Damaged: Enemy Me

Chapter 1

“You’re going to cry. Look at him. He’s crying.” Nick crowed. He pantomimed wiping tears from his eyes.

“He wants his mommy. Crybaby,” Jordan laughed cruelly, sticking his face inches from his victim.

“Please. I just need in my locker.”

“Why don’t you make me, Ken-doll?” Nick puffed his chest up, crowding his victim and blocking the locker.

“Ken-doll doesn’t even have a lock! Aren’t you afraid someone will steal your Barbie-doll, Ken-doll?” Jordan patted the locker.

Kendall grit his teeth and glanced at a teacher standing in a doorway across the hall from them. The teacher returned his gaze impassively.

“He’s just a substitute, Kenster,” Nick said, laughing. “That guy ain’t gonna do nothing.” He glared at passing students. “Move along. Nothing to see here.”

“I just need to put up my books,” Kendall said, subdued, glancing furtively at the teacher again.

“Be my guest.” Nick stepped to the side and waved dramatically at the locker.

Kendall opened it, only to have Nick shut it on him with his foot.

“What’s wrong, Ken-der? Can’t open it?”

“C’mon, guys.” Kendall stood up. “Do we really need to do this?”

“Look, is that another tear?” Jordan pointed.

Kendall gave him a look and reached for the locker. Nick slammed it shut again.

“Sorry. That was a mistake. Go ahead, open it.” Nick held his hands out innocently.

Kendall opened the locker again, but Jordan reached around and knocked the books out of his hands. Shaking his head, Kendall knelt down to pick up his books when the locker slammed shut again, knocking him in the face as it did. He grimaced and looked at the teacher again. The teacher remained impassive, just watching him. Other high school students filed by, trying not to look at them, while simultaneously trying not to miss a brewing fight.

“Damn. That looked like it hurt.” Nick laughed, fist-bumping Jordan. “Wanna see that again?”

“Whoa! Nick, Jordan, chill! Picking on a freshman again? He’s half your size.”

Both of them looked around as Kendall stood up with his books. A lanky boy held his hands out at them. “He just wants to put his books away.”

“Butt out, Ricky,” Nick said nervously.

“How’s your nose, Nicky-boy? Has it healed?” Ricky crossed his arms. He wasn’t much larger than Kendall, but wore confidence openly, challenging the bullies by his very presence.

“There’s two of us, dude,” Jordan said menacingly, standing even taller and squaring off with Ricky.

“There were two last time. I heard Andy just got his cast off.” Ricky looked at his nails nonchalantly and nibbled at one. “But… if you’re feeling froggy, why don’t you jump?”

Jordan glowered at Ricky, but stepped away. He glared at Kendall. “We’re not done.”

“Yes, you are, Jordan,” Ricky smirked. “Shoo. Run away, insects.”

Nick pulled on Jordan’s arm, and the two backed up a few steps before vanishing into the crowd.

“What morons. Can you believe that?” Ricky said, shaking his head. “They never learn.” He opened Kendall’s locker. “Here.”

“I got it.” Kendall put his books up, squinting at Ricky as he did.

“No problem. I get it. People picking on you for no good reason.” Ricky grinned. “I’m Ricky. I think we’re going to be friends.”

“Are we?” Kendall asked as he closed the locker. He glanced around, but the teacher was no longer there. “Thanks, anyway.”

“Pfft. Twasn’t nothin’. I put him and his buddy in their place last week. But they keep crawling out of their hole.” Ricky laughed. “Hey, Kassandra! Wait up! Gotta bolt, dude. Sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” Kendall scowled, eyeing Ricky warily. He watched as Ricky ran after another student. He then followed him from a distance, watching him chat with the girl, making her giggle. But students jostled him on their way out to their buses and rides, causing Kendall to lose track of Ricky. He stepped outside and looked around carefully.

A yank on his arm startled him.

“I’m walking this way. I suppose you are, too?” Ricky asked.

Kendall furrowed his brows, then nodded. “Yeah. That way.”

Ricky grinned and led the way. “I walk this way every day.” He glanced back at Kendall. “I’m sure you know that, right?”

“It’s the only way to Southridge,” Kendall said.

“Sure.” Ricky kicked a can down the sidewalk as they put the high school far behind them. The hustle and bustle of students quickly thinned out, leaving just the two of them walking down an industrial street. “I know.”

“What?” Kendall raised a brow.

“Well, the drill was, you were going to follow me until we got to 2nd Street, right?”

Kendall shook his head.

Ricky slowed to walk beside Kendall and draped his arm over his shoulder. “You have a pair of friends there that are planning to nab me.”

“I’m just…”

“Just a student,” Ricky smirked. “You could have mopped the floor with those bullies and not broken a sweat. I know.”

“You have me at a…”

Ricky laughed. “They never taught you how to react when your cover is blown. That’s hilarious.”

“You’re nuts.” Kendall scowled.

“I saw how you stood. You were just that far from taking both of them out. Except for that teacher.”

“I’m just a freshman. They’re like, seniors.”

“Juniors. Same difference. I bet you could take down an adult.”

“You’ve been reading too many comic strips.”

“Comic books. See, you don’t even know the difference there. Didn’t they train you on how to be a kid?”

“Sure, I was trained to know about comic books. Really? Do you listen to yourself?” Kendall said, exasperated.

“Delaying tactic. I love arguing with you, but you’re just biding your time, right?”

“Biding my time to get away from you.”

Ricky laughed, then pulled something out from behind Kendall’s ear. “You’re not deaf. This is military issue. Surprised you don’t have your implants yet.” He held the device up to his mouth and whistled loudly, then put it back on Kendall’s ear. “Bet that hurt them.”

“How do you know?” Kendall adjusted his transceiver, glaring at Ricky.

“You smell… well, like me,” Ricky said. “Plus, you can’t sense me, can you?”

“You know how this is going to end, but you’re still walking with me?”

“Aw, you don’t know better. It’s your mission.” Ricky waved his free hand in the air. “But we’re going to be great friends. Even if you try to kill me.”

“Ricky…” Kendall shrugged out from under Ricky’s arm. “If I try to kill you, you will die. It’s better that you just come with us.”

“You guys really are arrogant.” Ricky leaned close to Kendall. “We are the first children of Aliya. You guys… are not even complete yet.”

“Huh?”

“This is how it’s going to play out. We’re not going to 2nd Street. I am going to bolt up that alley, jump onto that roof, and escape. You are going to give chase. Maybe we’ll tangle a bit. I would love to see you in action. But…” He shrugged. “I will be gone before your backup arrives.”

“Don’t do this.”

“How’s your illness? Got it managed? We could help, you know.”

“You know about that?”

“I hear it’s excruciating towards the end. Unless they cull you. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” Ricky shook his head. “So sad. I kinda like you. But, we’ll still be great friends. Just you see.” Ricky stopped and looked at Kendall for a moment. “Bye.” Without a word, he turned and ran down an alley.

Kendall scowled and gave chase. “This isn’t going to end well.”

“Keep him on the move.” A voice in his ear.

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Kendall said. He watched Ricky effortlessly jump up onto the commercial building roof at the end of the alley. “He’s going east.”

“Follow. We’re en route.”

“Sure. Follow him.” Kendall ran at an inside corner and performed a tic tac, using his momentum to carry him a couple of steps up either wall. Without breaking stride, he pulled on the roof ledge and flew over it, landing in a full sprint. “He’s going south now. I’m trying to head him off.”

