Chapter 223

Chapter 223: Chapter 223

Fear was starting to take hold on the ship.

Tempest couldn’t really see what was going on on the other ships, but she knew that everyone had stopped dead in the water, and Dron had been going from ship to ship, trying to verify that everyone was still healthy.

So far, only the people on Rynax’s ship had been showing any signs of illness.

The problem with that was that ship housed more than forty percent of the fighting force that they had.

Tempest knew it was a long shot for them to win the battle that was to come against the Thraqen people, but with half of their soldiers down, it would be impossible.

Tempest scooted closer to Dron and wrapped a hand around his waist. When he first came back on the ship, he didn’t come near her. In fact, he actively told her to stay away. It was such a strong voice that Tempest actually got her feelings hurt. She knew it was for the best, but she still didn’t think he had to shout at her. She was just feeling a little emotional. At least, that’s what she hoped was happening.

He didn’t stay away long, though. He’d gone to the back and stripped off all his clothes before taking a quick shower and burning the clothes that he was wearing.

He only allowed Gerax to come over and bring him a separate set of clothes. Tempest knew it was because of his marks. He didn’t want anyone else to recognize them. That suspicion was confirmed when Dron came back out from the back of the ship fully clothed. His entire body was covered, from his neck down to his toes. The only skin that she could see was from his fingers down.

It looked hot. Not in the sexy way either.

"We have to leave them," Gushex said, and Tempest realized that she was standing right next to Dron while everyone around him argued about what the next steps would be. Based on what he’d told Gerax, he knew there was nothing on the ship that he could use to heal the people there. They needed Life Nectar, and they were a long way from one of those pools.

"We can’t leave them!" Tine hissed at Gushex.

"What do you suggest we do then? Let them board the ship and get everyone sick?"

Tine pressed her lips together.

"There’s a chance that this could all blow over," Mexyn offered up.

"That’s true, but in the meantime, they are just dying over there. Death makes people irrational. Makes them desperate."

"Not to mention the loyalties may be split," Aliq entered the conversation.

Tempest looked from person to person and realized that all of them were acting on fear. No one knew what to do. No one knew how to fix the problem. Every solution ended with them letting dozens of people die.

Dron leaned forward slightly. "What are you talking about, loyalties?"

Aliq cleared his throat. "Half of the ex-intruders are on this boat. Who knows what friends or family they have on the other ship? There is a chance they will try to get to them if they figure out that we are going to leave them, or worse, they may try to sneak one of them over here and get the rest of us sick."

"What about the humans on the ship? I can’t leave them on there," Hen spoke up.

Dron shook his head. "Based on what I was told, they aren’t getting sick. A few of them have presented with symptoms, but not as bad as the Usteans."

"So they should be allowed to come on this ship then," Hen snapped.

"No, absolutely not," Gerax spoke.

In that second, chaos erupted, and everyone started screaming at each other.

Tempest could feel her head starting to pound. They were going in circles. No one wanted to be responsible for leaving a ship full of people who sacrificed so much to be here with them. People others felt responsible for. On the other hand, no one wanted to risk getting anyone else sick and spreading the illness.

"Enough!" Tempest shouted, and at once, everyone snapped their mouths shut.

She was surprised that it had worked. She wasn’t really thinking she would get through to anyone.

They all looked to her, waiting for her to say something.

She could only say one thing. "We’re going to do the right thing. That includes us not abandoning our people."

"Are you suggesting that we just wait for them to die?"

"If that’s what it takes, but in the meantime, we make sure they are as comfortable as possible until that happens. It’ll give us time. Gerax and Aliq can work together to try and find something in our stores that could make them better or ease the inevitable."

"You said make them comfortable? How are we supposed to do that? Last I checked, we only had enough food and water to last us until we got back to Thraqe. That is only supposed to be three double moon cycles." Gushex narrowed his eyes on Tempest, and Dron stepped forward, issuing a warning growl before Tempest pulled him back.

"We’re going to have to make do."

"That doesn’t change the fact that any of us that go over there are liable to get sick. You’re asking us to basically go on a suicide mission to make sure they have all the blankets that they need." Gerax shrugged his shoulders.

Tempest took a breath. "No, I’m not. I’ll go."

