just wore
a singlet. These clothes she had had all her life. She’d noted she
couldn’t have made them from any animal she had ever come across,
but she had never asked Aerlid where his and her clothes came
from.
Davi turned back and measured the fat of her
shoulder. Little.
‘Alright, now go stand over there.’ he
pointed and Riley moved to stand on a red line marked on the
floor.
Davi moved back to the cupboard, replaced
the tools and got out the energy weapon. He changed the settings
and moved to his position.
He raised the weapon. For a moment it
hovered at her face. Then he lowered it to her shoulder. Pulled the
trigger.
There was a zap and hiss, the smell of
burning flesh. The girl’s mouth opened in an ‘o’, her eyes wide.
She was very still. Then she began shaking.
Davi looked at her in shock. Straight
through. He could see the wall through the hole-no more than a
centimetre across- in her shoulder.
Aerlid, sickened, asked, ‘is that all?’
Davi nodded. Aerlid moved to Riley and
touched her other shoulder carefully. ‘It’s alright now. It’s
alright…’
Davi, his fear gone, moved towards the
cupboard. He replaced the weapon and got out some medical supplies.
He’d almost been…he chuckled to himself, he’d almost been expecting nothing . He’d thought the gun would not hurt her. He didn’t
know why but that was what he’d thought.
He turned back to the pair. There was no
blood- the flesh was seared shut. ‘Alright, I’ll just patch that up
for you. You’ll have a big scar, perhaps some difficulty moving it,
perhaps not.’
‘That’s the last test?’ Aerlid asked, his
voice wobbling in his effort to stay calm.
Davi did not notice. He nodded. ‘Yes. Go on
back to Ingia and fill out some forms, and then you’ll be starting
your new life in Astar!’
Chapter 7
Filling out those forms felt like something
out of a nightmare. Riley could barely move from shock and pain.
Aerlid was straining at the leash. He needed to heal her. He needed
to gut that monster of a tester. Why was this woman explaining
credit repayment schedules to him?!
It was something of a miracle they got
through those forms without Aerlid threatening anybody. They rented
an apartment. He was given a loan which he would have to pay back,
and a probationary job at a clinic. If he didn’t meet the standards
of the clinic he would have to go to the bureau of something or
other to get another job. A school for Riley was organized.
Leaflets were handed out. Aerlid thought he was going to bite his
tongue in two. Riley sat on the floor, her back against the wall.
The only reason Aerlid got through it was that one hand was lightly
touching her head and that was enough, just enough, to start
healing her.
‘You’ll pass through Garrondin before coming
to Astar.’ the lady was saying. Aerlid struggled to pay attention,
this at least was important.
‘It’s a village full of gemengs, they won’t
bother you though. They’re part of the defence network, so you
needn’t be afraid, just go straight through.’
‘…huh?’ Aerlid said stupidly.
She explained slowly. ‘They’re part of
Astar’s defence system. They’re provided with gemeng weapons by
Astar, not human ones. They won’t bother you, so you can go
straight through the village without any trouble.’
Aerlid nodded slowly. ‘Yes, I understand.’
he managed. ‘Please keep going.’
She finished giving him directions, and a
map, then it was done. Finally done. He gathered Riley into his
arms, trying to be careful of that terrible hole in her shoulder.
He walked slowly, barely aware of his surroundings. Riley slept in
his arms as he made his way through forest, Garrondin, more forest,
then past a wall. Then he was inside Astar. It all passed in a
blur. He had directions, and he was determined and careful. Should
he get lost that was more time wasted that he needed to spend
fixing her shoulder. So it was that he made it to their apartment
complex
a singlet. These clothes she had had all her life. She’d noted she
couldn’t have made them from any animal she had ever come across,
but she had never asked Aerlid where his and her clothes came
from.
Davi turned back and measured the fat of her
shoulder. Little.
‘Alright, now go stand over there.’ he
pointed and Riley moved to stand on a red line marked on the
floor.
Davi moved back to the cupboard, replaced
the tools and got out the energy weapon. He changed the settings
and moved to his position.
He raised the weapon. For a moment it
hovered at her face. Then he lowered it to her shoulder. Pulled the
trigger.
There was a zap and hiss, the smell of
burning flesh. The girl’s mouth opened in an ‘o’, her eyes wide.
She was very still. Then she began shaking.
Davi looked at her in shock. Straight
through. He could see the wall through the hole-no more than a
centimetre across- in her shoulder.
Aerlid, sickened, asked, ‘is that all?’
Davi nodded. Aerlid moved to Riley and
touched her other shoulder carefully. ‘It’s alright now. It’s
alright…’
Davi, his fear gone, moved towards the
cupboard. He replaced the weapon and got out some medical supplies.
He’d almost been…he chuckled to himself, he’d almost been expecting nothing . He’d thought the gun would not hurt her. He didn’t
know why but that was what he’d thought.
He turned back to the pair. There was no
blood- the flesh was seared shut. ‘Alright, I’ll just patch that up
for you. You’ll have a big scar, perhaps some difficulty moving it,
perhaps not.’
‘That’s the last test?’ Aerlid asked, his
voice wobbling in his effort to stay calm.
Davi did not notice. He nodded. ‘Yes. Go on
back to Ingia and fill out some forms, and then you’ll be starting
your new life in Astar!’
Chapter 7
Filling out those forms felt like something
out of a nightmare. Riley could barely move from shock and pain.
Aerlid was straining at the leash. He needed to heal her. He needed
to gut that monster of a tester. Why was this woman explaining
credit repayment schedules to him?!
It was something of a miracle they got
through those forms without Aerlid threatening anybody. They rented
an apartment. He was given a loan which he would have to pay back,
and a probationary job at a clinic. If he didn’t meet the standards
of the clinic he would have to go to the bureau of something or
other to get another job. A school for Riley was organized.
Leaflets were handed out. Aerlid thought he was going to bite his
tongue in two. Riley sat on the floor, her back against the wall.
The only reason Aerlid got through it was that one hand was lightly
touching her head and that was enough, just enough, to start
healing her.
‘You’ll pass through Garrondin before coming
to Astar.’ the lady was saying. Aerlid struggled to pay attention,
this at least was important.
‘It’s a village full of gemengs, they won’t
bother you though. They’re part of the defence network, so you
needn’t be afraid, just go straight through.’
‘…huh?’ Aerlid said stupidly.
She explained slowly. ‘They’re part of
Astar’s defence system. They’re provided with gemeng weapons by
Astar, not human ones. They won’t bother you, so you can go
straight through the village without any trouble.’
Aerlid nodded slowly. ‘Yes, I understand.’
he managed. ‘Please keep going.’
She finished giving him directions, and a
map, then it was done. Finally done. He gathered Riley into his
arms, trying to be careful of that terrible hole in her shoulder.
He walked slowly, barely aware of his surroundings. Riley slept in
his arms as he made his way through forest, Garrondin, more forest,
then past a wall. Then he was inside Astar. It all passed in a
blur. He had directions, and he was determined and careful. Should
he get lost that was more time wasted that he needed to spend
fixing her shoulder. So it was that he made it to their apartment
complex
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