Chapter 12 - Jeribsp;Psyatic Output: 300 Bio-units

  Synaptik: Unbound

  Jericho had been eager to explore the ship, but Arthros’ heavy hand pinned him to the b chair.

  “You need sleep,” Arthros growled.

  “I holy feel great.”

  Sure, his muscles were sore but he was brimming with energy. He wao bound through the halls of the spacecraft and discover the hiddes that deserved disc.

  “You need sleep,” the Hokkonian insisted.

  Jericho waue but the Hokkonian’s anding tone subdued his tongue. He waited patiently in the chair while Arthros reached into the etry.

  “What if I ’t sleep?”

  The Hokkonian’s spined head shook, “You think I’m going to spend the entire journey back to Hokku with you yapping in my ear? You’re freshly ied. Yoing to be boung off the walls.”

  Jericho’s face flushed, “I won’t annoy you. I’ll explore a little bit and then…”

  He searched for the words and the Hokkonian lifted an expet eyebrow. He produced a vial that rattled with small pills.

  “First, you’re not expl my ship. Sed, if you’re awake for the , you’ll vomit all over the floor. That’s a one-way ticket to the waste disposal.”

  Jericho startled to chuckle, but there wasn’t an ounce of humor in the alien’s stoic features.

  He wouldn’t actually do that…would he?

  “I’m not asking,” Arthros dumped the pills into his palm.

  “These will help me sleep?” he eyed the pills as he hovered his hand in front of his fabsp;

  Arthros only nodded.

  “Well, okay, uh–goodnight?”

  Arthros’ hairless brow twitched with indisible emotion, and Jericho felt the heat rise in his cheeks.

  Wow, you be any more embarrassing? Hopefully these pills just kill me instead.

  The pills had no taste and they dissolved the instant they hit his tongue. He waited for the results but his mind tis erratic rampage. His brain would sooner spontaneously bust than succumb to a medically-induced slumber.

  “Uh, Arthros, I don’t think–”

  An internal switch was flipped, and everythi dark.

  ***

  Jericho woke to a stiff ned a drool-drenched shoulder. The dried slobber stuck to his cheek and he had to peel himself from his slumped position. For a moment, he wasn’t sure where he was, but a quick s of the alien b brought everything rushing back—Arthros and the iio, his departure from Kleth’altho, and Kyrin’s death.

  For an inexplicable reason, he felt tent with it all. Sure, he was sad about Kyrin, but the grief felt distant and intangible. Instead, he was excited for everything that was to e—cheerful even.

  With a groan, he slowly stood up from the b chair. His muscles screamed in protest and his hreateo snap like a twig.

  “What the hell…”

  Footsteps echoed down the hall and Arthros appeared irance, “Get dressed. We’re here.”

  Jericho rubbed his neck, “Did I sleep the whole way?”

  Arthros blinked, “Obviously.”

  “You just left me in this chair!”

  The Hokkonian shrugged, “And?”

  “I don’t–I don’t know, that seems kind of messed up.”

  Arthros tapped the tips of his teeth together, “Would you have preferred the floor?”

  Jericho g the metal grates that made up the floor. They had dull serrations to help with grip, and would have no doubt torn open his skin.

  “I guess not.”

  “Get dressed. We’re here,” Arthros repeated.

  The alien tossed him a bundle of blue and gold clothing. The material was stretchy and reminded him of the athletic clothing that Piglikow gave to his favourite fighters.

  “Wait, we’re already here? How is that possible?” Jericho called after the Hokkonian, but he already vanished down the hall.

  Someone seems pissy.

  Jericho took a moment to stretch out his muscles. His broken leg was pletely mended along with the other injuries he had sustained. He assumed he had Hokkonian medication to thank. Boitch didn’t work that fast.

  He buhe new clothes under his arm, and walked out of the b room. Unsurprisingly, the ship was in immacute dition. Every surface was smooth, polished, and illuminated by the white lights embedded in the ceiling. The walls maintaihe blue and gold color theme, while the ceiling was made of white tile.