"You will do no such thing." Dron whirled around hard and glared down at her.

"Dron..." Tempest started.

"No, that’s the end of it."

"My love, that’s not the end of it. I’m sorry. I have my own thoughts. Remember? I can make my own decisions."

"You’re still my wife, and I’m responsible for making sure you stay safe."

Tempest reached up with her hand and laid it against his cheek. "You are so much more than my husband, mate. You are my everything. You have to trust that I’ll never do anything that would risk me being away from you forever. I’m going to come back to you the same way you always come back to me." Tempest nodded once, but she could see that Dron wasn’t going for it.

"There has to be another way."

"There isn’t. You said it yourself. The humans aren’t getting sick. Maybe it’s something that we can’t get."

"No, I said they weren’t getting as sick. That means there’s still a possibility that you could catch whatever it is."

"You went over there." Tempest lifted an eyebrow at him.

"That’s different. I... I..." Dron stuttered before snapping his mouth shut. He had no retort.

"Trust me. I’ll do everything I can to protect myself. I’ll be in and out. Check what they need. Take pictures, and then I’ll be right back over here." Tempest let her hand settle on Dron’s side, and she gave him a quick squeeze.

"I’ll come with you," Hen spoke up.

"You don’t have to do that," Tempest replied.

"I want to. Besides, it’ll be quicker if the both of us do this."

Tempest looked at Hen. She looked as intense as she always did. A little more haggard around the eyes, if anything.

"We’re not going over there to bring anyone back with us. We are going to help, not to rescue." Tempest stared straight at Hen. In the settlement, Hen was the be-all and end-all when it came to the laws there. Here, what Tempest said is what went. The only one who superseded what she had to say was Dron, and right now, she was sure he was still trying to figure out a way to get her to stay on his ship.

"I understand. I have to at least make sure they are all okay. There is one over there I’m sure hasn’t even left the bed. She is new. She isn’t acclimated. I need her to see my face."

"Okay, as long as we are both on the same page here."

After that, things went by very quickly. Tempest and Hen were both wrapped up as much as possible. Even their fingertips were covered by a cloth that would be burned when they came back over here. Scarves were wrapped around their mouths, noses, and hair. The only thing that was left out from behind the cloth was their eyes.

"Is all this really necessary?" Tempest complained once as the heat already started to weigh down on her again.

"Listen to me. It’s taking everything I have inside of me not to grab you and throw you over my shoulder and demand that you don’t go. I’m trying not to be a tyrant, but you’re pushing me, Tempest." Dron grumbled at her. His jaw was working as he clenched and unclenched it. He really was trying his very hardest to allow her the freedom that she was asking for. She wondered if the old Dron would have done the same thing. If he would have acted the same way when they’d first met.

Tempest very much doubted that.

"Fine. Like I said, I’m going to be in and out. Just have some loose clothes ready for me when I get back." She leaned up as if she were going to kiss him, only to remember that her mouth was already covered. She fell back down flatfooted and sighed. Even the air from her mouth was enough to start her sweating.

If she didn’t hurry up, she felt as if she were going to succumb to heat stroke.

Once both Tempest and Hen were completely covered, they made their way to the bridge that connected the ships and started to walk across.

"What in the hell do you think you are doing?" Rynax started. He was standing, but he had to hold onto the side of the boat for support.

"Don’t start with me, Rynax. It’s too hot for all this."

"You’re telling me? I feel like someone has just thrown me into a fire pit." Rynax stretched his head from side to side and groaned slightly.

"You’re hot?" Tempest questioned, but the softer words came out muffled.

"What?" Rynax shouted back.

"You have a fever?" Tempest shouted, trying to get her words through the covering on her mouth. It was so annoying, but she knew that if she even made a movement to pull the fabric down, Dron would jump over and do exactly what he threatened her with earlier. She’d be over his shoulder and locked in a room before she would even have time to protest.

"I don’t know. I feel cold, actually." Rynax rubbed his hands over his clothed arms.

That was concerning for Tempest. She’d been around her share of people with the flu or illnesses, and she knew that once the chills set in, it usually meant the person had a high fever. But what temperature would constitute a high fever for a Ustean? She didn’t even know if they could actually get fevers in the same way that humans did.

