Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Parac'Norr was dry, dusty, and hot as hell.

The wind whipped the sand around her as they stepped off the shuttle. The landing pad was the only thing in sight, the desert stretching out endlessly around them, flat and barren. All the hairs went up on the back of her neck.

This wasn't a paradise planet with golden sands and oases. This was a world of wind and heat, where the sun blazed down from a sky so pale it was almost white. Sand, as far as the eye could see, was only interrupted by the odd rock formation that had been shaped by the wind.

This kind of desert didn't allow for second chances but was more a place where people came to disappear, to give in to the desert and let it take them when they had nothing left to lose. When life had taken everything, they were left with nothing but the rags of hope.

They spun around at a shout to see a group of large men charging toward them. The set of their shoulders and their expressions told her something had gone wrong somewhere, badly wrong, and they expected Isan to make it right.

The first of them to arrive was an Izaean, even bigger than Isan, with pale hair shaved close to his head and strange black marks spiraling down his arms. His bright yellow eyes were intense as they fixed on Isan.

"Prince Isan, your father hasn't reported in," he said, his voice a deep rumble.

Isan returned his look calmly. "And this is a problem how? My father goes off grid occasionally."

The Izaean shook his head, his expression grim. "We've received a distress call, sir. A human ship crash landed on the northern continent. He went to rescue the female pilot."

Isan gave out an explosive curse that made her jump. "Draanth, okay, I'm going to need to get up there."

He half turned, stopping suddenly as he saw her. From his expression, he'd forgotten all about her for a second. His handsome face was creased with concern as he said, "I apologize, Dr. Godwin, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you here to settle in."

"Of course." She nodded. "Your father needs you. I'll be fine on my own for a while."

He gave her a small, grateful smile.

"Thank you. I appreciate your understanding."

Turning back to the waiting Izaean, he ordered, "Ready a flyer. I'll leave immediately."

The Izaean sprang into action at his command, moving across the landing area to get a sleek flyer ready for launch. Beth watched them, admiring the view. They were all as big and muscular as Isan but moved with the grace of dancers—deadly but beautiful.

"I hope everything turns out all right," she said.

He gave her a tense smile. "As do I. We've had...issues with the northern continent before. Hopefully this is nothing too critical."

She nodded, not sure what to say to help. She couldn't, of course, not when she didn't know anything about the planet itself. In her research, actual details on Parac'Norr had been somewhat thin on the ground.

Isan glanced over as the flyer's engines began powering up with a rising whine. She cast a glance back toward the ship they'd arrived in. Why wasn't he using that one? It was fueled and ready to go. But before she could ask, he spoke again. "I will return as soon as I am able, Doctor. Until then, Zeke will look after you."

"Make sure she stays safe," the big prince said, staring at the Izaean with yellow eyes in warning.

Zeke inclined his head. "Of course, sir."

Isan nodded to both of them and then turned and strode toward the waiting shuttle. He disappeared inside, the hatch sealing shut behind him, and moments later, the shuttle lifted smoothly from the landing area to shoot away over the desert.

She watched until it vanished against the cloudless blue sky. Then she turned to find Zeke waiting patiently nearby. He gestured politely for her to precede him.

"This way, Doctor," he rumbled in heavily accented Terran. "I will show you to your quarters."

"Thank you." She gave him a small smile, even though he made her nervous. Like with some of the others, something about his musculature looked… odd. Like he had extra muscles in there or something.

Hello, uncanny valley, she mused as she followed him. If she didn't miss her guess, she was going to be getting that eerie feeling a lot with the Izaean, so close to humanity yet not close at all.

Looking up one last time in the direction Isan's shuttle had flown, she picked up her bags and followed Zeke to the entrance of the fortress.

Her arrival on Parac'Norr hadn't gone exactly as planned, but hopefully Isan would be back soon. In the meantime, she'd get her stuff sorted, find her accommodation and lab, and start on her notes. She hoped they would eventually be the basis of a paper on Izaean genetics that would blow the scientific world apart and make her name.

?

The stairs from the planet's surface down into the underground fortress were narrow and dimly lit. Beth had to watch her step as Zeke led her down the steep incline, one hand trailing along the rock wall to keep her balance. The air grew cooler and more still the deeper they went until finally leveling out into a long corridor carved from the bedrock.

"How old is this place?" Beth asked as she followed Zeke down the dim corridor.

"Old. Real old," Zeke replied over his shoulder. "Raalt started diggin' it out when he first landed here with his boy. Must be at least… what? Sixty or seventy years now."

Beth's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't realized Isan had grown up on this planet. What must it have been like, growing up in this underground fortress surrounded by Izaean with their Blood Rage? She tried to imagine him as a child running through these shadowy tunnels, but the image refused to form.

They encountered a few Izaeans on the way, and she felt them staring as she passed. This wasn't outside the norm for her. Being tall meant people stared at her a lot back on Earth. But here it was different. Not only was she smaller than them, but she felt like an animal in a zoo, a strange alien creature to be gawked at. Zeke must have felt her unease because he growled at those who looked too long. They quickly decided to be someplace else and hurried away.