  The fort station was only a few steps from the b room, and when Jericho reached the door, he could hear Arthros’ indisible muttering.

  Jericho froze.

  Is he talking to himself again, or to that…orb?

  For a moment, he sidered sneaking around the er to see if he could catch the Hokkonian i. The waste disposal threat floated through his head, and he gave himself a shake.

  Mind your own business, Jericho.

  He shouldered his way into the fort station and was surprised to discover that everything seemed human-friendly. Judging by the familiar designs, Hokkonian physiology wasn’t much different. Jericho added that to the list of things he shouldn’t bring up on Hokku.

  Still, everything was far te for Jericho to use fortably.

  The shower, or whatever it was, still seemed too alien. Instead, Jericho chose the sink. He felt like a small child as he stretched to turn oer.

  After an awkward session of ‘spsh the water everywhere and hope it s,’ he was ready to try on the uniform. The rich blues matched the paint on the walls, and a gold insignia shined on the middle of the chest. The pants were made of the same stretchy material, and a golden strip ran along the exterior seam.

  Unsurprisingly, the uniform didn’t fit. It wasn’t even close.

  Jericho stepped out of the fort station and shuffled to the cockpit. A massive viewport curved from oo the other, and a white p was visible through it. A miniature, holographic version of the p floated at the ter of the sole. Oher side were instrument panels filled with random buttons, switches, and lights. Arthros was hunched over the panel on the far right and at the sound of Jericho’s footsteps, he turned around. The white strips of fabric he wore seemed to have been re-wound around his arms and legs.

  His white eyes narrowed, “What are you doing?”

  Jericho gave him a sheepish smile, “They don’t fit.”

  Arthros’ mouth twitched, and his white eyes were unreadable, “Yes they do. Make them.”

  Jericho furrowed his brow and gnced down at the waistline bunched in his fist. “Uh, I ’t.”

  A sudden voice made him jump, “You see, Arthros? Proving to be useless already.”

  Jericho whipped around in search of the source, but the cockpit was empty except for him and Arthros.

  The Hokkonian looked exasperated and he ran a hand across the spines on his scalp. “Enough, Zero.” He motioo the clothes, “You’ll have to wait until we nd. That’s all I have.”

  Jericho was still searg for the woman who spoke, “Is there someone else here?”

  “Stupid, too,” the voice responded.

  “Zero!” Arthros snapped.

  “Who is that?”

  “I’m his lover,” came the haughty response.

  “No, she’s not,” Arthros pihe skiween his eyes. “Neural unication only please, Zero.”

  The strange voice sounded offended,“Are you ashamed of me–”

  “Zero!” Arthros snarled.

  The voice went quiet, and for a few agonizing seds, Jericho and Arthros stood in silence.

  “Uh–” Jericho began awkwardly.

  Arthros silenced him with a lifted hand and a shake of his head, “You’ll learn soon enough. It will take some time for your AI to grow and learn, and right now it needs a lot of rest. Enjoy the silence while you .”

  So that was an AI speaking—Arthros’ AI!

  Jericho wao ask more questions, but Arthros had already moved on.

  “Get a good look, human. This eye sore is your new home for the foreseeable future.”

  Jericho walked closer to the viewport to get a better look at the new p. Even from this distance, he could tell that there was something off. The p was stark white, like a sun-bleached Skelton. Its true size was difficult to prehend, but judging by the multiple, visible moons, it was massive.

  “Disgusting,” Arthros growled.

  ***

  Hokku was much worse up close. The evidence of industrialization was everywhere. City-scapes and massive factories were sprawled across the horizon. Acc to Arthros, there had been a time when the ndscape was dominated by flourishing enviros and unique biomes.

  Back then, Hokku was sidered as beautiful as Gasaan. It was hard to believe that Hokku’s industrial wastend had ever been visually appealing.

  As The Reckless began to skim over the surface, Jericho realized that most of the nd seemed abandoned—great buildings sitting in ruin.

  “Does anybody live there?” Jericho asked, pointing toward the city beh them.

  Arthros kept his gaze fixed on the horizon, “Not for turies.”