Tempest turned around once she realized that she was a little more ill-prepared than she thought she would be.

"Gerax, I need you to stay in constant contact with me. I’m going to need to reference things with you."

"Reference?" Gerax asked, moving closer to the edge, holding up a piece of fabric to his face. "Like what?"

"Like what temperature is considered a fever for a Ustean."

"Oh." He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, but Tempest stopped him.

"I need you to convert that to Fahrenheit." Tempest sighed.

Gerax took a few more seconds, tilted his head, and then started mouthing something that she couldn’t hear. It looked like he was counting.

"Actually, not much of a difference to our temperature. It would be about one hundred and twelve degrees Fahrenheit, but if we hit one fifteen, there is no coming back from it."

Tempest nodded. That would be good to know. She didn’t have a thermometer.

"What about my wrist device? Can it be used for simple medical equipment? Thermometer? Flashlight?"

"Yes, it can even take tissue and blood samples, but I would strongly advise against that."

"I swear to all the moon gods...!" Dron shouted out and started on his way across the bridge.

"No, no, no. I’m not going to take any samples. I just want to make sure I have all the information correctly so Gerax and Aliq can start working on something."

Dron continued to peer at Tempest. "In and out!"

"Yes, in and out."

Tempest turned back in Rynax’s direction, only to find him nearly slumped over the edge of the boat. He was deteriorating faster than she’d ever seen.

"Come on, let’s hurry up," she said in Hen’s direction.

They rushed to help Rynax, who mustered up a bit more strength.

There weren’t many people up on the top deck.

"Everyone is below?"

"Yes. No one can make their way up the stairs. The fatigue and body pains are intense." Rynax grimaced as he guided them to the opening that led to the lower levels.

"Where’s Minnie?" Hen asked, and Rynax stopped before he could take another step.

"She is sitting with the woman at the back of the ship. Said her name was Sara?"

"Oh, good. She’s the one I was worried about," Hen said to Tempest, and Tempest watched as the corners of the woman’s eyes crinkled a bit. She was smiling.

"I’m sorry," Rynax muttered, and the both of them looked up at him.

"What?" Hen questioned.

"We didn’t know she was sick. She barely moved from the cot. She got up once or twice for the bathroom but never spoke to anyone. When Minnie went to check on her today, she was already gone. I’m sorry." Rynax did his best to look up at Hen, but even Tempest could see the remorse all over his features.

"No!" Hen gasped and took off running down the stairs.

"Wait? I thought you told Dron the humans couldn’t get it?" Tempest grabbed hold of his arms and pulled him to a stop.

"So far, she’s the only one of the humans that has died from it. Every other human is either showing much less severe symptoms or nothing at all. They are staying to themselves on the lower level. There’s a bathroom down there, and I’ve thrown as much food and water as I can down there just so they don’t have to come up."

Tempest gulped hard. She was worried before that she might get sick, but now she was worried that she could possibly die. The bravado that she had moments before was swiftly exiting her body.

"You should come back. If it’s spread to the humans, you should come back."

Tempest jerked her head down to her wrist. She’d forgotten that she’d told Gerax to stay in constant contact.

"Hush!" she hissed at him. It was obvious that he wasn’t anywhere near Dron, or Dron would’ve already been running across the bridge to get her.

She turned to look over her shoulder, and sure enough, Dron was still standing at the edge of the ship watching her, while Gerax was further away, sitting on a crate.

"It’s fine. I’ll still be careful." Tempest looked back up at Rynax. "Take me to them."

Rynax nodded once, and they descended into the bowels of the ship.

Tempest could smell the sickness even through the thick fabric over her nose. There was no mistaking it. Sweat and fever wafted from every corner.

"Jesus... Is it everyone?" Tempest muttered. She was expecting to find a few people on the boat sick, not everyone. She had hopes that the humans below decks were faring better.

Tempest slowly walked to one of the cots and pulled the separating sheet to see a fully clothed alpha, horns digging into the pillow under his head. He groaned and mumbled in his sleep. Sweat peppered his brow, and he looked as if he were shivering.

"Gerax, are you there?"

"Yes, I’m here. You can turn the camera on. The signal is weak, but I should still be able to get some images from you," Gerax said through the wrist device.

