XXXVII: Walk the Line (XXIVII)

Hell's Gate was silent; yet the trees and very ground burned, as if an inferno had paused contemplatively to reflect on its own destructive path. The Cave Banshees rested in the upper trees, while the Nekxtskxe encircled cook fires and patrolled the grounds of Hell's Gate. They were silent now as dawns prelight tickled the horizon. Inside the compound itself, the silence continued, mildly broken now and again by the beep of machines and the scuffle of feet followed by mumbled conversation. Four figures sat around a table, all of them blue, but one painted in fiery orange. Jake, Neytiri, Peyral, and Yawne- each now sporting some kind of wrap or brace on various position of their bodies. Neytiri had a brace around her midsection aligned with her spine, Jake, his ribs and a wrap around his shoulder; Peyral had her wrists and left leg wrapped with a brace on her left ankle, while Yawne had a wrap around each joint and braces on both of his wrists and knees. Four plates sat between them, ravaged, their contents long gone in ravenous hunger. Jake wheezed every now and again, shifting to find a more comfortable position. "So, let's go over it again…"

Yawne nodded, "When we found out you had left I came to warn you, but the Sampson is much faster than Lawtaw; when I arrived you had already doused the Nekxtskxe with the cloud kill and by result I had to fight for my life, which in turn became a battle for the Nekxtskxe homeland itself because if I had not they would have descended on the Omaticaya for War. I beat Kerusey and became Olo'eyktan. We flew hard to join you and bring you weapons in case you didn't retrieve any, when we saw the explosion I knew something had gone wrong- when we saw the drop ships I called for war."

Jake looked to Neytiri, she swallowed, "When we arrived Kerusey forced us into honored combat, we would have fallen if not for P'all's venom. We escaped deep into the mountain, found the fire beast and tried to steal its stones, but it attacked. We were nearly lost but P'all switched our minds, allowing me to use a gas of sleep and retrieve the fire stones before we fled. When we landed we were surprised by Sm'th who tried to destroy us, himself and the drop ship before our eyes. Jin stopped him. It was she who discovered a way to use the drop ship safely, but she was killed before she could complete her work. I tried to gain the knowledge of flying from P'alls mind, but he took his body back instead…" Neytiri grew silent, unable to continue.

Jake spoke up, "When Paul found out Jen was dead, he stole the drop ship and destroyed the space ship in orbit. By then the Old Order had already landed a fleet and they retaliated, that's when Yawne showed up."

Peyral put her hands to her face, "…so much death."

"There would have been more had the Nekxtskxe not ended the battle so quickly. I did not know there were so many." Neytiri patted her arm.

Yawne shook his head, "Battle tactics, a few hundred can look like thousands, like Zebr- er, like, uh, well, they use the patterns to blend in with each other." Yawne waved his hand. "I'm just glad I was able to distinguish the pattern while we fought or I would have been, well, musical chairs without a butt."

Confused looks greeted this explanation but Jake jumped in, "The Old Order aren't the type to prolong a fight for honor, glory or any high ideal. They knew they were at a disadvantage and like all bullies and cowards, turned tail and ran." Jake added, "But with the fire rocks you guys brought with you, we should be able to mount a counter attack on wherever they're hiding and burn them out."

"Eggs, actually." Yawne pointed.

Jake raised his eyebrow, Neytiri looked horrified, "The fire Beasts' children?"

Yawne splayed his hands, "No no, I'm not a hundred percent sure on the biology of it, I only got a basic rundown when I asked, but the large orbs- did you see them?- those were the real eggs. The little ones are kind of, dud eggs, unfertilized; only the fertilized ones grow as large as a child. The smaller ones are incubator eggs, their ambient heat keeps the larger eggs, uh, warm. The orange gloop is basically embryonic fluid, er, mommy belly baby juice or something- I don't know how to explain it, but anyway, the mama breaks the smaller eggs periodically if the temperature is off, which she senses with her tentacles, to keep the eggs at a constant temperature. That's how she was able to sense you so easily Neytiri, you weren't wearing any ceremonial fire moss to mask your body temperature."

