First Contact Fallout by Aer-ki Jyr (best non fiction books to read txt) 📕

The more progress the better. We are on our way now.

The healer waited until a floating platform slightly wider than the trail pushed its way to them, carving out new sidewalls as it did. A combination of the healer’s telekinesis and the muscle of the Zen’zat precluded her need to drag Tu’vac onto the barge, instead allowing him to be somewhat respectfully floated there and set down as his eyes continued to stare out into nothing as his mind fought to work its way around the lockdown.

“How far away are they?” she asked the Zen’zat.

“Vitolor is under assault. I do not think it will last the year, but they are not passing beyond it yet. I think they want to eliminate the strongpoint before sweeping up the easier targets.”

“I need more time.”

“I do not know how to give it to you,” the Zen’zat said apologetically as 6 of his kin took up guard positions around the barge as they disappeared into the jungle, with far more others out in a defensive perimeter around the facility. “How soon do you want to evacuate?”

“I cannot take the equipment with us, so we stay as long as possible. Evacuate the others when you deem necessary.”

Mario’topa nodded. “They can stay a while longer, but when they leave I will make sure it looks as if we are abandoning the facility. Maybe Itaru’s forces will pass us by if they believe so.”

“Try,” she said, stepping up onto the barge and flying it down the pathway so not to destroy the tree cover overhead. They might need it later if they had to abandon the facility on foot.

3

May 3, 128800

Jamtren System (Era’tran capitol)

Holloi

Sol’an knew they were at the end, but she still couldn’t believe it as she ran down from the central control building and out across a piece of the promenade to the entrance into another building as the sky was bathed with anti-air fire. The first Itaru ship…she would not call the traitors V’kit’no’sat…had been caught off guard by the ‘abandoned’ facility and forced down in the nearby jungle. The Zen’zat defense team had then intercepted and terminated the survivors, but hours later more troop transports had arrived to replace them. Too many for the defenses to hold out against.

The main turret was unopposed, as the transports were coming in low and mostly skimming beneath its field of fire up to the western ridgeline that was shielding them. There they were depositing an assortment of infantry from the Zak’de’ron servants, which the Zen’zat were harassing as best they could as they approached the facility to give Sol’an time to get Tu’vac out of here.

There was no way to carry his pod. She was going to have to revive him and take their chances. He wasn’t ready. Far from it. But this was the only play they had left. His survival was paramount, but the female Era’tran didn’t think their odds were winnable. Still, she had to try.

Sol’an moved through the large corridors quickly, slapping her tail a few times on the abrupt corners she was running around until the Era’tran came to the locked doors to the lab where Tu’vac was being held. She input the access codes telepathically then pressed her skull against the doors to register a genetic sample. When she pulled back the doors parted, giving her access to a small, but very high end genetics laboratory the like of which existed nowhere else in Era’tran territory.

Standing in null gravity inside a clear capsule Tu’vac floated in an upright position. He was kept in partial stasis as Sol’an painstakingly tried to revive his mind one cell at a time over the previous two centuries, and while much had been accomplished she needed at least an additional third to get him stable. She estimated 450 years until full recovery of remaining affected tissues, leaving him woefully unprepared for what he was about to face.

Sol’an triggered the revival process and activated the restriction fields, and as was typical Tu’vac thrashed around violently as he woke, fighting an unseen battle or just random actions as his brain tried to reassert itself with so many blocks intact. She’d never figured out which was the case.

“Tu’vac calm down and be still!” she said while also sending as much telepathic tranquility as she could. “You are alive but in danger. Focus on the moment and regain your sanity.”

The thrashing stopped immediately, to the surprise of Sol’an. That had never happened before, but then again she had never said those words, for before today they were not in danger. Perhaps he responded better to that stimuli.

“Where am I?” he asked groggily, his head twitching as it always did as he tried to access locked portions of his brain.

“You are in a Zor’do. You suffered light brain damage that we believe is curable without wiping your memories. The afflicted areas are currently locked down while we isolate and repair them manually, but there is no time for that. This facility is under attack and if you are not able to flee you will be left here to die. Pull yourself together Era’tran. We must move now while the Zen’zat buy us time.”

“Who is attacking?” he asked, trying to move against the force fields unsuccessfully.

“Much has happened since you were injured. The Zak’de’ron have allied with the independent Oso’lon and J’gar, and they are warring on the V’kit’no’sat. We are on Holloi and they currently have an invasion force on the planet, but their progress is slow. Unfortunately their initial landing point was in this region of the planet, and now their forces are upon us. We must move. Do you have enough control of your body to stand?”

“Release me and we will find out,” Tu’vac said stoicly, then