Emergence: Chapter 58

Olaf's chest was stained with blood, still erupting from the hole in his heart, which still throbbed slowly, pumping the final spurts onto Strom's hands. Jolting his hands away, Strom stared, open-mouthed at the wound. Ilisa wailed nearby, but he could not see her in the endless darkness. No stars burned through the incomprehensible infinity around him. “Olaf,” Strom muttered, “No no no!”

Olaf's eyes snapped open, only darkness within, no whites in his eyes, neither of the hazel orbs that were there before, but a deep dark void. His mouth opened and he screeched the words “Avenge me!”

Strom's eyes flew open and he jolted upright, panting. Something flew across the small room and shattered against the wall. Sweat covered his forehead, and he could feel it on his chest. Swinging his legs around, he got out of bed and went to investigate the shattering. On inspection, he found shards of glass next to the wall, and a trail of water leading to it. Did I do this? His heart was still beating from his nightmares, but he'd caught his breath at least.

“Strom?”

He looked around at the source of this strained, half-aware voice. “Ilisa. It's fine.”

She got out of bed and put her hand on his shoulder. “You having the nightmares?”

Strom closed his eyes, and Olaf's face flashed in front of him. “They're all about him. Him and all the others who died.” He looked into her eyes and saw the sadness there, matching his own. “Do you not see him?”

Ilisa hung her head, averting her eyes. “No.” Her voice was unusually small. “I don't dream anymore.” Her voice cracked. “Not after my parents...” She trailed off.

Strom put his arms around her, pulling her close. “At least we've got each other still, eh?”

Ilisa pulled him tight to her. “I thought I lost you.”

Strom kissed her forehead. “I don't think I ever said thank you for saving my life. For this new body. Even these...abilities the Orbans gave me.”

Ilisa looked at the broken glass. “You do that?”

“I lost control.” Strom felt embarrassed, and he felt his face grow warm. “I need calm to control it. Sa'tui is gonna help me with that.”

“Good.” Ilisa detached herself from him and stood up again. “It was good of them to give us this room.”

The room, while small, was comfortable. The bed in the centre of the room was certainly more than satisfactory, and Strom had fallen asleep as soon his head hit the pillow. Or maybe that was due to Ha'kuun's centuries-old pills. There were some strip-lights on the ceiling, but no windows; there was no point having them in the Orbans' underground facility.

“They have to put us somewhere though, didn't they?” Strom paused. “Still can't get used to this new voice.”

“The lack of the accent will save me a fortune on elocution lessons.” Ilisa teased.

“Hey!” Strom chuckled. “I thought you said it was cute?”

“I lied.” Ilisa said matter-of-factly. “Pissed me off.”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Yeah, whatever.” He looked at his hands. They looked exactly the same as they always had done, identical. But he knew that they did not belong to him, they were alien to his mind. Even his mind was alien now, with its newfound abilities. Ilisa was watching him, he could see her concerned look out of the corner of his eye; he'd seen that look all too many times over the years, but usually it was his own doing. “Have you ever felt like your skin is... not your skin?”

Ilisa sighed. “I think we all do Strom. You'll get used to it.”

He nodded and smiled to keep the façade. No. You don't know how this feels, knowing you're not you, not who you were yesterday.

A knock on the door broke the ensuing silence.

“Come in!” Strom called, standing next to Ilisa.

The door slid open to reveal Sa'tui. Strom knew that, as he was part Orban now, he should be able to accept these...creatures, but they made his heart rush when he saw them. Their jet black skin, the disproportionate arms and body. And the faces. Strom knew that his mentor's and his savior's faces would haunt his nightmares one night, the thin patches of skin covering empty eye-sockets being just one of their bizarre plethora of facial features.

“Strom, Ilisa.” Sa'tui's voice echoed in their heads again; Strom was already used to this, and he accepted Sa'tui's voice more than he had his new flesh and blood. “The Empire forces need you in their war efforts.” He paused, before correcting himself. “They need us. The Orbans, and any pilots.”

Strom exchanged glances with Ilisa, before they nodded to each other with the same sinking feeling in their stomachs. Strom had hoped that the war would be over for him.

Maybe it was only just beginning.