Episode Twenty Eight - Glowing Lifeform

Chapter Song Suggestion "The Second Hand Ticks by AudioMachine"

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THE PAST | Eira

There it was!

She watched the young mandrillus sitting on the mulga tree from a distance. It had a dead ratillo in its hands, its muzzle wet and bloody from the fresh meat. She raised her bow and arrow, holding her breath as she took a steady aim. While the predator was distracted, she could easily kill it and bring it back to the camp as a prize. Her parents would be proud and hopefully they would agree to take her out on their next hunting trip.

She wanted to prove to them that she was as capable as her brother, Kulan. Qeathan warriors didn't discriminate amongst gender, and she knew she was a good hunter. She hated it when her parents claimed she was still too young. If they kept babying her, she would never learn to grow up and her other siblings often teased her about it.

Before she could release her arrow, the hairs on the back of her nape stood on end. The mandrillus straightened to attention, the ratillo forgotten as it sensed danger and fled for safety. She didn't have time to bemoan the lost when she was brutally tackled to the ground, her weapon gone. Her survival instincts kicked in and she desperately shoved at the weight pinning her down.

A fearful cry escaped her when she realized it was a huge, feline predator. She had never seen it before. Its deadly fangs dripped, and her vision was impeded by a wide, scaly membrane flaring from around its neck. While she sobbed uncontrollably, she scented something sweet and fruity permeating the air. Oddly, she started tingling all over and a heavy weight blanketed her body. She couldn't move, couldn't even wriggle her fingers. Panic set in.

"Eira!" She heard her father's alarmed cry. It was the first time she heard a real note of fear in his voice. "Eira!"

Suddenly, burning fire ripped across her chest and she was screaming in agony until darkness swallowed her whole.

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PRESENT DAY

They couldn't leave the bay.

At his attempt to leave, the gelatin mass attached to Eira's chest pulsed frantically and she would release a painful moan.

Lars didn't understand what the hell was going on but, he knew he couldn't take her far from the ocean. The longer he stared at the lifeform, he realized it resembled an animal – one with four limbs and a possible tail. What he couldn't make sense of was how it had latched onto Eira. The faint pulsing glow streaking from its body fanned under Eira's skin – travelling along her veins. They appeared...connected.

He had to take the risk. This organism was unknown, and it could be harmful to Eira. Securing her chilled body tightly, he coaxed the Gryphon. "Come Aeolus, let us try one more time."

Aeolus crouched and spread his wings, springing into the air with a graceful leap.

"We'll go further this time," Lars murmured. "Go slow."

They glided across the bay at a gentle speed, tilting slightly each time Aeolus changed direction, nearing the inlands. Lars who had been holding his breath, gradually relaxed when nothing happened — the ocean disappearing behind them.

And then, it happened.

Eira spasmed violently, her muscles twitched as if being seized by shockwaves. The vibrant glow on her chest palpitated erratically.

Bright. Dim. Bright. Dim.

Lars was certain they appeared like a twinkling star in the sky. He was stunned when blood spurted from her mouth and immediately, he barked. "Turn back, Aeolus! Get us back to the bay!"

The Gryphon banked sharply at his urgency, strong wings carrying them back towards the ocean. Briny air filled his lungs before he heard the crashing waves in the dark. At once, Eira calmed down and he so did he, releasing an anxious breath. It occurred to him that she or rather the lifeform couldn't be separated from the sea. It needed the ocean to survive. Was it the salt in the air?

"Land us in a safe spot, Aeolus!" he shouted over the wind. It was dark, and the temperature was dropping rapidly. They needed shelter from the elements and nocturnal predators. "Eira, can you hear me?" He tried jostling her to no avail. She was dead to the world.

The moment Aeolus landed on a secluded cove, Lars hopped off and bundled Eira in his coat. Spying a tiny cave up ahead, he hastened inside and did a thorough check to ensure there were no lurking surprises. Gently setting Eira down, he grabbed a few things from the bag strapped to the Gryphon's back. Thankfully, he had the foresight to pack some clothes and food. He built a small, practical fire and made sure Eira faced the warm flames while he cradled her from behind, sharing his heat.

"Come, Aeolus." He invited the predator to keep warm. With the Gryphon guarding the cave's mouth it would help to ward off unwanted visitors. Aeolus padded close, marking the sand with his giant paws before settling down, curving his big body around the fire, casting a soft shadow upon Lars and Eira. His eyes were on the glowing lifeform – a hint of wariness but, seeing as how he wasn't reacting to it, Lars guessed this strange fetus wasn't a threat — yet.

