Chp. 4: Broken Vessel

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Attending to half of the ship at once made The Nurse an incredibly busy droid. Without her, few of Astrocruiser's inhabitants likely could have survived so long. Their journey through the border had been anything other than smooth sailing, and with all of the clutter infesting the ship it was a wonder that everyone wasn't under her care at this time.

The moment that The Nurse saw Royal and Syfer carrying Rake from the med-bay window she dropped everything and rushed to them with such velocity that her initial movements were a blur.

The Nurse was a sentient droid, preferring to take on more of a feminine appearance. She quickly grabbed Rake with a multitude of her spindly-arms, carefully wrapping them underneath his seemingly lifeless body. She then rushed him through the med-bay, taking time to occasionally poking one of her patients with a syringe on her pathway to a more isolated area.

Once they were in the sealed-off sector of the med-bay, she placed Rake lightly on a metal operating table located in the middle of the lab-like vicinity. Royal and Syfer loomed closely behind The Nurse, overwhelmingly desperate to catch a glimpse of their commander taking in another breath.

"Out, out!" she shouted as soon as she realized they were still following, her voice barely distinguishable from any other ordinary sentient being. She ejected a number of the spindly-arms from her body, each crawling outside of the door to attend to the other remaining patients. Soon the med-bay was crawling with a number of her spare appendages.

After slamming Rake in the chest to force him to take in another breath, she gazed down upon him, carefully evaluating his wounds. "You are not severely injured, but you are a savior to nearly every member of this crew, including myself. Therefore, I give you special attention." She continued scanning him with multiple beams of light coming out of her singular visor-for-an-eye.

Rake groaned, cleary in a great deal of pain as his breathing became more normal. Her arms surrounded him, and soon began applying a variety of ointments. "You are going to be just fine, Rake." She continued treating his wounds, as he lay there silently writhing in pain.

...

Hours passed. Syfer and Royal waited outside of the room, sick to their stomachs. "Do you think he's going to be okay?" Royal asked, on the verge of sobbing their eyes out.

"I'm sure he's going to be fine. It didn't look like he was all that injured when we were carrying him," Syfer responded, not all that sure of himself as he spoke.

"It's just, he's the first person that accepted me for who I am. He never even asked me what I was, whether I was male or female, just sort of called me by neutral terms until he came to realize that's what I preferred." Royal began outright bawling, ready to turn the floor beneath them into a river.

"It's gonna be okay," Syfer awkwardly hugged Royal from the side, unsure of what to do or say.

"You know, I don't think there's a single one of us that fits any version of normal," Syfer paused, "I think the longer anyone is with Rake, the more screwed up their version of normal gets. In fact, the thought of normal is kind of ridiculous when you're in a place like this." Syfer lifted his arm up, motioning all around them. "So I don't think you have to worry about any of that anymore."

What? "Thanks, Syfer." Royal feigned a weak smile, having no real clue what Syfer was getting at. While they were aware that Syfer had feelings for them, they weren't ever sure of how to process them.

"The thought of conforming just seems kind of ridiculous," Syfer kept going on and on. He felt like he was being caught up in a web of his own words, not even sure what he was saying anymore. "Anyways, I'm sure Rake's gonna be okay," he finally concluded.

This, Royal seemed to contemplate harshly. "I'm not sure I'll feel much better until I see him walking out of there on his own two feet."

"Well," Syfer thought about this himself for a short moment, "I suppose we'll just have to sit here, and wait until that happens, together." He offered Royal what was intended to be a reassuring look of confidence. In reality, it turned out to be a somewhat creepy smile. "The Nurse is pretty remarkable after all. He should be out of there in no time."

...

"Finally awake?" The Nurse's voice echoed inside of Rake's ears. "You're sure not going to like this," her voice came closer.

He could feel himself being picked up, and then descended into a liquid, bubbly substance. Once he realized he wasn't breathing, his eyes shot open. His heart began racing and his mind was overcome with visions of his past, experimented on every day he wasn't killing on command.