“We have your position. Keep him moving and in your sight.”

“I think he’s leading me.”

“We know he is. Keep on him.”

Kendall jumped over ventilation equipment, hoping to close the gap. When he landed, he found himself clothes-lined. Ricky laughed while Kendall rolled back to his feet and returned the attack without hesitation.

Ricky twisted out of his attack and slammed an elbow into Kendall’s temple. Kendall absorbed the blow, spinning and elbowing Ricky’s ribs while kicking inside his leading knee. Ricky bent over the rib-strike and lifted his leg before his knee could be shattered and grappled Kendall. They both locked.

“I have to admit, you are fantastic!” Ricky said, grinning widely.

“You are just prolonging the inevitable, Ricky. We just want to talk.”

“Ha. I know they trained you to lie better than that.” Ricky broke the lock and delivered several jabs at Kendall’s face. Kendall dodged the jabs to the side, glancing back and realizing he would have plunged off the roof had he stepped back. He grabbed one of Ricky’s arms and yanked, forcing Ricky to step up on the ledge. He spun and swept his legs, but Ricky just did a backward flip, landing back on the ledge and pulling on Kendall in one smooth motion. “Time to go, friend.”

Without warning, Ricky pushed off, pulling Kendall with him. Kendall flipped and landed on the parking lot below with a quick tuck and roll, coming to his feet in time to see Ricky being pulled into the air by something unseen.

A police car screeched to a halt beside him and an officer exited the vehicle. “Did you just jump…”

Kendall interrupted him with an elbow to the chin while extracting his pistol. He aimed at Ricky but the officer’s partner screamed at him. Without hesitation, he put a bullet in the officer’s skull, then tried to re-acquire Ricky. But by then, the boy was gone.

A shocking sensation spread out over his chest, and Kendall glowered at the first officer, who had just fired a stun-gun at him. He yanked the barbs from his skin, kicking the officer in the chest as he did so. The officer sprawled and tried to crawl back into the car. Kendall yanked the door open hard enough to break the hinges and shoved the pistol into the back of the officer’s neck, screaming in fury.

“Stand down!”

The substitute teacher ran up to him. Kendall swung the pistol at him, but suddenly a hand yanked it out of his, while another hand grabbed his neck and threw him bodily to the ground. “Stand down!”

Kendall tried to twist out from the ironlike grip. Blind fury took over, but even then, he was not able to resist the hands that restrained him.

“Remember your flaw!”

Kendall blinked, suddenly himself again. He glanced under the car at lifeless eyes that were looking back at him. “I just killed him.”

“Yes. And nearly killed the other. Dead police officers are a real headache to us.”

“I know.” Kendall felt the hands release him, and he sat up. Apparently, the man who subdued him was no substitute teacher. “I don’t know you.”

“Washington branch. Laurence. And your condition appears to be progressing.”

“The treatment failed.” Kendall stood up, facing Laurence. “I’ve heard of you. You went rogue.”

“I was on mission. You deviated from the mission.” Laurence said, looking at the officers. A van pulled up and a pair of women exited the vehicle. They did not look pleased.

“Roxanne, do you have the mindwipe? This man needs to lose a day.” Laurence pointed at the injured officer.

“He will be dealt with,” Roxanne said, not taking her eyes off Kendall. Kendall looked down.

“He has head injuries.” Laurence replaced the spent bullet in the pistol and returned it to the officer’s holster. “Should make a gang ambush more plausible.”

“We already have someone on that,” the other woman said. “Kendall, that was it. There is no more we can do for you.”

“I understand.” Kendall nodded, glum. “How long do I have?”

“The sooner we do this, the better.”

Kendall nodded again. He glanced at Laurence. “You were culled. But you survived.”

“My culling was a ruse,” Laurence said sadly. “Yours… is not. Sorry, kid.”

He ushered Kendall into the van. Kendall scooted to the back seat, with Laurence sitting next to him. As they pulled away, Kendall looked out the rear window at the police officer he had shot. It was a clean shot to the head. An instant kill.

Except, as they pulled away, Kendall saw the officer sit up, then stand up and brush himself off. He stood with his hands on his hips, grinning at them.

“Laurence. That cop isn’t dead.”

Laurence looked back, then banged on the ceiling to get the driver’s attention. “Hit the gas! Get us out of here, now!

Damaged: Enemy Me

Chapter 2

“Peace to your journey.”

Kendall looked at one of his peers grimly. “I carry your honor with me.” He had said that several times as his squad-mates peeked into the physician’s office to express solidarity with him.

“The stress test was conclusive.” A voice from a neighboring room. His squad-mate nodded and departed quietly, closing the door behind her.

A physician entered the room, looking at a tablet. “Genetic markers have indicated the next progression.”

“So, the treatment didn’t work.” Kendall scowled looking down. He was not surprised. His fate was pretty much already sealed. “We have been through how many sessions over the past year?”

“Sorry, Kendall. It was a slim chance to begin with.”

“How rapid…” He stopped. That was a question he had asked several times, with the same answer.

“The onset of mania can come at any time.” The physician sat next to him. “We really hate to lose you, Kendall. You’ve been an exemplary agent already.”

“I love what I do.” Kendall shrugged. “I like making a difference.”

“And you have. Even with your illness you helped identify a Venda trying to infiltrate a school, of all places.”

“I was kinda perfect for the assignment.” Kendall grinned. “I cannot imagine what strategic importance the school presented to the Venda, though.”

“We shall discover their purpose. For that, we are in your debt.”

“Will it hurt?”

The physician was quiet for a moment. “Culling is never without a measure of discomfort. However, you have already endured worse in your training.”

Kendall nodded. “Okay. That… thanks.” He took a breath and looked up. “I wanted to see the mission through. I wanted to… find out why they were at the school. The golem-ship that… why?” He looked at the physician. “I thought the Cooperative got them all.”

“No cleanup is without stragglers. We’ll get them all eventually.”

“Yes. You will. I will miss it, though.”

“And we will be less for you missing it.” The physician pointed to his tablet. “We have learned much more about the Maddening thanks to you, however. You are getting us closer to a solution.”

Kendall smiled wanly, then frowned. “Is there an Elf here?”

The physician looked toward the door, furrowing his brows. “And something else.”

A middle-aged man opened the door and looked in. “Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all, Shawn.” The physician stood up.

“Sir.” Kendall stood up, attentive. “First Commander Needle, I was not expecting a visit from you.”

“And look at you, in your skivvies.” Shawn grinned.

Kendall looked down then back at the commander, bemused. “At least they’re on.”

Shawn laughed.

The physician smirked. “I have not performed the prostate exam. Perhaps you wish to assist?”

Kendall looked at him, his eyes wide.

“Yeah, no.” Shawn held up a hand.

“I agree,” Kendall said, fumbling with his pants as he put them back on.

“I was anticipating your arrival. But… not your guests.” The physician handed Kendall his shirt as he strained to look behind Shawn.

Shawn looked over his shoulder. “May I introduce you to Steven Crow?”

A young man covered with short fur entered the room and nodded at the stunned physician. “I would like to have a discussion with your patient, if you don’t mind.”

The physician just gaped.

Kendall furrowed his brows. An Elf had entered the room, which warranted a measure of annoyance. But the physician’s reaction puzzled him.

“I take it he…” Steven pointed at the physician.