"Do you know what this is, Aeolus?" he asked for the hell of it.

The Gryphon made an answering sound in the back of his throat.

"What I'd give to understand you right now," Lars sighed, checking Eira's pulse. It was unexpectedly steady despite her injuries but, he was more concerned about the fact that she wasn't responding to any stimuli – like a comatose patient. He hoped he was wrong as he cleaned the blood and grime off her face and exposed skin.

The only reason he wasn't in full blown panic mode was because she appeared to be sleeping peacefully – not dead. And, if she were in pain, he would know the signs. At this rate, he didn't know if they could return to Ataxia as planned. He would give her a few more hours before he decided his next course of action.

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Several Hours Later...

"Is the Captain not back yet?" Koga stifled a yawn. They had been waiting in the common bay for hours and it was already sunrise. None of them had slept a wink, too worried about Lars and Eira.

"Something must have happened. The Captain always keeps his word." Anaelle manned the window overlooking Ataxia's main entrance milling with armed guards. "It bothers me that we don't have a way to reach him."

"He has Aeolus. That Gryphon's more reliable than any man. They'll be fine," Florian reassured, refilling his cup of coffee at the bar.

Koga threw him a wary glance and snorted. "You're one to talk. That's your tenth cup of coffee and you haven't sat down in the last few hours. You're worried about them and there are bags on top of your eye bags."

"As Vice-Captain, it is my duty to worry for our teammates and ensure we stay out of trouble with the authorities. The last thing we need is another severe reprimand." Unfortunately, Florian had been cleaning up after everyone's mess for years that he practically made it an art form.

Koga snickered. "Good luck with that."

"If the Captain doesn't make it back by the evening, he's going to miss out on the first-tier meeting." Frown line marred Anaelle's smooth features. "The Colonel's bound to interrogate the Captain for his absence. There will be consequences."

"At least we managed to keep Eira's situation under wraps," Koga pointed out. "Florian managed to convince Miran and Perez to keep it a secret and they hacked into the system to change the hover bikes' log date." He made a disbelieving noise. "I still can't believe Eira would do this to us. No one escapes Ataxia alive. I hope the Captain finds her, for both their sakes."

For once the damned ex-yankee made sense, although Anaelle cared for the bigger picture. "Either way, the Captain's going to be held responsible for her actions." She couldn't dismiss the anger she felt towards Eira. "Even if we've covered up for her, for whatever reason, the Captain is likely to forfeit the first-tier meeting and that itself would earn him punishment. Everyone who is important will be in attendance."

Koga scratched his head in frustration. "Argh! Why do those old farts have to be so uptight? Someone needs to loosen the stick up their asses. Who cares if the Captain's going to miss out on one meeting? It's nothing important anyways, just a bunch of inflated egos boasting about their accomplishments." He threw himself onto the lounge sofa. "Our Captain's not that kind of man. That's not to say I'm not worried as well, but he forbade us to tag along. All we can do is wait and do what we can here."

A loud beeping sounded from Florian's pocket, alerting him to an incoming call. He retrieved his communication device and read the screen. It was an unknown number. Putting it to his ear, he answered. "This is Florian Denali."

"Florian, it's me."

He straightened to attention, gaze alert. "Captain?"

Anaelle and Koga marched to his side at once, indicating for him to put the call on loudspeaker.

"Captain, where are you?" Florian demanded. "And why are you calling my personal communicator? Is everything alright? Are you safe?" He couldn't stop the barrage of questions.

"We're at Serpent's Bay and we're as fine as can be. I didn't want the government bugs recording what I'm about to say," Lars responded, his voice weary.

"Eira is with you?" Anaelle asked impatiently.

"Yes, and she's in a bad way but," he paused in hanging suspense, "We can't go back just yet."

"What do you mean?" Florian's tone sharpened. "What happened?"

"That's a question I'd like an answer to," they heard the Captain muttering. "It seems I won't be joining the meeting. Florian, please inform the Colonel that I will be delayed by a time sensitive assignment. Make up a plausible story if you have to. I will report to him once I return, so make sure it's something I can work with."

"Captain, are you sure?" Anaelle's questioned bluntly. "It's not Colonel Emory we have to worry about."

