Project - Prometheus Ch. 09

"Oh, go ahead and laugh," Korsa grunted sourly. The ladies all guffawed almost at the same time, letting their mirth run wild. Their laughter subsided as they all filed in and gawked at the scene before them. Luminia however, cried out in dismay and cowered behind Inari at the sight of Shazza.

"Tsur'shak!!!" she screamed in terror while she trembled behind the merchant captain.

"Lumi! What's wrong?" Korsa asked gently. The Artucian woman didn't reply but continued to stare in horror at the unconscious woman that lay upon the bed. "Wait... did you call her a... 'Tsur'shak'?"

"Light Eater!" Lumi breathed in a quavering voice. Korsa then made the connection between the woman's fear and what she was staring at.

"You're saying that this woman here," Korsa gestured to Shazza, "is a part of the race that nearly destroyed your people?"

Luminia nodded vigorously as she continued to stare at the black-skinned figure that lay immobile upon the bed. Korsa walked behind Inari and held out her hands for Lumi to take. Tentatively, she put her hands in the doctor's and guided her out, then towards the bed. Luminia squeaked in alarm and made to pull away but Korsa held firm and pulled her along.

"It's all right. She's unconscious and can't hurt anyone. See?" Korsa made a show of this by waving her hands over the prone woman, even flicking her nose and ears. Shazza didn't so much as flinch, which put Lumi at ease to a degree and she let Korsa take her closer. Moments later, she right next to the bed, still fearful, but she had got her quivering under control, as Korsa went about her business, checking Shazza's vitals.

"How did one come aboard this ship? I thought only your kind... hooomans... was aboard?" she asked with more confidence than she felt.

"That was because she had figured out a way to override a stasis pod when their kind attacked the ship," Alex put in as he walked into the room. Some of the women started with this announcement but calmed at the sound of his voice. The big man walked on inside and stood opposite Lumi, staring down at the alien woman.

"How did she do that?"

"My guess is that the virus that her people uploaded, tampered with the personnel roster. The Sentries were slow to respond to the attack but turned the tide against them. She probably jumped into one as her people were being taken down," the young captain explained.

"That is something I can confirm as correct, Captain. The virus tampered with the personnel roster. I surmised that the initial plan was to take the ship, rather than destroy it," Jaesa said as she materialized on a small holopad by the door.

The Artucian woman nodded at his explanation and couldn't help but get herself a good eyeful of the man. He was still in the borrowed clothing he'd taken from the Hermes, but he looked... delectable. Though it was all working clothes, he still looked good in them. There was also the fact that because of his size and shape, it seemed tight in certain places, of which Luminia was pleased.

She averted her gaze as quickly as she had started it as Lumi knew that he was mated to Natalya. Still that didn't mean that she couldn't get herself a good look at the man from time to time. Although he wasn't Artucian, he had a rugged handsomeness and masculinity that she found very appealing. There was also the fact he had literally destroyed several prominent warriors among the Yahk'shurt and had caused Vahlteim to soil himself at his rage.

"Truth be told, I'm not surprised that what you called 'Light Eaters' are in fact the Xuul'khan. It seems that they've been destroying civilizations for a long time. Ours and Korsa's, were among their victims," he informed Lumi. She then gaped at both him and the doctor, amazed that their people had survived.

"Were they beaten?" she asked with a note of wonder in her voice.

"They were driven back, yes," Nats chimed in. "I have the whole history behind the Black Crusade of the Xuul'khan, if you'd like to read it."

"I very much would!" Lumi enthused, almost jumping for joy. To hear that the Light Eaters of legend and myth could be killed and most of all, beaten, filled her in a surge of hope! That if beings of such great power could be overcome, then anything was possible!

"So, why is she here?" Lumi queried.

"Because she is sick and needs help," Korsa explained.

"But she is a Tsur'shak! She has done many things that would send her to the Darklands! Why do you tend her?" Luminia asked, not understanding.

"Because it is my oath as a Doctor, to do no harm and to help all those that I can, even if they are my enemy," Korsa told the woman. She then went into a detailed explanation of her code of ethics and morality. She also explained about her honor as both physician and warrior. How it would be dishonorable to just let this woman die if she could be helped.