“He would have been one of the ones dissecting you back in the day.” Shawn nodded, smirking.

The physician glared at Shawn. “Examining him, sir. I was…”

“You were the physician who took my blood and scanned me. At the Seattle base.”

“Then you destroyed the base.” The physician frowned, crossing his arms.

Steven shrugged, looking sheepish. “Yeah. That was an accident. Sorry.”

“Well, small world.” Shawn grinned. “You two are already best friends forever.”

“You didn’t have fur then.” The physician left the question implied.

“Long story. My Elvish genetics were dormant then.” Steven glanced at the fur on his arm. Like the rest of his fur, it was mottled with light brown and off-white patterns. “This allowed me to hide from the Chasers for a bit. To fit in with the other Elves.”

The physician pursed his lips and glanced at Shawn, clearly restraining himself. “I am finished with Kendall. You should have my final report…” he stopped, his eyes widening. “What the hell is that?”

Steven glanced over his shoulder and stepped aside to make room for a slender biped who had accompanied them. The creature, with skin appearing like the love-child of a spiny lobster and an alligator, bowed politely to Kendall and the physician. Steven returned his attention to the physician, clearly amused. “We call them Librarians.”

Kendall stepped back into a passive defensive posture, glancing nervously at Shawn. “Commander Needle, this is very… why are there aliens on our base?”

Shawn raised a brow at Kendall. “At ease, Kendall. They are not aliens to us.”

Kendall fidgeted. “My childhood was spent learning to hunt and fight aliens.”

“As was mine. However, we were also taught to discern who the true enemy is.” Shawn glanced at Steven. “And Steven here discerned that we were not the true enemy too, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.”

Kendall chewed his cheek, glancing at the physician. Things felt like they were spiraling out of control. Part of him wondered if his condition was taking over. Twisting his sense of reality. An anti-alien organization openly consorting with what had been their target for six hundred years?

“There will be some adjustments required.” Shawn continued. “However, our alliance with them has proven immensely beneficial. It is why so many of us survived the Awakening event.”

“Yeah, why wasn’t he Awakened?” Steven pointed at Kendall.

Shawn gave Steven a confused look.

“Look at him and close your eyes.” Steven nodded at Kendall.

Shawn complied but shook his head. “I don’t see anything.”

“He glows. Like all Gatekeepers do. He’s a latent. You don’t see that?”

“I’m a what?” Kendall looked at his arms. “I don’t glow.”

“Sorry. No.” Shawn closed his eyes again.

“Your extra abilities allow you to see what others cannot,” the Librarian said to Steven, its voice surprisingly soft despite its appearance.

“It knows English?” Kendall tried not to gape.

“He… knows hundreds of languages,” Steven said.

“Thousands.” the Librarian corrected.

“Thousands? That many?” Steven cocked his head. The Librarian blinked.

“It has double eyelids!” Kendall pointed. He gaped at the exotic, peculiar creature, almost forgetting the Elf who stood next to him.

“It also has feelings too.” The Librarian scowled.

“And figure-eight pupils.” Kendall ignored him. “That skin, it almost looks like an unmodified Venda.”

Steven glanced at the Librarian. His skin was similar to that of a crocodile, except the armor plates were larger. The armor ridges ran up its tall, slender form, with little, bony spikes protruding from each plate. The ridges met at the hornlike structures that made up his skull. “You know, except for your head, you do kinda look like a Venda.”

“Their ancestors and ours come from the same world,” The Librarian said.

“They… really? I always wondered where you came from.” Steven pursed his lips.

“That world no longer exists.”

“Well, that sucks.” Steven sighed. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Are you apologizing for the destruction?”

“It is how we empathize with the plight of others.” Steven waved a hand dismissively. “Kendall, we have come to debrief you.”

Kendall looked at Shawn, trying hard to regain self-control. He knew better than to express himself like this. But now the aliens wanted to debrief him too? The commander nodded, confusing him even more. “Sir, I have already been debriefed.”

Shawn hesitated, glancing at Steven. “The Librarian will collect your memory of the incident and make it available for us to examine.”

“It will… what? That thing is not collecting my memories. They’re… what I know is classified.” Kendall shook his head, stepping off the examination platform. He looked around for his shoes and stepped into them.

“That was not a request, Kendall,” Shawn said sternly.

“You could do it. You could scan my memories. You’re a Gatekeeper.” Kendall said. “Better than that thing.”

“I can, but I cannot transfer those memories so they can be examined by a team,” Shawn said carefully. He glanced at the physician who was surreptitiously preparing a sedative.

“Actually, the computer we gave you can,” Steven said quietly.

Kendall glanced at him. “What the Elf said.”

“The Elf? You know I was raised here, right?” Steven scowled at him.

“That… I can do that?” Shawn cocked his head at Steven.

Steven shrugged. “Cerebral User Interface?”

Shawn looked down, thoughtfully. He pulled a small, ornately decorated brass tube out of his pocket and turned it over in his hand. “I was not aware of that. Is there anything else about this computer you haven’t told me?”

“It would require some training,” Steven said, glancing at Kendall. “And it’s not as high… um, high fidelity as the Librarian.”

“Yeah.” He glanced at the Librarian, then shook his head. “I would need training.” Shawn looked at Kendall. “That is something we’ll explore. But we don’t have time to…”

“What I know is classified, sir,” Kendall repeated, pointing at the Librarian. “That thing should not know what I know.”

“Kendall, the Librarian has been cleared.”

“Commander, we are consorting with the enemy.” Kendall grit his teeth. “Look at it!”

“He is experiencing fear,” Steven said quietly. “Is that normal?”

“No. We have bred fear and disobedience out of us.”

“Then…”

“Yes.” Shawn squinted at Kendall. “Kendall, the flaw.”

Kendall balled his fists and looked at the floor. He was flush and ready for combat, contrary to his commander’s rock-solid demeanor. “Yes, sir.”

“Shall I?” The physician asked.

“Dosage?” Shawn kept his eyes on Kendall.

“It would bring his anxiety down.” The physician and Kendall looked at each other. “Your flaw would have less an effect.”

“It would affect my judgment,” Kendall said. “Make me less effective.”

“May I?” Steven stepped forward. “I can reduce your anxiety.”

“We tried to kill you. Laurence’s squad hunted you like an animal. Why are you helping us?” Kendall glared at Steven.

“You were acting out of fear and ignorance. Your people know better now.” Steven held out his hand.

Kendall looked at it, then sneered. “I could kill you now.”

“No. You cannot.” Steven smiled kindly. “But it is crucial to your mission that we collect these memories.”

“This is your legacy, Kendall.” The physician put a hand on his shoulder. “Who you are will not be lost to us.”

Kendall looked at the physician for a long moment, then turned a steely gaze on Steven. “You cannot imagine how unorthodox this is. Every bone in my body is screaming at me right now.”

“There was a time when you would have obeyed without question regardless. He freed us. Now obedience is a choice. One you need to make.” Shawn crossed his arms.

“Is this really freedom?” Kendall glowered. “We had a purpose before him. Now…”

“Now he and his people are our friends. And our purpose has never changed. Our ability to fulfill that purpose, however, has. And the information in your head will help us do our job.”

“I hate questioning you, sir.” Kendall stood up tall, struggling to bring his emotions back under control. “That is not who we are. I know it. It’s just…” He shook his head. “I am torn. I… I hate this. I hate questioning you.”

