Excerpt: Surviving Zevus Mar

Delmran caught up with Hankura in the next corridor. He had slowed quickly after his hasty exit. Delmran joined him at the lift tubes to the gym, sensing Hankura was having trouble deciding what to do next. His feelings were too intense for words.

For an Aledan, you sure like to take chances. Despite Hankura's turmoil, Delmran found an open path into his mind. The whole damn crew will be avoiding you for the rest of the trip after the way you blasted those poor fools in there. That was some performance.

Hankura give him a stony look. Anal parasites, all of them. He snorted disdainfully. No way am I letting them get to Chelle. They can all get sucked into a black hole for all I care. They have no idea what this has done to her--to all of us. She has barely left our quarters in five days!

I understand, Hankura. But that's not the point. They could bring you up on charges--say you did psychological damage with the force of your telepathy. You have to be damn careful with these Normals . . . especially those with connections in the high echelon. You've broken more regs since we got here than half a dozen crew men do in a whole tour. You're getting away with it because you're got them all scared ... especially after what you did on Zevus Mar.

But I wouldn't hurt any of them. I know how to touch a Normal's mind without hurting them. If they were upset, they damn well ought to be. I barely touched the worst of it. I doubt they could comprehend what Chelle and I went through.

I know, Hankura. Just be careful--this close to your discharge. Someday, your class A record might come in handy. Hankura was due to be discharged tendays before, but it was held up because of the capture of the Searching Star.

Yeah. You're right of course. I just don't know how to get through this. Fifteen days, only fifteen days, and our lives are torn apart. We're both hurting so much that the psi-link doesn't help. Chelle keeps shutting me out. She alternates between anger and denial--won't share it with me ... won't consult the psychiatrist after she read Paltrin. I could break his bloody neck.

I don't blame you. But, give her time--give yourself time. We're all suffering from after-shock. The women got the worst of it, them and a few sweet boys back in our barracks. All but three of those boys are dead.

Hankura nodded. They hurt Chelle, I killed them. It doesn't help, Delmran. I have nightmares and flashbacks. We both wake up screaming. He pivoted and pounded his fist against the white bulkhead. I could kill them a hundred times, and it won't take away the pain.

"You need to take your mind off it for a while. That stupid debriefing didn't do us any good," said Delmran aloud. "I'm not psi-mated like you, but most of those women were my friends---some were lovers. You know how I feel about Chelle. Hankura, we're all connected." He clamped his hand over Hankura's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Why don't we go up to the gym and do a few rounds of competition chackrin? The loser buys the carava."

"Agreed." Hankura pressed to open the lift-tube door. It didn't matter who bought the liquor, Hankura didn't think he could ever drink enough carava to make him forget for long.

 Copyright © 2016 by C. A. Myers
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