Peyral nodded, "The beast's natural habitat is deep beneath the ground, among rivers of fire rock, it only comes above ground in caves to breed; we were only allowed to gather the smaller eggs, and only then, so many because the beast was still asleep. It is a ritual of honor to take eggs from the beast, and usually is a test of stealth and cunning. We were lucky Yawne was able to defeat Kerusey, we would not have gotten away if he hadn't."

"And now you're Olo'eytkan of the Nekxtskxe." Jake smiled.

Yawne distantly rubbed at the orange on the back of his hand, "Do or die."

Neytiri looked into nothing, "P'all did because Jin died." All became silent.

Jake frowned, rubbing his mouth and chin with his hand. "Look, we still have more to do." All eyes looked up to him. "We have to find the base; if the Old Order attacks again we wont' have the same advantage, the Nekxtskxe's pattern maneuvers won't be as effective, if at all, during the day."

Yawne nodded, "The markings turn gray, like ash, which works fine if we're over the burning mountain which is also solid grey, but over the green jungles of Pandora…"

Peyral sighed, "So how do we find them, and when we do, what do we do with them?"

Neytiri's fingers gripped the table top, "We kill them all." Her voice was cold and the tone final.

Worried glances flicked back and forth, Jake spoke, "Neytiri, killing all of them won't bring Jen or Paul back."

Neytiri turned pained eyes to him, angry eyes, "No Jake Sully, but it will make sure they do not come back." Jake made to speak again but Neytiri cut into his words, "No, no more. Each time the humans come, they bring unimaginable sorrow. I made a promise to P'all, I promised he would live happily among us, with Jin. They would be happy together, for all they had done. But now they are dead. Dead because humans come like rain and they are all blind. They cause suffering before anyone has a chance to make them see. I am tired of burying my people, Jake, I am tired of watching them die and waiting for more death to come."

"What will causing more death do?" Peyral said firmly.

Neytiri turned to her strongly, "Send a message that the Na'vi will not be hunted anymore. We will not forgive for these endless, pointless killings! The forest grows glutton from the dead it must reclaim, and more and more of my people disappear. Eywa weeps and her tears will drown the people if we do not do something."

Jake felt his heart ache; "Neytiri…"

"She's right." Yawne said suddenly, softly. "The time for forgiveness is over. We need to send a message to earth, we won't take anymore. We have to draw a line somewhere."

"In blood?" Jake said harshly; Jake was truly pained, Yawne and Neytiri had always tried to protect the balance of life as Eywa did, useless death seemed to plague them both… and no matter how loving either of them were, they could only be pushed so far. Jake looked from one to the other, "Vengeance won't keep the people away. If we become butchers, it will frighten them, but that will only make them feel justified in coming back again ready for more blood. War will only cause more war to follow."

"So we slap them on the wrist and send them away?" Yawne said coldly.

Jake didn't flinch, "No, we dig them out of whatever hole they crawled into, we break all of their toys, and we send them back where they came from. Alive. Because we are not like them. We don't' have to kill them to survive and the people of earth, good and bad, will see what we have done. Twice we refused them, twice we defeated the best and worst of humanity. When they come again it will be humble, defeated, and with no position or justification in hostility. Earth will know what has happened here, twice, they will see the mistakes they've made and they will try to correct them if they ever try to come again." Yawne bowed his head, Neytiri starred at her hands, Peyral frowned at Jake. Jake took a deep breath, halted by the brace on his side.

Neytiri looked up at this, her hands lifting to rest on his arm. "I am sorry My Jake…"

Yawne nodded his head, eyes closed, "Me too." Peyral hugged him tightly.

Jake shook his head, "No, we're all beat and tired. We've been through way to much lately, and honestly, I think we all need to get some sleep. Will the Nekxtskxe be alright outside?"

Yawne nodded slightly, "I will sleep outside with them, they will have no cause to complain about conditions if I share them willingly."

