Xeno Core

The robed aliens sway rhythmically, moving as one. Their many ropey limbs entwine, forming living circuits. All this happens in complete silence.

Gelly stands at the entrance to the domed room. Beside him are Mos Bruen and Drev. Somner Zek is somewhere among the others of her kind, lost in the sea of robes.

Behind them are the walls of a yet greater dome that contains the room in which the ritual is conducted. Armed soldiers patrol the halls by the light of glowing symbols carved into the wall.

Gelly blinks, and when he opens his eyes a rift in reality stands in the clear space between the exhausted aliens. Through it he can see the shimmering image of deep caverns that glow blue-gray. Something writhes in the distance.

A strong limb slaps into Gelly's back. "Wonderful," Bruen comments.

"Aye. Do ye recognize the cave?"

"No. Is that not your home?"

"I've no been there before," answers Gelly.

The room empties as each of the participants in the ritual leave, seeking rest or sustenance. Gelly walks into the room, circling the portal. Bruen and Drev watch patiently. After making a complete circuit, he returns to the others.

"Is this some part o' Honus? I do no remember there bein' many caves there."

"Perhaps another star? Were you near Honus when you found the alien vessel that brought you to us?"

"Yer right. We were off chasin' tales o' death worlds when we found it. Around a lonely star with no planets."

Flexible limbs push the two aside. Drev thrust himself past them, putting himself between the other two and the portal. He falls, gashes running down his body. Behind him, blood dripping from its crystalline claws, looms a four-armed creature studded with yellow mineral growths.

The creature lunges toward Bruen, propelling itself with a thick trunk-like tail. Yellow jags of crystal glint at the ends of its long arms. Bruen ducks its attack, backing away.

Gelly draws his knife and leaps onto the beast's back. Crystal cuts into his thighs, but he holds on tight. His knife rises and falls, blade staining black in the monster's ichor. Bruen keeps the thing distracted, darting in and out of its reach.

The beast roars, trying and failing to reach behind it. Gelly stabs the beast in the back, dodging its attempts to dislodge him. Finally, it rattles a final cry and he jumps clear of the dying beast. Its long tail thrashes behind it as it dies.

Bruen shouts, "Soldiers! Get a medic in here, officer wounded!"

Azure pools around the fallen form of Drev. The soldier's many flexible limbs lay still. Only the spasms of his mouthparts as he attempts to speak show that he is not yet gone.

Soldiers, hearing their general's call, rush into the portal room. An alien warrior carrying lengths of cloth and jars of ointment hurries to tend to Drev.

Gelly wipes the black slime from his blade off on a tatter hanging from his much abused uniform. Blood loss makes him weak, but he has enough strength to make it to his wounded follower before he collapses. Bruen, already nearby, catches him as he falls. The last thing he sees before losing consciousness are long ropey limbs removing his pants.

He awakens on a medical cot, the familiar astringent scent of the healers' arts filling the air. Next to him sleeps Drev, wrapped tightly in the same pale leather that wraps Gelly's own legs. Smooth, shimmering cloth covers his upper body. The black threads reflect the light in a myriad of colors.

"Zelsilk, do you like it? Mos Gol raises the zelweavers on her estate, I've been told."

"Zek, is that ye?"

The pain is gone, he realizes. "Ye healed us? Thank ye kindly."

Her robes rustle around her as she enters the large tent. "It is my duty, Don."

She sags where she stands, exhaustion clear upon her alien features. Her drab green robes are stained with blood of many colors. Zek picks at a spot of blood on her bandoleer, watching Gelly with her head cocked.

Gelly stands, surprised at the smoothness of his movements. "I have no felt this good since I were still huntin' yer kind for food. Thank ye again, ye do good work."

Zek makes a dismissive gesture with one cluster of appendages. "Your flesh is easy to mold, lacking a proper protective carapace. If you wish, we could install a prosthetic such as Mos Gol employs."

He chuckles and shakes his head. Beside the cot he finds a new leather belt, boots, pants, and shoulder pads. He looks inquisitively at Zek, but the Somner ignores him. There isn't anyone around to worry about his lack of uniform, so he puts on the garments. The boots fit better than his old pair.

The silver buckles on the belt and boots match the uniforms of the officers around him. Runes decorate the armor pieces he straps to his shoulders and glow with a soft white radiance. He still wears the armband, and a quick check of the pouch attached to his new belt relaxes him further. It contains the memory cards holding his letters, logs, and various reports still needing filed. His knife hangs from the other side, clean and sharp when he pulls it free to check for rust.

Lastly, he slings his rifle across his back. It still has a single cartridge loaded, but he lacks further ammunition. The SAm20, despite its weight, provides him a tenuous link to home. If nothing else, it can still be used as a club.

Zek escorts him out of the tent and through the compound. Bruen waits for him at the entrance to the portal building with a squad of armed soldiers. The soldiers dip their spears respectfully at his approach.

"More creatures similar to the first have emerged," states the general without preamble. "They're holding position around the portal. Are you ready?"

Gelly grunts an answer, pulling his knife from his belt sheath. He follows Bruen into the building and down to the nexus chamber with the soldiers trailing behind. They pass a squad of wounded guards, dragging an unconscious soldier behind them on the way down. Bruen orders a pair of his soldiers to assist them, then continues on.

A pair of guards stand at the final door. Scraping and thudding can be heard from behind the thick stone. At Bruen's direction they unlock it and remove the heavy crossbar keeping it shut. The door slams open and a two-headed creature runs out, black crystals sprouting from across its body.

Both heads snarl as it lunges toward the closest soldier. Bruen shouts orders that echo off the close stone walls.

Its body is pierced in three places by the soldiers' spears. It screams defiantly but is unable to move. The creature's last scream ends in a gurgle when yet one more spear impales it.

The soldiers pull their weapons free and the still twitching body drops to the floor. Behind it three more crystal encrusted abominations snap their jaws.

Gelly leads the charge and collides with a squat brutish beast. His blade sinks into its thick neck and finds something vital. Around him spears rise and fall. Black blood flies through the air, splashing everything.

The last of the crystalline monsters falls under Bruen's spear. The wounded rest in the corridor, waiting for healing. Those still able to fight, Gelly among them, guard the portal against further intruders.

Gelly joins Bruen and the two gaze at the rift. Something moves on the other side. The two look at each other before walking up to it. They wait only long enough for the most capable remaining soldiers to form a small squad before entering the portal.

Bruen enters first, with the four soldiers just after him. Gelly waits until last before joining them. He experiences a disconnect, a loss of balance, but quickly recovers as his feet make contact with warm stone.