Mr. Smith's arm in some vain attempt to keep him from snapping his fingers, Jen ripped out a small black box and pressed a button, Jake leaped forward and the blue column of light fell on Mr. Smith and Neytiri… the flashed blinded everyone and the resulting shockwave from the blast through them back, into a rolling tumble. Jake was the first to bolt to his feet, screaming even as his eyes still could not see.

"NEYTIRIII!" he cried, though the hammering of his heart was all the answer he needed. No one could survive that. The fact the Order would kill their own messenger just to prove a point didn't touch Jake, the fact the drop ship was probably decimated as well didn't touch Jake, the fact they no longer had any hope of striking back at their conquers didn't touch Jake… no, all he knew was the void of loss as Neytiri was ripped from his arms in a split second. Jake rubbed furiously at his eyes, carelessly, as if trying to force them to clear. His ears rang, a torturous cone of silence, as he stumbled forward onto pavement when sizzled under his feet. "NEYTIRRRRIIIIIII!" Jake howled over his own pain. Gentle but cold metal hands pushed Jake back, small arms taking him down into a comforting embrace, a distance voice.

"My Jake, be calm, I am here."

Jake's bleached world slowly drew back to him, he saw Paul's face, with Neytiri's eyes looking into him. "Neytiri, but, how?" he whispered. Paul's head turned and Jake followed, seeing Jen still holding a tiny black box; an unconscious Mr. Smith at her feet.

…

Jake slammed his hands down into the table, "Why didn't you tell us?"

Jen didn't flinch, "Because then you would know." They were all standing back inside the remaining lab. Neytiri in Paul's body standing by the door, Jake sitting by a table where rested several medical supplies that Norm was using to tape his ribs; Jen stood across from them next to Mr. Smith, tied to a rolling chair. "If you knew I had technology which could scramble and block the Order's own, you'd begin to wonder where I'd gotten it from." Jen said tersely.

Jake ground the palm of his hand into the table, "You aren't saying what I think you are."

Jen didn't look away, "Yes, I was part of the Order."

Jake tried to stand but Norm quickly pushed his back, "Whoa, Whoa, whoa Jake, don't ruin my work here. Okay, so she didn't tell us the whole truth, but she did save Neytir's life."

Jake glared daggers, "No, she saved Paul's body."

Norm swallowed, "Either way, she said 'was', as in not anymore, right?" he looked to her. She stood in silence at the question, with all eyes boring into her.

Finally, Jen's chin wrinkled, "My… my dad is on of the board of directors." Jake spat into the air, throwing his hands up then hissing in pain and recoiling at his side. "Why do you think I joined the resistance? I've been trying to separate myself from his world for as long as I've lived! The resistance protected me and gave me a place to get away from the Order's reach."

Jake winced again, "You could have prevented all of this if you'd just told us, if we had warning the Order existed."

Jen clutched her fists, "I didn't think they still did! I thought the RDA had wiped them out, the last I remember my dad was escaping with a few other members because the RDA was buying their resources out. I haven't seen or heard from my dad until the Order attacked, and I didn't know it was them even when Mr. Smith showed up. But by then you already didn't trust me because I was in the resistance, would any of you have let me fly you to the Nekxtskxe if you thought I might still be working for the Order? Would you have listened if I tried to tell you?"

"YES!" Jake slammed the side of his fist down, "This is more important that your or Paul's past, Jen, this is the future of Pandora!"

Jen looked taken back, and looked down in silence. Norm frowned at Jake, then her, "Okay, whatever, but can you tell us now? At least what you did to stop the beam thing?"

Jen slightly rubbed her shoulder, "The beam weapon is little more than a gigantic light guided lightening bolt, if you have a scramble signal, it can refract the light at the source, and that allows it to be drawn to another location- a lightening rod- a few miles away. It was implanted as an early defense against this kind of technology but abandoned when the RDA supposedly wiped them out, and then were chased off Pandora. I've known about it for years, and I knew the signal ratio to use if they struck. I wasn't able to block the first attack, it happened to fast, I had to reset the stupid thing after years of neglect." Jake and Norm listened intently, not interrupting as she silenced.

Jake set his jaw and breathed in through his nose, after a pause, "Is there anything else we should know about you?

Jen looked to Paul's body and way again quickly. "We can't rely on it, it's been out of service so long I doubt it can take a few more hits before overloading or melting down."

Jake closed his eyes and rubbed his face, tail lashing once. "Alright, fine, the plan is still the same. Load the drop ship, fly it into orbit. Boom, we all talk about it later." but it was at this particular moment, Mr. Smith began to chuckle.

All eyes flew to him and Jen stepped back as the cold and lifeless sound left his lips. "My, my, my…" he said at length, then lifted his dried blood smeared head, "And here I get to tell you your only hope won't work."

