RED KNIGHT
a STAR FRONTIERS Novel
by Layne K. Saltern
Weakness.
I found myself in some bed. Every muscle ached from overwork.
I became aware of a presence. . .someone standing near the bed. I puzzled over who it could be, and decided it must be Katrina.
My vision cleared. It wasn't Katrina.
The Dralasite, Voar Tung, noticed me try to get up. He placed a gentle pseudopod on my shoulder, settling me back into the bed. My back screamed at me for trying to move.
"Where. . .Katrina?" I mouthed.
"She's in her quarters at the other side of the base," he said.
"Was she here before?"
"Try to stay calm, Kro'khan. You've been in a serious accident. You need to rest."
"Accident?"
"In the medical supply room. There was a malfunction with some experimental equipment. We're not sure what effect it has had on your body, but Commodore Xid'kit is working night and day to find out."
"I feel dizzy. . ." I complained.
That was the last thing I remembered.
He awoke with a whisper. "Kro'khan?"
"I slept into the night," I remarked.
A smile warmed his bulbous head. "Actually, you slept into the night of the next day."
"Why am I so weak?" I asked.
"Zap has been researching that," he explained. "The equipment that misfired was part of an experimental project whose purpose was to biochemically modify physical strength and reaction speed. I'm afraid this has affected the cell structure in your body adversely, cutting your strength to about half of what it used to be.
"But there's hope," he continued. "Zap says there are periodic fluctuations in your state. Sometimes your strength level rises almost to normal. Your condition may be temporary. . .or at least curable. In the meantime, we can provide you with a number of devices to help you get around."
Almost as an afterthought, I remembered the events that occurred on the day of my accident. "Lieutenant, the explosion. What happened?"
The Dralasite hesitated. "The explosion was a nuclear blast that came from outside. The base is equipped with radiation armor and has been sealed off. We'll be safe until things settle down."
"When is help coming?"
"You need to rest," he said, avoiding my question.
"Lieutenant, I need to know."
He waited a long time, weighing the decision to go on or not. "I guess you would have found out about this sooner or later. None of our communication equipment is working. It looks like sabotage."
"So someone set that explosion to keep us here."
"It's too soon to jump to conclusions. But at the same time, we all need to be careful until we find out what's going on."
It was obvious, despite Voar's reassurance. Something bad was happening.
And for the first time in my life, I couldn't do a single thing about it.