"There is also the fact, that I believe that she is different from the rest of the Xuul'khani race," Korsa finished.

"What exactly do you mean, different? Different how?" Kasumi piped up.

"What she said," Alex chimed in, which earned him a few giggles from the assembled women.

"One thing you need to learn about Khontarans is that we have fantastic memories. During my time growing up, I learned about my people's history and how we fought against the Xuul'khan. There was much in the manner of documented footage about their behavior, in battle and outside of it. There is almost nothing in the manner of curiosity or emotion from them, just pure hatred. This woman," she indicated Shazza, "is different."

"I can attest to that," Alex put in. "When I was trying to speak to her, she was silent, but seemed to be... curious. Both about the food I brought and about me. The way she stared at me was almost as though she was studying me, but I could sense that it wasn't in a malicious manner."

"I echo that sentiment sir. I got a similar vibe from her when I went to bring her food and question her. There was even a part where she was... playful, in a manner," Kasumi stated.

"How so, Commander?"

Kas then relayed the encounter where Shazza stuck her tongue out at her and how she ate her food, which surprised everyone.

"Jaesa, do you have the feed recorded?" Alex asked.

"Yes sir, bringing it up right now," the friendly AI chirped before activating a nearby holo emitter. Once the display was up, the recording was uploaded and played. Seeing how Shazza was eating her food was almost laughable and the array of emotions on her face was almost human.

"I know that look. That's a 'Stop your laughing, I'm hungry!' look," Nats giggled as she saw the event that Kas had described.

"Indeed! This just goes to confirm my theory that Shazza is different. How or why, I don't know, but I would like to get the chance to find out, if it's possible," Korsa stated. The machines behind her pinged, getting her attention. She walked on up to them, going over the findings and results that the equipment had displayed. Her optimistic smile went to a worried look almost instantly, and she double checked the results, before heaving a defeated sigh.

"Doc, is everything all right?" Pree wondered, going up to her friend.

"No, it's not. I ran various diagnostic scans on the patient and the results aren't good," she said sorrowfully.

"How bad is it?" Natalya asked.

"Physically, she's fine and she should be recovering easily, but her Alpha, Theta and Delta waves aren't showing much promise. It's almost as though her mind is shutting down but there is no discernible trauma to her brain. I don't understand what exactly is happening to her and it irks me that there is no explanation," Korsa huffed in frustration. "Simply put, she is dying."

"You'll figure it out Mama. You always do, don't you?" Natalya asked.

"Usually, yeah, but this has me completely stumped. I'm going to try to figure out why, but so far, I've got nothing to go on," Korsa replied. "The best I can do right now is try to make her as comfortable as possible, while I try to figure this out."

"I'm sorry Luminia! I completely forgot about why you are here! Let's find another room so that I can perform the exams I need to do!" Korsa said while facepalming herself. Lumi giggled at this and left with Korsa, with everyone filing out behind the two women. As they walked out, and a small squad of Sentries arrived and stopped right in front of Alex.

"Right on time! RK-ten-twenty-one and twenty-two, you two will stand guard at the entry point of this room. Twenty-three and twenty-four, step inside and keep watch over the prisoner. Set up for stunning and wounding actions if necessary. Ensure that no harm comes to Doctor Korsa or anyone else who is a guest or part of the crew," Alex commanded.

The Sentries bleeped an affirmative noise before saluting the captain. He saluted back, and they all moved to their assigned positions. Smiling, he turned back to the women that were clustered around him.

"Is that really necessary sir?" Inari wondered.

"For the moment, yes. Considering the attack that both the Commander and Doctor faced, I want to be certain that this isn't just some ploy or anything. Experience has taught me to err on the side of caution," he stated. Inari didn't like it, but the captain was just looking out for her friend, so she let it slide.

"Since we still have some daylight left everyone, take the rest of the day to do what you like," Alex said. "I'd say we've all earned it."

"Thank you, sir!" the women chorused. With that, Alex left to head back up to the Officer's deck while the rest of the women dispersed.

"Is there a workout studio on board Kasumi? If so, I could really stand to hit the weights," Nats said.