"Calm down, you don't want to wind up with the same scars as your brother, now do you?" The Nurse switched to a calmer tone as she spoke, taking note of his bloodshot eyes.

"Ah, yes, thank you for reminding me," The Nurse shook her head, then two of her robotic arms crept into the vat and placed a breather over the lower part of Rake's face. She then injected him with a syringe, immediately calming his nerves. Unconsciousness quickly followed.

"Rake..."

Emptiness.

The land before him was endless. Tall dark-gray tree trunks reached out into the sky, branches only beginning hundreds of feet into the air. Each of the tree's roots climbed up out of the ground, restless with the land. They moved, so slow that he could hardly conceive it.

After a while longer they slithered around, much faster. Rake began darting through the trees as they grabbed at him, trying to keep him contained.

"Rake..."

The same voice haunted him. Shadows leapt around the trees at such a velocity he could hardly perceive them. Rake continued running, and it kept following. He was vigilant, unwilling to allow his nightmare to consume him.

"Look at me."

He was no longer moving. A shadowy figure appeared before him, unseen, yet directly in front of him. Rake could make out the outline of his own body in the shadow. The figure emerged out of the shadowy cloak, revealing himself to Rake. His eyes were a brilliant violet. His skin was sickly and gray. He wore black rags, and had two diamonds horns with splotches of red sprouting out of his head of similarly unkempt black hair.

"So much hair," Rake thought to himself, but felt the words come out of his mouth instead.

"We're inside your head, nothing can be kept contained," the figure spoke with a wispy, yet demonic voice.

His hair covered his beat-like face. His hands were like claws. He bared his sharp, metallic teeth. Much like the ones that Rake himself possessed while inhabiting his true form. The dark rags covered almost all of his body, descending into drapes among his hands. He stared at Rake with cold, undead eyes. They were unwavering in their quest to pierce through his soul.

"You have been neglecting me." He continued his unblinking gaze.

"Stop this."

Rake announced, and the world froze. The roots of the trees seized their circling around them. The light no longer shifted itself through the leaves that were like skyscrapers above them.

"Rake..."

Voices echoed through his mind, growing louder. His dream world began to crumble.

"RAKE!"

Rake coughed up the vat of the substance that he had been previously submerged in. He found himself overshadowed by The Nurse, whose meticulous spindles were continuing to poke at him. Royal was beside him, holding a tray littered with a variety of medical tools.

Did they operate on me? Rake's mind began to wander off.

"Rake!" The Nurse slapped him, hastily grabbing his attention. "You have been out for approximately fifteen days, fourteen hours, twelve minutes, and fifty-two seconds. Despite our numerous attempts, we were unable to artificially wake you from whatever dream state you seemingly entered."

Rake was taking in almost nothing of what she was saying."What about my burns?" He suddenly panicked as he remembered them.

There was a part of him that despised his older brother, though he struggled to dwell on it, much less accept it. Looking like him would, however, inevitably put a thorn in his side that he could never truly get rid of. The only similarity they even shared at this point was the fact that they were both Valdorians.

"They were healed in a matter of hours. It was soon afterwards that we realized you could not be woken up," The Nurse carried on, "It has become my assumption that you were trapped in a dream-like state. Am I correct? If so, do you remember anything?" The Nurse lowered her gaze.

Rake groaned. "Not really, other than this shadowy horned figure?" He seemed unsure of himself.

The Nurse pulled up a chair, even though she really didn't need one. She pulled her spindles inward, in order to appear less threatening. The Nurse seemed indecisive, remaining still for quite some time. She occasionally forgot how differently she perceived time from ordinary people.

The Nurse got up, pulled out her spindles, and headed for a computer terminal hidden in one of the corners of the room. Occasionally one of the spindles would poke at it, or a button beside it. Glancing back towards Royal, she soon announced: "You should leave."

Hesitant at first, Royal bowed, then headed out the door. The Nurse returned to her seat, and retracted her spindles once more. "Rake," she spoke in a calming tone, one that she usually used when unveiling bad news. "You should talk to Moxin about this. I'm not certain, but I believe you could be in danger."

