Old Frontiers: The Severan Contingency

Chapter 3, Part 3

"The Kith that was with me—about this high, Castar-twin is unmistakable."

Outside. Quinton had apparently wandered all the way outside the dome, but when she arrived even his supposed bodyguards were confused. Alexander wasn't the most stealthy individual and even if he was he had no reason to give his guards the slip.

She stopped Prinz, laying a hand on his shoulder and then quickly retracting it when he gave her a familiar glare. He straightened up when she spoke, however. "You should've been watching him more than me. Haven't you noticed something odd?"

"Not really. Maybe he's been a little quiet."

"Yeah, there you go. Quinton never shuts up. Something is wrong if he's not talking."

"We'll—I'll find him." Prinz motioned to Kimmy and a couple of the other Atar cousins and they quickly headed out down the main street that led to the dome. The Silquint remained as her guards at the dome's entrance.

She turned around to return to her siblings. What was going on? He'd grinned, acknowledged everyone, but had remained thoroughly silent throughout every exchange. There were multiple opportunities that the Kith would not have missed under any circumstances. Ref slowly turned back to the Silquint. "I need to get in touch with Danate."

The closest exchanged a look with each other. "That may not be possible."

"Look, one of my crew just purposefully slipped his bodyguards. How much of our prior engagement do you know about? I need to speak with Danate—make it happen." Much to her surprise, they obeyed without further delay and in a matter of moments, she was speaking with the Silquint commander on the guard's conqdat.

"You believe your compatriot may have had a relapse?"

She shrugged. The Silquint hadn't told them much about the mind poison other than it had been neutralized and they were cleared. Afterward, the JerraCor hauler had revealed concealed weapons and destroyed the ship where they found the entity. All further inquiry had ceased from that point forward about the creature that had almost taken over their minds.

"Didn't learn much about the entity. Quinton's been quiet—that's weird for him—pretty much all day and now he's slipped out of the dome. He somehow got away from his bodyguards and even your people seem oblivious to his whereabouts. Seems like a relapse, doesn't it?" Ref was hoping the commander would release some further guards and if he didn't she would have to insist upon it, but fortunately, he seemed to agree with her.

"I'm freeing up additional resources within Zankar City to find Alexander. I cannot come myself, but there are competent members in the city who will assist in the search. He won't be able to hide from us for long, Detana," Danate replied. He seemed confident enough and even directed Ref towards the barracks where the Silquint had rented space.
After Danate signed off, Ref immediately brought the matron up on her own conqdat. "Matron, my friend is... missing. You know this city—you know people in Zankar. Could you perhaps lend your own resources to locating him?" She might not have asked for help from her mother in other circumstances, but she should've been aware of Quinton's odd behavior from the start and kept a closer eye on him. If she had to ask the matron for help to find him then so be it.

"Of course. I'll make some calls. Hold tight."

--

Questions. They were asking him questions. The pain had gone and when he opened his eyes he felt the light on them. He blinked as his eyes rapidly adjusted and he felt that his arms were bound, but the fiber wasn't something that would probably hold him. They'd missed his Castar-twin because it had shrunk to look like clothing.