  The Reckless soared at impossible speeds, ahe abandoned metropolis tinued with no end in sight.

  “But they go on forever. You’re saying nobody lives there?”

  “Not a soul,” Arthros scoffed. “My people do not themselves with inferiority. Ohey find a way to improve, the past is fotteire cities tossed away like garbage.”

  “That’s such…a waste.”

  “Even a human uands what the ‘greatest minds’ fail to,” Arthros growled.

  The ndscape ged to empty barrens as they tinued past the city's end. It wasn’t long until they got to ahough it wasn’t even close to the prior size.

  They flew in silence for a while as Jericho watched the ging ndscape. The occasional city, factory, reat structure was a blur as they shot past.

  Some structures seemed signifitly older than others, abandoned for clear reasons. Yet some cities looked futuristic, muicer, and er than anything Jericho had seen oh’altho.

  “Why does everything look so bnd? Are there no pnts?”

  “Not possible anymore,” Athros grunted.

  “What?” Jericho frowned, “Why?”

  Arthros sighed, “I don’t care enough to know. Hokku is dead.”

  I’m going to go crazy living here, I’m sure of it.

  Thankfully, the endless sea of abandoned cities ended, and like a bea in the night, there was color approag on the horizon. It wasn’t much, and it wasn’t vibrant, but it was a wele ge.

  “Wele to Surtho, one of three great cities and the naval capital of the world.”

  He wasn’t expeg much after the disappointing reveal of Hokku, but Surtho lived up to Hokku’s racial arroganbsp;

  The ey was floating a couple hundred feet off the ground, and its buildings were so massive he imagihey peed the atmosphere and reached orbit. All around the city flew massive fgships, rger than any freighter that would leave Kleth’altho. The surrounding air space was so densely crowded with warships that it was almost impossible to see the city.

  “That’s where we’ll be staying?”

  Arthros nodded, “That’s home.”

  A nervous shiver ran through his body, and for the first time since Kleth’altho he felt a pang of heartache.

  Home.

  The ship twisted and dove, leveling out as they reached the surface. They flew directly underh the floating city, zipping past the warships that circled and hovered above.

  Jericho looked up through the viewport in wohe bottom of Surtho was floating directly above them, suspended by some magical force he didn’t uand.

  “We call it the underground,” Arthros said, as the shadow of the city cast them in darkness.

  The underground was a busy pce. There were ships of all sizes—some dog while others took off and shot past. Hundreds of Hokkonians could be seen rushing around on the nding strips, like tiny is. To bat the darkness, thousands of lights littered the naval base and illumihe p white light.

  “Zer us down to Bay Eight,” Arthros anded.

  The Reckless twisted and flew toward the nding bay on the far left. pared to the others, this area was the most pacted. At least six other Novawolf M-42 cruisers were docked.

  They hovered over ay space before the ship slowly lowered itself to the ground. Without a word, Arthros got up and marched toward the exit. Jericho followed him, keeping a careful hold of his waistline.

  As they passed the b room, Jericho grabbed the bag that held his other clothes, and the two ARC bdes he had brought with him.

  The cargo doors opened with a faint hiss, and the ramp extended instantly. Two workers hurried by and dipped their heads in respect to Arthros. They began to work on The Reckless, going through a checklist with professional effibsp;

  Arthros strode down the ramp with his head held high and Jericho followed him with a tentative step.

  “Now THAT is one sexy CO!” a loud voice called out.

  Jericho stiffened. Surely that wasn’t directed toward the tankerous Hokkonian.

  “Randrea.” Arthros turo Jericho, “This is my Lieutenant. She’s a Synaptik: Eight.

  Jericho felt his breath cat his throat; he had never seen a female Hokkonian before and he was surprisingly pleased with his first experienbsp;

  She was beautiful, in a wild, alien sort of way. She moved with the grace of ae warrior. Every delightful skip was doh the effid fluidity of a dancer. She was as tall as Arthros but much slimmer, though her lean muscuture removed any suspi ility.

  She could probably kill me with her bare hands…there are worse ways to go.

