Free Syn-En: Plague World: The Founders War Begins by Linda Andrews Page B

think it’s safe to say your immune system is responding.”
    Nell pushed up her sleeve. Blue veins turned dark green under her yellow skin. “Let the miracle cure begin.”
    “And the explanations.” Bei reached into the overhead compartment and pulled down a metal suitcase to hand to Doc. “There is nothing in the database about this.”
    Her husband shut the compartment with a snap.
    Doc pressed his thumbs to the biometric keys of the case and the lid slid back. “Portable medical unit. We planned to use them to treat the natives, since three thousand people won’t fit inside the shuttle.”
    She nodded. Her heart hammered inside her chest. “Will it work, or will it. too, be affected?”
    “Only one way to find out.” Doc smoothed his goatee before pressing the power switch. The briefcase hummed to life. He uncoiled flat sensors as well as a tube and needle.
    Nell glanced away. She hated needles.
    Bei set his hand on her shoulder. “Did you know our technology would fail?”
    “Actually, we thought it might not be affected.”
    “Because it was so primitive?” The yellow glow surged into Bei’s cheeks.
    Catching the agitation in her husband’s voice, Nell wrapped her arm around his waist. Tension turned his prostheses to stone. “You’re hardly primitive. You kicked Scraptor ass, and they’ve been in space since Hector was a pup.”
    Bei’s eyes narrowed as they swept over her. “Hector?”
    “It’s a saying.” Something cold skimmed the crook of her arm. “I don’t know anyone named Hector.”
    Doc formed gloves around his fingers, then tied off her upper arm. “Our admiral doesn’t like to share you any more than he has to.”
    Blood pulsed through her arm. Closing one eye, Nell focused on her husband’s flat stomach. “Did you think our technology would be affected, Apollie?”
    The Skaperian cleared her throat. “No. Earth is one of the pillar worlds. Technology on the pillar worlds can advance farther before this thing stops the progress.”
    “I find no reference to any pillar worlds in the database.” Bei combed his fingers through Nell’s hair.
    She wanted to relax. She really did. But a needle hovered near her vein, and any minute now, it would prick her. Any minute now... The pinch burned her arm. She looked.
    Orange blood spurted down the clear tube. Doc smiled at her. “That didn’t hurt, did it?”
    Hell, yes. “No. Of course not.” Nell glanced around the compartment for her tiara. If she was flashing her inner super freak, she might as well wear her crown of Queen of the Freaks. Orange blood. What kind of freak had orange blood? If it were green, at least she could claim to be related to Spock.
    Apollie’s brow furrowed. “That’s because we’ve never received actual confirmation that pillar worlds exist. Just vague references in the Erwar archeological record.”
    Bei raked his fingers through his black hair. “The Erwar are the oldest known sentient race in the universe. They disappeared nearly a million years ago and they left behind these pillars.”
    At first Apollie nodded, then she shrugged. “Only bits of records survived, so what is real and...and make believe is hard to distinguish.”
    “If only bits survived,” Bei growled, “then it won’t take you long to tell us the story. The entire story, and don’t leave any of the bits out.”
    Nell held up her hand. Was it her imagination or was there pink skin under the yellow?
    Doc flipped back the nail of his index finger and plugged it into the box. His black eyes glistened as information scrolled down the small screen.
    Apollie glanced over Doc’s shoulder then retreated. “Most of the records refer to the Erwar as a race of energy beings that guided evolution throughout the universe. Among all the worlds, seven were their favorites. On these worlds they built pillars to facilitate their travels.”
    Bei eyed the readout. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “What happened to the seven worlds?”
    “Five