Page 23 of Alien Guardian's Vow
The groan shifted into a shriek that made my teeth hurt. I covered my ears, but it didn't help. The sound traveled through my entire body, setting my markings on fire.
"We need to move," Varek barked, pulling me away from the console. "Now!"
A massive crack split the air as the first energy conduit overhead burst. Blue-white electricity arced across the ceiling, spitting and hissing like a living thing. Where it touched metal, it left scorched black marks. Where it touched the floor, it vaporized the dust into tiny plumes of smoke.
"The system's overloading!" I shouted over the cacophony. "Hammond's drilling must have triggered a cascade failure!"
Another conduit blew, sending a shower of sparks raining down. I ducked, feeling the heat singe my hair. The air around us suddenly changed, filling with a metallic tang that burned my nostrils and throat.
"Atmospheric containment's failing," I choked out, recognizing the symptoms immediately. "That's toxic!"
Varek pulled the edge of his tunic over his mouth. "We need cover!"
I scanned the chamber desperately. Energy arcs lashed the room like whips, striking at random. The consoles we'd been using moments before erupted in a shower of crystal fragments. A thick, blue-white bolt struck inches from my feet, leaving a blackened crater in the floor.
"There!" Varek pointed across the room to a small alcove built into the far wall. Its heavy metal frame and recessed position suggested shielding.
I nodded, calculating the distance, the pattern of the energy strikes, the thickening toxic air. We'd have to time it perfectly or be vaporized trying.
"On my mark," Varek said, watching the energy arcs dance. "Three... two... one... GO!"
We sprinted across the open floor. My lungs burned with each breath of the contaminated air. An energy bolt struck the floor to my left, forcing me to dodge right. Another blasted through a nearby console, sending fragments flying past my face.
The maintenance alcove stood only a few meters away when I heard the ominous crackle above. I looked up to see the largest conduit yet bulging, ready to burst.
"Rivera!" Varek shouted, and suddenly his hands were on my back, shoving me forward with Nyxari strength.
I stumbled into the alcove just as the massive conduit exploded. The noise deafened me, a physical pressure against my eardrums. I spun around to see Varek filling the entrance, his broad back to the chaos, his body blocking the narrow opening completely.
The energy arc struck the main console behind him, vaporizing it instantly. Debris flew everywhere – crystal shards, metal fragments, pieces of conduit. They hammered against Varek's back and shoulders, but he didn't move, didn't yield an inch of the opening.
"Varek!" I screamed, but my voice disappeared in the roar of failing systems.
He grunted with pain but held firm, his large frame the only thing between me and certain death. His lifelines pulsed erratically across his skin, flaring bright where the debris struck him.
The alcove was tiny, barely large enough for both of us. His face was inches from mine, his breath coming in short, controlled bursts. Outside, the chamber transformed into a hellscape of deadly energy and toxic gas.
"Are you injured?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"No. You saved me." My heart hammered so hard I thought it might break my ribs. "But you're hurt."
"Minor damage," he dismissed, shifting slightly to better block the entrance.
The movement revealed what he tried to hide – a large, angry burn across his left shoulder, the fabric of his tunic charred away. Blood seeped from multiple lacerations where debris had struck him. The smell of burned flesh hit me, turning my stomach.
"That's not minor," I said, reaching for my utility belt. "Let me help you."
"Focus on survival first. My injuries are secondary."
"You're our survival, you stubborn mountain," I snapped, pulling out my emergency med-kit. "If you collapse from those wounds, we're both dead."
Outside, another explosion rocked the chamber. Varek braced himself against the sides of the alcove, his muscles straining with the effort of keeping his position. His face tightened with pain he tried to hide.
"I need to treat these burns," I said, opening the med-kit. "The energy feedback could cause nerve damage if left untreated."
"There is no space," he pointed out.
He wasn't wrong. The maintenance alcove forced us chest to chest, with barely room to move our arms. But I wasn't about to let him suffer when I could help.