  She strutted up to them, a bright smile pstered on her face. A sirip of her ial spines were erect while the rest remaitened against her skin—a fashion choice that matched the tattoos creeping up her neck. Her uniform could barely be sidered a shirt. The sleeves had been torn off along with the midriff, revealing a toned, grey-skiomabsp;

  No belly button? Iing.

  His eyes lingered a little lohan they should have as she praoward them. He found himself paring the female to Kyrin bae, and was struck by a wave of guilt and a general disgust for his male brain.

  “Did you miss me, Cap?” Randrea pced a hand on Arthros’ shoulder and squeezed. “Cause we all missed you.”

  Was it possible to miss Arthros?

  “I’m a ander, not a Captain,” Arthros’ tone implied that correg her was a waste of time.

  “Sure, sure,” Randrea said, waving her hand as she directed her attention at Jericho.

  He felt his cheeks redden as the female Hokkonian’s white eyes studied him. Her gaze raked him from head to toe. She suddenly dropped to one knee and brought her face close to his.

  “I thought you didn’t take sves,” she murmured, studying him like a rat in a cage.

  What? “I’m not a bloody–”

  A firm hand on his shoulder warned him to be quiet. “He’s not a sve; he’s the new recruit.”

  Her smile faded, “No.”

  Jericho squirmed and opened his mouth for another sharp retort, but Arthros’ fingers dug in painfully.

  “I expect your full support on this,” he growled.

  Her lip curled, and she folded her arms across her chest as she straightened, “Don’t question my loyalty, Arthros. That will really piss me off.”

  Arthros raised his hands defensively but kept his face expressionless, “This is a big deal. I just want to make sure.”

  “You’re damn right it’s a big deal. The others are going to freak out.”

  They really hate humans that much? Jericho ched his fists.

  “He’s not going to be a liability, I assure you.” There was a warning note in his calm voice.

  Jericho shifted unfortably, half expeg the female Hokkonian to swing at him. The other workers in the bay started to notice the otion and stopped what they were doing to watbsp;

  Randrea clearly didn’t care, “Not a liability? Just look at him. He’s almost as small as Fydither.”

  “I hold my own,” Jericho retorted.

  Randrea whirled on him and snarled, “You speak when you’re spoken to.”

  This bitch! Jericho tensed, ready for the fight.

  “Randrea!” Arthros’ booming voice made them both jump.

  Randrea’s snarl melted into a meek grimad she slowly turo face Arthros. His face showed no sign of anger, but all the spines on his head stood erebsp;

  “This is my decision. Do you uand?” His voice was quiet, but his spines remai.

  She didn’t dare open her mouth.

  “He’s not a sve,” Arthros insisted.

  She nodded again.

  “Randrea.”

  “He’s not a sve…I’m sorry, ander. I fot myself.”

  “I agree. Make sure the others uand too.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Jericho took a deep breath. He gnced up at Arthros who gave him the smallest nod.

  “I’m Jericho,” he said, with as much fidence as he could muster. “It’s good to meet you.”

  Raared at him for a moment. Her face was unreadable but she was fighting within herself to appease the ander. Finally, she nodded and muttered, “Randrea.”

  Is that going to be enough to keep her from killing me?

  She cracked her neck, stared at him for an unfortable amount of time, and then frow Arthros, “So he actually passed the iion exam?”

  “I wouldn’t bring him here if he didn’t,” Arthros said.

  The female let out a low whistle, “I gotta say human. That is impressive.”

  Jericho felt his cheeks color at the pliment, and his awkwardness returned immediately.

  Pull it together, you loser. Are you kidding? She wao kill you five seds ago. Don’t go soft on me!

  “So how many stims did you sti him before you nded?” she chuckled.

  Arthros’ mouth twitched, “None, actually. And he shattered your exit time.”

  Randrea looked back at Jericho, her eyes wide. “There’s no way.”

  “Oh, yes.” Excitement was ced within the ander’s bored tone, “And not just yours—no one else came close.”

  Jericho’s chest swelled with pride.

