“Well, do not get too excited yet … I can hear you, but I cannot see you through all these vines.”
I can barely get my large shoulders up into the main floor, with MeK and BuK standing there. Reaching out, I gently push on the vines, only to realize they have hardened.
“Vedece, this is HaL. I was the one talking to you outside. You said KyT is not responsive? Can you tell us what happened? I do not want to tear these vines out of the way until I know more.”
“We were out collecting what KyT called Redspore vines when he suddenly tensed up. He scared the life out of me when he grabbed me in his arms and started running. I kept asking him what was wrong, but all I was getting were one-word answers.Saying I became speechless when suddenly this tree opened up from the bottom, is an understatement.
KyT finally set me down, but only to secure the door we’d just walked through, then he motioned for me to go up the ramp where you are now. He started stumbling around, and his words were slurred like he was drunk. I tried to get him to sit down, but he just pushed past me, checking all the doors up here, while I followed behind, confused about what just happened. I thought maybe he’d seen something that scared him that I didn’t, but right before this place became a living jungle, he told me that I was safe and to stay here until someone came. I thought he was going to leave until I saw the leaves falling off his head and his normally dark skin seemed like it was being drained of its vitality. He was practically wilting right in front of me.
KyT backed up against the wall and closed his eyes, and I swear I watched the ship’s walls pull him in. I’d just noticed ice hitting the windows when suddenly vines started pushing out of KyT’s sides and the floors. Within an hour, this entire place was engulfed in the forest you see now. I’ve been able to watch the landscape change through the cracks, and it took me a little while to put it all together, but the cold zapped him, just like the Timbers around us. Somehow, he sensed the change coming and was doing his best to get me to safety.
Luckily, after this jungle formed, I was able to find the replicator, the bathroom, and a bed in this area. I haven’t been uncomfortable, just confused and lonely. I tried my comm unit several times, but it seemed like nothing could get out. I thought it was because of these vines, but the longer KyT remains like this, the thicker the vines and branches are getting. I’m terrified he won’t be able to pull out of this if it doesn’t warm up soon.”
BuK tries to gently push the vines apart, but they will not budge. “Vedece, I think he is in some sort of hibernation. He was hurt once in training and to heal, his body formed a cocoon around him, like this one. This looks similar, just larger, probably because he was trying to protect you both. The Timbers probably warned him that a deep freeze was coming, and he knew this was the safest place for both of you.”
“Can you guys help him?”
“I am not sure we will not hurt him if we force our way in.”
I turn toward BuK, “You have any ideas?”
“I am clueless. KyT never talked about his homeworld much when we were training together. As I said earlier, I watched him cocoon himself after he was hurt once, but after that, we were put in different areas, and I only saw him in passing until we were both assigned here.”
MeK, always being the voice of reason, intervenes. “Maybe we should ask Vedece what she wants to do.”
“Vedece, do you want us to open an area where you can get out, or do you want us to leave you in there?”
“I don’t like feeling trapped, but I don’t want to hurt him either. Do you think he will awaken on his own? And just what happened out there? I felt like I was the only person left in the world because it was so quiet.”
“The nebula spat out half a planet, and Etherium’s gravity pulled it into its orbit. Thankfully, it simply floated right through Etherium’s many moons, but while it was doing that, it blocked its warmth. It threw Ethra into a deep freeze in just half a rotation. Everyone was stuck where they were when it hit, muchlike you have been here. Thankfully, I managed to get supplies to those who needed them before anyone was lost to the cold. You and KyT were the only two we could not locate.”
“Well, thanks for comin’ to find us, HaL. From what I could see, I knew it was bad but had no clue the extent.”
BuK is fiddling with one of the smaller vines, trying to untangle it from the larger ones that are blocking us from getting in. Since patience is not what I am known for, I try a more aggressive approach. I push my arms through forcing them apart, only for large thorns to form on the branches I am trying to get through, and quickly, I find my unprotected skin stabbed and bleeding. “Frack,” I yell as I yank my arms back, pulling the long thorns out of my delicate hide in the process.
MeK tugs one out of the back of my arm to look at. “KyT’s natural defenses are engaged and he does not recognize us in this form.”
“You are the brains here. How do you propose we fix that issue?”
MeK stands there for a moment, looking around. “BuK, you and KyT are the closest brothers. Take this and prick the end of your finger, then wipe the blood onto this limb. Let us see what happens.”
BuK does just what MeK tells him, and within seconds, we see the vines start to move out of the way. BuK ducks under one of the larger limbs, but just as I begin to go through, I suddenly find myself being lifted off the ground, my legs and arms quickly subdued as I hang, tangled up in midair.
MeK, who is still standing on the ramp, turns his head, trying to hide his laughter. Jerking my arm loose, I reach down, snapping one of the vines holding my leg, only for the little female to yell.“Stop! You’re hurting him, can’t you see the blood coming out of every branch or vine you break?”
“Do you have any suggestions little female, other than me simply staying like this until KyT returns to himself? This is not exactly comfortable, you know.”
“Here, let me see if we can simply untangle you.” Not thinking, MeK steps through only to find himself wrapped up just as tightly as I am.
I cannot stop the snarl that escapes my lips when BuK starts laughing openly. “Oh, how I wish I could capture this on a holopad for all the others to see.”
“Instead of laughing at us, maybe you should be trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess without hurting KyT any further.”
The small, dark human female steps closer, looking up at me. “Let me try something.” Her tiny fingers start separating the vines, and sure enough, the moment she tugs on one, it loosens. Quicker than I would have thought, she has me completely untangled, but I do not move, unwilling to be wrapped up like that again. Once she has me out, she heads toward MeK, who has remained a lot calmer than I have this entire time. Once she has both of us out, she steps back, looking us over.
“There, no harm done besides a few minor scratches, but I wouldn’t venture any further inside yet. In this form, KyT doesn’t know who’s his friend or his foe, and I think he’s just reacting.”
The entire ship seems to shudder, and the heat starts increasing to the point where I am suddenly extremely uncomfortable, andI realize it is time for me to go before it becomes dangerous for me. I reach out and gently touch the small female’s arm.
