Hunter No More

Chapter Ten

Josella always hated the first few minutes of inhabiting her biotech. The routine never changed, she would open her eyes to the awful sting of the nutrient fluid just as the extraction claw deposited her cold and shivering body onto the grille. It didn't end there; for what seemed like an eternity she would be possessed by the need to purge her stomach of that disgusting green substance, struggling for air as she did so. It was an experience that was always unpleasant no matter how often it was repeated.

Tightly gripping the metal lattice with her fingertips, Josella watched the nutrient fluid exit her mouth with each shuddering retch and drain away, her stomach muscles raw from the effort. She knew from experience that it would take hours to get that foul taste out of her mouth and even longer to rid herself of the disgust. The young Hunter had not endeared himself by usurping her place within the mainframe. She preferred a shapeless thought existence to this excess of physical considerations, and she especially hated the idea of being forced into it. Anger came far too easily in her experience.

Taking a few deep breaths of the ship's atmosphere, Josella steadied herself and then climbed to her feet. It was time for a hot shower, clean clothes and something sweet. The nutrient tank and all its foul smelling chemicals were best left behind. Heading for the antechamber she almost made her exit – almost, but not quite. From the corner of her eye she detected a small spasm of movement in one of the other tanks. Movement when there should have been none. Briefly she considered the possibility that Kanton had transferred as well. Perhaps the mainframe had proved as uncomfortable for him as it had for her, except... the claw was inactive.

She turned towards the tank in question to study it more closely. Perhaps she was experiencing some form of ocular malfunction. Perhaps there was no movement after all. Taking a few tentative steps towards the tank, she studied it. The biotech inside was still, and yet... she looked more closely. The figure was male, a Kanton no doubt, although its features were unclear. She glanced around the chamber, aware at once of an additional two Kantons in view. She frowned; the figure was too short to be a Kanton, far too short. She took another step, placing her hand against the cold surface of the tank. Even through the distorting layers of green nutrients she could tell this was not a Kanton. Kanton would never have grown a beard.

A fist suddenly banged against the plexifibre glass, startling her, while the other slammed into the emergency manual release. Above her the hatch exploded and the claw whirred into life. Reacting rather than thinking, she ran to the manual console by the door and cut the power. The claw went limp just as it fastened itself around the man's shoulders.

He was still immersed.

Exhaling sharply, she regained her composure and returned to the side of the tank. The man, whoever he was, was struggling to free himself from the claw. In the process she detected a small amount of red mixing in with the green.

"Stop it!" She ordered. "You're only hurt yourself."

He continued to struggle.

"Stop it!" She thumped the side of the tank, the resultant clang echoing throughout the chamber. How easily she had forgotten the strength of the biotech. She could have seriously damaged the tank. It seemed to work though, she had his attention, and as he turned to face her, his lips moved. She frowned, staring at him intently. Had she been mistaken? Even though she could not hear him, she could clearly read three familiar syllables.

"Jo-sell-a."

He knew her, somehow he knew her.

The syllables were repeated again and again until she nodded.

"Hel-p me."

She understood. Turning away, she returned to the console and flicked the power back on, allowing the emergency retrieval to continue. When the man was hanging above the tank, she switched off again.