Echoes [Ghosts of Spectra Book 1] (Spectra Fanfic Version)

15: The Stranger

"W...who are you?" asked Visk, baffled.

"That's not important right now," the newcomer frowned. "You guys need to not be here."

"Why not?" asked Nari.

The irva groaned. "Okay, I'll bite. As I'm sure you can see, this facility's been taken over by some sort of anomalous infection. I'm investigating how to stop it, and I don't want any civilians dying from it in the meantime."

Nari scowled. "And who's to say we're just some ordinary civilians?"

That elicited a laugh from the stranger. "Come on. Where's your armor? Where's your shields? You're just wearing soaked T-shirts. I don't think that constitutes military attire."

She glared back at him, her arms crossed. "Okay, you have a point. Still, we're investigating this infection as well. Also, we already know what it is."

"Yeah, sure," he smirked. "So can you tell me how you get rid of it?"

Visk pulled out his pistols. "Null weaponry."

"You're kidding."

"Nope," he said, firing a small beam of annihilation at one of the crystalline walls and taking a chunk out of it.

The stranger stared in silence for a moment. Eventually, he blinked and responded.

"We usually only use null weaponry for stuff that absolutely needs it. It's outlawed by most of the galaxy. Can you use, like, plasma or something?"

"Unfortunately not," Visk replied, firing his plasma pistol at the wall, the beam ricocheting off the crystal surface and bouncing towards a cloud of Phage. Immediately, the sound of metallic rattling filled the room as the cloud started towards their position.

"Oops."

"Ugh, okay," grumbled the stranger as he facepalmed with one of his upper hands. "We don't have time for this right now. Let's talk once that swarm is gone."

He peered around the corner, cutlasses at the ready. Then, he suddenly recoiled as he realized that it wasn't just any swarm heading towards them; it was a large room-filling mass of Phage, convulsing in strange patterns as it approached.

"New plan. We're getting out of here. Follow me."

With startling agility, the stranger leapt up atop a crystal that stood sideways, then just as quickly jumped off into some higher part of the room. "Don't worry," he reassured from above, "the crystals are safe to touch. Even if you don't have footwear."

Visk glanced up at the crystal the irva had leapt up. It was pretty high, and he didn't think he could jump quite like the newcomer, but he leapt up and grabbed onto the crystal before hoisting himself up.

The rest of the crew followed, except Mally. She quickly grabbed out her prosthetics and put them on, before staring up at the rest of the group. "I could use a hand. Not a good jumper."

Raxin crouched down and tried to give her a lift. After a little bit of hoisting, he was able to drag her up onto the ledge.

By now, the Phage was swarming the area directly below the crystal. They'd have to get up where the other irva was, and fast. Looking up, it seemed like he'd climbed into a vent on the rooftop that was still intact.

The group leapt up one by one, Visk, Nari, Amaki, and Raxin. Raxin once again tried to grab Mally, but her foot slipped, causing her finger to turn sideways and her grip on Raxin to falter.

"Shit," he muttered. Quickly thinking, he swung his tail around, in the hopes that maybe the signon could catch onto it.

Thankfully, she did, though not quite quick enough. She let out a yelp as a swarm of Phage made its way around one of her legs; she tried to yank said leg upward, to no avail.