"I know, Anaelle. Don't worry, I can handle what comes after. Right now, my priority is for Eira to recover and then I'll get her home safely."

"Captain, you haven't answered us — why can't you return now?" Koga interjected testily.

"About that…," Lars's hesitation crackled through the static. "Anaelle, I need you prepare a special bunk in your lab for Eira. This is a confidential matter and I want her kept underground for a period of time. We need to monitor her condition."

The three of them exchanged matching looks of confusion.

"What do you mean, Captain?" Florian frowned. "Why are we detaining Eira?"

"An unknown organism has attached itself to her," Lars tried his best to explain. "I don't know what it is but, I believe it's a glowing fetus. At this point, I can't tell you what species it is, only that it has four limbs."

Anaelle's eyes widened in abject surprise. "You say it's glowing?" Her researcher's mind began running through all the biological possibilities. "Bioluminescence. It has to be it." In the old era, bioluminescence was easily found in plenty of marine lifeforms that played practical roles apart from being attractive.

"It's the strangest thing I've ever seen but, whatever it is, it's helping Eira to heal, and we can't leave the coastal area," Lars said grimly. "Everytime we try leaving the bay, Eira suffers a seizure attack and I cannot risk her life."

"In other words, you're stuck there," Florian concluded, not liking what he was hearing. He was extremely worried for Eira's well-being, and he could tell through Lars's tone that she was badly hurt, possibly in a life or death situation. His fists balled tightly with helpless frustration. They couldn't even leave Ataxia to help without inciting suspicion.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I know it's a long shot, Captain but is there anything we can do to help?" Koga asked eagerly.

"Thank you, Koga but, I think we can manage for a few days at most."

"A few days!" Anaelle exclaimed, her voice straining with protest. "You can't be gone that long. Even we can't cover your hide for that many days. And you rarely get sick. No one's going to believe us if we say that you caught a bad cold."

Florian's eyes crinkled with undeniable mirth. "Unfortunately, Anaelle's right."

"I don't have a choice. Believe me, our feelings are on the same page." They all heard the resignation in the Captain's voice. His mind was made up.

"Just tell us one thing, Captain. Do you swear that you are both safe and unharmed?" That was all Florian needed to know. The rest, they could figure out along the way.

"Yes, we are fine." Final words. "I'm afraid I can't talk much longer. Anaelle, please prepare what I have requested for, and I'll see everyone in a few days." The line went dead.

Unspoken questions filled the air like it was written with invisible ink. Koga traipsed back to the sofa, his tone contemplative. "What do you think that creature is? I've never heard of a glowing fetus."

"The Captain says it's helping Eira to heal." Anaelle digested this information solemnly. "If that's true then it might mean some sort of symbiotic relationship, possibly mutualism. The only question is, what does it get in return?"

"Now that's another puzzling question. What I fail to understand is why can't they leave the bay?"

"It's possible that the ocean coordinates its survival."

"So, it's an ocean predator?" Koga spouted on a hunch.

"We'll only know once the Captain returns," Florian remarked, heading towards the exit. "Now that we know that they're both safe, I'm going to get some shut eye. God knows what I'm going to tell the Colonel in a few hours."

"Poor Florian," Koga lamented, shooting Anaelle an inquisitive stare. "And how are you feeling? You were really worked up just now."

A light flush covered the bridge of her nose. He blinked at her noticeable embarrassment. "Don't tell me…you like the Captain!" A tight feeling crawled into his chest at the unwelcoming thought.

"No!" she denied vehemently. "I care for the Captain but I don't like him in that way."

The tightness faded as quickly as it came. "Oh." His shoulders relaxed. "Then what's the reason for your agitation?"

"I'm just worried," she admitted sheepishly. "And I'm also mad at Eira for her reckless and irresponsible behaviour. Her selfishness is affecting everyone."

Understanding dawned upon Koga. He threw his head back and laughed, a delightfully mellow tenor sound that fell pleasantly on Anaelle's ears. She was so taken aback she couldn't respond.

"The Ice Princess has a heart after all," he said smugly, a smirk twisting his lips. "You like her. Admit it. And here I thought you couldn't get along with Eira."

"Shut up!" She blushed furiously, stomping away from him. "I'm going to bed. Just forget I said anything!"

His laughter dogged her all the way back to her quarters. She palmed her warm cheeks, unable to believe she had confessed her thoughts to Koga of all people. What was becoming of their unit?