Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

Instantly, the orb vanished, replaced by a viscous silvery mixture that filled the wash basin.

“There ya go,” said Cajun. With tubing in hand, he started a siphon that slowly filled a gallon sized IV bag.

Hector approached the table and slowly drew down the zipper. Pulling open the sides of the bag, he stared at its contents, and his breath caught in his throat. He checked the crayon markings and shook his head. “Uh, guys,” stammered Hector. “There’s a problem.” He looked at Cajun and Edison. “Home Office sent me a mislabeled bag.” Rigidly, he pointed at its contents.

Edison and Cajun hurried close. Inside, they found a fully formed adult woman’s body, bald with light brown skin, and no sign of decay. “It’s not a slug,” said Hector. “It’s a thrall.”

“Do you have any activating gel?” asked Edison.

“I don’t know,” said Hector. “Maybe somewhere in the main fridge. Maybe in the back, but I really don’t know, because I’ve never had a reason to activate one before!”

Cajun was already tearing through refrigerated shelves. Glass vials clinked softly as he set them down on the tile floor by the handful. He spotted a large syringe, filled with clear gel, labeled, “Synthetic Servant Activator.” He grinned and held it up high. “Found it!”

“Bring it here,” said Edison, and Cajun passed it to him.

Hector rolled the body to one side and finished extracting it from the bag. He returned it to its back and set the body bag aside.

Edison probed the ribs and located the sternum. With a resolute nod, he drove the needle down and depressed the plunger. Almost immediately, the body gasped, and it began to seize. A moment later, calm washed over it, and its lungs rose and fell evenly.

Anxiously, Hector retrieved a surgical drill and hammer.

“What are you planning to do with those?” asked Edison.

“I still need to approximate Mike’s injuries,” said Hector. He plugged in the drill, and it whined as he tested it. He seated the drill bit and glanced at the filled IV bag. “Would you mind getting the drip going? We don’t have much time left on that suspension, and if Nimbus isn’t swimming through this thing’s veins when it goes, we’ll lose them both.”

Edison nodded. “Of course.” He prepared an intravenous catheter and hooked it up to the bag. Cajun hung it from a rolling stand and moved it into place.

Hector stood before the body. He turned its head to the side and readied the drill. Taking a deep breath, he squeezed the trigger, but he reared back as the thrall’s head rolled back into place. Eyes wide open, it looked back and forth, and it silently worked its mouth. Its fists clenched and unclenched. Hector swallowed visibly. “Dr. Stone?”

“It’s a synthetic servant, Dr. Liu-Song. It isn’t alive,” said Edison. “Everything it’s doing is reflexive. Autonomic. It can’t feel pain. I know it’s unsettling to look at, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

Hector nodded. Once again, he turned the head aside and forcibly held it in place. As the nanobots flowed into the body, Hector turned on the drill and jammed it into the skull. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

◆◆◆

Nimbus sensed the nanobot mesh. Pieces of code locked together, forming complete chains, and they began replicating across the totality of Nimbus’s body mass. As the thrall’s heart pumped nanobots throughout its vascular system, Nimbus gained a sense of identity. Nimbus remembered, and every data record surged to the forefront.

Miguel Santos, thought Nimbus. Where are you?

A sense of pain and sorrow washed over Nimbus, followed by primal fear and panic. These are not my feelings, thought Nimbus. I sense this from the vessel I presently inhabit. Something is terribly wrong!

Nimbus gathered in the thrall’s head and assessed the damage. In that moment, the thrall’s memories flooded Nimbus’s awareness—a flash of light. Eyes blinking. Breathing. A caring man’s face. Hope. Peace. And fear! Head turned to the side, and an explosion of pain. Terror. Confusion. Sorrow. What is wrong with me? What did I do wrong?

Nimbus felt the memories fade. I would weep for you, were I able, you poor discarded being. Rapidly, Nimbus repaired the thrall’s skull, creating brain matter and integrating it.

Magnetic forces pulled on the nanobots. No, thought Nimbus. If I leave now, you will die! With grim determination, Nimbus finished repairing the thrall’s head. Too much of your brain is missing. I cannot produce enough synthetic material in time to save you.

The forces of magnetism grew stronger, threatening to extract Nimbus completely.

You will live through me, thought Nimbus. Nanobots fused with the thrall’s brain matter, filling the void that remained. We will live!

◆◆◆

“It’s not working!” shouted Hector, and he held a heavy device near the body’s chin. “Nimbus completely patched up the skull. I can’t get it out through there, and if I increase the power any further, we could end up scrambling it irreparably.”

“Options, Dr. Liu-Song. How else can we safely extract him?” asked Edison.

Cajun glanced around the operating room. He spotted a dialysis harness hanging in the closet. “We filter Nimbus directly out from the blood! Once enough of him is outside, he’ll accrete automatically.”

“It will n… not work,” breathed Nimbus.

“John,” whispered Hector. “Did it just speak?”

“I believe so,” said Cajun.

Nimbus’s eyes drifted open. “Unknown a… attendant, w… where is M… Miguel Santos?”

Cajun leaned in close, wearing a kind smile. “Well, hello, Nimbus. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m John LeKay, but most people call me Cajun. Ya friend, well he’s just outside. It would be my privilege to make introductions. Let’s get some clothes on ya first, though.”

“John LeKay, I lack the m… muscular energy required to undertake such an a… activity,” said Nimbus. “I require slumber. Please tell M… Miguel Santos I live. Please tell them I live.” Nimbus yawned deeply, smiled contentedly, and fell fast asleep.

Hector affixed several leads to Nimbus’s body and switched