“Then don’t.” Shawn nodded at Steven.

“I don’t need that.” He glared at Steven with disdain, then looked at the Librarian. “What will I experience?”

“You will see your memories with me.” The Librarian nodded. “If you relax, it will not be uncomfortable.”

“Relax. That means submit.” Kendall scowled.

The Librarian cocked his head slightly, then nodded. “That would be accurate.”

“We are not your enemy.” Steven put his hand down.

“Are you?” Kendall glowered at him. He glanced at Shawn, then glared at the Librarian, flexing and unflexing his hands. “How does this work?”

“I will touch you and you will experience your memories.” The Librarian stepped forward. “The memories will be added to the Archive where they can be retrieved by… others.”

Kendall glanced at Shawn. “Do I need to sit?”

“If you prefer.” The Librarian nodded at the examination table.

“I don’t prefer.” Kendall looked back at the table, then returned his attention to the Librarian. “What are you?”

“I am a Librarian.” A non-answer.

Kendall realized he was delaying, and steeled himself. Obedience was critical for the mission. “Then do it.”

The Librarian placed his hand on Kendall’s cheek. His fingers were long and tipped with little claws. They almost reminded him of insect legs. However, Kendall was surprised that they felt strangely soft. Even warm. That observation melted away as his life was laid bare. All of it. Everything he was seemed to be utterly exposed and siphoned as if he was a bystander to his life. Just standing there, watching his life go by. It struck him, the utter futility of it all.

But something else occurred to him… a memory of the Venda claiming that he was also a child of Aliya. Aliya who?

Damaged: Enemy Me

Chapter 3

Whispers.

It sounded like there was a hushed argument. Like they were trying to decide what to do with him.

Kendall woke more fully but kept his eyes shut while he assessed his surroundings. He was laying on the bed in his dormitory. The smells were distinct. Meticulously cleaned quarters, the hint of bleach mixed with a smattering of sweat. The sounds were also familiar. He could hear the almost imperceptible whoosh of air coming in through the vents.

For a moment, he could sense several people in the room. And others who were not people. Not to him. But the moment he became more awake, he only sensed one. Shawn Needle, head of the organization that he served. Slowly peeking, he looked around with his eyes and saw Shawn standing near the door, his arms crossed.

“It is time.”

Time. The culling. Reality slammed home with a jolt. His imminent demise awaited impatiently, like a ruthless taskmaster.

Kendall sat up, then rubbed his forehead, waiting out a sudden case of vertigo. “What happened?”

“The Librarian has archived you,” Shawn said. “There is one more task we expect of you.”

Kendall tried not to react. “Already?”

Shawn nodded. “We cannot wait. I’ll escort you.”

“I’m hardly worth the commander…”

“We’re all brethren, Kendall.” Shawn interrupted him.

“I was out cold. You could have done it then.” Kendall stood up and straightened his clothing.

“There are certain things we must accomplish that require your attentiveness.”

Kendall looked around the dormitory for a moment then sighed, returning his attention to Shawn. “None of my team are here to see me off.”

“They are not required for this,” Shawn said patiently. “They have expressed their solidarity and have been sent on to training and missions.”

“No, I guess they’re not required, are they?” Kendall suddenly felt reticent to proceed. He shook his head. They were not bred to cling to sentimentalism. Or fear death, much less fear anything at all. He pushed the uncertainty aside and nodded resolutely. “Let’s get this over with, then.”

Shawn looked at him for a moment, then placed a hand on his arm. The room seemed to melt away, replaced by a dark, alien-looking chamber. Kendall teetered a little and Shawn’s grip on his arm tightened.

“You okay?”

Kendall nodded. “My training on accompanying Gatekeepers has been fairly limited.” He looked around, taking note of the room Shawn had taken them to. He had never seen anything like it. “This is not the culling chamber.”

“No. This is one of Aliya’s brood chambers.” Shawn looked up. “Those pods used to contain hundreds of little monsters that flooded the Fracture and kept out the Gatekeepers.”

“The… Fracture?”

“Just another word for the subspace we teleport through.” Shawn waved a hand dismissively. “We are still using Cooperative terminology while we come to grips with our new skills.” He glanced at Kendall. “The actual culling chamber is through that entrance over there.”

Kendall looked. A door hung loosely on a hinge, apparently partially ripped off by force. Blast marks were apparent on it, evidence of a fervent battle not long ago. “I don’t… what’s going on?”

Shawn ignored his question as he turned in a circle, taking in the strange architecture of the room. He returned his attention to the adjoining room. “The… candidates… for culling, they were brought in there. Strapped to a chair, connected to sensors. The usual. But then, they were injected with chemicals to magnify their latency and begin their Awakening.”

“Awakening?” Kendall walked to a wall and touched it. It felt metallic but looked black and organic. As if it was grown rather than constructed. He could have sworn the wall moved under his touch as if recoiling. “That’s when latents are turned into Gatekeepers, right?”

“Yes.” Shawn sighed. “Those who survived were brought in here and placed in that reactor.” He pointed at a small chamber at the base of what resembled a massive tree of pods. Each pod looked like it was at one time full of liquid. Some still dripped the fluids. “From there, hundreds of little monsters in those pods absorbed his life.”

“Um…”

“We had no idea of those details. Of this chamber. That was done in secret right under our noses.” Shawn scowled. “There is evidence that some of the culling was not necessary in the first place.” He knelt down and lifted a limp metallic tentacle. “But, it… blocking the Fracture kept the aliens away. I am not sure we would have objected.” He glanced at Kendall. “That was back when we all had golem implants. We would not have objected anyway. This chamber was not hidden from us, but from someone else.”

“Where are you going with this, Commander?” Kendall looked around. There were no monsters in the pods anymore.

“We were recycled.” Shawn looked up at the tree. “Nothing wasted.” He glanced at Kendall. “Laurence was the first to escape. They only had one monster left by then. They tried to feed him to it.” Shawn rubbed his temples. “He was our first Gatekeeper.”

Kendall looked at him, silent. He was getting the impression his culling was taking on a new dimension.

“Steven… Laurence…” Shawn stopped and looked down. “Laurence was obsessed with Steven. Hunted him ruthlessly. It was sanctioned, of course. But Laurence took it to the next level. And even then, Steven saved him. Made him the first of us. Gave him the prize we had been striving for while hunting him.” He paused. “Steven saved me. When I got infected. Most of us, actually. Those that were latents at the time.”

“I’m familiar with the story,” Kendall said. “Just not this part. How does this apply to me?”

“We were harvested, Kendall. Like a crop. Bred, used, then the defects were harvested. When most of these chambers were destroyed, we were fed to a single monster. Steven calls them deviants.” Shawn looked at Kendall. “When we cull today, it is only for the most extreme…” He stopped, pursing his lips. “Before, it was to keep our genetics pure. Flaws. Any flaw. More were culled than not. We could not suffer the flaws to survive.”

Kendall nodded. “It was necessary. For the mission. We were facing a superior enemy.”

Shawn nodded. “Only, our boss was also our enemy.”

“Katy.” Kendall looked down.

“She trained me personally. Prepared me and my team for the conflict.” Shawn scowled. “Pitting potential friends against each other. It was a dishonor beyond dishonor.”

“The training was effective, however. She trained me too.” Kendall looked down. “Right up until the Conflict a few months ago.”

Shawn nodded. “I am still perplexed as to her motivation.”