Jake breathed in relief, "Tomorrow we'll begin sending out scouting patrols to find where the Old Order hid themselves, once we find them…" Jake paused, what would they do once they found them? Neytiri gripped him gently with her hand. Jake looked to her, then smiled. "Well, let's find them first; Uh, if that's alright?" Jake added carefully suddenly. Yawne furrowed his brow. "I don't mean to order the Nekxtskxe Olo'eytkan around…"

Yawne grinned like his old self and waved his hand, "We'll hear the lamentation of your women another day, tomorrow we'll work with you to find our enemy and wipe him out. Then we'll form diplomatic relations with the Omaticaya or have Norm fight me for the honor of Hell's Gate to return to its people or something." Everyone froze at that mental image.

"Norm?" The word screwed up Jake's mouth.

Yawne paused looking at the corner with bug eyes, "Yeah, I need sleep."

And sleep they did. As promised Yawne and Peyral made camp outside and were surprised to find the Nekxtskxe modified their own camping spots to form a massive ring with them directly in the center. The ring of ever expanding fire was odd to behold from the center, but none of the Nekxtskxe complained about being outside when conquered grounds were before them. However, they still showered Yawne and Peyral with praise and glory, food and drink, well into afternoon when everyone- aside from guards on patrol- fell into a vast slumber of jumbled bodies. Most of the residents of Hell's gate didn't return to quarters, instead opting to bring pillow and blanket into the command center and sleep on the floor. In large number, where it was safe… unexpectedly falling prey to the Na'vi scientists who wished to do the same and therefore formed a jumble of human and Na'vi bodies on the floor. A startlingly new experience for many. Including Norm. Jake and Neytiri returned to the medical bay, with gurneys side by side and under the harrowed eye of the medical staff, they fell into exhausted slumber. …they dreamed of a massive burning flower rending the surface of Pandora with claw like vines in terrible blood thirsty vengeance.

…

Jake lifted his eyes to the ceiling. His entire midsection was stiff, shoulder burning, and his tongue tasted terrible. It wasn't a hangover, this was, death and chaos having an arm wrestling mach between his temples. Jake lifted a single hand to his forehead and tried to make sense of everything. Had all of it happened in a single night? Had they really lost them both, and gained an army in a single day? Jake rolled his head to the side, sucking in pained breath as he did so. Neytiri lay beside him, curled into a ball, she hadn't woken yet. Jake didn't blame her. Slowly Jake turned to the other side, there was a doctor sitting a little ways off- wrapped in a full medical suit with a mask. Jake blinked and tried to rub his eyes, he might as well have been trying to scrub his family jewels with steel wool. "Doc…" he managed to croak. The doctor partially looked up from his or her monitor, holding up a silencing hand to attend to his or her work. Jake swallowed, a water slide with broken glass, and tried again. "Doc…" His tongue felt like bread someone had left under their bed for three years. Finally though the doctor stood and approached.

"Try and be still, we're doing everything we can, there is no need to panic."

Naturally Jake felt like he should panic, "What? What's going on?"

The Doctor's face hesitated behind the mask, "Stay calm, but you been asleep for twenty four hours."

Jake felt an ice-pick hit his forehead. "What?"

The doctor reached out and pressed Jake back to the bed, "Try not to move, listen closely. Aside form your obvious injuries, you're infected." Jake's jaw dropped. "The Wildfire virus still active in the hosts body, ah Paul, was somehow transferred to Neytiri and through her, you. We checked everyone in the compound for signs, but so far only you and her had been affected. We aren't sure why, but we're monitoring its activity closely."

Jake reflexively tried to sit up, grabbing the doctor by the shoulders. "What do you mean? Are we dying?"

The doctor's eyes widened at the powerful grip, "We don't know that yet…"

"But you said earlier that Paul was still dieing from it and the only reason he hadn't was the constant cellular, regeneration, or whatever-"

"Yes, correct." The doctor said, taking his hands and trying to remove them… which was when Jake realized he was sitting up… without any pain what so ever.