Jake scowled, but didn't budge from his seated position, "You're in no position to talk."

Mr. Smith lifted his eyebrows, "Did you mean the beam that hit me? Of course they would use it on me. To prevent you." he chuckled again, "Oh no my friends, my dear friends, you can't use the drop ship… it's coded to my DNA and mine alone. Only I can operate it, only I can fly it, and you can't." Jake, Norm, and Jen were speechless at this latest revelation, eyes wide, and jaws nearly dropped. Mr. Smith he pursed his lips sympathetically. "Oh, come now, you didn't think I was indispensable did you?" he then made himself more comfortable in the chair despite the ropes, "Let me guess, you were going to load up my ship and then send it back, but from your keeping me alive, I expect you had thought I would be the one to fly it back. Sacrificing me as a Trojan horse; very cut throat, very classy, I'm sure my bosses would approve. But you forgot we were always watching, we know about your little pale friend's disappearing act. We know about the trip to the volcano. We know everything. And what's more, now that I know your plan, I'm not going to help you. So sorry."

Jake stared incomprehensibly, "You know your own people tried to kill you so we couldn't use you, but that doesn't mean we'll kill you now. Help us, there has to be some kind of auto pilot feature, you don't have to die for us like your bosses, you can help us, and stay here- without fear of repercussion, just help us destroy them."

Mr. Smith laughed, throatily, for a good and long time. "Oh Jake, Jake, Jake…" he shook his head, "have you really forgotten what it means to be human Mr. Sully?"

Jake grew silent, Jen looked sick, Norm was speechless still… but Neytiri stared into him. "There is a way." Slowly everyone turned to her. "I have looked, into this, mind; I have seen everything it has to offer, memories, and links to its strange power. I know, the bond, within it, is more than ours. I have learned and sought the knowledge from my own encounter, in the hours flight back. I know with a touch of my skin, I can bond with any living thing that may bond, but more…" she looked to Norm, "As it was done to you, and on a different level by the air of his breath, I can make others feel as I feel."

Norm blinked, "Yeah, the burning and crying, right- Ah Doi! I can't believe I forgot! That's what Peyral said, full body pheromones, like the bond. She didn't elaborate though and Yawne probably knows more, where is he now? OH MAN! Did they meet up with you guys by the way, it would have caused some real trouble if you didn't kno- oh." Norm silenced sheepishly.

Jake and Neytiri blinked, "Yawne and Peyral followed us?"

Norm nodded, "Yawne left after you did, then Peyral followed, didn't you see them?"

Jake rubbed his face with both hands, looking upwards, "That must have been what nearly hit us, but they haven't come back?"

Norm licked his lips, "Well, I mean it takes longer by Ikran, maybe a few hours even, I don't know, but I can't believe you guys missed each other like that."

Jake sighed, "It was dark, but Peyral didn't stop, if that was her, so she must have had a good reason. She's probably collecting Yawne and on their way back now, but we can't worry about that. They'll find a way, I'm sure, but now we have to figure out a way to get Neytiri back into her body."

Paul's head lifted, "Jake I-"

Jake held up a hand, face hard. "Don't even try. Even if you could command this guy to do what you wanted, you'd have to remain in constant contact with him… and that means you'd have to go with him." The weight of this technicality hit everyone between the eyes, Paul's face remained impassive. Neytiri had known.

"I would rather myself then my people." she said quietly.

Jake stood then, fangs bared in a grin, "Oh no, you don't get to think like that. You and I have been through too much, nobody else has to die for Pandora's sake."

"Except Paul." Jen said suddenly, quelling the argument beginning between Jake and Neytiri. She stood stock still, tall in her anger at them. "If Jake gets his way, Paul dies for us; If Neytiri gets her way, Paul's body dies for us. None of you really care about him, not when your precious people are at stake, needs of the many right? Well I'm not going to let you, I won't let anyone hurt him again, I'll turn off this shield and let the Order in before I ever let you hurt him." Her eyes were cold, hard, steel.

Jake scowled, temples throbbing but before he could open his mouth and arguing one way or another, Mr. Smith did. "Maybe you haven't forgotten after all." This silenced everybody, and Jake's hard stare met the unflinching stare of both Jen and Neytiri. Everybody was resolved, nobody was budging. Jake shouted in frustration and pushed over the table, regardless of the pain in his side, and in his heart. He looked again into the still unmoved faces around him and stormed away, stomping as he left the room. Neytiri in Paul's body, bowed her head, rubbing her metal hands through his loosely tied pony tail. Then she stood and left the room as well, returning to where her true body rested to watch as the doctors continued their furious work. Jen and Norm remained, silent in the nearly empty room. Only Mr. Smith smiled between them, slowly rocking himself from side to side by his knees. "Does anyone have any popcorn?"