"These visions... trouble me. I believe that some part of you, buried deep within, is trying to escape. Please, if you remember anything else don't hesitate to tell your brother."

"Thank you." Rake grunted as he hauled himself up off of the table. The Nurse got up as well and began assisting Rake as he limped out of the medical bay. What did we ever do to deserve The Nurse?

"You may be groggy for a bit, but otherwise as far as I can tell you're perfectly okay. You are always welcome back, in sickness or in health." The Nurse released him outside.

Syfer and Royal were out there, waiting for him. Right when The Nurse released him, they wrapped themselves around him in an absolutely crushing hug.

Rake did his best to embrace them as they strolled through the halls. They chatted up a storm, mostly on Syfer and Roya's part. Meanwhile, Rake was having to assure them numerous times that he wasn't going to pass out again any time soon.

"We got really worried when you didn't wake up!" Royal was still wrapped around Rake, doubtlessly having no intention of ever letting go. There was a grim look on their face when they arrived to the captain's quarters.

"I'm fine. I promise," Rake assured them. Syfer gave no response, standing off to the side with his head down.

"What's wrong?" Rake inquired with a concerned gaze.

"Oh, nothing." Syfer gave a half-sheepish grin. Rake could see right through him, but decided to leave the matter alone.

"I'm always here if you need me." Rake patted him on the shoulder, gave Royal a wink, and then entered his room alone.

...

"Moxin?" Rake knocked on his brother's door.

"What is it?" Moxin growled irritably.

"We need to talk." As Rake spoke he had already cracked open the door and began walking in. His brother's room was located to the side of the engine room. It was also one of the few places with a traditional door, rather than an activatable laser barrier. Moxin always said that he preferred the privacy of an actual door rather than a translucent semi-solid grid.

"What about?" Moxin got of his his hammock, rubbing his dark brown, yellowish eyes. He was taking one of his rare naps, a time best not to interrupt him. Rake strolled into the dimly lit quarters. It was full of a variety of gadgets and contraptions, most of which he couldn't even begin to guess the purpose of.

"I'm having visions," Rake walked towards Moxin's hammock. He crept beside one of the many shelves inside of the room to see his half-clothed brother continuously rubbing his eyes, still laying down.

"What of?" Moxin asked, his interest diminishing.

"Me," Rake paused, "a version of me at least. He was gray., with horns." Rake began to realize how ridiculous he sounded.

"Sounds like the ancient demons mom always told us about." Moxin tossed an object to the side, and then leaned over to look at his brother.

"Moxin." Rake paused.

"Hmm?"

"I think he was on our home planet."

"Interesting.." Moxin's voice wavered. He put on an expressionless mask as painful memories began resurfacing.

"How's the ship doing?" Rake questioned, changing the subject.

Moxin hesitated for a moment. "We have barely enough juice to get to the Spacedock, but it's a violent territory. We thought it best to remain here until you woke up."

"Thanks." Rake muttered, clutching his sides. "I'm not sure what we're supposed to do now." At this point he was barely standing.

"Are you okay?" Moxin looked concerned as he noticed the state his brother was in. It looked like the only thing holding him up was one of the tall metal shelves next to his hammock.

"I'm getting.. sleepy."

"Rake..."

...

"Are you sure about this?" He could hear his thoughts cascading against each other.

"Yes, it is necessary to discover the truth." The voice that spoke into his mind was not his own.

"Fine then, let's begin." Unconsciousness began drooling with excitement in an impatient anticipation.

Rake was seated on his queen-sized bed in his quarters. "I will prove to you who I am." The covers were splattered everywhere other than his bed. His 'trophies' were knocked down as well, adding to the clutter. Dawnblade hummed in the corner, singing the ground beneath her.

Just outside, Nex heaved a sigh, placing his head on the back of his hand, rested just beside the laser barrier. "Rake is having another conversation with himself." He peered inside the translucent barricade, able to make out nothing more than his unmoving silhouette.