  The female tapped the tips of her teeth together, “Sto is going to be so mad.”

  “Speaking of, where are the others?” Arthros questioned, looking around the bay.

  The female kissed her teeth and shook her head, “Uh, well,” her wide-set nostrils fred. “Scor and Fluxer are–”

  “Training arena? Not surprising, but I was expeg the other four to be here.”

  The female grimaced, “Oh, they’re here, they were just…denied access to the bay.”

  “What?” came the low and dangerous reply.

  Randrea nodded her head slowly, her eyes flig briefly to Jericho and back to Arthros.

  “New orders from the Snty. No aliens allowed on–”

  The spines on Arthros’ body exploded as he let out a vicious snarl. He shouldered his ast Randrea, who lifted her hands in the air and spun away on her heel.

  Jericho g her, “There are other aliens here?”

  Randrea squeezed a fist and her knuckles cracked, “Obviously. You think a human would be the first alien Arthros experimented with?”

  “And the Snty is okay with that?” Jericho watched the aalk toward the gate.

  “Of course not,” she shot him a sour look. “But it’s not their choice—it’s the Admiral’s. Our divisiohe best results, so we’re basically untouchable. Doesn’t mean they don’t try, though.”

  “We’re the best?” Jericho asked in incredulity.

  A heavy hand cuffed him over the back of his head, and he dropped to the ground like a sack of flour. He threw his hands up to shield his face, but when the blows didn’t e, he peeked around his fingers. She was staring at him with ptuous disgust.

  “There is no we, human. You will fail, and when you do, a colr will be bolted to your neck like the rest of your kind here.”

  Jericho swallowed and his ears rang. He wao move but he was frozen in shock at her assault.

  Get up. Don’t just let her do this to you! He carefully sat up and rubbed the back of his head with a grimabsp;

  Raook a deep breath and ccked the tips of her teeth together, “Oh, don’t mope. You’re lucky I didn’t break your neck. There was a time when I would have. Humans without colrs are free game around here.” She narrowed her eyes, “So you thank Arthros for my gracious ge in behavior.”

  He swallowed and licked his lips. His heart ounding, aried to steady it so he could talk normally.

  What kind of hellscape did Arthros take you to?

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any offense–”

  “And there wasn’t any. It takes a lot to offend me.” A long tongue swiped across her poieeth, “I only struck you to teach you a lesson. You o think before you speak, especially around the others. They won’t be as gentle, and yoing to have to defend yourself. Arthros and I won’t always be around to protect you.”

  “Yoing to protect me?” he couldn’t help the disbelieving tone. A few minutes ago, she was ready to kill him.

  “If Arthros ands it, I’ll obey. I would follow him to the ends of the gaxy, even if the Snty stripped me of my HWND.”

  This chick is crazy. Jericho pushed himself up to his feet and massaged the lump f on the base of his skull. “Well, thanks for the warning, I guess. Do the others all worship Arthros like you do?”

  Randrea folded her arms across her chest as she watched Arthros berate a borer by the bay gates, “That’s the ohing we have in on. He saw something in us—potential.”

  “And was he ever wrong?” Jericho asked with a pyful grin.

  She turned sharp, white eyes on him, her fareadable, “He has been, many times.”

  Jericho’s grin vanished.

  “I’ve watched his mistakes die, just like I’ll watch you die.” There wasn’t any mena her voice. She spoke with the leisure simplicity of one enting on the weather.

  “Didn’t you just say you were going to protect me?” he shook his head, the rollercoaster of emotions was giving him a headache. Or maybe it was the open-handed blow Randrea had delivered to the back of his head.

  Randrea smiled like she was ready to tear the flesh off his bones, “During training, you’re free game.”

  Jericho forced a fident smirk even though his stomach flopped like a dying fish. “Well, bring it on.”

  Her ivorous grin softened and a curious look flickered on her features. Jericho could have sworn he caught a fsh of respe her ptuous gaze. He found himself staring at her lips and the freckle-like spots that speckled her cheeks. Randrea lifted a hairless brow as she caught his stare and snorted.