"I could go for a workout myself," Kas said smirking. "Follow me and I'll take you there"

"I'm going to head off and relax a little in my new digs. See ya!" Talon said as she bounded away, heading for the monorail station. With that, all three women walked away from the group, heading off to their respective activities. This just left Pree and Inari in the group as everyone else was engaged.

"Jaesa, could you guide us to Hydroponics please? I'd like to see if it's as bountiful as Nats said it is," Inari called out.

"Absolutely ladies! If you'll follow my instructions, I will take you there," Jaesa instructed.

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Korsa was busy operating the various machinery in a similar, yet separate room from where Shazza was being kept. Luminia lay on an observation bed as the machinery did its work and scanned the woman's physiology. Korsa's eyes were glued to readouts that were being displayed as she saw many similarities between the Artucian woman and many other carbon based life forms.

"Scans are done, and they have found nothing. You are officially cleared medically, and you can get off the bed now," Korsa said as she was still going over the results.

"Do I have to? It's so comfortable here! I could fall asleep on this and never want to wake up!" Luminia pouted.

"Fine, you can stay there if you want for a bit," Korsa chuckled. "Or, you could ask Jaesa to take you down to where Inari and Priya have gone. From what she's told me, they've gone to Hydroponics, where the food we grow is kept."

Hearing that, Lumi jumped off the bed and called out to the AI.

"Jaesa, can you hear me?"

"Perfectly and clearly Luminia," the AI said as it materialized on a holo emitter. It still amazed Lumi every time she saw the intelligence do that, despite having seen it nearly a dozen times so far. "Do you wish to go to Hydroponics and see what lies there?"

"Yes, please!" the alien woman begged. Giggling, the AI directed Luminia out of the room and guided her out of the Med Bay. Korsa was still going over her findings with the scans of Luminia and the woman's physiology. There was a lot of data to disseminate and correlate with other recorded species, but the most glaring differences jumped out at her.

Firstly, was how Luminia could breathe Talemkha's air and not have to worry about ice build up in her lungs. A microscopic filtration mesh that existed in both her nasal cavity and her esophagus solved that particular issue. The mesh would catch and trap the ice crystals, leaving them to sit in her body and be melted by its intense heat. Internally, Lumi also ran much hotter than most species, sitting at around forty-seven degrees Celsius. This also explained why Luminia, and her people had a much higher tolerance for withstanding cold climates.

Then there were other aspects to consider, such as the second set of eyes and the third nostril. The nasal cavity of the Artucian was complex, allowing them to filter out and discern smells much better than most species on record. It was no wonder why the warriors they took with them to the Dead Snows, seemed on edge. She didn't doubt that they could probably have smelled the Tash'kuun beasts as they drew near.

The second pair of eyes was another interesting adaptation. It allowed Lumi to see at greater field of view than most other species. Many of the various races had two, sometimes three eyes. But they were usually forward facing and only gave a field of view of one hundred and fourteen to one hundred and twenty degrees. The way Luminia's eyes were set, allowed her field of vision to reach a little over two hundred and ten degrees!

There was a lot of data to comb through and Korsa would be busy for a while yet. Although, she kept a viewscreen on Shazza in the other room, to see if anything would have changed. Still nothing had, and the Sentries stayed at their posts, as the captain had ordered them to. Korsa walked from one machine to another and noted that her armor was chafing her a bit. Having worn nothing else since she was taken captive, she called out to Jaesa, hoping to remedy the situation.

"Jaesa, is there anything aboard that might fit me?" Korsa asked aloud. "Although I enjoy walking around in nothing but my skin, I would like to maintain a sense of decency among the crew."

"There is nothing, but I will have some clothing crafted for you immediately. Was there anything in particular you wanted?" the friendly AI asked.

"A few pairs of bras and panties, a proper set of medical scrubs and comfortable running shoes will do for now. Thank you!" Korsa said.

"No problem at all! They should be ready for you within an hour," Jaesa responded.

With that issue handled, Korsa went back to her study of Luminia's physique. Despite her heavy workload of breaking down Artucian physiology, somehow, she would get to the bottom of why Shazza was dying and if she could do anything to save her.

