Page 42 of Made For The Alien Warrior

“You were drowning.”

She nodded. “It was the most horrific moment of my life. Just as I thought I would die, this light appeared in front of me. It consumed me. I could feel it burning my skin.”

“Did it come from the sky? Perhaps a ship?” Korben murmured.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see any ships. I closed my eyes because the light hurt so badly and then, when I opened them, I was in a forest.”

“A forest?” Lans frowned hard.

Clavas turned to Tiegan. “You said you found her on the cliffs.”

“I went searching for help,” Adhi explained, her eyes somber. “I thought I was daydreaming or that I’d hit my head. I kept going until I stumbled on these crazy-looking wasps. They had the biggest stingers I’d ever seen.”

“Ontenta,” Korben whispered.

Tiegan shuddered. The bugs were toxic and could kill a Plutonian during an attack. It was hard to outrun them. Even atop a zapten, a Plutonian rider had to be alert in order to avoid the bugs.

“They chased me until I fell into the water. I started swimming for my life and kept going until I got to the bank. That’s when I saw the cliffs in the distance and figured it would be safer there than in the jungle.”

“Is that where you met the other human?” Korben inquired.

Adhi nodded. “She was dying on the edge of the cliff. From the way the dust had gathered around her, it looked like she’d landed there and didn’t move. I was afraid that whatever hurt her would come back, so I dragged her into the cave.” She turned to Sim-pony with a grateful smile. “That’s when you guys found me.”

“Did you also hear a voice?” Korben rubbed his chin.

Adhi exchanged a nervous look with Sim-pony. “We were just talking about that actually. I didn’t hear any voice.”

“Not since you were a brood?” Zar insisted.

“No.” She shook her head, her eyes glistening. “I know that I was scared and I kept wondering what to do. I hoped someone would find me, but I didn’t hear any voices until help appeared.”

The room fell quiet.

Tiegan mulled this information in his mind. It bothered him that he felt no closer to a conclusion.

Adhi pressed forward. “What will happen to that other girl?”

“The Healer is working to save her. We understand that she has limbs missing as well.”

“She does.”

“Rune will implant the nano-tech into her,” Korben explained. “It will fuse to her skin and create a new set of limbs.”

“Is that safe?” Adhi asked.

Sim-pony lifted her arm. “It worked for me. So far, I haven’t had any huge side effects.” She tilted her head. “I did feel achy and exhausted, but I’m much better now. I think those side effects are going away.”

Tiegan made a sound deep in his throat. “We still have to be careful.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Sim-pony said almost dispassionately.

Tiegan glared. What was she so angry about?

“Something about these circumstances is bothering me,” Korben muttered.

“What exactly?” Tiegan asked, annoyed and unable to hold back his harsh tone. “That they both experienced the same light or that this light is choosing humans at random?”

“It doesn’t feel random to me,” Lans said, folding his arms over his massive chest.