Bait and Switch Ch. 15

Summer remained cool, despite my heat, and gave me a patronizing look.

"You mean to tell me that you feel guilty for defending yourself? Nick, snap out of it! They were going to kill you, and if not you, then me, mom, Gina... all of us. Don't feel sorry for what you had to do. Be glad you were able to do it."

Her words helped, but I still felt guilty. "I barely stopped them. It was just one small ship, a scout, and it took everything I had to stop them. How am I going to stop an entire fleet?"

She threw her leg over my waist, and my switches blossomed more in my mind. "You won't," she told me. "We will," and I knew what she was getting at. We would have to be together during the battle.

Only I really hoped it wouldn't become a battle.

* * *

"Nick," the fear in Summer's voice woke me, "where are we?"

I looked around, and was surprised to see that I was on Lela's ship. I wasn't so much surprised that I was here, but that my sister was right next to me, still naked. Lela had never brought me here when I was with someone, and definitely not brought someone else with me.

"You wanted to know about the alien? Let's go meet her," I said, trying to sound confidant. I stood, and took her hand in mine. Her grip was strong, and despite how easily she had accepted everything earlier, I could tell she was scared now. I remembered how afraid I had been at first, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

'Why did you bring Summer?' I mentally asked Lela.

'What she said was true. You will need her to stop the demons.'

The doorway opened up, and I walked Summer into the pitch black rectangle. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the red light, and then continued on, but Summer remained rooted where she stood.

"Nick, I can't see," her voice quavered, and I looked to see terror in her eyes.

"Relax, Summer. I can see just fine. I promise no one is going to hurt you," I reassured her. I could see her nod, and I wrapped my arms around her bare flesh, hugging her tight to me, as we walked along the suspended walkway.

'She will need the nanites, too. Make sure she is quiet when you walk in. I have an applicator ready in here,' came Lela's mental words.

I stopped where we were, and spoke to my sister. "When we get there, I will have to give you the nanites; the same tiny machines that allow me to see in this light. You will be able to see, and after a few seconds, we will be able to send messages to each other." I gave her a serious look, before I remembered she couldn't see me. "Once we walk into that room, you can't say a word. Make as little noise as possible."

She nodded, but asked, "Why?"

"She is incubating... her... children," I almost messed up and said, 'our children.'

"So, there will be more aliens up here?" She asked, and I was glad to see she was starting to relax. I wondered how much of that was because in our minds, we could both see Lela sitting on her cylinder.

"Yeah," I told her uncomfortably. "Now be quiet, and don't make a noise. They are sensitive to light and sound."

Summer nodded, and we walked in. I hoped that Summer handled the nanites better than I did at first, and hoped that she was able to stay quiet.

I needn't have worried though, as Lela directed me to a separate room, where the nanites waited. As soon as we walked in, a door closed silently behind us.

"We are actually in a different room now," I told her. "Brace yourself, these don't feel very good at first."

I didn't wait for a reply, before grabbing up the instrument, and injecting the tiny robots into her thigh.

She yelped, and grabbed the spot where I had injected her. I could see her veins change colors as the things entered her bloodstream, and spread out.

"Oh, gawd, it feels like fire," Summer moaned.

I stepped up to her, and hugged her tight to me, knowing that she would be okay once it was done. Her arms squeezed me tight in return, and I held her until it was over.

I mentally told her to think her words to me.

'Like this?' her words appeared before my eyes, and I nodded, knowing that she could see me now. 'Why is everything red?' she asked next.

'I have been thinking on that. I think the nanites allow us to see into the infrared, but it appears red to us.' She seemed to accept that explanation. 'Are you ready to meet Lela?'

When she nodded, the doorway opened, and we walked into the other room.