STORMS OF BOILING water, rains of iron droplets swirled around him, tearing through his thoughts, and there was heat and more heat…and dark-haired women running through scalding showers screaming, a blond boy looking up as he shivered into ashes…
Sweat poured off his forehead, searing his skin, and Nathaniel tried to open his eyes, but they failed to respond.
“Easy. Your eyes are pressure-banded in place.” Sylvia’s words echoed in his ears. “Don’t talk. You’ve been through a lot.”
Me? he wanted to ask. What about all those innocents on Tinhorn? Or the junior officers and men? Or the corvette pilots? How many died…how many…?
Finally, he lifted a heavy hand, then shrugged.
“What have you been through? How about partial decompression, or metallic mist in your upper lungs, incidental radiation poisoning, burns across your eyes and face requiring a total regrowth of skin and eyes—that’s why the pressure bands. Toxic systemic poisoning. You almost didn’t make it. Swersa is a very good courier pilot, and the Institute had everything ready. You’ve been under sedation for nearly two standard weeks.”
Nathaniel wanted to shake his head, but feared any motion might jar something loose. His face itched, and so did the top of his shoulders, and his head. Every muscle was stiff—if not totally pummeled out of shape.
“She’s in better shape, but not wonderful, either,” added a second voice, Swersa’s. “She took a heavy dose of radiation dragging you through the passage and lock to the courier.”
“What…”
“Please don’t talk.” A hand—Sylvia’s?—gently covered his mouth.
But what about all the people? What had he done?
“You need to rest,” added Sylvia. “They’re going to put you back under for a while, but you needed to know we made it. Your subconscious won’t struggle so much.”
A cool tingling massaged his arm, and he could feel the relaxation spreading. But there was so much she hadn’t said…so much…
“Oh…and it all worked. The Empire backed away from the war, and we’re helping repair the ecologic damage there. You’re going to look a little different, I’m told, more like one of your ancestors. So don’t be surprised. The screen images show you’ll be just as handsome…in a more exotic way.”
Her fingers were cool on his forehead…cool, even as the images of a boiling planet surged through his thoughts. What had he done?