Nick came to, his head still spinning. He was acutely aware of a throbbing pain on the back of his head. He made to touch it but his arms could not move. Forcing his eyes to focus, Nick looked down and found that he was in a wheel chair being wheeled down a long corridor. His arms and legs were unsecured yet he could not move anything below his neck. He struggled against his unseen bonds but could not move a muscle. Nick tried in vain to turn his head and see who was pushing the chair but could only glimpse a pair of arms.
“It’s OK Nick. It’s me, your old pal from Groom Lake” came by telepathy to his brain and only served to amplify the pain in his skull.
Bill.
Anger made Nick try and move, his brain screaming at his muscles and limbs to move in any way. Flinch, twitch, anything.
“Why don’t you let me out of here old friend, we have a score to settle” Nick said acidly.
‘All in due time Nick, all in due time. For now we have to get out of here to somewhere more comfortable where we can talk. We have a lot of catching up to do.’
Nick’s head was aching more than ever and he chose not to respond but rolled on in silent fury. He strained against his paralysis again with all his might. This time the effort was too much and he passed out, head slumping forward, chin resting on his chest.
Zalath approached the nearest of the groups that were issuing orders. As she closed the gap, a pair of guards sprang out and stopped her progress. She could tell that they were trying to communicate with her telepathically but were confused at her lack of response. Once she was over the shock of seeing native Nibirian’s she used her voice to speak with them, informing them who they were and requesting to see the person in charge. The guards looked confused, glancing about as if they were looking for something. It was only then that she realized that Nick was no longer with her and she turned to run and go find him but the security grabbed her with a firm grip and marched her to the field commander.
He turned as they approached, no doubt already aware that they were bringing her to them. He was tall and handsome as all Annunaki men seemed to be with dazzling green eyes and auburn hair hanging tidily at shoulder length.
“I am Plonxell” he said, bowing his head. “And who are you?” His voice was deep and soothing, yet commanded respect.
“My name is Zalath.” She said, surprised that he had addressed her using his voice.
“Zalath. I understand that you wished to see me. As you can see there are many things that demand my attention at the moment. Please tell me briefly how I may help you”
“I have been here at this base for many, many years and I have intimate knowledge of its layout”
Plonxell nodded at this news, his face impassive. “How am to know that I can trust you? You may be a spy.”
Zalath wasn’t expecting this sort of hostile homecoming and she faltered her words as she answered.
“I, I, I don’t know. I was imprisoned here after helping Nick escape. He returned and freed me and we came here to help fight. He was just with me and I don’t know where he went.”
Plonxell stiffened at the mention of Nick and asked tersely. “He was with you? What happened to him?”
“I said, I don’t know. I was so happy to be near my own people I ran off when we got near the fighting. I thought he was right behind me.” Zalath said, her voice trailing off in confused angst.
Plonxell nodded to the guards and they ran off back toward the elevator landing, leaving Zalath where she stood, swaying a little. Plonxell swooped to her side an put his arm around her. “It's obvious that you have been through quite an ordeal and I think at this point you require medical attention” and he led her gently but firmly in the direction of a makeshift tent where there were wounded people massing outside waiting for medical help. He sat her down on one of the chairs, addressed a doctor briefly, pointing at Zalath, and then returned to the table he was commanding from. Zalath had never felt so alone. So close to her people and she couldn’t feel them, couldn’t contact them. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
“Hello Zalath, my name is Ardun. I am a healer.” Zalath looked up at him. He was dressed in magenta pants and vest. The front of the vest contained many pockets each of which held medical instruments.
“Plonxell requested that I attend to you if that is OK with you. “ Ardun said, his azure eyes filled with concern. Zalath nodded absentmindedly. Ardun pulled a small device from his vest and passed it over her sitting body, a few inches from touching her.
“I can detect that you have been isolated” he said sadly. “As you know, there is nothing that we can do for you. That part of your brain has been permanently destroyed.”
Zalath acknowledged him with a somber stare accompanied by more tears and nod so slight he almost didn’t see it.
“Other than that I can find nothing wrong with you” he added brightly “Slightly malnourished perhaps, but nothing that won’t heal with time. I can have you beamed to one of our ships if you like and they will take care of you there”
Zalath’s heart leapt at the thought of going back to one of the ships and being among her people. No more charades, no more careful concealment of her true identity and mission. Just as fast though she remembered Nick and longed to help him.
“I would like to stay here” she said calmly
“OK, I will send someone over with some food and drink.”
Before he left he pulled another device from his vest and touched it to her shoulder stating it would help her relax. Instantly the weariness and anxiety drained from her body and she almost felt happy. Ardun left with a smile and began tending to some of the men nearby that were injured.
As Zalath watched Ardun work, a young Annunaki came over and handed her a cylinder shaped object along with a packet and then moved on to others. She opened the cylinder and took a long drink. It warmed her stomach as she drank it and then radiated out to her limbs. The packet contained some emergency rations that filled her up and energized her. She was watching Plonxell now. The guards he had issued to find Nick had returned and they were deep in conversation. Zalath got up and edged her way toward them getting as close as she dared, watching intently, trying to ascertain what was going on from body language alone.
“What did you find?” Plonxell questioned
“He was there. I could sense his presence, but the signature was very weak and there is no sign of him now”
Plonxell dismissed the security and sighed, deep in thought. Although his mandate had been to coordinate the efforts of the takeover, he had personally charged himself with finding out what had become of the reconnaissance team that shut down the shields to the facility. One half of the group had been found. The group had been discovered by a random security patrol and was fending off attack when the shields had gone down. They used the outage to their advantage and escaped and managed to find their way back to where the main troops had beamed in. What happened to the other group though, including Nick, was more problematic and Plonxell had all but lost hope. He was certain that they were all dead. Indeed he had known that at least four of them were, including his close friend Telarc because he had felt their presence after their death. Plonxell had been unclear however when it came to Nick. He had assumed that since Nick was human, if he had been killed, he, well… he didn’t know what happened when humans died so he assumed the worst. But now Nick was alive, and Plonxell vowed silently to himself that he would get him back.
Chapter 24