*********************************

Both Inari and Pree were taking a nice and leisurely stroll through the Hydroponics deck, awed at what lay about. Before coming here, Inari had divested herself of her armor and switched back to proper everyday clothing. She went up the quarters that Alex had been kind enough to assign them, to don some much cleaner clothes. Pree had switched to a cleaner set of clothing, having stunk up her old clothes with sweat, blood and gore.

They had already gone through a few of the different sections of the place and had taken some samples of fruit as they passed through. Pree was busy enjoying a handful of strawberries, her most favorite fruit and relishing in the taste. Inari was similarly going through a handful of cherries she'd picked and was pocketing the seeds.

Not far behind them, they heard rapid footfalls of someone trying to catch them. Both women whirled and were relieved to see that it was just Luminia, who was just as dumbstruck at the greenery she found. Hey yellow eyes flashed at the sheer amounts of edible plant life she spotted, and Lumi looked like she was about to burst at the seams, there was so much to do and see!

"Inari! Priya! This place is just......" Lumi started but words failed her as she stared about, awestruck.

"You got that right!" Inari chuckled. "Cherry?"

Lumi turned her attention to the fruit that lay in the older woman's palm and smiled. She carefully picked one of them and eyed it with great interest. She then licked the outside of the little orb and smacked her lips.

"There is some taste there, but nothing that tastes as sweet as it smells," Luminia said.

"That's because you have to bite into the damn thing silly! But be careful, as there is a sizeable seed in the center," Inari told her.

Nodding, Luminia then bit into the deep red fruit and her eyes flashed open in delight. As the juices and texture of the cherry played across her tongue, she moaned in appreciation. She'd never had eaten something so sweet and delectable before! Though tempted to devour the whole thing, she took her time, as her teeth had located the seed.

Using her teeth, she held onto it before popping the rest of the cherry into her mouth. As she chewed, she eyed the seed she had pulled and looked to Inari in question. The older woman had a small cup in hand, which contained the seeds of cherries she'd already eaten. Smiling, Lumi dropped it in the cup before turning her attention to the strawberries that Pree held.

"What are those called?"

"Strawberries. They have seeds too, but too small to worry about. You eat the whole thing, except for the green part," Priya offered her newfound friend.

Nodding, Lumi took one of the proffered berries and ate it the way she was told. The explosion of flavor in her mouth caught her off guard! It wasn't as strong as the cherry was, but equally flavorful and sweet, with its own subtle taste. Again, Lumi moaned in delight at the taste of the raw fruit and cast her eyes about, looking for other things to sample.

"I want to try everything here! What about those?" she wondered before taking off for a lemon tree.

"Luminia, wait!" Inari called after her, before breaking into a run to catch her. Though it was too late as the blue-skinned woman had already taken a lemon right off the tree and tore it in half. She bit into one half of the lemon before Inari could stop her and her face screwed up and pinched itself at the sourness of the lemon!

Lumi's eyes went cross-eyed, before twitching and darting every which way. Inari tried not to laugh at the absurd look on her face but failed utterly as she wound up giggling out the side of her mouth. Priya had erupted into full belly shaking laughter and was rolling on the floor laughing.

"You could have told me it was sour!" Lumi huffed while still making weird faces at the sourness of the lemon.

"I tried to tell you, but you rushed off and bit into the damn thing before I could say anything! So, this one is your fault!" Inari stated torn between being exasperated and amused.

"I guess I'll ask about what everything tastes like from now on," Luminia grumbled good-naturedly.

"That would be the wisest course of action," Inari agreed, snickering.

"I would second that opinion," Jaesa's voice came in over the intercom. "And if you are quite finished with your mirth Priya, I'm sure that both women present would like you to join them."

Pree, who had been laughing so hard until she wheezed, finally picked herself up from the ground. After dusting her clothes off, she jogged over to where the ladies were waiting and Lumi was still shaking off the sour taste of the lemon. She stifled a snort before taking a couple of deep breaths to stop herself from laughing again.

"So, now that you've learned your lesson about tasting things you do not know, would you like to join us in our search?" Inari asked the Artucian woman.

"What are we searching for?" she asked.

"Certain plants and spices, as I am looking to make dinner tonight. With a ship full of such fine and fresh ingredients, I think I will be able to make a very good account of myself," she told the young woman.

"What were you thinking?" Pree asked, her eyes sparkling in excitement.