“We still need to ensure purity in our breeding.” Kendall shook his head. “The Venda remain a threat. And we clearly still have golems that need removing.”

“True.”

“That means flaws need to be eliminated before they can become a threat to our mission,” Kendall said. “I am not going to shirk my duty if that is what all this is about.”

“We’re trying to evolve away from that. But still maintain our quality and capabilities.”

“Which is why I’m here,” Kendall said. “We failed to fix my flaw.”

“We cannot do this alone,” Shawn said, ignoring Kendall’s response.

A shadow in the chamber seemed to animate, separating from the darkness. It easily stood taller than Shawn as it passed his commander. Tendrils seemed to spread out from what appeared to be a black cloak, moving as if they were alive. Kendall took a step back as it approached. “What, I’m being recycled?”

“In a manner of speaking.” the shadow said. There was a sudden puff of black vapor around it and the blackness seemed to pull into the figure, exposing a brilliantly white man.

“You’re a Keratian,” Kendall said, taking a slightly defensive posture. Another alien they had been trained to fight. “Commander, what is going on?”

“Your condition is terminal. For our physicians,” Shawn said. “That condition is the last legitimate reason we have for culling. You will soon become a danger to us and anyone around you.”

“I’m aware of that,” Kendall said, keeping his eyes on the Keratian. “I refuse to let that happen.”

“Admirable sentiment,” the Keratian said.

Kendall squinted at him. He appeared to match all the fantastical descriptions of vampires, even down to the canines. He knew better, however. “You’re not here to kill me, are you?”

“They believe they can fix you,” Shawn said. “If they succeed, others can be fixed as well.”

“Our capabilities are substantially more advanced.”

“Then, why this? Why bring me here?” Kendall maintained his posture. “Why not just tell me back at the compound?”

“What they need to do cannot be accomplished here,” Shawn said carefully. “This chamber has been converted to a secret gate-room.”

Kendall squinted at Shawn. “You’re sending me there?”

“If they can fix you, their solution can eliminate culling altogether,” Shawn said. “I would expect that to…”

“So you are trading one alien overlord for another?” Kendall looked at Shawn, exasperated. “Just cull me and get it over with. I’m not going to be their experiment.”

“I know you have surrendered to the inevitability of your fate.” Shawn looked at the Keratian. “Lohet here thinks that fate can be changed.”

“At what cost?”

“We hold no debts over others,” Lohet said. “Our economy is not unlike that of your Order. A family.”

“I know that.” Kendal glowered. “What are the consequences? What power will you have over us?”

Lohet raised a brow and glanced at Shawn.

“We’re trying to preserve your life and further your contribution to our mission.” Shawn crossed his arms. “I find that an equitable goal.”

Kendall fumed. “You saw something in my memory, didn’t you?”

Shawn didn’t answer.

“You’re ordering me to go with them. The enemy.”

“They’re not the enemy,” Shawn said. “They liberated us from the enemy.” He held his arms out. “Look around you, Kendall. This was the enemy.”

Kendall scowled as he glanced at the dripping alien tree of pods. “What did she do with the monsters?”

“They were fed, and their energy was used to suppress the Fracture here. When they reached a certain age they were discarded and replaced.” Lohet looked up at the pods.

“They were that powerful?”

“Their power was without parallel. None of our Gatekeepers could gate here. Not even the strongest. Save for one.” Lohet said solemnly.

Kendall regarded Lohet for a moment. “Steven Crow.” He glanced at Shawn. “That’s why Laurence wanted him.”

Lohet nodded.

“He was a deviant too. A monster.” Kendall started putting the pieces together.

“Also a tool of the enemy.” Lohet nodded. “Albeit one Aliya could not control.”

“Aliya.” Kendall left the question hanging.

“An ancient goddess who continues to wage war against us.” Lohet looked solemn.

“All of these could have grown to be like him.” Kendall waved his arms. “They could have become an army.”

“No.” Lohet glanced at Shawn. “They… he was unique.”

“This is going to happen, isn’t it?” Kendall addressed the topic at hand. He realized he was delaying the discussion of his own future.

“It would be advantageous to all of us,” Lohet said.

“You are taking resources away from the mission.” Kendall looked at Shawn. “Spending all this time trying to fix me.”

“We are preserving a resource for the mission,” Shawn countered easily.

“We have been trying to fix this for several hundred years.” Kendall crossed his arms. “We even had a berserker army at one time.”

“True. Our attempts to capitalize on the condition, and our solutions to correct the condition have been abysmal failures. But Kendall, their capabilities make us look like children playing with blocks.”

“Our children can do a lot more than play with blocks,” Kendall grumbled. He walked to Lohet and touched him. It felt like touching marble. “You seem invulnerable, but I could find a way to kill you. Every instinct I have… that is what I was trained to do my whole life.” He looked at Shawn. “What we were trained to do.”

Lohet raised a brow. “Indeed. But it is not what you can do that defines you.”

Kendall squinted at the Keratian as if taking measure of his foe. “Commander…” he looked at Shawn. “Give the order.”

“Proceed with Lohet. He is now your commanding officer and will delegate my authority to those who are tasked to treat and train you.”

“What… train?” Kendall blinked. “I thought they were going to fix me.”

“You are a latent Gatekeeper,” Lohet said. He looked at Shawn curiously. “You were not forced Awakened like the rest of the Order.”

Kendall looked at Shawn.

“We think it was because of your age at the time the Venda infested us.” Shawn pursed his lips. “You will be our first natural Awakening, provided you survive the treatment.”

“Provided I survive. Just what is involved that may prove fatal?”

“Aliya’s manipulations are complicated. I studied them for a few years and we are still unraveling the alterations she has introduced into Terran society, much less the more direct manipulation you endured.”

“We did that. We actively bred and performed genetic alterations. With excellent success.” Kendall said, obstinate.

“Who did you work for?” Lohet held his arms out. A black mist formed around him that seemed to drape over his shoulders, solidifying into a black cloak. “Nothing you have performed has been without Sadari influence.”

“So, you think you can do better?”

“We wish to extricate you from her contamination.”

“Recycled.” Kendall squinted at Lohet.

“But made even better,” Shawn interjected.

Kendall looked at Lohet for a long contemplative moment. “Your order has been received.”

“Complete your mission and return to us safe,” Shawn patted Kendall’s shoulder. He looked at the entrance. Kendall heard a metallic squeak and followed his gaze.

“Shawn!” Lohet yelled, stepping in front of the two of them. “Endard, now!”

The chamber suddenly flashed white and Kendall felt a massive concussive wave wash over him, followed by extreme heat. Part of him wondered if that was what death felt like, and he waited for blackness to envelop him.

Then everything became even brighter.

Damaged: Enemy Me

Chapter 4

Hands on him, handling him. Lifting him. Pain. Pain coming from everywhere. And the brightness. It was nearly unbearable.

Kendall struggled to catch his breath, trying to make sense of what was happening. He saw shapes in the blinding whiteness that had enveloped him. At first, fuzzy shadows. Then color. Movement. Then he heard voices. But, not with his ears. In fact, he didn’t hear anything at all with his ears.

One voice seemed to dominate. A soft voice. Repeating his name. He reached out to it, trying to identify who was calling for him. A woman. But he didn’t actually hear her. It was like he was imagining her, except the imagination had taken on a life of its own.