Tempest lifted her wrist up and tried to navigate all the different applications, but she was having issues figuring out where everything was. Rynax ended up helping her. His fingers trembled as he pointed to where she should go in order to get to the temperature setting and the camera.

Tempest had never felt worse for him than she did at that moment.

He was such a strong man. To see him so weak was heartbreaking.

Tempest quickly showed him the man she was standing in front of.

"Can you try to wake him?"

"He won’t wake. It’s as if he is in some sort of deep slumber. Many of them are like this," Rynax spoke up.

"That’s a shame. I need to know his symptoms," Gerax continued.

"Well, I can tell you what I can see." She raised the device, and it scanned the man slightly. Along with temperature came a host of other vital signs, including heart rate and respirations. The temperature said one hundred and thirteen degrees. Tempest knew from what Gerax had told her earlier that it was only two degrees away from death.

"He has a fever, and it looks as if his heart rate is way elevated. He’s fighting something off."

"An infection, yes. Maybe it’s something topical. The texture on his skin is wrong."

Tempest looked closer at the man lying in the bed. She did notice a strange gravelly texture to the man’s skin, but she’d never seen anything like it.

"Okay, I’m going to move on. Maybe we’ll find someone who is awake."

Tempest went from bed to bed, trying to find anyone who was well enough to explain what was going on. There was only one person, but he couldn’t talk very much. He said it felt like he was drowning, though he hadn’t been in the water.

The more Tempest walked around, the more she felt helpless.

"What are we going to do?" Tempest whispered to herself. Rynax answered her.

"Exactly what I suggested in the first place. There is nothing to fix this. Not here. Hell, I don’t even think they would be able to find anything in Thraqe to battle this illness. You have to leave us."

"No!" Tempest snapped at him. The more she was down there, the more it did seem like the only solution, but she refused to give up. Not yet.

"I should go check on Hen and Minnie."

"I shouldn’t go back there."

"Why?" Tempest turned to look at Rynax.

"I can’t... I don’t want her to get sick. I’m dangerous to her right now. She needs to stay away from me."

"Who?" Tempest was confused. It didn’t sound like he was talking in general. It sounded like he was talking about someone in particular.

"Just... I need you to make sure she gets better. Please. I wouldn’t survive. I don’t think..." His words were coming out jumbled, and Tempest was starting to worry that he was losing to the fever. He was delirious.

"He’s not going to risk making her more sick." Gerax’s voice came through the wrist device. Tempest sighed. It was obvious everyone once again knew something she didn’t.

Rynax gestured to the back wall, but he didn’t move any further.

Tempest walked through and pushed a thick curtain to the side. Sitting there were Hen and Minnie. Minnie was crying hard as she cradled a woman who was lifeless on the bed. That must be Sara. Hen was simply stroking Minnie’s hair, offering comfort.

Tempest was still for a moment, trying to give the situation the respect it deserved.

Her promise to Dron forced her to talk after too much time had passed.

"Do we know anything? Can we figure out what she was sick with?" Tempest asked as gently as she could.

Hen stood, and then Minnie.

"No. She complained of feeling fluish a few days ago, but that was right at the end of when we were getting the ships in the water. It was a miracle we found her at all. Apparently, the bastard aliens who abducted her didn’t even give her the choice of marrying someone else. They ran some tests on her and then simply dropped her off in the middle of Skoq to die. She found her way to the camp because of all the noise and people walking around."

Tempest blinked a few times, completely surprised. "Wait, you mean she’s new? Like she just came to Ustea?"

"Yeah, brand new. Not even here a full two weeks yet."

Tempest’s jaw dropped. She’d known of people being abducted before her, but for some reason, she was sure that she was the last that had come to this planet. She started to wonder how many others had been brought here after her. How many others had been forced here and then made to choose between marrying someone or trying to survive in the wilderness.

How many others were just wandering around Skoq or Thraqe, waiting to die?

Tempest breathed in and out, trying her hardest not to let the anger that came with this new piece of information get to her. She should have known that this was still happening. Should’ve known that the people who took her in the first place wouldn’t just stop because she was here. After all, based on what she remembered from Prince Jaqen she was a failed experiment. Of course they would want to try again.

"I’m sorry for your loss." Tempest reached over to Minnie and squeezed her shoulders.

