Blood, Fear, and Water
It had been a wonderful evening. It was late when the four friends left the club Renbar's Den and started home. Even though it was late in the night, the crowds slowed their progress as they made their way to the Sub Tram port. There they piled into the tram, chattering excitedly. After exiting the sub tram route close to the academy grounds, they began to walk the short distance back to the dorms. Reilis, a Rodanii male training to be a crystal maker, and Rein, a Forvite male training as a financial advisor, were in the lead, followed by Carvis, a Barin male training to be an accountant, with Treina, a Ladarin female training to be record keeper, beside him. The usual night mist cloaked the streets, turning them from everyday sights to mysterious exotic locations. They were walking along Tarrgin Way just about to turn onto Amberin Road, chattering merrily, when the pulse caught them.
Like a cold breath of winter's night Carvis could feel the mind of the creature reaching out to paralyse its prey as it approached but unlike his friends it just swept over him without paralysing him. His friends were not so lucky, freezing in mid-step and mid-word. In an instant the Stazin beetle was upon them, having dug its way up through the ground and building beside them. Rein was the first to fall before the Stazin, the creature rending his body in two before he could utter a cry. Then Treina and Reilis. In one terrified heartbeat they were crushed by the creature and torn into chunks as it attacked them. Carvis felt his mind fill with panic as the four ton black ebony creature cut its way through his friends then he was running, trying to get away from the creature. His flight seemed to take forever as blind panic swept him along, looking for a way to escape.
He had gotten about twenty steps away when he felt the vibrations of the creature hitting the ground as it chased him. His heart pounded fiercely, his throat went dry, and every breath was a sharp knife burning his lungs. Then he spotted an open doorway to one of the residential complexes of the city. Without thinking he bolted through the door and into the building. Inside the dwellings all face a central garden and the pool so common to Barin buildings. Here his natural instincts took over as he dove for the pool and water to protect him. The Stazin followed him into the house, crashing through the doorway and falling into the pool.
Carvis dived straight down, spotting the fluidic conduit and curling around it. Pain exploded in his leg and hip. Carvis screamed as the creature's claws ripped his flesh open. He felt himself being pulled backwards. In his state of panic his strength enhanced, causing him to break the conduit as the creature clawed at him. The destruction of the energy conduit released its current into the water, enveloping the otter and the creature bent upon his destruction. Every hair stood out from his body and every nerve reacted to the overload and screamed for release. Somehow he managed to keep his grip on the conduit. He could hear the eerily anguished squeals of the creature as the electricity overwhelmed it and it lost its grip on him before he passed out. In an instant the world exploded and went black.
* * *
Carvis became aware of pain resonating through him. He felt as though he had been beaten, shredded and fried. For a moment, he wondered where he was, what had happened and who he was. He realized he was lying on his back looking up at a ceiling. He tried to sit up and groaned as the pain flared to agony. A white furry face appeared in front of him instantly, causing him to gasp in surprise.
"You're not up to moving yet, young one. As I'm sure your body just told you," he chuckled sympathetically. "You did a lot of damage to yourself."
The Ladarin checked Carvis over, making small noises in his throat as he did so, his touch soft but still sending waves of pain through him.
"My name is Larin Lapidus, your doctor. You're a very lucky young man, you know. You could have killed yourself."
Memory rushed back to the young otter. He moaned in misery.
"My friends!"
Lapidus looked sympathetic. He laid a paw gently on his shoulder.
"I know, young one," his voice was full of sympathy and pity. "However you can be assured that they didn't suffer."
Carvis remembered the horror in his friends' eyes. He knew they had realized what was happening. He felt guilt flood through him.
"I should have died with them!"
Lapidus looked sharply at him then took a deep breath.
"If you were like your friends you would have died young Carvis. Thankfully your special talent allowed you to live and your heroic actions kept the creature from killing anyone else."
Carvis looked stunned.
"Special talent?"
Lapidus nodded.
"You weren't paralysed by the Stazin beetle's mental pulse. I think further testing will show you are immune to most mental influences. That has gotten someone very interested in you young one."
Carvis looked wary,
"Who would that be?"
Lapidus looked as neutral as a rabbit could when his nose was twitching.
"The Director."
While Carvis lay there in shock Lapidus filled him in on the result of his actions. The official report was that breaking the conduit electrocuted both Carvis and the Stazin. From what the Investigators were able to determine Carvis became the connection between the discharge and the Stazin and it took the full charge that passed through him which saved his life even though it did a lot of damage to him. His recovery from this would take many weeks.
The amount of medical resources needed to rebuild his body from the beating it took and the electrical damage was covered by the Imperium as his ability to resist the mental pulse of Stazin beetles made him very valuable. With his recovery underway, Carvis met the Director of Public Safety who gave him a speech about being needed, especially with his special talent, and was offered the job of Enforcer. Seeing this as a chance to actually be heroic for the memory of his fallen friends Carvis accepted.
Go back to my library