  His face flushed aurned away, b his gaze into the crete floor. He cursed the evolutionary instincts he was a sve to.

  Why did she have to be attractive? Just kill me now.

  Randrea barked out a sardonic ugh as Arthros stalked back over. “Well, Cap? You get the bay doors open?”

  She casually nudged his arm, pletely ign the furious look on his fabsp;

  The spines on his body were as rigid as steel, but he didn’t sh out. Instead, he shot her a disapproving gre. The soft spot he had for Randrea was being obvious.

  The rge metal doors suddenly swung open with a drawn-out groan, revealing a brightly-lit corridor behind them. Fures scrambled into the bay before the doors even had a ce to fully open. They snapped and s the nearby workers to no effect. As they got closer, Jericho realized that he reized almost every species from his time oh’altho.

  The aliens all greeted Arthros with respectable fervor, embrag their leader with a surprising amount of affe. Even the Aopriordin, a gargantuan quadrupedal, mao embrace Arthros. It stood on its smaller, hind legs aed ginormous, fore limbs on the ander’s shoulders. Arthros grunted uhe weight.

  “They locked the bloody gates on us, Arthros,” the Ordanian whined, fpping its wings in fervent displeasure.

  “ person to tell me I ’t go somewhere dies,” a muscur, six-limbed alien snarled. It walked like a taur, using four of its ape-like arms to walk.

  The fourth person, a Titulonist, said nothing.

  Arthros nodded grimly, “I’m sorry. I’ll deal with it. In the meantime, I brought a fresh recruit back with me.”

  All eyes turo Jericho. The silehat followed was unbearable.

  He forced a smile, “Hi, uh, I’m Jericho. It’s o meet you all.”

  The six-legged alien scoffed, “This is some kind of joke–”

  “Randrea,” Arthros cut in. “Please begirodus.”

  Yes, Randrea, please. I’m drowning out here.

  “Alright!” Randrea motioo the four pilots with a graure. “This flying pebble is Fydither, the Ordanian. Synaptik: Four. He’s as annoying as he is devious.”

  “Thanks, I guess,” Fydither muttered.

  Fydither was the color of sand with red eyes that glinted with unbridled narcissism. Stubby limbs protuded from the stone-like shell that encased his body. His rge wings easily out-spanned Jericho’s own arm length.

  He had seen lots of Ordanians oh’altho, never actually fighting but betting. They were a civilization with deep pockets.

  “Dight, the Aopriordin. Synaptik: Six. He doesn’t say much,” she motioo the hulki standing beside Fydither.

  Jericho had only seen Aopriordins a handful of times, but they were impossible not this Aopriordin was the color of blood and his crimson skin was so smooth it looked like polished marble. Additionally, the alien was huge. On all fours, it stood just under Arthros’ chest, and its disproportionately massive fore-limbs were as thick as architectural pilrs. His withered hirailed behind, used more for bahan lootion. Though, it wasn’t the alien’s size that made its appearanorable—it was the ck of a head and the gaping hole in its chest.

  Jericho suppressed a shudder at the Aopriordin’s colossal mouth. It was circur in shape and lined with multiple rows of sharp teeth. The alien’s eyes were located on its shoulders like twe, blue globes.

  The strange-looking alien rocked sideways on its supp arms, and rumbled an unintelligible reply. Randrea looked satisfied with the response.

  She poio the taur, “The nasty looking one is Graito, the Myrd. Synaptik: Eight.”

  Jerichhe species immediately. They were legendary fighters is. Their versatile bodies and deadly intelligence made them practically uable. The current reigning champion of the pits was a Myrd, as was the previous one, and the one before that.

  It didn’t matter that they were often the same size as humans. A brawler set to fight a Myrd was a brawler doomed to die.

  Graito had leathery skin the color of mud—different shades of brown thrown together like sloppy camoufge. Graito tilted his small head as he looked at him, four yellow eyes starih into his own. His bulbous lips pulled ba a nasty snarl.

  “And Sto’ram. She’s a Titulonist and a Synaptik: Two. Have you ever see of the water?” Randrea poio the bck-scaled humanoid.