"Your quarters are just up here, Doctor," he rumbled in a deep, gravelly voice. Leading her to a door halfway along the passage, he punched in a code on the pad quickly.

Inside was a spartan living area with a bed, table and chairs, and some cupboards and shelves. The bed was narrow, by Lathar standards, with no frills… to her, it was king size with a thick mattress and a pillow that was more of a mountain. It was basic but looked clean and comfortable.

The table and chairs were basic, molded plastic. They were solid, but not exactly luxury. A food prep area was tucked into one corner with a hot plate and a water dispenser—also basic, but it would do the job. The shelves along one wall were empty except for a couple of spare blankets.

It wasn't big or fancy, but it would do. Being honest, accommodations had never bothered her. She didn't care how big or fancy they were. As long as she had somewhere dry and comfortable to sleep as well as somewhere to work, that was all she needed. Placing her bag on the bed, she nodded, satisfied.

Zeke rumbled behind her. "I will return shortly to escort you to the mess hall for your evening meal."

Before she could reply, he had already turned and disappeared down the corridor.

Alone in the room, Beth let out a breath. Wandering through to the small en-suite bathroom, she quickly washed off the grit and sweat from her travel. The cool water was a relief on her overheated skin. The air was cooler down here than on the surface but still a little warmer than she preferred. Must save them a fortune on the heating bills for this place, though.

Looking in the mirror, she tsked at herself and finger-combed her dark curls into some kind of order. Seriously, just a few minutes in the wind upstairs and she looked like she'd been pulled through a damn hedge backward. Conceding defeat, she took the time to freshen up and change into a wrinkle-free shirt as well.

Despite Zeke's promise, she couldn't help herself. It was her first time on an alien world, and she wanted to look around. So she slipped out of her quarters, her soft-soled shoes making no sound on the stone floors as she headed out to explore.

The lab wasn't hard to find. It was just down the corridor, the glass doors giving her a tantalizing glimpse inside. A guard was stationed on either side of the entrance. Biting her lip, she approached warily. They were both taller and bulkier than Zeke, or even Isan, their heads shaven closely at the sides with the hair on top braided neatly close to the scalp. Their eyes narrowed as they watched her approach, and she noticed that the one on the left had odd-colored eyes. Interesting, perhaps heterochromia was a side effect of the Blood Rage mutation?

As scary as they looked, they didn't stop her, and she slipped past them with a sigh of relief. She cast them a glance over her shoulder, getting the oddest feeling that they weren't there to stop her from getting in but to make sure no one else did… to protect her once she was inside. She had to admit it was effective. Most people wouldn't try to get past them, not unless they had a death wish at any rate.

Her thoughts of the guards vanished as she turned and surveyed the room. Her mouth fell open as she took in the metallic benches and cupboards. Shiny gadgets and gizmos lined them along with odd glass containers filled with colored liquids. Her gaze flicked over the screens with data streaming across them, the metal arms of machines, and the shelves of scientific samples and specimens.

"Oh my…"

"Dr. Godwin?"

Beth turned to see Zeke unfolding his large frame from where he had been hunched over a workstation. He wore a teal lab coat made from some sort of sheer, gauzy material that did little to conceal the muscular bulk of his shoulders and chest.

"My apologies," he rumbled. "I thought you might want to rest after your journey here."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Please, don't apologize. It's just… I've had three weeks of nothing but rest on the transport ship," she admitted with a grin. "I'm eager to dive in. And… wow, this lab!"

Zeke nodded but didn't move from where he stood, his posture somewhat like a soldier standing at ease with his feet shoulder width apart and his hands clasped loosely behind his back.

Beth laughed a little nervously in the silence. "So where should I start?"

Zeke blinked his yellow eyes. "Where would you like to start? Isan has assigned me to be your lab assistant during your stay."

"Oh!" That was a surprise. Before seeing him here, she wouldn't have guessed that Zeke was scientific staff. He was far too… muscular. "Well in that case, would you mind giving me a quick tour? I'd love to get the lay of the land."

"Of course." Zeke inclined his head and motioned for her to follow him.

Her eyes lit up as she looked around the lab. There was so much equipment, some of it she couldn't even identify. The big Izaean led her around the room, explaining each piece in his deep, gravelly voice.

"This is the sequencer," he rumbled, patting a large machine covered in blinking lights. "We can use it to analyze blood samples and map genomes."

She nodded. "We have something similar, but it definitely doesn't look like that." This one looked new and state of the art.

"And over here is the centrifuge, for separating out components."

She nodded as she followed him like a little chick, putting names to equipment she didn't recognize. Far more was in here than she was used to seeing. Usually this level of tech was shared between several labs, and she'd have to schedule times to run her testing. Here, she wouldn't even have to wait. It was like a dream come true, her mind already racing ahead to the tests she could run.

"And this," Zeke continued, stopping before a complex tangle of robotic arms and needles, "is for direct genetic manipulation. We have used it to attempt to remove the mutated genes responsible for the Blood Rage."