Thrashing. His body was in combat mode and fought anyone who tried to restrain him. Powerful hands overcame him and pinned him down. Suddenly his anxiety seemed to drain away. Vertigo set in.

Moisture. Something was immersing him. But not water. Thick. Like honey. He could feel the weight of it. Kendall tried to call out, but something was caught in his throat. He still could not move.

A shadow. Suddenly the brightness abated enormously. A face seemed to come into focus.

Her features were sharp and perfect. Her pale skin was brilliant, seemingly glowing. Her long, white hair tickled his face, and when she turned her head a little, he could see long pointed ears. Kendall tried to scoot back but was powerless under her surprisingly strong embrace.

“My dear child, I am so sorry.”

Did she speak? Or was this all in his head?

“I am here, and will always be here.” She tenderly touched his forehead.

He looked around with his eyes. All he saw was blinding whiteness. Except for her. “Am I dead?”

“No one really dies, my child.” She looked around then returned her attention to Kendall, grinning mischievously. “Perhaps you would be more comfortable here.”

Almost explosively, the white was pushed back like a shockwave, exposing a lush clearing in a tropical setting. The strange woman helped Kendall sit up, and he looked around, curious. A dragon nimbly flew through the treetops, and flying lizards flitted among the flowers. He returned his attention to her. “You’re a Gatekeeper.”

“Not quite, my dear.” She pointed up.

Kendall looked up, then gaped. The endless, blue sky was full of planets, all seeming to be impossibly close to the one on which they stood. More planets were behind the nearest, and they seemed to go on until the haze hid them. Vines appeared to reach into the sky, joining the planets in a vast web. One such vine had a massive trunk beside the clearing. Kendall had originally thought it was a large cliff.

“This goes on forever in this universe. There is no death, no storms, no hate.” She spun around, holding her hands up and giggling when a heavy mist passed by their clearing, drenching them in moisture. The clouds moved on into the haze as if traveling between the worlds. “You can come here anytime you want. Go wherever you want. Any of those worlds. I’ll take you. You can actually be a child.” She looked at him. “I am so sad they took your childhood away. Here, you can always be a child. And we will always be together.”

“Is this, am I dead?” Kendall looked at her.

“Oh, my dear, you will never die.” The woman caressed his cheek, gazing at him lovingly.

“This isn’t heaven?”

“It is to me.” The woman looked at him coyly. “It can be for you too.”

Kendall looked up at the planets. He noticed that there were no actual shadows. He couldn’t even detect any sign of a sun. An ambiance of light seemed to fill the very air. Even the canopy of the tropical forests around them was pleasingly light, with hints of a blue-green cast, as if from a bright cloudy day. It looked magical.

“I don’t…” He looked at her, not able to conceptualize a question. Curious, he knelt and put his hand on the soil. It was abundantly rich with life. “Amazing.”

“Close your eyes and feel it,” she whispered in his ear.

Kendall complied and was stunned that his senses seemed to stretch out across the cosmos, detecting the wealth of life on all the worlds. “This is… this cannot be real.”

“Why? It is as real as you.”

He looked at her as they stood up. “How can this be real?”

“This is my home.” The woman touched his chest. “One day it will be your home too, my child.” She leaned in and kissed him gently, then opened her eyes wide. “Oh, Steven has arrived. He is my favorite.”

Kendall looked around, trying to see him.

“No, silly. You have to wake up first.” The woman giggled, then kissed him again. Kendall tried to respond but felt something in his throat. He blinked and suddenly everything was black.

A hand. He felt it on his chest. He thought it was hers, but it felt different. Then suddenly sparks spread out over his body and he convulsed. A glow of golden light started to fill the blackness around him. The hand seemed to burn him, but it wasn’t pain that he experienced.

Voices in his head. But, not the strange woman. He was disappointed. He wanted to see more of that universe. There were so many questions he wanted answered.

“Kendall, are you conscious?” Finally, a solitary voice in his mind. Was he dreaming it? He wasn’t sure if he actually was awake, but he felt alert.

“Yes?” Kendall said hesitantly. Did he actually say it? Or think it?.

“You have suffered some damage. Your sight and hearing should return soon.”

“Then how am I…” he wasn’t sure what to ask. He was hearing, sensing, even seeing something. The glow.

“We are sharing thoughts and senses.”

“Are you…? No, you’re not. Not Steven.”

“You sensed his touch? And knew it was him?”

He detected a level of surprise. “Yeah, I guess so.” He found his reticence to mention the peculiar woman disturbing. He would have told Shawn without hesitating. But now, would he? Something has changed within him. He couldn’t put his finger on it. “What happened?”

“An explosion.”

“Is Shawn…” Kendall stopped, remembering something. “The police officer. He was there. In the door.”

“Shawn is with us and recovering. But there was no one else there save for Lohet.”

“No, no. I saw him. I shot him. In the head. Killed him. But then he stood back up. And he was there, by the door.”

Silence.

“Hello? I need to wake up. I need to report this. There is something not right with that man. Something dangerous.”

“Be at peace. I have passed your report on to our commander.”

“I need it passed to my commander. Our people need to know.” Kendall tried to move but was utterly immobile. “Why can’t I move? Why can’t I see?”

“Certain reconstructions must complete, Kendall.”

“Reconstructions?”

“You were near the heart of a nuclear blast. Steven extracted you and redirected most of the energy, but enough got through to cause… Just be patient. You are in good hands. You will not know the difference when the reconstruction is finished.”

“Ah. You mean…”

“We are experienced with this. Just have patience, please.”

“Shouldn’t I be in some sort of coma?” Kendall was having trouble sorting out the idea he survived a nuclear blast.

“This part of the reconstruction requires your awareness. I am sorry, but there is no other way.”

“The blast, what caused it? That facility did not have a reactor.” He knew the answer but had to hear it.

“A golem detonated.”

“The police officer.”

“I am sorry. Fortunately, the damage was minimal.”

“Of course. It was just a nuclear blast, that’s all.”

“Steven was able to divert the energy. You caught the initial few instants of the detonation.”

“Great. What am I going to lose?”

Silence.

“Hello?”

“I don’t understand that question.”

Kendall mentally sighed. “I was blown up. You’re putting me back together. There’s always something that cannot be fixed.”

“Your wounds were superficial. Eyes, ears, skin, some organ trauma, some brain trauma. You will not notice any difference when you wake up.”

“Oh, that’s all. What was I thinking?”

“You were thinking you were depending on Terran medicine.”

“Terran? You guys actually use that word? That’s like, cheap novels and b-rated movies.” Kendall would have snorted derisively if he could.

“We have a long history of describing the Forbidden World as Terra. It is a transliteration of Terrasyati, which describes the miracle of dry land on what was once an ocean world.” Brief silence. “The Forbidden World was an ocean world at one time, much like many in the Cooperative.”

“You looked that up on the internet, didn’t you?”

“Those of us who are expected to interact with… Terrans…. have been tasked to educate ourselves on your languages and cultures.”

“That would be a yes. Thanks for the language lesson, Professor. Can I wake up now?”

“Repairs to your brain are nearly complete.”

“My brain. Someone is tinkering with my brain right now?” Kendall felt a surge of emotion. Fear? He wasn’t sure. He had never felt it before. He had been immobilized under the care of physicians before. Such was the life of an Order agent. But now, it was different. Aliens were tooling around in his nugget.