  Jericho absently shook his head as he stared in wonder. Out of the water? He had never seen one period. Stave Randrea an indignant look with rge orb-like eyes and then respectfully dipped her head. She robably only a few ialler than him. Her scales were so dark, she more closely resembled a shadow than a tangible biological. A colorless mucus dripped from her body and pooled at her feet. It had a strange odor, and Jericho had to force himself not to react. Two long tendrils protruded like hair from the alien’s temple and writhed in the air as if they were searg for something. Searg for him, maybe.

  Jericho ighe aightening his chest and gave the group a fident grin, “I’m looking forward to my time here. I promise I’ll work just as hard as anyone.”

  An awkward silence followed as the pilots all shared a gnce.

  Fydither broke out into a mischievous smile and turo Arthros, his ptuous gaze gging behind as he tore it from Jericho. “Is this for real, ander? He’s not even a big one.”

  “Try looking in a mirror,” Randrea snapped.

  Jericho shot her a surprised look. The muscles in her forearms bulged as she crossed her arms.

  Graito’s big lips parted in an odd smile, and he shook his head, “Fyd is right. Even a colr would weigh this one down.” His voice was nasally but baritone.

  A low rumbling chuckle echoed from Dight’s cavernous mouth.

  Jericho ched his fists. He g Arthros for support, only to find the ander watg him ily.

  He took a deep breath and turned back to Graito, “I passed the test; I have every right to be here.”

  Fydither cackled, and Graito frowned, “A sve and a liar.”

  “I’m not a–!”

  “It’s true,” Sto’ram broke in, pointing a webbed hand at his forehead. “He’s already passed the test.”

  “That’s impossible,” Graito sneered.

  “That’s right, you ugly bastards,” Randrea said with a dangerous smile. “The Cap actually found oh the brain power.”

  “Yoing to call us ugly when you look like that?” Fydither snorted.

  Randrea’s grin turned deadly, “Speaking of brain power, Fyd, how did you even pass the test?”

  Fydither unched himself at Randrea’s fad a flurry of curses broke out before Arthros stepped in. He grabbed Fydither, tearing him from Randrea’s head and holding him away at arm’s length. The Ordanian writhed in his grasp still hurling insults at Randrea who stuck out a long, poiongue.

  What the hell is going on? Is everyone here insane?

  Arthros seemed bored and pletely unsurprised by the sudden fight.

  “Jericho will train to be a pilot. I don’t care if you disagree with that decision. It wouldn’t matter if you did. Do you all uand?”

  The four pilots all nodded but none of them seemed keen to obey. Fydither wriggled out of Arthros’ grasp, muttering darkly to himself about Rahe female Hokkonian smirked and wi him.

  Sto'ram looked at both of them. “Is it wise to fight like this before a recruit? His first impression of our division will not be good. He may perceive us as dysfunal.”

  “Shut up, Sto,” Graito snorted. “We ARE dysfunal.”

  The Titulonist sniffed and turned away, “Well I’m not.”

  Another chuckle rumbled like ahquake from the Aopriordin’s gaping maw. Jericho was beginning to wonder if that’s all he ever did.

  “What’s his Synaptik?” Fydither asked.

  Arthros shook his head, “He’s a fresh recruit—his ranking is unavaible. Please show Jericho around. Once he’s settled, we start the program.”

  “Psyatic output?” the Ordanian pressed.

  The ander looked unimpressed, “Low, but I shouldn’t have to remind you of your scores when I brought you here.”

  Fydither muttered something under his breath, and Randrea shot him a snide grin.

  “Pilots, please show Jericho around. We won’t waste any time with his initiation,” Arthros’ sudden anding tone forced everyoo stiffen.

  “Are you not ing back with us?” Randrea asked.

  Arthros tapped his teeth together, staring past them with a thoughtful look, “I have to speak with the Admiral.”

  “For what?” Railted her head.

  “For starters, why the best pilots iar system were denied access to their own hangar. I’ll debrief you all the rest. Now go.”