"With any success?"

"Sadly, no." He shook his head. "Fortunately, most of the equipment here, apart from the theater at the back, is rated for technicians rather than healers, so we didn't have to rush to get it altered before you arrived."

She smiled at him, waiting for the rest of the explanation, but she piped up when he started to turn away.

"Sorry, you're going to have to explain that for the humans in the room. Why does being a technician matter?"

Confusion flared in his yellow eyes as he turned back to look at her. "Humanity doesn't use neural-link then?"

She shook her head. "Never heard of it, so I'm going to go with no on that. What is it?"

"Huh," he said with a grunt. "It's Imperial tech. Healers connect with their patients and directly manipulate their bodies at the cellular level to facilitate healing. Isan is the only one of us trained to use it. This stuff…" He waved a hand to indicate the lab. "Is medtech level, but healers also take the pain load of their patients, which takes a lot more skill and experience."

Realization filtered through her as she put the edges of two thoughts together.

"So his…" She waved in the general direction of her face and body to indicate the scars she'd seen on Isan's skin.

Zeke nodded.

"The healer trials test how much pain a healer can handle while still being effective at their job. It leaves a physical impression. Isan has one of the highest scores ever recorded during healing trials," he said, pride ringing in his voice.

"He has? Then they're idiots for letting him go," she said firmly. "But their loss is our gain."

Zeke's big shoulders relaxed, his face breaking into a broad grin. It was the first time she'd seen a true smile from him, not the polite half-smile he'd treated her with since she'd arrived. Her staunch defense of his boss had obviously struck a chord.

"You're right, of course," he said, nodding. "Isan is one of the finest healers among our people. The healer's hall were fools to strike him off. His skills are needed, especially with the troubles lately."

His smile faded, his full lips pressing thin. "But you're right. It does work in our favor. We've had more warriors falling to Blood Rage early. Isan's knowledge of genetics could help track the cause." He sighed and shook his head. "But it gladdens me to hear you speak so highly of him. He deserves that loyalty."

Zeke's voice held a note of pride. She wondered if Isan had been a mentor to him. It would certainly fit with his passionate defense of his superior.

Since he'd relaxed a little, she worked up the courage to ask, "Zeke, could I ask you some questions about your mutation? I don't want to pry, but it would help me a lot in getting to grips with what we're dealing with here."

The big Izaean turned his yellow eyes on her. For a moment she thought she may have offended him. But then he gave her a wide grin.

"Of course. Any and all Izaean are at your disposal for study, as ordered by Raalt. Your problem is more likely going to be getting them to shut up."

Okay… that hadn't been what she'd expected. Most of the time she had to argue to get subjects to talk to her. Such ready acceptance was a welcome change.

"Oh! Well, alright then." She pursed her lips as she considered where to start. "What was your first sign that you carried the mutation?"

"Rage," he answered simply, his voice dropping slightly. "Uncontrollable fury that exploded out of nowhere. I attacked a playmate. Nearly killed him."

Her eyes widened. "How old were you?"

"Eight." She made sure to keep her expression neutral despite her shock. Eight. That was so young to have that happen. "And when did you come here, to Parac'Norr?"

"Right after the incident," he said, clasping his hand behind his back. "Once the mutation is identified, we are brought here immediately."

She frowned, not liking the idea that children so young were ripped away from home and family just because of a small genetic mutation. But she stayed focused on the science.

"Do you have any outward signs of your mutation?" she asked. "Anything visible?"

He tilted his head. "My eyes changed from green to yellow. And my hearing and sense of smell grew much stronger."

"So that's not your original eye color? I did wonder whether heterochromia was indicative of the mutation." Her mind raced as she catalogued the new information.

He nodded. "Split soul, we call it. Those who have it often hear voices."

"Interesting, I need to remember to look into that."

"I will remind you." Zeke grinned. "I'm glad you're here, Heale… Doctor. We have been trying to solve the riddle of this mutation for generations. Perhaps your fresh eyes will finally crack it."

"I hope so." She nodded. "Do you have records of all the research done to date?"

Nodding, he motioned for her to follow him to a console on one of the work surfaces.

"Prince Isan has been researching Blood Rage for years," he explained as he logged in to the computer console by flashing the pendant he wore around his neck at the screen. "He has made all his research available to the facility here, including detailed notes on both his own and his father's Blood Rage expression."

"That is…" She frowned at the sheer number of files scrolling past on the screen. "That's a lot of data. That's going to take me a while to get through."

He inclined his head. "I'll leave you to get started. Let me know if you need anything to eat or drink, and I'll take you down to the mess hall. It would be advisable not to wander alone, please, Doctor. Many here have not seen a female since they arrived. I would not want to put your safety at risk."

She hopped onto the stool and gave him a smile. "Of course not, I'm not here to cause you any problems. I'll make sure to call you if I need to go anywhere."

"Thank you."

"Okay," she said, looking back at the screen and rubbing her hands together. It was much colder here in the lab. "Let me review all this and then I can start putting together a research plan."