"Maybe it’s better this way. She won’t have to endure all we have had to. She can be at peace now." Minnie looked down at Sara’s body, a lonely tear falling down her cheek.

"That’s true. Still, it would’ve been nice to meet her." Tempest added. She didn’t know what else to say at the moment. She didn’t know Sara and she was a little jealous that she wouldn’t have to deal with the bullshit that came with living on Ustea but she also felt bad that the poor woman had to go through her final days on an alien planet. She was probably scared and thinking she was going crazy. That’s exactly how Tempest felt the first few days she was here.

The panic must have been unimaginable.

Hen grabbed hold of Minnie and started to pull her out of the space, "Come, we have to get you checked out. You sound congested."

"Oh, it’s nothing. Honestly. I don’t even have a fever. I think I might have just caught a cold at the same time that all of this happened to start. Rynax is overreacting."

Rynax.

Minnie?

The gears in Tempest’s head started to turn.

"Are you and Rynax a thing?" Tempest asked almost a little too loud.

"No, I mean, maybe, I don’t know. Most of the time I can’t stand him. So it could be." Minnie smiled sheepishly.

"It is!" Rynax barked loudly from where he was on the other side of the boat.

His outburst caused all three of them to laugh softly.

Tempest didn’t want to show that she was happy about the situation, but she was. Both Rynax and Minnie deserved to be happy.

Hen continued to pull Minnie out of the space, and Tempest looked down one final time at Sara. She was very fair-skinned. Blond hair. Her eyes were closed, but she looked like she would have blue or green eyes. She must have been very beautiful.

The only flaw that she could see besides the gauntness of her cheeks was the acne she had. Small red bumps were sprinkled all over her face. and down her neck.

Tempest gasped.

"No fucking way!" She exclaimed and lunged down to the dead woman’s body.

Hen turned back and pulled open the curtain.

"What are you doing? Leave her alone!" She tried to pull Tempest away from Sara’s body.

"No, wait!" Tempest yanked her arm away from Hen. "I have to check something."

"Tempest, what’s going on?" Gerax spoke through the communicator.

Tempest ignored him. She couldn’t be seeing what she thought she was seeing. What she’d seen before.

Tempest lifted Sara’s shirt up, and sure enough, her entire trunk was covered in patches of red bumps and raised skin. Some of them scabbing up, some of them still fresh.

"It can’t be! No fucking way!" Tempest shook her head before she turned and actually ran to someone else. An alien laid in the bed, Tempest looked at him and there were no rashes on his face, but it was on his neck.

Tempest ran to another bed and found another alien, this one was incredibly fair-skinned, nearly porcelain. He opened his eyes slightly when Tempest pulled the sheet all the way open that blocked him from the rest of the ship.

"Can you lift your shirt." Tempest questioned.

The man simply growled weakly and tried to go back to sleep.

"I’m sorry. I know you don’t feel well but I need to see your stomach." Tempest moved forward and was getting ready to lift the shirt herself when the Skoqen man lifted his shirt slowly.

Tempest gasped and quickly fumbled with her wrist device to take a picture of the red blooming rash on the man’s skin.

"Tempest what’s going on?" Hen called out.

Tempest ran right past her trying to get to the bridge.

Dron was pacing back and forth there, clearly one second away from crossing over to get her.

He turned when Tempest appeared at the edge of the boat.

"Tempest?" Gerax called confused.

She quickly started pulling the mask and cloth off her face. Now that she had a piece of the puzzle she was more confident.

"No! Stop! You’re going to get sick! Moon goddess above!" Dron growled and rushed to get to the bridge.

"No, I’m not. I’m immune." Tempest called back but put a hand up to stop Dron from coming any closer to her.

Gerax reached forward and pulled Dron back. "Immune? How do you know? They said other humans..."

"No, I’m immune. I’ve been immune since I was a baby. Most earth humans are. That’s why we aren’t getting sick. I know what this is."

"What?" Aliq asked clearly, confused. He helped Gerax pull Dron back.

Tempest released a deep breath and tipped her head back, trying to get some of the cool breeze from the sea against her skin.

She took another step forward and looked at the crowd waiting for her answer on the other ship.

"It’s the fucking measles!"