  Arthros turned on his heel and marched past The Reckless, disappearing behind the matte-bck hull.

  “You heard the ander,” Graito said. “Let's show the human around and see if he really is a pilot.”

  “I have a name,” Jeriuttered.

  “Didn’t you hear Arthros?” Randrea demanded. “Or is his word not good enough for you?”

  The Myrd snorted and stood up onto only two limbs, raising his height to near eye-level with Randrea. “Are you challenging my loyalty, Drea?”

  The two stared at each other for a long time. Graito stood as still as a statue, but Randrea’s arms twitched.

  e on Randrea, clock him!

  “e on, guys. We don’t o fight–”

  Raucous ughter interrupted him and the two doubled over.

  “I would have cut you down in seds,” Randrea said, ughter bubbliween her words.

  Graito shook his head with a wide smile, “Your neck would have been broken before you had a ce.”

  “Oh for Tril’s sake,” Fydither snapped. “ime, just kill each other and save us all the trouble.”

  Randrea shed out at the Ordanian, but the flying alien dodged the strike with a violent jerk of his body. He gasped in indignation, which caused Graito tle arange ugh.

  Fydither hurled a curse Jericho had never heard before, and judging by Randrea’s shocked expression, it wasn’t pleasant.

  It was Sto'ram who stepped in with the voice of reason, “Perhaps we should think about actually obeying our ander’s orders?”

  Dight stomped his feet and rumbled an agreement. Fydither scoffed and flew away from Randrea.

  Graito chuckled and cpped him on the back, “You got her ime.” He turo gnce back at Jericho, who was iionally keeping his distance. “Don’t g behind, human. It’s not safe to walk around uncolred.”

  Jericho didn’t follow. He fastened his feet to the ground and stared hard at the group as they turned down the hallway.

  Don’t back down.

  “I have a name, Myrd,” he mustered as much ce as he could.

  Graito stiffened, causing the rest of the group to turn around and look at him. “What did you say to me?”

  “Don’t call me human. My name is Jericho Hound.” He’s going to kill you. He’s going to rip your arms off.

  The rest of the group froze, and slowly turo face him. Randrea had an odd look on her face, but Graito stared at him with cold fury.

  “How dare you!” the Myrd’s yellow eyes fshed. “If it wasn’t for Arthros, I’d drop yht here.”

  Jericho ched his fists and stiffened his babsp;

  Make your stand, Jericho. You’ve faced worse.

  “Then do it. He’s not here now, is he?”

  Fydither’s red eyes widened, and the ghost of a smile touched Randrea’s lips. Graito's teeth were bared in a snarl, but he hesitated and Jericho pressed on.

  “I’m not going to stand here and take your abuse. You want to bully me? Fine. But I’m not going to make it easy.” He’s going to bite a k out of your throat. “Don’t call me a sve again.”

  For a moment, Jericho was hopeful that Graito would miraculously obey, but then those predator-like eyes narrowed, and his bulbous lips bent in a sful frown.

  “Humans are all the same. Even the ones in colrs think they’re different, that they’re special, wheruth is that humans are an overpoputed, out-of-trol, filthy species that has filled every crad crevice this star system has to offer. You’re not any different, Jericho. You’re a disease-ridden vermin and you deserve to wear a craito bent close, his fttened faly a few feet away from Jericho’s. “You’re a sve; always will be.”

  Time slowed and Jericho saw the silver thread hanging from Graito’s neck. He shifted his weight into his right foot and with as much power as he could muster, he threw a right hook, aiming for the side of the Myrd’s nebsp;

  As his hips twisted to add to the power of the punch, he khat it erfect strike. He was moving at top speed, and Graito was caught unaware, except his fist cut through the air, and Graito was no loanding a few feet in front of him. Jericho blinked and Graito reappeared in the right side of his vision. The Myrd’s speed was nothing like Jericho had ever seen before. It was the power of a Synaptik: Eight. Jericho didn’t stand a ce.

  The silver thread was still dangling from Graito’s neck when his fist smashed into Jericho’s fabsp;