Jake let go, hands shooting to his side. He had three broken ribs, maybe more but he didn't feel a thing. Pressing his side hard felt no different than his other side. He was completely fine. Well, aside from the atrocity happening in his skull. "Neytiri?" Jake rasped.

"As I have been trying to say, you are both being, well, mended by the virus. Cellularly speaking the damaged areas are being repaired and-"

That was when Jake noted the lab was empty, "What is this headache?"

The doctor looked perturbed, "As I've been trying to say, you've been quarantined for your and our protection. You are infected. The wildfire virus is inside you, regenerating you to keep its host alive, but also dying out at a rapid rate. Thus far-" the doctor interrupted Jake as he opened his mouth, "-the mutation has remained active only on a regenerative level and has not tried to modify your own gene structure, we suspect it would need time to incubate before breaking down such things and reconstructing them as it did with Paul over a series of unknown years. Your genetic code doesn't seem to be imperiled, yet, but there is little we truly understand of this organism, it may code and recode retroactive sequences we can't detect or it may simply burn itself out, but we are working on it." Jake cupped his head with his hands. This was perfect. Paul, and in a way Jen's, legacy had sparred them days of disabled pain but in return threatened the very fabric of their DNA. "What we don't' know, and must know, is how it was transferred…"

Jake looked up. Transferred? That was obvious wasn't it? Bodily fluid. Paul had spit on Jake and Neytiri more than anyone else, hell, Jake had told Neytiri to kiss him. They had more contact with Paul, alone, than anyone either. Jake swallowed more glass, "Bodily Fluid, from his venom and saliva."

The doctor looked pensive, "We suspected as much, but couldn't confirm it."

Jake rubbed the bridge of his nose, ears laying flat and tail sitting limply beside him. "Where's Yawne, what's happening outside?"

The doctor nodded, "If you're well enough I can establish a comm. link."

Jake motioned for it and the doctor handed him a pad. "Yawne? Do you copy?" The pad's surface changed into a myriad of words, searching for a signal, red text and imagery, then finally switching to green voice bars.

"Jake? You sound terrible…" Yawne's voice.

"Yawne, what's happening outsi-"

"…like you swallowed a battalion of frogs, over." Yawne finished.

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yawne, sit rep? Over."

The bars went totally flat for a moment, "Well when everybody finally woke up we tried to get in to see you when we heard about the whole, infection thing. They also delayed us by checking everyone out, but I started sending out patrols like you wanted. Five fliers in each direction just incase the Old Order doubled back or something crazy, but with the delay that was about four hours ago. They should be heading back now. Over."

Jake tried to shift his uncomfortably aware tongue to a more relaxed position. "What about repairs? Supplies?"

"Oh right, well, when everyone was finally up I set up patrols and damage control, Norm already established clean up crews and repair crews so I sent some of my people-" it was odd the way he said it, proudly, naturally- "to watch over them while they worked and help if asked. They're fixing my stuff for me after all. Mo'at was upset about Neytiri and you being off limits, but she finally had to return to the Omaticaya to let them know what was happening and to organize them… I'm not exactly sure for what, but it was good she went to make sure they weren't being attacked. I sent an escort with her as well. Don't worry, I trust her guards more than I do my own. She'll be alright. But, how are you? Over." Jake heard the worry creep into his voice at the end.

"I'm fine." But he didn't mean it, "The Doctor says we aren't being genetically altered or anything, just superficially repaired. What about you? You were in rough shape when we last talked, you and Peyral. The virus fixed us up, but unless you were infected I don't see how you can walk."

The pad flashed slightly, "Heh, well, I'm a Na'vi super solider remember? Captain Pandora. Actually that's' kind of lame, anyway, I'm good to go. Sore… I mean… sore, but, I can… okay no I can't, I'm reaaaaalllly sore, Jake. Like, I'm a lake or sore. Like I've been sore for ages, I'm a dinosore: a Lakeofsoreis. I'm so sore Peyral is basically running the place. I'm sitting in a lawn chair of bone and hide with three guards handing me food like I'm on a resort or something. Which, incidentally is why I'm talking to you in english. If push comes to shove I should be able to fly, but don't expect any miracles. Over."