“Be at peace, Kendall. All will be well soon. Patience. You have been trained for patience, no?”

Kendall grimaced. Mentally. He was being schooled by an alien. “I don’t need your instruction.”

“I am here to be your companion for this duration of healing. Otherwise, you would be in complete isolation with no point of reference.”

That would not be desirable. Kendall calmed himself down with some effort.

Silence.

The voice was right. The sensory deprivation was disturbing.

Flash of light. Brilliant flashes. All the brighter with the fact that Kendall could not blink or shade his eyes. A smell seemed to come from nowhere. Acrid. Burned flesh. It quickly became overpowering. Then sounds. Muted. But clearly sounds of combat. Kendall closed his eyes tightly, then realized that he felt them. He actually felt his eyes close. It was like he was coming back into his body. Laying still, he opened his eyes slightly. Everything was blurry. He could feel some kind of gel still on his eyes.

More flashes, and now explosions. Wherever he was was getting hammered hard. And he was unable to participate. Kendall tried to move his arms. But they may as well have been dead weight. Utterly unresponsive. He grit his teeth, trying to assess his situation and the combat around him. He knew better than to yell out. That just made him a target. But he still felt exposed and helpless.

A concussive explosion near him physically jostled him. He struggled with all his might, feeling more and more frustrated at his inability to contribute to the battle when something seemed to click. He felt flush with rage and with that came strength. His whole body seemed to tingle, and everything that was happening around him appeared to slow down to a crawl. Whatever was restraining him broke away and he jumped up, ripping off the remains of his restraints.

His vision was still clouded by whatever gel was clinging to his eyes, but he could still sense shapes around him, and he associated those shapes with the assault on his being. Without hesitation, he grabbed the nearest person and threw him to the ground. Before his first victim bounced he was rushing the next two, pulling them into each other as he passed between them. They collided with sickening thuds and fell to the floor, motionless.

Another figure positioned itself in his reach and he attacked it with the same extreme vitriol he had addressed his previous targets. Only, this figure was utterly unyielding. He clambered up the person’s torso and wrapped his legs around an exposed neck, then twisted hard, expecting the figure to crash to the ground with him.

It may as well have been a bronze statue. Strong hands grabbed him and suddenly Kendall found himself being slammed on the floor hard enough to see stars. Even then, that did not stop the rage. It didn’t quench the thirst for destruction. Kendall bounced back at his opponent without a moment’s respite, continuing his attack unabated. And once again, he was thrown to the floor.

At this point, he was literally seeing red. Someone was going to die, and it was going to happen soon.

Damaged: Enemy Me

Chapter 5

In all his rage, Kendall never noticed a most peculiar scent. Popcorn. It wasn’t until he was on the floor that it hit him. Immediately after he noticed that a deep sense of calm seemed to wash over him. His vision, as blurry as it was, got color again.

“Kendall, the flaw.”

Shawn? Kendall blinked. An impossibly strong hand gripped his head and a warm liquid flushed his eyes. He blinked again, and suddenly, he saw his commander, standing before him. “Sir.”

Shawn looked different. He had no hair. His skin was not the olive tone he was accustomed to but was a bleached white. And his eye color seemed to be a little off. “What happened?”

His head was released, and Kendall looked around to see a stern-looking Lohet peering at something in the air. The Keratian waved his hand in the empty space he was looking at, then returned his attention to Kendall.

“Have you gone mad?” Kendall asked, squinting.

Lohet gave him a cool glare. “Our cerebral interface has not been tuned to your brain yet.”

Kendall looked at him for a moment, then took in the room. He was shocked to see wooden mannequins laying on the floor. They were all smashed badly. “This was a test. To trigger my madness.”

“We exploited an opportunity,” Lohet said. He stood up and pulled Kendall to his feet. A furry man approached, also waving at something in the air, then reached for Kendall. He hesitated when he met Kendall’s eyes. Kendall was already taking measure of the person before him. Clearly an Elf, like Steven. But different. He had already memorized the distinctive fur patterns, the color texture of the large irises, the light tips of the tufted ears. The Elf tentatively reached for Kendall’s chest.

Kendall looked down at where the Elf was reaching. His chest had what looked like a large, brass plate attached to it. The Elf touched it, and the plate immediately reduced in size and fell into his palm. Kendall poked at the bleached white skin underneath. His own skin had at one time been even darker than Shawn’s.

“The pigments will return as your new skin matures,” Lohet said, appraising his reaction. “I would have expected more shock.”

“Our children are trained for critical thinking from a very early age.” Shawn nodded. “He is already working out answers to questions he has not asked yet.”

“Intriguing.” Lohet pursed his lips. He looked at the Elf. “Have you matched his behavioral breakdown to the flawed genetics?”

“Part of it. The data is still rendering.” The Elf looked at Kendall. “I will need more… tests.”

“The base? That was a golem? He attacked us?” Kendall looked at Shawn.

“We are still examining security footage. It’s spotty at best, however. They seem to be in our systems.”

“We’ve not converted over to the Eyes Open tech yet?” Kendall watched as the Elf removed brass patches that covered his arms. “I thought we had worked out a deal with them.”

“It is a work in progress.” Shawn waved in the air and pointed. “Is that the police officer?”

Kendall looked at him blankly. “Is everyone going mad?”

Lohet placed a small, brass cylinder in his hand. It was about five inches long, an inch in diameter, and was ornately decorated. Kendall furrowed his brows as he examined it. “This… this is the computer you guys use?”

A cough.

Kendall looked up and almost flinched. The air around him was filled with objects, some glowing, some not. Among them was a representation of video screens showing the police officer. He reached up and touched one then looked at his hand. “I felt that. As if it’s real.”

Shawn just grinned.

“Sir, that’s the police officer. I shot him. It was a definite kill. Entry wound over his right eye.”

“The golem is able to convincingly infiltrate Terran society and simulate nearly all facets of your existence,” Lohet said. “There is nothing in your arsenal that can destroy one.”

“The bullet went into his head. I saw blood splatter from behind him.”

“You were not trained to deal with golems?” Lohet looked at Shawn.

“We were given a summary of them. However, since they were your mission, we focused on the Venda.” Shawn said.

“We trained to fight you,” Kendall said, looking at Lohet. He glanced at the golem in the video. “So I did not hurt it?”

Another vision appeared in the air around them. The combat scene Kendall had most recently been involved in. First-person perspective. He watched as the police officer yelled at him, then watched the red spray emerge from the rear of his skull.  He was almost breathless as he walked around the scene. “The quality is amazing. We need this back home.”

“That is where the officer stood back up.” Lohet pointed.

“Yes. Laurence had us retreat rapidly.” Kendall nodded.

“A wise decision.” Lohet glanced at him. “You do not approve?”

“I didn’t back then.” Kendall looked down. “But he knew we were not equipped to engage the golem in combat. It would have been futility.”

“No pride. Intriguing.”

“We’re not engineered to be prideful. Everything is about the mission.” Kendall said quietly. “We survived that day so that we could continue the mission.”

“Amazing for a Terran so young to express this sort of maturity.” Lohet stood up taller.

Kendall squinted at him. “Condescending, much? We train and develop ourselves from when we can start walking. Before that, even. It is our whole life. Why is this so surprising?”

“I spent several years on Terra…”

“We know. And in all that time, you never really knew us.” Kendall interrupted. “And now you are supposed to be my healer and my teacher?” He looked at Shawn. “That is the value of my life? Rather than an honorable culling, I am to be their lab rat?”

