Sycorax Snare

Sycorax Snare - SciFi Smackdown Round 4 - Part 2

Part 2 - Sentient Beings

Ferdinand groaned and reached a hand toward his head, only to encounter the hand of someone else.

“Leave it please, it’s bandaged and you’ll be fine once you’ve swallowed a couple of pain tabs.”

Ferdinand opened his eyes at the human voice and then immediately closed them with another groan as sunlight spiked into his brain.

“Well that was dense,” the female voice muttered.

“May I please have a drink and those tabs you mentioned,” croaked Ferdinand. A flask was placed to his lips and two small pills were placed in his hand. Moments later, the pain abated and he opened his eyes.

“Thank you, my lady.”

“That’s okay. May I know your name?”

“I am Ferdinand, of the House of Naples. And you?”

“My name is Miranda. Come on let’s get you up. I live not far from here and we can get you scanned to see if you have damaged yourself, although your head seems to have taken the brunt of the impact.”

“I should be okay then,” said Ferdinand dryly. Miranda pulled him to his feet and they walked out of the escape pod together.

“Steady.” Miranda caught Ferdinand as he staggered slightly and smiled at him, blue eyes looking into his own.

“Thank you Miranda,” his voice filled with concern as he continued. “Did anyone else make it from the Tempest?”

“Two other pods made it to the shale flats on the other side of the hills, but I’m afraid two were ripped apart by the gravity snare. Ariel has gone to meet them.

“Ariel?”

“One of the other beings who inhabits this small moon with myself and my father.”

“Ariel’s not human?”

“No, she’s… well… you’ll meet her shortly… And of course there’s…” She paused and then closed her eyes in pain. “Caliban…”

“Miranda?” Ferdindand only managed one word as he too found himself unable to move. Pressure built up in his mind and suddenly he found himself pushed away from his body into darkness, yielding control to someone else.

“Miranda?”

“Yes, I’m here.” A faint reply came from nearby and, in the darkness that held him, there was a reassuring touch. With that touch came a lifetime of memories and the two of them lost themselves in the history of each other’s pasts as Caliban took over their corporeal forms and left them to swim together in the stygian depths of his cortex.

~~

“Are we there yet?” grumbled Sebastian.

“If we were, then you would no longer be walking,” noted Ariel brightly.

“She’s got you there little brother, can’t beat a bit of logic.”

“We are however almost there, approximately two hundred meters in fact.”

As they watched, an energy field shimmered and, as the wards were dropped to allow them passage, they got their first glimpse of Ariel’s home. Several small biomes were clustered around a central dome, a field of solar panels draped over the hill on one side of the habitation.

“If you would please follow me gentlemen.” Ariel led them into the house on silent tracks, the men following their guide, eyes roaming around the complex.