Jake couldn't help the smile on his face, Yawne was a terrible whiner. "Well it doesn't look like we'll be getting out there any time soon. Keep me updated if you can. Good job. And Yawne?"

"Myeah? Over."

"Thanks."

The pad was silent for a moment, "Pssh." then cut out.

Jake handed the pad back to the doctor and slowly rolled his neck to the side. "Well doc… what happens now?"

As it turned out, tests happened next. To monitor Jake and Neytiri's conditions they had Jake do a few tests- as much as he was able- They took numerous blood samples and relied heavily on what Jake told them as he felt. Computers had less through diagnostics. Mobility, function, balance, sight, hearing, taste, skin samples, brain scans, reflex, a full and absolute physical. It took all of six hours for these tests, and even then the results were murky. Jake, and by exponential association, Neytiri were in fine health. Their systems recognized they were battling a virus and like a cold or fever, the effects of trying to combat it were draining them. The antivirus formula Jen had supplied for Paul, and whose genetic modifiers were marked in Paul's blood work, helped them understand that this wildfire virus was in its infancy; merely a bud, though active, in trying to keep its host alive. They were lucky perhaps, they'd discovered it so soon. They were already doing tests to see if the antigen was effective on the lesser version. This raised further questions however. The genetic markers in Paul's body, compared to the fresh sample in Jake and Neytiri's revealed a time frame… a very long time frame.

Paul had apparently been infected with the virus far longer than Jen had reported. While she had stated he was infected before he left earth, which would account for six years on the journey over, and the few months it had taken her to find his 'coffin' and then a few months more it took for her to attempt and fail inoculating him… the genetic marker showed a life span well over ten years. Three years were unaccounted for. What had happened in those missing years, and when did they take place? Sadly, the only ones who could answer that question were dead. Unless they chose to contact the resistance back on earth… an option they lacked due to the planned destruction of several key systems in the Old Order attack. They were still unable to communicate off world, which left the question of three years unanswerable. However, it did provide some hope for Jake and Neytiri. As it was still in its infancy the Wildfire virus had not taken full hold, lain roots in their genetic code yet, therefore it was straight forward matter of isolating the virus itself in its infant state to eradicate it. Something the entire medical team worked obsessively on even now. All of this Jake went through and learned by the time the Riders returned.

"Nothing." The pad bars rose and fell, "They didn't find a thing… but keep in mind, even on Cave Ikran and in a wide formation, they still can't cover as much ground as interstellar drop ships. For all we know they could be hiding in orbit, or went into orbit and touched back down on the other side of Pandora itself." Yawne voice sighed. Jake felt his headache increase. "We'll do some more searching tomorrow, I have to let my riders rest, and I have to supervise the hunting we'll need to do to keep everybody fed…. Sorry Jake. Over."

Jake sighed as well, "It's alright Yawne. If we don't find them, I'm sure they'll attack us first." The grim humor never worked on Yawne, "Keep your people happy, we could use the rest. Send out searchers tomorrow and… we'll see what we'll see…" Jake set the pad down, relaxing back on his bed even as Neytiri watched him with distant eyes. She had awoken during Jake's tests and been informed as he was, but she didn't say anything about it. She just… thought… her mind turning and stare glassy as she worked through something he couldn't imagine. Even when prompted she only shook her head, perhaps in an effort not to worry him. But now, as they lay there together, watching each others pained expressions every now and again side by side, Jake's mind began to turn too… where were the Old Order? What were they doing? And would they be alright? Would they be cured before their genetic makeup was changed forever? What would happen to them if not? Would they become like Paul? …what the hell was Paul becoming? Jake's mind found no answers, and knew, why she was so silent.