“As a lab rat, you are more valuable to us than a corpse,” Shawn said.

Kendall glared at his commander for a moment then looked at his arms. “Status of my physical capabilities?”

“We are fully functional.”

“How long was I out?” Kendall turned his hands over. He could tell where new skin had grown. There was very little of his old skin left.

“This afternoon,” Shawn said.

Kendall looked up, stunned. “What damage did I suffer?”

“Eyes, skin, hearing, concussive damage to organs, a few shattered bones, radiation exposure.” Shawn stopped, glancing at the Elf who had removed the brass plates. “Am I missing anything?”

“Hair will return soon. Skin color will take a little bit to return.” The Elf looked at the data that hung in the air around him, then waved it away. “Iris tint will also take a bit to normalize.”

Shawn looked at Kendall. “In a nutshell.”

Kendall found himself gaping and shut his mouth. “Have we assimilated any of their medical technology?”

“Some. Not nearly as much as I want.” Shawn smirked at the Elf.

“A day. That’s all we lost. What about that?” Kendall pointed at Lohet.

“He got a sunburn.” Shawn appraised Lohet critically. “Radiation does not bother you?”

“Our star is a red dwarf,” Lohet said simply.

“Naturally.” Shawn frowned.

“That means what?” Kendall looked at the two of them.

“They are unstable stars, so we have evolved to resist damage from radiation.” Lohet raised a brow. “I did endure minor damage but it is already healed.”

“We’re just primitive monkeys to you, aren’t we?” Kendall balled his fists, scowling.

Lohet gave him an almost imperceptible smile. Almost. “That would bring us back to the topic at hand. You will require a trainer, and a chaperone.”

“Trainer for what?”

“As a latent, there are certain things you must master before your Awakening.” Lohet pointed. “All Gatekeepers are required to undergo Chaser training. Roth’kel will serve as your teacher.”

Kendall turned and tried hard not to flinch, but ended up jerking into a defensive posture anyway. A massive creature loomed over him with a smile that revealed a mouth full of small, sharp teeth. Almost reptilian. His skin followed the reptilian motif, except for a back and arms covered in needle-sharp quills and intimidating claws. He was also the source of the scent Kendall had detected. “It smells like popcorn.”

“Pop’carin? The flower? He is the second Terran to compare me to a flower,” Roth’kel grumbled, glaring at Kendall.

“Perhaps the flower was not what he was referring to,” Lohet said, smirking.

“Just what is that going to teach me?”

“That,” Roth’kel scowled at Kendall, “is going to correct your flawed comprehension of combat and teach you the correct ways of subduing your foes.”

“My comprehension of combat centers around fighting you,” Kendall said. “Who else would I be expected to fight?”

“The Venda have infested your world.” Roth’kel circled him. “Your people will be instrumental in their elimination. If you are able to.”

Kendall looked at Shawn. “Our capabilities are always evolving to the need of the mission.”

Roth’kel stopped in front of him. “A diplomatic response. Where is your pride?”

“Our mission takes priority. If I am not up to defending Earth, then I must improve.”

Shawn held his hands out. “See? He’ll do great.”

Roth’kel snorted. “We shall see.”

“You went through this too?” Kendall looked at Shawn.

“We all did. Those of us who teleport.” Shawn nodded. “Our own training program has been modified to reflect what we have learned, but it has been too recent for you.”

“You will also require a chaperone.” Lohet looked over his shoulder and stepped to the side. An Elf crouched on the open window-sill, looking mischievous. “Her job will be to clear you of Venda contamination, among other things.”

“Venda contamination?” Kendall had noticed that the window-sill was part of a woven structure of branches. The room they were in had the same architecture. It took him a moment to shift his attention to what Lohet said.

“The Venda can take on the form of other species. They are extremely hard to detect. However, Elves are able to root out their memories.” Lohet said. “She will verify that you are indeed… you.”

“What if she is not… she?” Kendall mimicked Lohet, crossing his arms. He was not enthused by the idea of yet someone else dancing around in his head.

“Elves are not replicated because of their mental capabilities,” Lohet said simply.

“The Venda I fought, back on Earth. He could hide from you?”

“Their infiltration capabilities are without equal. However, even they are not without weaknesses.” Lohet said.

“What about the police officer?”

“Golems are on another level with regards to capability,” Shawn said sourly. “We were lucky Steven was paying attention.”

“He did prove significantly faster than you at extricating us from the explosion.” Lohet nodded.

“If they can just blow up nuclear…” Kendall stopped. “We’ll find a way, right? That’s what we do.”

“Detecting them is the first order of business.” Shawn looked at Lohet. “You can smell them. That’s something we’ll need training on.”

“He didn’t smell the police officer. What good is that?” Kendall held his arms out.

“We were inside a golem,” Lohet said. “The ambient scent masked the individual scent.”

Kendall fumed. “We lost another base then. How many died?”

“None. Steven was able to funnel the explosion away.”

“We are alive because of an alien.” Kendall looked at his arms. “Aliens.”

“They are people, Kendall. They just look different.” Shawn crossed his arms.

Kendall looked at Roth’kel and snorted. “They smell different too.” He looked at his chaperone. “What do I call you?”

“You may call me Darkhorse.” The Elf dropped off the window-sill and sauntered over to Kendall, circling him as she got close.

“Dark horse, huh? Does not sound Elvish. Nor do you.” Kendall stood his ground as she circled him.

“She is intimately familiar with Terrans.” Lohet said. “It was decided that she would be ideal to evaluate you, and… provide a clearer picture of your malfunction.”

“Do you feel anything, young one?” Darkhorse whispered in Kendall’s ear. “You nearly died. You had devastating injuries. You woke in an alien environment.” She gave Roth’kel a coy look. “You are surrounded by monsters. And yet, it is like you are dead inside.”

“I feel. How I express feelings depends on the mission.” Kendall squinted at her. “You’re not from here. You sound like you’re from the states. I would guess Washington.”

Shawn grinned when Darkhorse glanced at him.

“His people are walking lie detectors. They learn your secrets without asking questions.” Lohet explained.

Darkhorse cocked her head and returned her attention to Kendall. “But where is his humanity? How far has it been repressed?”

Kendall fidgeted under her close scrutiny. “You’ve been touching me, why don’t you tell me?”

“Mmm, you’re aware of our habits. We can learn your secrets without asking questions too.” Darkhorse traced a finger across Kendall’s chest. “Such a shame to lose your humanity for the sake of defending humanity. Perhaps I can find it again.”

“We are still human,” Kendall said defensively.

“Ah, a glimmer. I just need to dig deeper.” Darkhorse grinned sadistically.

“I came here to be fixed,” Kendall said, exasperated. He felt the window sill behind him as he bumped into it. Darkhorse remained close to him, peering into his eyes as if drilling into his soul. “Sir, is this necessary?” He looked around Darkhorse at Shawn. His commander just crossed his arms.

“We have already begun, my dear,” Darkhorse said. She gracefully held her arms out. Kendall looked at her questioningly. Suddenly branches wrapped around him and pulled him over the window-sill, dropping him as quickly as they grabbed him. He glanced down, but could not see the forest floor through the haze far below. Wind whipped at his face as he returned his attention back to the large treehouse out of which he had been ejected.

He saw Darkhorse looking coyly out the window, casually watching him fall to his death.