Maddie stormed up to his door with a rage glistening in her eyes that rivaled even Sydni's when she was having an episode. "I'm sure that he's so lost in his own head that he can't even hear us!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, slamming her hands against the laser barrier. A singing noise could be heard with each repeated blow.

"Maddie." Nex placed his hand on her shoulder. "I miss him," she sobbed, turning towards Nex. She hugged him in a swift motion, so quickly that Nex could hardly process what was happening until it had already happened. Nex stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then embraced her.

"I don't even recognize him anymore. Nex, I miss him." Maddie shuddered, remembering what it was like when Nex told her that Rake wasn't waking up like he was supposed to. She could feel a part of him slipping from her grasp each time he fell into one of his trances.

"It's like someone else is in control of his mind." Nex echoed Maddie's own thoughts out loud. She, Nex, and Rake had been in the dining hall with a number of their crew. Then, all of the sudden, Rake became motionless. He swallowed, closed his eyes. Then, when he opened them, they were burning with a blue light. His dark brown, reddish pupils no longer visible.

Despite their best attempts, they were unable to wake him. The Nurse visited him in his room on a number of occasions; it was impractical to keep him in the med-bay in a state like this. "It is not physical, it is psychological. Therefore, I cannot do anything," The Nurse reminded them, wisely reserving the med-bay's resources for a time where they would be more needed.

He was unresponsive for what felt like ages, meanwhile Astrocruiser continued to lose power. Nex was unrelenting when he said that they were not moving without their captain.

"I wonder what goes on inside of his head." Nex observed him through the laser barrier. It may hinder vision to the naked eye, but his helmet was a miraculous piece of equipment

"Any movement?" Maddie asked, incredibly anxious.

"He hasn't budged." Nex continued peering in, wondering why he didn't think to utilize his helmet sooner.

Rake peered out into the endless terrain. There was no temperature, there was no feeling. He couldn't even feel his feet on the rocky ground.

"We need to make a move, Nex. We can't keep waiting." Maddie commented while Nex continued to peer into Rake's room.

Rake stood there, unsure of what was going on around him. He turned in all directions, seeing nothing except the rocky ground.

"I know, I just don't think I can do it without him." Nex responded, hardly breathing.

"Why else do you think he put you as his second-in-command?" Maddie asked, slightly agitated. "You're supposed to be the one to make the tough calls when he's not here."

"I'm not sure why he picked me, then." Nex responded, taking off his helmet and turning towards Maddie. She was wearing silver-clad armor, with a collar that curled up towards her neck. Her hair was in a tight bun. It was almost as if she was ready to battle at any second.

The rocks pierced his bare feet. He winced out of instinct, but felt no pain. He could see a glimmer of light in the distance. As he approached, it became apparent that it was a sword sticking out of the ground. Moments later, he came to the realization that it was Dawnblade.

"Hello, old friend," Rake picked up Dawnblade, who was vibrating with a surreal sort of energy, almost as if she were trying to tell Rake something.

"You're really an idiot, Nex," Maddie rolled her eyes. "He chose you because you're the only one he trusts completely to do what's necessary."

Dawnblade suddenly stopped humming, becoming cold and lifeless in his hands.

"While I seriously doubt that, it still doesn't make me a good choice." Nex heaved a sigh as he stared at the ground, very aware that he was overdue on making a decision. One thing Rake had drilled into his brain was to not let Moxin take over. He didn't quite understand why he wouldn't want his brother taking control in a situation like this, but the more he thought about it the more his head hurt.

"She won't respond to you," a sudden gust of wind whispered into his ear. Bat-like cloaks came out of nothing, and began encircling him top to bottom.

Rake lifted Dawnblade up, to strike them down, but she would not activate. The blade was extended, but it remained gray and lifeless.

A shadowy sword came through one of the cloaks, striking at Rake. He parried, having trouble even lifting up Dawnblade at this point. "Old friend?" Rake whispered to his blade.

The cloaks converged on each other before Rake, forming the same gray figure from his dreams. The shadowy sword lay limp in his hand, oozing with dark energy.

"Who are you?" Rake asked, struggling to hold up

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net