Unity by Carl Stubblefield (epub read online books TXT) 📕

to disturb the IV ports taped there, her eyes came open. They were glassy and vacant. Looking forward but not seeing anything.

“Mom, it’s me, Gus.” He looked her in the eyes but no recognition passed there. Who knew what medicines she was on? She was probably so zonked she didn’t know her own name.

“Dad, get in here!”

Tempest burst in and, seeing his wife, he ran to the other side of the bed.

His mouth quavered open in horror as he tried to form the words. “What have they done to you? What have I let them do?” he finally managed through a tight throat.

“She’s alive, Dad, she’s alive. That’s what matters.”

“Tempest, he got away. I don’t know how he got aboard—he must’ve used another entry—but he’s gone. I’m sorry,” Prime reported over comms.

Gus saw that his father didn’t even register the news as he slowly approached.

Gus dropped into a seat by the bedside, putting thoughts of Mengele out of his mind. He looked at his mother. She was gaunt, and just looked frail. He wondered if it was even safe to transport her in this condition with how much medical paraphernalia that she was connected to. Would the shock be too much for her?

He looked at Tempest whose emotions were having a battle across his face. Regret, worry, and anger all fought for dominance. Gus was surprised to see that worry overtook the others.

Yuki poked her head into the room. “Anything I can do?”

“Get BoJack down here. We need to get her out of here. Now,” Tempest quietly ordered in a detached voice.

Yuki nodded and began to murmur on her comms as she left, leaving the family alone again. This was not the reunion that Gus had always hoped for in his dreams. Mom was supposed to make everything better. Bridge the gaps between him and his father, and help them connect at last. He wasn’t sure what, if any, of his mother was left.

Time became drawn out. At some point, BoJack arrived, and they managed to disconnect Gwen from the multitude of monitors and equipment. Only by BoJack using his ability was he able to sustain Gwen as they made their way back to the transport. Gus barely registered the sheer number of rooms they passed with people in identical situations as his mother, wired to the gills.

Gus registered some of the other Crew but they were not impeded on their way by any of the staff as they made their way out of the hospital.

They passed another ward that was full of what looked like fetuses floating in jars, bubbles percolating in amber liquid as they were fed through a synthetic umbilicus.

Gus held the door as they slowly moved his mother through a control room filled with monitors. He stared at the screens showing all sorts of hybridization attempts, some more successful than others. Whatever Mengele was doing here, he was pushing the envelope of what had been tried before. None of it shocked Gus. He was already numb from finding his mother in basically a vegetative state, her future uncertain.

Eventually, they all were back on the ship and headed out of Hinansho at long last. If he never saw this place again it would be too soon. The medical suite on the transport was small, so Gus stayed outside while BoJack and his father tended to his mother. He stared out the window as they finally broke through the barrier and back into the sunlight. Gus took no pleasure in its simple warmth. It didn’t touch the chill that had spread to his core.

He closed his eyes and let the light shine in on his face. He could feel tears welling up and threatening to fall, and so he kept his eyes closed, willing them to go away. He had longed to feel the warmth of the light again in that dismal place, but it did little to raise his spirits or kindle his hope. Mengele was gone. Escaped scot-free to who knew where. Probably to some other hidden place where he worked his horrors on others.

There were other sanctuary cities, all of them wary of supers. He probably had bases at every one of them, working away happily, free from any interference from supers or anyone who would stop him.

A hand on his shoulder made him cough. He tried to surreptitiously wipe at the corner of an eye to wick away the extra moisture there.

“How are you doing?” Aurora asked softly.

Gus looked up at her and bit his lip. He just shook his head. If he spoke now, his voice would betray him.

“There’s still hope. I know Mengele got away, but I managed to put a tracker on his ship. It should ping any moment now to the satellite network. And it’s all because of you, Gus. If you hadn’t gifted me that crafting ability, I wouldn’t have been able to make that tracker. We can find him. I just wanted you to know. I know it looks dark right now, but don’t give up.” She turned and gave him some privacy.

Gus forced a smile and nodded.

“Thanks,” he managed to croak, voice almost breaking as he coughed and cleared his throat again to cover.

“Sure,” she said. Normally her voice was so curt and almost abrasive, but he had felt her genuine concern. Taking a series of deep breaths, he felt the emotions subside to a manageable level. The sun glistened off the ocean below as they began to bank.

Seneschal came over the comms. “Gus, can you come to the bridge? Your father wanted me to talk to you; he won’t leave your mom’s side—”

“I’ll be right there,” Gus took one last look at the expanse of blue and made his way to the cockpit.

“We have to head back, Gus. We missed some crucial communications while we were incommunicado in Hinansho and it raised some red flags. There won’t be time to drop you off at the manor, unfortunately. I think things will be okay with