The Shadow of the Moon-Lydia's Tale

Chapter Six

Napier Henrez casually lent against an oxygen recycling pack watching Lydia through the open utility door scrubbing her hands and face. As teenager Nape's puppy fat had turned to brawn and the kid that had once had felt the wrath of the school bullies found himself the Captain of the School Lift Ball Team as well as the hot prospect for the town's debutante ball. He carried a carelessness of youth that married a good education paid for by his wealthy parents together with an arrogance bought on by his rakish good looks and toned muscular physique. Whistling tunelessly to himself as he studied Lydia through the doorway he flicked a rubber power ball from hand to hand and needed little reassurance that he'd ended up with the hotter prospect, Lydia's friend Saffi. 

Lydia, stripped to the waste, rubbed the caked blood from her face and shoulders. For a moment she stopped and rested her thin arms on the basins edge and stared into the mirror. The face that stared back wasn't hers. It looked drawn and pale, its button nose was smeared with dried blood, dark rings crowded round the reddened eyes. She attempted to pull back the wisps of cotton thin hair that had broken free from her pony tail. They wouldn't stay tied back, in frustration she wetted her hand and slicked them back in one wet lump.  

Looking beyond her reflection she saw Nape. She snatched up her towel and pulled it around her. 'What the hell are you doing in here Nape?' 

Nape snorted, 'Don't flatter yourself Lydia, I've seen better. You don't honestly think I could be interested in you, do you?' 

She kicked the door hard with her foot. 'Get out Nape.' 

Nape put his shoulder in the door, forced it back and pushed his way back in. Grabbing Lydia he pushed her back until her head bounced off the wall. 'You've got a bit fiery lately Lydia. Little mousey Lydia, is that what happens when you murder someone?' 

Lydia struggled to get free and bought her hand up to hit Nape, he grabbed it and slammed it hard into the wall. Having gained control he lent forward, pushing his weight against her until his face almost touched hers. 'I don't think so Lydia. You see you need me Lydia, now that I've made such an incredible discovery.' 

'What discovery?' Lydia spat in his face. The Nergalrhod? Had Nape discovered the Thing that lurked in the darkness beneath them? 

'The chamber which you fell into Lydia, you must have seen what was in it. What's on the walls-ancient worshiper's and the icon of their god? The find is almost pristine. We've done some basic tests -they're old Lydia probably before the first humans walked on Earth. The worshipers are alien to this planet, there's no doubt.' Nape gloated. 'And I've found it. Throughout the Universes I've not heard of anything like this. I'll get my undergraduate thesis out of the discovery. It'll launch my career, every University on the home planets will want me on their lecture circuit.' 

'But you didn't discover it. It was Milo who led the expedition and it was me that fell into the chamber so you'd have to credit its discovery with all of us.' 

'Milos dead Lydia. Now I'm the leader of this expedition. My discovery. See. You see that don't you? You need me.' 

'Why would I need you?' 

'I know you didn't do it, whatever happened down there you didn't kill Milo. I checked your suit, the pressure dropped right away for about three minutes. You probably passed out, it's a crappy rental after all. Milos went the same way, no pressure, he probably panicked and forgot to turn on the reserve supply. The idiot took the helmet off, like that was going to save him- we're not at home, he signed his own death warrant. Take it off here on Ax and you die.' 

'Milo wouldn't have panicked.' Lydia bit her lip. 

'Either way Lydia, I've reset the instruments on the suits. Now it's just my word against yours.' Nape grinned and flicked the ball in front of her face. She flinched. 'Who made the discovery Lydia?' He tighten his grip on her neck. 'Who made the discovery?'